A Sky of Emerald Stars is book two in the Golden Court series, following A River of Golden Bones. Please read A River of Golden Bones before reading this book. They are not stand-alone.

I can say that I was not a fan of the writing style of this book. It switches back and forth between POVs of two different characters, Calla, who was the main character of the last book, and Sadie, who steps up in this book as another main character. Both POVs are told from the first person POV, which adds to the confusion of what is happening to who. It also really halts the momentum of the story often when something happens in one chapter and leaves on a cliffhanger, and then the next chapter is told from the other person's point of view who is doing something else. It really halts the building momentum, which I didn't like. I wasn't able to get invested in one part of the storyline without getting dragged to the other and my attention getting pulled away from what was happening.

The pacing was a bit slow and nothing really major happens that grabs your attention and the book isn't really memorable. I listened to the audiobook completely, and then the second half again, and yet I still can't really remember what happens and nothing really stuck. What I do remember was enjoyable, but I do wish that there were more twists and turns to keep be engaged and more time spent in one POV before moving back to the other. There is also a heavy emphasis on gender roles and gender identity in this book and it goes more in depth into the characters finding out who they are and becoming more comfortable with themselves.

The romance was shoved in your face a lot since they go back and forth between two different couples. Something bad happens? Add in some spice. Need to hide from someone who holds your fate in their hands? Throw in some spice to tempt getting caught because that's more important than your mission and kingdom. There were so many times where it was really not needed and seemed so out of place. The new romance in this book between Sadie and Navin was more of a slow burn than Callie and Grae's in the first book due to unfinished business that the two have but the chemistry is there.

Our side characters were great. I still loved Briar, and how supportive she is of Calla and her new found queendom. I really hope that Briar and Maez are able to actually going to be able to spend more time in peace.

Will I continue this series? Maybe. I enjoyed the first book a lot, but enjoyed this one a little less. I would probably give the next book a read.

Thank you to A.K. Mulford, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Audiobook/Book Review 📖🎧🐺✨

thank you partner @harpervoyagerus @harpercollins for the gifted ARC and audiobook.

A Sky of Emerald Stars
by A. K. Mulford
Narrated by Bridget Bordeaux; Vico Ortiz

About the book 👇🏽

A secret song. A hidden fortress. A world on the brink of war.

Royal guard Sadie Rauxtide has been grappling with how she’ll fit into the Golden Court, after the long, tyrannical reign of the evil sorceress has finally ended. But all thoughts of peace are lost when rival Wolf king Nero kidnaps the new Queen’s friend and mentor, Ora.

Sadie along with Navin and Maez are tasked with discovering Nero’s secrets. Yet Navin is hiding things too, and Sadie must uncover them, all while battling her growing attraction to the man who betrayed her. She may have a mission, but the heart wants what it wants and fate has its own magic.
Meanwhile, Queen Calla is forced to seek help from the Ice Wolf pack’s queen to stop Nero’s prejudicial rule. But when she repeatedly dismisses Calla’s new gender identity and is unwilling to help rescue Ora, Calla must battle between diplomacy and being their true self.

✨ My thoughts:

I’ve been waiting all year for this!! Did I binge this? Yes, yes I did. Thank goodness for audiobooks. Okay is it just me or was this spicier than the first book? and dare I say… equally as good if not better than A River of Golden Bones? Eek I don’t know but I do know I loved them both! The pacing was just right, the action was fierce, and the story is set up perfectly for the last installment. (which I am now impatiently waiting for!) The audiobook and its narrators were phenomenal! It never skipped a beat between physical book and audiobook. I can’t wait for this to come out so that I can get my hands on a finished copy! Do you think I can convince my husband to get this for me for Christmas?? I just can’t wait. A Sky of Emerald Stars is out 12/24/24!

Happy reading 📖🎧🐺✨

The audiobook rendition of A Sky of Emerald Stars offers an engaging but uneven listening experience. Bridget Bordeaux and Vico Ortiz deliver commendable performances, each bringing unique strengths to the dual perspectives of Sadie and Queen Calla. However, some technical and pacing issues detract from the overall impact.

Bordeaux excels in capturing Sadie’s determination and emotional turmoil, making her struggles and budding romance with Navin feel genuine. Ortiz shines in portraying Queen Calla’s journey of self-discovery and the tension of navigating diplomacy while asserting their identity. Their performance adds emotional weight to Calla’s storyline, resonating during moments of vulnerability.

Despite the narrators’ best efforts, the audiobook struggles with consistency. The pacing feels disjointed at times, with certain scenes dragging while others rush through critical developments. This uneven tempo occasionally disrupts immersion, especially during action sequences that lack the urgency they deserve.

Additionally, while both narrators distinguish the main characters well, the differentiation between secondary characters’ voices is less pronounced, making it challenging to follow the supporting cast. This is particularly noticeable in scenes with heavy dialogue or shifting perspectives.

While the narrators bring passion and nuance to their roles, the audiobook doesn’t fully smooth over the story’s structural weaknesses or crowded subplots. For fans of fantasy who enjoy diverse characters and emotional depth, A Sky of Emerald Stars has its merits, but the audiobook format might not be the best way to experience this intricate tale.

The audiobook version of A Sky of Emerald Stars brings A.K. Mulford’s tale of self-discovery and political intrigue to life with dynamic dual narration by Bridget Bordeaux and Vico Ortiz. While the narrators’ performances add depth and personality to the characters, inconsistencies in pacing and tone make this production a mixed experience.

Bordeaux’s portrayal of Sadie captures her resolve and vulnerability, while Ortiz gives Queen Calla’s perspective a heartfelt gravitas, especially during moments of introspection about identity and leadership. Both narrators excel at infusing emotional nuance into their delivery, making the protagonists’ struggles more relatable and compelling.

However, the narration’s strength is offset by uneven pacing. Some scenes feel overly drawn out, disrupting the story’s momentum, while others are delivered too quickly, diminishing their emotional impact. Additionally, the shifts between action-packed sequences and quieter, reflective moments sometimes feel abrupt, making it harder to stay immersed in the narrative.

While the narrators handle dialogue well, the story’s expansive cast and complex subplots can make it challenging to keep track of characters, particularly in audiobook format. Clearer distinctions between secondary characters’ voices might have helped improve this aspect.

Overall, A Sky of Emerald Stars benefits from engaging narration that brings the main characters to life, but it struggles to overcome the uneven pacing and occasional narrative clutter. This audiobook is a solid choice for fantasy fans looking for a character-driven story with a strong focus on identity and emotional depth, though it may leave others wishing for a more streamlined experience.

In the second book of this series we get a continuation of our story through the eyes of Calla and Sophie. Calla and Grey are navigating their new royalty and in trying to establish their Court, they are threatened by Grey’s father, Nero. They take off in search of allies with Briar and some of their human companions.
At the same time Sophie and Maze take off to another kingdom me Maven, who is hiding something and Sophie must nuzzle up to him to try to figure that secret out while fighting her hurt from his rejection.
Throughout these two separate adventures, both Sophie and Briar end up betrothed to o different wolf royalty, despite their feelings for others.

Again, I overall enjoy the story in this series. I continue to find it to flow well. I was worried with the two POVs in this installment that things would get confusing, but thankfully the two timelines progressed at the same time.

I really enjoyed the two narrators in this audiobook. It was really needed and helped the story!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Voyage, and HarperAudio for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ALC of this novel.

I will admit I was super hesitant going in to this. I absolutely love this authors dedication to having a diverse cast of characters and having as much representation in their books as possible.

Book one fell flat for me. The diversity and representation carried it for me.

Book two? Whole different ball game! The plot seemed much more fast paced this time around and interactions between the characters didn’t feel forced. The plot twists were delectable and I honestly can not wait until the next book now. I know this isn’t even released yet, but I’m ready when you are A.K. Mulford!

The audiobook had decent pacing for me. Full disclosure, I listen at 2.5 speed. The narrator did a great job switching up character voices and spoke very clearly. No notes!

Make sure you check out the author’s Instagram page for some sneaks from the book. I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. Those end pages look stunning.

Super enjoyable read!

Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and HarperAudio Adult, through NetGalley, for an advanced reader copy of the e-book and the audio book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

This was a great follow-up to the first novel in the Golden Court series. I enjoyed this one more than the first. The pacing was better, the characters more comfortable in their skin, and the stakes even higher. The magic system is more thoroughly fleshed out and is unique. At times I found Calla and Grae to be frustrating in the first installment, so I was happy to have shifting points of view here to see the perspective of a new set of "main" characters in what is really more of an ensemble cast situation.

The romance scenes for Calla and Grae felt forced and unnecessary to me. That relationship was already fleshed out in the first novel, and felt to me like it did nothing to drive the plot forward. Admittedly, I skimmed those pages. This is the main reason for my drop to 4 stars for the review.

Navin's character development in this installment is by far my favorite. His development was well paced over the entire course of the book.

I'm excited to continue (complete?) the series in the next installment. The world is really interesting and the characters engaging. I recommend particularly for fans of fantasy, romantasy, kingdoms with power struggles, LGBTQIA+ representation, wolf-shifters, magic systems and fated mates.

I can’t believe I forgot all the characters. Had to look them up from the last book to remind myself. I received the audio and digital ARC from NetGalley. I do wish there was a recap because for the life of me I cannot remember what Navin did to betray Sadie but luckily more on them in this book. I love the narrator for Calla and Grae. I wanted to love their story way more in this book but I feel like Calla lost her strong independence with Grae. I still enjoyed and will continue the series.
The audiobook narrator for Calla and Grae I love. It was hard to get into the audio parts with Sadie because I did not care for that narrator but since Sadie is half the book I pushed on. I do like the spice level of the book and would recommend.

This sequel amped up the spice and twists. I love the dynamic between Sadie and Naven.
my one complaint.... petty complaint... too many of the names sound similar and I find my dumbass getting confused often. but that could be a me problem. It's not a story problem.
I look forward for book 3.

This fantasy keeps you entertained from the very start! I couldn’t book the book down because I need to know more. The romance in this book is definitely a slow burn but it did have some spice. Enjoyed all the twist and turns this book had and loved the magic system! Would definitely recommend if you love fantasy.

I was lucky enough to get both the ARC and ALC for this This book was fun! It took me a little longer than I would have liked to get into the book, but for those who love a good slow burn, this is definitely the book for you! The book was cute, and I genuinely enjoyed reading it! I highly recommend this book as a followup to book 1! 4/5 for me!
I definitely think having the audio book helped me love the book even more! 5/5 with the audiobook.

Sorry to say this was a ‘miss’ for me.
I feel like it was very much aimed at Young Adult, which I am NOT…so, that’s probably the problem.
I’ve read many wonderful reviews of this one, so this is only MY opinion.

Also, this is book # two in the series, and I did not read book one. (But I am not going to now, either)…

If you enjoy ‘romantasy’ mixed with other worlds, shape-shifting and Magicks, this one might be for you!

It is told from multiple POV’s, and it took me most of the book to keep up with who was who…
Although I did enjoy some aspects of it, there were many others I did not.

Kings, Queens, Knight’s, Wolves, Dragons, Musical Abilities and so much more. Multiple family members and courts…and so on…

Lots of killing (and I mean in a totally horrific way… bones crunching and bloody detritus left behind…)

So, for me, I’m going to give 2 1/2 ⭐️⭐️💫, rounded up to 3.

#ASkyOfEmeraldStars by A.K. Mulford and narrated by Bridget Bordeaux and Vico Ortiz.

Thanks so much to #NetGalley, #HarperAudioAdult and # HarperAudio for an ARC of the audiobook which is due to be released on 12.24.24. So, look for it then!

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3.5 stars
This is book two in the Golden Court series. I’m enjoying the new adult romantasy plot, especially with the werewolf main characters. There’s a lot of fae going around these days and vampires are the OG, so werewolves deserve more of a moment! I appreciate all the rep in this series too!

In A Sky of Emerald Stars, we return to the Golden Court to follow wolf-shifters Queen Calla and Sadie in this whimsical romantasy series.

This 💫Sleeping Beauty-esq 💫 tale is perfect for readers who enjoy romance and are possibly new to the fantasy genre because it has a very easy-to-follow magic system, steamy romantic scenes, and diverse character representation.

+++👂🏼The audiobook narration features performances by Bridget Bordeaux and Vico Ortiz who deliver accurate emotionally resonant performances that showcase their range as voice actors and bring a lot of depth to the cast of characters.

Rosy Moments 🌹
- Diverse character representation (including gender fluidity in main characters)
- Reminders from Book 1 are subtly incorporated to help the reader without seeming repetitive - very well done!
- Spicy scenes beginning at 25% into the book from characters you met in Book 1

A Few Finger Pricks 🪡
- The dual POV lacks crossover and while the cast is split up it begins to feel like two separate books vs a collaborative storyline
- 70% Romance / 30% Plot Split… and I simply prefer a little more plot

🏳️‍🌈 I respect Mulford, a former wildlife biologist turned fantasy author known for their dedication to crafting inclusive stories that spotlight diverse characters and cultures.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, HarperAudio, and A.K. Mulford for the advance reader copy of this book!

⭐ 3.5/5 Stars – I recommend this spicy fairytale romantasy if you’re looking for a lighthearted adventure!

I have to say I liked this book more than the first one and I did enjoy the first one. I loved having Sadie’s point of view. Honestly she is my favorite character in this series.
I enjoyed the twists and turns of the adventure in this book and the betrayal. I found it a bit at some points in the story but overall it kept me engaged.
The slow burn romance usually isn’t my thing but I very much enjoyed how this was done. And the banter in this book is 👩🏼‍🍳😘. I look forward to finding out what happens next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper audio for the opportunity to read this ARC and to give my honest review.

"A Sky of Emerald Stars" picks up Calla’s story and introduces a second main character, Sadie, creating a dynamic and engaging dual POV narrative. Both characters are grappling with their identities, the truths they’ve been told, and the paths they must carve out for themselves.

From opposite corners of the realm, we follow Calla and Sadie as they navigate their own challenges—stumbling, struggling, and finding the strength to rise again. Their journeys are raw, emotional, and deeply personal, yet they’re woven together by themes of resilience and self-discovery. It’s fascinating to see how their perspectives bring different facets of this richly imagined world to life.

This sequel doesn’t just expand the story; it deepens it, pulling you into their struggles and triumphs in a way that makes you cheer for both of them.

A book in a series that does not have that 2nd book syndrome!
This in my opinion was just as good as the 1st book, I really liked the multiple POV's! I have read quite a few of this author's books and this series is my favorite so far. The writing is detailed just enough, the characters are fun and engaging, and the story is exciting!

Book 2 of the Golden Court was exactly what I needed. I really loved the first one and enjoy the main characters a lot. I have a bad habit of not reading blurbs or anything so I came in with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised with the dual POV between Calla and Sadie. I absolutely love both characters. Strong female leads that do anything for their people. Their love interests are also top tier!

Narration was perfect as always.

This book gives me YA vibes with some spice. A very good balance IMO. I love the storyline and how both FMC are having their own adventures. When both POVs collide it was all I needed. It was the perfect amount of world building and fantasy.

A fantasy novel that touches on the challenges the social construct of gender. This book is the redemption arch for the first book in the Golden Court series.

Something I liked about this book is that we get to see the other characters develop. While I appreciate the adventure and hardships that Calla has gone through to get to this point, I enjoyed the story of Sadie and Navin much more. I'd have loved to hear from some of the other characters, like Briar, Ora, or Maez. I think this book is setting up for a more installments, but it didn't disappoint. If anything I enjoyed this one more than the first.

My favorite thing about this series is the exploration of gender fluidity. I think there needs to be more of this in fantasy writing. Gender is a social construct and this series really digs into that. There was a bit heavy on travel and dialog in the first two thirds and the end picks up with some surprising twists. All in all, it was well written, I enjoyed the dual narration of the audiobook. I will definitely pick up the third installment. A solid 3.75 rounded to a 4.

4.5/5

I was so excited to go back to the world of The Golden Court! And unlike The Five Crowns of Okrinth, we stay with the main character of the first book and we get to see Calla be Queen. The characters and character relationships are so good in this one. A.K. Mulford is incredible at creating complex relationships with each and every character, and that is no different with Sadie.

I can't wait for the next and final installment of this great series! I wonder if we will get another POV in that book....