Scan barcode
A review by tigger89
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I feel like I couldn't be impartial when reading this book, because between the setup(old rich guy plays games with his will) and the opening of the story involving chess, I couldn't help but compare it to The Westing Game. And that's not a fair comparison, because the Westing Game is a phenomenal mystery(albeit dated). It sets the bar so high that even something that's otherwise great can't help but fall short. I think that's what happened here.
I ultimately found the interpersonal mysteries far more compelling than the series of riddles set by Mr. Hawthorne. That's not to say that I necessarily appreciated all the characters(Nash and Xander were fun to read about, while Jameson and Grayson grated on me instantly), but I enjoyed seeing how they fit together and interacted with each other, past and present. In contrast, the riddles were merely alright. The answers were fairly obvious, and I found myself predicting the answers, in some cases long before the characters got around to it.
The thing I really didn't like — to the surprise of nobody who's read my reviews before — is that 1) there was a love triangle, and 2) neither option was great! I will say, though, that this might work itself out as the series goes on. Without giving away spoilers, this isn't the first love triangle these characters have been involved in, and it's possible the story might be setting up a situation in the future where they learn from past mistakes and don't do the thing. So I'm trying not to judge too hard just off the first book.
Though I worried that this book — being first in a series — might end on a cliffhanger, I'm happy to report that there was a satisfactory conclusion. Rather than a cliffhanger, we got a teaser of what the next volume's mystery would center around, which I appreciated. I have to admit that I did get the whodunit wrong at the end. I thought I had it all figured out, but nope! Oh well, this is why I don't read many mysteries.
I ultimately found the interpersonal mysteries far more compelling than the series of riddles set by Mr. Hawthorne. That's not to say that I necessarily appreciated all the characters(Nash and Xander were fun to read about, while Jameson and Grayson grated on me instantly), but I enjoyed seeing how they fit together and interacted with each other, past and present. In contrast, the riddles were merely alright. The answers were fairly obvious, and I found myself predicting the answers, in some cases long before the characters got around to it.
The thing I really didn't like — to the surprise of nobody who's read my reviews before — is that 1) there was a love triangle, and 2) neither option was great! I will say, though, that this might work itself out as the series goes on. Without giving away spoilers, this isn't the first love triangle these characters have been involved in, and it's possible the story might be setting up a situation in the future where they learn from past mistakes and don't do the thing. So I'm trying not to judge too hard just off the first book.
Though I worried that this book — being first in a series — might end on a cliffhanger, I'm happy to report that there was a satisfactory conclusion. Rather than a cliffhanger, we got a teaser of what the next volume's mystery would center around, which I appreciated. I have to admit that I did get the whodunit wrong at the end. I thought I had it all figured out, but nope! Oh well, this is why I don't read many mysteries.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol