A prequel book to the James Bond novels, exploring 007's life before he became a secret agent, is on the way.

Using original material by Ian Fleming, Anthony Horowitz has written his second Bond book, titled Forever and a Day. It's a prequel to Casino Royale, Fleming's first 007 novel.

Forever and a Day will also be published by Ian Fleming's original publishers Jonathan Cape, and is available to pre-order now.

A promo image has also been released, although this may not be the final book cover that you see when the new novel lands on shelves on Thursday, May 31.

According to MI6 – The Home of James Bond 007, Horowitz said: "I couldn't have been happier when the Ian Fleming estate invited me back to write a second Bond.

"I very much enjoyed writing Forever and a Day, exploring what might have been Bond's first mission and imaging some of the forces that might have turned him into the iconic figure the whole world knows. I hope Ian Fleming would have approved."

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The website also shared a (very short) excerpt from the novel, as follows:

M laid down his pipe and stared at it tetchily. "We have no choice. We're just going to bring forward this other chap you've been preparing. But you didn't tell me his name."

"It's Bond, sir," the Chief of Staff replied. "James Bond."

Horowitz, whose first Bond book Trigger Mortis was published in 2015, had long teased the possibility that he would write another 007 novel – and confirmed last year he was writing a second book about the spy.

"FOREVER AND A DAY. I know the news has broken but it feels so great to be able to tweet the words which I've been secretly living with," he tweeted on Thursday (February 8).

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. FOREVER AND A DAY. I know the news has broken but it feels so great to be able to tweet the words which I've been secretly living with. — Anthony Horowitz (@AnthonyHorowitz) February 8, 2018

Daniel Craig has been confirmed to star in the next James Bond movie – but possibly for the last time.

Much speculation has been circulating over who could replace the actor when he decides to hand in the keys to his Aston Martin, with big-name stars including Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and James Norton all touted.

And Spectre's film editor Lee Smith has even tipped former One Direction star Harry Styles as a candidate for the role, "if they wanted a younger Bond".

The currently-untitled James Bond 25 will be released in US cinemas on November 8, 2019, with a "traditional earlier release" in the UK to be announced in the months to come.

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