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The Grandest Game Reading Order.

Expert Guideby Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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Quick Answer

Start The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes with "The Grandest Game", then follow the publication sequence. This order preserves the intended narrative twists and world-building progression.

The complete reading order for the The Grandest Game series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Below you'll find the authoritative guide on how to read the books in order, including publication dates and chronological timeline placements.

Official Verdict

Short Answer:
Start with "The Grandest Game"

To experience the narrative as intended, read the main sequence in Publication Order.Ignore novellas and side stories until you finish the first 3 core novels. This resolves all timeline confusion and preserves every major twist.

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Community Consensus

Medium Debate

"The discussion revolves around Michael Moorcock's Elric saga (The Eternal Champion), which is widely considered a foundational classic and 'Anti-Tolkien' fantasy. The consensus is that while the work possesses incredible imagination, mythic scope, and influential anti-heroes (like Geralt or certain Targaryens), it suffers from crude, pulpy prose, episodic plotting, and a lack of modern world-building consistency because it was written as a fix-up of older stories fifty years ago. Readers seeking 'The Grandest Game' often recommend modern, lore-dense sagas (Malazan, Stormlight Archive) as alternatives to the older, looser style of Moorcock."

Key Reddit Advice

Do not approach classic fantasy like Elric as 'modern epic fantasy.' Its pulp origins mean prose and plot are often loose and episodic; readers must appreciate it as a product of its time and focus on the ideas, imagination, and mythic feel rather than tight structure or detailed world-building. For a modern, dense, grand saga, Malazan or The Stormlight Archive are highly recommended runners-up.

Why This Order Is Confusing

Many reading lists for The Grandest Game conflict because early publishers often labeled short story collections as standalone novels, or rearranged internal chronologies for marketing. This guide follows original author intent and narrative continuity to settle the debate for good.

Can I skip the short stories?

Technically yes, but we strongly advise against it for The Grandest Game. The shorter volumes often establish the core character motivations and world-building that the main saga assumes you already know.

I watched the show/movie first — where should I start?

Ignore the screen adaptations' timeline. Start with "The Grandest Game" to see the original depth of the world. The books offer a significantly different (and usually more complete) experience than the on-screen versions.

Why do people disagree on the order?

Disagreement usually stems from the conflict between purely chronological order and publication order. Most long-term fans recommend publication order to preserve the emotional arc and mystery reveals.

Curator's Strategy

Recommended Reading Order Strategy

The authoritative way to read the "The Grandest Game" series is in Publication Order. Start with the first published book. It's the way the author intended the world to be revealed.This ensures you experience character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended.

Start with "The Grandest Game"Explore all by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Complete Series Reading Order

Publication Order

Preserves character reveals and plot twists exactly as the author intended. Compare →

Chronological Order

May spoil surprises but improves timeline clarity for fans. Compare →

Publication Reading Order1 Titles

Why Publication Order?We recommend reading in Publication Order (default). This follows the author's release schedule, ensuring you experience plot twists, character growth, and world-building exactly as intended without spoilers.
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1

The Grandest Game

Pub: 2024★ 3.94

Get ready for a new series that brings readers deeper into the lush, romantic, and puzzle-filled world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series (over 6 million copies sold!), set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes. Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime. Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year's game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win. Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year's game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits--physically, mentally, and emotionally--it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules. #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you'll never forget. Do you have what it takes to play? ***Don't miss a moment of The Inheritance Games Saga, including the Grandest Game, the thrilling new series set in the world of the Inheritance Games. Reading them all? The ideal reading order is: The Inheritance Games, The Hawthorne Legacy, The Final Gambit, The Brothers Hawthorne, The Grandest Game, Games Untold, Glorious Rivals, and The Same Backward as Forward. Looking for more unputdownable reads from Jennifer Lynn Barnes? Check out The Naturals series (The Naturals, Killer Instinct, All In, Bad Blood, and the enovella, Twelve), The Debutantes duet (Little White Lies, Deadly Little Scandals), and The Lovely and the Lost.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is it okay to skip books in the The Grandest Game series?

We recommend ignoring novellas and short stories until you finish the core sequence. However, main sequence novels should never be skipped as they contain critical character development and plot progression.

What is the best order to read The Grandest Game?

The final answer for the best experience is to start with "The Grandest Game" and proceed in publication order. This sequence preserves character developments and plot reveals exactly as Jennifer Lynn Barnes intended.

Can I read The Grandest Game books in any order?

No. The main narrative is strictly sequential. Skipping volumes or reading out of order will lead to significant plot spoilers and confusion regarding character arcs.

Are there spin-offs or companion books?

Yes, the The Grandest Game universe includes several companion works. These are marked as 'Optional' in our guide and can be read at any time without disrupting the main storyline.