Rating; Loved It, 4.5 Stars, rounded to 4

A River of Golden Bones follows Calla, the secret twin to Briar, the heir to the conquered wolf kingdom of Oldemere. Nobody knows who Calla is, except for their childhood friend and betrothed of Briar, Grae. He is the prince of a nearby wolf kingdom and they are engaged to marry on Briar's 20th birthday, uniting the kingdoms. Calla will then lead the army of their allies to retake their kingdom from Sawyn, the evil sorceress who killed the pack of Gold wolves. However, the sorceress crashes the wedding and Briar ends up under a sleeping curse. Calla must journey to the kingdom of their birth to rescue Briar and defeat the sorceress.

This was such a wonderful story of empowerment, self-discovery, and love. It was told in first person, and while it wasn't perhaps the most beautifully written of stories, I did love the story itself. It was a lot of fun, and a fantastic adventure. There are some elements that I was rolling my eyes at a smidge when they were first introduced, but they ended up being different enough and there was enough other things going on that I actually ended up really liking them. The biggest one was fated mates. I feel like this can be heavily overdone in wolf-shifter romances especially, but I actually quite enjoyed the way it was utilized here. And this is definitely a romantasy in that the romance is focused more heavily on than the fantasy worldbuilding elements. However, even the romance isn't quite as important as the self-discovery and the character development that Calla undergoes. I really appreciated Calla's character arc, and I felt like it was very satisfying.

I felt like there were also some important things set up here looking at class structure, power dynamics, and disparity of wealth. It didn't get delved into super deeply, but I appreciated that essentially once Calla leaves the very rigid and traditional wolf society that dominates this world, there was a questioning of that tradition and rigidity. It was an opening up to think for oneself and ask questions that had not been permitted in the past. Both about society and about yourself.

I think that the societal commentary will come more into play in the following books, but overall this was a very satisfying story in itself. I am very glad I read it. I'm not sure how much I will be itching to pick up the next book, but I definitely am not ruling it out. The found family in this was wonderful and I definitely cried at the end.

I definitely think that there are things that I could critique, but overall it gave me what I was looking for: a satisfying romance, a found family, and a fast-paced fun adventure.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for an eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

3.5/5 stars

This was pretty good! It had me hooked in the beginning....but somewhere along the way, it just felt a little more flat. I can't quite place it, but it wasn't everything I wanted it to be. Though, I'll admit - the last 10% or so did take it from a 3 to a 3.5 - I honestly think the issue was just length and pacing, meaning it didn't need to be as long as it was. And I'm all for fantasy romance and have no issues with some spice.....but there were times where it felt like it was unnecessary, and the constant "I want you, let's do this now"....inevitable interruption...."Let's try again!".....interruption....became a bit monotonous.

But, overall, I did love some of the characters - Ora, Sadie, and Calla (mostly). Grae felt a bit generic but I did love his support of Calla as she discovered herself. The writing was good and the story was an interesting and engaging twist on Sleeping Beauty. I think it was just longer than it needed to be and the amount of spice was a bit much once it got going, but that could be a preference thing.

I think fantasy romance lovers will really enjoy this one, and I will likely continue the series to see what happens next.

I adore AK Mulford's writing. They create beautiful fantasy worlds that I easily get lost in. I also listened to the audiobook version of this with Vico Ortiz narrating and it was perfect. Their voice added more depth to the story being told.

Some keywords for ya:
- SPICEY!
- Werewolf shifters
- Fated mates
- Battles
- Forbidden love

This is a gorgeous queer romantasy novel. It's the first of Mulford's new series and I thoroughly enjoyed this read. This was an original spin on sleeping beauty and I adored the direction it took. There was so much queer representation in this book and the characters were just so beautiful. From our MC, Calla, who is bi and genderfluid, her twin, Briar who is a lesbian, Ora who is non-binary, and Maez who is sapphic - this wonderful cast of characters makes this story all the more enchanting.
This wonderful slow burn romantasy novel is a wonderful adventure. I'm vibrating for Briar's book and cannot WAIT for that to be released.

This was a really solid first book for a new series. I prefer each book in a series to have its own story within the overall arc, and this definitely does. And I haven't been seeing a lot of wolf stories right now, so this felt fresh and different from the current trends.

The main character Calla goes through a really intense but satisfying journey of self discovery. Not only regarding their gender identity but their identity within their pack and as a wolf as well.

Sometimes I'm a bit wary of stories with wolves because I've commonly seen the alpha dynamic get very toxic and yet also be romanticized. However, that is not the case in this story. The leader of the silver wolves definitely had this toxic alpha mentality but it is portrayed negatively.

The idea of mates sometimes gives me the ick, but I think it's done really well in this story. I've seen mates be very insta-love and that's just not my jam. But I love that Calla always put her sister first; she didn't just accept that now she had a mate and that was her new priority.

Basically, this novel had some really fantastic elements and took all the things I was worried about and turned them on their head. So if you like epic quests, found family, nonbinary MCs, fated mates, and/or wolf packs, then I highly recommend this book! It was refreshing and exciting and I can't wait for book 2!

Thanks to A.K. Mulford, Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

A River in Golden Bones was a fabulous debut novel. I am excited to continue this series. While I’m always unsure of fated mates I love the way this book did it and I love how there is a very strong female main character. If you are looking for a little fairy tale, a little romance, a little action, and a little found family this book is for you! I didn’t know what to expect from it but I really enjoyed the story line and all the characters. There is alot to learn from the book as well as it shows readers you cant judge people based on what they were born as or born into. Also always love a book where the female main character doesn’t need the male to save the day she does that all on her own. Great job will highly recommend to others. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book for my honest review!

DNFed at 77%. This was one of my most anticipated reads, so I wanted so badly to love it, but I was so bored.

I’m sure that this book is great for certain audiences, but I am not it. Turns out that fated mates and shifters may not be my thing. They spend so much time on the road and explaining everything when there could have been so much more action. The relationship between the MCs is so touch and go but not for any clear reason.

I will say that I absolutely loved the representation in this book. Calla’s journey of self-discovery is reminiscent of my own…trying to figure out how to feel comfortable in her own skin after being raised with a gendered pack mentality.

I definitely think that this will be a hit for those that enjoy the shifter and fated mates tropes.

Thank you to netgalley and Harper Voyager for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

It’s kinda like the author took a ton of tropes and shoved them all into a single story.

We get a love triangle, childhood friends, fated mates, not like other girls, only one bed, etc etc.

If you really love tropes you’ll like this romantasy but it just wasn’t for me.

I wanted to say thank you first to Avon and Harper Collins for approving this book for me to read. I loved Calla's as a main character. I absolutely loved the gender fluid representation in this book. I did have a little bit of a hard time getting through this one and I think it might be that the book was written in first person. I think that if I had a POV of Grae it would have been more enjoyable for me. Overall I loved the story!

A River of Golden Bones
by A.K. Mulford
The Golden Court #1
Fantasy Mature
NetGalley ARC
Pub. Date: Dec. 5, 2023
Harper Voyager
Ages: 18+

Calla and Briar are twins, born on two different days, and are hiding from the sorceress who killed their parents and took the throne on the day they were born. Their mother's dying wish was granted by a fairy, though Briar was the only child born at the time, Calla came after the wish and her mother's death.

Hidden from all except Prince Grae and his father, Briar is trained as a princess, destined to marry Prince Grae, and Calla is trained to be her sister's protector.

On their eighteenth birthday, they leave the only home they have ever known for Briar to marry the prince. But the sorceress interrupts before the vows are taken and curses Briar into sleep. To save her sister, Calla leaves to destroy the sorceress.

This story started off slow and disjointed. Things were not really explained in detail so I was not sure what really happened to their parents, who Grae was supposed to be, and why Calla and Briar were so unfeeling. It seemed as if they had no emotions whatsoever. They didn't shed many tears when they left, knowing the Fairy who raised them along with the home was going to disappear and not be seen again.

It did get a little interesting, but then flatlined and I got bored.

The blurb exaggerates the monsters and 'dangers' Calla runs into on her journey. The blurb and genre listing also fails to mention this contains porn, and that failure flushed a star away! (If it's listed as porn, I won't request it!) I understand it's a 'slow-burn-romance', but you don't need the gag-worthy detailed descriptions.

As for the next book in the series... Probably not. The story isn't bad, but it's not worth wading through the puke (porn).

2 Stars

A fun, interesting shifter fantasy romance that kept me entertained from start to finish. This was a sexy, emotionally deep read by a new to me author. I really enjoyed it and am excited to read what's next in this new series. Perfect for fans of TJ Klune or Kelley Armstrong. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: open door!

AK Mulford could step on my neck and I would say thank you.

However.

This was not their usual perfect 5 stars for me.

It took me awhile to like Calla. I found her to be a bit whiny and immature for the first third of the book. That being said, I’m aware that was the point. I just wasn’t expecting it knowing this was more New Adult and she was in her 20’s I believe. Calla did have amazing growth throughout the book so those feelings were short lived. My only other complaint was sometimes the pacing felt a bit funky and I thought the book ended three times before it kept carrying on.

Okay. Now to the good. The world building was excellent, which is to be expected here. The characters all had something that drew you in and made you invested in them, even the side characters. The gender exploration here was perfect and so artfully captured. It had genuine romance of friends to lovers which was just expertly acted out. The big bad had many sides to her which I appreciated. This truly was excellent. It just fell slightly short of a perfect 5 stars for me.

There are better queer fated mates romances and absolutely better shifter romances and fairytales. This absolutely misses the marks on all fronts and is utterly bland milk toast with uninteresting characters. I tried the audio to see if it would be better but not even Vico Ortiz could save this for me. Grae and Calla should have fucked on said wedding night and it would have made for so much more compelling character issues and not lets shove 3 sex scenes in the last 20% and have the entire big bad fight hinge on the fact that Calla hasn't told Grae about being nonbinary. It was all pointless so utterly pointless

I have unintentionally ended up in my shifter era and I am so enjoying it! This story is a different type of werewolf story though - its much more rooted in fantasy than paranormal and it was so fun and easy to devour. The story follows Calla, and her twin Briar, in a quest to reclaim their kingdom and birthright, but as we know the hero's journey is never easy. I loved the found family, the queer exploration, and the twists. Think sleeping beauty's curse meets queerness, meets fated mates and that's what you've got here. It took me a little bit of time to be convinced of the romance but once I understood the MMC more it felt more genuine. There's spice and some action-packed moments that will have you quickly turning the page to see what happens next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars rounded down.
A River of Golden Bones is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty with wolves! That was definitely an interesting twist, and if you love fairytale retellings, I'm sure you'll like this book.
It is a bit slow, especially in the middle, but the plot was well-thought out and and world building was adequate. I believe my main problem was that I couldn't connect or relate well to Calla, the main character. She didn't really have much of a personality to me.
Loved the fact that it was very LGBTQ+ friendly! Calla is non-binary, which if that is an important representation for you as a reader, pick up this book!
Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this ARC!

A fun romantasy that feels a bit more authentic and unique than the usual fae/vampire books out now.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as NetGalley, for an arc of this book. This review is my honest feedback and given voluntarily.

I genuinely enjoyed reading this story! Not to mention feeling so seen by Calla's character. I loved all the non-conforming rep in this book, classic A.K. Mulford style. While it did feel just a tiny bit on the YA side, I still found it to be enjoyable. But I will warn you, it is a sloooooow and angsty burn. But not because the fire ain't gettin' stoked though! Nah, it's cuz these characters just STAY getting interrupted, I swear! I didn't think we were EVER gonna get that spice bomb that was just waiting to explode. I didn't know about Grae at first...I thought he might turn out to be a punk not worthy of Calla, but he definitely changed my mind. Calla was a fierce thing and I really enjoyed her journey, although there was a brief period where I was like, "why are you doing this????". But overall I liked her character.

This is a wolf shifter romantasy and is told solely from Calla's POV in 1st person. I would have loved to have had a little bit of Grae's perspective in this, but honestly I was fine with it the way things were written. I thought this was written well and ended nicely, but with enough of a semi-cliffhanger to keep you interested in what else this series will have to offer. I did feel like the "just-before ending" events fell a tad bit flat compared to the build-up, but not a big deal.

I would definitely recommend, especially for those who like a dash of steam/spice with their YA-ish romantasy. Solid example of the sub-genre for sure, especially with the representation demonstrated. I would definitely be interested in reading the next one.

I love a good wolf shape shifter romantic fantasy. This is one of those books that brings together a lot of different ideas and concepts and the actually execution is fantastic! A great start to a new series, I will definitely continue on!

Another incredible book from A.K Mulford!
This book was a really enjoyable story and wasn't heavy on the world building so great for anyone wanting to get into fantasy as well as the die hard fantasy lovers.

Calla is the twin sister in secret of the Heir to the Golden throne, Briar.
Briar is set to marry Grae a wolf shifter prince to form an alliance to help save their kingdom.
On their wedding day things don't quite go to plan and Calla is forced to step out of the shadows and help save her sister who is now in a sleeping beauty type spell as well as save her kingdom.

Calla goes on a journey of self descovery as she figures out who she is after a life of living in her sisters shadow.
It has fated mates, some spice, found family, wolf shifters, gender exploration, queer representation, a sleeping beauty spell and lots of adventure.

This book was a really fun new take on Sleeping Beauty. I have never been a huge fan of the traditional tale, but this book gave Sleeping Beauty a secret twin who was raised to be a warrior instead of a princess.
Calla’s sister, Briar, is betrothed to the Prince of the silver wolves. Briar is known as the lost princess, but what the world doesn’t know is that Briar has a twin sister. An evil sorceress has is out for their family and shows up on Briar’s wedding day and chaos ensues. Briar ends the day in a deep sleep with her fated mate, the only one who can wake her, taken captive. Calla embarks on a journey to try and save her sister.
Calla joins with a band of musicians who make them realize who they truly are.
The representation in this book was wonderfully done and I loved reading Calla’s journey of self discovery. This story was familiar, but different. It was a story of finding love, but also learning to love yourself for wo you are.
This book wasn’t perfect. The pacing was off and the story was a little boring in the middle portion with the majority of the plot in the beginning 25% and the last 25%. This is also a fated mates story, and I didn’t love Calla’s chemistry with their mate. The spice felt a little out of place. This is the first book in the series, and I think personally I would have like this first book to focus on Calla finding themselves, and less on the romance plotline because it felt slightly out of place in this book. I would have also liked a little more world building. We get a little bit of it, but things in this world aren’t ever really explained.
Overall I would recommend this book. It felt like a good start to a story and I am exited to see what else these characters have in store for them moving forward.