Hey Bibliofriends!

This week’s Biblioshelf Musings are about The Brothers Hawthorne by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. I have long been a fan of The Inheritance Games cycle, but when I first heard about The Brothers Hawthorne, I have to admit – I was a little apprehensive. I worried that taking the main narrative away from Avery and onto the Hawthorne brothers might have detracted from all of the elements I loved about the original trilogy… but boy was I wrong! Read on to find out more in my spoiler-free review!

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.  
 
Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.
 
Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favour, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.
 
Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.

My Musings

From the very first page, I was instantly pulled into the world of Avery and the Hawthorne Brothers. With short, snappy chapters, a flashback from twelve and a half years ago, and the use of one of those 911-coded emergencies, it didn’t take me long at all to get sucked right back into this Inheritance Games novel.

We pretty much pick up from where The Final Gambit left off, but this time the central narration is a split perspective based on Jameson and Grayson’s POV. They each have different character arcs which focus on discovering more about the families on their fathers’ sides, and it is these familial branches which provide two weighty plot lines threading through the whole story.

As Grayson and Jameson’s characters are already well-established throughout the first three books – The Brothers Hawthorne allows for a perfect blend of action interspersed with character building. The high stakes, super-sleuthing and clue-solving still resonate within each chapter, whilst gradually chipping away at the brothers and their inner selves.

The idea of belonging and a sense of needing to feel needed is a key element within the development of both brothers. We see Jameson’s desire and absolute compulsion to win at all costs, how his relationship with Avery impacts upon that, and the secrets he is willing to sacrifice in order to succeed. Grayson on the other hand, is able to utilise his Knight in Shining Armour persona by coming up with clever tricks and strategies to help out his newly found family and relatives-in-need.

This novel is packed with an almost double dose of treasure hunting and problem solving. Whilst Grayson embarks upon his use of ciphers and cryptic puzzle boxes to find the means to an end, Jameson ends up on a full scale treasure hunt complete with stately home, ancient artefacts and secrets from a corrupt underworld thrown into the mix. There is danger, there is intrigue. There is suspense and betrayal. All of the quizzical gimmicks I adored in the original series are right back here unfurling page after page! At several times, I’m pretty sure I even gasped out loud when reading. The way Jennifer Lynn Barnes write these elements into the plot literally blows my mind!

The ending of this novel reaches an intensely satisfying conclusion, not to mention the jaw-dropping revelation and cliffhanger-y plot twist at the end – again, suspense by the bucket load! The scene is perfectly set up to whet your appetite for the fifth instalment of the series (The Grandest Game) which comes out later this year.

All in all, I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book. There is just something about the whole series which speaks to my bookish soul. It’s not just the treasure hunting, secret passageways and coded messages (although that is a hefty driver) – the Hawthornes stick together, and it makes you want to be a part of their crew. I think I’d happily live inside the world of these books if I could! The plot is written with the perfect amount of pace to drive the story forwards yet offering up enough world-building and character detail to keep turning page after page. I can’t wait to see what’s next in store for Avery, the Hawthornes & Co – and you can bet that when The Grandest Game comes out in August, it won’t be sitting on my TBR shelf for very long!

Why Should I Read This?

If you loved The Inheritance Games trilogy, then this refreshing continuation will be right up your street – what are you waiting for?!

If you haven’t read the original trilogy, then this you should try picking it up for:
> the sheer intrigue and cryptic bewilderment that is The Game itself…
> character arcs which combine morality with the need to discover self-identity and belonging.
> an easy reading page-turner which will have you second-guessing character motives at every turn!

Find out more about this book here:

Amazon | Waterstones | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | Penguin Books UK

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