#A.K. Mulford

[transbookoftheday]

Books To Read For Genderfluid Visibility Week

Happy Genderfluid Visibility Week! Here are some books with genderfluid main characters you should read and/or preorder:

Book titles:

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

Dragonfall by L.R. Lam

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall

Salt the Water by Candice Iloh

Lakelore by Anna-Marie McLemore

Valerin the Fair by Rien Gray

Nine of Swords, Reversed by Xan West

Mask of Shadows by Linsey Miller

The Manor House Governess by C.A. Castle (comes out November 7, 2023)

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford (comes out December 5, 2023)

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: December 2023

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose (5th) Devin Báez is prepared for a relaxing winter break after his rough, first semester of art school. Sure, his family’s old Florida lake cabin is falling apart, and everything in it reminds him of his late mom. And yes, the Baezes’ next-door neighbors, the Seo-Cookes, are still petty, but things could be worse. That is, until Devin runs into the…

[oracleofmadness]

I just want to hug this book!!! I loved it so much for the comforting characters and the author's smooth storytelling. I am a huge fan of A.K. Mulford and this did not disappoint.

Calla is twin to the missing golden wolf princess, which, of course, makes Calla a missing princess too. They are the last of the golden wolves, wolf shifters, whose family were the monarchs of a kingdom. When Briar and Calla were born, an evil sorceress murdered their parents along with all the other golden wolves and took over their kingdom. Calla and Briar have been raised by a faerie who kept them safe until it was time for Briar to wed the prince of the silver wolves which also marked the time for both sisters to come out of hiding in secrecy. However, as per usual in any good book, things do not go as expected... at all.

Calla went through a journey in this story in more ways than one. There are so many meaningful and insightful quotes throughout this book that I definitely recommend a good highlighter or tabs for! Most meaningful to me is the author's incredibly kind and understanding way of expressing Calla's gender and the very real fears that go along with self-discovery. This not only made me feel seen but just so comforted by these characters (particularly Ora).

I definitely recommend this one!!

Out December 5, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

[hawkwinglb]

61. A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford, and some administrative updates

In this post: a review of A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford; moving off Substack to WordPress; ongoing efforts to Plan What I’m Talking About. Cover art for A River of Golden Bones A.K. Mulford, A River of Golden Bones. New York: HarperCollins. 2023. I’d never encountered A.K. Mulford’s work before picking up A River of Golden Bones for review, though a little research reveals that…

[bookaddict24-7]

(New Young Adult Releases Coming Out Today! (October 18th, 2022)

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Have I missed any new Young Adult releases? Have you added any of these books to your TBR? Let me know!

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New Standalones/First in a Series:

Strike the Zither by Joan He

Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds

The Sevenfold Hunters by Rose Egal

We Are All We Have by Marina Budhos

Berliners by Vesper Stamper

New Sequels: 

The Scratch Daughters (Scapegracers #2) by H.A. Clarke

The Rogue Crown (The Five Crowns of Okrith #3) by A.K. Mulford

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Happy reading!

[songedunenuitdete]

The Five Crowns T1 – La Cour de la Haute Montagne de A.K. Mulford

Mon avis : Je l’avoue, la couverture avec ces tons noir, rouge et or m’a totalement subjuguée et du coup, j’ai eu envie de découvrir ce titre. Il s’agit d’une romance fantasy très plaisante à lire. L’histoire est celle de Remy, une jeune sorcière rouge qui se cache depuis longtemps avec deux autres compagnons parce que celles de son clan sont pourchassées et tuées. Mais sa fuite prend fin quand…

[amarachireads]

Book Review|A River of Golden Bones by A.K Mulford

Genre: Adult fantasy romance Tropes/themes: Romantasy Wolf shifters Warriors Queer love Gender exploration Sleeping beauty retelling Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Release date: December 5th 2023 This was different from the usual fae/ vampire romantasy’s that are very popular. This has wolf shifters, and it was refreshing to read. This book follows the main character Calla who was born into a royal…

[crazy-pot-pourri]

[Books] The High Mountain Court di A. K. Mulford (The Five Crowns of Okrith #1)

Titolo originale: The High Mountain Court Autore: A. K. Mulford Prima edizione: 2021 Edizione italiana: traduzione di (2023, HarperCollins Italia) (more…) “”

[betterbooksandthings]

"Dragons. Magic. Romance. The most popular romantasy books on TikTok truly have everything a reader could want. After all, it’s undeniable — romantasy has recently taken BookTok by storm.

Romantasy is a subgenre that combines the romance and fantasy genres. By now, other Book Rioters have discussed the budding Romantasy genre and offered their own recommendations. As a lover of fantasy, romance, and any combination of the two, I am fully prepared for the recent rise in popularity of the books. In the past, some romantasy books contained too much romance for the fantasy section and too much fantasy for the romance section. However, because the most popular romantasy books on TikTok sold so well, traditional publishing took notice. Now these books are coming out in droves, and BookTok is paying attention."

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Out December 2023 🌈

🌈 Good afternoon, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

❤️ Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose 🧡 Heartstopper #5 by Alice Oseman 💛 This Cursed Light by Emily Thiede 💚 All The Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows 💙 Vampires of Eden: Book One by Karla Nikole 💜 Not My Type by Joe Satoria ❤️ Storm in Her Heart by KC Luck 🧡 Eternal Embrace by Luna Lawson 💛 A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford 💙 Tomb of Heart and Shadow by Cara N. Delaney 💜 Through the Embers Volume 2 by Adriana Sargent 🌈 Lucero by Maya Motayne

❤️ The Poison Paradox by Hadley Field & Felix Green 🧡 Second Chances in New Port Stephen: A Novel by TJ Alexander 💛 Matrimonial Merriment by Nicky James 💚 Under the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Ramsden 💙 Every Beat of Her Heart by KC Richardson 💜 The Memories of Marlie Rose by Morgan Lee Miller ❤️ Playing with Matches by Georgia Beers 🧡 Always Only You by Chloe Liese 💛 Fire in the Sky by Radclyffe and Julie Cannon 💙 Nuclear Sunrise by Jo Carthage 💜 The Naked Dancer by Emme C. Taylor 🌈 Resurrections by Ada Hoffmann

❤️ Destiny’s Women by Morgan Elliott 🧡 Framed by Kate Merrill 💛 The Spoil of Beasts by Gregory Ashe 💚 Catered All the Way by Annabeth Albert 💙 A Cynic’s Christmas Conundrum by L.M. Bennett 💜 Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn ❤️ One Swipe Away by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue 🧡 The Gentlemen’s Club by A.V. Shener 💛 A Death at the Dionysus Club by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswold 💙 Secrets of the Soul by Holly Oliver 💜 Like They Do in the Movies by Nan Campbell 🌈 Limelight by Gun Brooke

❤️ Heart First by S.B. Barnes 🧡 Grave Consequences by Sandra Barret 💛 Haunted by Myth by Barbara Ann Wright 💚 Invisible by Anna Larner 💙 The Murders at Sugar Mill Farm by Ronica Black 💜 Coasting and Crashing by Ana Hartnett ❤️ Fairest by K.S. Trenten 🧡 A City of Abundant Opportunity by Howard Leonard 💛 The Dark Side of MIdnight by Erin Wade 💙 Mending Bones by Merlina Garance 💜 Transform by Connal Braginsky & Sean Ian O’Meidhir 🌈 The Apple Diary by Gerri Hill

❤️ TruLove by Nicole Pyland 🧡 Structural Support by Sloan Spencer 💛 Whiskey War by Stacy Lynn Miller 💚 Overkill by Lou Wilham 💙 Heart of Outcasts by Nicole Silver 💜 In the Shadow of Victory by J. E. Leak ❤️ Just Like Her by Fiona Zedde 🧡 Gingerbread: Claus For Christmas by Miski Harris 💛 Lies are Forever by C. Jean Downer 💙 The Boys in the Club by M.T. Pope 💜 Lasting Light (Metal & Magic) by Michelle Frost 🌈 Tell No Tales by Edie Montreux

❤️ Radio Silence by Alice Oseman 🧡 Even Though We're Adults Vol. 7 by Takako Shimura 💛 The Accidental Bite by Michelle St. Wolf 💚 Mated to the Demons by Taylor Schafer 💙 Someday Away by Sara Elisabeth 💜 Gatherdawn Luminia Duet Volume 1 by Lee Colgin ❤️ Curse of Dawn by Richard Amos 🧡 Healing the Twin by Nora Phoenix 💛 Ride Me by KD Ellis 💙 How to Bang a Vampire by Joe Satoria 💜 Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow 🌈 Prestige by Toni Reeb

❤️ Don't Look Down by Jessica Ann 🧡 Winter and the Wolves by Chris Storm and Kinkaid Knight 💛 Hat Trick by Ajay Daniel 💚 Starborn Husbands: Return to the Pleiades by S. Legend 💙 Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume by Vawn Cassidy 💜 Practice for Toby by Amy Bellows ❤️ The Siren's Song by Crista Crown 🧡 Hers to Hunt K.J. Devoir

[agardenandlibrary]

Books Read in April 2024

Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

I LIKED IT. Fun fairy tale retelling. I love the child-eating swamp creatures. Has Toadling eaten a human child? Unclear!

Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold:

Memory

Komarr

A Civil Campaign

(all destined for the podcast)

The Five Crowns of Okrith series by A.K. Mulford:

The Evergreen Heir. It was great to follow Neelo and see their story. I think I would’ve liked to hear Talhan explain himself a little more. The jump from “we’re besties” to “suddenly I am very serious about being your partner” was ??? am i too ace for this, is that what’s happening.

Book 5 soon!

In the Forests of the Night by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes

Written when the author was 13! What can I say. It was written by a 13 year old. (complimentary)

Kiesha’ra series by Amelia Atwater-Rhodes:

Hawksong

Snakecharm

Falcondance

Wolfcry

Wyvernhail

Hawksong was my favorite.

Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker

Deeply ironic to have finished this book the day before I went to a Hozier concert right before I had to get up at 4am to go to the airport. Sorry, Mr. Walker, I'm a dumbass.

Very informative and easy to follow. Lots of neat information!

[transbookoftheday]

A River of Golden Bones by A.K. Mulford

From bestselling author and TikTok sensation A.K. Mulford comes the first riveting, enchanting book in the all-new Golden Court romantasy trilogy—A River of Golden Bones begins a journey of self-discovery, romance, and adventure for a young heir as she/they comes out of hiding to save her sister from a malicious, powerful sorceress and her dangerous sleeping curse.

A sleeping curse. A fallen court. A secret twin.

Twins Calla and Briar have spent their entire lives hiding from the powerful sorceress who destroyed their kingdom…and from the humans who don’t know they are Wolves. Each twin has their own purpose in life: Briar’s is to marry the prince of an ally pack and save the Golden Court. Calla’s purpose is to remain a secret, her twin’s shadow . . . the backup plan.

No one knows who Calla truly is except for her childhood friend—and sister’s betrothed—the distractingly handsome Prince Grae. But when Calla and Briar journey out of hiding for Briar’s wedding, all of their well-made plans go awry. The evil sorceress is back with another sleeping curse for the last heir to the Golden Court.

Calla must step out of the shadows to save their sister, their kingdom, and their own legacy. Continuing to hide as a human and denying who she truly is, Calla embarks on a quest across the realm, discovering a whole world she never knew existed. Outside the confines of rigid Wolf society, Calla begins to wonder: who could she be if she dared to try?

Full of adventure, love, gender exploration, and self-discovery, A River of Golden Bones follows Calla’s journey through treacherous Wolf kingdoms, monster-filled realms, and the depths of their own heart in this thrilling romantic fantasy. 

[lgbtqreads]

June 2022 Deal Announcements

June 2022 Deal Announcements

Adult Fiction and Poetry Author of the forthcoming THE ROMANCE RECIPE and HOT COPY Ruby Barrett‘s THE LEARNING CURVE, where a bi, down-on-his-luck ex-firefighter joins a cross-disciplinary academic study teaching millennials how to make friends as adults, but an unexpected flirtation with an earnest people-pleasing female participant jeopardizes the study and their hearts, to Stephanie Doig at…

[paulsemel]

When writing her romantic fantasy novel "A River Of Golden Bones," author A.K. Mulford started with a "what if?" question about "Sleeping Beauty." To learn what that question was, and what else inspired and influenced this story, check out this exclusive interview. https://paulsemel.com/exclusive-interview-a-river-of-golden-bones-author-a-k-mulford/ 📖🛌👩👩🐺🐺

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC Review: The Evergreen Heir by A.K. Mulford

3.5/5. Releases 6/13/2023.

For when you're vibing with... real deal fantasy romance, friends to lovers by way of arranged marriage, and a nonbinary (neurodivergent) lead.

Nerdy Neelo is reluctant to take the throne--but they may not have a choice if their mother's health keeps declining as it has been. The issue becomes even more pronounced when the queen sets the palace on fire in a drug-induced haze. On top of the pressure to rule, Neelo is facing the pressure to marry--namely, their friend, renowned warrior Talhan Catallus. As a witch uprising threatens the safety of the kingdom, Neelo must rely on their betrothed for help; even if they aren't sure if they want to marry at all.

I really appreciate the juggling this book did. It's a fantasy story, it's a romance, it's delving into a lead with qualities you rarely see explicitly drawn in either genre. While it leaned a bit too much into the "YA fantasy" vibes at points for me, I did enjoy it and I would totally recommend it to interested readers; I may very well recommend it to my sibling.

Quick Takes:

--Here's the thing: explicit representation is important in genres like fantasy where it's easy to be vague. I really liked that there was no real question about Neelo being neurodivergent and nonbinary. They weren't without pushback from other characters, but that wasn't the main point of the story. Generally speaking, I'd say that Neelo being potentially "not right" for the throne and different from their mother was more of an obstacle than Neelo being nonbinary.

--Talhan is super gone for Neelo from the jump, another thing I appreciated. Though the book is never focused on Neelo's sex organs (and it shouldn't be) it's pretty easy to read that they are AFAB. However, it never reads like Talhan is going "here's my female love interest who just does a fun little thing called being nonbinary". He is into Neelo as they are, for who they are, and that is not just about them being great on the inside. He's ABOUT them physically. And they're not a waifish David Bowie type, which is how a lot of nonbinary or otherwise gender non-conforming characters I've read play. Neelo is big and broad and not delicate.

--I appreciated Neelo's complex relationship with their mother, the love and resentment and anxiety playing there. In general, I felt like a lot of Neelo's insecurities were centered around them comparing themselves to their mother positively and negatively. As they grew beyond this, they were able to fully mature and come to terms with their wants and needs as an individual. It's very classic coming of age, but it works very well.

--I've heard that you should read the first books in this series to understand what happened here? And I've heard it stands alone. I only felt confused a couple of times. That said, there is a very "YA fantasy" vibe that goes beyond this being a fantasy novel. It's definitely not YA (more on that below) but something about it that's hard for me to name kept me from getting fully involved. A video game quality of jumping from moment to moment versus lingering. A lot of people will like that, to be fair. For me, it makes it a bit harder to fully invest in the story. Like, I was zoning in on the romance and character growth, but the witch stuff and the magical drugs kind of went over my head.

The Sex Stuff:

I really liked how the sex scenes were written here. They're explicit without being super graphic, and they describe Neelo's body without getting specific in a way that is super gendered. I also LOVED that much of this book was about Neelo accepting themself as a sexual being and exploring their desires with Talhan. There's one scene where they have anal sex because it felt more like THEM than vaginal sex, and I was like--oh, you know, as someone who isn't nonbinary I never really thought of it that way, but like... tracks. I loved reading that. (Also: anal sex? In my traditionally published non-m/m non-Tessa Bailey book? In 2023? Egad!)

Like I said, I don't know that this fully hit for me as an indvidual reader, but I think it's solid, and I like the work it did a lot. Would recommend for those interested in queer fantasy romance.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[spaceshipkat]

every time another book deal is announced alongside the number of views their author has on tiktok, i lose another day off my life

it's already fucking ridiculously difficult to get published unless you have every kind of connection imaginable, and i anticipate it's going to be even more difficult unless an author is huge on tiktok. and this one? seven. fucking. figures.