Ursula Vernon, known under her pen name T. Kingfisher, is writing Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion, an official prequel novel about one of the RPG’s most popular companions. The book will be published by Random House Worlds and is scheduled to be released on Sept. 29, 2026.
The novel follows Astarion Ancunin before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, during his years under the control of vampire lord Cazador Szarr.
T. Kingfisher herself issued a content warning because the book puts Astarion in one of the darkest parts of his story, before the nautiloid crash gave him a chance to escape Cazador’s command.
FOR THE RECORD—this character has a super fucked up abusive backstory. We handle it well, I think, but CONTENT WARNINGS. The book is DARK. Also it’s a prequel, so it ends in a really dark place. Also it was SO MUCH FUN to write.
According to the synopsis, Astarion was meant to be a magistrate, not a vampire spawn serving Cazador. The book will follow him as he tries to free himself from centuries of servitude or die again trying.
The hardcover and ebook editions are both 288 pages, while the audiobook is listed at eight hours. Neil Newbon, Astarion’s voice actor, will narrate the book himself, adding authenticity to what some people could side-eye as a third-party portrayal of the much-beloved character. Newbon’s performance was one of the defining parts of the character’s reception, and he won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2023 for the role.
In addition to the Astarion novel, there are some other books coming as well: Baldur’s Gate 3: The Necromancy of Thay, a licensed notebook based on the in-game tome, The Official Baldur’s Gate 3 Coloring Book, and A Feast for a Tenday: The Official Baldur’s Gate Cookbook. Those books are scheduled across July, August, and November 2026. There is also a full live-action series in development that’s going to continue Baldur’s Gate 3’s story.
Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion is available for preorder now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats. The hardcover edition is listed at $30, while the Kindle version is $17,52. The prices could vary depending on the vendor and the region. There’s no translation information so far.
