Journey onward with listening recs based on your favorite "Baldur's Gate 3" companion

If your favorite companion is Lae'zel, try The Art of War by Sun Tzu.

Born of crèche K'liir, githyanki warrior Lae’zel is an expertly trained Fighter who values cultural customs of militarism and strength of mind and body. Lae’zel is a bit rough around the edges, uninterested in niceties or forced civility, but she is solution-oriented and dedicated in her mission to remove the parasites that have infected your party’s minds. She is fiercely loyal to the ruler of her people, Queen Vlaakith, but it is a fidelity that is shaken over the course of your shared journey. It is here, as her worldview shifts, that Lae’zel has the opportunity to come into her own as an honorable champion of githyanki unification. Nevertheless, whatever path Lae’zel takes, what remains unshakable is her identity as a warrior, courageous and unyielding. Listeners who favored Lae’zel and want to understand a similar code may enjoy this classic guide to military strategy. Housing entries on everything from planning attacks to better understanding the strengths and weakness of an opponent, The Art of War is a fascinating dive into history, combat, and the path to victory—three components central to Lae’zel’s arc.

If your favorite companion is Shadowheart, try Witchmark by C.L. Polk.

Many players find it impossible not to harbor a soft spot for Shadowheart—she is god’s favorite princess and the most interesting girl in the world, after all. A devout Cleric living in service of Shar, Shadowheart has a complicated personal history that, tragically, she remembers little of. Rendered amnesiac by Sharran indoctrination, Shadowheart (whose birth name is Jenevelle Hallowleaf) is aloof and reluctant to trust others. She grapples with both her faith and identity over the course of the game’s narrative, balancing the directives of a dark deity with her own notions of right and wrong. If Shadowheart’s story of coming into her own resonated with you, try C.L. Polk’s Witchmark. Protagonist Miles, like Shadowheart, has remarkable healing abilities yet struggles with deep internal turmoil. As he tries to hide his magical gifts and escape the life he's been forced into, Miles must also determine what it is he really wants for himself. Set in a unique fantasy world alive with mystery, romance, and war, this listen is perfect for anyone who appreciated similar plot devices in Baldur's Gate 3.

If your favorite companion is Astarion, try Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

First impressions can be rough. Yes, your initial interaction with the pale elf Astarion ends with him holding a knife to your throat. And yes, a few nights later, he’ll be hovering over you trying to sneakily drink your blood. Details, details—match wits with this charming Rogue and win his trust, and you’ll find a complex, steadfast companion. After Astarion opens up about his layered, deeply traumatic history, it’s evident why he values autonomy and a whatever-it-takes mindset. The survivor of unthinkable abuse at the hands of vampire lord Cazador Szarr, Astarion craves revenge but is well aware of the stakes and the opportunity to rise above the way he was treated after being turned centuries prior. Though it may seem a bit on the nose at face value, Anne Rice’s quintessential work of dark, supernatural fiction likewise centers on morally conflicted immortals. Listen in, and you’ll find that Astarion has a good bit in common with series antihero Lestat de Lioncourt, a philosophy-minded, somewhat arrogant, rule-breaking aristocrat-turned-vampire.

If your favorite companion is Gale, try Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor.

The camp’s resident quippy Wizard with a craving for magical items, Gale Dekarios is a bookish hopeless romantic with quite the past and ambitions of the divine variety. From his youth, Gale demonstrated a remarkable skill with arcane magic, his mastery of the Weave soon drawing the attention of Mystra, the goddess of magic. He became one of Mystra’s Chosen, though their relationship evolved from mentorship to an amorous nature. In an effort to impress the goddess, Gale embarked on a quest to reclaim a tome housing ancient magic for his beloved. It was a fool’s errand—in the process, his body absorbed an unstable Netherese orb which, if left unsated, would detonate, causing unimageable destruction. Known for his (at times obsessive) pursuit of knowledge, Gale would no doubt find literary kinship in Lazlo Strange, a young librarian enamored with the myth of the lost city of Weep. Listeners who loved Gale’s story will no doubt be intrigued by Lazlo’s—his journeys through a rich, dark, dreamy world and visions of a mysterious blue-skinned goddess are intricately crafted and delicately unraveled.

If your favorite companion is Wyll, try The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison.

Kind-hearted and well-intentioned, Wyll really wants to protect and honor his oath to the people of the Sword Coast. His father is the Grand Duke Ulder Ravengard, a man of military and political greatness. Throughout his upbringing, Wyll was trained in every aspect of nobility. But it’s his very drive to safeguard Baldur’s Gate that draws him to a fateful misstep. He takes on the fiend Mizora as an infernal patron to eliminate a threat to his people, but in doing so, he is ultimately cast out of the city by his father. Roaming the outskirts as the “Blade of Frontiers,” Wyll continues to try to do what is right while also forced to carry out Mizora’s demands. If you were won over by Wyll’s story, try one that unspools almost in reverse. Maia, the half-Goblin protagonist of The Goblin Emperor, begins his journey in exile, rejected by his royal Elven family. But when his father and brothers are all killed, he must return to the Imperial Court to fulfill his duties as the only surviving heir. Unlike Wyll, Maia is completely untrained in the world of court politics and must balance his adjustment to power with the unraveling mystery of what really happened to his family. But much like Wyll, Maia is an inherently good character pushed and pulled by the influence of grimmer forces.

If your favorite companion is Karlach, try Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

Oh, sweet Karlach. Arguably the camp’s most endearing hero, this gleeful tiefling doesn’t have the temperament you’d expect from a Barbarian freshly escaped from the Nine Hells. Yet underlying her warmth (no pun intended) is a past besieged by bondage and betrayal. Karlach lives, precariously, with an Infernal Engine implanted in her chest—the result of a bargain struck between Enver Gortash, one of the game’s chief antagonists, and the archdevil Zariel. After Karlach fled the fires of Avernus, a failsafe kicked in, and the contraption began overheating, threatening to tear her away from the liberated life she loves so dearly. Karlach’s dire circumstances contribute to her perspective and attitude. While longing to survive, she is determined to do whatever good she can with the fleeting time she has left—and, if possible, get some justice along the way. If you loved Karlach for her ceaseless wit, you may also enjoy the story of Gideon Nav. Like Karlach, Gideon is bound to servitude and determined to make her escape but, also akin to our fiery friend, remains irreverent and wise-cracking. Featuring exquisite, edge-of-your-seat swordfights and heartrending queer romance alike, this sci-fi-infused dark fantasy world is genre-defiant, atmospheric, and as high stakes as a face-off with the Netherbrain.

If your favorite companion is Minthara, try The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.

In the spirit of transparency, let’s say that my personal in-game interactions with Minthara were rather, um, limited. My tendency to play lawful good characters in every campaign coupled with Minthy’s goal of besieging the Grove meant that our first encounter was also the last. After reading up on the paths not traveled, however, it’s tempting to try a new run with the ethically dubious Tav to glean a bit more about her character. A drow Paladin, Minthara is a True Soul working in service of the Absolute. She is ruthless, calculating, and willing to go to any lengths—including violence—to secure victory. Yet like all of the game’s companions, she is far from one-note. If Minthy joins your camp, you’ll find her to be a discerning compatriot who is at times conflicted by the decisions she has made both of her own accord and under the influence of the Absolute. If you recruited Minthara in your campaign, you might likewise be intrigued by Rin, the protagonist of R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War series. Both women are flawed though dynamic figures, driven by their desire for power and navigating a difficult world through sometimes morally corrupt means.

If your favorite companion is Halsin, try Fuzz by Mary Roach.

Halsin is a devoted Wood-Elf Druid, and as such, he is deeply attuned with and fiercely protective of the natural world. (He also happens to wild shape-shift into a cave bear on occasion.) Following the loss of his predecessor due to the shadow curse that had befallen the land, Halsin was called to serve as the Archdruid of the Emerald. His heart is heavy with duty and a fair bit of guilt for all that had transpired. Regardless, he remains gentle and committed to goodness, though resolute in his mission to find Thaniel, the land’s nature spirit, and lift the curse. If you were a fan of Halsin and his call to the wilderness, you're bound to love Mary Roach’s pop sci phenom Fuzz. In this listen, Roach examines the unexpected curiosities born at the intersection of man and nature. She hones in on animal scofflaws (think bushy-tailed trespassers and sticky-pawed burglars) and how humanity responds to their “crimes”—despite the fact that people are often responsible for the unwanted presence and behavior of wildlife. Packed with humor and charged with an evocative call to coexistence, this is a breezy but thought-provoking listen for all the tree huggers among us.

If your favorite companion is Jaheira, try The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro.

Druidic half-elf Jaheira has been a staple in Baldur’s Gate lore since the first game debuted over two decades ago. The player initially met her alongside Khalid, her beloved husband, and the odd couple could not be more temperamentally opposed. Whereas Khalid is soft-spoken, sweet-tempered, and passive, Jaheira is strong-willed, assertive, and acerbically witty. Though Khalid’s death early in Baldur’s Gate II devastates Jaheira, her headstrong demeanor remains when you cross paths with Jaheira in the series’ most recent installment. The High Harper of Baldur’s Gate, Jaheira is accustomed to the unvarnished realities of leadership, having endured the onus of decision-making and the sting of great sacrifice. Even still, there are some losses impossible to truly recover from, as anyone who visited Jaheira’s basement in the lower city can attest. Listeners who loved Jaheira and her relationship with her late husband—and perhaps those among us who wish their adventures could’ve continued—can find solace in Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Buried Giant. This fantasy set after the death of King Arthur follows Axl and Beatrice, an elderly Briton couple, who journey across the unforgiving medieval landscape in search of a son they only vaguely remember. It’s sweet and sad and full of sword and stone, a sweeping testament to the power of love and remembrance.

If your favorite companion is Minsc, try Time Traveling with a Hamster by Ross Welford.

A Warrior with unwavering strength and remarkable constitution, Minsc is a hero who, alongside Jaheira, made his first appearance in 1998’s Baldur’s Gate. He’s not exactly known for his mental acuity, but what he lacks in Wisdom points Minsc more than makes up for in goodness. When we come across poor Minsc in the third act of Baldur’s Gate 3, he is under the influence of a Mindflayer parasite, and his good-natured naivety and loyalty is exploited by a doppelganger impersonating Jaheira. Once under the Emperor’s protection, Minsc returns to his usual lovable self, a behemoth of a man with an even bigger heart. But the most memorable thing about Minsc might just be his pipsqueak of a familiar, a ridiculously adorable hamster named Boo. As Minsc is convinced Boo is actually a miniature giant space hamster, it only follows that our listening recommendation would be a sci-fi spin on a wild adventure heavily involving a pet rodent. Ross Welford’s Time Traveling with a Hamster has all the earnest heart and humor of Minsc himself—with the furry little companion to match.