Books That Give Off Astarion Vibes
If you read books and scroll through TikTok, odds are you’ve seen something about Astarion over these last few weeks. My feed has been completely swallowed by this video game character from Baldur’s Gate 3 – but I’m not complaining, trust me.
But this made me think – what are some books that give off the best “Astarion” vibes? What if there are people out there (and I know there are) that love Astarion as much as I do, if not more, and are looking to experience more content and characters that are similar to him?
So I thought I would put together a list of book recommendations for people who like Astarion from Baldur’s Gate! If you have any other suggestions for books that could work with Astarion lovers, leave them in the comments so that other browsers can find great things to read.
Who’s Astarion?
The description below is taken directly from IGN’s website:
“Astarion is a High Elf Rogue who has a little more going on beneath the surface as a vampire spawn in Baldur’s Gate 3. Astarion prowled the night as a vampire spawn for centuries, serving a sadistic master until a mind flayer parasite freed him from his bonds. Now that he can walk in daylight the game is on, for only his old master stands in the way of him becoming the greatest vampire the world has ever known. After two hundred years serving a cruel master, the vampire spawn Astarion is finally free - free to walk in the sun, free to chase power, and free to take revenge.”
If you manage to dig past Astarion’s sarcastic and cold exterior through in-game dialogue and choices, you’ll find out that he’s a complex character with a very cruel, dark backstory. Furthermore, he has an amazing sense of humor and is excellently voice acted by Neil Newbon. And lastly - and perhaps most importantly - is that he is morally gray, a trait that so many of us love from our male main characters in fantasy books. Astarion is never confirmed as a “good” or “bad” guy, and whenever he makes a choice or says something that might indicate a certain way, he follows that up by doing or saying something that refutes it.
As Alyssa Shotwell wrote on The Mary Sue website, Astarion is attractive for “not just for the memorable sass and bravado, but for the cracks and vulnerability peeking through the end of Act 1 and well into Act 2 of Baldur’s Gate 3.”
Overall, Astarion is a feat of excellent writing, growth, and acting. And he looks pretty fine, too.
Books That Give Off Astarion Vibes 👇
1. A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.64/5
My Rating: 5/5
Disclaimer: A Court of Mist and Fury is the second book in Sarah J. Maas’ bestselling series A Court of Thorns and Roses. But this book - the first one that features Rhysand - is the top recommendation for Astarion lovers. But reading the first book is highly recommended to get the full context of this book and the rest of the series.
This might be an obvious recommendation, but I had to include it on the off chance you’re not aware of Rhysand, who is one of the main characters in A Court of Mist and Fury and the rest of the series. I don’t want to say too much, since it’ll spoil the series for anyone who hasn’t read it, but Rhysand perfectly matches up with Astarion. He’s sarcastic, humorous, and dark on the outside, but has a very vulnerable and broken backstory. Not to mention Cassian and Azriel (along with Rhysand, this trio is dubbed the “bat boys” by BookTok), who also exhibit some similar character traits to Astarion. But none of them match up with Astarion quite as well as Rhysand does. If you haven’t read this series by Sarah J. Maas but you love Astarion, you NEED to read this series. Please. I beg you. Do it. You won’t regret it. I bet my entire bank account on it (which isn’t much right now, but still - it’s the thought that counts).
2. Blood Orange by Karina Halle
Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.86/5
My Rating: 3.75/5
Disclaimer: This is a dark vampire romance with plenty of content warnings. Please research these content warnings before purchasing the book. The interior of the book also has a list of warnings.
Blood Orange by Karina Halle features an interesting plot and backstory, and it was enough to draw me in… but the male main character being a vampire was enticing enough. Blood Orange is a modern day retelling of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and while it doesn’t offer as much character development and depth that the previous recommendation does, it’ll still perfectly sate those who love Astarion. The male main character is - as I wrote - a vampire, and he perfectly falls into typical vampire characteristics, such as being dark and mysterious. His romance with the female main character is extremely fun to read, and I promise it’ll fit what you’re looking for.
The primary thing that drew the rating for this book down a peg for me is the ending. I strongly believe that if I was prepared for this book’s ending, I would’ve liked it a bit more, so I’ll prepare you: expect a disappointing ending. Expect an ending that comes out of nowhere. The rest of the book is still enjoyable and super fun to discuss with your other bookish friends (especially if they’re into romantasy too), but the ending certainly leaves a lot to be desired. At the very least, while this book was originally marketed as a standalone, Karina Halle did release a sequel, so that might help sate the inevitable letdown that comes from the end.
Maybe I’m being too harsh. You should still read it! If anything, the ending is something I love to bring up with friends to get their opinions on it, so if you do read Blood Orange, you’ll have a neat talking point with other bookish friends.
3. From Blood And Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.25/5
My Rating: 4.5/5
A dark, mysterious man that’s morally grey? Check. A witty sense of humor coupled with highly protective instincts? Check.
If you love Astarion, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout will give you EVERYTHING you’re looking for. Hands down. I don’t even have more to say about it. Just read it.
Another quick disclaimer: this book is part of a series, and I would recommend only reading the first two books. I read four books from this series (I believe there are currently seven books forecasted in this series, not including novellas), and in my opinion, the quality really started dropping in the third book. I know the second book ends on a crazy cliffhanger, so if you need the third book to at least get you off that cliff, totally fine! Do your thing 😊 Just be prepared for what I viewed as a real lack of quality.
But the first two books are stellar. They’ll give you your Astarion fix in more ways than you’ll realize, trust me.
4. In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland
Average Rating on Goodreads: 3.79/5
My Rating: 3.9/5
If you’re looking for something a bit more on the YA (Young Adult) side, I’d highly recommend In the Ravenous Dark by A.M. Strickland! Another quick disclaimer: this book warrants some content warnings, namely death (major and minor characters, parents, sibling death by suicide (off page)) and some blood and violence. Please research full content warnings before purchasing this book.
Each of the main characters have character traits that’ll appease Astarion lovers - especially Ivrilos, the spirit who’s tethered to the primary character Rovan. The two of them go through an enemies to lovers arc, which is hugely fun to read… not to mention the amount of TWISTS this book provides. The entire second half of this book will leave you on your toes, I promise.
The only reason my rating for In The Ravenous Dark isn’t higher was just because I wanted more - a bit more worldbuilding and character building. Everything on the page, for me, was interesting enough, and I would’ve loved for A.M. Strickland to explore everything with a bit more depth.
5. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Average Rating on Goodreads: 4.01/5
My Rating: 4.5/5
To end this list with a bang, I’d HIGHLY recommend Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin to anyone obsessed with Astarion. This book features an enemy to lovers romance with perfect tropes that all of us on BookTok fall for, and it also features a plethora of morally grey characters, just like Astarion.
I don’t even have anything more to add about this. Just read it. You won’t be disappointed.
And those are my suggestions! Any books you would add to this list for other Astarion lovers? Let me know below, and I might even make a part two to this list.
Thanks as always for reading! This blog gives me something to do while I’m unemployed, and even if only a couple people read it, it makes me feel like I’m doing something with myself. Woohoo 🎉
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Today's bookish quote:
"I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else."
-Neil Gaman
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