SEGA Europe is extending the reach of its “Total War” video games in a new deal with publisher Pan Macmillan for a series of novels based on the franchise.

The four-book deal will see Macmillan create a series of historical adventure books for adults, the first of which will be released in September alongside the game’s newest iteration “Total War: Rome II.”

“We are delighted to be working with one of the most successful games franchises on the market,” says Jeremy Trevathan, publisher, Pan Macmillan. “What is also particularly exciting is that they have an in-built, committed community of players who are emotionally engaged with the games and who have told their researchers that they are hungry for more storytelling within the games and around the games.”

SEGA and Pan Macmillan have tapped best-selling author David Gibbins to write the series. Gibbins will collaborate with the game’s developers, Creative Assembly, to create original stories set in the world of the Total War franchise.

“For us as developers, the Total War series is an obsessive drive for quality spanning 12 years and culminating in ‘Rome II’ later this year,” says Rob Bartholomew, brand director, Creative Assembly. “Our games are loved by our audience for their vast and intricate worlds, and we are hugely excited that David Gibbins and the team at Pan Macmillan will be expanding them even further.”