The Tsar's Guard Spotlight Tour: Nail Polish Art

I can't believe The Crown's Fate is out in a few months! I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Crown's Game with all the enchantment and magic. For those who love The Night Circus and Russian culture and history, definitely pick up this series. You will be dazzled by the characters and the wonderful, delicious foods! Thank you Brittany from Brittany's Book Rambles for spearheading this tour!

Title: The Crown's Fate
Author: Evelyn Skye

Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Expected publication: May 16th, 2017

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 432 pages

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kepler's Books

Synopsis:

The gorgeous and darkly compelling sequel to The Crown’s Game—perfect for fans of Red Queen and Shadow and Bone.

Magic is growing, shadows are rising, and the throne is at stake…

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.

ABOUT EVELYN SKYE

Evelyn Skye is the New York Times bestselling author of THE CROWN’S GAME (out now!) and THE CROWN’S FATE (May 16, 2017). She was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on “So You Think You Can Dance,” and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When Evelyn isn’t writing, she can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies.

Author Links: Twitter | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram | Facebook

NAIL ART DESIGNS

I decided to showcase a couple of nail art designs in celebration of The Crown's Fate. I wanted to highlight simple designs that anyone can recreate. As long as you have a steady hand, a creative mind and a sense of patience, you will be able to recreate these little portable pieces of art.

The first design is The Crown. Yes, this design is fairly simple with the crown on the tips of the nail. You can decide whether to paint crown tips on all the nails or you can paint them on one or two accent nail(s). I chose to paint them on two nails in the colors of red and blue on a white background. I used gold to make the highlights. You can use a variety of tools such as paintbrushes, toothpicks and dotting tools to create the nail art below. I changed the order of the colors on the nails accidentally but to stay true to the Russian flag, paint freehand stripes in the order white, blue and red.

The second design is a little bit more elaborate with design from architectural Russian cathedrals. I love the colors of the domes. This design I found on a nail blog website called Break Rules Not Nails. Start with a light blue for the background and use very bright colors to create the tops of the cathedrals. Highlight the domes along with some gold and silver. Fine tipped paintbrushes in different sizes will help you recreate this design.

Image from breakrulesnotnails.wordpress.com

THE TSAR'S GUARD SPOTLIGHT TOUR: THE CROWN'S FATE

Check out the tour here.

Jan. 9th - Brittany's Book Rambles: The Crown's Fate Review
Jan. 10th- Sarcasm & Lemons: Fancast
Jan. 11th- The YA Book Traveler: History of Russian Crowns
Jan. 12th- Picnic Reads: Character-Based Book Tag
Jan. 13th- Book Nerd Addict: Inspired Tote Design

Jan.16th- Dazzled by Books: Top 5 Reasons I Love The Crown's Game
Jan. 17th- Rants and Raves of a Bibliophile: Characters Matched to Teas
Jan. 18th- The Book Buzz: New Enchanter
Jan. 19th- The Aus. Library: Famous Russian Fairytales
Jan. 20th- My Thoughts Literally: Character Inspired Dessert

Jan. 23rd- Omg Books and More Books: Books that Characters of TCG Would Enjoy
Jan. 24th- It Starts at Midnight: Virtual Tour of Russia
Jan. 25th- Next Page Please!: Character Blog
Jan. 26th- The Book Nut: Playlist
Jan. 27th- Arctic Books: Make-up Looks

Jan. 30th- Two Chicks on Books: Pinterest Recipe Board
Jan. 31th- Lost in Ever After: Typical Date for Nikolai & Vika
Feb. 1st- Alexa Loves Books: Fashion Book Look
Feb. 2nd- Sophie Reads YA: Russian History In and Out of The Crown's Game
Feb. 3rd- 21st Century Once Upon A Times: Drink Your Way Through The Crown's Game

Feb. 6th- The Eater of Books: 10 Reason I'm Excited for TCF
Feb. 7th- A Thousand Words A Million Books: Top 5 Magical Moves in The Crown's Game
Feb. 8th- Seeing Double in Neverland: Fanmade Bookmarks & Swag
Feb. 9th- A Page With A View: YA Fantasy Books set in Russia
Feb. 10th- Dana Square: Recipe from The Crown's Game

Feb. 13th-YA Wednesdays: Favorite Quotes from The Crown's Game
Feb. 14th- Juniper Reads: Sorting Characters into Fandoms
Feb. 15th- Nicole's Novel Reads: Nail Polish Looks
Feb. 16th- The Queen Reads: What the Characters of TCG would take to a Deserted Island
Feb. 17th- A Perfection Called Books: The Crown's Fate Review

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date: May 17, 2016
Pages: 416
Source/format: ARC borrowed from Ana from Owl Always Be Reading

Rating: ☆☆☆☆

Synopsis (from goodreads.com):

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose. 

M Y  T H O U G H T S
 
Vika Andreyeva and Nikolai Karimov are the only Enchanters around in Russisa. However, it is rare for there to be two Enchanters at one given time. Yuliana suggested to her father, the Tsar, to hold The Crown's Game. This deadly game is not only a place to showcase the skills of each Enchanter but  the winner will earn the title of the Imperial Enchanter. Unfortunately, the defeated will die. In this intense game, Vika and Nikolai will have to battle each other. Each Enchanter is granted five turns, each alternating between each turn. However, only one survivor will remain. Who will it be?

Evelyn Skye wrote this historical fantasy set in the nineteenth century. Not only is magic woven into the history of Russia but Skye makes the magic come alive! With her writing in third person, readers discover many of the characters in the book. The Crown's Game is engaging and descriptive. The places she describes are vivid. The people we meet seem so real. The upbringings of Vika and Nikolai are fascinating. Their heritage shapes who they are today. However, everything they know to be true are tangled in a web of lies.

I am surprised when I found out Galina and Sergei are related and how they are both mentors to the only Enchanters in the country. Galina knew this fact and is secretive. She manipulates the situation. It is her way to prove to her brother that she is better than him by using Nikolai. If Nikolai wins, she would have the glory and Sergei and Vika would have to suffer. How conniving of her.

Pasha, the tsesarevich, and Nikolai have a healthy friendship between them. Nikolai feels torn since Pasha is enamored with Vika and Nikolai has some feelings for Vika as well. I am not too partial about the love triangle and about the instalove. The romance seemed unrealistic and I wish there was more relationship building between Vika and her male admirers. I found the friendship of Reneta and Nikolai to be quite endearing.

In terms of the actual Crown's Game, I expected more of a dual instead of a showcasing of what Vika and Nikolai can do with their talents. I feel it was more of a display of who can make the better masterpiece and who can wow the crowd. However, the game does include outwitting the opponent but in a way most people do not expect. It's clever and keeps the story interesting. You never know when Vika or Nikolai will strike. The story is multi-layered and I am sure the next book in the series will explain a lot of things that occurs in The Crown's Game.

The Tsar's Guard Parade: Zharkoe Recipe

I am so happy to be part of the Tsar's Guard Parade to celebrate The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye. Because I am a big food lover I decided to showcase a recipe for Zharkoe which is a Russian beef and potato stew. Don't forget to check out the rafflecopter giveaway at the end of the post!

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Pages: 416
Publisher: Balzer+Bray
Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Zharkoe (adapted from recipe from Lorie's Place)
Servings: 6-8

3 lbs. beef, cut into cubes
4 small onions, sliced
3 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. salt
16 black peppercorns
5 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or sixths
3 carrots, cut into quarters crosswise
Olive oil

1. Heat large saute pan or dutch oven with olive oil. Place beef and half the onions into pan. Brown beef in hot oil for 10-15 minutes or until light brown. While beef is browning, peel the potatoes, cut them, and saute them in a large pan with hot oil for 10 minutes.
2. Put remaining of the sliced onions on top of beef.
3. Pour water into the pan/dutch oven and add bay leaves. Bring to a boil on the stove top, then lower heat and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add water (little by little) as needed. The liquid should be mostly covering other ingredients.
4. Add salt, peppercorns, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer for another 30 minutes or until the potatoes and carrots are done. Take out bay leaves before serving.

Enjoy Zharkoe while reading The Crown's Game.

ABOUT EVELYN SKYE

Evelyn Skye was once offered a job by the C.I.A., she not-so-secretly wishes she was on "So You Think You Can Dance," and if you challenge her to a pizza-eating contest, she guarantees she will win. When she isn't writing, Evelyn can be found chasing her daughter on the playground or sitting on the couch, immersed in a good book and eating way too many cookies. THE CROWN'S GAME is her first novel.

Evelyn can be found online at www.evelynskye.com.

Twitter |Facebook | Goodreads | Tumblr | Instagram

Giveaway Details

1 winner will receive an ARC of The Crown's Game. International.

a Rafflecopter giveaway Don't forget to follow the rest of The Tsar's Guard Parade Tour! Find the complete Tsar’s Guard Parade Schedule at Evelyn Skye’s website!

Looking Ahead: Cover Reveals #3

This past week has definitely been a week full of fabulous cover reveals for spring and summer MG and YA novels. I am looking forward to the new year full of wonderful books and I am hoping the novels live up to their names, synopsis and gorgeous cover art.

Epic Reads surprised the world with a STUNNING cover for Ruined by Amy Tintera on Tuesday. I enjoyed reading the dystopian Reboot by Miss Tintera and I am quite interested about how Tintera handles fantasy.

Title: Ruined
Author: Amy Tintera
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date:  May 3, 2016

Synopsis (from goodreads): 
A revenge that will consume her.

A love that will ruin her.

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.

But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.

In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.

Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.

Epic Reads revealed the cover for The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye on Wednesday. I am very intrigued about this cover. It definitely screams fantasy and it borderlines a cover design for an Adult fantasy novel. The palace made into a crown is an interesting take.

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication date:  May 17, 2016

Synopsis (from goodreads):

Vika Andreyev can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the Tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the Tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love . . . or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear . . . the Crown’s Game is not one to lose.

Also on Wednesday, Hypable revealed the cover for the upcoming The School For Good and Evil: Ever Never Handbook by Soman Chainani. The cover art definitely has a handbook like look to it. The frame makes the cover look like an old fairy tale book along with the leather like texture in the background.


Title: The School For Good and Evil: Ever Never Handbook
Author: Soman Chainani
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication date: July 19, 2016

Synopsis (from goodreads):

Every four years, two Reader children are kidnapped and brought to the School for Good and Evil to be trained for a life in a fairy tale. There, Evers and Nevers take courses in Animal Communication and Uglification, among others. The highest ranked students become the heroes and villains of the fairy tales — while the lowest, well, we don’t want to talk about what becomes of them.

This handbook contains the scoop students need in order to get to the top of their class — the fairy tales you need to know, the myths it’s dangerous not to know, spells you won’t live without, Who’s Who and What’s What, and much more. And of course, it’s all in glorious color because in the School for Good and Evil, nothing is black and white.