The Twilight Saga is a series whose first book, titled Twilight, was first published in 2005. The series is one of the most popular book series in the world, spawning a highly successful movie franchise as well. So, if you are a fan of the movies and are planning on reading books to learn more about your favorite characters, you need to know to read Twilight books in order, which is exactly what this article will help you with!
There are four books in the original Twilight Saga, with a fifth book called Midnight Sun coming out in 2020. This book takes place over the course of the first book but is in Edward Cullen’s POV rather than Bella’s. Also, there are two novellas in the series as well.
The author of the Twilight series is Stephenie Meyer, born on December 24, 1973, in Hartford, Connecticut. She received a bachelor’s degree in English Literature in 1997 and had ideas of attending law school, but soon her attention turned to writing.
She started writing Twilight around 2003, and once it was finished, she started looking around for someone to publish it. Eventually, that right went to Little, Brown and Company and was published in 2005. In addition to the Twilight series, Meyer has written two adult novels, The Host in 2008 and The Chemist in 2016.
Besides being a book series, Twilight has also been turned into a movie series. Kristen Stewart starred as Bella Swan, while Robert Pattinson starred as Edward Cullen. There were a total of five movies, with the final book being split into two films because of its length.
How Many Twilight Books Are There?
There are five main books in the Twilight series, with the first four using Bella’s point of view and the fifth being a retelling of the first book through Edward’s point of view.
You must read these books in order because they always pick up after the end of the previous book. If you were to start with the second book in the series rather than the first, you would be very confused.
- Main Series:
- Novellas:
Since its publication, the Twilight Saga has sold over 120 million copies worldwide and has been translated into 38 languages. In addition, the four books have spent varying amounts of time on the USA Today and New York Times bestseller lists.
Due to how successful the Twilight series has been for Stephenie Meyer, she has won several awards over the years for the series in particular, including the 2006 Best Fiction for Young Adults award and the Author of The Year award in 2008, among others.
This doesn’t even include all the accolades and nominations the series has received since it was first published.
What is the Twilight Series About?
The Twilight Series is considered to be a young adult novel. It also falls into the fantasy and romance category because it involves a young woman falling in love with a vampire and becoming introduced to that world.
One of the main characters is Isabella Swan, or Bella Swan, who is about seventeen years old. She moves to Forks, Washington, where she ends up having a crush on this guy named Edward Cullen. Little does Bella know Edward is a vampire who is 104 years old. Edward is the other main character, and as we mentioned, he is a vampire who has lived with his family in Forks, Washington, for decades.
There is a large cast of characters in the book, but a character that plays a significant role in Bella’s life goes by the name of Jacob Black. Jacob happens to be a shapeshifting wolf who is also in love with her. This ends up causing a bit of a love triangle between the three.
Now that we’ve talked about the plot of the book series in general, let’s have a look at each book and what they are all about. So, let’s not waste any time and get right to it!
All Twilight Books in Order in 2023:
1. Twilight (2005)
The first Twilight book was released back in 2005, and it’s still as iconic as ever because it’s what started the craze. This series begins with Bella Swan moving to Fork, Washington, to live with her father while her mother travels with her new husband.
It’s not easy to start at a new school, and Bella is no stranger to that. However, soon after she starts school, she finds herself drawn to a strange guy named Edward Cullen. When Bella realizes he is a vampire with a strange thirst for her sweet-smelling blood, she isn’t sure what to think.
If there is anything that Bella is sure of, it’s that she is falling for this guy—whether he is a vampire or not.
2. New Moon (2006)
New Moon is the second book in the Twilight Saga, which starts with Bella missing Edward. They have been apart for a decent amount of time, and every moment of it feels like a stab to the heart for her.
To cope with this, Bella has been putting her life at risk because she can see Edward whenever she gets that burst of adrenaline hitting her. It’s not him, but it’s worth it if she gets to see just a glimpse of the man she loves.
The reason Edward is staying away is because the last time he got involved with Bella, it led to her nearly dying. He can’t risk doing that to her again, so it’s best if he stays away for the time being.
However, this is easier said than done, as new characters show up in the form of werewolves, vampires, and even vampire royalty!
3. Eclipse (2007)
In Eclipse, Bella and Edward are finally back together, but not all is good. Seattle, for one, has been dealing with a bunch of murders, and it’s pretty apparent to those who know vampires exist that a vampire is going it.
Bella’s personal life is also turbulent, but not as you may think. See, Bella is torn between two different men. She had to choose between Jacob, a guy she considers her best friend, who is also a wolf shifter. The other man is, of course, Edward Cullen, a vampire and the one she loves more than anything.
The one thing Bella does know for sure is that she will have to decide between Jacob and Edward, whether she likes it or not.
4. Breaking Dawn (2008)
In Breaking Dawn, the epic conclusion to the Twilight Saga, which was released in 2008, Bella and Edward have finally gotten married. They had been through many difficult things and nearly lost each other, but now they are finally together.
The two of them are ready to spend the rest of their life together, which begins on the wedding night. Admittedly, it does get out of hand, but Bella is not complaining. Then Bella ends up getting pregnant with a half-vampire baby, which ends up putting her life at risk because she is human.
This leaves Edward and Bella at odds because she desperately wants this baby, while Edward doesn’t want his wife to get hurt. If she does continue with it, then in the end, she is definitely going to die.
5. Midnight Sun (2020)
We all know what happened during the first book in the Twilight series. Bella and Edward met in high school and fell hard for each other. It was a dangerous relationship from the beginning because Edward was a vampire, and Bella was a human.
In Midnight Sun, released in 2020, we get to see the events of the first book through none other than Edward Cullen’s point of view!
He is thrown for a loop when he meets Bella because there is just something about her and her blood. Throughout this book, we get a deeper look into Edward’s thoughts and motivations, which will be a treat for longtime fans of the Twilight series!
The Novellas of the Twilight Saga:
1. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (2009)
Bree Tanner is the star of the first novella written by Stephenie Meyer, titled The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. She can’t remember much of her life before she became a vampire. All she remembers is being turned into a vampire and all that power that came with being transformed from a human to a vampire.
She is surrounded by another new vampire who has newly been turned, so it is safe to say that no one knows what they are doing. This isn’t good because there is trouble brewing elsewhere, which includes the very woman who turned her and her other vampires.
Whatever it means… it isn’t good!
2. Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined (2016)
The novella Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined turns the original Twilight novel on its head by using a trope known as gender-bending!
Instead of Bella and Edward, we get Beau and Edyth. Beaufort Swan is the one who has moved to Forks, Washington, rather than Bella, and instead of Edward Cullen being the vampire, we have Edythe Cullen.
This novella is a fanfiction writer’s dream as they get a chance to see how the story would turn out if the genders were flipped. Like Bella, Beau finds himself drawn to the vampire and can’t seem to keep himself away. The same can be said for Edythe, who wants Beau all to herself!
FAQs:
Who Is The Author of Twilight Books?
The author of the Twilight books is Stephenie Meyer, who started writing the series in the early 2000s. Soon after finishing the first book, she started looking for a publisher. In addition to the Twilight books, she has also written two books in the adult fiction genre.
Will There Be New Twilight Books?
The last Twilight book came out in 2020 and was in Edward Cullen’s POV. However, Stephenie Meyer has mentioned that she plans to write two more Twilight books for the series. However, there have been no announcements about any release dates, so it is going to be a bit of a wait.
Conclusion
The Twilight Saga joins the ranks of the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games series because not only is it one of the most popular book series in the world, but it also has a highly successful movie franchise!
Sure, some of those movies have received bad reviews and criticisms, but no one can deny that they made millions upon millions of dollars. They still have a huge cultural impact over a decade after their release. This is something else no one can deny.
For Stephenie Meyer fans, there are more books in the series set to be released in the future, hopefully, so they can rest assured that the Twilight fandom will continue to live on. Until that happens, share this article with your friends and let them know how to read Twilight books in order!
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