Blog One Last Game: Why we recommend The Gilded Blade
By Jenni Harrison | Book Review
I first discovered Jennifer Lynn Barnes when I picked up The
Inheritance Games, drawn in by the promise of puzzles and a web of intrigue surrounding
a large inheritance left to a girl, Avery Grambs, who seemingly had no connection
to this wealthy family. I was immediately hooked and have loved every instalment
since. With their enormous fortune, complicated relationships and seemingly
endless supplies of secrets, the Hawthornes are difficult to leave behind!
If you haven’t read The Inheritance Games series (The
Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit and The Brothers
Hawthorne) or the first two in this latest series (The Grandest Game and Glorious
Rivals) then I highly recommend you stop reading this review right now, and go
back and start from the beginning. You may be a bit lost starting with this
book otherwise – it is not to be read as a standalone – and you’re in for a treat with so many great
books ahead of you.
Now, onto The Gilded Blade. I was very excited to receive
this from Penguin Books (thank you Penguin!) to review given my enjoyment of
the previous books, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It can be tricky to review
the last book in a series without accidentally giving something away, so this review
will be light on the details so that it remains spoiler-free. What I can say is
that The Gilded Blade gives readers exactly what we’ve come to expect from JLB –
clever riddles, secrets and lies, surprising twists and shocking revelations.
The Gilded Blade continues with the puzzles, giving you just
enough information to make you think you’ve got it worked out, but then offering
a new piece of information to make you doubt yourself or head in a new
direction. It kept me guessing and therefore kept me reading.
Heading into the third book, I felt like I knew the players of
The Grandest Game pretty well, and it was great to see how their characters and
relationships have developed since the first book. There are emotional and
romantic moments amongst all the intrigue, and that added to the overall impression
of a well-rounded plot with interesting, three-dimensional characters.
The Gilded Blade feels like a true finale, bringing together
multiple storylines and answering quite a lot of questions. I really enjoyed
it, though I was also sad to say goodbye to the Hawthorne world. For readers
who enjoy mysteries, riddles, family secrets and stories where you’re not sure who
you can trust, this one is for you. As long as you’ve read the others first!