The Crown's Game Blog Tour: Review + Song

Tour stop before this one!

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Pub Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Hardcover, eBook

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.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Filled with twists and turns, I felt the characters' struggles between the price of winning vs. the price of losing their soul. The entire concept is so thought-provoking; I cannot wait for this book to come out. - Nova @ Out of Time

Right off the bat, let's just talk about the lack of Russian-inspired fantasy in YA. Really, all I can think of at the moment is Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I loved that book so it's no surprise that I really really enjoyed The Crown's Game too! I hope that a bunch of people follow this lead and write more fantasies inspired by not only Russian culture, but any culture that is lacking representation.

As I already said, I loved how much I had to think while reading this. The theme that just blew me away was about how it is/isn't worth it to win if you're losing a piece of your soul. This theme is carried throughout the novel and you can see struggle on each side. It humanizes the characters so much, brings them to life and gosh, I just felt so bad for them. Characters that are strong are always an important part to the story but in this case, characters who are being strong because they literally don't have any other choice feel ridiculously human which is an awesome feat for an author!

Something that I wasn't completely sold on was the romance aspect. To be fair, I wasn't really in the mood for one. And to add in a love-triangle? My apathetic feelings were all over the place but the story itself made up for what I didn't like. In the end, however, I was personally victimized by an event and I realized that I actually do like the romance - it just took a while. This is mostly because I felt as though the stakes were built so high that the romance looked odd and out of place but by the end, I realize that in order for me to really have felt for the characters, romance was essential!

In terms of plot, I felt like it went from typical to a big surprise. Whenever I read stories, I always expect a certain "thing" to happen based on the events or the terms of the conflicts. However, the verdict of this story wasn't what I expected. I was so set in my ways that "this is what is going to happen!" and also very very shocked. Evelyn keeps you guessing with the plot, which is so important to me as a reader. I must be challenged as I can get a little judgmental and The Crown's Game just smiled at me and said, "Nope! You shall not guess my secrets!"

Overall, there are still lots of loose ends which makes me excited for the sequel! Skye has done so much with her world and I just cannot imagine the amount of action that is going to go down in the second book. Look at me, waiting for that when the first isn't even out yet. If that isn't an indication to read this, than hopefully, the song below is!

I also wrote a song based on this lovely novel!

Evelyn's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

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 and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Read More

A Song Based on: The Crown's Game - Evelyn Skye [The Tsar's Guard Parade]

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Pub Date: May 17th, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Format: Hardcover, eBook

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.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

Alright! Now onto the song.

This song is called "NAMES." If you've read the novel, it may be clear why the song is called what it is. However, if you haven't, I'm gonna explain the thinking behind the novel. Unfortunately, I'm not going to do a full lyric dissection because the book isn't out yet and I don't want to risk any spoilers.

Basically, the title is in reference to the idea of the crown's game. Here we have two characters who have to win but the only way to win is to kill the other. I was so fascinated with the idea of shedding your morals to win a game or more important, to save yourself. There are so many things I could've chosen to write about [there is SO MUCH CONTENT IN THIS NOVEL!] however, this is the main theme I chose.

FUN FACT: The melody used in this song was one I wrote YEARS ago [like two years, at least!] The original melody was paired with a book inspired song for another novel - Shadow and Bone. If that isn't weird enough, both books are Russian-inspired fantasies and just, the idea of a melody coming back to me two years after I hadn't thought about it is weird, don't you think?

So without further ado, please enjoy my song, "Names" based on the Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye.

lyrics:

first verse ;
you're a shadow in the night,
no one knows what you can do.
i am born of fire and lightning,
so it's either me or you.

wasn't supposed to be this way,
thought i was the only one.
but the situation's out of hand
send the call out, the game has just begun.

chorus ;
can you see the knife,
he holds behind his back?
pray the bracelet you wear,
will be enough so that you last,

long enough to make your move,
do what you were born to do.
and since we know the price,
we know the crown's game was not one to lose.

hook ;
don't let love cloud your judgment,
no emotions in this game.
dehumanize your opponent,
i'd rather not know your name.
[second time: let's pretend we don't have names]

second verse ;
at the ball, we played our roles,
something begs me to remember,
the way your hands felt at my side,
i swear i could've just surrendered.

but the walls, they melt away,
revealing the illusion,
and when morning comes, despite our feelings,
nothing will have changed.

chorus

bridge ;
beyond our feelings for each other,
so much more at stake.
and letting you inside my soul could be my greatest and last mistake.

but magic calls to magic.
who am i to send it away?
and if neither of us choose to surrender,
we'll take each other to our graves.

chorus

hook 

As always, please let me know as a comment on here, or the YouTube video what you thought of this song. Does it make you want to read it? If you have read it, do you like how I tried to subtly reference parts of the novel without actually giving any real spoilers? And I always ask this, but what is your favorite part/line in the song? I love to hear about the parts that make you feel something, so let me know. My favorite part would be the hook. It's so strange to think that the hook was the last thing I wrote. To be honest, I wasn't actually going to write it in but then I felt as though something was missing. Good call there, Nova.

Evelyn's Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter | Website

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 and on Twitter @EvelynSkyeYA.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Read More

THRONE OF GLASS INSPIRED SONG!

This title is in all caps, which might've been the first thing you noticed. Yes! I am SO EXCITED for everyone to see it. I'm a new-ish fan of Throne of Glass but it didn't deter me from writing a song.

I chose to go in the direction of Celaena's character development. While there is a lot going down about the ships, I honestly can't be bothered to write about that when there is so much else going on. I'm really against the whole idea of hating a book because of the ships [unless the ships have overtaken the story] so I figured I'd just stay out of the entire "fandom war" thing. Let's just focus on Celaena and how awesome she is and has become. I also have not read Queen of Shadows yet so it goes without saying, but please, no spoilers.

This is a dissection of the lyrics with the YouTube video below. I encourage you to hit the "like" button and subscribe to the channel if you enjoyed this! Soundcloud is cool and all but being able to post a video of me live singing feels a lot more personal and I like it more. While I'm sure you can probably draw your own conclusions of the meaning of each line, I felt the need to include my understanding of the series and where some of the inspirations are derived from.

If you haven't read the Throne of Glass series, I would recommend either reading it or reading a recap of it because this song won't make as much sense if you don't know the general storyline. Also, spoilers were not meant to happen but I do mention the general storyline. This song is inspired by the story but doesn't draw the most specific of details.

 

Lyrics

(1ST VERSE)
A little girl,
A little city,
Crushed her dreams and told the world
That nothing was fair,
Not at all.
This was the first part of the song before I realized this was a "Throne of Glass" inspired song. I wrote this based on a girl who'd just lost her home. However, in regards to Celaena, it speaks about the tragedy of Celaena's past that she was unable to control.

She stole his money,
And left the city.
Carried the few things she owned.
A little ghost,
Not here anymore.
Celaena was trained to be an assassin and once trained, she went on missions. This part is a lot about imagery. I had the idea of a little girl holding a teddy bear and that's it. However, the "little girl" is not speaking about Celaena's age - it's speaking about her development. You could say that in The Assassin's Blade, her personality is not the same as in Queen of Shadows - and for good reason.

(PRE CHORUS)
She’ll build a thicker skin,
No one can tear her down.
It was a natural disaster,
That wasn’t natural at all.
Again, referring to the disaster of her childhood that ruined everything.

She wants the glory and,
The fame that comes with it.
She’s not a psycho,
She’s not malicious,
She’s not a tyrant,
She’s just ambitious.
Alright, I wasn't sure if I was going to keep this part. It's a first draft but when I went to edit, I couldn't think of anything that suited this part. Celaena gets a lot of heat because people complain that she's too arrogant and personally, I love that about her. It's a flaw. Characters have them. So what? In the first book, Celaena gets really annoyed that she has to hide her talents as an assassin and play weak.

(CHORUS)

She holds the kingdom in her hands,
But it’s not hers,
But it’s not hers yet.
Being within castle walls gives Celaena power but while the king sits on the throne, the kingdom isn't hers yet.

She wants it from a man who can’t understand,
The way it works,
How the game works.
*cough* Evil King. Also, the "game" is the tournament thing. It was meant to be more metaphorical but I realized after that technically Throne of Glass is about a game of sorts.

Hold onto the crown on your head,
Or kneel to her who took the throne.
She took a breath; took off the cloak,
Took a breath and threw a stone.
This entire block and its melody is my favorite part of the song. Most of the song relates to specific books [ex. 1st verse = The Assassin's Blade] but this part is the theme that carries throughout the series, in my opinion. First two lines are self explanatory. Third line is about Celaena = Aelin and her lineage. Last line is meant to be imagery awesomeness. Think: girl picking up a stone and shattering the whole freaking throne. Epic, no?

Hold onto the crown on your head,
Don’t shut your eyes and don’t look tired.
She came with nothing left to lose
And so she’ll leave with the empire.
I'm all for the dramatics and I actually wrote the first two lines AFTER the last two. I needed a word that rhymed with empire since I like to end choruses with some kind of impact, hehe.

(2ND VERSE)
A little girl,
Who’s not so little.
Rose to fame by getting rid of,
People’s problems but she still has her own.
Relating to Celaena's character growth, this part is after the Assassin's Blade, somewhere between ToG and CoM. I'm basically calling the girl an assassin without straight up saying it. Clever? Or nah?

A war like this could end in pieces,
Are you prepared to risk it all?
And ask yourself how far you’d go to save your home.
I thought it would be funny to be like "a war like this could end in peace...es" but you probably didn't get the pun. Oh well, I'm going to laugh at it with myself.

(PRE-CHORUS)
It’s in her blood to rule,
Her highness has been found.
She is the heir of ash and fire,
And she will burn you to the ground.
Okay, maybe I lied - this part may be the best, at least lyrically. [Or not, because technically, I didn't write it.] So I don't get sued, the third line is directly from Heir of Fire. But this part is just me going, "YOU GO CELAENA!" because she's epic.

They stole what could’ve been,
And turned the greens to browns.
She’s not a psycho,
She’s not the villain.
She wants the magic,
The world is missing.
There's always this thought of, "what could've happened had the childhood tragedy not occurred? If Celaena had the power she was meant to have?" And turning the greens to browns was my last ditch effort for a rhyme for "found." I thought I used every one but nope! It's about the forests and destruction.

(CHORUS)

I hope you liked this song as much as you liked the books. Haha, wouldn't it be awkward if you disliked the books? In any case, I would love to hear your opinions and your fave lines. I don't consider myself to be a big part of the Throne of Glass fandom but to the people who hold this series close to their heart: Did I do it justice? What other books would you like me to write a song based on? Thanks so much for listening!

Read More

The Unrealistic Standard of Fictional Characters [A Song]

This book is very much bookish even though it isn't based off a specific book.

Typicaly, when I write a song, I've got a book in mind and it goes one of two ways. Either, I'll write a song that's a recap of the things that happened in the book, like The Flaw. Or, I'll take a strong emotion from the book and write an entire song about it - like my song about TFioS. This time, I went a completely different route.

I can't remember the specific book that led to this song, unfortunately. However, after I read it, I started thinking about the characterization of romance was done in some books. It was originally going to be a discussion post - about how books have raised my expectations of what a guy should be like [i.e. flawless.] But then, I got the part of the song that's now the hook stuck in my head and I figured, let's vent out in a song.

I noticed that a lot of fictional guys in [badly written] stories are written to "do everything" for the main character, thus stunting her growth. [I realize that it can be a gender swap but since I'm a girl, I wrote this about girls.] One major example I can think of is Twilight. And then basically, this song is about how fictional guys make it close to impossible to like real ones because those books give an impression that guys should be flawless and do everything for us. Lots of metaphors hehe, that's how I operate - if you don't understand, let me know!


Also, listen to the song while looking at the lyrics because sometimes I can't understand what an artist is saying and I would hate to be the person who gives you that problem.

Lyrics

(1ST VERSE)
You always know what to say,
How to keep her believing,
Tell me why.
Tell me why.
Yes, I'm talking to the smooth talking, no good, "Charming."

A Mr. Perfect like you,
Could do a lot better.
And she's a child,
She's a child.
I read this thing on how we always look for someone who's as messed up as we are and so, why would someone who's perfect go for an immature girl? That setup never made sense to me.

(PRE-CHORUS)
How come the girls in the stories,
Are the ones with the flaws?
And the boys are expected to be,
I don't mean to generalize - it's specifically about the stories I've read - not all of them in their entirety.

The ones with all of the answers,
Well that's now how it goes,
If this were real, it would not end happy.
I personally cannot see how people can be happy having a guy do everything for them while they don't develop as a character at all. They're stuck in a shelf life. [I never say, "shelf life" in the song, but it seems like a perfect title.]

(CHORUS) 
And it sounds like what you say,
Is written by a master with a pen,
And the urge to lie,
I'm talking to the "perfect" character who has his/her lines written for them so they can make readers swoon. Master with a pen is the author.

To teenage girls with hopes and dreams,
If a perfect match is what you seek,
You'll find them where the writers sleep.
Fantasizing 'bout a love that's not their own.
Double entendre. "The urge to lie to teenage girls" is a continuation of the previous lyric but because there's a break, it sounds like I'm addressing teenage girls specifically. These perfect characters exist in the brains of the writers [and readers, too!] where they write love stories. The last line is just another way to say "story" without flat out saying it. 

(2ND VERSE)
You know the girl in the story,
The one that's locked in a tower?
Look around.
Where's your key?
Now, I'm talking to the girl in the equation. That her prince charming is actually limiting her.

'Cause all you ever are is words on a paper,
So why are you real to me?
And I've switched perspectives again, and this one is all about me; the reader.

(PRE-CHORUS)
I'm sorry my expectations of a guy I would date,
Climbed higher 'cause of the fiction I read.
It's getting boring to hear about how you got the girl,
When neither you or the girl have personality.
This is my fave part of the song and the only real, straightforward part, in my opinion. I like to sing in metaphors but the part that I want people to remember is usually flat out easy to understand. 

(CHORUS)
And it sounds like what you say,
Is written by a master with a pen,
And the urge to lie,

To teenage girls with hopes and dreams,
If a perfect match is what you seek,
You'll find them where the writers sleep.
Fantasizing 'bout a love that's not their own.

To teenage boys who hate to read,
Maybe in a way, you're the lucky one.
'Cause you don't expect,
You see, you get,
Fantasizing 'bout the girl who walked you home.
I've seen teenage guys and even though a lot of them are assholes, they typically go after girls they know they have a shot with - unlike me, who goes after fictional characters. So maybe they're the lucky ones.

(BRIDGE)
Could it be better off this way?
Are we entitled to the finer things?
Should we, should we, should we,
Drive away?
Is it better that my standards are so unrealistically high? Or should I just let go of them and "date down?" [I have no interest in dating now, I'm just speaking figuratively.]

In a land that's not our home,
We felt the soil beneath our toes,
And now,
I want you back on the shelf.
Oh high fantasy, you have a spot in this song. I had the idea from the imagery of someone standing barefoot in the woods. But it wasn't on Earth... dun dun dun.

(ALTN CHORUS)
'Cause it sounds like what you say,
Is a script to sound perfect.
Even mortal flaws deserve a place,
On the highest shelves we cannot reach.
The first two lines are the recurring theme. The last two are about how even books with flawed characters deserve a place on the bestseller's list. 

So, to teenage girls with hopes and dreams,
If a perfect match is what you need,
So you don't end up on empty streets,
Fantasize about a life that's not your own.
This was the first part of the song I wrote. I had the idea for this dark ending but also not too dark. It's practically the same hook but I changed a few words [which are in italics]  and to me, it makes all the difference. 
 

Oh, what are your thoughts on this one? I chose to do this because I didn't want to do a discussion post. However, let's treat it like one! What do you think about the unrealistic standards of fictional characters in some books? How all the guys are sweet - or maybe how a girl goes to a new school and every male character [and some female - I have to assume] is in love with her?

Read More

I Wrote A Song Based On: The Fault In Our Stars - John Green

It's currently one in the morning and the only reason I'm working on this is because for some reason, it didn't save when I first tried to write it. Ugh.

I know I've said that I don't like The Fault in our Stars but last year, before/after I saw the movie, I wrote a song in Gus' perspective to Hazel. It's called: Don't Forget Me [if you've read the book, you'll get that it's about his fear of oblivion.] It would play out through the course of the book - before and after his death.
I'm currently working on a song based on Hazel's response and her thoughts throughout the book. I'm kind of stuck right now but I hope you enjoy Gus' song.

Also, before I recorded this and stuck it on soundcloud, I posted it on my YouTube channel. If you're really curious, you can find it here. It's really rough though - in a few short days, it'll be a year since I posted that video.

If you haven't read or watched TFioS, I would recommend either reading it or reading a recap of it because this song won't make as much sense if you don't know the general storyline. And yes, there most likely will be spoilers.

Also, listen to the song while looking at the lyrics because sometimes I can't understand what an artist is saying and I would hate to be the person who gives you that problem.

Lyrics

(1ST VERSE)
If there's a purpose to this all,
Please let me know.
My only wish is normalcy,
And you've become my hope.
This is a question of, "why me? Why did I have to get sick?" And I know it always seemed like Hazel needed the normalcy but I got the sense from Gus too.

And in some unfair lottery,
We'd been chosen.
There are so many things wrong with the world,
But fault is how we grow.
The unfair lottery is my attempt at a deep lyric. Whoops. And "fault is how we grow" is based on the "...try try again" quote.

(CHORUS)
We lived forever,
In numbered days.
Our story's small.
But it took up the whole page.
Numbered days is a direct quote that I fell in love with. The second two lines are a filler because I couldn't think of anything else.

And I am sinking,
Into oblivion.
Don't you forget me,
Even if I pass away.
Gus has a fascination with oblivion and he doesn't want to be forgotten - he wants to make a mark in the world.

(2ND VERSE)
You told me you were my grenade,
But really I was yours.
I thought love was a shout to the void,
But clearly I was wrong.
The first part was from a tumblr quote of the same words. There was so many feels from that textpost omg. Direct quote for both.

(PRE-CHORUS)
I fell in love the way I fell asleep,
Slowly then all at once.
We danced the line between reality,
And what there is to come.
"Dancing the line" is inspired by a line in Birdy's Not About Angels. I used it as a way to describe living in the moment and still worrying about themselves/their health.

(CHORUS)

(BRIDGE)
Hold on just a little bit longer,
You're not finished here.
You made me just a little bit stronger.
I thank you for our infinity.
The entire song plays out like the book. Up before the second chorus is where Gus is still alive. He "dies" in the second chorus and the bridge was supposed to be like the eulogy he wrote for Hazel.

Think of me when you taste the stars,
And know I'll be here waiting.
And one day if it's not "okay,"
I'll be what you need to breathe.
Gus is partying with the stars, alright. And I had to sneak the "okay" thing in there SOMEWHERE! The last line was inspired by something else from tumblr where it was like, "plot twist: hazel renamed her breathing machine Gus because it was him who kept her alive."

(ALTN CHORUS)
We lived forever,
In numbered days.
Our story moved,
The whole nation with its pages.
I wanted to sneak in the success of this story but also give it a double meaning because Gus wanted to be remembered and everyone read it.

I'm still sinking,
Into oblivion.
Don't you forget me,
I still love you, Hazel Grace.
Gus, like the rest of us, are still in oblivion in some sense. However, it's Hazel who's keeping him alive, even if he isn't alive physically. And the last line is like how death can't split them apart. [Now I just gave myself all the feels. What have I done?]

Oh, what are your thoughts on this one? I'd love to know if you think it's a hit or I need to go back to the drawing board. I'm not a big enough fan of this book but I would LOVE to know what the fans think! Did I nail the character or did I miss?

Read More