It has been eleven years since the first installment of The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins; and nine years since the latest book of the series was released, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. Now, after leaving the series alone for almost a decade, Collins is coming back with the newest book in the series, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.“With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,” says author Suzanne Collins.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is a prequel to The Hunger Games. It takes place  since-four years before the first book. It is centered around the tenth-annual Hunger Games. There is still not much detail as to the plot of the book. According to Collins the book takes place during “The reconstruction period, 10 years after the war, commonly referred to as the Dark Days — as the country of Panem struggles back to its feet — provides fertile ground for characters to grapple with these questions and thereby define their views of humanity.” It will not include any of the major characters, like Katniss, Peeta, and Gale. However, characters like President Snow and Mags, the winner of the eleventh Hunger Games and one of Katniss’ allies, will be included.

The cover was released, featuring a gold emblem of a bird and a snake encased in a thorny twig. A majority of the cover is a deep, emerald green.