This is a beautiful fantasy full of beautiful imagery, and messages, and the cast of deities is to die for! The writing and worldbuilding are impressive🤯 I'm sure the book will resonate with everyone but as a Latine/x creator, there were so many hidden gems and references, in names, in the way the gods and semi-dioses were described, and in the food that was included in all of the celebration feasts.

I truly don't know how it is that Aiden manages to make the entire Latine/x diaspora feel welcome in their books but their books always feel like home!

Also, let's talk about the unapologetic queerness, the family structures, the Deaf hero, the signing interpreter throughout the trials, and the gender confirmation ceremonies being as important if not more important than birthday celebrations?

I had no doubt this book would be mind-blowing, but even those expectations were surpassed!

Every ten years, The Sunbearer Trials occur. They're a way to discern the strongest of the strong and keep Sol's protection intact, or so they say. Yes, a kid between 13 to 18 years old has to die but it's for the greater good, right?
Teo Quetzal is the son of a lower god, a Jade and is not a fan of the Sunbearer Trials nor the Golds, the children of higher gods, except one, Niya, his best friend. The last thing he expected was to be chosen as one of the ten semidioses to participate in the trials, which feels like a death sentence...

WOW
This was absolute perfection. I fell for Teo in the first chapter and I was captivated from that point on. I was so into this from beginning to end. I probably would have read it in one sitting if not for work. The entire cast of characters was great, so layered and complex, all with their flaws and qualities. I just loved them or loved to hate them.
The plot kept me entertained from beginning to end, I loved the whole game of it all, the friendships, all of it. I loved everything about it. The rep, the mythology of it all, I just adored it all.
I can't wait for book 2. I love where this is going but also that ending was mean.
I just need to read all others book by Aiden Thomas in the mean time, especially since I already own them all.

Cemetery Boys lived in my head rent free for months so I was really excited to start this one. I heard trials and fantasy and was instantly sold. Im a big fan of mythology as well, this book was a gift catered to my likes.

The! Characters! Whew. I was a happy camper with the characters. It was the right balance between wholesome and I wanna scream. Fantasma is my favorite character, im well aware she had like three scenes but she remains superior thank you. The twins were also an iconic duo in their crop tops kicking butt. I was right about not trusting a certain character so im glad to see I can still smell bs a mile away.

My only dilemma was it didn’t always feel like intense trials until the end. The few beginning trials didn’t fully impact me. The first half felt more like a long buildup. The second half got me back into the game and im assuming the second book will have intensity and tension I wanted from the first half of the book. The ending has left me with my deep thoughts.

Overall, a really lovely book that I enjoyed. Aiden keeps giving us incredible main characters and storylines. This was another smash in the park and im on the edge of my seat for book two.

Remember all that searching for the next Hunger Games? Well, you've found it. Bursting with adventure, style, creativity and addictive action, The Sunbearer Trials is the YA deadly adventure story that will win devoted fans of all ages. Seventeen-year-old Teo is shocked to be chosen for the Trials, a competition between demigods (semidioses) that will end with a sacrifice to keep the monsters locked out of the world. The trials take Teo and his cohort across the world to different cities, offering opportunities for the immersive worldbuilding, based on South and Central American culture and mythology, to shine. I can't do the plot justice here, except to say that it is meticulous and original. Teo, a trans boy whose transition is neither a family drama nor a source of personal angst, is a hero readers of all ages will gravitate towards - believably flawed and yet determined to do the right thing. Check it out if you love YA, creativity, good writing, or books that pull you in and won't let go.

If The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson got smushed together with Indigenous American mythology, it would be this book. Plus, as is typical with Aiden Thomas, it’s super queer, with a trans protagonist and other characters across the gender and sexuality spectrums.

The scenery in The Sunbearer Trials is so lush, and the mythology of Thomas’ world is fleshed out from the very beginning. I have always loved mythology and demigods, and this is a wonderful take on that type of story. Aiden Thomas consistently incorporates their own heritage into their stories in unique and exciting ways.

This book also does a good job of coming to a conclusion for the Trials while setting up the obvious sequel. I will be looking forward to the second book in this series, and I highly recommend it to readers in their teens and up.

Thank you to #netgalley, #bookishfirst and #feiwelandfriends for giving me and advanced copy of this book for review. This book was released yesterday, Sept. 6.

i’m extremely busy at the moment, so i don’t have much time to read arcs but i will come back and edit this with my actual review once i’ve read it! super excited!

Aiden Thomas never disappoints. The plot is engaging and the world-building is excellent. This is an incredibly important new series in the YA fantasy space, and the emphasis on people of color and LGBTQIA+ people in this genre is especially welcome.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest feedback.

To be honest, I'm not as much into Fantasy or Dystopian(ish) stories these days. Mood reader problems mixed with *gestures vaguely around* the real world have me a bit burnt out. But with the promise of The Hunger Games vibes and Aiden Thomas's writing, I decided to pick up The Sunbearer Trials anyway. My younger self would absolutely have devoured this unapologetically Queer and diverse book. And my current present self enjoyed it, too. I just wish I could have read a Queer 'Hunger Games' when it would have made the biggest impact for me. But I'm so ecstatic that teens today have wonderful talent like Aiden who can write the stories they need and/or just be able to enjoy and possibly see pieces of themselves in.

After reading Cemetery Boys, I had high expectations for this book, and the author exceeded them. It provides a rich story where demigods compete to be in the top spot, or risk being sacrificed for the good of everyone. All of the characters were enduring and thought out. There is rich diversity in gender, identity, and appearance with splendid influence from the Latin communities that it takes its gods from. A total must-read for everyone!

Thank you Netgalley for an e-ARC

Aiden Thomas is one of my favorite authors and they did not disappoint. I loved everything about this book and would recommend it to all of my friends!

I WANT A SEQUEL RIGHT NOW?! I loved it so much, the story line and the characters. Everything was pretty well developed, thought out, and inclusive. The only thing I didn’t really like was the real world pop culture parallels (although tútube and instagrafía sound really fun, much more than in english). Not a huge issue for me though, especially since it’s a YA book.

Teo is a Jade. In a world where Golds are designated as Heroes and worthy of holding the title of Sunbearer, Teo worries more about his best friend Niya being chosen to compete in the Sunbearer Trials, which are scheduled once each decade, than he does about his own selection. However, much to his surprise Teo is chosen to compete. Teo finds himself relying on his intelligence and his wings, a birthright of the children of Quetzal, since Jades are barred from the Gold training academy. As the trials progress, it becomes clear to Teo that something is amiss, but will he figure it out in time or will the consequences be catastrophic?

As a reader, I can see why The Sunbearer Trials is billed as Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games. But what Aiden Thomas excels at is creating their own worlds that pull from Latinx traditions. Readers who liked Cemetery Boys will find The Sunbearer Trials building on what worked. This was an easy read as the plot sped through the trials, dedicating only one to two chapters to each task, while the remainder of the time was spent exploring the various characters who make up the world.

And the characters were incredibly rich. As a protagonist, Teo was a great choice for point of view because he was smart and likable. By utilizing his viewpoint, it is clear to the reader what injustices govern Reino Del Sol, and Teo isn’t afraid to discuss them with those around him. Teo is also open about his identity and, like Cemetery Boys, Thomas isn’t afraid to include frank conversations that continue to normalize the full trans spectrum, including binders, hormonal therapy, body dysphoria, and gender reassignment surgery. I like the worlds Thomas creates where everyone is able to be their best selves. These are worlds I want to live in.

In addition to Teo, the surrounding cast is full of unique individuals. Standouts include Niya, Xio, and Aurelio. As Teo’s best friend, Niya speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to wear her feelings on her sleeve. Xio, another Jade, rounds out the group of outcasts and together the three become unlikely heroes. My assumption is that Aurelio will grow into Teo’s love interest in the second book of this duology. I appreciated that Thomas established a previous friendship, using the trials as a way to reconnect. As Teo and Aurelio rediscover each other, their friendship begins to regrow, allowing any potential romance to feel earned.

Overall, I very much enjoyed The Sunbearer Trials. I suspected the twist at the end, but I was wrong in the way it was executed, allowing me to enjoy the craft put into the novel. Without saying too much that will ruin the fun, I recommend The Sunbearer Trials to anyone who enjoys a good adventure with a tight plot and well-developed characters to fill out the story.

I'll be honest, I had high hopes for this one, but it just didn't do it for me. To be fair, I'm not the target audience, so I would certainly defer to reviews from actual YA-aged readers, but I found this book really hard to get into. The tone felt simultaneously middle-grade but also upper YA with its 17-year-old protagonist, and I feel like if it had stuck with one or the other, it would have succeeded even more as a novel. Again though, maybe I'm just not the right audience for this one. World-building was cool though, loved the way the story pulled in Mexican-based myths and characters. Overall, Aiden Thomas is doing some great stuff for young, queer fantasy, but maybe it's just not for me.

I have not had the opportunity to finish this book yet, but based on the first 50 pages I would highly recommend this book. The characters, setting, and intrigue are well set up in the beginning, as well as the main hook for the story. Teo has a charming voice and solid point of view that draws the reader in.

If you’ve been reading my reviews for a bit, you may know that I’m a bit obsessed with Aiden Thomas’s work! The Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods were both some of my favorite books of 2020 and 2021, and yet somehow they have both been dethroned in my heart by The Sunbearer Trials! I am downright smitten with this book. From the characters (and their fabulous development and depth) to the worldbuilding, The Sunbearer Trials is a book I want to read over and over again! With the tournament aspect of this book, I feel as though it is the book I wish The Hunger Games had been when I read it as a younger teen. I am so very glad that this will be a duology, because I am not ready to say goodbye to Teo, Niya, Xeo, and Aurelio!


My Recommendation-
If you loved the magical powers of Encanto, you need to grab a copy of The Sunbearer Trials! I would especially recommend this book to readers who’ve been searching for the perfect “deadly tournament” YA novel!

This is a book that I’m actually devastated to DNF—and I want to be clear that it’s not because there’s anything wrong with the book. Unfortunately, my tastes are just a bit too outside the target age for The Sunbearer Trials and I couldn’t do it. I try to avoid the younger-feeling YA fantasies just due to personal taste, and this felt bordering on middle grade except the characters could curse.

Everything about this is so, so well done though, and if I wasn’t in such a reading slump already I definitely would’ve powered through. The world building is amazing—I’m absolutely obsessed with the nods to classic high fantasy while still creating a diverse and unique land. Modern slang and technology are woven into this fantasy setting in a way that flowed and made sense, which is something that seems to be very difficult to do.

I absolutely love a competition plot, and The Sunbearer Trials brought both the comforting familiarity of this subgenre without feeling overdone or too tropey or too predictable. Throughout, I wanted to know more, and I loved how we learned more about the characters as things unraveled. Where this book felt youngest to me was the characters, though—reactions were very over the top and at times ridiculous (in a fun way, don’t get me wrong!) in a way typical of middle grade or early YA.

All in all, while this book wasn’t for me, I think it’s an incredibly important book. The younger age range that this seems geared for needs more books like The Sunbearer Trials. Full of diverse characters and important topics, I’m genuinely so glad this book exists.

People will call this the next PERCY JACKSON or HUNGER GAMES, and while it shares similarities with those, it also stands on its own as a deeply rooted story on queerness, gender identity, and latine culture. Full of gods, goddesses, magic, betrayal and competition, THE SUNBEARER TRIALS will have readers reading well into the midnight oil.

Wow! So well-written and exciting that I accidentally finished the whole thing in one sitting. I loved Cemetery Boys then somehow this book managed to be even better.

The Sunbearer Trials is the first book in a Latine fantasy duology inspired by Mexican mythology where, every ten years, ten semidioses are chosen to compete in a series of themed trials in order to replenish the sun’s power and hold off the end of the world. The winner becomes the Sunbearer, while the loser of the trials is sacrificed. The book was super queer, action-packed, and such a fun time the whole way through— I want to play in a D&D campaign written by Aiden Thomas.

Even with a pretty sizable ensemble cast, I was surprised how much I managed to learn about all of the competitors and how many of them I grew to love. Teo was also such a fantastic protagonist. He was funny, smart, and capable, and I couldn’t help but root for him right from the beginning. Honestly, the only complaint I have about the book is how long I have to wait until I can read the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and Feiwel & Friends for a digital advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is EVERYTHING to me. Easily, without a doubt, the best YA fantasy I've read this year and likely one of the best in my lifetime. Aiden Thomas is an absolute powerhouse, intricately weaving a modern fantasy that feels reminiscent of the "classic" YA of the 2010s in terms of worldbuilding, stakes, and mythos, while bringing in a much needed diversity of gender, race, and lived experiences that allows any reader to see themselves in the story.

I am constantly hesitant to comp my favorite / extremely popular books, but The Sunbearer Trial TRULY is The Hunger Games x Percy Jackson. The trials live up to every expectation and then go beyond that. The tension builds so intricately and I felt myself panicking along with the characters, frustrated that they even had to be there and anxious about what would come next and how they would inevitably get to the end. The godly parents (special shoutout to Mala Suerte) were so dynamic, showing a breadth of approaches to parenting and how immortality can impact your empathy and morality, especially while raising children that you know you may send off to potentially die.

Now onto my loves, our competitors. I did not like all of them, as intended, and in the most spoiler free way possible I found myself gasping, yelling, and crying at various points. But I also laughed, and cheer on their development from quiet and seemingly uncaring to truly so full of feelings you just don't know what to do, and even rooting for our "villainous" competitors who stuck to their expectations and were there to win. Teo's story of growing into himself as a Jade and with his powers was the centerpiece of this, and watching his journey, and knowing what he still has to face, I will always be his biggest cheerleader. Everyone in the world needs a friend like Niya, the best herbo in the world and my favorite sapphic, Dezi is just <333 and if you read this book, let's talk about Xio!

I cannot truly formulate words for just how much I adore this book and how talented Aiden is, but please read it to reimagine the height of YA fantasy in a modern way.