“There was nothing-and no one- that set Jameson Hawthorne’s blood pumping like a mystery”

Dear diary,

This is the second, and in my opinion the best book of the Inheritance Games series. This book is the definition of one step forward and two steps back, as the cryptic clues take unexpected turns and the bafflingly handsome Hawthorne brothers- Jameson and Grayson- keep pulling her in different directions. Avery needs to figure out which one of them is looking out for her and which one of them is looking out for themselves.

She needs to figure out who to trust, especially as there people who will stop at nothing to get her out of the picture. The plot thickens when the Hawthorne brothers and Avery decide to break into the wing where Tobias Hawthorne lived. There Avery finds a homemade cipher disk inside a clock. Xander discovers a secret compartment under Toby’s bed that has been inscribed with lines from a poem called “A Poison Tree” by William Blake. Why this particular poem? and is the poem a clue?

There were so many things going on at once in this book, yet it wasn’t confusing or like a dump. I specifically loved certain scenes like the one in the hot tub( no spoilers) and the one with Grayson and Avery on the roof with swords. Grayson’s character development was completely visible towards the end of this book. He went from being shut out and troubled to, well being less of that but more with his ‘head in the game’.

The fact that Avery’s best friend Max comes to live with her makes things more interesting. Additionally, Avery’s sister Libby, seems to be taking her relationship with Nash forward and it’s all too heartwarming.

This book ends a shocker.

So who does Avery choose? Who’s the person trying to kill Avery and why? and is the ending really just the beginning?

read-o-meter rating: 4.8/5

Age rating: 14+

Until next time… dear reader of my book diary:)