Puzzles and games are a recurring theme throughout the entire Inheritance Games trilogy—but they aren’t just gimmicks to drive the plot. Discuss the significance of puzzles and games and how they are used in the novel outside of forward plot momentum. Examples could include “Hawthorne Chutes and Ladders” or Avery’s final chess match against Vincent.

The corrupting nature of wealth and power is a primary theme in The Final Gambit. Using examples from the text, examine how the book handles this thematic argument.

The Final Gambit draws its title from a chess move, “the Queen’s Gambit,” which is referred to repeatedly in the narrative. Discuss the title’s significance in the context of the plot. What “loss” (or losses) might The Final Gambit refer to?