The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

                                           🌟🌟🌟🌟 out of 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟stars

Summary:
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.

I was immediately intrigued when I read the above summary of the book when it was first released. The picture that it painted in my mind was one filled with action, romance, and magical forces similar to Harry Potter. I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype that I created in my mind not to mention the cover is beautiful. 

I was worried that it was historical because I don't typically read anything historical in nature no matter what genre it is. That is what stopped me from reading it initially but I'm glad that I pushed through that fear.  

This book captured my interest from the very beginning and did not let go even after I finished it. I was actually upset when it ended and checked a couple of times to make sure the last page was the last page. I wanted more immediately. I'm glad that the next book comes out soon because I have to know what happens next. 

I think what I enjoyed most about the book was the interaction between Vika and Nikolai as well as the conflict each of them must face between achieving their goal and essentially murdering the other one. They feel a certain pull toward each other but they are enemies in a sense. I found that aspect of the book so interesting. Neither of them want to admit weakness where the other is concerned or show any vulnerability. They know that only one of them can survive.

I also LOVED the magic in the book! I am a sucker for any kind of fantasy element in a book. I enjoyed that we got to see both sides of magic as well. There was a element of danger in even the most beautiful of enchantments in the book. 


I'm fairly certain that a few of the secondary characters that were introduced in the book will be brought to the forefront in the next book. I think that the author was hinting at some of them having underlying darkness with them. I have a feeling that there will be some chaos in the next book and I can't wait.