Catan, that iconic European-style board game that played a crucial role in kickstarting a renaissance in the world of tabletop game design, is now set to receive a novelization. Well, not just any novelization but another. The first one, which was published around 2005, hasn’t aged particularly well, and the reasons for that will be discussed further below. But the best part about this new endeavor isn’t that the previous one might soon be forgotten. It’s the fact that this new novel has been penned by the very creator of the iconic game, the late Klaus Teuber.

This new novel, simply titled Catan, just like the modern iteration of the board game, is set to be released on October 1st. Judging from the quote above, it seems there’s also a sequel on the horizon. Here’s the official description:

In Norway, in the year 860, Thorolf, determined to free his beloved from the oppressive rule of her chieftain father, with the help of his half-brothers Yngvi and Digur, plots to help her escape in the dead of night. However, when their plan doesn’t go as smoothly as intended, the brothers and their allies are banished from the Northland. Left with no other choice, the group embarks on a treacherous voyage to their new home: Catan, the Land of the Sun.

But upon arriving on this island, they discover new challenges await. Discoveries must be made if they hope to survive. Will the brothers be able to stand united and offer a better future for all the settlers, or will this new mission drive them further apart?

The first novel based on the board game Catan, known at that time as The Settlers of Catan and published in the United States by the now-defunct Mayfair Games, was written by bestselling author Rebecca Gable and then translated from the original German into English by Lee Chadeayne.

While I haven’t personally read the book myself, reviews on Amazon are largely positive, albeit quite dated. And while some of those reviews do mention the fact that some of the Viking characters are slave owners, the more recent write-up at Bell of Lost Souls is rather less forgiving. The review, published in August, calls Gable’s work “unhinged” with scenes depicting “non-consensual sex, murder, brutal executions, and suicide.” So, it’s more like Outlander seasons 1 and 2 rather than a family-friendly board game.

The original announcement didn’t mention this first book, which is still available on Amazon. Polygon was given the following comment by representatives of the new novel’s publisher, Blackstone Publishing:

The Settlers of Catan was a collaboration with Klaus Teuber and was published in 2005. It was a standalone title. The German publisher, a popular paperback publisher Bastei Lübbe, was known at the time for their historical fiction. The Gablé novel is a work of historical fiction by a bestselling author in partnership with the studio, while the new CATAN novels by Klaus Teuber are an integral part of the CATAN Story. Klaus decided to write the story himself as he was writing his autobiography, My Way to Catan.

Pre-orders for Catan by Klaus Teuber are currently available, including at Amazon and local booksellers.