The Crown's Game Review

Author: Evelyn Skye

Release Date: May 17th, 2016

Synopsis (from amazon.com):

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.

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My Review:

This book was AMAZING. The concept was extremely interesting and Evelyn Skye pulled it off perfectly. She put a ton of detail into it as far as historical aspects and adding in the magic of the enchanters immediately pulled me in and definitely helped with the world building aspect. I haven't read a lot of novels set in Russia but I can say that the setting was incredible. The magic aspects included really were well thought out and her explanation of all the magic scenes is really beautiful. There is a love triangle, but it doesn't take away from the general plot and arc of the story, in fact I'd go so far as to say it was slightly underdeveloped. The characters themselves were all well-developed and I found myself getting really attached to them. My feels were absolutely destroyed at the end, so I can not wait to get my hands on the next book!

Final Grade: A