Title: Eclipse Author: Stephenie Meyer Release Date: August 7, 2007 Preceded By: New Moon Followed By: Breaking Dawn Pages: 640 pages Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Romance, Teen See larger cover image Read the first chapter Buy it now from Amazon.com Buy the Special Edition from Amazon

EPIGRAPH:

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.

Robert Frost



DETAILED SUMMARY: (spoilers included!)

The story begins with a note from Jake to Bella. It explains that he misses her, but that this changes nothing between them. Charlie still blames Edward for making Bella go "crazy" after he left, and for being responsible for her unexplained disappearance in New Moon when she raced to Volterra, Italy to save Edward's life. He wants nothing to do with Edward, attempting to show with every word and gesture that the vampire is unwelcome in the house. Seattle is revealed to be plagued by a string of unsolved murders. Charlie "un-grounds" Bella, but on the condition that she spend more time with her friends, especially Jacob, and not just Edward. Edward and Bella continue filling out their college applications, while Bella explains to Edward her desire to see Jacob again. Edward refuses, explaining that werewolves are "unstable" and that those who associate with them often get hurt.

Meanwhile, Alice has a vision that Victoria, the vampire that is hunting Bella, is back in town. Edward, keeping this knowledge from Bella, talks Charlie into letting them take a weekend trip to Florida to see Bella's mother. When they return, Jacob confronts Edward as to why he is keeping Victoria's return a secret from Bella, also discussing the treaty's bounds as the Cullens crossed the territorial line while chasing Victoria into werewolf territory. Edward explains to Bella that he took her away from Forks to keep her safe. Jacob and Bella reconcile, much to Edward's disapproval.

Edward insists that the only reason he doesn't want Bella seeing Jacob is because werewolves can be dangerous. Bella insists that Jacob and the rest of the pack are safe and that Jacob would never harm her. Edward finally agrees and willingly takes her, on occasion, to the border (the area where the pact between the Quileutes and the Cullens was made, and where both can travel freely), where Jacob picks her up and takes her to his house. During one of these visits, Jacob clarifies his emotions toward Bella; he reveals that he loves her and forcefully kisses her, much to her displeasure. She is unable to stop him though she fights him off with all her might; after he is finished, she reacts by punching him as hard as she can, succeeding only in breaking her hand (as werewolves are almost as durable as vampires).

Edward angrily threatens Jacob when Bella is brought back home. Jacob clarifies what occurred, and they grudgingly agree to work together and deal with Victoria. Later that night after Jacob leaves, Bella agrees to marry Edward on one condition: that he sleep with her before turning her into a vampire. Edward initially refuses, explaining to Bella that he could very well kill her. He eventually says, upon realizing how much it means to Bella, that he is willing to try in the future as long as they are married first. Bella expresses the worry of what other people will think if she gets married so early, as she remembers the problems that marrying fresh out of high school caused her mother. She realizes that spending the rest of eternity with Edward is more important to her than anything else, however, and when Edward formally proposes to her, she accepts. She is still reluctant to the marriage and engagement as a whole; in an attempt to keep the engagement secret, she stubbornly refuses to wear the engagement ring, which belonged to Edward's mother.

Bella discovers that a vampire has taken things from her room for the purpose of using her scent to locate her. Meanwhile, the Cullens realize that there is a coven of newborn vampires committing the murders in Seattle. Bella soon makes the connection between both incidents, and realizes that the new vampires are being led by Victoria. Alice foresees a battle between Victoria's coven and the joined forces of the werewolves and the Cullens.

The Cullens and the Quileutes arrange a meeting in the woods, and Jasper demonstrates to everyone how to fight in "newborn combat" and explains the weaknesses of newborn vampires. Bella asks Edward to stay out of the fight because she cannot bear to lose him.

As everyone else prepares for battle, Edward and Bella camp up in the mountains, where they are joined by Jacob and Seth Clearwater -a younger member of the pack- in wait of the war. Bella and Edward use Bella's scent to set a trap for the newborns to follow, which will lead them to face the Cullens and the werewolves. Bella succumbs to the numbing cold at the top of the mountain, and Jacob, with the intention of taunting Edward, slips into Bella's sleeping bag in order to keep her warm (a werewolve's normal core body temperature is 10 degrees above that of a human). Feigning sleep, she hears a conversation between Edward and Jacob, in which Jacob openly confesses his feelings for Bella to Edward. And Edward admits that Jacob can give Bella some things that he, Edward, can't. The two of them come to an understanding.

In the morning, Edward and Bella begin talking about their engagement; they hear a howl of pain, and Bella realize that it is Jacob, who had been listening in to their conversation. He runs away before Bella can reach him, and so she asks Edward to go after him. When they come back, Edward gives them some space to talk. Jacob threatens to join the fight and get himself killed; when Bella begs him not to, he insists that she ask him to kiss her so he won't kill himself (later on, he reveals that he had tricked her into believing he would). She does so, and she realizes that she does have feelings for Jacob, but that it does not change anything - she loves Edward much more.

When Edward returns, he admits that he overheard everything and that he's not angry at her feelings for Jacob; this makes Bella feel guilty and even more miserable. As the two stay at the camp with Seth, Victoria attacks with her newborns. The werewolves and Cullens make short work of her inexperienced army, but Victoria goes around the battle completely. She soon arrives to confront Bella and Edward, along with one of her newborns named Riley. Edward tries to talk Riley out of fighting for Victoria, and tells Riley that Victoria is only using him; however, at the last second, Victoria bolsters Riley's faith in her, and he refuses to back down. A fight breaks out, and in the end Seth (in his wolf form) kills Riley as Edward destroys Victori. All of this happens in front of Bella and Edward is nervous that she might be afraid of him now that she has seen him as a true killing machine, but she throws herself into his arms, concerned only for his safety and nothing else.

The Volturi arrive to clean up the war, but they are too late. They remind Edward of the agreement they had to change Bella into a vampire, to which Alice replies that the date has been set.

Later, Bella goes to visit an injured Jacob. She lets him know once and for all that her choice is Edward. Bella explains that her love for Edward is much greater and she can't live without him.

When she returns from La Push, Edward announces that he's decided to break off the deal and they needn't get married- that Bella could have her way- before trying to complete what she wished. However, Bella states that she wants to do things the way he wanted to, and agrees to marry him first. Edward places the ring back on her finger, and Bella suggests that it is time to break the news to Charlie.

Source: Wikipedia

EDWARD AND BELLA QUOTES:

Edward: Bella, would you please stop trying to take your clothes off?
Bella: Do you want to do that part?

Edward: This is unbearable. So many things I've wanted to give you — and this is what you decide to demand. Do you have any idea how painful it is, trying to refuse you when you plead with me this way?
Bella:Then don't refuse.

Renee: There's something . . . strange about the way you two are together. The way he watches you — it's so . . . protective. Like he's about to throw himself in front of a bullet to save you or something.

Renee: It's not just him. I wish you could see how you move around him.
Bella: What do you mean?
Renee: The way you move — you orient yourself around him without even thinking about it. When he moves, even a little bit, you adjust your position at the same time. Like magnets . . . or gravity. You're like a . . . satellite, or something. I've never seen anything like it.

Bella: I know who I can't live without.

Edward: I love you. I want you. Right now.

Charlie: Isn't Edward up for a little healthy competition?
Bella: There's no competition.

Bella:I think it's something about the inevitability. How nothing can keep them apart — not her selfishness, or his evil, or even death, in the end. . . .
Edward: I still think it would be a better story if either of them had one redeeming quality.
Bella:I think that may be the point. Their love is their only redeeming quality.
Edward: I hope you have better sense than that — to fall in love with someone so . . . malignant.
Bella: It's a bit late for me to worry about who I fall in love with. But even without the warning, I seem to have managed fairly well.

Edward: But if you ever bring her back damaged again — and I don't care whose fault it is; I don't care if she merely trips, or if a meteor falls out of the sky and hits her in the head — if you return her to me in less than the perfect condition that I left her in, you will be running with three legs. Do you understand that, mongrel?

Edward: And if you ever kiss her again, I will break your jaw for her.

Jacob: May the best man win.
Edward: Sounds about right... pup.

Edward: I won't let anything happen to you.
Bella: I'm not worried about myself so much.
Edward: Why am I not surprised by that?

Edward: Everyone else is able to get away with giving you things. Everyone but me. I would have loved to get you a graduation present, but I didn't. I knew it would have upset you more than if anyone else did. That's utterly unfair. How do you explain yourself?
Bella: Easy. You're more important than everyone else. And you've given me you. That's already more than I deserve, and anything else you give me just throws us more out of balance.

Bella: Here's the thing . . . I've already gone crazy once. I know what my limits are. And I can't stand it if you leave me again.

Edward: Never be afraid to tell me how you feel, Bella. If this is what you need . . .You are my first priority.
Bella: I didn't mean it that way - like you have to choose me over your family.
Edward:I know that. Besides, that's not what you asked. You gave me two alternatives that you could live with, and I chose the one that I could live with. That's how compromise is supposed to work.

Edward: Isabella Swan? I promise to love you forever - every single day of forever. Will you marry me?
Bella: Yes.

Bella: It's a good thing you're bulletproof. I'm going to need that ring. It's time to tell Charlie.

Edward: I was all braced for the wrath that was going to put grizzlies to shame, and this is what I get? I should infuriate you more often.

Bella: I'll tell you what's dangerous. I'm going to spontaneously combust one of these days... and you'll have no one but yourself to blame.

Edward: I'm sorry. I was wrong. It's much easier to have the proper perspective when I have you safely here. I go a little berserk when I try to leave you.

Edward: Sleep, my Bella. Dream happy dreams. You are the only one who has ever touched my heart. It will always be yours. Sleep, my only love.

Bella: Slumber parties do have their advantages... You can hold me hostage any time you want.