The Final Gambit

I have become such a huge fan of JLB’s work! The Inheritance Game series has been a fun escape either way unexpected twists and turns from beginning to end.

Final Gambit, book 3 in the series, didn’t disappoint! I love how Avery grew throughout the first 3 books. And readers learned more about her Hawthorne benefactor in FG. I’m looking forward to the next in the series, as well as the companion series that follows these stories…The Grandest Game.

If you’re really into the series, note that book 4 is The Brothers Hawthorne. Then read book one in The Grandest Game, followed by a loop back into The Inheritance Games with the last in the series, Games Untold. I’ve found the order isn’t often demonstrated as JLB intended these books to be read.

In book #3 of the Inheritance Games series, Avery is nearing the end of her required year of residence in Hawthorne House. We're introduced to a couple new "players" and as in previous books, this throws Avery and the Hawthorne brothers into a tailspin.

More secrets, more puzzles. I've been flying through this series basically because it's FUN. Somehow Barnes continues to introduce more twists and turns, mostly unexpected, and I'm here for it. Is Avery a believable, realistic 18-year-old? No, not really, but I choose to go with it. However, I honestly didn't really care for the ending -- I thought it wrapped up way too neatly. That was my biggest complaint with this one. This is the conclusion of the main trilogy. There is a book #4 that continues the saga, which apparently is told from the varying points of view of brothers Greyson and Jameson (as apposed to Avery's POV in the main books). I will probably read it just because, though I suspect I may be disappointed in that one, based on reviews I've seen that state it is an unnecessary add-on to the series. I still would love to see this series adapted to the big screen.

After how much I liked the second book in this saga, I expected a lot more from the conclusion of the main trilogy of 'A Legacy at Stake', even though I have always believed that this third part was unnecessary and seemed quite redundant, since it seemed like all the mystery plots, including the love triangle itself, were resolved in 'The Hawthorne Legacy.'

For me, this book is the worst of the three, without a doubt for several reasons. First of all, the riddles seemed boring to me and did not convince me. I also didn't like the forced inclusion of the character Eve, since it was completely unnecessary, and it was quite obvious what was going to happen with her. Consequently, it is clear that I also didn't like the dynamic between her and Grayson. Another thing I couldn't stand was the excuse the author gave to ruin Grayson's character in the second book and end the love triangle, but well. It didn't convince me at all; it still feels very out of character. And above all, I hated Avery's character. How unbearable, please. And the worst for me is that she always has absolute certainty. If she says someone is bad, they are. I couldn't stand her at any moment in this book, contrary to my experience in the previous books, where I found her to be a good protagonist and a good character.

On the other hand, it seemed that the love triangle had ended in the second part of 'A Legacy at Stake,' but no. Avery doesn't let Grayson live, and then she pretends to be hurt when he ignores her. No matter how much she claims throughout the book that she loves Jameson and isn't jealous, what a circus she puts on to prove that the girl Grayson was interested in was really bad (it bothered me a lot that she was right; she is VERY ANNOYING, let's see what she comes up with the next time Grayson has a love interest). On the other hand, although I've always been team averygrayson, I have to admit that I don’t dislike her relationship with Jameson. In this book, he says very nice things to Avery, even though I DID NOT like a certain scene that reminded me of one between Feyre and Tamlin in ACOMAF, oh well... As for Grayson, I liked one scene he has with Avery, but I found it sad. In short, I just want him to be happy because the author always makes him suffer in all the books, and he is my favorite character. Lastly, I’ll say that the author could have developed the secondary couples much better.

In conclusion, although I spent a long time reading this book, as it didn’t hook me, in the end, I found it very engaging, especially towards the end. And although I didn't like it as much as the others, and the conclusion of the book felt a bit meh to me, it was still entertaining, I can’t deny that. It has its flaws, yes, but honestly, in general, I think this trilogy is incredible and I’ve enjoyed it a lot. I can’t wait to read the next books, especially because it seems they will focus more on Grayson (I love him). (Translated from Spanish)

I just love this series so much, I want to read it all again.

Series Info/Source: This is the third book in The Inheritance Games series. I borrowed this on ebook from the library.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this final book in The Inheritance Game trilogy. Many more secrets and puzzles are revealed.

Avery and the Hawthrone brothers face a serious threat from someone powerful who does not like Hawthorne's empire and wants to see it destroyed. Avery must scramble to navigate the twisted puzzles a mysterious person keeps throwing at her while surviving attempts on her life and getting help from the Hawthorne brothers.

I continue to enjoy the crazy twisting puzzles and mysteries throughout this series. There are so many big reveals in this book and so many more family secrets unveiled. Avery grows a lot throughout the series and so do the Hawthorne brothers. They are all unraveling their painful pasts and learning to move past that as they work together.

This is incredibly engaging and easy to read. I read through the whole book very quickly and struggled to put it down. It's one of those books that draws you in and practically reads itself.

My Summary (5/5): Overall I really loved this whole series and would recommend it to those who enjoy contemporary YA reads. The puzzles and mystery are really the features of the story but the characters are intriguing and very well done and there's a bit of a love story as well. Highly recommended!

A worthy end to a very enjoyable series. I do love that Hawthorne boys!

Sometimes interesting but mostly just unhinged, and not really in a good way.

Third book in the series stays just as strong with twists and turns as the other two. Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are back. A girl shows up at Hawthorne House who looks just like Emily and claims to be Toby's daughter. What? Turns out the old man has one final game in store for Avery and a new Big Bad enters the scene. A satisfying end to Avery's trial year to inheriting the Hawthorne billions.

I liked it overall. It maintains the mystery from start to finish. Maybe I didn't love it because I had high expectations for this trilogy, but I recognize that it is original. Sometimes it felt a bit repetitive, as the protagonist often reminisces about past events; I understand that it is aimed at a younger audience to prevent them from getting lost in the plot. I think it lacked a bit of spice, and it would have been more perfect. Overall, it's entertaining and original. (Translated from Spanish)

Last book of the trilogy and without a doubt, it was the one I liked the least of the three. In The Final Play, the short chapters are still present, and although all the plots and subplots that were left hanging are resolved and the pace is not entirely slow, I felt a tremendous fatigue while reading this book.

Its plot captivates and engages, but still, I found it impossible not to experience disinterest. I needed to stop to rest because I was constantly losing my attention in the story.

It was very tedious for me to be continuously jumping from secret to secret. They would get out of one and get into another, endlessly. And it's exhausting when the reader cannot engage with those enigmas because they don't have enough information to interact with the story and solve them along with the protagonists.

Also, I don't know if it's just me, but I felt that the plot suddenly became very complex. There were moments when I didn't understand anything and had trouble locating certain characters. This happened to me in the second book with two characters, but not throughout the whole reading. Here it practically happened to me until the end.

That other... The ending!! How weak it is compared to the previous two books of the trilogy. It's the same as always. The first one, being the novelty, is very enjoyable, but after that, when the same pattern is repeated continuously and the subplots are unnecessarily prolonged, I usually lose complete interest because they don't tell me anything new. I lose the element of surprise and it's no longer the same. From my perspective, it would have been much better not to prolong the story so much and leave it at two books at most.

I will take away that, at least, the ending closes all the questions, but I am quite disappointed with this conclusion of the trilogy. What a shame... (Translated from Spanish)

Avery Kylie Grambs is set to inherit billions from Tobias Hawthorne who disinherited his other heirs for her. She doesn't know why, but she knows that he left lots of puzzles for her and for his grandsons to solve to figure it all out.

This last puzzle might be the one they can't solve, and they are all drawn into a game with some other unknown and dangerous player. This player has kidnapped Toby and sent Toby's daughter Eve to them to cause havoc.

More puzzles are solved. More secrets are unearthed. And it is ultimately up to Avery if things are going to turn out well.

I loved all the puzzles. I loved the relationships between Avery and the four Hawthorne grandsons. This was an excellent thriller with a very satisfying ending.

The secrets and riddles continue to build while Avery comes closer to living a year in Hawthorne House as the heiress to the Hawthorne empire. After finding Toby and learning more of the secrets her mother had kept from her, a visitor comes to Hawthorne House who could change the fortunes of the entire Hawthorne clan and make Avery's choice of life partner much more difficult.

The Final Gambit brings this multilayered series to an end, drawing together all of the plot elements built over the last three books. As much as the riddles and secrets add enjoyment, the emotional journey that Avery and the Hawthorne brothers go on is at the heart of this story. More development of Grayson and Jameson as love interests might have created more intensity, but in general, the goal of establishing relatable characters is accomplished. Overall, The Final Gambit is an entertaining finale to a series that rivals The Naturals as one of this author's best.

The third volume is the continuation of the previous two and successfully ties up the plot and answers the questions that have arisen in this series of young adult novels. Far from the apocalypse of other series like The Hunger Games, these novels are great entertainment in the struggle for survival mixed with the resolution of all kinds of enigmas and puzzles. The romantic aspect is present in a rather superficial way; I believe the sense of clan, of feeling part of a group that defends each other above all, is more important than the idea that being family necessarily means sharing genes. I think the protagonist is extraordinary; she does not change who she is because of the money that comes her way. She has clear priorities and loyalties and does not waver even in the face of obstacles; she grows in the face of adversity and does not hesitate to take risks for her loved ones. She does not fall apart or give up when she realizes that she has only been a pawn to protect others, and she manages to get everyone to see her great qualities and end up adoring her for who she is, not for what she has. That is why I believe it is a reading that provides good values and is recommended for readers of any age. A different and fun read that could easily become a television series. (Translated from Spanish)

This was a finale with a golden touch. Just as addictive as the previous books and with the same level of mystery. We finally see how Avery's adventure concludes, just about to complete a year living in the Hawthorne mansion and on the brink of accessing all the inheritance money. However, questions remain and there's a race against time to resolve them. I really enjoyed this story overall; the characters are funny, and I love how the puzzles worked and all the planning behind them. Once I started, I couldn't stop, and I hope to read more from the author. I liked the ending very much, and I felt very happy and proud of everyone. (Translated from Spanish)