The Crown's Fate

Gr 8 Up—Though the Crown's Game may have ended in Book 1, there is still much in store for Vika, Nikolai, and Pasha. This title opens with Vika mid-evanescence, as she is performing yet another mundane task for the tsardom since winning the Crown's Game and the role of Russian Imperial Enchantress. Vika wants nothing more than to be reunited with Nikolai, her adversary-turned-friend, but since he sacrificed himself so she could live (and win the game), Nikolai has been trapped in a dream version of the Kazakh steppe. Motivated by revenge, Nikolai manages to escape his prison and return to Saint Petersburg. His plan? Kill Tsesarevich Pasha and take the throne. Vika tries to reconcile the demands of the state (Pasha) with the deeper ancient connection (the magical Bolshebnoie Duplo) binding her to outlaw Nikolai. With so much of Vika's energy devoted to empathizing with and reacting to the actions of Pasha and Nikolai, her boldness, so central to the first installment, is sadly missing. There are a number of underdeveloped side plots: Baba Yaga's chicken-legged house makes an appearance, and the Decembrist revolt plays a role in reuniting the trio, but their rejoicing at the triumph of the monarchy hits a sour note in hindsight. A tavern scene in which gamblers are briefly overheard gloating about sexual assault feels out of place for the series.