by Evelyn Skye
First published 2016
Vika Andreyeva transforms ash into gold and commands winter storms from her island home. Nikolai Karimov walks through solid walls and builds bridges from empty air. They are Russia's only enchanters, and the tsar demands one serve as his Imperial Enchanter. The Crown's Game begins, an ancient magical duel where the winner gains the throne's favor and the loser dies. Vika travels from remote Ovchinin Island to glittering Saint Petersburg, eager to display her powers in the capital. She finds herself drawn to her opponent's magic in ways she never expected. Nikolai sees this competition as his escape from orphaned poverty, but Vika proves more formidable than he imagined. Her beauty and cleverness captivate him even as they prepare to fight. When Pasha, the heir to the throne and Nikolai's closest friend, also falls for Vika, the stakes shift beyond mere survival. Nikolai must choose between killing the woman he loves or dying himself. Ancient secrets surface that threaten the empire's stability while the Ottoman Empire and Kazakhs mass at Russia's borders.
Genres: romance, historical-fiction, fantasy, young-adult
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful
Tropes: chosen-one, enemies-to-lovers
Setting: Ovchinin Island, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Period: 19th-century
407 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins