Astarion Is Getting a Prequel Novel Set During His Time in Servitude to the Vampire Lord Cazador Szarr in the Years Leading Up to the Events of Baldur’s Gate 3

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A number of official Bladur’s Gate 3 books have been announced, including an Astarion prequel, a reproduction of the Necromancy of Thay, a coloring book, and a cookbook.

Penguin Random House announced a new publishing program based on Larian’s masterful Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, which it said has seen over 15 million players since launching in 2023. The program will include “a variety of books that bring the game’s immersive world, deep love, and unforgettable characters to the page.” It's available to preorder at Amazon now.

Random House Worlds will publish Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion by award-winning, New York Times bestselling fantasy author T. Kingfisher on September 29, 2026.

Here’s the official blurb:

This prequel novel follows the beloved character Astarion during his time in servitude to the vampire lord Cazador Szarr in the years leading up to the events of the video game. Subsequent to its completion, Stephen Rooney, one of the senior writers of Baldur’s Gate 3, was consulted to ensure the novel’s authenticity within the game’s world and lore. The audiobook, published by Penguin Random House Audio, will be narrated by Neil Newbon, the acclaimed actor behind Astarion's voice and PCAP [performance capture] in the game.

Meanwhile, Clarkson Potter will publish Baldur's Gate 3: The Necromancy of Thay on July 21, 2026, a blank, grid-paper notebook that is “a faithful reproduction” of the Necromancy of Thay, an important quest item found in the game, featuring an embossed skull on the cover, foil stamping, and illustrated "clasps" to protect the book’s "unholy content from prying eyes." It's also available to preorder at Amazon.

Ten Speed Press will publish The Official Baldur's Gate 3 Coloring Book on August 11, 2026, illustrated by Jaki King, featuring 40 black-and-white line drawings of characters, creatures, and settings from Baldur's Gate 3. It's up for preorder at Amazon.

On November 3, 2026, Ten Speed Press will also publish A Feast for a Tenday: The Official Baldur’s Gate Cookbook by Andrew Wheeler, featuring 65 recipes organized by course and camp location, with dishes for sharing marked as Romanceable. The book will also have original chapter-opener illustrations and 45 photographs. You can preorder it at Amazon as well.

Penguin Random House’s Baldur’s Gate 3 publishing initiative will continue in 2027, it said, with more details to be announced later this year.

While Larian has left Baldur's Gate 3 and the Dungeons & Dragons universe behind to work on brand new games, including Divinity, it lives on. HBO is working on a Baldur’s Gate 3 TV show set after the video game, which not all fans are thrilled about. Many can’t fathom why anyone would want to continue on from the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, given its many different endings, variances in world state, and, most importantly, the vastly different outcomes for beloved characters such as Astarion, Karlach, and Shadowheart.

Hasbro also plans for a video game follow-up to Baldur’s Gate 3, but whether that’s a Baldur’s Gate 4 that continues the story or something entirely different remains to be seen. In the meantime, these books will give fans something to chew on.

Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

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