The Crown's Game (The Crown's Game #1) by Evelyn Skye -- Restarting November 5th 2024

[Johanna]

Chapter 33
(view spoiler)[Okay so Pasha guessed she's an enchanter. Of course not surprising because he saw her in the island. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 34
(view spoiler)[Vika and Nikolai danced. It's always a bit hard to relate to a story where two are participating in a competition where a loser is going to die. We all know that there is going to be suddenly a different ending so the threat doesn't feel real/believable. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 35
(view spoiler)[Wow, Sergei might die! That was a twist I wasn't expecting. Now I am worried about the ending. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Omg! I'm loving all your updates! I'm finishing off Beasts of Prey this morning and will start this later today :)

[Johanna]

Welcome to the party! 😄

Chapter 36
(view spoiler)[Vika created AN ISLAND! Hahaha, that's crazy 😄 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 37
(view spoiler)[Death is coming, maybe Nikolai's mother is going to find him and kills someone? She has already killed people. But would Renata see it when reading her tea leaves 🤔 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 39
(view spoiler)[My theory is that Nikolai's mother kills the tsar and Pasha becomes one. And then he ends the game or something, changes the rules. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 41
(view spoiler)[Why he lost his energy like this? (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 43
(view spoiler)[Haha, he loves her. It's not love, you don't even know her 🤣 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 44
(view spoiler)[Haha, oh no. All this talk about love doesn't feel too believable 🤣 (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 45
(view spoiler)[I don't like the tsar who has betrayed his wife so many times and understands her worth this late (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 46
(view spoiler)[Vika's transfers them! I can't wait to see when Nikolai's mother comes to the picture xD (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 46
(view spoiler)[Vika's transfers them! I can't wait to see when Nikolai's mother comes to the picture xD (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 48
(view spoiler)[Oh noooo, Sergei :( I have to admit I had forgotten the bracelet (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 2
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[This is a reread but that was years ago and I recall nothing about this story. My thoughts were that they were just as feared as they were revered for their power but idk 100% either. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 4
."

(view spoiler)[Galina had no warmth to her and, so far, her character seems an unlikeable one to me. I'm enjoying the early focus on magical training! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 6
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[As interesting as their separate storylines were, to have them cross over so early into the story wasn't something I was anticipating. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 12
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Nikolai and Vika don't seem to have had equal training before these trials. he seems so much more aware of the world and what is expected of him whereas she seems more sheltered. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "I am here whenever you're there ❤️

Chapter 13
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Omg you are so not wrong. It was only a few chapters ago that I was loving how quickly the two interacted and now I'm like hurry up and start already! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 52
(view spoiler)[Is Vika going to turn into a villain, that would be something! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 53
(view spoiler)[I think I guessed right and Pasha is the one who ends the game (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 54
(view spoiler)[This wasn't a nice way to tell another a secret that is this big... (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 57
(view spoiler)[Hah, the tsar is Nikolai's father! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 59
(view spoiler)[Betrayer tsar got what he deserved. Now Pasha is the tsar (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Chapter 64
(view spoiler)[Wow. Pasha wants them to fight against each other and now there are outsiders too who are in danger. That's evil. And Nikolai met her mother. This really escalated. (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I had fun! Characters were a bit flat but they weren't annoying. I liked secondary characters. The game wasn't really thrilling but I loved the magical atmosphere! Romance was really typical insta-love, and I prefer slow-burn. But this was super entertaining and I enjoyed.
Some things didn't feel believable - like Pasha speaking Finnish. Finnish was a language that only minority spoke in 1812 in Finland. We were part of Russia back then and the official language was Swedish. It feels pretty unlikely that anyone in the tsar's family would have spoken Finnish. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 20
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Same here! And I'm really growing to love her character. It felt like he had the upper-hand in the trials and in knowledge but now she is showcasing her skills and shocking him in the process. Is it bad that it actually made me proud when she tried to drown him in the river? She's a badass! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 21
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[It is already getting twisted between the three of them! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 22
[spoilers removed]"

I'm so so sorry to hear about your dog! Animals have a special place in my heart too, dogs especially.

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 24
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[It also feels unfair again as Vika has moved to the city he knows and she is fearful off so they are on unequal footing. She is still proving she can own herself, though. The puppets game me chills! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 33
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[He guessed it was her but she then revealed it was not only her! I agree with your earlier thoughts on this, I'm excited but not super invested. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 34
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Omg you perfectly explained what I hadn't been able to put my finger on. That is why despite enjoying this, the tension doesn't feel real. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 39
[spoilers removed]"

Oooh good theory!! This is a rerad but I am still remembering nothing!

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 45
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Or me! I'm glad they got to be removed for the sea air but she deserves so much better! So does Pasha. It actually made me so sad when he referred to his father has a very good tsar during the ball as I feel you should have far more complimentary things to say about your own father! (hide spoiler)]

[Johanna]

Dannii wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Chapter 22
[spoilers removed]"

I'm so so sorry to hear about your dog! Animals have a special place in my heart too, dogs especially."

❤️

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Chapter 53
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[I did become so much more invested during these final 100 pages and with the return of Aizhana and the reveal that Nikolai was her and the tsar's child. Ooooh! I feel like all the secrets that have been revealed are going to tear the three apart!! (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Johanna wrote: "Finished
I had fun! ..."

(view spoiler)[That actually perfectly summed up my thoughts! I didn't know the details about the Finnish language like you but all the rest were my thoughts exactly. It was a fun read and felt quite different to what I usually gravitate towards. I gave this 5 stars when I first read it but feels more like a low 4 now as it was fun and quick yet I felt no deep feelings towards it. (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

It's only a duology and I'm interested to see what happens with (view spoiler)[Nikolai after Vika won the duel (hide spoiler)] if you want to finish the series? No pressure though :)

[Johanna]

I am so in! I loved to read through your updates! This was really good, I almost gave 4 stars but ended up with strong three stars. I want to continue the series!

[Dannii]

Yay! When is a good time for you to start? I'm good for anytime 😊

[Johanna]

I am also good for anytime, I have not any plans at the moment. You can pick the date and we go with it 😊

[Dannii]

How about starting on the 10th? I'll request the thread now :) - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Johanna]

Sounds great :) Thank you ❤️