ARC Review--The Crown's Fate by Evelyn Skye

Perfect for fans of Shadow and Bone and Red Queen, The Crown’s Fate is the thrilling sequel to the New York Times bestselling The Crown’s Game, an atmospheric historical fantasy set in Imperial Russia.

Russia is on the brink of great change. Pasha’s coronation approaches, and Vika is now the Imperial Enchanter, but the role she once coveted may be more difficult—and dangerous—than she ever expected.

Pasha is grappling with his own problems—his legitimacy is in doubt, the girl he loves loathes him, and he believes his best friend is dead. When a challenger to the throne emerges—and with the magic in Russia growing rapidly—Pasha must do whatever it takes to keep his position and protect his kingdom.

For Nikolai, the ending of the Crown’s Game stung deeply. Although he just managed to escape death, Nikolai remains alone, a shadow hidden in a not-quite-real world of his own creation. But when he’s given a second chance at life—tied to a dark price—Nikolai must decide just how far he’s willing to go to return to the world.

With revolution on the rise, dangerous new magic rearing up, and a tsardom up for the taking, Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha must fight—or face the destruction of not only their world but also themselves. 

I won this ARC in a contest hosted by the author. This review is completely voluntary and honest. I was in no way compensated for this review.


Nothing is more satisfying than bingeing a dulogy! Evelyn Skye brings an end to this duology with The Crown's Fate, which picks up some few weeks after the events of The Crown's Game. We were left completely shaken by the events that occurred and the events that are about to occur here are sure to shake you as well! Once again we return to a re-imagined Russia and see both the beauty and the darkness that lies within.

We rejoin Vika in her new role as Imperial Enchanter, though she still doesn't know how to act around Pasha. With his coronation just a few months away he's taken to his new role with more shame than stride. Vika learns her new role isn't all that it was cracked up to be. Plus she still misses Nikolai terribly. Ever since seeing him in one of his dreamscapes she's clung to the belief that a part of him is still alive. And a part of him is...

Nikolai is somewhat live, but he's not entirely corporeal either. He's trapped in one of his dreamscapes--sorry if I'm not using the right word, seemed to have neglected to write down the exact terminology--because he doesn't quite have enough energy to be gallivanting about the real world. He longs to go back because he misses Vika. His mother, Aizhana, comes back into the thick of things and offers her help, he refuses and naturally, Aizhana finds a way to go around Nikolai's wishes and helps him anyhow. It's at this point we see Nikolai change, he becomes darker, it's like he lost all the love in his heart. 

He comes back to reality with the intent of revenge. He's angry at Pasha for reasons that I can't explain and let's just say Nikolai is a force to be reckoned with when angry. I can no longer recognize the boy from the first book as he is driven by the darkness inside of him. 

Then there's Vika who is caught between the boy she loves (Nikolai) and the boy she is sworn to serve (Pasha). Vika is torn between the two boys, but not in the romantic sense. She wants to protect them both but when they both end up endangering her, Vika is going to have to find help in a surprising ally.

What truly surprised me about this book was how amazing the bonds of friendship are. Pasha and Nikolai were great friends before all the chaos. Vika grew to be friends with both Pasha and Nikolai and she cares for them both. We see this all through their actions. I was kind of surprised that the romance was still nonexistent. I guess I've been so overwhelmed with romance in my reads these days, that it caught me off guard. While the characters toss around the word "love", we actually have very little romance. And it's kind of refreshing, don't get me wrong, I would've loved some swoony moments between the characters, but that wasn't the way of things. And really, romance should be far from everyone's minds with what's about to occur in this one!

This is a book filled with epic battles. Magical duels and cunning. You never know what a character might do until they do it. There are a few glimpses of other fantastical lore--as least in my mind that's what I think of it as--that pop up, I couldn't quite understand their purpose, but t the same time, I just kind of rolled with it. In the grand scheme of things I had a general theory about them, I was actually surprised when these events are mentioned one last time towards the end, is Evelyn leaving room for spinoffs? Well, I guess we'll have to wait and see!

The Crown's Fate is quite the breathtaking read! It's a most surprising read in all the best kinds of ways! The ending was quite surprising as well and it's truly the best kind of ending. It's one that gives just enough of a resolution and at the same time leaves you knowing that while we may not be there, the adventures will still be continuing for the characters! 


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars


The Crown's Fate releases May 16, 2017