The Sunbearer Trials is the first book in a new duology by Aiden Thomas. Based on Mexican mythology, this story follows 17 year-old Teo, a semidios of Quetzel - the goddess of birds. Every decade the Sunbearer Trials occur in which ten semidoises are chosen to compete for glory. The winner will be the Sunbearer, a Hero chosen by Sol to reignite the Sun Stones to ward off the evil Obsidians. The loser, the sacrifice that will keep the Sun Stones lit.

Only the Golds are ever chosen to compete in the Trials, children of the more powerful and influential Gods. But this year, Sol chooses two Jades, one of which being Teo. Literally fighting for his life, this novel is Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games, where Teo will have to overcome his fears if he wants to survive.

The Sunbearer Trials was an easy five star read for me. It brought something unique to the world of YA Fantasy. Thomas crafts a masterful world rich in mythology that allows the story to prosper.

This novel is also an important piece of fiction as it contains representation for all kinds of underrepresented groups. It was enlightening to read about a world where you could be who you wanted to be and love who you wanted.

The story was gripping, following Teo and the other chosen semidioses through their five trials. It was engaging with rarely a slow moment and I never once found myself getting bored. I actually couldn't put this book down.

I'd recommend the Sunbearer Trials to anyone who wants a story rich in mythology where the stakes are deadly . Pitching a story as Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games is a high bar to pass but this story catapults past that and exceeds any expectation.

The Sunbearer Trials occur every ten years and are necessary to preserve peace throughout Reino Del Sol. Ten semdióses, children of the gods, are chosen by the sun god, Sol, for the opportunity to compete in a series of five trials. The winner becomes the Sun Bearer, and travels across Reino del Sol, refueling the Sun Stones which protect them from the malicious Obsidian gods. The loser, however, has the honor of being sacrificed in order to power the stones, as Sol once sacrificed themself.

Teo is a trans, 17-year-old semdiós. He lives a relatively peaceful life in Quetzlan with his mother, Jade goddess Quetzal—the goddess of birds. When it comes time for the Sunbearer Trials to take place, his main worry is for his friend Niya, a Gold semdiósa and daughter of Tierra, the earth god. After all, the chances of a Jade being selected by Sol to compete in the Trials are so slim they are nearly nonexistent—everyone knows the Golds are far more powerful, and Jades are seldom chosen. Henceforth, everyone is shocked when Sol defies the odds and selects not one, but two Jade semdióses to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. Teo and Xio, son of Mala Suerte, must now compete alongside eight Gold opponents, all having spent their lives training at the Academy for their chance to compete. He's also less than excited to spend the next ten days around Aurelio, another of the semdióses chosen by Sol, who had been his childhood friend before suddenly cutting off all ties with Teo. Not to mention the other Gold competitors, who view the two Jades as default losers and easy prey. In order to defy the odds and survive the Sunbearer Trials, Teo must work alongside his friends to stay out of the bottom of the rankings and avoid becoming the sun god’s sacrificial lamb.

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Aiden Thomas has defied odds, himself, by writing a book just as incredible as—if not somehow better than—Cemetery Boys. Their debut novel was automatically a favorite, and The Sunbearer Trials cements their place as one of the best current YA authors. There was hardly a crumb left of this book to criticize.

That being said, I do have many positive thoughts to share. Here are some things I took note of:

Content-wise, The Sunbearer Trials is truly phenomenal. I found the story very entertaining and enthralling. The action scenes always had me on the edge of my seat, adrenaline pumping, heart beating fast. It was extremely easy to become immersed in the story, especially because Thomas’s writing is so wonderfully descriptive and vivid that it truly pulls the reader in. I also enjoyed how unpredictable the plot was; full of surprises, twists, and turns. I’m always amazed at the level of thought and creativity that must go into writing a novel, but Aiden Thomas has left me in utter confusion with this one—confusion as to how he could possibly be such a creative mastermind.

One significant aspect of this book is the diversity of the characters. I was pleased to observe that even the unlikeable characters were diverse in identity. It may be easy to overlook the importance of an antagonistic and unlikable character with they/them pronouns, but normalizing queerness and queer identities means recognizing that even annoying, rude, antagonistic people are queer—because every type of person can be queer. We are allowed to suck too, okay?

Furthermore on the representation: there’s a lot of it. There are numerous trans and queer characters, as well as a deaf character and frequent depiction of sign language. Multiple aspects of being trans are discussed in the book, such as periods, binders, and dysphoria. And being queer and trans are completely normalized in Reino Del Sol—which, duh, their creator uses they/them pronouns. It’s definitely refreshing to read such a diverse YA fantasy novel that completely normalizes queerness.

Another thing to appreciate is the complexity of the characters. It was refreshing to have my views and understanding of certain characters challenged throughout the book as the story unfolded. I have often seen YA authors make their side characters and antagonists excruciatingly one-dimensional. I liked that they had reasons behind their actions, that it wasn’t as simple as them having cruel personalities. The complexity in character motivations and backgrounds made for a much more entertaining read.

Elaborating on my earlier mention of Aiden Thomas being skilled in vivid descriptions: their descriptions of the cities and scenery throughout the book were highly impressive. In the novel, each god has its own city, which aligns with that god’s purpose. Thomas, in his beautiful and evocative descriptions, references many intriguing aspects that reflected this concept. There are many small and inventive details included about the cities’ infrastructures that distinguish them from each other and provide a clear impression of each location for the reader.

While The Sunbearer Trials definitely had its intense moments, it was also very humorous and light-hearted. Teo is a very comical and relatable character; there were numerous moments where I felt embarrassingly seen, such as the many times Teo struggled with being highly unathletic. The only difference is that I have never been selected to compete in the reverse Hunger Games and therefore am not depending on my athleticism to carry me through a life-or-death situation.

The romantic subplot was not as much of a focus in this book compared to Cemetery Boys. As it is only the first book in the duology, I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of it in the next book. However, there were still a few soft, emotional moments that were so endearing I was nearly melting into a puddle. Of course, I would have been a fool to believe that I could survive an Aiden Thomas book without getting emotional.

Overall, The Sunbearer Trials is a phenomenal work of fiction that will be on my mind for months to come. I greatly enjoyed reading the book and highly recommend it to any reader interested in a highly enjoyable queer fantasy novel.