The first book in The Inheritance Games series, acclaimed by The New York Times Bestseller young adult fantasy trilogy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. The Inheritance Games is a book full of puzzles, plot twists, emotion, and tension with an interesting take on games. The Inheritance Games has plot twists from the very beginning and will keep you guessing throughout the book.

Avery wondered how many other secret passages were in her room. Eventually, she moved to open the envelope. Looking at the writing on the envelope, she realized it’s his letter from the reading. When she opened the envelope she immediately saw that it was longer and made even less sense than hers. 

“Jameson,

Better the devil you know than the one you don’t-or is it? Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. All that glitters is not gold. Nothing is certain but death and taxes. There but for the grace of God go I. Don’t Judge

-Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne”

Avery had memorized his letter by the next morning. She rolled out of bed and unplugged her phones. Alisa got her a second phone because everyone had somehow got the number of her old phone. Her old phone had hundreds of calls and texts from people who she didn’t even know. Avery hears Alisa from the other side of the door. She opens the door and Alisa comes on along with another woman. Alisa tells her that Mrs. Laughin made her breakfast. The woman deposited the tray of food on her nightstand. Once the door closed, Avery said she thought the staff only came in only as needed.  Alisa says the staff is extremely loyal and concerned at the moment, but the woman who came in was one of Nash’s. Nash has a habit of leaving for a while and finds a hole-in-the-wall place to bartend. Then he will suddenly come back with one or two hopeless souls in tow. He then finds a job for them to do at Hawthorne house. Avery asks Alisa if Nash is her ex. She says she and Nash were engaged for a time. Alisa said she can have someone else from the firm work as her liaison. Avery said there is no need for that. Alisa nods and tells Avery that she has enrolled her in Heights Country Day. It is the school that Jameson and Xander attend. Alisa grabs Avery’s old phone to get rid of it for her. She tells her that the students at the school will have a bit more discretion, but she needs to be prepared because money is power. Avery thinks back to Jameson’s letter. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Oren gives Avery and Jameson a ride to school the next day. Avery and Jameson talk about the letters they got. When they arrive at the school, Jameson tells Avery he should go because the last thing she needs is for everyone to see her getting cozy with him. 

Nobody acknowledged the fact that Avery was there. Whenever she looked at someone, they looked away. Eventually, one girl went up to Avery and introduced herself. “I’m Thea, why don’t I show you to the office.” On the way to the office, Thea told Avery about the principal and school. Thea told Avery how to act around the other students and Avery told her that she would be fine. But Thea said it must be hard to be living with the Hawthornes. When Avery told her that it was fine, Thea says, “If there’s one thing the Hawthorne family isn’t, it’s fine. They were a twisted, broken mess before you got here, and they’ll be a twisted, broken mess once you’re gone.” They ran into Xander at the end of the hallway. Thea tells Xander she was just showing Avery where the office was. But Xander asks Avery if Thea told her that Thea’s uncle is married to Zara. He tells Avery that her parents are trying to challenge the will. Avery took that as a warning not to trust Thea.

Max called Avery around noon. Avery was telling Max about great the school is when Max interrupts her and says, “It is my understanding that you have inherited roughly a bazillion dollars, and you want to talk about your new school.” Avery changed the subject and tells her about Jameson and his letter. Max went on a short rant about how hot Jameson is and about her parents. Before Max hung up, she told Avery to buy herself something because she hadn’t bought anything since she inherited the money. Once Avery entered the cafeteria, Thea stopped her and apologized for earlier. She said she used to study with Xander before something. Thea never finished her sentence when someone else said the brothers were magical. Avery stood up to leave when Thea stood up with her and said, “Think what you want about me. But the last girl at this school who got tangled up with the Hawthorne brother? The last girl who spent hour after hour in that house? She died.”

Avery left the cafeteria and ran into Xander. He said she could use a robotic dragon and dumped one into her hands. She tried to reply but could one think of what Thea said. Xander asked if she was okay and asked if Thea got to her. Avery said she didn’t want to talk about Thea. He said he hates talking about Thea so he then asked what happened with her and Jameson. Avery said Jameson thinks his letter is a clue. Xander nodded and took Avery into the library. Xander told a story about how his grandfather would have challenges for the brothers to compete in every Saturday. Xander always lost, so he would sit with his grandfather and listen to his facts, stories, and contradictions. He asked Avery if she would like to hear a fact. Avery asked what and Xander said Tobias Hawthorne had no middle name. Avery thought back to how he signed her letter. T.T.H. and Jameson’s was signed Tobias Tattersall Hawthorne.

Avery texted Alisa and asked why Tobias used his middle name in the will. Alisa replied immediately saying he legally changed his name years ago. Avery took Jameson’s letter out of her bag and looked at it under a magnifying glass. She noticed a space between Tobias’s middle name. Tatters all. Avery wondered why Tobias chose that middle name. Avery texted Alisa again and asked when Tobias changed his middle name. Jameson texted Avery and asked if she saw what he saw. He said the sign-off: Don’t judge. Avery thought back to one of her old teachers, her teacher said not to judge a book by its cover. She texted Jameson back and asked if ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’ meant anything to him. His response was it sure does. 

Hours later, she and Jameson stood in the library at Hawthorne House. Avery said they could just be making something out of nothing. Jameson said,  “Hawthorne-born or Hawthorne-made, there’s always something to be played. Everything is something in Hawthorne House.” Avery asked what he thought they are looking for. Jameson asked what she thought they were looking for. She said a book that doesn’t match its cover. She said it could take hours to go through the thousands of books there. He said to not be ridiculous, it could take days.

They worked in silence and didn’t go to dinner. Jameson worked the upper part of the library while Avery worked the bottom part. Avery asked if they were wasting their time. Jameson said, “Time is money, Heiress. You have plenty to waste.” Avery told him to stop calling her that. He says that she already dismissed the mystery girl nickname and its abbreviation. So she is stuck with heiress. Avery told him that she met Thea. Jameson went on a short rant about how horrible Thea is, but eventually asked what she said. Avery said she kept talking about the house and the brothers. Jameson asked, “Is it still a lie, if you’re masking what matters, but what you’re saying is technically true?”  Avery decided to tell the truth, she told him about the girl who died. Jameson stopped working. He eventually said her name was Emily and she wasn’t just a girl. Avery said she was sorry she brought it up and said they should call it a night. Jameson came down the stairs and said same time tomorrow. Avery said they are making good progress and should be done within the week. Jameson told her not to hate him, but there is more than one library in Hawthorne House. 

Avery knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep after her conversation with Jameson. She wandered through the halls and found a room full of musical instruments. She reached out and touched one of the violins. Grayson said from behind her, that she should be careful. She told him she wasn’t going to break anything. He said she should be careful with Jameson and he is the last thing she needs. He said his mother hasn’t left her room in days, Xander nearly blew himself up, Jameson is one bad idea away from ruining his life, and the property damage the paparazzi caused. Avery asked if he thought this was easy for her, that she wanted to be stalked by the paparazzi. Grayson didn’t hesitate when he said she wants the money with the way she grew up as she did. She counters by saying he wants the money the way he grew up. Grayson says she has no idea how ill-prepared she is. She cut him off saying he doesn’t know her. Grayson says he’ll know everything about her soon enough, her family, her mom. Avery snapped at him and said to not talk about her mom. He tells her to stay away from his family. She asked if she didn’t, would the same thing happen to her that happened to Emily? He turned around with a rigid posture and said to not say her name. Avery realizes that Emily meant something to both Grayson and Jameson. 

Shortly after Avery got back to her room, Libby came in. Libby said she bought her some electronics because Avery hasn’t bought anything. Avery said she hasn’t had the time, but Libby says she had nothing but time. Libby says she wants to show her something and it’s okay if she wants to yell. Libby pulls up a video of Drake standing next to a reporter. Drake tells the reporter that Avery was a loner and had daddy issues. Libby stopped the video there. Avery took the tablet and scrolled through the other interviews. She stopped at an interview labeled Skye Hawthorne and Zara Hawthorne-Calligaris. They tell the reporter that they will fix the problem with Avery and will have a genetic test done. They also implied that there will be elder-abuse specialists, the authorities, and a team of medical specialists. Libby tells Avery that she has to tell Alisa. Avery says she is too tired to deal with it now and she will call her in the morning.