Put down your tadpole and grab a bookmark, Tav - your favorite snarky vampire is getting the literary treatment. A prequel novel titled Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion is officially coming to shelves on September 29, written by fantasy author T. Kingfisher, according to an exclusive reveal reported by Polygon and covered by Game Informer.
The novel takes place before the events of the base game, which means we're diving deep into Astarion's 200-year nightmare of servitude under the magistrate Cazador. Fair warning: if you thought some of Astarion's in-game backstory was rough, buckle up - this is a prequel, and we already know how bad things get before they get better (or worse, depending on your playthrough choices).
From critically acclaimed RPG to bookstore shelf
This is a pretty smart move for the Baldur's Gate franchise. Larian Studios has officially moved on from BG3 to focus on a new Divinity project, but the world clearly still has stories worth telling - and Astarion is easily one of the most beloved characters to come out of gaming in recent years, full stop.
T. Kingfisher is a solid pick for this kind of material. The author is known for writing horror-tinged fantasy that doesn't shy away from dark subject matter, which lines up perfectly with Astarion's lore. A 200-year-long trauma arc under a sadistic vampire lord is not exactly light beach reading, and it probably shouldn't be.
The lore keeps rolling even without a sequel
For fans who've been mourning the fact that there's no BG3 DLC or sequel on the horizon, this novel is at least some consolation loot. It won't scratch the itch of rolling a new character build, but getting a deeper look at one of the game's most emotionally complex companions - in prose form - is genuinely exciting for lore-hungry players.
Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion drops September 29. Whether you romanced him, befriended him, or let him ascend (you monster), this one's probably going on the reading list.
