Glorious Rivals Summary: Gripping Phase Two Twists and a Chilling Cliffhanger
TL;DR: The Hidden Game Behind the Race
Glorious Rivals picks up immediately after Phase One, with five players moving into a new competition on Hawthorne Island.
That competition is built on puzzles, wealth, and family secrets.
Five players enter Phase Two of the Grandest Game after a twelve-hour break.
The new phase is a race across Hawthorne Island built around puzzles, symbols, and electronic ledgers.
But the real conflict comes from outside the game: anonymous sponsors, a missing sibling, and a secret trio of women.
Savannah Grayson is declared the winner, but the victory is hollow.
The ending reveals that game maker Avery Grambs has vanished. The book closes with Avery waking up in a white, doorless room covered in maze patterns.
Read Also: The Grandest Game Summary — Phase One Recap and Key Players
Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Lyra Kane | A distance runner who enters the game to save her family home, Mile’s End. |
| Grayson Hawthorne | A Hawthorne heir torn between his feelings for Lyra and protecting family secrets. |
| Savannah Grayson | Grayson’s half-sister and the winner of the Grandest Game. |
| Rohan | A calculating player from The Devil’s Mercy who allies with Savannah. |
| Brady Daniels | A player called “the scholar” who has a hidden sponsor and a directive tattoo. |
| Avery Grambs | The Hawthorne heiress and game maker who disappears at the end of the book. |
| Jameson Hawthorne | A game maker haunted by an encounter with his grandmother Alice in Prague. |
| Gigi Grayson | Grayson’s sister who is kidnapped by Mattias and Eve but later escapes. |
| Mattias (Slate) | Eve’s associate who kidnaps Gigi and later reveals his true name. |
| Eve | The biological daughter of Toby Hawthorne who tries to manipulate Lyra and Savannah. |
| Alice Hawthorne | Grayson’s grandmother, revealed to be alive and part of a secret trio as “The Hand.” |
| Calla Thorp | A woman once thought dead, revealed as “The Watcher” or “The Lily.” |
| Zella | Rohan’s rival from The Devil’s Mercy, revealed as “The Judge” or “The Monoceros.” |
| Toby Hawthorne | Grayson’s uncle who returns to help find Avery and confronts his history with Eve. |
Glorious Rivals Summary: The Grandest Race
Spoiler warning: This section recounts the full story, including the ending.
After Phase One, the five remaining players receive twelve hours of recovery. Lyra Kane and Grayson Hawthorne share a first kiss, but Lyra still distrusts the Hawthorne family because of her biological father’s death. Nash Hawthorne tells Grayson that Gigi Grayson is missing.
Gigi has actually been kidnapped by Mattias, whose code name is Slate. Mattias works for Eve, the biological daughter of Toby Hawthorne.
This happens during the pause before Phase Two begins.
Phase Two starts as the Grandest Race. Avery Grambs and the Hawthorne brothers act as game makers. Players must sign electronic ledgers at each puzzle stop. The first clue appears in the Great Room as a Fibonacci spiral made of golden dominoes.
Players find golden darts and champagne flutes marked with an “H.” Rohan and Savannah reach the next location first. Grayson and Lyra follow and deduce that the “H” means helipad. At the helipad, a hidden compartment opens when the players’ swords are used as keys.
Inside the compartment are charm bracelets and a recording of Jameson and Avery’s voices. Rohan and Savannah dip their room keys into a chemical liquid. Certain letters become luminescent and spell “VIII L,” the Roman numerals for 8:50.
That clue points to a large gold clock on the fourth floor of the mansion. Grayson notices a calla lily left for Lyra. The flower has traumatic significance for her because her biological father gave her one the night he died.
The clock puzzle yields silver music boxes that play a waltz, a tango, and “Clair de lune.” Inside one box, a marble calla lily appears, upsetting Lyra further. Rohan and Savannah identify the time signatures 3/4, 4/4, and 9/8 as a vault code.
Lyra tears the velvet lining out of her music box and finds an infinity symbol. This leads the players to search for bird’s-eye views and eventually to the boathouse. At midnight, the players are taken to a massive superyacht for an interlude.
On the yacht, Eve approaches Lyra. She offers Lyra money and a file on her biological father if she loses the game and breaks Grayson’s heart. Lyra refuses the deal and tells Grayson the truth.
Jameson reveals that during a trip to Prague he encountered his grandmother Alice Hawthorne, who was supposed to be dead. She threatened him and Avery.
The game makers suspect Alice may be influencing the game through Brady Daniels, whose sponsor sends hidden messages on photographs of a girl named Calla.
Back on the island, Rohan discovers a tattoo on Brady’s arm that says “ROHAN MUST LOSE.” Rohan realizes his rival Zella from The Devil’s Mercy is behind it. Rohan fights Brady and takes his darts but refuses to disqualify him.
The final riddle is “Can’t see the forest for the trees.” It leads to a silver plaque buried under a massive tree. Inserting a golden dart into a hidden hole at night projects the word “LIE” into the sky. Lyra feels betrayed after realizing Grayson kept secrets about Alice.
The final chamber has a stained-glass floor and strings of jewels. Savannah uses her platinum chain to pay a toll. Rohan gives Savannah his dice to complete the final sequence. Savannah is declared the winner of the Grandest Game.
But the victory is hollow. The screen that should show the game makers is dark, and the chairs are empty. Grayson realizes Avery Grambs has gone AWOL. Avery left a note saying she is not missing and should not be looked for.
Grayson and Lyra confront Odette Morales.
She reveals a secret group of three women: The Watcher (Calla Thorp), The Hand (Alice Hawthorne), and The Judge (Zella).
They use calla lilies as warnings. Hundreds of lilies mean something big is about to happen.
In the epilogue, Avery wakes up in a white room with no doors or windows.
A complicated maze is etched on every surface.
The story ends there.
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Summary by Chapter
Spoiler warning: This section groups the 89 chapters, prologue, and epilogue into seven narrative parts.
The Inciting Incident and Setup (Chapters 1–11)
Following the emotional fallout of Phase One, the players prepare for a high-speed race across Hawthorne Island.
Grayson and Lyra confront their mutual attraction while the Hawthorne brothers realize the island’s security may have been breached during a blackout. The first puzzle involving golden dominoes and darts sets the competitive tone as players scramble to reach the mansion.
The Logic of Keys and Clocks (Chapters 12–25)
The players navigate the Helipad and Clock puzzles, learning that every object in a Hawthorne game has a hidden purpose.
Tensions rise as Brady Daniels displays an uncanny ability to solve puzzles. Lyra finds the first of several calla lilies that trigger her repressed memories. Grayson begins to lie to Lyra to protect her from the threat of his grandmother, Alice.
The Interlude on the Yacht (Chapters 26–39)
The game pauses for a midnight gala on Avery’s superyacht, where opulence masks manipulation. Lyra is confronted by Eve with a deal to sabotage Grayson.
Jameson reveals the truth of his encounter with Alice in Prague. This section ends with Lyra choosing to trust Grayson by revealing Eve’s offer, unaware that he is still withholding information.
Shifting Alliances and Hidden Directives (Chapters 40–53)
Back on the island, the volatile partnership between Rohan and Savannah is tested by Brady’s mysterious sponsor. Grayson discovers that Savannah is being manipulated by Eve to believe Avery killed their father.
Gigi’s kidnapping by Mattias turns into an interrogation when the “Woman in Red” (Calla) appears and announces the time for watching is done.
Echoes and Broken Protections (Chapters 54–67)
Lyra and Grayson’s relationship fractures as she realizes the Hawthornes consider her a liability. Rohan and Savannah engage in a dangerous game of “Who Will Betray You First?” leading to a confrontation with Brady in the ruins.
The revelation of Brady’s “ROHAN MUST LOSE” tattoo confirms that outside forces are rigging the game.
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The Final Sprint and Hollow Victory (Chapters 68–82)
In a rain-drenched finale, Lyra decodes the shape of the docks while Rohan and Savannah plunge into the ocean to reach the final ledger.
Despite their distrust, Rohan gives Savannah his dice to ensure she wins the prize. Their victory is interrupted by the sight of the game makers’ empty chairs as news breaks that Avery Grambs has vanished.
The Extraction and the Epilogue (Chapters 83–Epilogue)
Grayson and Lyra reunite with Jameson to piece together Avery’s disappearance, leading them to Odette Morales. Odette unveils the existence of “The Lily, The Omega, and The Monoceros,” three women who guide history with a gilded blade.
The story ends with Avery trapped in a maze and the realization that a much larger, more dangerous game has just begun.
Jennifer Lynn Barnes: Prolific YA Mystery Author
Jennifer Lynn Barnes is an American author known for young adult mystery and thriller novels.
Her most popular series include The Inheritance Games, The Naturals, and The Grandest Game.
She has written more than a dozen novels, many of which center on family secrets, competitions, and clever protagonists.
You can find summaries of her other books at Jennifer Lynn Barnes book summaries on URSummary.
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