Mind Games

Family legacies in Mind Games arrive like inheritances that nobody asked for. Some contain treasure, but others hide poison. The novel traces how the past reaches forward to shape Thea’s psychic abilities, Lucy’s protective wisdom, Ty’s creative rebellion, and even Riggs’s murderous rage. These inherited traits do more than simply influence the characters; they become the very ground they stand on, determining whether they find solid footing in love and tradition or sink under the weight of trauma and impossible expectations. What previous generations pass down (gifts, wounds, unspoken rules) becomes the raw material from which each character must forge their own identity.

The most literal family legacy in the novel is the psychic gift passed down through Thea’s maternal line. This telepathic ability is a source of both power and suffering. For Thea, it allows deep empathy, insight, and, eventually, the strength to defeat a murderer. However, it also brings debilitating headaches, dangerous connections to violent minds like Riggs’s, and social alienation. Lucy, Thea’s grandmother, shares this gift and becomes Thea’s mentor in managing it. Rather than viewing the ability as a curse, Lucy frames it as a responsibility and offers wisdom, support, and even magical tools to help Thea manage its effects.