Vika and Nikolai 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. That is why he initiates the Crown's Game, an ancient duel of magical skill. The victor will become the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar's most respected adviser. The defeated will be sentenced to death.

Having lived 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 likewise 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.

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. Soon, long-buried secrets begin to emerge, threatening the future of the empire, and one thing becomes dangerously clear: the Crown's Game isn't a game that anyone can afford to lose.