The Crown's Game

I had such high hopes for this book. I was so intrigued by the summary and the idea of this duel between two enchanters with the amazing setting of Russia. That being said, I was completely underwhelmed with this book. While I enjoyed the characters, it took me awhile to really connect with them and their stories. On top of that the plot was significantly lacking, I didn't feel the stress of the game or really sense how dangerous the game truly was. This was much more fluffy than I was expecting given the premise of The Crown's Game and what it meant to win.

I also was not at all a fan of the romance. It was rushed and I think had an unnecessary “love triangle” if you can even call it that. I did not get any true relationship building between the characters and it made them less real in my mind.

The magic was great, I loved the different things Vika and Nikolai did during game. They were great to experience through their eyes but also the eyes of the kingdom and Pasha. This book really picked up in terms of drama and plot in the latter quarter or so of the story. And of course it ended with a bang that sets up the final book in the duology.