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 victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar's most respected advisor. 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."
Now I don't blame you if you didn't read all that, it's all bold and italic words that seem mushed together. So, here it is short and in my words:
The tsar needs an Imperial Enchanter to advise him on all the important stuff going on in the world however, there is two and the tsar needs the strongest one at full strength (think Harry Potter here: "Neither can live while the other survives" - technically that isn't true but it sounds good!) The Crown's Game is a duel of magic where each enchanter shows off their strength whilst possibly aiming to kill the other (the tsar can declare a winner at any time and automatically kill the other if they fail to do so to one another). And it goes on from there...
This book has multiple points of views but they seem to mesh together well; the only slightly negative thing in this entire book was that there was one chapter early on from the Grand Princess and this was her only chapter, which makes it hard to keep track of early on in the story - I would've left it in the tsar's hands. ANYWAY, I very much enjoy multiple POV's as the reader almost feels like a God - we get to know everything, sort of...
Evelyn Skye is a new author on the block and writes absolutely beautifully in this story. The story flows really nicely and draws you in and you'll want to take a day or two off of life because you ain't doing anything else but reading.
The first main character we meet is Vika, a very strong and powerful enchantress (I'm loving the word enchantress right now) who has been trained by her father to become the best she can so she can fulfil the duties of the Imperial Enchanter for Russia. We then meet Nikolai, who was orphaned at birth but was isolated by those he lived with because of the strange things he could do; until his slightly wretched mentor took him to her home to train him to also become the next Imperial Enchanter. He is trained in more of a mechanics sort of way - not visibly as strong as Vika but equally as powerful.
So the problem here, is that there can only be one Enchanter and they must duel against each other (the Crown's Game) to show off not only their power, but to potentially kill the other - because one MUST die. My problem? They are both incredible characters and I love them both.
We also meet Pasha, the tsarverich (crown prince) whom has been excited by Vika's secret magic and falls in love with her; he is also Nikolai's best friend, which could cause some problems.
Throughout the story, the relationship between Vika and Nikolai develops; are they really prepared to kill one another?
The author's writing is captivating and brilliant. She knows how to keep you reading and uses all the right words to get you right in the feels. You'll fall in love with the characters and this is a massive page turner - so get comfy!
Whilst this YA novel is fantasy, those who aren't always keen on the genre will definitely still enjoy this as it isn't too much. That being said, fantasy lovers (like me) will still very much enjoy this incredible story. Please, please, please make sure you read The Crown's Game - it is a must and I'm eagerly awaiting book two in 2017.
I gave this brilliant book 5/5
*This book was sent to me by Harper Collins YA in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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