A review by sandra_ruttan
A Sky of Emerald Stars by A. K. Mulford

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

 A Sky of Emerald Stars picks up where A River of Golden Bones left off, and some of our beloved characters are struggling. As the threats against the Golden Court increase, Calla and Grae must take some risks to try to secure the support needed to protect their kingdom. A Sky of Emerald Stars also gives us Sadie’s perspective as she deals with the fallout of the events from A River of Golden Bones. 
Ultimately, the core group of characters is divided, with different people taking on important missions. This doubles the risks and allows us to both return to familiar places visited in book 1 and explore new locations relevant to book 2. As the groups travel and attempt to complete their missions, they face new threats that increase the risks and up the stakes.

A.K. Mulford takes her time to develop the characters and their arcs, and I consider that a plus. We get to know the characters better and there’s no magic switch flipped to solve their problems. The struggles Sadie faces are ones that she wrestles with, and they’re presented realistically. It does make the resolution more meaningful because she thinks about everything and considers the implications of her decisions.

We also learn more about the history of the courts and the relationship between the wolves and humans. It’s clear some have twisted the stories to give themselves more power and justify the mistreatment of humans. 

While there are some surprises and obstacles along the way, there’s a sense while reading this that things are almost too easy. There’s almost a false sense of security as everyone works through the challenges they face without dire consequences. Of course, that only makes the events at the end of the book hit harder. The stage is set for confrontation in book 3, and the consequences of failure weigh on everyone. There was definitely a shocking development at the end that I didn’t see coming, and I’m definitely curious to see how things play out in the next book.