The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye // A fantastic blend of Magic & historical fiction

I received this book for free from the author, the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game, #1) by Evelyn Skye
Genres: Fantasy
Pages: 416
Goodreads

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.

*There is no reading progress for this one because I received an ARC & read it before official release — I didn’t want to spoil it for anyone!

I absolutely LOVED this book. It was exactly what I needed to remind myself why I love the fantasy genre so much!

Lately, I feel like a lot of fantasy novels have had the same formula. It is either 1. commoner discovers magical powers, she may even be the princess, and brings down the tyrannical leader OR 2. princess who is unhappy with her life and falls in love with a boy she shouldn’t fall in love with.

This book is neither of those things.

What kicked ass

1. The character’s awesomeness

Vika — She’s confident and strong-willed, I loved that about her, but at the same time, she does have a soft spot for the people she cares about. I also liked that she wanted to be the tsar’s enchanter. How many stories are out there in which the main character who’s been told they’re going to be X for their entire lives actually wants to be that thing/have that responsibility? It’s refreshing to read about a character who wants to do those things.

Nikolai — He grew up an orphan and was taken in by a woman for the sole purpose of training for the Crown’s Game — nothing else. I felt he had a kinder heart than any other character from the beginning.

Pasha — who is actually my favorite. He’s the Tsesarevich (or prince) of the Russian Empire, but he’s a free spirit. He’s a dreamer, an optimist, and just simply fun. He’s also Nikolai’s best friend.

Overall, the characters are all very complex. I feel like there was enough detail given to each, which is hard work when there are three main characters plus the secondary characters.

2. The historical fictiony-ness of it

Pretend that’s a word. Ok? Ok.

It has a wonderful blend of historical Russia and magical elements — which I haven’t read much of. The world building was also perfectly done. There wasn’t anything I questioned and nothing left me confused. On top of that, there were references to Shakespeare and various fairy tales we all know and love — also something I haven’t read much of (an incorporation of real life stories into a historical fantasy novel).

3. The subtle – or not? – Cinderella subplot

This book definitely had  a Cinderella vibe. Pasha was Prince Charming, Vika was Cinderella (sort of), Ludmila was her fairy godmother (which, by the way, Ludmila runs a bakery called Cinderella with a giant pumpkin as the storefront design). Of course, it isn’t a retelling, it just definitely had that going for it.

4. Most of all, it’s unique

Sure, there is magic. Sure, there’s a prince. Sure, there’s a love triangle (sort of). Even with all those things that we’ve read a thousand times, this book is such a unique take on all of them. The girl isn’t upset about the future she’s been told to have. There isn’t an evil, tyrannical leader to tear down. And the magic isn’t suddenly discovered by a wholesome, downtrodden girl. It’s new and it’s fresh. 

What I wish there was a bit more of

1. A more developed love story

There is a love triangle and sort of insta-like in this book, which I actually didn’t mind. I just wanted more. I never felt fully sold on a certain characters feelings (sparing you from any spoilers here). The romance did need a bit more development overall — but maybe that’ll happen in future novels.

2. I thought it was going to be more of a fight-to-the-death. 

Which it is. Sort of. I thought the duel between the two enchanters would be more of a vicious attack on each other with each attack getting more and more daring. It wasn’t like that. It was more of an impress-the-tsar-and-prince competition. I still liked that they used their magic, I just expected more of a battle, less of a one-upmanship.

Overall, though, this book was amazing! It definitely lived up to my high expectations.

 

Rating Report
Plot
Characters
Writing
World Building
Overall:	5 / 5