Astarion is Getting His Own Baldur’s Gate 3 Prequel Novel

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Recently, publisher Penguin Random House announced that they were releasing a new line of Baldur’s Gate 3 books, inspired by the poplar video. The first is a new novel entitled Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion, written by New York Times bestselling author T. Kingfisher (the pen name of noted fantasy and horror author Ursula Vernon).

The book will be a prequel to the events from the BG3 video game, following Astarion during his formative period under the control of the vampire lord Cazador Szarr. The novel will be released in late September 2026, but you can pre-order it now from your local book store, game store and on Amazon. Below, we sink our teeth into all the details.

What is Baldur’s Gate 3 Astarion about?

The new novel by T. Kingfisher is 288 pages in length and follows the roguish and sarcastic vampire spawn Astarion Ancunin as he seeks to break free from centuries of servitude under the control of his cruel master, the vampire lord Cazador Szarr. When a twisted competition offers a rare chance at freedom, Astarion embarks on a treacherous quest beneath the streets of Baldur’s Gate to secure the legendary blood of a dead god.

To succeed, he must defy his master’s wishes and forge an unlikely alliance with Hahn den Suriel, a golden-eyed Aasimar paladin who challenges Astarion’s cynical nature. Risking a second death for the sake of his freedom, Astarion must navigate a web of betrayal and forbidden attraction to finally end his long-standing nightmare.

Notably, the book takes place several years before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3, and fleshes out the character with new lore that hasn’t been explored before in any official materials.

While the book is written by T. Kingfisher, in a press release Penguin Random House notes that it was developed in consultation with Larian’s Stephen Rooney, who was one of the senior writers of Baldur’s Gate 3 and instrumental in creating Astarion.

The press release also notes that an audiobook version of the novel will be narrated by actor Neil Newbon, who provided both the voice and motion capture for the character of Astarion in the BG3 video game (and has reprised the character in several D&D actual plays).

Who is author T. Kingfisher?

T. Kingfisher s the pen name of American author and illustrator Ursula Vernon, who is best known for work in fantasy and horror. Her novel Nettle & Bone won the prestigious Hugo Award for Best Novel in 2023, and she has also been the receipient of the Nebula, Locus, and Mythopoeic Awards.

Beyond her darker adult fiction, as Ursula Vernon she has written a number of books for young readers, including the popular Dragonbreath and Hamster Princess series,

How much is Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion novel?

The hardcover version of the novel will retail for $30 USD, while the Kindle version will sell for $14.99 USD. An Audiobook version will also be released on Audible for around $25 USD.

When will the Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion novel be released?

The book will be officially available on September 29th, 2026, at which point you should be able to find it at most online and physical book retailers.

Who is Astarion?

Astarion Ancunín is a high-elf rogue and vampire spawn from the Baldur’s Gate 3 video game. For two centuries he served the sadistic vampire lord Cazador Szarr, until he was abducted by mind flayers and infected with an illithid tadpole. Ironically, that affliction also lets him ignore some classic vampire limitations, such as sunlight, running water and crossing thresholds uninvited. Since the release of BG3, Astarion has quickly become a fan favorite companion, thanks in no small part to the performance of voice actor Neil Newbon.

Outside of Baldur’s Gate 3, Astarion has appeared in a variety of other Dungeons & Dragons media. Most notably, Neil Newbon revived the character in an actual play session featuring the cast of BG3 which took place at Magic Con Chicago in 2025. Astarion also made an easter egg apperance in the 2024 Player’s Handbook.

More recently, he was also the star of the D&D 5.5E supplement Astarion’s Book of Hungers, which was released in November 2025 as an D&D Beyond digital exclusive, and featured a variety of adventures and player character options that specifically tie-in to the titular vampire spawn.

What other D&D novels have been recently released?

While we haven’t seen the same volume of Dungeons & Dragons books that once existed in the 1990s, over the past few years we have still seen a number of new releases, including:

• Dragonlance: Dragons of Deceit (August 2022)
• Dragonlance: Dragons of Fate (August 2023)
• Dragonlance: Dragons of Eternity (August 2024)
• The Fallbacks: Bound for Ruin (March 2024)
• Spelljammer: Memory’s Wake (June 2024)
• Ravenloft: Heir of Strahd (May 2025)
• The Fallbacks: Dealing with Dragons (July 2025)
• The Finest Edge of Twilight (October 2025)
• The Feywild Job (June 2026)

Final Thoughts

Astarion remains one of the most popular characters from Baldur’s Gate 3 (if not the most popular). In recent years, he seems to have become even more of a star, spawning his own D&D supplement, high-end toys and actual play appearances. So it’s only fitting that he also get his own novel. Whether this new books lives up to the legendary bloodsucker, however, remains to be seen.

We’ll be doing a complete review of the new novel closer to launch. In the meantime, you can pre-order Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion now from your local book store, game store and on Amazon.

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