Astarion is Getting an Official Baldur's Gate 3 Prequel Novel

Baldur’s Gate 3 Spoilers Ahead

An upcoming novel, set in Baldur’s Gate 3‘s Forgotten Realms, will explore Astarion’s past and his servitude to Cazador Szarr. Astarion fans, and Baldur’s Gate 3 fans at large, should be sure to check it out when it releases on September 29.

However, this is just one part in a new partnership between Wizards of the Coast, Larian Studios, and publisher Random House Words. In short, the partnership will see an array of new publications released between 2026 and 2027, with at least four books (including Astarion’s) releasing in 2026.

Baldur’s Gate 3 Player Finally Finds Astarion After 47 Hours

A Baldur’s Gate 3 player finally adds Astarion to their party after 47 hours of playtime, finding the core party member far later than expected.

Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion & 3 Other Books

Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion, the official title, releases on September 29 and explores his relationship to Cazador Szarr in the years leading up to BG3‘s events. Throughout, Astarion writer Stephen Rooney consulted on the novel for authenticity to the character, the world, and the lore. The associated audiobook, published by Penguin Random House Audio, will be narrated by Neil Newbon (Astarion’s actor).

Other releases for Random House Words this year include Baldur’s Gate 3: The Necromancy of Thay on July 21, an official Coloring Book later in the summer, and an official cookbook on November 3. The Necromancy of Thay is a reproduction of the in-game item with foil stamping, an embossed skull on the cover, and illustrated “clasps” to keep its content secret, to fit the lore. The coloring book features 40 black-and-white line drawings of characters, settings, and creatures from the Forgotten Realms and Baldur’s Gate (the city), while the cookbook includes 65 recipes based on camp locations. Some dishes are meant to be shared between partners, dubbed “Romanceable,” in honor of Baldur’s Gate 3‘s romance options.

Information on the 2027 lineup will be revealed later this year. So far, it’s clear that the Astarion prequel novel is probably the biggest and most important revelation here, but it would be interesting to receive more novels based on BG3‘s companions in the future. After all, fans are going to be waiting a while before there are new developments here.

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Baldur’s Gate 3 developer Larian Studios is developing a new Divinity game and no longer works on the Baldur’s Gate IP, while Hasbro desires a brand new Baldur’s Gate video game, too. However, it’s uncertain how much progress has been made there. And meanwhile, there is a Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show set after the game in the works, which is still far away, too. At the very least, these books are coming out this year.

Sources: Polygon, IGN