AK Mulford offers a wonderful varation of the ever growing romantasy book. This is a perfect read to explore one's relationship with their own gender identification while seeing healthy acceptance of being true to one self. Endearing found family, and perfect for those who dreamed of being a wolf growing up.

a river of golden bones is a lgbtq+ sleeping beauty retelling that starts with twin siblings: one living in secret while the other is in line for the throne. the magical storyline of sibling rivalry reminded me of twin crowns!

with vindictive sorcerers and wolf shifters, the story keeps you fascinated until the very end. just beware of calla and grae’s insta-love because their relationship develops so quickly.

i love that calla, the main character, is genderfluid and we get to see them come to terms with how they really feel. it’s so refreshing to read about a non-binary main character.

for romantasy fans that are looking for werewolves and the fated mate trope, this fast-paced story is for you!

I've heard such great things about this, so I was thrilled to get an early look via NetGalley (thank you Harper Voyager!). And I see why buzz is building. Mulford is a wonderful writer, adding such a fresh twist on the classic Sleeping Beauty fairytale, complete with hidden twins and weres. Plus I'm an absolute sucker for friends-to-lovers. Grae has my heart completely.

The last quarter of the novel felt a bit rushed to me, and the spice (which I usually love!) did seem oddly paced given how YA the voice is originally, so rounding down to 4 stars. But I'm excited and eager for book #2!!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book early in exchange for my honest review. I think this book was pretty good! There was some drama, sloooooooow burn, and a decent plot to the book. This did not end in a plot twist or really an ending where I would truly expect another book to come from it. It left other avenues to be led down, but also clean enough of an ending that it would be a decent standalone in my opinion. I would recommend this book to friends who like shifter books and also has LGBTQ+ representation if you are interested in that. I love when books are about twins and when you have love interests that aren't push overs to each other just because they are in love or fated mates, etc. I believe you should still have an identity and be able to support each others differences in addition to the things they agree upon. That is something that this book does well. I would realistically give this 3.5 stars but since I can’t do that on here I would give it 4 stars because I do think I would recommend it to people I know would enjoy it and did enjoy it myself. Again thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for making access to this title possible!

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

Actual review close to 3.5 stars. I loved that there was LGBTQ+ representation with the characters. However, the beginning was a bit confusing to start and had instalove which kind of set the tone for the rest of the story me. I'd much rather see a relationship develop can be done, even with fated mates. The language used in the spice scenes was a little weird lol.

A beautifully written story about self discovery and found families. With a badass main character, a thrilling plot, and wonderfully inclusive storylines, A River of Golden Bones has it all. I can't wait for the next book in the Golden Court Series.

I picked this up because I had enjoyed reading the first couple of books in the author's other series, they were a nice escape type book. I can see the author's growth of storytelling here compared to that other series, but this book still had pacing issues for me. I feel that at times it was too slow and then somehow the book itself was too fast.

I did like the characters, especially the traveler and how unique each of them were and what they contributed to the story. The main love interests however just seemed overshadowed by so many other characters I would rather know more about.

That being said, still 3 stars for entertainment value.

This is a case of judging a book by its cover being the best decision. Didn’t even read the blurb, just saw the cover and knew the book was for me. And as pretty and magical as the cover is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the magic with the story. The world building, the side characters, the buildup of tension from start to finish, the love story between not just the main character and their mate, but that of their country and their found family. Loved this book, no holds barred.

A gripping wolf shifter Romantasy smothered in fated mates and a dash of sleeping beauty!

I am such a sucker for fated mates, and wolf shifters let alone a fairytale retelling! This book challenged the social norms and felt incredibly inclusive.

The golden wolf pack was wiped out by an evil sorceress who took the kingdom by force and named herself Queen. She cursed the FMCs mother, but not before she delivered a healthy baby girl and sole heir to the throne. That is, until her twin followed shortly after. Two baby girls were born that day and with their mothers dying wish, they were taken by a fairy godmother of sorts to be raised into the women they needed to become. One day they would take back their homeland and sit upon the golden throne once more.

I loved the twist on this classic story brought to a whole new level with warring kingdoms, villains on both sides and a satisfying ending that leaves more to be told without the headache of a cliffhanger!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC!

I’d yet to try this TikTok recommended author yet, dubious of the claims that their fae series could rival acotar, but now I’ll have to read the rest of their catalog.

This is the first shifter romantasy that I’ve actually liked! And I love romantasy in general and always thought I’d enjoy this subgenre, but for some reason all the others I’ve tried don’t hurt right,

Mulford gets it right!

The fantasy was amazing, the story was enchanting 10/10 would recommend to anyone who love’s fantasy.

"My sister would marry and make allies and sign treaties, and I would be the nameless Wolf who won back our throne."

A. K. Mulford is bringing shifters back, in the best possible way. While, I have yet to read a bad book by them, I certainly didn't go into this book expecting to love it as much as their debut series "Five Crowns of Okrith". I'm pleased to say I was pleasantly surprised in all the best ways. A. K. Mulford brought their A+ game with this series and I'm already eagerly anticipating book two (and three).

We follow Calla - twin to Briar - whose entire identity has been cloaked in shadows her entire life. She was meant to be nameless, faceless, and live behind her sister's glory. Only everything Calla was raised to be is challenged when Briar is cursed. Suddenly, Calla must not only live up to be the warrior her sister needs, but also the champion for her throne while embarking on a new journey of self discovery outside of the shadows.

Dive into the fantastical world of A. K. Mulford's creation with queer representation, gender fluidity, fated mates, found family, curses, sleeping beauty retelling, spice, and a plot twist that will leave you wondering how the heck you never saw it coming!

I’m typical A. K. Mulford style she has done it again!! There are highs and lows. Action, love interests, this book has it all. I couldn’t put it down. I need more!!

Wolf shifters, true love, gender non conforming, queer inclusive fantasy romance breaking down the borders of class/race. AK has done it again.

They have provided us with a character growth and self discovery story rooted in the tale of Sleeping Beauty.

There was the perfect mix of action and hanky panky. Also, a magical travelling caravan? Yes.

This was everything I was hoping and needing! The author does a phenomenal job of weaving these stories that just captivate you!

I really enjoyed this Sleepy Beauty retelling that dives deep into self-discovery and gender exploration. This was beautifully written with rich, flushed out characters full of diversity. The author’s growth in her writing is evident in this book. Give it a try!

A fantasy adventure with great world building, a political divide between humans and wolves, broken kingdom, fated mates, and twin princesses in hiding! All the makings of a great fantasy series. While one princess is promised to an allied kingdom, the other trained as her protector for when her sister becomes queen. Calla is stubborn and lacks of confidence in everything about herself except for her warrior fighting skills, but is she capable of stepping out from her sister’s shadow to save her family and her kingdom?

I felt like this book went deeper than your average fantasy story and really engages the reader in ‘self-discovery’ and ‘gender exploration’ like described in the synopsis. The main character, Calla, develops so much during the course of the storyline and really comes to learn who she truly is, which is incredibly admirable and inspiring. The descriptions of emotions during important scenes were really well written and make you feel more connected to the characters.

I really loved all the supporting characters too and hope the next book really dives into their stories more. I would especially like to see more character development with the male lead character, Grae.

Overall, this was a good book that I would recommend to any fantasy lover! A truly inspiring story about how we don’t have to abide by the future set by others, but we are free to create our own destiny in our own ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and review this book with my own honest opinions!

This was a fun read. The story was interesting although I would have liked more world building. The LGBTQ+ representation was good to see. I think Mulford's writing is getting better by the book and I look forward to reading their books in the future.

A River of Golden Bones is a Sleeping Beauty re-telling that includes some of my favorite tropes. There’s an evil sorceress, a handsome prince, a found family, and an exploration of gender identity that is often not seen represented in fantasy novels (but is perfect here). The character development and seeing how Calla confronts their beliefs based on observations and experiences is such a powerful message wrapped in a beautifully written and adventurous story.

If you enjoyed ACOTAR, but wanted more diversity, I highly recommend A River of Golden Bones. And, if you liked The High Mountain Court (or the rest of the Crown of Okrith series by the same author), you will definitely love this book!

This book was fantastic.
I cannot express how much I loved the main characters journey with self discovery and the internal fight that was happening throughout the book. It was such a lovely perspective that I have never seen another fantasy do. It was super validating and really added so much.
Beyond just that, the book had so many elements that made it enjoyable. I am a sucker for any fairytale retelling and this one hit the mark.
I also really enjoyed a friends-to-lovers romance, again another thing that I haven't seen often in fantasy and it was well done!
Excited to see what will come next!