A review by amybraunauthor
The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

5.0

Actual rating is 4.5, but only because I have some nitpicks. I don't feel there are too many YA stories set in tsarist Russia, and I was very happy to experience a book that is romantic, engaging, and feels like a reinterpretation of a fairy tale. I love the concept of the Crown's Game and really enjoyed watching the enchanters come up with truly creative ways to challenge themselves. The main characters, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha, have a very interesting and complex relationship. Vika is a great lead character and I enjoyed her chapters a lot. Nikolai has his heart in the right place, but definitely broods a lot. I found Pasha to be very sweet for most of the book, save for the ending, which clearly begs for a sequel. The only thing that kind of irked me was the pace of the romance. Yes, it was a key part of the story, but I feel like it happened too quickly to be believable. There were a couple other events that seemed really rushed, especially regarding Nikolai's backstory, but all in all I truly enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what happens next!