Evelyn Skye, The Crown’s Game (Crown’s Game #1), HarperCollins Australia, 30 June 2016, 416pp., $19.99 (pbk), ISBN: 9780062560605
A Young Adult historical fantasy praised by Sabaar Tahir and Sara Raasch? Sounds good to me! The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye appealed to me as a YA fan and as a history buff. It did not disappoint.
It is an enthralling match of magical wit in a competition where only one can survive. Vika and Nikolai have spent their lives training to serve Tsar Alexander I as an Imperial Enchanter and now must compete for the coveted title by demonstrating feats of the unimaginable.
Vika, raised by her father, has no need for friends as she spends her time training to manipulate the elements. It doesn’t help that the villagers think her strange and avoid her. Nikolai, the eternal outsider, now has something else to mark him as different to others his age – he must take Vika’s life in order to claim his position within the royal palace. Oblivious to Nikolai’s powers is his best friend, Pasha, the Crown Prince of Russia. Pasha is more interested in embracing the pleasures of life than adhering to royal protocol. He believes the fantastical displays for his birthday are not ordinary in nature and is determined to discover who and what is responsible.
As their paths entwine, Vika, Pasha and Nikolai must confront their notions of identity and purpose, loyalty and trust. Theirs is a tale of discovery, love, wonder and acceptance. These three are ideal players for a typical YA love triangle yet The Crown’s Game employs its own interpretation of the time-weary trope with a sweet, slow-burn relationship.
Skye creates a captivating landscape with The Game set against a backdrop of 19th Century imperial Russia. She paints a vivid landscape enriched with tastes and smells that left me longing for a Russian bakery. Her prose is elegant, her words an intricate dance of beauty. The language she incorporates has appeal to both teenagers and adults alike. Her characters are likable yet flawed. They develop as the story progresses, both for better and for worse. At times it is hard to decide who we want to win. Alternating viewpoints allow readers a glimpse of the inner turmoil of a range of characters. Using this technique, Skye avoids a predictable storyline where the hero and the villain are clearly defined. Instead, we are kept guessing as to how the happy ever after could possibly happen.
The Game itself is as fascinating to watch unfold as the development of the characters. Though clearly fantasy, The Crown’s Game left me pondering. What if those Romanovs really did have an Imperial Enchanter?
Reviewed by Fiona Miller-Stevens