JENNIFER LYNN BARNES · YA MYSTERY & SUSPENSE

The Inheritance Games Books in Order

Start with The Inheritance Games, the first book in Jennifer Lynn Barnes's puzzle-filled mystery series about Avery Grambs and the Hawthorne family. The original story follows three main novels, but the wider saga continues through companion stories and The Grandest Game spin-off trilogy.

This spoiler-light guide separates the original trilogy from the books that come afterward, so you can choose a clear reading path without mixing up main novels, collections, and connected series.

Quick answer

Start with: The Inheritance Games
Original trilogy: 3 main books
Original trilogy status: Complete
First follow-up: The Brothers Hawthorne
Companion collection: Games Untold
Connected trilogy: The Grandest Game
Recommended approach: Original trilogy first, then continue through the Hawthorne-world books.

The completed Avery Grambs arc

The Inheritance Games Reading Order: Original Trilogy

If you're reading these books for the first time, begin with the original Avery Grambs trilogy. The three novels form a continuous mystery, with revelations in each installment changing how readers understand the next.

Read them in the following order.

MAIN BOOK · BOOK 1
The Inheritance Games (2020)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Avery Grambs expects an ordinary future until she unexpectedly inherits the fortune of billionaire Tobias Hawthorne, a man she has never met. To claim her inheritance, she must move into Hawthorne House, where riddles, family tensions, and the disinherited Hawthorne grandsons make every answer lead to another question.
Reading note: This is the starting point for new readers. No prequel or companion book is required first.
MAIN BOOK · BOOK 2
The Hawthorne Legacy (2021)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The mystery surrounding Avery's inheritance grows more complicated as she searches for the truth behind her connection to the Hawthorne family. New clues, changing alliances, and dangerous secrets continue the story established in the first book.
Reading note: Read immediately after The Inheritance Games. It is a direct continuation, not a standalone entry point.
MAIN BOOK · BOOK 3
The Final Gambit (2022)
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
As Avery approaches the final stage of securing her inheritance, another dangerous puzzle raises the stakes for everyone involved. The novel brings the original three-book Avery Grambs arc to its conclusion.
Reading note: This completes the original trilogy. Readers who want the central Avery inheritance story can stop here, while those interested in the wider Hawthorne world can continue.

By Jennifer Lynn Barnes · YA Mystery

What Comes After The Final Gambit?

Finishing The Final Gambit does not mean you've read every story connected to Hawthorne House.

The original trilogy reaches its conclusion, but Jennifer Lynn Barnes continues exploring the family, its history, and a new generation of high-stakes games.

The next important distinction is between a full-length follow-up novel, a short-story collection, and a separate spin-off trilogy.

FOLLOW-UP NOVEL

The Brothers Hawthorne (2023)

The Brothers Hawthorne shifts the focus toward Grayson and Jameson Hawthorne and their separate, high-stakes challenges. It expands the family's story after the original trilogy. Hachette catalogs this novel as The Inheritance Games #4, even though the original Avery Grambs trilogy ends with The Final Gambit.

Reading recommendation: Read it after the original trilogy, especially if you plan to continue into the broader Hawthorne-world story.

STORY COLLECTION

Games Untold (2024)

Games Untold is a collection of novellas and short stories featuring characters and relationships from the Inheritance Games world. It adds perspectives and moments that do not fit into the three-book original arc. The collection includes That Night in Prague, The Same Backward as Forward, and several shorter stories.

Reading recommendation: Save this collection until you already know the central characters and major developments. It is supplementary reading, not the first installment of a new numbered trilogy.

PREQUEL NOVEL

The Same Backward as Forward (2025)

The Same Backward as Forward explores events from an earlier generation of the Hawthorne family. Although it is a prequel in story chronology, it is not the recommended starting point for someone new to the series. Hannah's side of this story previously appeared in novella form in Games Untold. The later standalone release expands that material, so these should not be counted as entirely unrelated stories.

Reading recommendation: Read after becoming familiar with the original Hawthorne mysteries. Do not start the saga here simply because its events happen earlier.

The Complete Hawthorne-World Reading Path

Readers who want to explore the wider Hawthorne world can follow this extended reading path. It combines Hachette's published reading guidance with the third book in The Grandest Game trilogy, The Gilded Blade (2026).

This is a recommended cross-series reading path, not a strict fictional chronology or a single nine-book series. The original Avery Grambs trilogy and The Grandest Game trilogy retain their own numbered sequences.

How The Grandest Game Connects to The Inheritance Games

The Grandest Game is a connected spin-off trilogy set in the same fictional world.

It introduces a new competition and additional players while building on the Hawthorne family's established world. Readers familiar with Avery, the Hawthorne brothers, and the original mysteries will recognize the larger context behind the new game.

The Grandest Game trilogy in order

The Grandest Game (2024)
Glorious Rivals (2025)
The Gilded Blade (2026)

Should you read The Inheritance Games first?

For the clearest introduction to the characters, family history, and original puzzles, start with The Inheritance Games trilogy.

The spin-off has its own central competition, but reading the earlier books provides more context for the connected setting and returning characters.

Is The Inheritance Games Series Complete?

The original Avery Grambs trilogy is complete. Its story concludes with The Final Gambit (2022).

However, the wider Hawthorne world continues through The Brothers Hawthorne, companion works, and The Grandest Game spin-off trilogy. The third Grandest Game novel, The Gilded Blade, was published in 2026.

So, the answer depends on the scope: the original trilogy is finished, but it is not the entire collection of connected Hawthorne-world books.

Which Reading Path Should You Choose?

Different readers need different answers.

Original Story

Read the original trilogy in order, from The Inheritance Games through The Final Gambit.

Continue With the Hawthornes

Start with The Brothers Hawthorne after Book 3 to continue exploring the family's story.

Explore the Full World

Follow the extended reading path, including companion works and the separate Grandest Game trilogy.

Who Should Read The Inheritance Games?

This series is particularly well suited to readers who enjoy puzzle mysteries, complicated family relationships, wealthy-family secrets, and fast-moving twists.

The original trilogy places Avery at the center of a mystery involving a sudden inheritance and a family with plenty of reasons to question it. The appeal is not just the fortune itself, but the way new clues change the meaning of earlier discoveries.

Readers who prefer mysteries unfolding across several closely connected novels should start with the original trilogy. Those who enjoy revisiting a fictional world through new perspectives may also appreciate the later Hawthorne stories.

YA Mystery
Puzzle Mystery
Family Secrets
High-Stakes Inheritance
Connected Fictional World

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in The Inheritance Games?

The original Avery Grambs trilogy has three main novels. Hachette also catalogs The Brothers Hawthorne as a fourth book in the wider Inheritance Games series, alongside companion works and the separate Grandest Game spin-off trilogy. The total depends on whether you mean the original trilogy or the expanded saga.

What is the correct order of the first three Inheritance Games books?

Read The Inheritance Games first, followed by The Hawthorne Legacy, then The Final Gambit. This is the original trilogy's main reading order.

What should I read after The Final Gambit?

The Brothers Hawthorne is the natural next full-length follow-up. You can then explore the broader Hawthorne-world reading path, including The Grandest Game and Games Untold.

Do I need to read Games Untold before The Grandest Game?

Not necessarily. Publisher reading lists have presented these titles in different relative positions. The important starting point is to read the original trilogy first, followed by The Brothers Hawthorne if you want the fuller Hawthorne-world context.

Should I read The Same Backward as Forward first because it's a prequel?

No. Although the story takes place earlier, new readers should begin with The Inheritance Games. The prequel works better once you know the Hawthorne family and the original mystery.

Is The Grandest Game part of The Inheritance Games?

It is a separate spin-off trilogy set in the same fictional world. The three books are The Grandest Game, Glorious Rivals, and The Gilded Blade.

Is The Inheritance Games trilogy finished?

Yes. The original Avery Grambs trilogy concludes with The Final Gambit. The connected Hawthorne world continues beyond that original story through other published works.

Publisher Sources and Reading-Order Notes

The reading order and series relationships above are based primarily on official Hachette Book Group listings.

The key distinction is between the completed three-book original trilogy, the publisher's wider Inheritance Games series, and the separate The Grandest Game spin-off.

Publisher book lists can group companion stories differently or vary their suggested placement. This guide states the scope of each reading path instead of treating every connected title as another numbered main novel.

Last editorial review: October 2026.