The Crown’s Game
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER – The Crown’s Game
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 initiated the Crown’s Game, a duel of magical skill—and 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 a 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.
Praise for The Crown’s Game
“Wildly romantic, wholly immersive, and gloriously over-the-top.”
– Kirkus, starred review
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“[S]himmers with pulse-pounding romance, astonishing wand-touched wonders, startling long-buried secrets, and a climax at once tragic and heart-soaring.”
– School Library Journal
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“Skye skillfully incorporates Russian history, detailed and intriguing backstories for all protagonists, and inventive feats of magic by the two young enchanters…[in this] delightfully engaging romance.”
– Booklist
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“The Crown’s Game is a captivating tale that deftly transports readers to a mysterious and fascinating fantasy world, one teeming with hidden magic and fiery romance.”
– Sabaa Tahir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes series
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“Utterly enchanting. The true wizardry is in the atmosphere—Skye crafts a Russia of magic and elegance, depicting St. Petersburg in such a breath-taking way that you’ll swear you’re standing on the banks of the Neva and dancing through the halls of the Winter Palace.”
– Sara Raasch, New York Times bestselling author of the Snow Like Ashes trilogy
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“Gorgeous and richly imagined, The Crown’s Game is a dazzling exploration of the choices we make when faced with impossible situations and our darker selves. Readers will fall unabashedly in love with this novel.”
– Sara Grochowski, Brilliant Books
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“It was beautiful. It was terrible. I loved it.”
– Hafsah Faizal, Icey Books
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“The Night Circus meets Cinderella in an alternate Russia. This extraordinary world has everything from insanely creative acts of magic, political intrigue, hope against all odds, romance, and oh-such-high-stakes-non-stop action. It is hands-down honest-to-goodness brilliant. Bravo.”
– Angela Mann, Keplers Books
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“Game of Thrones for the younger set”
– New York Public Library
Awards for The Crown’s Game
#1 Amazon New Release
Amazon Editor’s Pick
A Junior Library Guild selection
A Summer 2016 Indie Next List pick
Amazon.com – Best Books of 2016
iBooks – Best of May 2016
Barnes & Noble – Most Anticipated YA Fantasy Novels of 2016
Goodreads – Best Books of May
Teen Vogue – 13 Best YA Novels Coming Out in 2016
New York Public Library – 12 YA Novels to Look for in 2016
Bustle – Best YA Books to Kick Off Vacation Season Right
Buzzfeed – Ultimate YA Holiday Gift Guide
Goodreads – The Most Popular New YA Voices of the Past Three Years (2016-2019)