When Stephanie Meyer announced she’d be writing two new Twilight books, my first thought was: What more is there to say?
Don’t get me wrong—like many youths who grew up in the late 2000s, I was an avid Twihard and Edward Cullen apologist. I read all the books, including the companion novellas and whatever snippets of Meyers writing that happened to leak on the web. I even binge-read Midnight Sun, a literal retelling of the first Twilight book (from Edward’s point of view, obviously), when it came a decade after the original saga. Stephanie Meyer already had a chokehold on my teen years—isn’t it about time that she finally lets me breathe in peace?
So here it is: My definitive list of guesses about what these two new books could possibly be about (and how each one will restore my faith in Twilight or completely destroy it).
1. A Jacob and Renesmee love story (which somehow makes the whole imprinting thing seem even worse)
Stephanie Meyer was really taking a risk when she made a full-grown man fall in love with (oh, I’m sorry, “imprint” on) a literal newborn baby. Like, this infant literally existed outside of her mother’s womb for, what? Five seconds? Before Jacob was ready to risk it all for her. Meyer tried to explain it away by having Jacob assure Bella that his love for her little tiny baby daughter is only platonic—for now, because whether Bella or Edward or Renesmee wants it or not, she’s getting hitched to this wolf-man.
This book would be Meyer’s attempt to respond to the Discourse surrounding Jacob and Renesmee’s relationship, and I promise you, it will actually make it worse. It will take place seven years after Breaking Dawn, but Renesmee will already have the body of a 30-year-old and the psyche of an 80-year-old somehow. She’ll realize that her feelings for Jacob actually aren’t platonic (and that Jacob’s never were), and their relationship will tentatively begin—and Charlie Swan will probably be the only voice of reason here, because he can explain away his daughter getting pregnant and having a child within weeks, and he can suspend his disbelief when his granddaughter ages like five years every day, but he simply cannot wrap his head around the fact that the man he once thought could be his son-in-law is now his… grandson-in-law?
2. A Jasper origin story that would somehow be even worse than the Renesmee and Jacob love story
If there’s one thing Stephanie Meyer likes to do, it’s gloss over the fact that Jasper was literally a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. Sure, he’s got a lot to say when it comes to organizing and fighting against a vampire army, but I promise you nothing good could come from hearing anything else from him. But alas, I already learned some harrowing details about him from Midnight Sun, and it’s probably about time that I learn something else about him that will make my brain want to explode into a million little pieces.
3. A surprisingly unproblematic Carlisle origin story
If we’re talking origin stories, why not write one about the OG Cullen? We all know Carlisle’s story to a certain extent—he was the son of a vampire-hunting pastor and eventually took over the family business. After he was bitten and turned, he realized he wouldn’t be able to end his life the way he hoped and instead took his self-hatred and turned it into a love for humanity.
4. A book revealing an entirely new mythological creature—probably fairies
Except they’d be called Fae, or Faye. or Faeigh. She could always go the witch route, I suppose, but it seems like we’ve left the idea of wizardry back in the 2000s and fairies would be a good way to jump on this decade’s literary fad (I’m looking at you, ACOTAR). And because it’s Stephanie Meyer, she would definitely add her own new bits to the mythos, like that fairy wings are made out of literal diamonds (but they can still fly somehow!) or that, for some reason, they can’t have sex before marriage or they will lose their powers.
5. Twilight again, but from Rosalie’s perspective
Look, if I had to read 700+ pages of Edward telling me the same story I already read a decade ago, the least Stephanie Meyer can do is give me the perspective I really care about: that of Rosalie Hale, Forks’ most notorious hater.
6. A harrowing Vulturi-centered novel
Realistically, I could see Stephanie Meyer wanting to dig deeper into the Vulturi, which seems to have a well of mythology she has yet to touch on. This would arguably be one of the more interesting choices for her, because it would step away from her usual relationship-centered stories and probably delve into the horror-sphere—at least to an extent.
