Glorious Rivals

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Glorious Rivals builds on the world of The Inheritance Games. For those who have read the original series, how did this book compare? Did the focus on new characters like Lyra and Rohan change your experience of the Hawthorne world?

2. The novel blends high-stakes puzzle mystery with intense young adult romance. How did you feel this balance worked throughout the story? Did one element feel stronger than the other for you?

3. What was the most memorable puzzle or twist for you, and why did it stand out?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Grayson often puts his family’s legacy and safety above all else, which creates a major conflict in his relationship with Lyra. Have you ever been in a situation where your loyalties conflicted? How did you resolve it? 

2. Rohan sees the world as a series of games to be won, constantly analyzing people and looking for strategic advantages. Do you ever find yourself approaching situations in your own life with a similar strategic mindset?

3. The story suggests that in a competitive environment, vulnerability is a liability. Have you ever been in a situation in which trust and vulnerability felt like liabilities? How did you overcome this feeling?

4. Both Grayson and Gigi keep secrets from their loved ones in an attempt to protect them. Have you ever been in a situation in which someone kept something from you out of a desire to protect or help you? How did you react?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The story is set within a world of unimaginable wealth, featuring private islands, superyachts, and meteorite poker chips. How does this backdrop of extreme privilege influence the characters’ moral choices and their understanding of consequences?

2. How do media representations of secret societies, like the Devil’s Mercy or the emerging female triumvirate in Glorious Rivals, reflect societal interest in these groups? What do you think this fascination with secret societies reveals about humans?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. How did the shifting perspectives between Lyra, Grayson, Rohan, and Gigi affect your understanding of the story and its many secrets? How might the novel have been different if told from only one of these characters’ points of view?

2. The calla lily begins as a symbol of Lyra’s private trauma. How does its meaning evolve as it becomes a tool in the larger game, used by multiple hidden players?

3. The concept of “echoes,” or repeating motifs from past Hawthorne games, is crucial for solving puzzles. What other echoes did you notice throughout the novel, and what did they reveal about the family’s history of secrets and strategy?

4. Consider the characters of Grayson Hawthorne and Rohan. In what ways are they similar? How do they act as foils in the novel?

5. This novel shares elements with classic island mysteries where a group is trapped and manipulated by an unknown force. How does the sense of danger in Glorious Rivals compare to a thriller like Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If you were a game maker for the Grandest Game, what kind of puzzle would you design to test the players’ intelligence, loyalty, or morals?

2. Imagine the story as told from Savannah’s point of view. How might her narration change the novel’s representation of her alliance with Eve or her intense conflict with Grayson?