"It's riveting reading for experienced gamers and tyros alike." -- Kirkus

Readers have asked for a sequel to many of my books, but especially Companions of the Night, Dragon's Bait, and Smart Dog.  One book that absolutely nobody ever asked for a sequel to was User Unfriendly, so--being the contrary person I am--that's the book I was most inclined to take a second look at.  I still didn't write a sequel, but sort of a companion piece.  User Unfriendly is about Arvin Rizalli and a group of his friends who are playing a virtual-reality type of game that goes wrong.  Heir Apparent is about one of Arvin's friends, Giannine Belissario, who plays a second of Rasmussem Enterprises' games.  Things, once again, go wrong.

What kind of book would it be if everything went right?

At the far wall was a life-size statue of a man who most likely was Saint Bruce the Warrior Poet. What was kind of neat was that, even though his face was carved wood, his armor was real: a plate metal helmet (the visor was up, which was how I saw his face), gauntlets, shin protectors, and a surcoat of mail--thousands and thousands of interlocking circles of metal.

"Wow," I said. "Impressive."

When Feordina didn't say anything, I asked, "Uhm, what does this have to do with me and the ring?"

She waggled her finger at the statue, and my heart sank. "I hid the ring in the coat of mail." She smiled apologetically, showing little brown teeth, and I winced, not for the teeth but because I saw what was coming. "I wish I could remember where. But the rightful owner can call it forth."

"How?"

"Why, by reciting poetry, of course."

Of course.

"But it has to be a poem of your own making," she said.

"Oh," I said. How hard could that be?

"Of course," Feordina said, "if Saint Bruce doesn't like your poem, he chops your head off."