A review by srclary
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

It reads well and its a really interesting take on the time-loop plot. The game really does feel like one of those old sierra point and click games in that mistakes and consequences can be abrupt and brutal, which I liked, but also in that there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason behind which choices are correct, which I found annoying. The main character is not very bright and mostly stumbles bass-ackward through her challenges, which in some places is relatable and endearing and in others is infuriating.  The denouement was kind of abrupt and I cannot figure out how the route that "most players" take was supposed to have worked. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, and Death

All the fat characters are in some way incompetent, annoying, weird, or stupid and in her last run

she gets the queen of her back with the power of sexual harassment

. The "death" content warning is for all the times she died and restarted the game;

she does make it out of the game alive

. Some of the deaths are a little brutal but they aren't especially gory, they're quick, and she doesn't feel any pain.