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Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26The roguish charlatan Astarion will free himself from a centuries-long fate of servitude or die (a second time) trying—in this decadently dark fantasy adventure by award-winning author T. Kingfisher.
You’re too pretty to die.
Astarion Ancunin was supposed to be a magistrate, not a vampire spawn. He was supposed to serve the law, not the vicious vampire lord Cazador Szarr. And he was supposed to drink fine wine, not rat blood. Alas—the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.
Though he has been powerless to resist his master’s bidding, haunting the nighttime streets to fetch warm blood, Astarion has never surrendered his hope. One day, this nightmare must end. He just has to find out how.
When the vampire lord announces a twisted competition for his favor, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a rare prize . . . and an unlikely alliance. The blood of a dead god is buried deep beneath Baldur’s Gate, and, to get it, Astarion will need the help of a handsome Aasimar paladin named Hahn den Suriel.
There are just a few problems. Astarion is not supposed to trust his fellow spawn. He’s not supposed to go out into the city for his own ends rather than the vampire lord’s. And he’s certainly not supposed to strike a deal with a stranger whose golden eyes can snare even a blackened, undead heart.
But the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.
You’re too pretty to die.
Astarion Ancunin was supposed to be a magistrate, not a vampire spawn. He was supposed to serve the law, not the vicious vampire lord Cazador Szarr. And he was supposed to drink fine wine, not rat blood. Alas—the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.
Though he has been powerless to resist his master’s bidding, haunting the nighttime streets to fetch warm blood, Astarion has never surrendered his hope. One day, this nightmare must end. He just has to find out how.
When the vampire lord announces a twisted competition for his favor, an opportunity presents itself in the form of a rare prize . . . and an unlikely alliance. The blood of a dead god is buried deep beneath Baldur’s Gate, and, to get it, Astarion will need the help of a handsome Aasimar paladin named Hahn den Suriel.
There are just a few problems. Astarion is not supposed to trust his fellow spawn. He’s not supposed to go out into the city for his own ends rather than the vampire lord’s. And he’s certainly not supposed to strike a deal with a stranger whose golden eyes can snare even a blackened, undead heart.
But the city of Baldur’s Gate cares little for what’s supposed to happen.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 29, 2026
About the author
T. Kingfisher
70 books30.3k followersT. Kingfisher is the vaguely absurd pen-name of Ursula Vernon. In another life, she writes children's books and weird comics, and has won the Hugo, Sequoyah, and Ursa Major awards, as well as a half-dozen Junior Library Guild selections.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
This is the name she uses when writing things for grown-ups.
When she is not writing, she is probably out in the garden, trying to make eye contact with butterflies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 235 reviews
Want to Read
April 24, 2026I didn't even play Baldur's Gate 3, but I guess I will be reading this book.
Want to Read
April 25, 2026Pre-release: I never added a book so fast to my TBR 🙂↕️🤚 Kingfisher writing about Astarion?? Yes pleaseeee
I gotta go replay the game now 🥹
Neil Newbon is narrating the audiobook, I need it now!! 😭
I gotta go replay the game now 🥹
Neil Newbon is narrating the audiobook, I need it now!! 😭
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5: T. Kingfisher gets Astarion.
One of the first things that struck me was how confidently she establishes book Astarion as the Astarion we know and love. You don't need to have played the game to understand him, but if you have, you can practically hear his voice in your head.
We meet him battered and broken lying in a pool of his own blood and, naturally, thinking about whether that specific shade of red works with his outfit. It's such an efficient introduction to the character, because we immediately see his vanity and wit, and of course his unwavering commitment to aesthetics, on full display.
There's so much personality here. Astarion's slightly more restrained at times than his game counterpart, but he's unmistakable. Theatrical, charming, intelligent, observant, and always with a snarky remark if the alternative's admitting how frightening things actually are.
And that's not an easy thing to pull off.
Astarion's already fully formed in players’ minds. We've spent hundreds of hours with him. We've romanced him. Many have played his Origin (I personally haven't because I keep making hot Drow Durge sorcerers like a basic bitch 🫠). We've picked apart his dialogue and approvals and filled in any space the game leaves open with our own head canons.
So writing a prequel means making choices about things the game leaves ambiguous. There's a lot of room to piss people off.
But all those choices feel convincing because the author isn't trying to reinvent the character, she's showing us some of the foundations beneath the character we already know. He's still just as full of contradictions. Vain and insecure, frightened and performatively confident, selfish because survival demands it, cold yet capable of tenderness.
I couldn't help comparing this to the traditional vampire archetype. The beautiful, seductive vampire's normally the predator. And Astarion's very much a predator, but he's also the product of one.
He's simultaneously the vampire fantasy and the victim trapped inside it.
The sections with Cazador and the vampire spawn are some of my favourites because they really drive that point home. Cazador's cruelty isn't just simple, individual acts of violence; it's a system of ownership and coercion. The spawn are trapped in a hierarchy where Cazador controls the consequences and conditions of their survival.
Even their relationships are shaped by their environment. They're victims, but they're also competitors. They're dependent on each other while also being incentivised to put themselves first. They understand each other's suffering while being rewarded for passing that suffering along.
I love how fleshed out the spawn are (even if I would have liked more of them). We don't get much of them in the game, but the book gives them personalities, internal lives, relationships, and their own ways of coping. We see genuine moments of care and camaraderie between them, but everything's transactional. A favour becomes a debt. Protection creates obligations.
And that extends beyond the spawn. The city's full of people who care about Astarion in their own way, but often that care exists alongside other motives or expectations.
So if kindness has a price, does it still feel like kindness? If someone protects you because they've sworn an oath, is that the same thing as choosing to protect you?
Sometimes I wanted the book to go darker and I wanted Cazador to be more obviously monstrous (tbh, I just wanted more Cazador). But also, I think the restraint works, because the book's greatest strength is exploring abuse and all the tiny calculations that become survival mechanisms: where you sit, how you look, how loudly you speak, how quickly you move… anything to avoid bringing unnecessary attention to yourself. And Cazador doesn't even need to be physically present to control the spawn because they've all learned to anticipate him.
I felt it in my soul 😪
And then I felt it again when I realised how good Astarion is at all those little protective calculations and perceptions.
The book explores autonomy and performance. If someone's controlled your body and mind, how do you know which thoughts and desires are actually yours? How much of the person you're forced to present to the world is actually you, and how much is a survival instinct perfected over centuries?
Even though it deals with some heavy topics, it's well balanced for the most part. Trauma informs the character without consuming him and he isn't reduced to some damsel in distress.
There's plenty of humour and I really didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. The humour and snark makes Astarion such a compelling character because yes, terrible things happened to him. Terrible things are still happening to him. And yet he remains this very particular, very sassy person.
Then the atmosphere. The city feels foggy and damp, crowded and grimy, with this constant sense that something unpleasant's skulking in the next alley. It feels like a place where everyone has an angle.
So… why not 5 stars?
I didn't love the structure. We constantly jump between timelines within chapters, sometimes only for a few paragraphs, and while the scenes themselves are well written and provide valuable backstory, the transitions aren't always as strong as they could be and occasionally make the narrative feel fragmented instead of deliberately layered.
There's also a noticeable tonal shift at the midway point. The first half's darker and more focused on the goings on at Szarr Palace. The second half becomes more of a lighthearted buddy comedy with a dash of romance. I did actually have fun with it, but I'd find myself thinking, this is nice and all but can we go back to the vampire dungeon now? Because I wanted more of the spawn and Cazador, and more of that cloying, claustrophobic ecosystem where everyone's simultaneously victim, rival, and ally.
Instead, the book leans into a D&D heist adventure, and sometimes it's more like very well written and entertaining BG3 fanfiction.
And that brings me to Hahn den Suriel. I couldn't make up my mind on him for a good while. An aasimar paladin who easily and almost immediately gets Astarion to open up about his circumstances? That's a bit convenient and cliche. To be fair, paladins and aasimars don't really interest me, they're the most boring race and class, and combining them??? Nah.
But then from my notes: “Update: I'm sorry Den Suriel for what I said, I will die for you”
Because how can you not love a man who carries around a whole wheel of cheese in his Bag of Holding? Truly a man after my own heart.
But those are just minor gripes in an otherwise great book.
And then came the ending. It's so brutally bittersweet because we already know where Astarion's story’s going. We know he doesn't get a happily ever after here, so every brief moment of contentment's accompanied by the knowledge that it'll end. Every tender moment between Astarion and den Suriel carries this tiny shadow underneath it.
I finished this genuinely sad that it was over and immediately started a new BG3 playthrough (hot Drow Durge sorcerer, obviously 🫣) so I could experience Astarion again with the new knowledge and context from this book.
I have one request for T. Kingfisher. Can we get a Rooftop Henry prequel? sequel? anthology? poetry? I'll take anything. Just give me more Rooftop Henry 🐦
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
One of the first things that struck me was how confidently she establishes book Astarion as the Astarion we know and love. You don't need to have played the game to understand him, but if you have, you can practically hear his voice in your head.
We meet him battered and broken lying in a pool of his own blood and, naturally, thinking about whether that specific shade of red works with his outfit. It's such an efficient introduction to the character, because we immediately see his vanity and wit, and of course his unwavering commitment to aesthetics, on full display.
There's so much personality here. Astarion's slightly more restrained at times than his game counterpart, but he's unmistakable. Theatrical, charming, intelligent, observant, and always with a snarky remark if the alternative's admitting how frightening things actually are.
And that's not an easy thing to pull off.
Astarion's already fully formed in players’ minds. We've spent hundreds of hours with him. We've romanced him. Many have played his Origin (I personally haven't because I keep making hot Drow Durge sorcerers like a basic bitch 🫠). We've picked apart his dialogue and approvals and filled in any space the game leaves open with our own head canons.
So writing a prequel means making choices about things the game leaves ambiguous. There's a lot of room to piss people off.
But all those choices feel convincing because the author isn't trying to reinvent the character, she's showing us some of the foundations beneath the character we already know. He's still just as full of contradictions. Vain and insecure, frightened and performatively confident, selfish because survival demands it, cold yet capable of tenderness.
I couldn't help comparing this to the traditional vampire archetype. The beautiful, seductive vampire's normally the predator. And Astarion's very much a predator, but he's also the product of one.
He's simultaneously the vampire fantasy and the victim trapped inside it.
The sections with Cazador and the vampire spawn are some of my favourites because they really drive that point home. Cazador's cruelty isn't just simple, individual acts of violence; it's a system of ownership and coercion. The spawn are trapped in a hierarchy where Cazador controls the consequences and conditions of their survival.
Even their relationships are shaped by their environment. They're victims, but they're also competitors. They're dependent on each other while also being incentivised to put themselves first. They understand each other's suffering while being rewarded for passing that suffering along.
I love how fleshed out the spawn are (even if I would have liked more of them). We don't get much of them in the game, but the book gives them personalities, internal lives, relationships, and their own ways of coping. We see genuine moments of care and camaraderie between them, but everything's transactional. A favour becomes a debt. Protection creates obligations.
And that extends beyond the spawn. The city's full of people who care about Astarion in their own way, but often that care exists alongside other motives or expectations.
So if kindness has a price, does it still feel like kindness? If someone protects you because they've sworn an oath, is that the same thing as choosing to protect you?
Sometimes I wanted the book to go darker and I wanted Cazador to be more obviously monstrous (tbh, I just wanted more Cazador). But also, I think the restraint works, because the book's greatest strength is exploring abuse and all the tiny calculations that become survival mechanisms: where you sit, how you look, how loudly you speak, how quickly you move… anything to avoid bringing unnecessary attention to yourself. And Cazador doesn't even need to be physically present to control the spawn because they've all learned to anticipate him.
I felt it in my soul 😪
And then I felt it again when I realised how good Astarion is at all those little protective calculations and perceptions.
The book explores autonomy and performance. If someone's controlled your body and mind, how do you know which thoughts and desires are actually yours? How much of the person you're forced to present to the world is actually you, and how much is a survival instinct perfected over centuries?
Even though it deals with some heavy topics, it's well balanced for the most part. Trauma informs the character without consuming him and he isn't reduced to some damsel in distress.
There's plenty of humour and I really didn't expect to laugh as much as I did. The humour and snark makes Astarion such a compelling character because yes, terrible things happened to him. Terrible things are still happening to him. And yet he remains this very particular, very sassy person.
Then the atmosphere. The city feels foggy and damp, crowded and grimy, with this constant sense that something unpleasant's skulking in the next alley. It feels like a place where everyone has an angle.
So… why not 5 stars?
I didn't love the structure. We constantly jump between timelines within chapters, sometimes only for a few paragraphs, and while the scenes themselves are well written and provide valuable backstory, the transitions aren't always as strong as they could be and occasionally make the narrative feel fragmented instead of deliberately layered.
There's also a noticeable tonal shift at the midway point. The first half's darker and more focused on the goings on at Szarr Palace. The second half becomes more of a lighthearted buddy comedy with a dash of romance. I did actually have fun with it, but I'd find myself thinking, this is nice and all but can we go back to the vampire dungeon now? Because I wanted more of the spawn and Cazador, and more of that cloying, claustrophobic ecosystem where everyone's simultaneously victim, rival, and ally.
Instead, the book leans into a D&D heist adventure, and sometimes it's more like very well written and entertaining BG3 fanfiction.
And that brings me to Hahn den Suriel. I couldn't make up my mind on him for a good while. An aasimar paladin who easily and almost immediately gets Astarion to open up about his circumstances? That's a bit convenient and cliche. To be fair, paladins and aasimars don't really interest me, they're the most boring race and class, and combining them??? Nah.
But then from my notes: “Update: I'm sorry Den Suriel for what I said, I will die for you”
Because how can you not love a man who carries around a whole wheel of cheese in his Bag of Holding? Truly a man after my own heart.
But those are just minor gripes in an otherwise great book.
And then came the ending. It's so brutally bittersweet because we already know where Astarion's story’s going. We know he doesn't get a happily ever after here, so every brief moment of contentment's accompanied by the knowledge that it'll end. Every tender moment between Astarion and den Suriel carries this tiny shadow underneath it.
I finished this genuinely sad that it was over and immediately started a new BG3 playthrough (hot Drow Durge sorcerer, obviously 🫣) so I could experience Astarion again with the new knowledge and context from this book.
I have one request for T. Kingfisher. Can we get a Rooftop Henry prequel? sequel? anthology? poetry? I'll take anything. Just give me more Rooftop Henry 🐦
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
Want to Read
April 24, 2026smashed that 'want to read' so fast
Want to Read
April 29, 2026I'm seated.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ʚɞ baldur’s gate 3: astarion by t. kingfisher ⋆.˚
⋆.˚ 29/7/26 — 6/8/26
⊱ ۫ ׅ book no. 83 of 2026 ── .✦
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
𑣲 ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴꜱ/ᴘʀᴇ-ʀᴇᴀᴅ:
𑣲 28/07: I GOT ITTTTTTT OH MY GOD OH MY GOD, FORGET SCHOOL I’M READING THIS RN
𑣲 26/07: I JUST REQUESTED THIS ON NETGALLEY. crossing all my fingers and toes rn. you have no idea how hard i am manifesting this book in my inbox rn.
𑣲 1/05 (pre-release):
I’M GOING ABSOLUTELY INSANE CUZ OMG???? ONE OF MY FAV AUTHORS WRITING A BOOK ABOUT ONE OF MY FAV GAME CHARACTERS EVER??? AM I HALLUCINATING??? 😃😃 this book genuinely sounds like it was made with me specifically in mind. time to play baldur’s gate 3 to satiate my cravings until this comes out.
i do NOT apologise for the person i will become when this releases 🫶🏻
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
╰› (⭐5)
❝ are you alive? ❞ ❝ i find that question in very poor taste. ❞
⋆.˚ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
── .✦ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
T KINGFISHER I TRUSTED YOOOUUUU 😭😭😭 YOU BROKE MY HEARTTTT OH MY GOODNESS (i’d let her do it again because oh my god this was unimaginably perfect)
by the end i was saying “WHAT DO YOU MEAAAAAN” like that one video of jennifer lawrence eating spicy chicken wings. 🥲
this book should come with a warning. i’m so serious, i was in a stupor fuelled by denial and grief by the end. i was reading the acknowledgments, still waiting for an extra chapter because WHYYY LEAVE IT THEEEERE (i know why. but still 😭💔)
this book is 100% for the fans. i missed faerûn so so much and now all i want to do is replay the entire game. 🥲💞
while the plot itself took a bit to warm up, i really appreciated setting the scene and expectations for what life was like for astarion under cazador’s control. it was heartbreaking — all i wanted to do was reach through the screen and give cazador a right hook to the jaw 😭💔
── .✦ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
oh astarion my baby. i may be incredibly biased (due to having used up hours of baldur’s gate 3 playtime just staring at this beautiful man and replaying his voice lines) but he is genuinely one of my favourite characters in all media, ever 🙂↕️☝️ i love the fact that he gets genuinely offended when people wear bad outfits 😭 like omg he’s such a nerd i adore him sm <3
his sass and his habit of calling everyone ‘darling’ (even himself, in his internal monologue, which is the cutest thing ever 😭), his confidence in his own beauty and his endearingly annoying personality… there is not a thing i’d change about this dude 🥹💓
i felt so maternal towards him in the little flashbacks, like he’s just a lil guy 😭 i adore him so so much, my heart is ready to burst with affection for every version and every part of this man 🥹💕
den suriel was such a pleasant surprise 🥹💞 he is possibly the cutest patootie of all time, tbh 😋 i love his goofy ahh little ‘for the ardent badger’ thing 😭 what a nerd, i adore him !! this honestly really made me crave t. kingfisher’s clockwork boys and saints of steel series, cuz MAN i need more paladins right this second 😭🫶🏻
and i CANNOT write a characters section without mentioning the one, the only, rooftop henry. arguably, the MVP of this novel. what a KING. i absolutely adored this talking bird 😭 he was such a silly goober, i cheered his name every time he was mentioned. he deserves all the sauce in the world 💗
── .✦ 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
t. kingfisher, the incredible woman she is, manages to ensure that astarion’s sardonic humour is strewn throughout this book in the most beautiful way — it had me giggling OUT LOUD.
i don’t think they could have asked a better person to author this novel 🥹💓
also can we talk about the PHENOMENAL language?? like oh my goodness the metaphors and similes had my jaw DROPPING. how does one’s mind even come up with that beautiful phrasing?? 🫢🫶🏻
honestly this has cemented t. kingfisher as one of my favourite authors — maybe even my number one. 🤭 i’m craving her entire backlog, so don’t worry if you see me picking up the rest of her works, it’s just me obsessing 🙂↕️🤞
・・・・・
thank you so much to Netgalley, Del Rey and Random House for an advance reader’s e-copy!! 🥹🫶🏻 this book releases on September 29, 2026!
・・・・・
𑣲 ᴅᴏ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ?
YES. if you like: sassy vampires, tragic mlm paladins, or crude sexual humour, then DOUBLE YES.
⋆.˚ 29/7/26 — 6/8/26
⊱ ۫ ׅ book no. 83 of 2026 ── .✦
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
𑣲 ꜰɪʀꜱᴛ ɪᴍᴘʀᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴꜱ/ᴘʀᴇ-ʀᴇᴀᴅ:
𑣲 28/07: I GOT ITTTTTTT OH MY GOD OH MY GOD, FORGET SCHOOL I’M READING THIS RN
𑣲 26/07: I JUST REQUESTED THIS ON NETGALLEY. crossing all my fingers and toes rn. you have no idea how hard i am manifesting this book in my inbox rn.
𑣲 1/05 (pre-release):
I’M GOING ABSOLUTELY INSANE CUZ OMG???? ONE OF MY FAV AUTHORS WRITING A BOOK ABOUT ONE OF MY FAV GAME CHARACTERS EVER??? AM I HALLUCINATING??? 😃😃 this book genuinely sounds like it was made with me specifically in mind. time to play baldur’s gate 3 to satiate my cravings until this comes out.
i do NOT apologise for the person i will become when this releases 🫶🏻
₊˚ ✧ ━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━ ✧ ₊˚
╰› (⭐5)
❝ are you alive? ❞ ❝ i find that question in very poor taste. ❞
⋆.˚ ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
── .✦ 𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒕
T KINGFISHER I TRUSTED YOOOUUUU 😭😭😭 YOU BROKE MY HEARTTTT OH MY GOODNESS (i’d let her do it again because oh my god this was unimaginably perfect)
by the end i was saying “WHAT DO YOU MEAAAAAN” like that one video of jennifer lawrence eating spicy chicken wings. 🥲
this book should come with a warning. i’m so serious, i was in a stupor fuelled by denial and grief by the end. i was reading the acknowledgments, still waiting for an extra chapter because WHYYY LEAVE IT THEEEERE (i know why. but still 😭💔)
this book is 100% for the fans. i missed faerûn so so much and now all i want to do is replay the entire game. 🥲💞
while the plot itself took a bit to warm up, i really appreciated setting the scene and expectations for what life was like for astarion under cazador’s control. it was heartbreaking — all i wanted to do was reach through the screen and give cazador a right hook to the jaw 😭💔
── .✦ 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔
oh astarion my baby. i may be incredibly biased (due to having used up hours of baldur’s gate 3 playtime just staring at this beautiful man and replaying his voice lines) but he is genuinely one of my favourite characters in all media, ever 🙂↕️☝️ i love the fact that he gets genuinely offended when people wear bad outfits 😭 like omg he’s such a nerd i adore him sm <3
his sass and his habit of calling everyone ‘darling’ (even himself, in his internal monologue, which is the cutest thing ever 😭), his confidence in his own beauty and his endearingly annoying personality… there is not a thing i’d change about this dude 🥹💓
i felt so maternal towards him in the little flashbacks, like he’s just a lil guy 😭 i adore him so so much, my heart is ready to burst with affection for every version and every part of this man 🥹💕
den suriel was such a pleasant surprise 🥹💞 he is possibly the cutest patootie of all time, tbh 😋 i love his goofy ahh little ‘for the ardent badger’ thing 😭 what a nerd, i adore him !! this honestly really made me crave t. kingfisher’s clockwork boys and saints of steel series, cuz MAN i need more paladins right this second 😭🫶🏻
and i CANNOT write a characters section without mentioning the one, the only, rooftop henry. arguably, the MVP of this novel. what a KING. i absolutely adored this talking bird 😭 he was such a silly goober, i cheered his name every time he was mentioned. he deserves all the sauce in the world 💗
── .✦ 𝒘𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
t. kingfisher, the incredible woman she is, manages to ensure that astarion’s sardonic humour is strewn throughout this book in the most beautiful way — it had me giggling OUT LOUD.
i don’t think they could have asked a better person to author this novel 🥹💓
also can we talk about the PHENOMENAL language?? like oh my goodness the metaphors and similes had my jaw DROPPING. how does one’s mind even come up with that beautiful phrasing?? 🫢🫶🏻
honestly this has cemented t. kingfisher as one of my favourite authors — maybe even my number one. 🤭 i’m craving her entire backlog, so don’t worry if you see me picking up the rest of her works, it’s just me obsessing 🙂↕️🤞
・・・・・
thank you so much to Netgalley, Del Rey and Random House for an advance reader’s e-copy!! 🥹🫶🏻 this book releases on September 29, 2026!
・・・・・
𑣲 ᴅᴏ ɪ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜɪꜱ ʙᴏᴏᴋ?
YES. if you like: sassy vampires, tragic mlm paladins, or crude sexual humour, then DOUBLE YES.
September 6, 2026
Yeah, the fans of the character are right to be angry. The author seems to have taken it personally that she was dumped by pixels for not caring about him enough to pay attention to his story. So she lined her pockets and took the opportunity to dunk all over canon. So much established lore was completely trampled over in this book. Astarion was used for the author's sexual gratification rather than out of any appreciation for him as a whole - just like his many, many conquests. He's Sexy Vampire Trope. He is NOT Astarion. The positive reviews are from people scared to piss off NetGalley and lose access to ARCs in the future. I'm not afraid myself. If you love Astarion, the one presented in the game, you will not like this book. If you're just a romantasy reader with no interest in his deep lore, then I guess it's for you, cause it's certainly not for his fans. I was defensive of this author right up until I read it for myself. I don't support harassing authors or bringing complaints to their doorstep before you've even read the thing. Now, I've read the thing, and I'm actually pretty okay with the fact that people are angry. This was a character that should have been handled delicately. It was not. WOTC got a letter from me, but she'll just be blocked on any platforms I use to buy books.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to T. Kingfisher, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore & NetGalley for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review
Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
CW: I urge you to check the content warnings for this one if needed.
Explicit |
Moderate |
Mild |
Content warnings as stated by the author | "Please note that this novel contains depictions of and . The author and publisher are committed to handling such themes to the best of their ability, but readers must decide for themselves whether they wish to read on."
My chosen soundtrack(s): My Dog - Honeycrush | Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain | The Taste Of Blood - SQÜRL, Jozef van Wissem
Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters and dynamics
✴︎ Bi/Pan MC, Astarion
✴︎ Unspecified queer MC whose name I won't spoil
✴︎ (Past) MLM dynamic(s)
✴︎ Unspecified queer BGCs
Themes
Abuse, bodily autonomy or the lack thereof, dehumanisation, desensitisation, forced servitude/slavery, free will or the lack thereof, hunger in all its forms, insatiability, lies and truths, mind control/manipulation, overindulgence, physical/psychological torture and abuse, sex/seduction as currency/tool/bargaining chip, the torture of boredom
Tropes/What to expect
❥ Vampires and vampire-spawn
❥Found Forced family
❥ Morally grey and evil characters
❥ Dual timeline
❥ Dark fantasy
❥ Reluctant allies to ???
❥ New canon Astarion lore
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
What I liked/loved
✧ I am a huge BG3 lover, so of course I immediately had to request this ARC! I knew it'd be worth it for the new lore alone, and anything else would be a bonus. I'm happy to confirm we do indeed get new info about Astarion, and I had a good time with what else it offered.
✧ The opener was captivating, horrifying and immediately pulled me in, which is all I want from a first chapter. Though the word chapter might be a bit generous. I'll come back to that detail in my 'What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about' list.
✧ This book follows two timelines that continuously either mirror or contrast each other. Some aspects come full circle, or feel like an echo that still reverberates, while other moments show how extremely Astarion has been forced to change over the centuries (or has he?).
The two timelines are as follows:
✵ Astarion before becoming a vampire spawn. We delve into his childhood, family, the hopes and dreams he had and how he ended up in the city of Baldur's Gate. Which I won't delve into as deeply as the other timeline for the sake of spoilers, but just know, "rat catcher", I still think of you.
✵ Astarion after becoming a vampire spawn. This timeline delves into the nitty-gritty of living under the horrific, abusive rule of Cazador (their vampire lord/master), what goes through Astarion's mind while actively being in that environment, and the complex "sibling" dynamics between Astarion and all the other spawn who reside in Cazador's palace.
✧ Astarion's past as a magistrate. I do believe this is knowledge that can be found somewhere in the game, but it definitely wasn't as explored as it was in this prequel.
In both timelines, it's clear how magistrate principles and ideas shaped Astarion's way of thinking and solving problems. He looks for loopholes, fine print, grey areas and is able to wield the law or someone's own words in ways that end up benefiting him or his goals.
It also includes a huge focus on lies, truths and the blurry line that divides them. It explores lies that are "almost" truths, lying through withholding information and bending the truth in smart little ways. This feels true to his character as a charlatan. It has that devious yet charming flair I love about in-game Astarion.
✧ This book is heavy with a capital H. Though not extremely explicit and sometimes very downplayed because of how Astarion distances himself from certain traumatic events, it still delves into torture, abuse and trauma. The approach to it reminded me a bit of Jean Moreau in the AFTG series, in which he would mention or think about the most insane, diabolical, obviously abusive situations, yet regard them as completely normal.
Some of the aspects explored:
✵ Discourse on physical and emotional scarring and how being undead affects this.
✵ The constant mind games that permanently warp the spawn's sense of what is real/truth or an illusion/lie.
✵ The blurred lines between punishment and reward.
✵ Hypervigilance, dissociation and depersonalization as a way of survival.
✵ Starvation, isolation, boredom, humiliation, introducing and taking away hope as a form of abuse.
✵ Abuse in such creative and evil ways that really emphasised what a deranged individual Cazador is.
✧ As mentioned before, I was really intrigued by this deeper delve into the super complex spawn-sibling dynamics. We get a more up-close and personal look at all of them.
✵ On an individual level, there is a contrast between who the spawn are as people and who they are forced to be under Cazador's rule. They all developed their own ways of survival, and unfortunately this often means stepping on others to save their own hide. But can you really blame them when the alternative is so much worse?
✵ On a group/family level, I was extremely intrigued by the dichotomies of their dynamics. They at times hate each other, betray each other, want/try to kill each other, and are envious of any relief one earns from their abusive "father".
Yet they alone can understand what it is like to be in this specific situation. And thus, they have an inherent understanding of each other in ways that no other being could ever comprehend.
To a certain degree, they also care for each other, though in very non-conventional ways. There was a lot of "I'm sorry this is happening to you, but I'm glad it's you and not me" or "even though I hate this person, no one deserves this". Which brings me to my next point.
✧ An exploration of the survival of kindness and love in an environment that punishes anything even slightly resembling it.
Astarion's opinion of himself is that he is not a kind or good man. Whether that statement is the truth, a half-truth, a lie or something in between, he can't afford to act on any of it. An eternity of servitude, one very hard lesson learned more than a century ago and being humiliated and tortured more often than not leaves him with no choice but to kill the part of his heart that still holds some warmth.
This prequel does a good job of exploring that inner conflict between emotions/morality and survival, as well as the risks of not being completely detached.
✧ A plot point I hadn't expected to find in this read managed to capture my attention (sorry for being cryptic. You're gonna have to find this out for yourself).
✧ This prequel introduces new characters to the BG3 universe. One of them has a very unique dynamic with Astarion and ties in a lot of the themes/aspects I've mentioned so far. I loved everything about it. They were so different from each other, yet in some ways unexpectedly similar.
I can't say much more without spoiling, except that I enjoyed this addition but am now craving more info about them.
✧ You won't get it until you've read it, but I loved the recurring imagery/symbolism of silk and other types of cloth and clothing.
✧ There were some surprisingly funny moments here and there, which I definitely needed in between all the heaviness this read served me.
What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
✦ So a bout those chapters I mentioned before... There are none. Like, literally.
We got the Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Content Warning, TEXT (yes, all the text. Many, many pages of text), and the Acknowledgements. Which left me a bit confused.
I don't know if this format will change in the final published version, but I do hope so. I really didn't enjoy this lack of structure.
✦ I'm not fully clear on what caused this, but somewhere in the middle, the pacing slowed down, and I had to push myself more than I commonly have to, to keep reading. Disclaimer, though: I didn't have this problem AT ALL with its start and the last +/-30%
✦ I didn't feel as emotionally invested or affected as I had expected. It still hit me personally at times, but I expected it to hit me a little harder.
I suspect that Astarion's own efforts to distance himself from the traumatic events depicted in this book kind of distanced me alongside him.
At some point, Astarion does begin to feel more, which in turn made me feel more as well. Which probably also contributed to me liking that part more than the middle.
I do think it feels correct to tell the story in that somewhat detached way since it IS Astarion's POV, and narratively serves a purpose in displaying and emphasising his survival strategies, but I wish we could've gotten the best of both worlds.
✦ I read this book with the knowledge that comes from having played 205 hours of BG3, including one campaign with friends who have over 500 hours and a lot of knowledge about its universe, and thus had no issues understanding this book.
That being said, I think this could be quite a difficult read for those who haven't played BG3 or aren't familiar with DnD. It's still possible to read and enjoy this book, but I suspect there'll be a lot of Googling involved since it doesn't hold your hand when it comes to all the different races, classes, creatures, cultures, and religions.
On the other hand, this book is very clearly made for and marketed to gamers and BG3 enjoyers, and I don't think many readers outside of that market will pick up this read, but I decided to mention it just in case.
Conclusion/Notes
Though some aspects made this not a perfect read to me personally, I still had a great time! I loved getting a deeper understanding of the spawn siblings and the horrific events that shaped the Astarion we get to meet in Baldur's Gate 3. Learning all this new lore about him, especially what his life looked like before becoming a vampire spawn, made it fully worth my time.
It also really opened my eyes to the potential of more prequels focusing on other characters. I would probably insta-buy those. Plus, not naming any names, but I'd probably be interested in media expanding on the newly introduced characters in this read as well!
This is a must-read for those who love Astarion and BG3. Thank you, T. Kingfisher for gifting us this vulnerable portrayal of our favourite bloodsucking charlatan.
Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion is set to release on 29 September, 2026. Make sure to add it to your TBR and/or pre-order a copy to read immediately upon release.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on Storygraph.
Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 This Connection Is Muddled With Rot | This Family Tree Has Root Rot | 📚 Gothic 📚 Dark Academia 📚 Dark Fantasy
GoodReads | StoryGraph | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Overview of all reading playlists | last.fm
PAST UPDATES:
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Immediate thoughts after reading 24 August, 2026:
I don't smoke, but I'm craving a cig and a glass of wine after finishing this.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
31 July, 2026
Guess who just got their ARC request approved???!!
I'm truly suffering from success with all these amazing ARCs!!
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
24 April, 2026
NO WAY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
Never added a book to my TBR as fast! I am beyond excited about this!!!
Rating: 3.75/5 ⭐
CW: I urge you to check the content warnings for this one if needed.
Explicit |
Moderate |
Mild |
Content warnings as stated by the author | "Please note that this novel contains depictions of and . The author and publisher are committed to handling such themes to the best of their ability, but readers must decide for themselves whether they wish to read on."
My chosen soundtrack(s): My Dog - Honeycrush | Family Tree (Intro) - Ethel Cain | The Taste Of Blood - SQÜRL, Jozef van Wissem
"All he had left, all he had had for many years, was the power to endure."
Representation
╰┈➤ Queer characters and dynamics
✴︎ Bi/Pan MC, Astarion
✴︎ Unspecified queer MC whose name I won't spoil
✴︎ (Past) MLM dynamic(s)
✴︎ Unspecified queer BGCs
Themes
Abuse, bodily autonomy or the lack thereof, dehumanisation, desensitisation, forced servitude/slavery, free will or the lack thereof, hunger in all its forms, insatiability, lies and truths, mind control/manipulation, overindulgence, physical/psychological torture and abuse, sex/seduction as currency/tool/bargaining chip, the torture of boredom
Tropes/What to expect
❥ Vampires and vampire-spawn
❥
❥ Morally grey and evil characters
❥ Dual timeline
❥ Dark fantasy
❥ Reluctant allies to ???
❥ New canon Astarion lore
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
What I liked/loved
✧ I am a huge BG3 lover, so of course I immediately had to request this ARC! I knew it'd be worth it for the new lore alone, and anything else would be a bonus. I'm happy to confirm we do indeed get new info about Astarion, and I had a good time with what else it offered.
✧ The opener was captivating, horrifying and immediately pulled me in, which is all I want from a first chapter. Though the word chapter might be a bit generous. I'll come back to that detail in my 'What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about' list.
✧ This book follows two timelines that continuously either mirror or contrast each other. Some aspects come full circle, or feel like an echo that still reverberates, while other moments show how extremely Astarion has been forced to change over the centuries (or has he?).
The two timelines are as follows:
✵ Astarion before becoming a vampire spawn. We delve into his childhood, family, the hopes and dreams he had and how he ended up in the city of Baldur's Gate. Which I won't delve into as deeply as the other timeline for the sake of spoilers, but just know, "rat catcher", I still think of you.
✵ Astarion after becoming a vampire spawn. This timeline delves into the nitty-gritty of living under the horrific, abusive rule of Cazador (their vampire lord/master), what goes through Astarion's mind while actively being in that environment, and the complex "sibling" dynamics between Astarion and all the other spawn who reside in Cazador's palace.
✧ Astarion's past as a magistrate. I do believe this is knowledge that can be found somewhere in the game, but it definitely wasn't as explored as it was in this prequel.
In both timelines, it's clear how magistrate principles and ideas shaped Astarion's way of thinking and solving problems. He looks for loopholes, fine print, grey areas and is able to wield the law or someone's own words in ways that end up benefiting him or his goals.
It also includes a huge focus on lies, truths and the blurry line that divides them. It explores lies that are "almost" truths, lying through withholding information and bending the truth in smart little ways. This feels true to his character as a charlatan. It has that devious yet charming flair I love about in-game Astarion.
✧ This book is heavy with a capital H. Though not extremely explicit and sometimes very downplayed because of how Astarion distances himself from certain traumatic events, it still delves into torture, abuse and trauma. The approach to it reminded me a bit of Jean Moreau in the AFTG series, in which he would mention or think about the most insane, diabolical, obviously abusive situations, yet regard them as completely normal.
Some of the aspects explored:
✵ Discourse on physical and emotional scarring and how being undead affects this.
✵ The constant mind games that permanently warp the spawn's sense of what is real/truth or an illusion/lie.
✵ The blurred lines between punishment and reward.
✵ Hypervigilance, dissociation and depersonalization as a way of survival.
✵ Starvation, isolation, boredom, humiliation, introducing and taking away hope as a form of abuse.
✵ Abuse in such creative and evil ways that really emphasised what a deranged individual Cazador is.
✧ As mentioned before, I was really intrigued by this deeper delve into the super complex spawn-sibling dynamics. We get a more up-close and personal look at all of them.
✵ On an individual level, there is a contrast between who the spawn are as people and who they are forced to be under Cazador's rule. They all developed their own ways of survival, and unfortunately this often means stepping on others to save their own hide. But can you really blame them when the alternative is so much worse?
✵ On a group/family level, I was extremely intrigued by the dichotomies of their dynamics. They at times hate each other, betray each other, want/try to kill each other, and are envious of any relief one earns from their abusive "father".
Yet they alone can understand what it is like to be in this specific situation. And thus, they have an inherent understanding of each other in ways that no other being could ever comprehend.
To a certain degree, they also care for each other, though in very non-conventional ways. There was a lot of "I'm sorry this is happening to you, but I'm glad it's you and not me" or "even though I hate this person, no one deserves this". Which brings me to my next point.
✧ An exploration of the survival of kindness and love in an environment that punishes anything even slightly resembling it.
Astarion's opinion of himself is that he is not a kind or good man. Whether that statement is the truth, a half-truth, a lie or something in between, he can't afford to act on any of it. An eternity of servitude, one very hard lesson learned more than a century ago and being humiliated and tortured more often than not leaves him with no choice but to kill the part of his heart that still holds some warmth.
This prequel does a good job of exploring that inner conflict between emotions/morality and survival, as well as the risks of not being completely detached.
✧ A plot point I hadn't expected to find in this read managed to capture my attention (sorry for being cryptic. You're gonna have to find this out for yourself).
✧ This prequel introduces new characters to the BG3 universe. One of them has a very unique dynamic with Astarion and ties in a lot of the themes/aspects I've mentioned so far. I loved everything about it. They were so different from each other, yet in some ways unexpectedly similar.
I can't say much more without spoiling, except that I enjoyed this addition but am now craving more info about them.
✧ You won't get it until you've read it, but I loved the recurring imagery/symbolism of silk and other types of cloth and clothing.
✧ There were some surprisingly funny moments here and there, which I definitely needed in between all the heaviness this read served me.
What I didn't like/felt lacklustre about
✦ So a bout those chapters I mentioned before... There are none. Like, literally.
We got the Title Page, Copyright, Dedication, Content Warning, TEXT (yes, all the text. Many, many pages of text), and the Acknowledgements. Which left me a bit confused.
I don't know if this format will change in the final published version, but I do hope so. I really didn't enjoy this lack of structure.
✦ I'm not fully clear on what caused this, but somewhere in the middle, the pacing slowed down, and I had to push myself more than I commonly have to, to keep reading. Disclaimer, though: I didn't have this problem AT ALL with its start and the last +/-30%
✦ I didn't feel as emotionally invested or affected as I had expected. It still hit me personally at times, but I expected it to hit me a little harder.
I suspect that Astarion's own efforts to distance himself from the traumatic events depicted in this book kind of distanced me alongside him.
At some point, Astarion does begin to feel more, which in turn made me feel more as well. Which probably also contributed to me liking that part more than the middle.
I do think it feels correct to tell the story in that somewhat detached way since it IS Astarion's POV, and narratively serves a purpose in displaying and emphasising his survival strategies, but I wish we could've gotten the best of both worlds.
✦ I read this book with the knowledge that comes from having played 205 hours of BG3, including one campaign with friends who have over 500 hours and a lot of knowledge about its universe, and thus had no issues understanding this book.
That being said, I think this could be quite a difficult read for those who haven't played BG3 or aren't familiar with DnD. It's still possible to read and enjoy this book, but I suspect there'll be a lot of Googling involved since it doesn't hold your hand when it comes to all the different races, classes, creatures, cultures, and religions.
On the other hand, this book is very clearly made for and marketed to gamers and BG3 enjoyers, and I don't think many readers outside of that market will pick up this read, but I decided to mention it just in case.
Conclusion/Notes
Though some aspects made this not a perfect read to me personally, I still had a great time! I loved getting a deeper understanding of the spawn siblings and the horrific events that shaped the Astarion we get to meet in Baldur's Gate 3. Learning all this new lore about him, especially what his life looked like before becoming a vampire spawn, made it fully worth my time.
It also really opened my eyes to the potential of more prequels focusing on other characters. I would probably insta-buy those. Plus, not naming any names, but I'd probably be interested in media expanding on the newly introduced characters in this read as well!
This is a must-read for those who love Astarion and BG3. Thank you, T. Kingfisher for gifting us this vulnerable portrayal of our favourite bloodsucking charlatan.
Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion is set to release on 29 September, 2026. Make sure to add it to your TBR and/or pre-order a copy to read immediately upon release.
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
"All the best lies are true."
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Want to buddy read this book now or in the future? You can do so on Storygraph.
Follow me on Spotify for specific reading playlists like these: 📚 This Connection Is Muddled With Rot | This Family Tree Has Root Rot | 📚 Gothic 📚 Dark Academia 📚 Dark Fantasy
GoodReads | StoryGraph | Instagram | TikTok | Spotify | Overview of all reading playlists | last.fm
PAST UPDATES:
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
Immediate thoughts after reading 24 August, 2026:
I don't smoke, but I'm craving a cig and a glass of wine after finishing this.
FULL REVIEW TO COME
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
31 July, 2026
Guess who just got their ARC request approved???!!
I'm truly suffering from success with all these amazing ARCs!!
⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆
24 April, 2026
NO WAY! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
Never added a book to my TBR as fast! I am beyond excited about this!!!
September 6, 2026
I tried to finish this book, but I think I’m done with it. Made it a little less than halfway through. It’s not bad exactly just kind of… boring? And also a bit sad I think. It’s sad to see a story about 200 years of sexual assault and slavery turned into a soulless, flirty, comedic romp.
I heard someone describe Kingfisher’s writing as “Whedon-esque” and I really can’t help but agree. This book starts with a “Yeah, that’s me. I bet you’re wondering how I ended up here.” scene and stays at that level for as long as I managed to read.
I can’t tell you how much that line gives me the exact same vibes as “he’s right behind me isn’t he?”
The entire book is that way. I can’t exactly call any of it bad. The book isn’t really trying to do or be anything, so it’s hard to say it fails or misses the mark at all, since there was no mark to miss to begin with. Instead of being “bad”, it’s just kind of vapid, shallow, and empty. Which is especially jarring when this book was billed as a horror book. There is not an ounce of horror in this book. There’s not really an ounce of anything in this book, if I’m honest. Except maybe dick jokes.
It’s a very strange feeling to read a book from an author that has absolutely nothing to say to you. I don’t really know how someone managed to write so many words without having a single earnest or honest thought or idea that they’re trying to get across. You’d think one would happen by accident at least.
I heard someone describe Kingfisher’s writing as “Whedon-esque” and I really can’t help but agree. This book starts with a “Yeah, that’s me. I bet you’re wondering how I ended up here.” scene and stays at that level for as long as I managed to read.
I can’t tell you how much that line gives me the exact same vibes as “he’s right behind me isn’t he?”
The entire book is that way. I can’t exactly call any of it bad. The book isn’t really trying to do or be anything, so it’s hard to say it fails or misses the mark at all, since there was no mark to miss to begin with. Instead of being “bad”, it’s just kind of vapid, shallow, and empty. Which is especially jarring when this book was billed as a horror book. There is not an ounce of horror in this book. There’s not really an ounce of anything in this book, if I’m honest. Except maybe dick jokes.
It’s a very strange feeling to read a book from an author that has absolutely nothing to say to you. I don’t really know how someone managed to write so many words without having a single earnest or honest thought or idea that they’re trying to get across. You’d think one would happen by accident at least.
Want to Read
April 28, 2026what an insane clash of worlds O.O
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
How this book has this kind of rating is beyond me.
How can you get Astarion *this* wrong?
How can you get Astarion *this* wrong?
Want to Read
April 24, 2026SCREAMING
Want to Read
April 24, 2026ARE YOU KIDDDINGGG i’ve never added a book to my tbr so fast, i saw it on tiktok and thought it was a prank
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
i roughly have about 700 hours in baldurs gate 3 and by far is my favourite game of all time. most of those hours was spent with astarion in my party, so he is obviously my favourite character. i screamed when i saw this was announced, and when i saw who it was written by i could’ve cried.
however, sadly, i don’t think my expectations were met. while i did enjoy some parts of it, i expected much more dark and gritty themes.
what i didn’t like:
• not that i enjoy seeing my favourite characters go through hardships, even though its so integral to astarion character. i did expect much more. having read a lot of Kingfishers work it makes sense as her books aren’t typically as dark as astarion’s backstory but i still expected it.
• towards the end i do think astarion lost his voice and didn’t feel like him.
• similarly towards the end i kind of forgot about the past pov of astarion and his journey towards baldurs gate. it felt forgotten about. i wish it was touched on more and how he became a vampire.
i’m sure this might be received differently from others who haven’t played the game and doesn’t already know part of his backstory, but for me unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations, but to be fair my expectations were quite high so please bare that in mind!
however, sadly, i don’t think my expectations were met. while i did enjoy some parts of it, i expected much more dark and gritty themes.
what i didn’t like:
• not that i enjoy seeing my favourite characters go through hardships, even though its so integral to astarion character. i did expect much more. having read a lot of Kingfishers work it makes sense as her books aren’t typically as dark as astarion’s backstory but i still expected it.
• towards the end i do think astarion lost his voice and didn’t feel like him.
• similarly towards the end i kind of forgot about the past pov of astarion and his journey towards baldurs gate. it felt forgotten about. i wish it was touched on more and how he became a vampire.
i’m sure this might be received differently from others who haven’t played the game and doesn’t already know part of his backstory, but for me unfortunately didn’t meet my expectations, but to be fair my expectations were quite high so please bare that in mind!
Review of advance copy
I get the distinct impression the author did not actually play Astarion's story before authoring this book.
Want to Read
April 24, 2026this is the best day of my life
August 3, 2026
3.5 stars
When I saw the news that T. Kingfisher, one of my favourite writers, was writing a book about one of my favourite video game characters, I was stoked. Honestly, she seemed like the perfect person for Astarion and for the world of Baldur’s Gate 3. She has exactly the kind of strange, macabre, tender sensibility that should have made this pairing a perfect match.
Kingfisher absolutely nails Astarion’s voice. I could hear him in my head the entire time I was reading, and there is something genuinely magical about that. The mannerisms, the theatricality, the self-deprecation, the vanity, it all feels immediately recognisable. She clearly understands what makes Astarion Astarion, rather than simply reproducing his more obvious quirks. Likewise, she has a wonderful understanding of D&D itself: the absurdity of adventuring, the camaraderie, the ridiculousness of its world, but also the capacity for that world to suddenly become surprisingly tender or heartbreaking. She understands why this is such a fun world to inhabit.
My biggest disappointment, then, is that I wanted her to go darker.
His suffering is so integral to Astarion’s character that it is difficult to separate him from it, his history with Cazador is precisely what gives everything else about him its weight. I expected more of the horror of what it actually meant for Astarion to spend centuries as a slave: the degradation, the fear, the loss of autonomy, the psychological consequences of being treated as an object for so long. Having read a lot of Kingfisher, I probably should have anticipated this. Her books can be macabre and occasionally horrific, but they rarely inhabit the particular darkness of Astarion’s backstory.
As a result, the book sometimes felt surprisingly young-adult to me, especially when compared with the game, which is considerably more willing to sit with the ugliness of its characters and their histories. I kept waiting for Kingfisher to dig further beneath the surface, to really explore what Cazador did to Astarion and what surviving that existence would have meant. If you're looking for something that leans more heavily into the horror of Astarion’s past, Sacrament by Morgan Dante actually does a better job of scratching that particular itch.
I also felt this most strongly towards the end, Astarion seemed to gradually lose his voice. For most of the novel, I could hear him so clearly, but by the final stretch there were moments where he stopped feeling quite like the Astarion I knew. The ending is undeniably emotional, and it is also a logical conclusion given that this is a prequel and has to remain canon-compliant. But I could almost feel the constraints of that canon closing in around the character, and with them, Kingfisher’s version of his voice becoming less distinct.
Similarly, I found myself increasingly forgetting about the past storyline, the Astarion who is actually on the journey towards Baldur’s Gate. That thread, which initially felt central to the novel, gradually became secondary, and I really wish it had been woven back into the narrative more deliberately. More than anything, I wanted to see his transformation into a vampire explored in greater depth. That was the part of his history I was most interested in, and the book left me wanting considerably more.
So I’m left with slightly mixed feelings, which is frustrating precisely because this should have been such an easy five-star combination for me. T. Kingfisher writing Astarion? On paper, perfection. And there are genuinely moments where it is perfection. She captures his voice beautifully, understands the strange warmth and absurdity of the D&D world, and gives us an Astarion who feels recognisable and alive.
I just wish she had trusted the darkness of his story a little more.
Thank you, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore & Random House Worlds for the digital ARC.
⋆˚꩜｡⋆ pre-read ⋆˚꩜｡⋆
buddy reading with bee 🐝
————————————
I GOT THE ARC 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 tears in my eyes bro
When I saw the news that T. Kingfisher, one of my favourite writers, was writing a book about one of my favourite video game characters, I was stoked. Honestly, she seemed like the perfect person for Astarion and for the world of Baldur’s Gate 3. She has exactly the kind of strange, macabre, tender sensibility that should have made this pairing a perfect match.
Kingfisher absolutely nails Astarion’s voice. I could hear him in my head the entire time I was reading, and there is something genuinely magical about that. The mannerisms, the theatricality, the self-deprecation, the vanity, it all feels immediately recognisable. She clearly understands what makes Astarion Astarion, rather than simply reproducing his more obvious quirks. Likewise, she has a wonderful understanding of D&D itself: the absurdity of adventuring, the camaraderie, the ridiculousness of its world, but also the capacity for that world to suddenly become surprisingly tender or heartbreaking. She understands why this is such a fun world to inhabit.
My biggest disappointment, then, is that I wanted her to go darker.
His suffering is so integral to Astarion’s character that it is difficult to separate him from it, his history with Cazador is precisely what gives everything else about him its weight. I expected more of the horror of what it actually meant for Astarion to spend centuries as a slave: the degradation, the fear, the loss of autonomy, the psychological consequences of being treated as an object for so long. Having read a lot of Kingfisher, I probably should have anticipated this. Her books can be macabre and occasionally horrific, but they rarely inhabit the particular darkness of Astarion’s backstory.
As a result, the book sometimes felt surprisingly young-adult to me, especially when compared with the game, which is considerably more willing to sit with the ugliness of its characters and their histories. I kept waiting for Kingfisher to dig further beneath the surface, to really explore what Cazador did to Astarion and what surviving that existence would have meant. If you're looking for something that leans more heavily into the horror of Astarion’s past, Sacrament by Morgan Dante actually does a better job of scratching that particular itch.
I also felt this most strongly towards the end, Astarion seemed to gradually lose his voice. For most of the novel, I could hear him so clearly, but by the final stretch there were moments where he stopped feeling quite like the Astarion I knew. The ending is undeniably emotional, and it is also a logical conclusion given that this is a prequel and has to remain canon-compliant. But I could almost feel the constraints of that canon closing in around the character, and with them, Kingfisher’s version of his voice becoming less distinct.
Similarly, I found myself increasingly forgetting about the past storyline, the Astarion who is actually on the journey towards Baldur’s Gate. That thread, which initially felt central to the novel, gradually became secondary, and I really wish it had been woven back into the narrative more deliberately. More than anything, I wanted to see his transformation into a vampire explored in greater depth. That was the part of his history I was most interested in, and the book left me wanting considerably more.
So I’m left with slightly mixed feelings, which is frustrating precisely because this should have been such an easy five-star combination for me. T. Kingfisher writing Astarion? On paper, perfection. And there are genuinely moments where it is perfection. She captures his voice beautifully, understands the strange warmth and absurdity of the D&D world, and gives us an Astarion who feels recognisable and alive.
I just wish she had trusted the darkness of his story a little more.
Thank you, Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore & Random House Worlds for the digital ARC.
⋆˚꩜｡⋆ pre-read ⋆˚꩜｡⋆
buddy reading with bee 🐝
————————————
I GOT THE ARC 💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽 tears in my eyes bro
Want to Read
April 24, 2026i am going to be insufferable about this for the next 5 months
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Actual text I posted when this was announced:
"OMGGG! I'm so hyped 🥹♥️"
-
Arc review | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
When this book was announced, I was beyond excited. Baldur's Gate 3 is one of my all-time favorite games, and, surprise, surprise 😂, Astarion is my favorite character. But somehow, I'm left feeling kinda disappointed.
The biggest issue for me was the story itself. It just never fully pulled me in. I found Astarion's past interesting to read about, but not interesting enough to keep me completely invested. I kept waiting for that moment where I couldn't put the book down, and unfortunately, it never came. There were even moments where I found myself getting bored and setting it aside to pick up another book instead. But every time I did, I'd end up reading another new five-star read, which made me question my own opinion, lol. I honestly started feeling guilty because I wanted to love it. To be fair, I had just finished a five-star read before picking this up, so maybe that influenced my experience a little, but even taking that into account, I still expected to connect with this story much more than I did.
What surprised me most was that I never really felt like I was reading Astarion. I know this takes place before the events of the game, and of course people change over time, but I really missed the sharp wit, the sass, and the dramatic remarks that made me fall in love with his character in BG3. That spark just wasn't there for me, even though I've read many people did feel that.
That said, T. Kingfisher's writing is, as always, fantastic. Her prose is engaging, polished, and incredibly easy to read. I genuinely have nothing negative to say about her writing style, so I can absolutely understand why so many fans are loving this book. Sadly, it just didn't work for me. This isn't the first time I've felt this way with a Kingfisher book. I've read other books by her that seemed to have everything I usually love, yet I still didn't quite feel that emotional connection. So maybe this is simply a me problem.
Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I don't regret picking it up. It just didn't live up to the excitement I felt when it was announced or the magic I was hoping to experience as an Astarion fan.
"OMGGG! I'm so hyped 🥹♥️"
-
Arc review | ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
When this book was announced, I was beyond excited. Baldur's Gate 3 is one of my all-time favorite games, and, surprise, surprise 😂, Astarion is my favorite character. But somehow, I'm left feeling kinda disappointed.
The biggest issue for me was the story itself. It just never fully pulled me in. I found Astarion's past interesting to read about, but not interesting enough to keep me completely invested. I kept waiting for that moment where I couldn't put the book down, and unfortunately, it never came. There were even moments where I found myself getting bored and setting it aside to pick up another book instead. But every time I did, I'd end up reading another new five-star read, which made me question my own opinion, lol. I honestly started feeling guilty because I wanted to love it. To be fair, I had just finished a five-star read before picking this up, so maybe that influenced my experience a little, but even taking that into account, I still expected to connect with this story much more than I did.
What surprised me most was that I never really felt like I was reading Astarion. I know this takes place before the events of the game, and of course people change over time, but I really missed the sharp wit, the sass, and the dramatic remarks that made me fall in love with his character in BG3. That spark just wasn't there for me, even though I've read many people did feel that.
That said, T. Kingfisher's writing is, as always, fantastic. Her prose is engaging, polished, and incredibly easy to read. I genuinely have nothing negative to say about her writing style, so I can absolutely understand why so many fans are loving this book. Sadly, it just didn't work for me. This isn't the first time I've felt this way with a Kingfisher book. I've read other books by her that seemed to have everything I usually love, yet I still didn't quite feel that emotional connection. So maybe this is simply a me problem.
Overall, I'm glad I read it, and I don't regret picking it up. It just didn't live up to the excitement I felt when it was announced or the magic I was hoping to experience as an Astarion fan.
Want to Read
April 25, 2026AND Neil Newbon narrating the audio book??? 😩🫠
Want to Read
April 24, 2026YALL DONT UNDERSTAND HOW OBSESSED I AM WITH ASTARION THATS MY HUSBAND
Want to Read
April 26, 2026From the first moment I started playing BG3, I have been looking for an official book about Astarion. I never wanted a fan fiction; it had to be canon. And now, my wishes have come true. Can't wait to hold it in my hands. Hopefully, it will live up to the character work that was done in the game 🤞🏻
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a joy to be back in Faerûn! Baldur's Gate 3: Astarion was one of my most anticipated releases of 2026, and it did not disappoint.
I LOVE T. Kingfisher and genuinely felt she was the perfect author for his story (she's hilarious and a super nerd ilysm)
After playing the game (for an ungodly amount of hours) I knew this book wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows, but was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet and humorous romance, a fun quest, and a look into Astarion's upbringing.
I loved learning more about his life pre-BG3 especially with the dual timelines (though no actual chapters was rough LOL)
Little did I know I could love our sassy darling boy even more 😭
I think fans of BG3 will enjoy this story, as well as readers who love T. Kingfisher (it was giving Daggerbound vibes!!)
However I could see this being perceived as a fantasy romance re: the white haired hottie on the cover, which it is not. It's dark, and heartbreaking, and doesn't have an HEA, but it's also sweet and funny and a fun time.
If you do try it I hope you love it, all the stars from me!
I CANNOT WAIT TO REREAD ON AUDIO!!!!!!
Thank you thank you Del Rey for an eARC 💕
I LOVE T. Kingfisher and genuinely felt she was the perfect author for his story (she's hilarious and a super nerd ilysm)
After playing the game (for an ungodly amount of hours) I knew this book wouldn't be all sunshine and rainbows, but was pleasantly surprised to find a sweet and humorous romance, a fun quest, and a look into Astarion's upbringing.
I loved learning more about his life pre-BG3 especially with the dual timelines (though no actual chapters was rough LOL)
Little did I know I could love our sassy darling boy even more 😭
I think fans of BG3 will enjoy this story, as well as readers who love T. Kingfisher (it was giving Daggerbound vibes!!)
However I could see this being perceived as a fantasy romance re: the white haired hottie on the cover, which it is not. It's dark, and heartbreaking, and doesn't have an HEA, but it's also sweet and funny and a fun time.
If you do try it I hope you love it, all the stars from me!
I CANNOT WAIT TO REREAD ON AUDIO!!!!!!
Thank you thank you Del Rey for an eARC 💕
September 2, 2026
Yeah sorry biased af but I love this sad hysterical man. No hope for a less-than-5 when it’s a queer Kingfisher Quest™️ lol
If you love the game and you love Astarion, you’ll love this darkly delightful romp, especially the audiobook!!
If you love the game and you love Astarion, you’ll love this darkly delightful romp, especially the audiobook!!
Want to Read
April 25, 2026heavy wheezing noises
Want to Read
May 1, 2026I NEED THIS
August 22, 2026
3.5 ⭐️’s! Thank you to net galley for this ARC!
My expectations were incredibly high for this novel as a bonafide Astarion fan girl and BG3 expert.
Was it a perfect Astarion novel? Absolutely not. But, T. Kingfisher’s glorious writing style hits yet again! She has the uncanny ability to turn a phrase, and I’ve said multiple times that she’s one of the best fantasy writers consistently publishing today. I would recommend this book to astarion girlies and newbies alike.
pros:
- astarion’s backstory! this is where she had the most room to play, and she did it splendidly. i absolutely love his mom being a druid and his whole “rags to riches back to rags” esque journey.
- the relationship between the spawn felt natural and aligned with what we see in act 3 of the game if you save them in his spawn ending. TK didn’t go too deep into the shared trauma, but i like to think this is how they interact (also finally some yousen!!!!! as always fuck petrassss)
- thieves guild portions were really fun! i loved the atmosphere of the guild in the game so it was cool to see that again on page.
cons:
- the glossing over of astarion’s trauma felt really insulting. was i expecting trauma porn ft. caz the book? no absolutely not. however, i think moving focus toward astarion going on a quest and skirting a lot of the horrors of caz is a disservice.
- when the trauma was touched upon, she went for shock value instead of a nuanced and respectful portrayal. astarion’s trauma and him overcoming it is what makes him SUCH an impactful character in this world.
- astarion’s relationship to sex was touched on, but making the decision to have him enter a romance in this novel feels weird and forced?????
bits and bobs:
- always love a hot, himbo-coded man just doing his thing
- so much soap referencing???
- my face whenever they mentioned a spot i remember hearing from the game: 😮
My expectations were incredibly high for this novel as a bonafide Astarion fan girl and BG3 expert.
Was it a perfect Astarion novel? Absolutely not. But, T. Kingfisher’s glorious writing style hits yet again! She has the uncanny ability to turn a phrase, and I’ve said multiple times that she’s one of the best fantasy writers consistently publishing today. I would recommend this book to astarion girlies and newbies alike.
pros:
- astarion’s backstory! this is where she had the most room to play, and she did it splendidly. i absolutely love his mom being a druid and his whole “rags to riches back to rags” esque journey.
- the relationship between the spawn felt natural and aligned with what we see in act 3 of the game if you save them in his spawn ending. TK didn’t go too deep into the shared trauma, but i like to think this is how they interact (also finally some yousen!!!!! as always fuck petrassss)
- thieves guild portions were really fun! i loved the atmosphere of the guild in the game so it was cool to see that again on page.
cons:
- the glossing over of astarion’s trauma felt really insulting. was i expecting trauma porn ft. caz the book? no absolutely not. however, i think moving focus toward astarion going on a quest and skirting a lot of the horrors of caz is a disservice.
- when the trauma was touched upon, she went for shock value instead of a nuanced and respectful portrayal. astarion’s trauma and him overcoming it is what makes him SUCH an impactful character in this world.
- astarion’s relationship to sex was touched on, but making the decision to have him enter a romance in this novel feels weird and forced?????
bits and bobs:
- always love a hot, himbo-coded man just doing his thing
- so much soap referencing???
- my face whenever they mentioned a spot i remember hearing from the game: 😮
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Want to Read
May 4, 2026as a huge dungeons and dragons and baldur's gate 3 fan, i'm worried because i have a love-hate relationship with t.kingfisher's writing style and have been begging her to write more middle grade novels. astarion's voice actor (neil newbon) performing the novel will help magnificently so i preordered the audiobook on libro.fm for that alone. i'm excited for his debut into narration.
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cover artist: eleonor piteira
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cover artist: eleonor piteira
August 13, 2026
I loved this! T. Kingfisher is already an automatic buy author for me and adding in BG3 and Astarion made this one of my most anticipated reads. I did have a harder time getting into this one but very much enjoyed the story overall. Astarion’s voice and sense of humor are captured very well. I look forward to rereading this once the audiobook is available!
This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Want to Read
April 24, 2026ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? OH I NEED IT I NEEEEEED IT
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