The Independent's journalism is supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn commission. Why trust us?
'Midnight Sun': As the fifth Twilight book is published today, here's the rest of the saga you need to re-read
As Stephenie Meyer releases her latest novel, we take a look at the bestselling series
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Whether you loved it or hated it, there's no denying that the Twilight saga has been big news over the past decade.
And in May, author Stephanie Meyer announced via a video message on Good Morning America that she would be releasing the fifth novel in her young adult vampire fantasy series on 4 August.
"It's a crazy time right now and I wasn't sure if this was the right time to put this book out, but some of you have been waiting for just so, so long. It didn't seem fair to make you wait anymore," she said.
Fans of the popular series – which has sold over 100 million copies and been translated into 37 different languages – have been eagerly anticipating Midnight Sun since 2008, after chapters from the unfinished draft were leaked online.
After starting the novel as a writing exercise to explore alternative points of view, Meyer said that the more she wrote, the more she became convinced that Edward Cullen deserved to have his own story told. And this is exactly what this prequel allows for.
While the preceding books are narrated from the perspective of Bella Swan, Midnight Sun, tells the debut story from Edward's point of view.
To celebrate the release, we take a look back at all five Twilight books and uncover what you can expect from the latest novel.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
'Midnight Sun' by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little, Brown Book Group: £11, Amazon
Teased for over a decade, the eagerly anticipated Midnight Sun casts a whole new light on one of the greatest young adult romances of the 21st century. Since Edward Cullen and Bella Swan met, we've heard only ever heard Bella's side of the story, until now. A new and decidedly darker retelling of the original events from Edward Cullen's perspective, we learn more fascinating details about his past and the complexities of his inner thoughts.
'Twilight' by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little, Brown Book Group: £7.49, Waterstones
This is where it all started. Depicting a gothic romance between an unlikely pair, Twilight follows the story of 17-year-old Bella Swan who moved from Pheonix to Forks, a small town in Washington, America. A boring transition to a new school is turned on its head in a thrilling and terrifying way after she meets the mysterious and alluring Edward Cullen. Up until this point, Edward has kept his vampire identity under wraps, but now nobody is safe. Equal parts romantic and suspenseful, Twilight captures the struggle between defying instincts and desire.
'New Moon' by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little, Brown Book Group: £7.99, Blackwell's
To Bella, there's is one thing more important than life itself, and that's Edward. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than she could have ever imagined. When the Cullen's leave Forks in a bid to protect Bella, she forges a friendship with Jacob Black, a family friend who phases into a werewolf for the first time in the second book of the saga. However, her life twists once more when Jacob's true nature is revealed and Edward's sister comes back to visit. Centered around losing love, New Moon delivers the perfect combination of romance and betrayal, and the never-ending twists and turns of a relationship with a vampire.
'Eclipse' by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little, Brown Book Group: £8.99, Waterstones
In the third book of the series, Bella finds herself surrounded by danger and having to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with shape-shifter Jacob. In the midst of this, her graduation is approaching and she's faced with the difficult decision of whether to leave her mortality behind her for a new life with her immortal loved ones. A page-turning read that will have you captivated in a matter of minutes.
'Breaking Dawn' by Stephenie Meyer, published by Little, Brown Book Group: £7.99, Amazon
In Breaking Dawn, Bella finally chooses between Edward and Jacob as a marriage commences. It's on her honeymoon that a life-changing event occurs, which forces Bella to make the decision whether to join the dark, but seductive world of immortals, or risk dying. A dramatic finale to the gothic tale.