***The Starry-Eyed Revue***: Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Series: The Crowns Game #1
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: May 17th, 2016
Source: Received for review from publisher via Edelwiess
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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 feel like it's been ages since I reviewed a book here on the blog. I guess it kinda has been. Reviewing has kind of lost it's appeal for me over the years. The thought of sitting down and coming up with intelligent things to tell everyone about a book is down right painful. It's become too much like work, and I already put in 40 hours at my office every week. So I'm going to take a different approach to my reviews.

WHAT I LIKED:

- The setting. I haven't read a book that took place in Russia for quite some time. It was refreshing.

- Laugh out loud funny moments. There were some scenes that cracked me up and I'm all about that.

-The magic in the games. Oh my gosh guys. Both Vika and Nikolai have different approaches to their magic and it was kinda beautiful to read. I wanted to see the things they created. I just loved it.

-Nikolai, I just adored him. His back story is pretty fascinating too. I'm looking forward to how that will play out in future books.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

-The romance, I felt like it was lacking a bit. It was there, sure, but it could have had more depth and clarity. Perhaps that will come as the story moves on. Other than that, I have no complaints.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

- I really liked this one. I think fans of fantasy will enjoy it. I'll definitely be continuing the series. :)

From the movie Anastasia: This book made me think of it. <3 One of my favs

About the author:

Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on
"So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel. Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA. Learn more on Michelle's blog....

Find Evelyn:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook