Pages: 469
Published: 29th August 2023
Genre: Young Adult Mystery
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favour, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson – with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune – must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.
It was abundantly clear from the Inheritance Games trilogy that there were still so many avenues the story could go down in terms of its characters, and here the author realises some of that vast potential. This particular rabbit hole contains yet more puzzles and startling revelations of the kind that only exist in the world of the Hawthornes, and that makes it fun, but the real impact lies in the personal development of the two main protagonists.
Whereas we still have the pleasingly short chapters and notably fast pace from before, the plot is more rounded and a little more character-driven. Another reason why it is often hard to put down is the fact that its dual narratives are very different from each other, taking place on opposite sides of the world and one slightly lighter in tone than its counterpart.
Yet what they do have in common is that they both centre on a relationship with a family member, with Jameson becoming acquainted with his long lost father in London and Grayson getting to know his half-sister in typically enigmatic fashion. The two brothers also have to overcome some personal insecurities along the way, which help to give them a small degree of relatability that they did not have before.
For Jameson it is about the surprising lack of self-confidence that lurks undereath his cheerful, carefree façade. He always feels that he needs to prove himself and that is quite affecting to read, while the perfect arena to face that fear comes in the shape of the game he has to play. With heiress Avery by his side, he has to use all of his problem-solving skills to outwit the other players and whatever curious agenda his father might have.
Although this character development is good and the game itself is brilliantly put together by an author who never fails to impress with how smart and innovative her creative mind is, Jameson’s storyline did not grab me anywhere near as much as Grayson’s. His chapters were far less frantic and had that brooding kind of atmosphere, but they struck more of a chord on a human level.
Grayson is such an exquisite character to explore because alongside his innate authoritativeness and self-assurance is deeply tormented, emotional soul that lies within and never rises to the surface. He has suffered heartbreak before and goes to lengths not to suffer it again, only for his inner feelings to blur his judgment and undermine his cool, emotionless exterior. Here, he quickly finds himself in a moral dilemma after investigating his father’s family for the first time and the direction the plot takes is a great concept that is perfectly executed.
A lot of that is down to the character of Gigi, who is utterly impossible not to love. She is a bright and vibrant personality who, outwardly at least, is more or less everything that Grayson is not, but that is what gives their dynamic such a spark. You can feel her energy and charisma win him over and the complex feelings it creates for him, giving rise to a roller coaster half-sibling relationship that really is rewarding to read.
His other found family members are less memorable, but interesting too. On Jameson’s side of things the character that makes the most impression is Ramiz, the master of ceremonies with many sides to his personality and multiple tricks up his sleeve. As for the characters we already knew, Avery is as quick on the uptake as ever but takes more of backseat here, while Nash and Xander show up when the need arises to remind us of the different facets of being a Hawthorne.
As mentioned earlier, the separate settings are a real strength of this book. In London we see Jameson mixing it with the upper classes and their indulgences, where everything feels on a grand scale that is full of excess. Meanwhile, Grayson is kind of undercover and the vibe certainly reflects that, with a somewhat more foreboding tone. Both are effective and their contrast ensures that at least one of them should cater to the reader’s tastes.
The writing still has that airy feel to it that helped make the original trilogy addictive, but this time there seems to be an extra layer of depth and emotion that strengthens the story. Having a few less characters also improves things a little, as that perhaps gave the author to focus more on Jameson and Grayson with a bit more care and attention. That allows the ending to be more impactful too, as we have been following every step of their journey rather than bouncing between sub-plots.
Overall, while it carries that added weight this book continues to be what it always is when the Hawthorne brothers are around – fun. The puzzles and games are just as original as ever and we love playing them, taking a deep dive into the minds of Jameson and Grayson in the meantime. One storyline grabbed me more than the other, but objectively, this is very good.
There were great twists, great characters, and great puzzles with a good level of depth. The only thing stopping me from giving a higher rating is that I felt less connected to Jameson’s storyline.
My rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5
