The Crown’s Fate audiobook

OMG WOW! I literally could not want a better ending, plot EVERYTHING! This world has grown amazingly!

this series makes me want to go to russia sooo badly. any russian friends willing to let me visit? please and thank you! :Palso, i think duologies are a gift to bookworms - they are so easy to binge read! it was so simple to jump right into this after finishing ‘the crowns game.’ this was still just as rich in russian history and culture. i loved the fact that the plot this time around was based on an actual event. i totally geeked out over that!again, i wish the writing was a little better. i had hoped it would have improved since her debut, but it still felt heavy and i had to trudge through the pages. because this book was so history driven, the writing tended to make the book feel a bit boring and slow. i think this series definitely could have benefited from a first person POV. it would have really helped the flow of the story and i think i would have connected more with the characters. i didnt quite enjoy this as much as the first book, but i did approve of the ending and it was still pretty good overall! 3.5 stars

i'm convinced this book is filled all the magic in the world. I LOVED IT!!!

I was postponing reading The Crown’s Fate for as long as I could trying to save it for a special occasion but I just couldn’t hold back any longer. I have to know what happens to Nikkolai and Vika. And boy, did I get even more than I was expecting for. The story has become darker, more exciting, more magical and denser in plot. I love the premise that Nikkolai and Vika have to once again battle against each other and how for some reason, there is always a barrier between the two of them getting together. It’s seriously a huge fuel for my appetite for hopeless romance. Lol. Also, I just have to say that there is just this beautiful, effortless fluidity in Ms. Skye’s writing allowing me to devour the book so quickly just like I did with the first book. Despite the deliberate and elaborate unveiling of the turning point, it was still fast-paced. I think the short chapters contributed in making the reader feel like it’s a quick read. The vivid descriptions make the story really tasteful. (I.e. Aizhana’s appearance will make you shudder. Even from the first book. She’s so creepy. Thanks to the author’s specific and imaginative description of her grotesque image even though I’m a little saddened of her un-glamorous demise.)I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to know what is going to happen not only to Vika and Nikkolai but to Pasha and even Yuliana as well and the fate of Russia itself. It is a thrilling, adventurous, magical and fantastic read and I happily report that even though it is not perfect because I feel like I was still left wanting, the ending to this duology is still definitely very, very satisfactory.

The Crown's Fate by Evelyn SkyeThis follows right after the events after The Crown's Game. Vika is now the imperial enchanter and Pasha is in charge. Nikolai is also trying to get back to Vika and Pasha is trying to get closer to Vika. CHARACTERS-The characters were stronger in this book and you could see the development. Vika felt colder and stronger and she didn't let her feelings get in the way of what had to be done. Pasha was pretty much the antagonist for a third of this book, which seemed unfair because he is a genuinely nice guy. Nikolai was so determined and he was just amazing, I love his strength and morals.ROMANCE-The romance was the last thing in this book, it wasn't a priority. They focused more on the drama and the plot more than the romance. I ship both couples, I think I might like Pasha and Vika a bit more but I don't think they'll be endgame.PLOT-The plot wasn't as fast paced or as enjoyable as the first book but it was still great and interesting.ENDING-The ending was meh for me. It wasn't that good or that bad. It was just there.Characters-8/10Romance-8/10Plot-7/10Ending-7/10Speed-7/10

I liked this better than the first! Full review to come.

The first book was better!Rating: 3.8 Stars My review for the first book, The Crown's Game, was 99% fangirling so I wasn't able to explain that I wasn't at all bothered by the insta-love. It was mentioned time and again that Vika and Nikolai were connected - two parts of one. Call it fate or destiny. It wasn't something ridiculous, shallow, or a product of the characters' inexperience in romance. It was pure, unblemished magic.Because the book had multiple perspectives, the story felt more alive and less boring. It pulsed with activity. I flipped through the pages with anticipation and undivided attention. I was impatient and I devoured it all unable to get enough.I think the book was able to contain so many events because the writing was direct. Action wasn't delayed by unnecessary flowery descriptions. When someone appears, he/she simply appears, no more "I gather this and that from my peripheral senses" from characters. The conversations and insights were simply straightforward. But despite the brevity of the style in writing, the story was not devoid of emotion.There were also times when it struck me that in the creation of this novel, there was a messy give-and-take that happened. While attention was given to suspense, it was also taken from the emotions. For instance, when (view spoiler)[Vika was struggling in deciphering her feelings towards Nikolai, the point where the uncertainty of her love for him finally changed to the certainty of said love (hide spoiler)] - it was unclear and blurred. Instead on discussing these feelings more, Evelyn Skye made prominent Nikolai and Vika's attacks and defenses via enchantments (the enchantments were wonderfully described, by the way). It was an aspect I did not fully appreciate, though, because it created a barrier separating most of the novel's essence from the readers, therefore making the novel less vulnerable. It is unfortunate because I think vulnerability is a strong tool and feature that really reaches out to readers.The aforementioned brevity in the writing style and the give-and-take that I perceive happened also led to poor transitioning in the characters' feelings. For example, in Chapter 5, when (view spoiler)[Nikolai changed his mind from "I'm not coming back because Vika's reason for wanting me back isn't enough" to "I'm gonna get myself out of this godforsaken bench" (hide spoiler)], it wasn't as convincing as I hoped it would've been.Also, in Chapter 12, when (view spoiler)[Nikolai woke up after Aizhana gave him her dark energy, he felt no magic then after trying some things he finally felt the magic but a different, cold and dark sort. He felt the darkness and the light fighting inside him. (hide spoiler)] It was an okay part, not extraordinary although it deserved to be. And it needed to stand out because this was such an integral change in Nikolai's character which caused most of his actions in this particular book.Not to mention the part when (view spoiler)[Vika was in Pasha's room after Pasha almost died from Nikolai's fete (hide spoiler)]. I was like (view spoiler)[Vika doesn't love Nikolai anymore?! She team Pasha now?! What? HOW? (hide spoiler)] Although I soon learn that (view spoiler)[Vika still actually loves Nikolai, she just learned to finally forgive Pasha. (hide spoiler)] It was quite a mess. The gradual change in emotions really should've been written more carefully so readers can accurately follow along.The first half of the book horrendously agitated me. I flailed and jumped around, mentally screaming, (view spoiler)[Vika and Nikolai. Meet! Talk to each other, please! PLEASE HUHUHU. I admire Renata but Nikolai and Vika foreverrrrr. Aizhana just go kill yourself woman. (hide spoiler)] It was both pleasant and unpleasant. I was disappointed because I didn't like what was happening. And I shouldn't fault the novel for that. "But why hadn't they all changed? Life happened without permission, and it swept everyone along in its violent wake" Like life, stories don't need permission to unroll. And the lives inside these stories more so.Furthermore, this second book has an overwhelming excess in elements which depleted this book's potential for being tremendously great. There was an ambitious amount of concepts cramped in very little space that the product turned out disorganized. And that the ending was painfully forced. There were so many aspects to entertain - (view spoiler)[a revolution with a poor closure, Bolshebnoie Duplo's increase in magic and its consequences (witch burnings, reactivation of dormant volcanoes, a hideous catfish, and a carnivorous house), a coup ending because Vika fell(srsly what even), Yuliana becoming nice suddenly. (hide spoiler)] Honestly, I think the book's ending could've spanned an entire third book.Arrggh. And even as I'm aware of a lot of the things wrong with this book I still overlook them because despite myself I looooved the characters. Vika was strong, Pasha was compassionate, Ludmilla is such a deary, Renata is such a martyr, Yuliana you sassy woman, and Nikolai oh Nikolai - the most complicated of them all. I was always an easy prey for broken things. "Nikolai clenched his fists tightly again, wanting desperately for the ballerina to collapse into a heap and cry. Or to fly into the air after the Jack, to chase every last bird and convince them to come back, because she loved him.But instead, the ballerina's mouth only turned down at its painted corners. She watched the last of the mechanical birds as it disappeared into the clouds. Then she twirled on her toe and descended into the purple box." OH MY HEART IS BREAKINGI was so affected when I read this part. My soul crumbled. My mind screamed silent screams - a plethora of profanities. Damn the whole world. Damn the whole universe.Even with all the book's flaws I still consider it insurmountably special. Nikolai mostly the reason. It really hurt witnessing (view spoiler)[Nikolai's heart be corrupted by Aizhana's darkness. His soul that willingly offered his life for the girl he loves is a beautiful, beautiful soul. So I ached when he became the villain. It wasn't fair (hide spoiler)]. I swore that if it doesn't end well for Nikolai I will burn everything I see.Oh this book elicited from me such conflicting emotions! So much that my negative comments assail me, labeling me a shameful infidel. And after reading, it's hard to shake off the feeling that I've been robbed. A duology wasn't enough and I am hungry for more.More Nikolai and Vika dancing.["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Initial Impressions 5/23/17 and full review as posted on The Book Addict's Guide 7/13/17: 3.75 - 4 starsHiding this review because there's no way I can talk about it without spoilers, but first, some non-spoilery things! - I loved that this world felt the same! There are some times with sequels that it feels like a totally different book but I was able to fall back into this world right where I left off. - It was much more political and while I don't mind that, I did miss some of that fun and a "challenge" aspect of The Crown's Game itself (the game, not the book) because it was a fun structure and involved some creativity on the characters' parts to explore their abilities. - I still love Pasha. (view spoiler)[Okay, so here are the spoilers. While the world felt the same, why why whyyyyy did we have to have Nikoali turn bad!? Nikolai was too pure and sweet and precious and he was my favorite part of the whole darn book so I was SO SAD to see that his character was essentially removed from the story line since his whole personality changed. Because of REASONS, yes, but still. My favorite part of this story was changed and to boot, that affected the romance too which I wanted to see developed even MORE and that got put on hold because "bad" Nikolai of course wasn't pursuing romance. SIGH. So the book was still enjoyable but I was expecting five glowing stars and that's why I ended up on 3.75 - 4 stars. I also just wanted more magic? The magic involved in this book was kind of dark, which is cool, I can appreciate dark magic... But I missed that sparring between Vika and Nikolai. I guess I'm just tired of everything ending in war or battles (which is silly considering that this series is also kiiiiind of historical fiction, with magic) so I didn't really want to see things come to that. Maybe I just want things to be too happy haha!! I DID appreciate that things didn't turn out too sunshine-y though. I actually liked what happened to Vika in the end? There has to be something in the events of war because no one comes out wholly unscathed and it's a great shock to readers when something happens to a main character, even if it's not a death. I applaud Evelyn Skye for taking it there! (hide spoiler)] When it comes down to it, not the ending I was expecting or hoping for the series but I also appreciated how it wrapped up. I think I just wanted more romance and more Nikolai. Always more Nikolai.

Puntuación: 4.5Una gran bilogía que sorprende en cada página, con una ambientación impresionante de una Rusia imperial alternativa que hará las delicias de los que nos gusta la historia pero con un toque de magia y fantasía maravillosos. Os recomiendo mucho estos dos libros que para mí han sido inolvidables.

4.5 StarsThe Crown's Game was one of my favorite book from last year, so I have been eagerly anticipating this book for months. And I can happily say that I really enjoyed it. I loved being back in this world with fantastical magic. I loved seeing how everyone deals with the fallout from book 1, and reconciling who they are and what they mean to each other. Things I Liked :I loved all of the emotion displayed in the story. It was so complex and compelling. Every character is feeling a myriad of conflicting emotions. (view spoiler)[Vika and Pasha are both gutted about Nikolai’s death. Pasha is regretful about ending the game the way he did, while Vika and Nikolai are resentful and angry. Vika is also happy about being the Imperial Enchanter, but feels her loss of freedom deeply and a monotony to being a personal spy for the royal family. Nikolai’s anger is fueled by Aizhana’s power and all of his bitterness become amplified. (hide spoiler)] Each character is dealing with so much that it was easy for me to be drawn into their stories and experience their emotions alongside them. I felt that all of their responses were believable and worked well in the context of the overall story. I once again became enveloped in this world that Evelyn Skye had created. It continues to masterfully blend historical facts with magical realism in a captivating and enchanting way. The story is so descriptive and full, without being wordy. This world feel real and tangible. I become invested in the story and believe in this world.I loved the magic displayed in book 1, and there was even more of it on display here. (view spoiler)[The common people have been made aware of magic’s presence in Russia, fueling it’s power. (hide spoiler)] I loved seeing more elaborate and extensive spells and illusions. (view spoiler)[I also found the power manifesting in Russian myths and fighting back (like the Catfish King) to be really interesting, and I wish we got a little more of it. Even though Vika and Nikolai’s power grew exponentially in this book, I liked the symmetry of the bracelet that bonded Vika to the tsardom. It mirrored to wand scars expertly and acted as a familiar anchor as magic began to blossom in unforeseen way. I also loved how Vika returned Nikolai’s power, that saved her at the end of book 1, to him and allowed him to have his corporeal form again and overcome the anger and bitterness of Arizona's power. Vika being able to harness mechanical power now, as well as elemental power, thanks to her newly bronze hand was also a fun highlight at the end of the story. (hide spoiler)]I really liked the politics in this story. All of the planning and spying and espionage (view spoiler)[as the Decembrist planned on removing the tsar from power and instilling a constitutional monarchy (hide spoiler)] was engaging and added a nice element of tension to the story. Things I Didn’t Like :Miscommunication and assumptions are one of my least favorite things to use as a plot device. It always just makes me frustrated and I want to yell at my book. (view spoiler)[Nikolai and Renata assuming Pasha and Vika are together and then not actually asking either of them what was going on was really frustrating. It would have been so easy to clear up and might have helped Nikolai’s not be so enthralled by his mom. I did like that Vika and Nikolai did talk and clear the air around the halfway point, but he was already a little too far gone in his anger. (hide spoiler)]I didn’t really like Yuliana much in this one. I felt like she was constantly undermining Pasha. (view spoiler)[I didn’t like that she could give Vika orders. I felt that only Pasha should have been able to as the tsarevich and the Enchanter is bound to the tsar. I also didn’t really like how she gave secondary orders to Pasha’s infantry in the final battle that they followed. I felt like it undermined his role as a leader. (hide spoiler)] I know she loves and supports her brother, but it sometimes felt like she loved power more.The more I think about it, the more I really love this world that Evelyn Skye has created. The magic is immersive and the characters are honest. I know this series is divisive and it’s not for everyone. But if you like magical realism in a seamlessly blended story, and well crafted and vibrant settings, I think you’ll enjoy this series.I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

It's you that defines you. That's all the truth that there is.The Crown's Fate, the follow-up to The Crown's Game, was a thrilling and extremely readable conclusion to Evelyn Skye's magical and highly entertaining duology. I was surprised how wonderful it felt to be back in the world of Nikolai, Vika, Pasha and Renata -- I missed those characters a lot and I just couldn't wait to see how this intrigue-filled fantasy would end. And I'm very happy to report that The Crown's Fate did not disappoint! Now, if you haven't yet read The Crown's Game (and you're planning to), it's probably best to stop reading my review now, for there inevitably will be some spoilers! The Crown's Fate picks up shortly after the Game ended. Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, Pasha is about to become Tsar and Nikolai is gone.. though, not entirely. Nothing is as it should be, though. Pasha is torn and full of regrets --forcing the Game's end weighs heavily on his conscience. He blames himself for Nikolai's "death" and is having trouble coming to terms with his new reality. Vika isn't in a better place herself. Though winning the Game made her dream of becoming the Imperial Enchanter come true, she is now bound to serve Pasha, whom she despises (well, despises may be a strong word to describe how she feels, let's say she has a hard time forgiving him for forcing the Game's end). And to make matters worse, a bracelet appeared on her wrist that will burn her skin if she ever disobeys Tsarevich's orders. On top of everything else, as it turns out, Nikolai isn't dead at all. He's stuck in an in-between world of his own creation - the Kazakh Steppe. While he isn't quite his old self and definitely lacks the power to escape the dream bench on his own, he is far from being dead and out of the picture. Aizhana, his monstrous mother, isn't gone either. Quite to the contrary, she's still there and ready to finish what she started in the previous book...I don't want to give too much of the plot away, but let me just say this: I was surprised by some of the plot developments and quite shocked because of others. The Crown's Fate was much darker and murkier than the previous book. The Crown's Fate was filled to the brim with beautiful magic - the Game itself forcing the Enchanters to conjure stunning and wondrous things as they competed each other. And even though we did witness actual duels and the blood was spilled, the first book never got as dark and gloomy as the Crown's Fate. In fact, for the majority of the sequel I had this overwhelmingly bad feeling and I felt.. well, sad. And that's because we - the readers - see the whole picture and understand certain things the characters themselves don't realize until it's too late. We see them lost, confused and fighting their internal battles (and often losing them, too). And it's all quite tragic, to be honest. I really liked the way the book was plotted, though. I couldn't put it down. Things were happening very fast, characters were being killed off left and right, and the story was getting more and more intense by the second, leading up to the breath-taking conclusion. Evelyn Skye did a marvelous job making the characters feel real and three-dimensional. Even Aizhana! I actually felt bad for her. I felt bad for all of them. They were all complex and with great back-stories, that made them feel very human, and made it hard for me to simply hate them for their bad, misguided decisions. There's not a single character that is simply bad, or evil. They're all tragic. Sure, they make bad decisions, they act on emotions, they are sometimes driven by all the wrong things (revenge, hurt, betrayal, jealousy), but we always see why they do the things they do, even if they don't yet see that themselves. Overall, I really enjoyed this series as a whole and wish there was more. I am going to miss this world and these characters. I'm going to miss the stubborn and untameable Vika and the mysterious, charming Nikolai. At the same time, I wouldn't add anything more to this story, as it is perfect just the way it is.

Actual rating: 3.75 starsThis is the second part of The Crown's Game Duology. It continued to story of Vika, Nikolai, Pasha and Yuliana with a beautiful backdrop of 19th century Russia. The direction I thought this book would go was not in fact the direction it went, at all. The so-called villain was not someone I would expect to be villainous in the slightest. However, I liked the twist it took, I liked how it showed that you can become the anti-hero with just a slight nudge. It showed how fragile life is and what makes someone good and what makes another evil. Because, really, we all have a mixture of both good and bad. I did not like this book as much as the first. And that was purely because The Crown's Game was so much more magical, mesmerising and magnificent whereas this book focused on war and political intrigue, which I still liked (don't get me wrong) but it was just missing a little something. The character's depth did not really expand in this book. The only character that had their depth explored was Nikolai and I liked that he felt more like a 3D character compared to the other 2D characters. The language was beautiful with a mixture of French and Russian added to the predominantly English prose. The description was also very well done and I had a very clear picture of what Evelyn Skye (the author) wanted me to see. I could almost smell the bread and feel the stiff cold snow. Overall I would recommend this series, however I would recommend the first book with more vigour and you could (if you wanted to) only read the first book if you are not interested in war. Recommended to lovers of fantasy and YA! Happy reading! Hannah xoxo

****4.25 Tsar Stars****A good 2nd book to wrap up the story but for some reason, I just didn't feel as passionate about the 2nd book as I did for the first. Don't get me wrong...I really did enjoy this one just not as much.

You can find this review and others on my blog shades of paper “This is part of my duty. All my life, I’ve wanted nothing more than to be Imperial Enchanter, and this is what it entails. I can do this.” Well finally it was time for me to finish this duology! I feel it’s been forever since I read the first installment, and though I remember most of the events and important things that happened in The Crown’s Game, I have to say that it took me a bit to get into the story because I didn’t fully remember some other tiny little things. Still, I’m so glad I ended up reading The Crown’s Fate, because I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I finally got to know how the story ended.I admit I’m kind of sad that this series is over, because I just loved that world and those characters. I cannot tell you if I enjoyed this novel more than its previous one, because I believe I read it more than one year ago, and my egg of a brain forgot to write a review, but I must say that this book was a nice and bittersweet conclusion to the series. It’s true that I had some issues with the ending and the characters, but overall, it was a great installment. “Then again, if there was anyone who could make more of the cards that life had dealt him, it was Nikolai. He’d always been resourceful. He’d always found a way.” Let me first start by saying that Nikolai wasn’t my favorite character in the first book, and though he was a morally grey character in this one and had some interesting scenes and a very intriguing new “personality”, he still wasn’t my favorite out of all of them. However, I absolutely adored Vika, and her development in this novel was to die for. I think I saw a different kind of Vika in The Crown’s Fate, more realistic and exposed, rather than that strong, intelligent characters that was portrayed in the first installment, which was a nice addition to the plot. Don’t get me wrong, she still was that same person, but it was good to see a different part of her.I also didn’t completely dislike Pasha like I did after finishing The Crown’s Game. Though he didn’t particularly had a redemption arc, you saw regret in him and how he was trying to get things right.I was a bit sad because I feel the character of Nikolai’s mother wasn’t as I expected to be in this sequel. Though you did know more about her, she still remained a mystery and not much was changed about her. She was a bit lineal, and because she wasn’t that complex, I didn’t comprehend nor care about the things she did throughout the story. “She hadn’t imagined that achieving her greatest desire would come true, but with the precise opposite of what she’d wanted: to fly without bounds.” Though I liked the ending, I had some issues with it. I feel that it was a bit rushed, because you spent the whole book anticipating that moment, and the author was building up that grand finale, that when it happened it was a bit fast and convenient. It’s not the type of ending I was expecting, definitely. And I must say I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed about that.However, I must admit that this installment was super fast paced and easy to read. I cannot believe that I finished it in two sittings and it took me less than four hours to do so. I cannot remember if The Crown’s Game was just as fast paced as this one was, but I just wanted to point that out because I was shook.Overall, though the big finale wasn’t as amazing as I wanted it to be, I loved the characters and the magic system, and they had such great interactions between them.

4.5 starsThis book is much much darker than the first one. There were a presence of dark magic and malicious intentions... and a little bit of lust, I supposed. The battle occurred very tremendously throughout the book. There was always a seething hatred, pain entwined with regret, and of course, a lot of hope for all characters (though I wished Pasha could vanish once and for all).Well, to be honest, the dashing, kind-hearted Nikolai turning into an evil enchanter really drew me in. Somehow his new energy, though transferred from the despicable Ahzaina, increased his attractiveness and power. Nikolai definitely appealed to me in every way, and how he acted to achieve what he intended (though affected by Ahzaina) genuinely reinforced his strong position as a powerful enchanter. And apparently, I couldn't not mention Vika, also my favorite character. She was really meant for Nikolai. Intelligent, very sentimental, yet strong-minded and somewhat cunning - just the perfect combination in an enchantress. Compared to Nikolai, Pasha looked so pathetic despite the fact that he was the tsarevich of all Russians, preparing to be the tsar. I didn't know why, but I couldn't help looking down on him. To me, he was nothing but a seriously emotional child who never learnt to grow up and wasn't strong-willed enough to keep peace in Russia. He even needed help from his sister, princess Yuliana. Until the end, I failed to see the positive change in Pasha, and I hardly thought that he could be a persuasive tsarevich, let alone a formidable tsar. Why this character was so inept and contemptible was beyond my comprehension. I must confess that I didn't like Yuliana either. She was so so obstinate and brutally decisive. However, it was her strength of will that made me admire her profoundly. I wished that she could be the tsarina instead of that spineless Pasha. I didn't take much liking to Renata. Frankly, it was intensely unreasonable and extremely stupid of her to even think that she was able to change fate by changing the shape of the tea leaves. I know, right? Why on earth that the author gave some dark magic to Renata and somehow made her delude herself into thinking she could easily change Nikolai's destiny???? The writing, as always, is beautiful and fluid. I loved reading this book out loud to feel the flow of the words and how lyrical they sounded.

4.5 Stars!I think I have discovered my new favourite duology! While I didn't like this one quite as much as the first book, it was still so so good. Evelyn Skye's writing is absolutely gorgeous.I feel like lately I've been reading a lot of books that were just okay, and reading these two books was a delightful surprise.