Comics & Literature

Midnight Sun By Stephanie Meyer – Review

Published

3 years ago

November 11, 2020

12 years ago a furious Stephanie Meyer took to social media. A controversy had broken out in the publishing world. In the midst of Twilight Saga pandemonium, a draft of a new addition to the series had leaked. The illegal upload revealed a whopping 12 unpublished chapters of Midnight Sun. The new instalment was set to partner the first of the series. But from the perspective of the brooding anti-hero, Edward Cullen.

Back in 2008, Meyer wrote: “I did not want my readers to experience Midnight Sun before completion. What happened was a huge violation of my rights as an author.” In her anger, she vowed to change the ending but later decided to scrap the draft altogether.

Though, Stephanie Meyer wasn’t ready to leave the story behind for good. Over a decade later she announced its 2020 release. Publish day was set to be big, with stores flocking to stock up.

But how has the new YA book faired with Twihard fans who have grown out of adolescence? Has it lived up to expectations? Or did we learn everything we needed to about the brooding Cullen from the original series? I have mixed feelings when it comes to Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer, and here’s why in our review.

SPOILERS: Caution there are spoilers ahead.

The same storyline

Midnight Sun doesn’t provide a new subplot to the Twilight series. In fact, it’s more of a companion alongside the very first novel. The plot is the same. The same romance. Original complications and near-death experiences have not changed. The only difference is that we are viewing the story from Edward Cullen’s perspective.

In hindsight, there are positives of replicating a storyline from a different viewpoint. Although the base-plot remains, new perspectives from well-known scenes clear up the narrative. For example, Edward and Bella’s first interaction in biology class. In the first novel, Edward’s reaction is hostile. In Midnight Sun we see that Edward is battling with his inner “monster“. He desperately tries to suppress himself from killing the whole class.

Meyer’s writing has improved

No author, no matter how famous, exists without criticism. Unfortunately for Meyer, alongside her colossal following there was plenty of criticism. Especially when it came to her writing style.

Stephen King was among the harshest of critics when discussing Meyer’s writing abilities. In an interview recorded in 2009, he compared J.K Rowling and Stephanie Meyer. According to King, both authors speak to younger audiences. Though, he stated: “The real difference is Jo Rowling is a terrific writer. Stephanie Meyer can’t write worth a darn.”

Midnight Sun showcases Stephanie Meyer’s much-improved writing technique. Yet, there still lies the occasional odd line, such as “Her scent hit me like a battering ram.” On the whole, the style seems more put-together.

Edward’s anxieties

It’s difficult to avoid comparisons to the first book when discussing Edward Cullen. But the latest addition to the saga shines another light on the brooding vampire.

The traits that form Edward’s character have been inscribed in historic romance fiction. He is distant, brooding, composed, formal and elusive. All characteristics which add to the anti-hero appeal.

Though, by providing Edward’s perspective his character seems to have altered. He appears more vulnerable, anxious, and less composed.

Meyer has confirmed that this was her strategy. Edward’s life before Bella was monotonous. As soon as he met her he fought every instinct to kill her, feed from her but also protect her from harm. A heavy mixture of emotions bound to cause anxieties.

Meyer also discussed the hardship of writing this novel. Her own anxieties often collided with Edward’s which caused the author many headaches. This being the main reason why she will not be completing the whole saga from Edward’s view.

An insight into Edward’s world

It’s disappointing that we don’t see much of Edward Cullen’s immortal world. The book offers no new insights into the Twilight world from a vampire’s perspective. Though, it is intriguing to witness more interaction between the five siblings. On occasion it is more intriguing to read about Alice and Jasper than Edward himself.

On the whole? Midnight Sun isn’t a complete disaster. But I can’t see it quenching the thirst of a beloved Twihard or Twilighter. The same who have dreamed of a new addition to their favourite saga for over a decade. It has its positives, but it also has its negatives. For this reason, I found myself on the fence.

CULTURE CROSSING SCORE 2/10

Thanks for reading our review of Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer. Do you agree or disagree with our points or have anything to add? If so, leave us a comment below.

Read more of our literature articles HERE.

Read IMDB information about The Twilight Saga HERE.

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Comics & Literature

DC Fandome 2021 – Revelations, Trailers and the future

Published

2 years ago

October 18, 2021

Sarah Casserley

At the recent virtual DC Fandome 2021 over 66 million fans tuned in across 220 countries. They listened in 12 different languages. All to find out the scoop on what’s to come for the comic book franchise, new DC revelations and even watch trailers of soon to be released films and TV shows.

But, if you weren’t one of the millions to be watching from home, below is the Film, TV and Gaming announcements and revelations that would interest any DC fan.

FILMS

Black Adam

DC Fandome 2021 started with a world exclusive trailer of Black Adam! The man himself Dwayne Johnson. Along with a host of the films other stars including Pierce Brosnan, Aldis Hodge, Quintessa Swindell and Noah Centineo. They introduce themselves and the exclusive trailer.

During the 4-minute intro below, you see Johnson excitably launch his passion project. He explains how much the Black Adam universe means to him. We are also told that the film is currently in post-production with the film being released on the 29th of July 2022.

We don’t get much information or storyline from the trailer. But Dwayne’s enthusiasm for the character and the gritty darkness of what we do get in the trailer is enough, for now, to keep us excited about this Movie.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

During the day’s events, Jason Momoa was on hand to give fans an in-depth dive into the world of Aquaman. Firstly, apologising for the four-year wait. However, Momoa and director James Wan appeased fans with a host of behind-the-scenes clips. Plus a glimpse of some unusual conceptual art. Which included quirky looking desert creatures and giant grasshoppers.

We have also been promised by Wan that we are going to be getting a film that’s more mature, giving the audience something new, exciting and an experience we haven’t seen before. The 2-and-a-half-minute look into the sequel, below, was enough to make any fan excited for its theatrical release in December 2022.

DC’s League of Super-Pets

A fun animated adventure was also announced. DC’s League of Super-Pets will bring super-pets like Krypto and Ace the Bat-Hound to life for the first time.

In an exclusive trailer, fans were introduced to the two pups, voiced by Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, in a light-hearted look into the film. The full movie voice by the comedy pairing along with some other famous names such as Keanu Reeves and Vanessa Bayer is set to be released next November.

The Flash

Another film trailer to hit the DC Fandome 2021 screens was The Flash. Portrayed once again by Ezra Miller and directed by Andy Muschietti. Fans were introduced to the trailer and the concept of the film, where the Flash unlocks the DC cinematic universe. He time hops back to the ’90s where Michael Keaton, reprises his role, he originated in 1989’s ‘Batman’ and 1992’s ‘Batman Returns’.

We’re elated that we get another film with Michael Keaton as Batman. Even if the storyline does sound a little farfetched. We’re sure Muschietti will get the narrative across perfectly and the film will be an instant hit. The film is due to hit cinemas in November 2022.

The Batman

The DC Fandome 2021 team knew exactly what they were doing when they left the release of the second Batman trailer to the very end of the day. Like fans around the world, we also couldn’t wait to see more of Patterson, fully suited up, showcasing his gritty take on the hero. Director Matt Reeves, Robert Pattinson (Batman) and Zoe Kravitz (Selina Kyle/ cat woman) were there to lead the trailers release.

Granted the jury is still out if Patterson can pull of the dark knight or not but we have to admit we are excited to see him in action. We also have a sneaky suspicion that for the first time in a film setting since Michelle Pfeifferthey may have nailed the casting for Selina Kyle with Zoe Kravitz. We don’t have long left to find all this out though, as after a few Covid related interruptions Batman is now set to be released in theatres on March 4th, 2022.

Injustice and Catwoman: Hunted

If some of these DC film releases seem a little far away, fear not because we were also made aware that two animated films will be released quite soon. With Injustice’s release this October and an anime-inspired animated DC offering in the form of Catwoman on February the 8th 2022, both the feature-length animations will be available on digital, 4K and Blu-ray. To take a sneak peak of Catwoman: Hunted you can watch the trailer below.

RETURNING TV

When it came to the TV side of the DC world there were a lot of announcements and trailers mainly around continuing shows such as, Titans, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow and Stargirl along with the more anticipated trailers for:

Batwoman

Has been renewed for another season, despite the departure of Ruby Rose. The new trailer showcased its new Batwoman – Ryan Wilder played by Javicia Leslie.

Doom Patrol

Is set to be returning for a fourth season. During the announcement followers of the show were treated to a wonderfully odd and endearing mid-season trailer.

The Flash

Is set for yet another inter-universe team up as The Flash team takes on a deadly mission against the ‘Armageddon’ villains. Which could decide the fate of humankind. The villainous gang is headed up by Tony Cuttan as Despero, Arrowverse’s Tom Cavanagh as Eobard Thawne/Reverse Flash and Neal McDonough as Damien Darhk.

NEW TV

Peacemaker

First seen in this summer’s ‘The Suicide Squad’ Movie, John Cena’s comedic take of the Peacemaker is set to have its own HBO Max show. The fun and quirky trailer to the first series premiered at the event. Along with a behind the scenes look at the making of the series. It shows that director James Gunn is staying true to his unique, comedic style. The Trailer also shows the other great actors involved in the series including the hilarious ‘Orange is the New Black’ star Danielle Brooks, Christopher Heyerdahl, Robert Patrick and Jennifer Holland. This eight-episode series is set to be released on 13 January.

The Sandman

Viewers of the event didn’t find out much about this Netflix offering. But we did get glimpses of Gwendoline Christie as Lucifer Morningstar. Wwhich let’s be honest along with the announcement that this is actually happening, is enough to get most of us DC fans excited about its release. There is no release date yet but I’m sure over the coming months there will be more announcements about this extraordinarily dark and forbidding series.

NAOMI

Based on the comic book series of the same name created by Brian Michael Bendis, David F. Walker and Jamal Campbell. The TV adaptation of the story was announced with a one-minute ten-second trailer. This superhero drama is based around a comic book-loving teenager who discovers she has superpowers. Her curiosity leads her onto a journey into the Multiverse in search of answers. We haven’t got a definitive release date yet, but we have been promised it will be in 2022.

GAMES

Suicide squad: Kill the Justice League

Since the announcement of this game at last year’s Fandome we haven’t had much information or even any gameplay footage. However, at this year’s event, we did get quite an in-depth trailer and a little look at the storyline. In this game, the player gets a choice of playing Harley Quinn, King Shark, Captain Boomerang or Deadshot. As they take on a new mission against an alien threat that has brainwashed the Justice League. There is still no hint to a release date or even a gameplay trailer, but we have been assured 2022 will be full of hints about the game and hopefully a conclusive release date.

Gotham Knights

Another game trailer that was released at the Fandome, that excited fans across the world was Gotham Knights. Continuing its Arkham-style adventures, Games Montreal has been working hard on the narrative and gameplay functions of this game. This game, in particular, was supposed to be released sometime in 2021 but it was delayed and we have now got a 2022 release time frame.

In this game you get to play a number of characters including Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin, and Red Hood in an open-world action online RPG in order to uncover secrets and take down the Court of Owls.

So there you have it, some of the top DC new from the Fandome 2021. What do you think about all the new announcements? What are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below..

Read our review of DC’s The Suicide Squad HERE.