''HeartQuest'' was a series of six

interactive novel '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

s published by

TSR, Inc. TSR, Inc. was an American game publishing company, best known as the original publisher of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D''). Its earliest incarnation, Tactical Studies Rules, was founded in October 1973 by Gary Gygax and Don Kaye. Gygax had bee ...

for young teenagers during the 80s. The series was a spin-off from their main

Endless Quest The ''Endless Quest'' books were three series of gamebooks. The first one was released in the 1980s by TSR, while the following two were released by Wizards of the Coast. Originally, these books were the result of an Educational department establi ...

series set in the world of ''

Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical Studies Rules ...

''. With each novel billed as a "quest for romance and adventure", the series was intended to appeal primarily to a female audience. As the series was not in print for long, some of the books are very difficult to find, especially the last two. The first four were printed together in November 1983, and distributed in larger numbers. The series is composed of: # ''Ring of the Ruby Dragon'' by Jeannie Black # ''Talisman of Valdegarde'' by Madeleine Simon # ''Secret Sorceress'' by Linda Lowery # ''Isle of Illusion'' by Madeleine Simon # ''Moon Dragon Summer'' by Linda Lowery # ''Lady of the Winds'' by

Kate Novak Kate Novak is an American fantasy author. Biography Novak grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Chemistry. She primarily published in the ''Forgotten Realms'' and ''Ravenloft'' s ...

Each book follows a female main character who is frequently embarking on a quest in order to avoid being relegated to a typically feminine role in life, i.e., being forced to marry or otherwise being prevented from engaging in heroic pursuits. The heroine is presented with a task (locating a treasure, defeating a dragon) and encounters one or two eligible young men along the way. Depending on the choices the reader makes, the heroine may successfully complete the quest, find romance, or both.

Reception

Meghan Ball for

Tor.com ''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction. From 20 ...

said that "Alas, the initial HeartQuest books didn't sell as well as the publisher had anticipated and the series was cancelled after six volumes. The paperbacks are hard to find now and considered expensive rarities if you do manage to snag one. It's a shame—it feels like they were really onto something here."

References

Fantasy books by series Fantasy gamebooks TSR, Inc. games {{D&D-stub