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.

The Sunbearer Trials was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. I had loved Thomas's debut novel and while I was lukewarm about his sophomore novel (though it was actually written first), I had high hopes for this one.

I struggled a lot with this book, in part because I wanted to like it so badly and it just was not clicking with me. The voice feels very Middle Grade aimed, while at the same time having an abundance of swears. A lot of the book includes pop culture references that are from our world but slightly off, which leaves this book feeling immediately dated. I also didn't understand the character motivations of most of the characters for most of the book. Teo is friends with some of the Dioses and even ropes some of them into creating chaos with him, but also seems to hate some of the Semi-Dioses for genuinely no reason other than they were born at a different status than him. I spent most of the book confused as to what was happening, the relationships between the characters, or why I was supposed to randomly hate certain characters.

When the book was captivating, it was stellar, unfortunately, those moments came so few and far between that they couldn't redeem my reading experience. I enjoyed the elements of the relationship between Teo and Aurelio, though, by the end, I had to wonder what the point of including it within this story was.

I wish I could say that the moment everything fell into place with the major plot twist, I was satisfied, but I honestly was dreading the reveal from the moment I pieced things together. I'm not a huge fan of stories that paint the main character as so good and pure just so that they can be majorly emotionally manipulated. I had seen other early reviewers say that the ending of the book made them desperate for book two, for me, it just made me want to put down the book and forget I read it.

Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love this book, overall it just fell flat for me. Readers on the younger side of bridging into the YA-sphere of novels might find more enjoyment in it than I did, but for me, it just didn't work.

*I received this book in exchange of an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley.

Sol must be replenished to keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses are selected by Sol himself to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. While the winner will carry the light across Reino del Sol, the loser will be sacrificed to fuel the sunstones. Teo is a jade semidios, the son of Quetzal goddess of birds, and is unlikely to be chosen because of his rank as a jade. His best friend Nina is the daughter of Tierra, god of earth, and one of the strongest gold ranks. Teo is afraid that Nina will be chosen for the Trials and fears for her life. But Teo also worries for a former friend, Aurelio, who is now a sworn rival. But when two jades are chosen for the trials, Teo included, for the first time in over a century, Teo is worried about the outcome of the trials. They must survive five trials for glory or die and become the flame.

This book felt very similar to a few books but also felt entirely new! Teo is a main character that you can't help but root for! He has a fun point of view to read and also feels very familiar like a friend. As a trans main character, his identity is spoken of in the first few chapters and is very much a part of his story and what makes him feel so real. The other characters come from all different genders and identities. The action packed narrative was so fun to read and I found myself devouring the story. While it does end on a cliffhanger, I felt like the book kept me wanting more. The world building is fantastic and I can't wait to pick up the second book.

I keep seeing this book described as The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson and that's pretty accurate. ⁠
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💥 What I Loved:⁠
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World-building that wasn't an info dump at the beginning of the book. Thomas weaves this in throughout the plot as our characters travel and it works so well. ⁠
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Speaking of our characters- everyone is so unique, with their own quirks, weaknesses, and talents. I loved seeing their personalities mesh and clash.⁠
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That twist! I did not see that ending coming and now I have to read the next book to get some much needed closure. ⁠
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This was such an exciting read. I flew through it and really enjoyed it. Representation in this one is fantastic and I'm happy that a lot of readers will see themselves in so many ways within the many characters. ⁠
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🔖 SYNOPSIS: "Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Sunbearer Trials. He's a Jade, not a Gold- a real hero. But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival."⁠
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Thank you @macmillanchildren's publishing group for my advanced reader copy.

4,5⭐️

wow it was sooo good. The Hunger Games meets Mexican Percy Jackson with very queer and diverse characters and various dynamics. the story was completely captivated me from the very first page until the end. the setting was amazing and easy to understood even though I haven't read a lot Mexican inspired fantasy.

but I also felt that this book isn't perfect. for instance, 1) the second trial was a little bit chaotic and unimaginable. 2) it's noticeable niya's dialogue used too many exclamation marks. 3) and there's THE problem that remains unexplained. to be honest I didn't realize that this is a part of duology until I reached 95% and I knew there'll be cliffhanger but at least tell us HOW😭

that's it for now, I still need time to process what tf was happening. thank you very much Aiden.

I had such high expectations for The Sunbearer Trials as a big fan of Aiden's previous books and I was so impressed. This is such a big sandbox to play in with complex worldbuilding, a large and diverse cast of characters and relationships that need to be developed quickly in order for us to grasp the extent of the stakes for the larger narrative. I was so impressed with how well Aiden pulled all of this off and more.

I definitely got Hunger Games vibes from this book and while the plot (teen semidioses compete in the Sunbearer Trials in order for one of them to become Sunbearer and one of them to become a sacrifice necessary to keep the evil dioses from returning) is nothing out of the ordinary for YA fantasy books, this felt unique and fresh and with Aiden's characteristic wit and charm.

We mainly follow Teo, a Jade, meaning he is a lower semidios than the Golds who train in an Academy to prepare for the Trials. Teo is an absolute delight and I really appreciated how capable he was while at the same time I was nervous for him the entire time. There are so many different characters here and I really appreciated how well we got to know everyone in order to care about them and have our opinions grow and change as the characters themselves do. Among the semidios competing there are multiple trans characters, including Teo and a full cast of Latine characters as well. I loved how intense the trials were - my heart was racing this entire book! I had so much trouble putting it down. The ending of the book sets up where the next book will go and I am so excited to be on this ride. One of the most exciting books I've read this year.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, the publisher and Yallwest for giving me an opportunity to win this book as part of a giveaway.