Book · in order
The Inheritance Games Books in Order
Jennifer Lynn Barnes's YA puzzle-mystery saga: read the original Avery Grambs trilogy first, then The Brothers Hawthorne and the Games Untold novella collection, then the spin-off trilogy that begins with The Grandest Game and continues in Glorious Rivals, all in publication order.
The Inheritance Games Books in Order โ complete list
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Why this order?
The Inheritance Games is best read in publication order, which also tracks the chronological order of events. Start with the original trilogy that follows Avery Grambs, an ordinary teenager who inexplicably inherits billionaire Tobias Hawthorne's fortune and must solve his elaborate puzzles while living alongside his four cunning grandsons. The Inheritance Games (2020) sets up the mystery, The Hawthorne Legacy (2021) deepens it, and The Final Gambit (2022) resolves Avery's central arc. These three form a tight, continuous story and should never be read out of sequence.
After the trilogy, The Brothers Hawthorne (2023) continues in the same world but shifts focus to Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne, splitting its narrative between the two brothers on separate but connected adventures. It assumes you already know how Avery's story ended, so reading it before finishing The Final Gambit will spoil the trilogy's biggest reveals.
Next comes Games Untold (2024), a collection of novellas and short stories set in the trilogy world that fills in gaps around the original cast. Retailers number it as the fifth book in the main series, and it lands lightly after The Brothers Hawthorne, but its content is steeped in the trilogy, so save it until you have finished Avery's story.
The Grandest Game (2024) launches a spin-off trilogy built around a high-stakes, invitation-only competition staged by the Hawthorne family. It introduces a new cast of players while keeping familiar faces in the background, and it works as a fresh entry point rather than a direct continuation of Avery's plot. Its sequel, Glorious Rivals (2025), picks up the contest's threads, and a third book, The Gilded Blade, is set to close the spin-off in 2026.
If you enjoy these puzzle-driven mysteries, Barnes also wrote The Naturals series and The Debutantes. Fans of Karen M. McManus's One of Us Is Lying and Holly Jackson's A Good Girl's Guide to Murder will feel right at home.
Timeline 2020โ2025
Every entry plotted by release year โ see the gaps, clusters and revivals at a glance.
Where to play it today
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Frequently asked questions
How many Inheritance Games books are there?
Seven are published so far: the original trilogy (The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit), the sequel The Brothers Hawthorne, the novella collection Games Untold, and the spin-off trilogy's first two books, The Grandest Game and Glorious Rivals. A third spin-off book, The Gilded Blade, is due in 2026.
What order should I read The Inheritance Games in?
Read in publication order: The Inheritance Games (2020), The Hawthorne Legacy (2021), The Final Gambit (2022), The Brothers Hawthorne (2023), Games Untold (2024), The Grandest Game (2024), then Glorious Rivals (2025).
Do I have to read everything after the trilogy?
The original trilogy resolves Avery's story on its own. The Brothers Hawthorne and Games Untold expand the trilogy's world, while The Grandest Game and Glorious Rivals open a new spin-off trilogy, so they're recommended but optional.
Where does Games Untold fit in the reading order?
Games Untold (2024) is a collection of novellas set in the trilogy world and is numbered as the fifth main-series book. Read it after The Brothers Hawthorne and after finishing the original trilogy, since its stories tie closely to Avery and the original cast.
Who wrote The Inheritance Games?
The series is written by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, an American author also known for The Naturals series and the YA thriller The Debutantes.
Is there a romance in The Inheritance Games?
Yes. Alongside the puzzles and mystery, the trilogy features a love triangle between Avery and two of the Hawthorne brothers, Jameson and Grayson.
Can I start with The Grandest Game?
It's possible, since it launches a new spin-off trilogy with a fresh cast, but you'll appreciate the world and recurring characters far more after reading the trilogy, The Brothers Hawthorne, and Games Untold first.
Last updated · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, amazon.com, goodreads.com, Wikidata
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