Review Detail

I wasn't the biggest fan of how Barnes ended the original Inheritance Games series, but I feel like this spin off is one worth keeping an eye on.

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a YA mystery novel set in the same world as her previous series, The Inheritance Games. Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime. Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win. Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

Initially I was hesitant that I wasn't going to love this novel, but boy was I proven wrong. Barnes rejuvenates the original series with a new set of characters and a new set of challenges, while also paying homage to the original series. Which was a nice touch that I thank Barnes completely for.

However, my main qualm with this book was the dizzying array of main characters. Instead of sticking to one protagonist, Barnes instead presents the reader with SEVEN. And given how similar they were, I found it a little too hard to keep all their names and personalities straight in my head. Not to mention, Barnes made a point to make the OLD characters the star of the novel, instead of the new and improved ones. Which really defeated the purpose of this being a spin off series.

Regardless, this was a solid read. Not my favorite of the year, but still a good one. It kept me guessing about who was going to win. Overall, if you like The Inheritance Games, you'll like this one too.