I'll admit I was drawn in by the pretty cover and Sleeping Beauty parallels; unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed with the actual story. It read a little like a mediocre werewolf omegaverse fanfiction. I have a personal distaste for characters who constantly talk about how ugly and inadequate they are compared to whatever "perfect one" there is in their life even though they're really beautiful and cool especially to the male lead. I also dislike when a character who has supposedly been in training their whole life and is dedicated to fighting loses almost all the fights they are in. My biggest gripe with the book is that Calla checks both of these boxes with their "not like other wolves" attitude, which makes for an irritating read.

The romance is also pretty lacking. I don't have a problem with the fated mate trope - it can be cute when done well - but here it felt pretty forced and I never got that invested in their relationship.

There are some plot elements that I think have potential. I am way more interested in the backstory of the evil queen and in Briar's story than I am Calla's. Just not enough to continue on with the trilogy.

3.5 stars rounded up.
I thought this was a great start to a fantasy series, and the main character's arc was just wonderful and so touching. I found the romance lacking though and I know it was a fated mates story and that the character and love interest knew each other as children, but somehow the relationship still just felt rushed to me. There were decisions that were made by the love interest that made sense once the motivations were revealed later in the book, but I think it could have come a bit sooner and the relationship would have been better. I did think the worldbuilding was interesting though, and I like the human/wolf discord and the complications between the two and how that tied in to the main characters identity. I'm interested to continue this series in book 2!

3.5 stars!

This was fun! I don't really have anything negative to say about this except that days later nothing in the book has really stuck with me. I think a highlight was the genderfluid main character, and the fated mates storyline, but I'm not sure I'm going to read the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Spellbinding! This is a sort-of Sleeping Beauty retelling, but with wolves! I loved the LGBTQ+ rep, and I was able to listen to the audiobook, which I highly recommend. The narrator is fantastic! The romance sparks, and the side characters are so much fun! At this point, if A.K. Mulford writes it, I will read it!

This was a different type of read for me from A. K. Mulford. I found this author about 2 years ago and have been enjoying their books ever since. However this is the first wolf book that I have really gotten into!

I enjoyed the enemies/friends to lovers ( YEAHHHHHH) and then the whole adventure that they went on to save their pack. I loved the rebels that united together for the wolf back and also seeing have two sisters who were raised together were completely different.

I also really enjoyed the whole “mate” bonding aspect and how that was used in the story. The only thing that I felt was a little forced as the main character moving from a “she” to a “they”. Maybe that is how it really goes for someone in their position and I am just naive, I just felt like it was kind of forced.

I know there will be another book (or at least I hope with the cliff hangers) and I look forward to reading it!

A.K. Mulford has recently become one of my go to authors. I absolutely loved The Five Crowns of Okrith series, so I incredibly excited to find out she was coming out with a new series!

I really love the characters that she comes up with. I love how they're always diverse and inclusive, and makes it so you're not reading about the same types of characters in different font. She's always incredible with her world building and A River of Golden Bones was no different. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

The library bought this because of booktok and thw pretty cover.

However, this book was not good.

I always love a fairy tale retelling and this Sleeping Beauty retelling did not disappoint. I loved the themes of this book

"A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford is a beautifully crafted romantasy that captivated me from start to finish. The character development is exceptional, particularly Calla's journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Mulford's inclusive and diverse representation adds depth and authenticity to the narrative. The world-building is immersive, filled with intriguing magical elements. While the ending felt a bit rushed, it didn't significantly detract from my overall enjoyment. This novel is a compelling start to The Golden Court series and a must-read for fans of fantasy romance.

"A River of Golden Bones" by A.K. Mulford is a riveting fantasy adventure that transports readers to a world of magic, mystery, and danger. Set in a realm where ancient prophecies and powerful sorcery reign supreme, the story follows protagonist Elena as she embarks on a perilous quest to uncover the truth about her past and unlock her latent powers. Mulford's writing is richly atmospheric, immersing readers in a world teeming with mythical creatures, dark forces, and hidden secrets. The journey down the river of golden bones is fraught with twists and turns, keeping readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. But beyond the thrilling plot and imaginative world-building, "A River of Golden Bones" is also a tale of courage, friendship, and the enduring power of hope in the face of adversity. Mulford's vivid imagery and compelling characters will leave readers eagerly anticipating the next installment in this captivating series.

An interesting Sleeping Beauty retelling! An evil sorceress, a handsome prince, and found family. It explores themes of non- binary and discovering oneself.

I admit, I had a lot more fun reading this book than I thought. I even recommended it to a couple patrons and fellow librarians for them to pick up a copy to read. It was a little cliche, but not in a bad way. I enjoyed the ride, the world building and the truly beautiful journey. I have requested the second in the series and am so hopeful I get to continue it!

I am a fan of anything A.K. Mulford puts out and A River of Golden Bones is no exception!

One of my biggest kkkm aways from this book was Calla's journey inward. As a non-binary author, Mulford does a great job of exploring the themes of discovering oneself when you do quite fit gender or societal norms. Calla discovers a term humans use vs the binary of wolfish custom which I thought was unique. I would've imagined it to be reverse but again, Mulford likes to twist and turn things to make her readers swoon but also think deeply about humanity.

As the first in series, I am interested to see where this story goes. It's got a bit of a twisted take on Sleeping Beauty which I believe is such an under-hyped fairytale story. I am here for more of Calla, Briar, Maez, and others.

My ONLY ick is I am not a huge fan of Grae, Calla's mate. I liked him in the beginning but after all the drama with his dad -- it just left a blah taste in my mouth. Alas, I shall learn to love him since Calla does ;)

We meet Calla and Briar as they are about to travel to the Golden Court to fulfill Briar's arranged marriage with the intentions to once again claim their lost throne in the Silver Court. Calla is resigned to being her sisters shadow and protector. The wolf shifters are strict in their traditions and beliefs at the expense of themselves and the humans living under their rule. But fate is a fickle mistress and soon Calla is faced with tough decisions about her own fated mate, where her alliances lay, and who she is.

I wasn't sure exactly what I was getting into when I picked up A River of Golden Bones. Set in a new world quite different from A.K. Mulford's Okrith, I was pleasantly surprised at this character driven fantasy. If you are looking for something that falls into more traditional shifter or epic fantasy, this may not be your book. While it has all the elements of epic fantasy, the story is centered around the MC's discovery of who she is and can be, and the "save the world" plot is left a little more in the background.

With sleeping beauty vibes, we get a story full of sorcery, shifters, defiance of societal standards, discussions of societal equity/equality, and self-discovery. I've been following A.K. Mulford as an author for some time and this book feels like it embodies part of their own journey. It felt more personal than the Five Crown's of Okrith series and I loved the discussions around characters. I also loved the juxtaposition we see between three characters whose base goals are the same but who choose wildly different ways of accomplishing those goals.

thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.

I’m relatively new to the fantasy genre but I LOVED this book. I didn’t think I would but once I started I couldn’t stop. I loved the story and how it wasn’t completely centered around the romance. I loved how the FMC had her own personality and tried to separate it from the MMC

I loved this book! Calla was a terrific main character and I loved following her self discovery throughout her adventures. All of the supporting characters were stellar and engaging. I loved that they all formed a bond turned to family. The romance was beautiful Sleeping Beauty is a favorite of mine, and this is a retelling but with the main character being the one sleeping’s twin. Add in Werewolves and this was a creative masterpiece!

A beautiful journey of self-discovery and queer identity, filled with heart-stopping romance and page-turning adventure.

I do love a werewolf books, definitely ne of my favourites and I was drawn in by the concept of this book and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed at all, the story was really interesting and I loved the characters, I got a bit frustrated at times with their decisions, but I only get frustrated when I like the characters and I’m so looking forward to more

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This one wasn’t a favorite of theirs. I think it was the being in love with my sister’s man. I don’t like that trope but I wanted to give AK a shot!