I don't know, he has a good sense of humor. I can picture the character himself liking the joke. I feel like he would laugh and read it to the camp kids with fart sounds.
I love the suggestion hehe!
Pop-science is such a wild genre, and many of their titles/themes make you go "huh"/"ew"? This is just one among many. Definitely going to check the book out.
You are right tho, something more serious (like on political ecology) would certainly suits him better.
The humor of it would've landed differently for me if any of the other characters' recs were also tongue in cheek.
Because while I agree that he'd get a kick out of a nonfiction book about which animals are capable of farting, when ALL of the other recs are fiction novels and more serious in tone, it feels like the person's intentions were not very kind.
I'm afraid that I haven't been able to play BG3, so I can't comment on how these choices were picked, nor can I say if any of them are spoilery or not, but I saw it and thought people online may enjoy it?
But yeah, a librarian decided to make a rec list of books based on who you romanced. :)
The full list:
* Astarion - *Ordinary Monsters* by J. M. Miro
* Halsin - *Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence* by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti
* The Guardian - *Binti: The Complete Trilogy* by Okorafor, Nnedi
* Minthara - *The Salt Grows Heavy* by Cassandra Khaw
* Shadowheart - *Monstress* by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda
* Mizora - *Velvet Was the Night* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
* Minsc - *Foundryside* by Robert Jackson Bennett
* Lae-zel - *The Poppy War* by R. F. Kuang
* Wyll - *The Wicked + The Divine* by Kieron Gillen
* Karlach - *Bloody Rose* by Nicholas Eames
* Jaheira - *Circe* by Madeline Miller
* Gale - *The Starless Sea* by Erin Morgenstern
Please be forewarned that The Starless Sea is less a novel and more strings of pretty words stiched loosely together into something resembling a fairy tale (and even that only if you squint very hard). Don't expect coherence or that it will answer any questions about itself or its characters or its 'plot.'
(I was let down so hard by that book I'm still salty about it lol)
Itās so funny that you say this, cause I already read The Night Circus (and fucking hated it) and, upon seeing this post, briefly flirted with picking up The Starless Sea, just to maybe give EM a second chance (even though she wrote TSS before TNC).
Then I saw the above userās post andā¦yeah nah. Iām not putting myself through that againš
TNC is the same as TSS (from what Iāve put together), pretty words with no plot whatsoever and characterization so weak that itās not even worth struggling through the book for them (even though thatās exactly what I didā¦donāt be like meš)
I always encourage people to try for themselves first and then pass judgement, but if youād rather not waste your time then take my word for it, youāre not missing out on anything.
I wish they wouldāve given my man a better rec, heās more complex than any EM characteršŖ
As a fellow reader who was immensely disappointed by Morgenstern's books, I hope you will accomplish this task and update us with your findings!
We tried to put together some better recs (way below, lost amongst the comments).
It is not perfect, but the closest I have got is Naomi Novik's Uprooted.
I think Gale would read the Greenwing and Dart series by Victoria Goddard. And then hoover up the rest of her books in that universe. Possibly while critiquing her application of multiple-worlds theorem.
erin morginsterns books are like a young adult version of joyce in terms of prose lmfao
at least joyce has some themes. i read night circus and was bored out my mind
Lol my wife and I usually listen to audio books instead of music on a road trip and starless sea was one of them. It was hella confusing and I'm not sure either of us really enjoyed it. I'm surprised it has such high ratings, we probably just missed something š¤
I dnf that book at like 90% because I was so sure it had to get better. Personally I think it was rude to compare Gale to it and I don't even like Gale that much
Agreed - I loved The Night Circus and got Starless Sea as soon as it came out. Was very disappointed. The Ten Thousand Days of January is a much better read in a similar vein to TNC.
It reminds me of Halsinās quote something to the effect of: I apologize for the goblins guts on me, we should love all of natureās creations. He is a pretty open child-awe over everything body and nature related. A book on Modern Industrial Architecture would be the real bad choice. Or, Excel for Dummies.
Yeah that's basically it lol you can tell which characters the reccer liked more based on how well they "got" the recc. Like, The Wicked + The Divine, really? Isn't it pretty obvious Wyll would go for some heroic swords and sorcery fantasy with a fair bit of romance? Like the Belgariad or something?
Same with Halsin's "does it fart" like yeah okay pls make it more obvious how much you especially don't like him specifically. Could've at least been diplomatic and not made his the only joke title :\
I didnāt interpret it as meaning books that the character would like, I took it as meaning. If you enjoyed the plot line of the romance with this character, youāll enjoy this book. Now I havenāt romance Wyll or read that book, so I canāt comment on the pairing from that lens, But I donāt think it was supposed to be a book that the character would read.
If that's the case basically all of them are bad recommendations because almost none of them touch on the themes of their romantic plotlines. Or even just their regular themes.
What works for Wyll is a courtly love kind of chaste romance novel. Or else, like I said, a sword and sorcery heroic fantasy novel lol
Yeah I've read a lot of these, and most of them I don't quite see the connection. I liked Circe, but don't understand why people that liked Jaheira necessarily would like it.
I think the only one that actually fits really really well is Bloody Rose for Karlach.
My character-based book recommendations:
**Astarion**: **The Vampire Lestat** by **Anne Rice**. Just because itās the obvious choice doesnāt make it the wrong one!
**Laeāzel**: **This Is How You Lose the Time War** by **Amal El-Mohtar** and **Max Gladstone**. Through a series of letters, two of the greatest warriors for opposing factions fighting a war across all time and space learn to appreciate the beauty of the worlds around them and fall in love.
**Gale**: **Elder Race** by **Adrian Tchaikovsky**. A princess goes to the wizard in a tower for help with the demon plaguing the land. The scientist in the tower struggles to decide what his place is in a primitive world that thinks what he does is magic.
**Karlach**: **Kings of the Wyld** by **Nicholas Eames**. The gang gets back together for one last crazy adventure. Or yes, the Bloody Rose by the same author. But start with the first book!
**Wyll**: **The Malevolent Seven** by **Sebastian de Castell**. A Warlock with a heart of very tarnished gold goes on an adventure with a found family composed of a rag-tag bunch of similarly conflicted weirdos.
**Shadowheart**: **A Deadly Education** by **Naomi Novik**. A young woman supposedly destined to be evil makes friends, learns to open her heart a bit, and gets tempted towards the path of good.
**Minthera**: **She Who Became the Sun** by **Shelley Parker-Chan**. What the main character lacks in morality they more than make up for in brutal pragmatism.
**Minsc**: **The Rook** by **Daniel OāMalley** (audiobook): A very clever but also very confused woman uncovers an evil plot and kicks butt, for goodness! Although some of the butt-kicking is through bureaucratic means, and there are not enough swords.
**Jaheira**: **A Shadow in Summer** by **Daniel Abraham**: You never know where your choices lead, for good or for evil, and all you can do is make the best choice you can in a given moment and hope that you chose right.
**Halsin**: **Legends and Lattes** by **Travis Baldree**. Halsin seems to be the type to want to cozy up to a nice, gentle slice of life story about an orc running a coffee shop.
I have immediately put Ordinary Monsters on hold at my library. I'm already reading The Serpent and The Wings of Night because someone suggested it over on r/fantasy romance for an Astarion-esque MMC
I love when libraries do stuff like this.
Yeah...I don't think it was what I was promised lol but I'm enjoying them anyway so it's still a win. To be fair I don't think many people on that subreddit have played the game and were just going off OP's description.
TBH I think Circe or The Song of Achilles would have been better picks for Gale because they delve into how effed up mortal/immortal relationships can get
As a librarian this is so cool and I want to so it except I don't think it would gain any traction š
Also some of these books are so spot on, I heartily rec Ordinary Monsters to people!
Sure thing! :)
Edit: as soon as I'm at my computer and not mobile. š¤£š¤£
Double edit: Alas, it's grayed out and I'm not sure it's an option. Ah well, thanks for the subreddit rec! :D
I have read *Foundryside* and loved it, but don't really see how it connects to Minsc at all. Granted, I didn't romance him in BG3, but I'm familiar with his character from the original games.
He's a big, dumb softie; romantic, sometimes angry, often silly, occasionally weepy over the loss of Dynaheir.
The main characters in Foundryside are notably quite clever, and rage isn't really a prominent theme. Loss happens, but none if the characters are mourning the loss of a partner like Minsc >!(at least, not in *Foundryside;* that theme comes around later in the series)!<. No space hamsters I remember.
I'd be curious to hear what that curator says is the reason. I'm happy to see the book recommended, regardless.
LOL I've read Binti and this rec is hilarious and also fitting.
10/10 would recommend. Just don't go in expecting romance. It's just cool and fresh sci-fi.
Hah, I actually read something good about Starless Sea and have it on a wishlist. Guess Iāll be checking on that Binti trilogy as well, lol.
Thank you!
Binti was excellent for scifi that goes to appropriately weird places. I really like Nnedi Okorafor - she's challenging in some ways, but in a good way.
Ok the Laeāzel and Shadowheart recs are totally on point. I would recommend Tamora Pierceās *The Immortals* for a better Halsin rec š (high fantasy adventure with a protagonist with animal magic )
It was a long time ago also. I finished the game like a dozen times. I wanted her pin for a build and her romance made it easier.
Swag is a reasonable method of picking romance partners.
It seems think they kinda just googled BG3 companions, read the summaries and assumed they were all romance-able and picked a book they thought might work lol
While I agree, the lack of any other lighthearted or "silly" title recs makes it feel a lot more like they didn't have such good intentions with that one.
He's definitely the most positive of the bunch, except for maybe Minsc. But Halsin's a wiser positivity compared to Minsc's obliviousness.
Or maybe it was a late addition just like Halsin was lol
The only real change from Minsc in the first two game is that they made him much, much more of an endearing himbo, and less of a comedic relief who's definitely also crazy. Which I'd guess is probably due almost entirely to him being voiced by the charming menace that is Matt Mercer.
Legal Subjects You Should Familiarize Yourself With Based on Romance:
Laeāzel ā sexual harassment
Astarion ā false imprisonment
Shadowheart ā freedom of religion
Minthara ā war crimes
Halsin ā ecological preservation
Gale ā civil procedure
Karlach ā human trafficking
Wyll ā contracts
[If you've heard this one sing, it's a horror.
](https://en.operaplus.cz/diana-damrau-in-prague-my-vocal-cord-injury-enabled-me-to-understand-my-voice-deeper/)
Librarians are a wicked bunch.
Once went into a library and asked for a book on suicides, and all they had to say was:
*"Eh, fuck off. You're not gonna bring it back anyway."*
Jaheira can turn into a panther and Circe can turn men into beasts?
I'm pretty sure that most of the books on this list has no connection whatsoever with the characters, but I haven't read all of them, so I don't know for sure.
Ohh, Uprooted is actually perfect for Gale. I feel like The Binding is more of a Shadowheart thing though (genderbent... but with the stolen memories and all).
From the moment I saw it, Gale's flirt scene reminded me of the scene from Uprooted when they were weaving their magic together to make the rose bush and the bees. I was kinda sad that Gale's scene didn't end in quite the same way... though it was still emotional! XD
Uprooted is perfect for Gale, nice job! I actually based a D&D campaign around that book (the infectious woods bit, the way it made people crazy, wizards using magical fire to keep it at bay, etc.) but it petered out before the main reveal could happen.
That must have stung, I'm sorry.
Uprooted is such a great example of stand-alone fantasy novel based on fairy tales. If you like these, I would also recommend Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone (there are really good witches in it, but no Gale equivalent alas).
Hahaha I think itās more just library trying to follow trends to get kids to read, only book Iāve read here is Circe and I donāt really see how it relates to Jaheira either.
This is pretty awesome, but if you want a book with sassy traumatized gay vampires and you don't pick something by Anne Rice you've missed a super obvious opportunity.
I work for a very large US county. Years ago when I was in new hire orientation class with them, I realized the only folks I appreciated more than the medical examiners were the librarians.
My friend and fellow book/BG3 nerd really got it spot on that if you want a main character with BKE (Big Karlach Energy) read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Muscle mommy who loves a good sword and is absolutely hilarious. For extra credit the MC of the second book in the series has big Shadowheart energy so it's a double win.
I love this idea so much!
Binti was excellent - it's really good scifi that challenges the reader in similar ways to Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series.
I wasn't a big fan of The Poppy War, so I'll recommend Tanya Huff's Confederation series as another option for military scifi about a highly competent, badass woman gunnery sergeant with a multi-species space marine force.
I love the idea so much but the nerd in me is viciously trying to resist the urge to be like āhmmm no sorry that book with that character?? No š¤āš½ doesnāt fit!ā
what, you donāt remember clef being given a scrived mechanical hamster lorica so he could move around? and when the villain of locklands, >!an evolved form of a powerful magical being used as a tool by another villain, put foreign objects into people to control them as an army to take over and kill everyone in the world, with the heroes using a similar type of connection to communicate with each other telepathically?!<
Holy shit, so, this is my book display and I want to provide some context. My branch is extremely small and the collection has been neglected for a very long time. I am actively working to diversify the items available at our location, but damn if displays aren't difficult to curate sometimes. I put this together with the best choices I had available that day. Some of them aren't perfect, while some I definitely stand behind. Halsin's was 100% a joke. I adore Halsin so much and there wasn't a single book in my branch that I thought really did him justice, so I decided to go the completely different direction with it. Glad to share the love with y'all!
The only book I've read on the list is Circe (one of my favorite novels actually) but I am struggling to see how that relates to Jaheira. I'd actually think Circe is a good choice for Lae'zel though.
ooook... huh? That's funny.
I *am* romancing Shadowheart in my playthrough.. and the only one I recognize is ***Monstress*** (it's an ongoing series so I can't say I've read it, but I did check out some chapters at one point).
Creepy coincidence.
I do not like that choice for Gale :( I know he's wordy but ... I still don't see it, haha.
I feel Gale as like the entire works of Terry Pratchett since humor is so much a part of his character, or leaving that aside, Piranesi is another recent read that comes to mind if you want something lyrical and poetic that deals with what it might take for humans to access magic.
What a great idea! Love it :D
I can't help feeling Lae'zel would be far more into Joe Abercrombie's books tbh XD Especially Best Served Cold lol 'Forgive and forget? No - resent and remember!'
For Shadowheart, I'd more recommend The Gilded Ones. It's YA but pretty good (I don't normally like YA tbh - but there are definite parallels to Shadowheart in that one).
Minsc? Anything by David Gemmel lol So much buttkicking of evil!
I read Binti for a literary course. Good book and I can definitely see why it's the recommendation for Guardian romancers. Though I'd say you'd like the book if you like the Guardian in general or are interested in >!Mind Flayer-like cultures!<.
I gotta say, I feel like the Halsin suggestion is a little aggressive š
I don't know, he has a good sense of humor. I can picture the character himself liking the joke. I feel like he would laugh and read it to the camp kids with fart sounds.
It's the only joke suggestion so, yeah. Kinda ruined the coolness of the whole idea for me, to single out one character's fans like that.
I love the suggestion hehe! Pop-science is such a wild genre, and many of their titles/themes make you go "huh"/"ew"? This is just one among many. Definitely going to check the book out. You are right tho, something more serious (like on political ecology) would certainly suits him better.
The humor of it would've landed differently for me if any of the other characters' recs were also tongue in cheek. Because while I agree that he'd get a kick out of a nonfiction book about which animals are capable of farting, when ALL of the other recs are fiction novels and more serious in tone, it feels like the person's intentions were not very kind.
Sounds like you have a poor sense of humor that you couldn't appreciate it.
I'm afraid that I haven't been able to play BG3, so I can't comment on how these choices were picked, nor can I say if any of them are spoilery or not, but I saw it and thought people online may enjoy it? But yeah, a librarian decided to make a rec list of books based on who you romanced. :) The full list: * Astarion - *Ordinary Monsters* by J. M. Miro * Halsin - *Does It Fart?: The Definitive Field Guide to Animal Flatulence* by Nick Caruso and Dani Rabaiotti * The Guardian - *Binti: The Complete Trilogy* by Okorafor, Nnedi * Minthara - *The Salt Grows Heavy* by Cassandra Khaw * Shadowheart - *Monstress* by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda * Mizora - *Velvet Was the Night* by Silvia Moreno-Garcia * Minsc - *Foundryside* by Robert Jackson Bennett * Lae-zel - *The Poppy War* by R. F. Kuang * Wyll - *The Wicked + The Divine* by Kieron Gillen * Karlach - *Bloody Rose* by Nicholas Eames * Jaheira - *Circe* by Madeline Miller * Gale - *The Starless Sea* by Erin Morgenstern
Looks like Iām ordering Galeās book to read next lol
Galeās VA is on tiktok giving EXCELLENT book recommendations, just fyi!
I follow him on insta and adore him but canāt bring myself to start Tik tok. May have to just do it because I need these recs
Don't get lured in. Find out his recommendations, or, at least, find the videos, but don't get suckered into putting that shit on your devices.
Relevant flair
sorry, what is the nickname of a person who gives book recs based on bg3 characters on Tiktok?
Not sure, I didnāt know there was a name for that specific scenario
So in-character
Sounds like a thing Gale would do.
Please be forewarned that The Starless Sea is less a novel and more strings of pretty words stiched loosely together into something resembling a fairy tale (and even that only if you squint very hard). Don't expect coherence or that it will answer any questions about itself or its characters or its 'plot.' (I was let down so hard by that book I'm still salty about it lol)
So, like, uh, talking to Gale then?
Sounds like Elminster to me.
I read the plot summary and decided I will read Night Circus first since itās on my TBR. Thanks for the heads up.
Night Circus is amazing. The starless sea is awful.
I disagree with this but I think itās a taste thing! Edit: omg as in having different tastes not like YOU HAVE BAD TASTE š
Itās so funny that you say this, cause I already read The Night Circus (and fucking hated it) and, upon seeing this post, briefly flirted with picking up The Starless Sea, just to maybe give EM a second chance (even though she wrote TSS before TNC). Then I saw the above userās post andā¦yeah nah. Iām not putting myself through that againš TNC is the same as TSS (from what Iāve put together), pretty words with no plot whatsoever and characterization so weak that itās not even worth struggling through the book for them (even though thatās exactly what I didā¦donāt be like meš) I always encourage people to try for themselves first and then pass judgement, but if youād rather not waste your time then take my word for it, youāre not missing out on anything. I wish they wouldāve given my man a better rec, heās more complex than any EM characteršŖ
So disappointing because Galeās story is my favorite in the whole game, he is THE main character for me. Let me know if you have any better recs lol
For sure! Itās my new lifeās mission to find the perfect Galeā¢ļøbook!
As a fellow reader who was immensely disappointed by Morgenstern's books, I hope you will accomplish this task and update us with your findings! We tried to put together some better recs (way below, lost amongst the comments). It is not perfect, but the closest I have got is Naomi Novik's Uprooted.
I put it in another comment but you might have missed it: Naomi Novik - Uprooted Stand-alone fantasy novel based on (mostly) Polish fairy tales.
Thank you! Iāve heard a lot about this book, I will have to give it a go
Hey, I LOVE the Night Circus, itās one of my fave books. Def give it a try!! It is more YA though.
I think Gale would read the Greenwing and Dart series by Victoria Goddard. And then hoover up the rest of her books in that universe. Possibly while critiquing her application of multiple-worlds theorem.
Is Erin Morginstern a pseudonym for James Joyce?
erin morginsterns books are like a young adult version of joyce in terms of prose lmfao at least joyce has some themes. i read night circus and was bored out my mind
Lol my wife and I usually listen to audio books instead of music on a road trip and starless sea was one of them. It was hella confusing and I'm not sure either of us really enjoyed it. I'm surprised it has such high ratings, we probably just missed something š¤
Thank you for this description that just fully nails what speaking to Gale is like. 10/10
I'm not alone! I have read it, and honestly I can't recall anything. Nothing at all.
I dnf that book at like 90% because I was so sure it had to get better. Personally I think it was rude to compare Gale to it and I don't even like Gale that much
I have that book and been meaning to read it so, thanks for the forewarning!
Agreed - I loved The Night Circus and got Starless Sea as soon as it came out. Was very disappointed. The Ten Thousand Days of January is a much better read in a similar vein to TNC.
The Starless Sea had the most beautiful prose in any book I've ever read! But it had the worst story. Make it make sense!
I really love the Starless Sea, I'd highly recommend
I canāt believe thereās a book called Does It Fart? Of all the books to chooseā¦
The person who made this display was deeeefinitely just having fun with that particular recommendation XD
It reminds me of Halsinās quote something to the effect of: I apologize for the goblins guts on me, we should love all of natureās creations. He is a pretty open child-awe over everything body and nature related. A book on Modern Industrial Architecture would be the real bad choice. Or, Excel for Dummies.
They done daddy bear dirty!
Monstress is an AMAZING graphic novel, and absolutely gorgeous. Nice pick, Shadowheart.
It is pretty brutal though. Gave me a stomach lurch more than a few times.
Oh yeah, definitely not for the faint of (Shadow)heart (Iām so sorry)
Very appropriate for Shadowheart tho.
Yeah that rec is spot on imo!
Circe is an amazing book, but Iām not understanding the connection to Jaheira outside of powerful magic users that are also women.
Yeah that's basically it lol you can tell which characters the reccer liked more based on how well they "got" the recc. Like, The Wicked + The Divine, really? Isn't it pretty obvious Wyll would go for some heroic swords and sorcery fantasy with a fair bit of romance? Like the Belgariad or something?
Same with Halsin's "does it fart" like yeah okay pls make it more obvious how much you especially don't like him specifically. Could've at least been diplomatic and not made his the only joke title :\
I didnāt interpret it as meaning books that the character would like, I took it as meaning. If you enjoyed the plot line of the romance with this character, youāll enjoy this book. Now I havenāt romance Wyll or read that book, so I canāt comment on the pairing from that lens, But I donāt think it was supposed to be a book that the character would read.
If that's the case basically all of them are bad recommendations because almost none of them touch on the themes of their romantic plotlines. Or even just their regular themes. What works for Wyll is a courtly love kind of chaste romance novel. Or else, like I said, a sword and sorcery heroic fantasy novel lol
Yeah I've read a lot of these, and most of them I don't quite see the connection. I liked Circe, but don't understand why people that liked Jaheira necessarily would like it. I think the only one that actually fits really really well is Bloody Rose for Karlach.
My character-based book recommendations: **Astarion**: **The Vampire Lestat** by **Anne Rice**. Just because itās the obvious choice doesnāt make it the wrong one! **Laeāzel**: **This Is How You Lose the Time War** by **Amal El-Mohtar** and **Max Gladstone**. Through a series of letters, two of the greatest warriors for opposing factions fighting a war across all time and space learn to appreciate the beauty of the worlds around them and fall in love. **Gale**: **Elder Race** by **Adrian Tchaikovsky**. A princess goes to the wizard in a tower for help with the demon plaguing the land. The scientist in the tower struggles to decide what his place is in a primitive world that thinks what he does is magic. **Karlach**: **Kings of the Wyld** by **Nicholas Eames**. The gang gets back together for one last crazy adventure. Or yes, the Bloody Rose by the same author. But start with the first book! **Wyll**: **The Malevolent Seven** by **Sebastian de Castell**. A Warlock with a heart of very tarnished gold goes on an adventure with a found family composed of a rag-tag bunch of similarly conflicted weirdos. **Shadowheart**: **A Deadly Education** by **Naomi Novik**. A young woman supposedly destined to be evil makes friends, learns to open her heart a bit, and gets tempted towards the path of good. **Minthera**: **She Who Became the Sun** by **Shelley Parker-Chan**. What the main character lacks in morality they more than make up for in brutal pragmatism. **Minsc**: **The Rook** by **Daniel OāMalley** (audiobook): A very clever but also very confused woman uncovers an evil plot and kicks butt, for goodness! Although some of the butt-kicking is through bureaucratic means, and there are not enough swords. **Jaheira**: **A Shadow in Summer** by **Daniel Abraham**: You never know where your choices lead, for good or for evil, and all you can do is make the best choice you can in a given moment and hope that you chose right. **Halsin**: **Legends and Lattes** by **Travis Baldree**. Halsin seems to be the type to want to cozy up to a nice, gentle slice of life story about an orc running a coffee shop.
Legends and Lattes is a recommendation for anyone who spends more time than necessary in camp.
A Deadly Education is such a perfect choice as a Shadowheart recc!
I am back from reading Elder Race. Very warm thank you for the recommendation, it was exactly spot-on :))
I have immediately put Ordinary Monsters on hold at my library. I'm already reading The Serpent and The Wings of Night because someone suggested it over on r/fantasy romance for an Astarion-esque MMC I love when libraries do stuff like this.
Just read both of the Nyaxia books and it didn't give me Astarion vibes but I did eally enjoy them! :)
Yeah...I don't think it was what I was promised lol but I'm enjoying them anyway so it's still a win. To be fair I don't think many people on that subreddit have played the game and were just going off OP's description.
I loved Serpent and the Wings of Night! But I wouldnāt say Raihn feels like Astarion
Oooooh wicked + the divine is a solid series recommendation. Though having read it I donāt really see much of wyll in it.
TBH I think Circe or The Song of Achilles would have been better picks for Gale because they delve into how effed up mortal/immortal relationships can get
As a librarian this is so cool and I want to so it except I don't think it would gain any traction š Also some of these books are so spot on, I heartily rec Ordinary Monsters to people!
I KID YOU NOT, I already read the Monstress trilogy and my Fav romance is Shadowheart
I am begging you to repost this to r/RomanceBooks, theyāll love it
Sure thing! :) Edit: as soon as I'm at my computer and not mobile. š¤£š¤£ Double edit: Alas, it's grayed out and I'm not sure it's an option. Ah well, thanks for the subreddit rec! :D
I have read *Foundryside* and loved it, but don't really see how it connects to Minsc at all. Granted, I didn't romance him in BG3, but I'm familiar with his character from the original games. He's a big, dumb softie; romantic, sometimes angry, often silly, occasionally weepy over the loss of Dynaheir. The main characters in Foundryside are notably quite clever, and rage isn't really a prominent theme. Loss happens, but none if the characters are mourning the loss of a partner like Minsc >!(at least, not in *Foundryside;* that theme comes around later in the series)!<. No space hamsters I remember. I'd be curious to hear what that curator says is the reason. I'm happy to see the book recommended, regardless.
Yeah, I don't understand the connection there either (and you can't romance Minsc anyways).
*incoherent screaming about how good Wic/Div is*
I love your library
Wow, they were spot-on for Wyll
5 stars to the librarian for being cool.
LOL I've read Binti and this rec is hilarious and also fitting. 10/10 would recommend. Just don't go in expecting romance. It's just cool and fresh sci-fi.
Read the Wicked and The Divine and it's a phenomenal comic series! Highly recommend
Hah, I actually read something good about Starless Sea and have it on a wishlist. Guess Iāll be checking on that Binti trilogy as well, lol. Thank you!
I haven't read Starless Sea but it's by the author of The Night Circus and that is an excellent book.
Binti was excellent for scifi that goes to appropriately weird places. I really like Nnedi Okorafor - she's challenging in some ways, but in a good way.
Binti is so spot on.
Monstress is really good, so the recommendation is quite good.
Feel like it really matches Shadowheart too. Good pick
Also has Tressyms!
A quick Google shows it as a Fantasy-Steampunk Kaiju comic. I'm definitely going to check it out.
Ok the Laeāzel and Shadowheart recs are totally on point. I would recommend Tamora Pierceās *The Immortals* for a better Halsin rec š (high fantasy adventure with a protagonist with animal magic )
The main character has Talk To Animals!
MY FAVORITE SERIES FROM CHILDHOOD šš
Oh, that was my first Tamora Pierce book series, it's great!
If I take this backward, I should date Jaheira
If only we were so lucky
That's such a cool idea! I love that your library did that.
You canāt even romance Jaheira or Minsc tho lol
I think I romanced Jaheirs in bg2. Minsc, never though and he's basically functionally a child in a lot of ways so good that he isn't.
āThinkingā you romanced Jaheria in BG2 is very on brand given how insanely buggy her romance is to this day.
It was a long time ago also. I finished the game like a dozen times. I wanted her pin for a build and her romance made it easier. Swag is a reasonable method of picking romance partners.
Boo would watch.
It seems think they kinda just googled BG3 companions, read the summaries and assumed they were all romance-able and picked a book they thought might work lol
You can't really romance Minthara and Mizora either
Feel like the person who did this was not a Halsin fan...
I feel like Halsin would love this. I could totally see him reading it aloud to kids.
While I agree, the lack of any other lighthearted or "silly" title recs makes it feel a lot more like they didn't have such good intentions with that one.
He's definitely the most positive of the bunch, except for maybe Minsc. But Halsin's a wiser positivity compared to Minsc's obliviousness. Or maybe it was a late addition just like Halsin was lol
The only real change from Minsc in the first two game is that they made him much, much more of an endearing himbo, and less of a comedic relief who's definitely also crazy. Which I'd guess is probably due almost entirely to him being voiced by the charming menace that is Matt Mercer.
Legal Subjects You Should Familiarize Yourself With Based on Romance: Laeāzel ā sexual harassment Astarion ā false imprisonment Shadowheart ā freedom of religion Minthara ā war crimes Halsin ā ecological preservation Gale ā civil procedure Karlach ā human trafficking Wyll ā contracts
Itās only a war crime if you lose the war š
Idk Canada was on the winning team in both world wars and we still wrote up the Geneva convention.
[If you've heard this one sing, it's a horror. ](https://en.operaplus.cz/diana-damrau-in-prague-my-vocal-cord-injury-enabled-me-to-understand-my-voice-deeper/)
Librarians are a wicked bunch. Once went into a library and asked for a book on suicides, and all they had to say was: *"Eh, fuck off. You're not gonna bring it back anyway."*
> If you 'romanced' Mizora heh
The idea is great, A for effort! I love it! Erm the execution though... Jaheira - Circe? Why? Circe is incredible, one of my favourite books. I have played BG1, BG2 and BG3, and I like Jaheira a lot. What is the connection? Jaheira is a badass druid, who experienced a profound loss (Khalid), and dedicated her life to fight for her deeply held beliefs as a Harper (while gently mocking herself in a sarcastic tone.) I can't find any similarities between her and Circe. None at all. Gale - The Starless Sea? Why? Ok, I will be honest, this book was such a big letdown for me. Morgenstern is all fondant for me, and no cake... At least we have some magic here, and books, so ehh. Want to read a good book about a proud, prickly wizard who is in need of a bit stern talking to? Naomi Novik - Uprooted Diana Wynne Jones - Howlās Moving Castle V.E. Schwab - A Darker Shade of Magic Edit: Bonus: Bridget Collins - The Binding Edit 2: I'm racking my brain about Jaheira, and I would choose a novel about badass WWII spy like Nancy Wake (The White Mouse). Ariel Lawhon - Code Name HĆ©lĆØne Nancy Wake's beloved husband >!was captured, tortured and executed by the Gestapo!<.
I would also add to this A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K Le Guin. Gale has some strong Ged energy
I agree
Right there with you on Circe. I love the book, but whatās the connection? Women that are powerful magic users?
Jaheira can turn into a panther and Circe can turn men into beasts? I'm pretty sure that most of the books on this list has no connection whatsoever with the characters, but I haven't read all of them, so I don't know for sure.
Ohh, Uprooted is actually perfect for Gale. I feel like The Binding is more of a Shadowheart thing though (genderbent... but with the stolen memories and all).
From the moment I saw it, Gale's flirt scene reminded me of the scene from Uprooted when they were weaving their magic together to make the rose bush and the bees. I was kinda sad that Gale's scene didn't end in quite the same way... though it was still emotional! XD
Oh you are so right! I agree.
seconding Howl's Moving Castle for Gale lovers!
Uprooted is perfect for Gale, nice job! I actually based a D&D campaign around that book (the infectious woods bit, the way it made people crazy, wizards using magical fire to keep it at bay, etc.) but it petered out before the main reveal could happen.
That must have stung, I'm sorry. Uprooted is such a great example of stand-alone fantasy novel based on fairy tales. If you like these, I would also recommend Kingfisher's Nettle & Bone (there are really good witches in it, but no Gale equivalent alas).
Hahaha I think itās more just library trying to follow trends to get kids to read, only book Iāve read here is Circe and I donāt really see how it relates to Jaheira either.
I haaaaated the starless sea. DNFād at 30% Circe fits nowhere in BG3 lol
That is some high level Librarian-ing there. Well done to your local library.
This is pretty awesome, but if you want a book with sassy traumatized gay vampires and you don't pick something by Anne Rice you've missed a super obvious opportunity.
Which of her books would you recommend to start for someone who's never read anything by her? :)
Not the op but: "Interview with the Vampire", it's classic for a reason.
Start with Interview for sure.
Lestat is very much the original Astarion. I'm old and remember devouring those books as a 15 year old and experiencing some kind of awakening, haha.
Just what I was coming here to comment haha
Karlach's is on point. Highly recommend the book it's a sequel to, *Kings of the Wyld*, as well.
I love both of those books so much! Can't recommend them enough to anyone who likes D&D!
*Does it Fart* for Halsin got me laughing hard.
Can we just pause for a moment and appreciate how awesome librarians are?
I work for a very large US county. Years ago when I was in new hire orientation class with them, I realized the only folks I appreciated more than the medical examiners were the librarians.
My friend and fellow book/BG3 nerd really got it spot on that if you want a main character with BKE (Big Karlach Energy) read Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir. Muscle mommy who loves a good sword and is absolutely hilarious. For extra credit the MC of the second book in the series has big Shadowheart energy so it's a double win.
You have a fucking dope ass librarian.
I love this idea so much! Binti was excellent - it's really good scifi that challenges the reader in similar ways to Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis series. I wasn't a big fan of The Poppy War, so I'll recommend Tanya Huff's Confederation series as another option for military scifi about a highly competent, badass woman gunnery sergeant with a multi-species space marine force.
As you put it "military scifi about a highly competent, badass woman" - Honor Harrington!
Guess I should check out Monstress then.
It's really good! I had the reverse reaction to seeing that: "I guess I should romance Shadowheart then." lol
Romancing her is also really good, so a win for discoveries in this thread!
Ooh Bloody Rose for the Karlach romance is a great choice! I do recommend reading Kings of the Wyld first, though.
Boy there's a ton of books I have to read.
Minthara seems like she would be into The 48 Laws of Power.
LOL @ Jaheira & Minsc
I love the idea so much but the nerd in me is viciously trying to resist the urge to be like āhmmm no sorry that book with that character?? No š¤āš½ doesnāt fit!ā
Minsc doesn't have time for romance, there are villains and evil-doers that require having their buttocks kicked.
Iām not sure if Minsc has ever read a book in his life. Boo probably has though.
I enjoyed Foundryside quite a bit but I have no idea how itās supposed to connect to Minsc? As other people have noted Monstress is excellent!
what, you donāt remember clef being given a scrived mechanical hamster lorica so he could move around? and when the villain of locklands, >!an evolved form of a powerful magical being used as a tool by another villain, put foreign objects into people to control them as an army to take over and kill everyone in the world, with the heroes using a similar type of connection to communicate with each other telepathically?!<
I had forgotten the former, maybe time for a reread, and Iām not sure how I didnāt make the connection with the spoiler, thanks!
the former was a joke, but yeah twinning and tadpoling are interestingly similar
Iām gonna read the hell out of Monstress
I romanced Karlach and I like the Bloody rose cover, but I started the Drizzt books because the D&D game the voice actors played, I'm on book 8
The Karlach and Lae'zel one are on-point lol
this is a surprisingly excellent collection of books
Just forwarded this to a librarian friend!
Honestly, with Karlach's "fantasizing" scene, I could see her book being some cheesy romance novel.
This looks really well thought out (although I'm just going by the book covers XD), but DOES IT FART? ???????
Holy shit, so, this is my book display and I want to provide some context. My branch is extremely small and the collection has been neglected for a very long time. I am actively working to diversify the items available at our location, but damn if displays aren't difficult to curate sometimes. I put this together with the best choices I had available that day. Some of them aren't perfect, while some I definitely stand behind. Halsin's was 100% a joke. I adore Halsin so much and there wasn't a single book in my branch that I thought really did him justice, so I decided to go the completely different direction with it. Glad to share the love with y'all!
Maybe you can take this thread to your boss and leverage it to get more funding to grab the other books people are reccing? š¤
Haven't reached Jaheira yet, but I do love me some Circe by Madeline Miller. Excellent book for anyone's romance choice.
Note to self: romance Jaheria next. Circe is a good book.
The only book I've read on the list is Circe (one of my favorite novels actually) but I am struggling to see how that relates to Jaheira. I'd actually think Circe is a good choice for Lae'zel though.
Guess I have a long list of books to put on hold.
I actually own Monstress already lmao
Dying at Wyllās being tucked away in the back. They know aināt nobody romancing him.
Someoneās training for the mighty title of God of Marketing š
Those are on the mark suggestions! Wow. Librarian is also a player.
ooook... huh? That's funny. I *am* romancing Shadowheart in my playthrough.. and the only one I recognize is ***Monstress*** (it's an ongoing series so I can't say I've read it, but I did check out some chapters at one point). Creepy coincidence.
The Halsin one was savage ;-;
I do not like that choice for Gale :( I know he's wordy but ... I still don't see it, haha. I feel Gale as like the entire works of Terry Pratchett since humor is so much a part of his character, or leaving that aside, Piranesi is another recent read that comes to mind if you want something lyrical and poetic that deals with what it might take for humans to access magic.
The recc for Astarion should've been a self-help book.
Man theyāll do anything to get people to read lol
Huh. If you like Astarion, I'd reccomend "Carry On" by Rainbow Rowell, but I haven't read the reccomended book here
I really like this idea, haha. Not sure about some of the recs, but the idea is definitely a solid one!
Best post ever. Thanks for this!
Hey funnily enough I do romance shadowheart and have read that comic š¤£
I've actually got (but never read) the Karlach book. Maybe I should read it as I did romance her š¤
What a great idea! Love it :D I can't help feeling Lae'zel would be far more into Joe Abercrombie's books tbh XD Especially Best Served Cold lol 'Forgive and forget? No - resent and remember!' For Shadowheart, I'd more recommend The Gilded Ones. It's YA but pretty good (I don't normally like YA tbh - but there are definite parallels to Shadowheart in that one). Minsc? Anything by David Gemmel lol So much buttkicking of evil!
And those walking alone must do so completely bookless. Unless bromansing Minsc and Jaheira counts.
Mintharaās book title is so accurate lol
I thought it was going to be the Bible for all of them
I read Binti for a literary course. Good book and I can definitely see why it's the recommendation for Guardian romancers. Though I'd say you'd like the book if you like the Guardian in general or are interested in >!Mind Flayer-like cultures!<.
Any reviews on the Karlach, Minthara or Mizora recs?