Full of heart, humor, and high-stakes.
The Sunbearer Trials is billed as a Mexican-inspired cross between The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, and I think that the book absolutely delivers (and more). The book follows Teo, the semidios son of Quetzal, diosa of birds. Every ten years, semidioses from all over Reino del Sol must compete to be the next Sunbearer. In addition to the Sunbearer’s purpose (to reignite the Sol stones at every temple, to keep the Obsidian dioses at bay), they receive fame and glory. Yet the loser of the trials also bears a destiny—to be sacrificed so the Sol stones can be replenished in the first place. And while it’s supposed to be an honor, it sure doesn’t feel like an honor. In the history of Reino del Sol, the Gold semidioses have almost exclusively competed in the trials. These are the children of Gold gods, who are likened to superheroes. The Jades, who are considered far less powerful, are typically spared from the competition… Until this year, when two Jades are chosen to compete, marking them as the second and third Jades to ever be chosen. And the last Jade was sacrificed. Teo’s goal is just to survive, and hopefully keep Xio (the other Jade competitor) alive in the process, too. Thankfully, they’ve got one Gold on their side, Teo’s best friend Niya.
Okay, now that introductions ave been made, let’s get to what makes this book so incredible. (Though truthfully, it cannot be distilled to one thing.) This book has so much heart. Teo is funny, headstrong, and would do anything for his friends. Literally, anything. To witness the relationship between Teo, Xio, and Niya is incredible. I could go on about this, but I just think that Aiden Thomas has created these vibrant characters who hold so much love and space for each other, even when the going gets tough. And that’s incredible.
Individually, the characters are also rich and complex. Everyone has this vibrant personality that leaps off the page, and you can see that the author put so much love into how each person was written and portrayed: even the “mean” characters. There’s never a dull moment with these characters, and I loved spending time with them. Niya, in particular, was my favorite character. She radiates buff himbo (yes, himbo) lesbian energy, and I love her for it. She’s full of love and joy, she’s excitable, and she’ll hype you up anytime. Niya is also more brawn than brains, but we love her for it. Teo is also an incredible character. Throughout the whole book I was just in awe of his character.
The cultural backdrop of the book is beautiful and rich. Reino del Sol is an incredible place governed by the gods, or dioses, with each city having its own patron. For example, Teo is from Quetzlan, where his mother, Quetzal, resides. Over the course of the book we visit many cities, governed by many dioses, and get to experience different facets of this Mexican-inspired world. While the book/world may be fictional, it draws from real cultures and practices in a beautiful way, and I really enjoyed it.
This book also had so much representation. In addition to a full BIPOC cast, I think we got to see a large variety of those on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, as well as disability representation. Teo and Xio are both trans men/boys, Niya is a lesbian (maybe bi?), Ocelo is non-binary, the dios Sol is non-binary, and there’s also a lot of bisexual rep. There’s also mlm rep in both side characters and main characters, as Teo is definitely interested in a certain semidios. The way that this book handled the trans and non-binary rep made me feel very seen, and I’m thankful for that. I think there are many queer youth who will be able to find themselves in this book, as well as BIPOC youth.
The Sunbearer Trials is full of heart, humor, and high-stakes. I cannot wait for the next installment, to see where Teo and his friends go from here. Based on the ending, I know it’s going to be nuts.
Okay, now that introductions ave been made, let’s get to what makes this book so incredible. (Though truthfully, it cannot be distilled to one thing.) This book has so much heart. Teo is funny, headstrong, and would do anything for his friends. Literally, anything. To witness the relationship between Teo, Xio, and Niya is incredible. I could go on about this, but I just think that Aiden Thomas has created these vibrant characters who hold so much love and space for each other, even when the going gets tough. And that’s incredible.
Individually, the characters are also rich and complex. Everyone has this vibrant personality that leaps off the page, and you can see that the author put so much love into how each person was written and portrayed: even the “mean” characters. There’s never a dull moment with these characters, and I loved spending time with them. Niya, in particular, was my favorite character. She radiates buff himbo (yes, himbo) lesbian energy, and I love her for it. She’s full of love and joy, she’s excitable, and she’ll hype you up anytime. Niya is also more brawn than brains, but we love her for it. Teo is also an incredible character. Throughout the whole book I was just in awe of his character.
The cultural backdrop of the book is beautiful and rich. Reino del Sol is an incredible place governed by the gods, or dioses, with each city having its own patron. For example, Teo is from Quetzlan, where his mother, Quetzal, resides. Over the course of the book we visit many cities, governed by many dioses, and get to experience different facets of this Mexican-inspired world. While the book/world may be fictional, it draws from real cultures and practices in a beautiful way, and I really enjoyed it.
This book also had so much representation. In addition to a full BIPOC cast, I think we got to see a large variety of those on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, as well as disability representation. Teo and Xio are both trans men/boys, Niya is a lesbian (maybe bi?), Ocelo is non-binary, the dios Sol is non-binary, and there’s also a lot of bisexual rep. There’s also mlm rep in both side characters and main characters, as Teo is definitely interested in a certain semidios. The way that this book handled the trans and non-binary rep made me feel very seen, and I’m thankful for that. I think there are many queer youth who will be able to find themselves in this book, as well as BIPOC youth.
The Sunbearer Trials is full of heart, humor, and high-stakes. I cannot wait for the next installment, to see where Teo and his friends go from here. Based on the ending, I know it’s going to be nuts.