Baldur's Gate 3 Is Getting an Official Novel as Astarion Takes the Lead in September

Baldur’s Gate 3 has confirmed that its first official novel, Astarion, will be published this September. It is the game’s first official literary release built around a single character, and it was announced alongside three more Baldur’s Gate 3 books: The Book of the Dead notebook on July 21, the official coloring book on August 11, and the official cookbook on November 3. So far, all announced information points to English editions only.

This is not a patch and not DLC. It is Baldur’s Gate 3 extending its IP into books, and the direction change is obvious. The game has already done the hard part by making its cast popular, and it is now following the character with the broadest appeal. Starting with Astarion for the first solo book is no surprise.

The key draw of Astarion is not retelling the game’s plot. It is filling in his backstory. The official setup is clear: the book will fully cover how he was transformed, how he suffered under his master for years, and how he tried to break free of the curse. For players who care most about character writing, that gives his arc missing context. For people focused mainly on the main story, it reads more like optional bonus material than required reading.

Then there is the detail most likely to drive discussion. The line on the cover—“You’re too beautiful to die”—has already pushed attention toward a possible romance route. The synopsis also hints that the book may feature a handsome Asmodeus paladin. It is a very deliberate hook, and it shows the official side understands exactly what the community tends to latch onto.

The 2025 tie-in lineup is also bigger than a single novel. The Book of the Dead arrives first on July 21, and it is essentially a 250-page lined notebook inspired by the in-game artifact of the same name. The official coloring book follows on August 11 with 40 black-and-white illustrations of characters and scenes. Then the cookbook lands on November 3 with 65 recipes, covering food from the Underdark to the Prism world. The strategy is easy to read: literature, collectible items, and lifestyle products moving at the same time, all meant to stretch Baldur’s Gate 3 beyond playtime and into everyday consumption.

The buying advice is straightforward. If reading in English is not a problem and Astarion is your favorite, the novel is the top priority because it carries the most substantial new information. If you just want lighter merchandise, the coloring book and cookbook make more sense as low-barrier side purchases and are better suited to collectors. As for The Book of the Dead notebook, its commemorative value is stronger than its practical value, so do not treat it as the one must-buy item.

What matters here is not just the sale of a few books. This release wave marks the first large-scale push of the Baldur’s Gate 3 IP into literature and lifestyle categories, showing that it is starting to move from a single breakout game toward a brand that can be sustained over time. For now, though, only English versions have been announced. There is still no confirmed release timing or localization information for the Chinese market. For players in Chinese-speaking regions, the biggest issue right now is not whether the content is appealing enough, but how long the language barrier will remain in the way.