Stephenie Meyer, the author of the bestselling Twilight saga, announced the Aug. 4 release of the companion novel Midnight Sun. While Twilight told the love story between a vampire and a mortal girl from the point of view of Bella Swan, Midnight Sun readers will dive into the head of Edward Cullen.According to Hachette Book Group, the novel will draw heavily from the myth of Hades and Persephone, a Greek story where the god of the dead fell in love with the goddess of spring. Midnight Sun's cover also features an open pomegranate, which is a reference to the seven pomegranate seeds that Persephone ate while she was underground, tying her existence to Hades. It's also a callback to Twilight's original cover, which featured a red apple of temptation.
"I am very excited to finally, (finally!) announce the release of Midnight Sun on Aug. 4," Meyer said on Good Morning, America. "It's a crazy time right now, and I wasn't sure if it 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. Sorry about the bad timing! Hopefully, this book can be a fun distraction from the real world and I'm so excited to finally be able to share it with you. "
Fans can download a partial draft of Midnight Sun at Stephenie Meyer's website before the book goes on sale Aug. 4.