This book was unlike any other that I have experienced, and oh how I adored every single magical minute of it. Evelyn Skye is.... ! This book is genius, and so is its author. Magic is a favorite thing of mine, and this book of magic takes things to a whole other level. 
 But, BUT... there is so much more to this story than just the magic. There is intrigue and drama, intense emotions, hate and love and what it means to be a family, and so many other little things in between. I tend to say this on occasion, and I do always mean it, but this time even more so: You have to go into this book as blind as possible. Start fresh from the beginning, with no preconceived ideas or expectations. I don't normally do that. Normally, I will read reviews and check out comments to see what people have thought about a book. With this one, I just dove right in. And it made the experience so much better. (I think the people who do this regularly are onto something!). 
 The characters are so well written, and so intensely different from one another. Vika is fiery and stubborn, not afraid to speak her mind and she is incredibly confident about her abilities. Nikolai is quite the opposite. He is much more reserved and never quite sure about himself, but he has honor written all over him. I loved these two separately, and I loved them together. The secondary characters all played important parts to the story. From Vika's father to Nikolai's mentor, to Pasha the future tsar who is Nikolai's best friend, to the baker who becomes so much more, and the maid who deserves so much better, the characters jump right off of the pages. 
 The pacing isn't slow, but it isn't blinding either. It is right in the middle, keeping you focused in the story, but giving out details of the world and the magic of the Enchanters in perfect little segments. You can't help but continue reading, so that you can learn as much as possible as quickly as possible, but you also want to slow it down a little so you can savor it all the more. The Enchantments were so intriguing, especially one towards the end. And finally, the ending will rip your heart out, but then give you a tiny grain of hope before it ends and you are pretty much left crying in a heap knowing that there is a very long wait ahead of you. At least, that is how it happened for me! 
 I adored The Crown's Game. I really, really did. Evelyn Skye is a fantastic author. Her writing style is perfect for a fantasy, and her imagination is through the roof awesome. I very much look forward to the sequel of this wonderful story. I would definitely, 100% without a doubt, recommend that you go ahead and pre-order this one. And when it arrives, jump right into it. IT is so, so worth it!