For another Russian-influenced epic fantasy, look no further than Evelyn Skye's The Crown's Game. In Imperial Russia, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter at his side to face down invaders that threaten the empire. He declares a "Crown's Game": a competition between the only two enchanters in Russia to determine who will become his advisor and who will die defeated. Small-town girl Vika and orphan boy Nikolai are inevitably pitted against each other, both with a desperate need to win, but the growing feelings between them force them both into unwinnable choices.