THEY'RE BAAACK!!

If you haven't read a River Of Golden Bones yet, stop reading this and do that first...

In the first book, Calla and the gang have left the Silver Wolves and established the Golden Court in Olmdere.
To absolutely nobody's surprise, King Nero of the Silver Wolves isn't too excited about this and does upsetting things. So, the court split up to go make some allies.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series (as well as pretty much everything else by the author, if we're being honest), but in a shocking turn of events I think I might actually like the sequel even better. River of Golden Bones walked, so Sky of Emerald Stars could run. Sadie becomes one of the main povs in this book, and I really enjoy being in her head - she's all snark. After book 1 I was really hoping for some more world building, and let's just say my prayers were answers! We see a lot more of the world and the lore, which adds some depth to the story. The main plot starts out a bit slow, but speeds up significantly over the course of the book, with an ending that sets us up perfectly for the presumed grand final in book 3. As always with AK Mulford, the writing is enjoyable, the plot and world interesting, and the queer rep excellent. I'm looking forward to the last one in this trilogy!

Many thanks to HarperCollins for providing me with an eARC through Netgalley!

This year I read the first book by this author and the moment I finished I knew I wanted to read her entire backlist and every book to come. I flew through her first series and in the last few weeks of the year it was time to start with The Golden Court. Since I was convinced I was gonna like this series, I already requested my review copy for this sequel without having read the first book. Luckily HaperVoyager granted my Netgalley request.

What I love about this book, and series, is that the author does what she does best, while also adding a little more. The politics, especially in this book, feels way more complicated. The issues the characters are facing are way more serious and complicated. The characters are also more layered. However, at the heart of each book is once more a couple clearly made for each other trying to find a way to be together and to share a future.

My favorite part of this book was the magic, though. I love how we discovered a new sort of magic, one that has been kept hidden from us in the first book, while we're also learning a lot more about the world this book takes place in. I like how this book addresses history and storytelling like this. The winners get to tell the tale, but that doesn't mean everything they say is true. It also forces the wolves to think about their rules, their society and what they want for themselves and each other.

I also really enjoyed the journey of the leading couple in this book. In the previous book it was already clear they had chemistry, but there were so many obstacles to overcome. In the beginning of this book it therefore seemed quite hard for these two to find and get their happily ever after, but the author did find a way to bring them together and it never felt rushed or strange. And, as always, most of their issues were solved by talking.

And with everything that happened in this book, I'm also really looking forward to the next one!

ARC Review “A Sky of Emerald Stars”

This is the second book in this series, so you should read “A Court of Golden Bones” by A.K. Muford first!:)

I started the first book blind and was surprised by a story about wolf shifters, self-discovery and fighting dark magic. However, I didn’t like it as much as I hoped but I am grateful to be able to read the second book via NetGalley.

This second book is about building a new kingdom, finding allies and revealing hiding secrets. We are following two MC. The first one is our MC from the first book, Calla, and she takes us on her journey to secure allies and retrieve her dear friend in anticipation of the war ahead. The second POV is Sadie - a wolf shifter in Calla’s court who is sent on a mission to unveil Navin’s secrets that he is keeping from their court.

The two POVs let us see the plot from different perspectives and places, which made the pace of the plot a lot faster. Still, somethings happened to slow. But it was good overall. I enjoyed the twists and turns. I didn't see the betrayals coming!

The first book did a good job on the worldbuilding so you can follow the details easily. I loved the new additions to the worldbuilding, they gave the world a little more depth. This is a more character-driven book and is not so heavy on the worldbuilding.

Even though I enjoyed Calla’s self-discovery, I had a hard time warming up to her. But I enjoyed seeing Calla and Grae work together and love their cutie relationship. Grae is a very supportive and adorable partner.
I found Sadies POV really refreshing and liked her a lot. She is a sassy and stabby FMC, just the way I like my FMC.
Her relationship with Navin was complicated and was messy sometimes. So, when they started working out their differences, “things” happened really quickly. Too fast for me to feel their bond, but that’s fine, I was a fan of them from the start.

Overall, it can be said that this is a easy to follow romantasy with wolf shifters, a court on the brink of war, self-discovery, spice and action.

You'll love it if you like:

• Wolf shifters
• Found Family
• Fated Mates
• LGBTQ / Queer MC
• Forbidden Love

Thanks to NetGalley and A.K. Mulford for the ARC <3

ARC Review of A Sky of Emerald Stars

After finishing A River of Golden Bones, I approached A Sky of Emerald Stars with an open mind despite my personal reservations about book one.
My struggles with the first book stemmed largely from my own preferences: wolf-shifter stories aren’t my favorite, and I found it hard to connect with Calla as the main character. The childhood friends-to-lovers romance also wasn’t particularly exciting for me.
Despite these elements not being my usual cup of tea , I was intrigued enough to give the sequel a chance, especially after learning we’d get Sadie’s point of view.

And I’m glad I did. Sadie’s story and personality resonated with me far more. Her perspective brought a fresh and engaging dynamic to the series. Her romance with Navin was well-paced and much more enjoyable for me personally, adding depth and emotional stakes to the narrative.
I found myself rooting for her in ways I didn’t expect, and her role in this book became a major highlight.

This sequel truly steps up its game. With new points of view, characters, and a shifting focus, the story feels broader and more complex. The stakes are raised significantly, with more dangerous and risky moments that had me on edge. There are some genuinely heartbreaking twists that bring a lot of emotional weight, making it clear that the series has grown from its foundation in book one.

While A River of Golden Bones helped set the stage, A Sky of Emerald Stars dives headfirst into the action and consequences.
The series isn’t finished with this installment, and the book ends with much more going on, clearly setting up for the next chapter.

While I still had the same personal issues as I did with the first book—elements like the wolf-shifters and soulmate dynamics remain—Sadie’s focus, new characters and relationships, and more risky challenges in this sequel made the book far more enjoyable for me.

If you loved book one, A Sky of Emerald Stars will likely captivate you even more.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book. A gorgeous 4 star read book from me. What an exciting plot, vivid storytelling and relatable, rich characters. I could put this book down – absolutely loved it.

4.5 Stars! It was a little slow in the middle but otherwise is was like boom boom BANG with one thing happening after the next, and betrayal and heartache and grieving and healing and lots.of hanky panky and fighting.
Damn good.

I loved the introduction to magic through music and song, and how you should never overlook those who you perceive to be weaker than you, because they bring immense value.

I’m grateful I got the chance to read this early, this series is so underrated!

I went through a whirlwind of emotions during this book, and without giving too much away, let’s recap.

After the battle with Sawyn, Calla is now queen and Grae is her consort/king and they have a court rather than a pack in order to bring equality to their citizens human and wolf alike. However, with Grae’s father, king Nero looming at their doorstep but not having made a move against them yet, they are on edge waiting.

Sadie is really dealing with some mixed emotions and is drowning her sorrows as she feels betrayed by Navin. Navin and then galen d’mora are the most surprising this book, they bring so much more to the story. With the threat of Nero, it’s time to find allies in the realm so Calla’s court are tasked with this.

This story had me livid at points from betrayal after betrayal. I am so disappointed in some characters, but there’s a lot of secrets that come to light to justify some odd behaviour. The romance and spice is as good as book 1, if not better!

I cannot wait for the next book, I’m happily rating book 2 4.25 stars.

A great adventure with twists and turns and Mulforld’s remarkable ability to blend tension and humour. A great read and follow on from book one. I love the way she does representation with it being preaching. Definitely recommend.