In the phrase “A very risky gamble,” the letters can be rearranged to form the name Avery Kylie Grambs–the main character in “The Inheritance Games,” a three-book fiction series written by author Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The anagram above is one of the riddles left for Avery by a recently deceased billionaire.
The series focuses on a 17-year-old girl who receives a letter in the mail requesting her presence at the reading of the will of Tobias Hawthorne, the aforementioned billionaire. Confused, Avery goes to the meeting, only to find out that the billionaire left his entire fortune to her.
The deal was that Avery had to live in the millionaire’s house with his family for a year before she could have full possession of his belongings. In the meantime, she was occupied by the adventures the billionaire left for her to embark on. For example, Tobias left her multiple hidden messages and riddles to solve in miscellaneous areas of the mansion. One of the key riddles was why Tobias Hawthorne left his estate to her. The series tells the story of the year she spent at the mansion and details all of the puzzles and mysteries she had to solve.
The question that lingered throughout the story was why one of the richest men in the country left his fortune to a 17-year-old girl he had never met. The anticipation of the ending hooks readers throughout the series. Avery was given a bad hand in life: her mother died, she lived with her older sister Libby, and they struggled with money. However, everything turned around when she was offered billions of dollars under extreme conditions.
The characters are what made this series truly lovable–mainly the four Hawthorne brothers, who were also the billionaires’ grandsons. The brothers all had distinct personalities that lit up each page. Although there are a lot of characters to keep track of, the author made it very understandable. Once each person was introduced it became really easy to fall into the flow of the books.
The series began with the first book, “The Inheritance Games,” which introduced Avery and her family as she is bombarded with the extreme life transformation that the money left to her instigated. This book was published in 2020. Then, “The Hawthorne Legacy” was released in 2021, which revealed a big secret Tobias was hiding. Finally, “The Final Gambit” was released in 2022 and tells the story of what Avery does when she officially inherits the money. This series did so well that the author wrote a fourth book focusing on the four brothers.
Something that was not particularly enjoyable about this series was the fact that it felt like the Hawthorne family often belittled Avery and doubted her ability to uphold their legacy. It felt like she was just a chess piece in the billionaire’s game and the fact that he chose her out of anyone in the world made it excessively detached from reality. Other than that, this book is a fun read.
Barnes is an accomplished writer with over 20 books published, beginning as early as 2010. Another popular series of hers is titled “The Grandest Game,” and an additional book in the series is airing in 2025.
Throughout the final book, readers find out what Avery does with the money she inherits on her 18th birthday. Her actions leave readers in awe of her overall bravery and character development throughout the final novel. “The Inheritance Games” series was undoubtedly a fantastic read. Its compelling characters, plot and mystery make for a perfect series for someone just trying to get into reading or looking for a fun reading experience.
