The Crown’s Game written by Evelyn Skye is a book that needs to be on every dystopian lover’s bookshelf.

This fantastic book takes place in Russia, at a time when both the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs are threatening it, so the tsar needs an imperial enchanter, who will become the tsar’s most trusted adviser and wield all of the magic in Russia.

Sadly, there is a small problem. There are two enchanters in the kingdom and the tsar can only have one. Vika is one of them. Growing up on a small island, she has learned to control the elements and has now become a force to be reckoned with. The second enchanter, Nikolai, has powers that work more with mechanical objects. As an orphan turned into a St. Petersburg gentleman, he tends to be very lonely. Both are forced to compete in the Crown’s Game, where one will win and become the imperial enchanter, while the other will lose and die.

What happens when they begin to have feelings for each other? What happens with the heir to the throne, Pasha, who is friends with Nikolai, also likes Vika?

With awards such as IBooks- Best of May 2016 and a New York Times Bestseller, this book is a perfect read for anyone who likes the “Hunger Games” and “Red Queen”.

It took me a little longer then I thought to read this 399 page book, but it was worth it. Some parts of the book were a little slow, but almost all books have those moments, and the action made up for it.

Both Nikolai and Vika were very interesting characters and neither’s magic disappointed. Characters such as Renata, a friend of Nikolai, and Ludmila, the best baker west of the Ural Mountains and talkative friend of Vika, both make the book so much better. Each brings their own views about what is happening to their friends and a helping hand when needed.  

The ending was a shocker and I am literally counting down the days till the sequel comes out. The sequel “The Crown’s Fate” should come out May 16th 2017, so you have plenty of time to fall head over heels in love with Evelyn Skye’s first book.