Baldur’s Gate 3: Astarion by T. Kingfisher

The veil over Astarion Acunin’s life is partially lifted, and glimpses of what could have been, and what actually was are revealed. This didn’t really illuminate much of the parts of Astarion’s life, his years studying and then corrupting the law, that I was hoping to read about. Instead, it alternates between his childhood, and some decades before the events of Baldur’s Gate 3 take place (a guess). It’s a fast, fun read, and if one shaved off a few serial numbers, it could be almost adjacent to her Saint of Steel series. However, this is absolutely a Forgotten Realms/Baldur’s Gate 3 book, and Kingfisher nails both the world, and Astarion himself. By its nature, this book can’t really change too much, so the plot is actually cleverly inconsequential while still being fun. There are little jokes and mentions particularly pleasing for D&D and BG3 players, and even small bits of fan service like redacted showing up. Set before the game, while Astarion could never end on a high note, I…