The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology, 1)

This book was so beautifully written. The world was lush and fantastical, the characters were diverse and charismatic, the lore and history was rich and vibrant. I mean all the adjectives in the world wouldn’t be enough to basically tell you that this story ROCKED.The story follows Teo, a trans boy who is a Jade level god who gets thrust into a dangerous and deadly trial that takes place every 10 years. He and 9 others endure these 5 trials and along the way Teo learns to accept himself and fight for what he believes in.The different gods and their powers was so cool to learn about and each trial was high stakes and high anxiety. I found myself itching to get to the next trial and then when it was happening I was in the edge of my seat.As for romance….I am shipping Teo and Aurelio HARD! Their friendship turned rivalry made for great banter but then to see their relationship grown and evolve in the book had me 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠There was also so much representation in this book. Trans, non-binary, gay, lesbian, there’s even gender confirmation ceremonies which I thought was so cool. And the look into Teos journey as a trans boy and all the body dystrophia, body image issues, insecurities and physical aspects of transition was so well done and informative without feeling out of place within the story. I was so thoroughly impressed by the care that went into showcasing Teos trans journey without making it the only thing that defined him.I am desperate for book 2. I didn’t know there was a cliffhanger. I will be paving my house until I get closure. This book is a complete masterpiece.

Well, Aiden Thomas has done it again. From the moment I picked up this book you could not have torn it out of my hands for anything.Each decade a group of semidioses are chosen to compete in a series of trials. One will be named The Sunbearer, and one of them will become a sacrifice. When Teo, a seemingly 'lowly' Jade, is chosen as one of the ten to compete he's sure there must be a mistake. Usually, only the strongest Golds are chosen for the trials. Once Teo gets over the shock he makes a pact with his best friend Niya, a Gold who was also chosen for the trials, and another young Jade, to look out for each other during all of the events. Teo also wouldn't mind taking some of the haughty Golds down a notch or two, especially his former childhood friend Aurelio. If only Aurelio didn't look like a freakin' model, and why is he suddenly acting so nice to Teo?The story was absolutely gripping and had me on the edge of my seat as they competed in dangerous trial after trial, in different cities. If I could have put the book down I would absolutely have been leading Teo's cheer squad.It was so beautiful to read about Teo learning to embrace his body, his power, and his place in the world. Plus, he had so many amazing things to teach the others throughout the trials. This book entertained me, but it also warmed my heart, and will forever hold a special place with me.My only complaint is that now I have to wait for the second book!

Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games was one of the first reviews I read when getting ready to start this book. It’s such a great way to describe this book! I loved this story and world building! It was such a fun read, and I enjoyed learning more about all of the characters.The Mexican mythology makes this world so vibrant, and I couldn’t get enough of it! There is also just wonderful LGBTQIA+ characters and even deaf representation! Also, did anyone else feel like some of them reminded you of Avatar: The Last Airbender characters (cough cough: Aurielo + Auristela = Zuko + Azula vibes)??Teo was a great MC, and I loved his POV throughout the book. I did predict a few plot points, but it didn’t take any of the excitement or thrill out of continuing to read it for me. I am SO excited that this is a duology! Can’t wait for book 2!

While it took a hundred pages before taking off - much like Teo, its main character, who doesn’t fully come into his own until later in the book - “The Sumbearer Trials” delivers an exciting teen survival competition set in world inspired by ancient Mexican mythology. The author, Aiden Thomas, delivers a large but not unmanageable cast of diverse, clear-cut characters that grow on you.The inevitable comparison, aside from The Hunger Games-riff, is to Thomas’ own glorious 2020 novel, Cemetery Boys. The Sunbearer Trials doesn’t quite live up to this earlier success, perhaps because the world-building feels, paradoxically, both didactic and imprecise. Once his cast of teens - all competing to be the Sunbearer, the demigod who will renew the sun’s power for the next ten years - are dropped into specific settings to see who will come out on top in a series of challenges, Thomas writing becomes crisper, more evocative, and thoroughly engaging.The biggest drawback for me - and for at least a few other reviewers - is the theme of human sacrifice, which in this book amounts to child sacrifice. Once every ten years, a new Sunbearer literally re-ignites the sun’s power by being forced to kill another child, whose blood is drained and then used to rejuvenate the sun.My issue with this is two-fold. First, in no real or possible world, historical or fantastical, is child sacrifice ever a moral or acceptable choice. If there is one absolute, universal, and inviolable moral absolute, this is it (and to blazes, no pun intended, with the anthropologists and sociologists screeching about moral relativity - yes, we should seek to understand other cultures and the past in their own context but this does not mean we have to suspend judgement). Second, in the real world, religion and belief has caused unending pain and bloodshed in the name of invisible fantasies conjured in the fever-dreams of our ancient past, whether it be Christian or Mexican mythology, so enough.That said, Thomas DOES start addressing, within the context of the story, the immorality of sacrifice, but it takes awhile to get there, and, as he sets readers up for Book 2, we still aren’t sure of exactly where we are on the moral spectrum when he does get there. The expectation is that Book 2 will continue to address the issue even as Thomas ups the stakes for his characters.I’ll definitely be reading the next book, but this one didn’t go down as easily as his earlier work.

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I hadn’t known before starting that The Sunbearer Trials takes place in a modern world, in many ways similar to ours, with social media and high schools and corner stores where you stock up on Chupa Chups. The world building here was wonderful, with settings I could picture vividly throughout. I loved all the nods to apps we use and the incorporation of Heroes into this world, where they are celebrities and influencers and on trading cards. Though there isn’t any real details or focus on the ways things are being captured, there is definitely an awareness throughout that there is always an audience. The Trials are a spectacle, and social media here - as in real life - makes sure your best and worst moments aren’t forgotten.

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan for this arc.As a diehard fantasy fan this is hard to admit but the past year or so I've really been struggling to read many fantasy books. But the premise of this just dug it's claws in me and would not let go. Although I have many unread arcs (sorry netgalley) I knew I had to bump this one to the top.This series is tipped as The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson, but with the added bonus of being set in a modern latinx fantasy world and having a trans mc.Teo is a lil troublemaking Jade semidios (demigod), son of the Goddess of Birds, Quetzel. Teo has to go to a human school because, unlike the Gold semidios, he's not allowed at the academy.Every ten years there is a trial to find the new Sunbearer, and the new sacrifice. The sacrifice's blood is used to keep the Sol stone burning and the Obsidian Dios trapped. There are always 10 semidios picked, and they are always Golds, however this year Teo, a jade, is picked, along with fellow jade, Xio.Their world is a sort of modern fantasy world with tech like TúTube (Youtube) and their version of Instagram (who's name I've forgotten), so the trials are also televised.The Golds are seen as celebrities in this world and are trained to hone their powers to help the mortals, causing them to be seen as superhero type characters (including having their own trading cards). Teo is pretty bitter about the disparity between the Golds and the Jades but despite this, his best friend, Niya, is a Gold.Niya is the daughter of Tierra, dios of earth and is an absolute himbo. And I *know* himbo is meant to be for men but seeing as it's more complimentary than it's derogatory female equivalent I'm using it, also it fits Niya much better. (And I actually think she would appreciate being called a himbo so fight me).Niya is a bit of an outcast with the Golds so her and Teo, along with a begrudging Xio, team up to try and survive the trials.I just loved this book; It made me laugh out loud, fall completely in love with the characters and the world and feel genuine peril in the trials. Aurelio must be protected at all costs!Whilst the ending, for me, wasn't a surprise I still enjoyed it immensely and found that I was just happy to be along for the ride.I loved the casual queerness of the gods and everyone in this world. It's not explained, but the Gods can create children even in same sex partnerships. I think most, if not all, of the ten semidios competitors were on the LGBTQIAP+ spectrum and one of them is also deaf, and I think a lot of attention was put in to make sure that you remembered that Dezi was deaf, and that people made the effort to sign without it being a big deal.The embers of a romance are being kindled in this story but I think we've got a way to go yet. And as much as I loved getting to know Teo, Niya, Xio and Aurelio, I would like to know more about the other competitors. I'm kind of bummed that this is just a duology actually, I'd have loved a trilogy. Why do you have to write such loveable characters Aiden??I really enjoyed watching Teo's journey in this book; with his wings, his confidence, his determination, his strength, especially considering he only had one power that we know of and couldn't use it very well 😅He's the scrappy underdog who fights for what's right, is fiercely protective and loves a bit of mischief.And for a lot of this book, the meme 'Teo no. TEO YES!' kept coming to mind!!Anyway, I would like book two asap please! 💚CW: blood, death, injury, fire, emotional abuse, child abuse

A mediocre recreation of Goblet of fire... Games will be fun and the final twist will be an unexpected one if you hadn't read Goblet of fire.