"We are not defined by what we can do, but by what we actually do."
― Ludmila―

First Book Quick Flashback

 The story set in Russia, where there are two enchanters living there in secret, one away from society, and the other one is living among them. They didn't know each other, but they know their fate, which is battling for a game called the Crown's game, with price to be the royal enchanter.

Vika is the girl with power to control elements, and living in small island with her father, who also is her magic teacher. Nikolai is the orphan that adopted by a woman who bought him from his village and teach him how to control his magic. They both accidentally met when Nikolai with Pasha the prince come visit Vika's island and encounter Vika's magic while she's training.

Due to the urgency being squished between the Kazakhs and the Ottoman Empire, the Tsar of Russia called them both and hold the Crown's Game so one of them can be the royal enchanter and help him to save Russia from its rival.

Synopsis

 After wining the Crown's game, Vika didn't feel that she's winning because she has feeling with Nikolai and yet Nikolai is no longer there. But his magic is still there and there she tries to find Nikolai. In other hand, the Tsar is dead murdered by an entity that surprisingly was the Tsar's lover. Pasha the Prince is going to take the throne but he's not good enough in leading the country since the whole country questioning his legitimacy as prince since the queen used to has an affair. His sister in other hand helps him a lot to govern the country that made him just a puppet in the throne.

For sometimes it's discovered that Nikolai is not really dead but trapped as a shadow. His power is low that made him hard to go free. He got help from the woman that killed the tsar and slowly Nikolai is no longer Nikolai anymore. He wanted the throne

 My Review

Pascal used to be such a kind man with sweet manner now turned to be a pushover man, using his power to get what he want, which is a bummer since i really like him more than Nikolai in the first book.

What's Added

This book add a Dark Fantasy touch in it with the Aizhana the Tsar's secret lover who killed him in the end. She was mentioned lightly in the first book but just a glimpse of her. But in the second book we witness her risen from the death and become more and more powerful. And of course fulfill her goal to find her lost child.

The book is no longer about enchantment, magical places but also a brutal killing and dark creature. I think the second book bring us the different vibe from the first book.

What should have added

 I think what must added is not only how Pasha struggle to keep his throne to the issues of a legitimate son that is not him. But also more about the action scene. I mean, Vika was ordered to kill Nikolai once he's free from the in between world, yet she just trap him, in which he can easily escape which is a bummer.

My Verdict

 This duology is totally not worth your time to read to me. If i can Skip it, i probably just skip but since i'm an OCD i can't, but since i believe you can, just skip it. I think the book is better ended in the first book to me, the ending is fitting, while the second book just felt to be too forced to be a duology. It definitely made me suffering from second book Syndrome.

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