Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

I received this book via Edelweiss. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye
Series: The Crown's Game,
Published by Balzar + Bray on 2016-05-17
Length: 399 pages
Reviewing eARC from Edelweiss
Rating:

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love... or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear... the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye is my favorite read of 2016 thus far!!! It has everything I could ever want in one book. Russian setting, myth, a little folklore, some romance and magic….are you convinced yet? When I first came across this book over six months ago, I was intrigued. Needless to say, the book has lived up to its hype!

Vika Andreyeva is a determined leading lady. At sixteen, she’s trained her whole life to be one thing: the Imperial Enchanter. But quickly things spiral out of her control. There can only be one enchanter alive at any given time and there is another one. Law dictates the tsar hold a competition: the Crown’s Game. The winner will become the Imperial Enchanter, the loser….well let’s just say you don’t want to lose this game! Vika is determined, powerful and plans to win at any cost.

Then there’s Nikolai, the orphan boy who is the other enchanter. Since he was taken in by a cruel lady of the court, he has trained to become the Imperial Enchanter. But he is soft-hearted, too caring, and too naive according to Galina, his guardian. Nikolai only wants to work with his best friend Pasha, the heir to the throne. He wants to prove his worth even if it means he will have to kill.

But neither Vika nor Nikolai expected what the game will do to them both physically and psychologically. Each turn in the game challenges them in ways they cannot predict and tests the very essence of their character. I fell in love with both Vika and Nikolai. Vika is vibrant and full of life. Nikolai is charming and kind. They are each other’s opposite, like two ends of the same string. They are inexplicably tied together and only one can survive.

The story from start to finish had me on the edge of my seat. I was heart-broken for the characters and torn by their story. I loved the author’s inclusion of the historical aspects of Russia at the time (early 1800s) and the setting of St. Petersburg. I ADORED it!!! The magical elements of the enchanters just added to the overall fantasy. I loved every word 😀

Overall, I cannot recommend this book enough! If you enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, or you’re just looking for an exciting read, I highly suggest you grab a copy of this book!

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