I gave this a 5 out of 5 stars. I loved the characters and the whole book. I can't wait to get to book two. This one one of my favorite books of the year. I absolutely recommend, I love the Trans rep in this.

I think I'm one of the few who hasn't read the Percy Jackson books. I've seen the movie though, which counts for something. And I've definitely read and watched and loved the Hunger Games.

If you've read reviews, you've probably seen a lot of readers referencing those two series in conjunction with Aiden Thomas' newest, The Sunbearer Trials. They're not wrong. I didn't think I'd get a chance to jump on this novel, but after a fun book gathering with the FierceReads crew and a sneak peek chat from the author... whelp, here I am.

This series has the trials and tribulations of parts of those novels, but it stands on it's own in uniqueness. Every ten years, ten semidioses compete for the honor of Sunbearer. The loser is sacrificied to fuel the Sun Stones to keep the Obsidian gods at bay.

The world building mirrors our present day with a 'gods walk among us' twist. Depending on the color, depends on the almost celebrity status of the semidios. I liked this element and the depth Thomas goes into for the culture, rituals and history of the world he's created without bogging down the plot flow.

The representation is phenomenal. Could you imagine the beauty of having a gender naming day? I loved it! Especially the parts that focus on finding your own identity when you're ready. Which leads me to the characters. Yes, there is magic, gods and dangerous trials, but the characters tie everything together. The modern personal  struggles of family, expectations and self acceptance give each character a role that was grounded in the narrative.

The audio is narrated by André Santana and his voice fits Teo well. I enjoyed the emotion and pacing of the narration as well as the different voices for the other characters. Excellent voice from Macmillan Audio that resonates with this novel.

All of the virtual hugs to Fiercereads and Macmillan.audio for the ability to dive into this gem!! All thoughts are my own!

<i>"Choice is the most powerful forces in existence. Much more powerful than me...Jades, Golds--these descriptors means nothing, really....We gave them to ourselves. It's humanity that has all the power."</i>
--Diosa Opcion

TL;DR: Another important installment by Aiden Thomas when it comes to strong diversity & representation. There's also no doubt that Thomas can write compelling characters (and writes strong dialogue) and was particularly invested in bringing the landscape of Reino del Sol to life, with lush descriptions of the landscape, clothing, and food. But as a work of fantasy, <i>The Sunbearer Trials</i> ultimately falls short, undone by a clunky insertion of the "real" into the fantasy world and wide plot holes in the mythology of the worldbuilding. (Which is a big pet peeve of mine; if you don't mind it, you'll probably enjoy the story more.)

<i>Disclaimer: I received an ARC from Netgalley & the publisher in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Vibes: Billed as Percy Jackson meets Hunger Games, but I'd actually argue it's more like Goblet of Fire (the Triwizard Tournament) meets The Boys (or Umbrella Academy) with a healthy dose of Mean Girls.
Much like Harry being unwittingly entered into the Triwizard Tournament against the odds, so is Teo.
And Thomas' dioses are much more like superheroes than they are Riordan's Greek pantheon (IMHO).

Genre: YA / NA* Urban Fantasy
I don't love the term "urban fantasy," but I hate "low fantasy" even more, so I'm going with it. There are elements of the contemporary/modern world (clunkily) inserted here, and they work against (rather than with) the heavily mythologized fantasy setting.
*NA, especially if you're a fan of the Hunger Games / Goblet of Fire / Ashlords.

Romance Meter: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤 ♡
Lots of angsty pining here by Teo.
(IMHO, not as endearing as in Cemetery Boys.)

Character MVP: Niya. Thomas was giving Luisa (from Encanto) here, with the strong, muscley female, who was also kind and loyal. Love it.

Verdict: 3.5 stars, rounding down to 3.
Was this as good (and poignant) as Cemetery Boys?
No, not IMHO.
Was it entertaining?
Heck yes.
Will I read the sequel?
Absolutely.

But as much as I enjoyed it, I can't round up to 4 stars because there were issues that distracted me the <b>entire</b> time I was reading. (Which is a good indicator for me: there are always going to be questions that I have as a reader; but the yardstick is whether I *keep* thinking about them at the cost of pulling me out of the story world.)

(1) <b>First and foremost -- Thomas's entire story hinges on the fact that the reader just accepts that (1) the Sol Stones need to be refueled (despite being pieces of a seemingly omnipotent celestial creator's body) and (2) the only way they can refueled is through the sacrifice of a semidios. Without that sacrifice and refueling, the world ends. </b>

<i>"Every ten years, the sun's power must be replenished so that Sol can continue their path through the sky, keeping our world safe from the Obsidians and monsters that have been locked in their celestial bindings. Ten eligible semidioses between the ages of the thirteen and eighteen are selected as the worthiest to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner will be chosen by Sol as this decade's Sunbearer and join the distinguished ranks of past champions."</i>

Which...

*sigh*

I thought we might get an answer to those questions as the book progressed, and Teo became more self-aware -- and more aware in general. (He's really not a very empathetic person -- when Aurelio confides in him that his life at the Academy is not all rainbows & sunshine, it's like he's never even considered it.)

But we don't get those answers.

I even went back and reread the Creation myth at the beginning to see if there was information that I missed because I didn't quite know what was important yet: it just says that the Sol Stones have to be lit and everything's fine. There's no mention of sacrifices or refueling.
I don't have a problem with Thomas's decision there: it makes for a good story. But the logic underpinning the mythological and fantastical elements isn't there, and it took me out of the story because I kept wondering *why* an omnipotent power needed to be replenished and *why* it had to be the body of semidios that did it. (Like, what is it about a semidios specifically that satisfies the 10-year requirement? Why does it only last 10 years?)

(2) <b>Second, the premise of the Academy -- and the division between the Jades and Golds -- doesn't make complete sense, especially in the context of the Trials.
I don't *fully* understand *why* the Jades and Golds hate each other so much, except that the Golds believe they're innately superior.
So, okay, fine. That's a bit of plot exposition, so sure.
But then why are the Jades excluded from the Academy? If they *can* be chosen for the Trials, and have been (albeit sporadically), why don't they train for it?
The hierarchy reason doesn't make as much sense...The division between the Gods and humans? That makes sense (even if it isn't explored a lot here). But I don't get why, even if Jades are "lesser" than the Golds, they're still praised and revered by humans. And, as we've seen, Teo is arguably just as powerful as the Golds.

(3)<b> Third, the Trials themselves are WEIRD and don't make complete sense.</b>
That is, the Golds go to an Academy to train for these Trials (and to be Heroes; there's conflation there that's very odd) but Teo manages mostly fine without *any* training. The trials don't seem to be as deadly as they're initially portrayed to be -- it's like they're equivalent to the Hunger Games, but in the actual plot, they're fairly tame (by comparison to the horrific barbarity that is Collins' Game). And, in a sense, because what makes the Hunger Games truly horrific is (1) the dystopian setting and (2) the element of chance / lottery.
But here -- Academy training doesn't seem to matter because (1) it doesn't give the Golds much of a competitive edge and (2) it doesn't seem to teach them how to *be* Heroes, like Disney's Hercules has to learn. Because the favored competitors are initially portrayed as arrogant bullies, and the fact that they're judged on that seems to come as a shock to all of them:

<i>"Now is a good time to remind you all that rankings aren't determined simply by the order in which you complete the trials....They are determined by *Sol's evaluation* of how you performed."

"This isn't a scored test like you'd take at school...There isn't a grading rubric or numerical value assigned that determines your rank....Sol is looking for the heart of their champion as well as their sacrifice...That's how the Sunbearer is chosen. You would all do well to remember that."

So, like...what's the point of the Academy except to separate Teo and Aurelio?
And, if Sol judges them and chooses them, I have *questions* about Xio....spoilery questions, so I'll refrain, but again: it doesn't make complete sense.

(4) <b>Fourth, I was NOT a fan of the way Thomas "blended" the contemporary with the fantasy.</b>
Again, it jolted me out of the fantasy world.
First, there were cringey references to TikTak and TuTube and Instagrafia.
Then there were references like these: "Meanwhile, it was like the Golds were all in a secret club, flocking to one another in packs like they were in a high school cafeteria."
If the point was to make it relatable to a YA audience, I didn't find it effective.
If that wasn't the point, then it was doubly ineffective. References to gym class and social media and Pokemon games were very jarring and I was not a fan. They also date the book in a way that, say, the Percy Jackson books aren't. Do I understand *exactly* why cell phones are like a radar to mythological monsters? Nope, but it at least keeps technology out of the books and allows it to be more immersive.

(5) Finally, WTF is up with the gods?
I'm not entirely sure I understand the mythology -- but neither the Jades nor the Golds seem as powerful as the Obsidians, despite heavily outnumbering them.
And at the end of the book, when shit goes sideways, they do literally nothing as the Obsidians rampage and cause chaos. Which...mmmkay. Sure.
This, of course, shifts the key roles to the semidioses, like in Percy Jackson, but at least in Rick Riordan's books, we know *why* the gods aren't interfering: they've made a vow to distance themselves from mortals and not meddle. They don't even help their own kids out (mostly), and stay holed upon Olympus.
No such isolation here: the dioses are down on...Earth? IDK. Sure...ruling and interacting with their kids and mortals. Their kids are pretty powerful, so I can imagine that undiluted immortal blood should make the gods pretty powerful. But we only see them strategize -- not act. Not a great look.

To replenish the sun gods' power & keep the obsidian gods at bay, each decade 10 semidioses are chosen to compete in the sunbearer trials. The winner gets the prestige of travelling through reino del sol to replenish the sun stones; the loser, however, gets the greatest honor— a sacrifice to sol to fuel the sun stones. The strongest semidioses are chosen and are generally the children of the strongest gods, the gold gods, very rarely are the children of the jade gods chosen. When they are they are at a disadvantage. This decade the children of TWO jade gods are chosen. This book was wonderfully written, the world building was excellent, and the characters were well fleshed out and easy to connect to and care for.

Pitched at Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games, The Sunbearer Trials the next must-read YA fantasy. This book is full of heart with vibrant worldbuilding and characters you will both love and hate.

Words cannot express my excitement for Aiden Thomas’ newest book The Sunbearer Trials. Having read and adored The Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods, I knew this would be another book of my heart — and I was not disappointed! I tried writing a normal review and it was a giant mess, so here are five reasons I loved this book and think you will, too.

Intricate and Vivid Worldbuilding

We all know that worldbuilding is the quickest way to my heart and Thomas crafted a full world to immerse the reader into. The book begins with an origin myth of the world, succinctly situating the reader in the world. The rich descriptions of the various cities and settings transport the reader into Reino del Sol and let me tell you: this book will make you hungry! The delicious foods and candy? I need to eat them now. And you can because the book is unabashedly Mexican-inspired and those treats can be found.

I adore mythology and quite frankly it is refreshing to see a world inspired not by Greece or Rome but Mexico. This is a book where gods are real and they live among mortals. Like in Percy Jackson, the gods semidiós (demigod) children who – depending on who their godly parent is – will train in a fancy school to become heroes. But our main character Teo is not one of them.

Addresses Privilege

One of my favorite parts of this book is how it addresses privilege and questions the very systems of power within Reino del Sol. There are three types of gods: the Golds who are the most powerful, the Jades who are excluded from the Academy, and the Obsidians who are evil and were banished. The Golds are the ones who train in the Academy to become heroes, who live apart from the very mortals they protect, whereas the Jades live among the mortals and aren’t afforded the same opportunities.

This system would be unjust no matter what, but an addition wrinkle is that only the Golds train to compete in the Sunbearer Trials that takes place every ten years. When two Jades are chosen by Sol to compete in these trials, they are at a severe disadvantage and are seen as easy sacrifices. Who are Teo and Xio supposed to compete when they not only have no training but also “less favorable” powers? And just how are the rankings even made?

Characters to Love and Hate

It wouldn’t be an Aiden Thomas book without the characters stealing my heart! Teo is such a kind main character who you can’t help but root for and his best friend Niya is a ride-or-die Gold who also checks her privilege. The two of them take Xio under their wings in the Trials and I love it when groups of misfits band together. I enjoyed learning more about Niya and Aurelio and watching them evolve over the course of the Trials.

Queernormative world with trans rep

In addition to the Latinx representation, this is also a queernormative world that is especially trans accepting. If a semidiós discovers their gender doesn’t align, a gender confirmation ceremony is held to celebrate them — and I love this. 

So many people are going to see themselves in this book and that it incredibly special.

That. Ending. BOOK TWO WHEN?

The way the book and duology is plotted? *chef’s kiss* I am genuinely frothing at the mouth to get my hands on the rest of the story as soon as possible, because I need to know. One thing I really appreciate is that it’s a cliffhanger, but kind of a soft one? Like we know the next steps and the plan, it’s just a question of what will happen and I am here for it. Literally cannot wait!

I received an eARC from the publisher via Netgalley for my honest review. This has not affected my opinions or the contents of my review. I have since purchased a finished copy.

Not my favorite unfortunately. It didn’t really work for me as a YA Fantasy and I much preferred the author’s previous work. I didn’t feel like I could connect with the main character and their arc felt unstable.

The Sunbearer Trials bears resemblance to The Hunger Games in both positive and negative ways. The main premise, of course, is the same—teenagers have to endure trials and one another’s violence to claim victory, all while serving as entertainment for the watching nation. I liked Thomas’ pivot to Mexican-inspired mythology, though the three levels of semidioses felt too striated, especially due to the narration’s obvious criticism of the Golds’ wealth and training.

The LGBTQ+ representation was impeccable. Being transgender played a large part in Teo’s identity, but it never defined him. And having Ocelo, an antagonist, be non-binary makes the rep feel all the more natural. That said, Teo irritated me. At times, he came off as very whiny; although he rightfully feels patronized by the Golds, he didn’t relate to/interact with the mortals as much as I expected for an underdog. He also stereotyped the Golds, even the kind competitors, and claimed to have never realized that their lives might not be perfect at all, which made him seem obtuse.

I also had a hard time with references to contemporary inventions, particularly their world’s versions of social media platforms. It drew me out of the mythological, spiritual worldbuilding and diminished some of the gravity of the competition. Still, it matched the YA tone, so it shouldn’t be a detracting factor if the reader expects the typical YA atmosphere.

Overall, The Sunbearer Trials is a fun, fast-paced novel for YA fans of The Hunger Games and the Percy Jackson franchise.

I love the way Aiden Thomas writes trans stories that aren't about trans trauma. The main character and a side character are trans and all the other characters are very accepting of them, and I loved it. The trials gave me The Hunger Games nostalgia while still being something completely different and original. I'm really looking forward to continuing this series!

I really enjoyed this book. The characters are amazing and the action is really well done. I do feel like parts of it could use some more polishing and character development.

This was an ABSOLUTE delight.

A fantasy adventure with high stakes, a deadly competition, myths and legends reimagined, a queer and beautiful world, full of queer and beautiful characters… It kept me at the edge of my seat, breathless with anticipation about what was next, and keeping me guessing with every twist. The world building was INCREDIBLE, I kept having to take a pause to say out loud (to myself) how much I was enjoying this book. The ending was fantastic, and unexpected, and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Aiden Thomas has cemented themselves as a phenomenal storyteller, and a perennial favourite author.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read to & review an ARC of this book!**

Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-I loved the world building in this one! It was very complicated at times (so I feel like I lost some details), but it was also very mesmerizing.
-Of course, I love the LGBTQIA+ representation in this story. I also love how it was openly discussed with the characters.
-I thought that it was great that Too stood up for what he believed in even if it had consequences.
-The ending set up a lot of drama & energy for the sequel in this duology!

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-The plot felt a bit prolonged/drawn out at times (it lost my interest a bit as the story went on).

Overall, I gave this book 4 stars.

A really good story devised around the game, the Sunbearer Trials really reinterprets Meso-American culture and merges with our modern world. Overall really good story with dynamic characters and diverse representation. Aiden Thomas continues to write amazing books!

Thanks to NetGalley & Feiwel & Friends for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Sunbearer Trials happen every 10 years and is the gods' duty to fuel Sol and help protect the world by participating in the Sunbearer Trials. Unfortunately, the participants are the gods' kids. There's Golds--more "powerful" gods given prestige, power, and importance. Then there's the Jades--lesser powerful gods who are rarely, if ever, allowed to participate in the Sunbearer Trials. Until Teo, a Jade demi-god, is selected to participate.

The worldbuilding was pretty intense and the depth of the world's mythology was definitely explored to its fullest. Thomas does a great job of blending current social injustices within his story, so it feels familiar despite the gods and magic.

I will say, it was constantly disturbing to me how the characters and in-universe audience kept conveniently forgetting that one of the kids is *sacrificed* at the end. I don't know, I would've preferred it if the lowest ranked/weakest one just lost their god powers or something because that is DARK. Teo at least kept pointing it out here and there how creepy it was but no one else seemed to care. I bet this is the reason why this is under Young Adult despite it feeling more of a Percy Jackson book with its characters and overall cheeriness.

I think my main issue with the book is that it should've either been longer or saved some of the worldbuilding pieces for the next book. There's a LOT of good and amazing stuff jammed in here but it just becomes a chaotic mix of ideas. All of the characters were unique in their own ways and actually felt like real people with their disabilities/cultures/identities/etc but due to the short nature of the book, they were condensed to a single distinct personality trait. (Strong Girl, Shy Kid, etc) I hope they're all expanded in the next one.

I know I'm making it seem like I hate the book, I swear I don't! It's REALLY good but I hope some of these issues are fixed in the next one! I'll still read it because Thomas is a great writer and this world's story is amazing to see unfold!

This was an amazing story. The world building was fantastic. Even with all the characters, gods, and societal rules, I never really felt lost or confused. Teo is a great character and I really enjoy his growth throughout the story. I have already ordered this for my library and I book talk it as much as possible.

Fantastic! This is the book I've been waiting for. It's Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson and my students are going to eat it up!

Teo lives is a semidios and his world runs because each year, the winner of the Sunbearer Trials sacrifices the loser so that their body can fuel the Sun Stones that protect them. Teo is a Jade semidios, considered lesser than Gold semidioses, so he has no expectations of ever participating in the Trials. His best friend, Niya, and his estranged childhood friend, Aurelio, are both Golds, and top candidates for the Trials, but Teo is shocked when he and another Jade, Xio, are named as 2 of the 1o competitors for the year. Now Teo must survive the Trials and try to stay out of last place while also trying to protect his friends.

The action of this story was exciting and the relationships were fabulous. The competition with life or death consequences gave me Hunger Games vibes, and the cast of characters based on gods and goddess absolutely smacks of Percy Jackson. I also loved the inclusion of Teo's trans identity, and how his trans human traits are absolutely a normal part of society, but how his trans god/bird traits give him a tremendous sense of dysphoria. It was such a beautiful metaphor for the experience of dysphoria and I think Thomas handled it beautifully.

This book did end with a heck of a cliffhanger, which I don't love, but readers will be absolutely clamoring for the next book!

OH MY GOD this book was incredible. I can't believe it took me this long to read it. Aiden Thomas' books just keep getting better and better, and the storytelling in this is simply amazing. I need the sequel immediately.

This action-packed adventure was so much fun to read and watch unfold! The incredible cast of queer characters, the "Hunger Games' like competition (which I absolutely live -*or die* for) and showing what it's really like to be a teen and child of a god.

I thought the story was so much fun, I am so excited for the sequel. If you're a fan of Aiden Thomas' style of writing and characterization, especially in Cemetery Boys - you should definitely be considering reading this book.

I cannot wait for the sequel.

Aiden Thomas didn't disappoint when he created this world inspired by Mesoamerican mythology. A journey of high stakes and found family & rivalry. I am so invested in this story and can't wait to see what comes next. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Sunbearer Trials. I loved it!

Actual rating: 4.5/5 stars.

Honestly, after that ending, I don't even know what to say, except GIVE ME THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT NOW PLEASE AND THANK YOU!!

Such a gripping and well-paced teen fantasy. I love the Mexican-inspired worldbuilding, and Teo is an easily relatable character that you can't help but root for. Despite many characters, they remain distinct and the end sets up an exciting and anticipated sequel. I will be recommending this one to teens everywhere!