First published 2026
Astarion Ancunin should have been a magistrate serving justice in Baldur's Gate. Instead, he prowls the night streets as a vampire spawn, hunting victims for his cruel master Cazador Szarr. For centuries he has obeyed every command, but he never stops dreaming of escape. When Cazador announces a competition among his spawn, Astarion sees his chance. The prize lies buried beneath the city: the blood of a dead god. To claim it, he must break every rule his master has set. He ventures into Baldur's Gate for his own purpose rather than Cazador's. He forms an alliance with Hahn den Suriel, an Aasimar paladin whose golden eyes stir something in his undead heart. Most dangerous of all, he begins to trust. The competition will determine whether Astarion wins his freedom or faces a second death. But in a city where nothing goes as planned, the greatest risk may be allowing himself to hope.
Genres: romance, adventure, fantasy, adult-fiction, dark-fantasy
Vibes: dark, emotional, gritty, intimate, suspenseful
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, found-family, second-chance, slow-burn
Setting: Baldur's Gate
272 pages · Hardcover · Random House Worlds
Content warnings: abuse, violence