The premise itself is pretty simple and reminiscent of every single adventure YA where the lead is a teen who thinks of themselves as basic but, in reality, they can pull off amazing feats because they're always fighting and standing up for their loved ones. It would be an engaging read either way, but the pre-Hispanic elements that are so expertly woven into every single element of the plot make it super fresh and exciting.
I loved reading about the different gods and the animals and elements of so many cultures all woven into integral parts of the story that helped define it and move it forward. The fact that it's not just 'set dressing' to make it stand out but actually feels like an homage to all the colorful particulars of the cultures is *chef's kiss* perfection.
Extra shoutout for calling out some of my favorite candies growing up.
Overall, it caught my attention from the very beginning and continually adds new twists and pieces to keep it straight up invigorating. I can't believe Thomas left us where they did. I need the next book now!

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the very exciting read!

An amazing read! The inclusion was great. I loved that all of the gods represented a wide range of queer and trans identities, and that they were accepted without question. I also loved the gender confirmation ceremonies. Honestly, this book might just be better than Cemetery Boys.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As usual, Aiden Thomas is exceptional and this was no exception.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the characterizations and depth of emotion. I think this would be a great addition to any library collection.

I think this is my top read of this year so far. I absolutely adored all of the characters, especially Teo and Aurelio. Aurelio is like my favorite character type and I just wanted to protect him so bad. I can't wait to see how Teo and the rest of the characters grow in the second book. I truly think Aiden Thomas outdid himself with this one. Not only were the characters strong and interesting on their own, but the story itself also was. The entire world was. The worldbuilding was so vivid and powerful without being overwhelming and the plot twists really were surprising. Even after finding out who the 'bad guy' was, I still liked that character and was rooting for them. Plus, the trials themselves were SO FUN to read.

The Sunbearer Trials thrilled me. If you are searching for a YA Fantasy with a compelling and intriguing competition, look no further. This trial, dangerous elimination style feels so perfectly timed. And each trial, I could not wait to figure out how it would be structured. The action and pacing work together to pull you in and make you read even faster - if you thought that was possible. Additionally, I enjoyed the set up and world of The Sunbearer Trials. The divide between the Golds and the Jades, the ways that society reveres the Golds.

thank you to the publisher for sending me an EARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

5 STARS!!!!!!

oh my GOD?????? THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING AND MORE. I HAVE TRULY NO WORDS FOR WHAT A MASTERPIECE THIS WAS. this book is truly percy jackson meets the hunger games BUT LATINE AND QUEER AF!

the writing was absolutely gorgeous, the mythology and world building used was flawless and literally so well thought out and explained i was just in awe when reading. the amount of cultural accuracy for latine culture warmed my heart, and it was always so thoughtfully included.

the characters? literally every. single. one. was so complex and incredible, i was obsessed. even the ones who barely had scenes were incredible, and i would read full books about each of them just chilling and being themselves bc THAT IS HOW AMAZING THEY ALL WERE. i can't even decide on who my favorite character is because i absolutely adore them all so so much.

ALSO THAT PLOT TWIST? WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?! like some parts of it i had figured out BUT LIKE WHAT? THE? FUCK? yeah i'm gonna need more context there bc truly what just happened i was SHOCKED and tbh i'm HURT as well, aiden how dare you.

anyway, i'll go sob until i have the sequel in my hands. oh, and prepare to be sick of me, this WILL BE MY ONLY PERSONALITY TRAIT FROM NOW ON. EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ IT OK BYE

Aiden Thomas quickly became one of my favorite authors after reading Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Neverwoods, so needless to say my expectations for The Sunbearer Trials were SKY high. Not only did this book meet my expectations, it shattered them! This book kept me engaged at every turn. The characters were all so beautifully written; you can tell how much of himself Aiden poured into them. The world building was incredibly vivid and rich in both the mythology and the physical world in which the story takes place. As an audiobook reader, Aiden Thomas books have become synonymous with an Avi Roque performance, so their talent was missed. That being said, the new narrator by no means did a poor job! I EAGERLY await the second installment!!

One word encompasses "The Sunbearer Trials": MAGIC. I remember reading books like The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson as I was growing up and this takes some of the best aspects of both of these tales and weaves them together seamlessly. The combination of battle royale and children of gods is not something I would have thought to work but Aiden Thomas makes it work flawlessly. It was captivating from start to finish and I could barely put it down once I started. The world felt immersive and kept me turning pages far after I should have gone to bed. I just had to know what was coming next! It has been a while since a book captured me so completely. Now to wait for the sequel to know the fates of Teo, Aurelio and the rest of this amazing cast of characters.

Thank you to MacMillan Children’s Group and Net Galley for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you netgalley for the arc!

Full disclosure, I did not love this book. But seeing as I was not the target audience, nor is this my preferred genre, it is not entirely the fault of the book.

Let’s start with the good. I really loved the vibes of this book! It had the beautiful addition of Mexican mythology that was refreshing to find in a story. I loved the characters, which were diverse in so many ways. Especially Teo and Niya who were both such fun characters to read about! I adored their scenes together! The worldbuilding was also beautiful and fun to read!

The bad…again, not entirely the fault of the book. I felt like the plot was asking us to accept a lot of random stuff for it to work out the way the author wanted it to, which was unfortunate. The twists were quite predictable, especially the ending. It was…very much directed at a younger audience. I think if I was younger when I read this, I might have liked it more.

Overall, not a bad book, just not one I personally enjoyed! If you’re younger and newer to these types of plots, then this is a great introduction to the world of stories with an amazingly diverse cast of characters!

"But we must try to do what is right, regardless of who is willing to listen.”

Thank you to FierceReads for hosting the sweepstakes that landed me an eARC of The Sunbearer Trials!

I can’t believe this exists. I can’t believe this is a published book that I can read. That we can read and obsess over and absolutely have the time of our lives with. But it does! It exists, and I’m still! not! over! it! I probably never will be.

Pitched as The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson (though it’s so much more), The Sunbearer Trials follows semidíos Teo, son of Quetzal. Teo lives in a world where díoses live along with humans (kinda), and in order to keep the evil Obsidians locked in the stars, the Sunbearer Trials are held every decade among ten semidíoses, chosen by Sol themself. But whereas the winner of the trials has the honor of touring through Reino del Sol, the loser has the honor of being sacrificed for the safety of their world. And this year, well, Teo is selected to compete.

I probably had unreasonably high expectations going into this. But, honestly? I think even with those expectations I managed to be blown away. It caught me off guard how quickly I took to loving Teo, my “loud, impulsive, persistent seeker of justice.” Teo is so dear to my heart. I’ve seen so many reviews absolutely fawning over Aurelio and Niya and Xio, but. I can’t get over Teo. Where Aurelio has the brooding appearance of a guy who observes the world with an open mind, and Niya has the strong force of a woman who knows what she wants, and Xio has the sweet view of a world despite nothing working in his favor, Teo is so himself: so caring and funny and selfless and humble. I think it was @readwithcel who described him as the child you would expect from Yadriel and Julian from Aiden’s debut novel, Cemetery Boys, and there’s honestly no better description.

I’ve fallen in love with the world: Reino del Sol. With its themed cities and glorious descriptions.

I’ve fallen in love with the characters: Teo’s mom Quetzal, Niya, Aurelio, Xio, every single forking bird, and even Auristela by the end.

I’ve fallen in love with Aiden’s writing, once again, from the plot to the humor to the style to the love put into it.

The Sunbearer Trials is in the running for my favorite book of this year. I can’t wait for book two. To see my (metaphorical) children going around and doing all the things that my favorite heroes do. To catch a glimpse of Teo in my mind, with his iridescent hair and stunning wings. To understand what happened because oh my GOD, I have so many questions after finishing. But most of all, to know how this story unfolds, and what beginnings lie ahead of it.

This is an excellent start to a fantasy duology. There's a <i>lot</i> of names simply for the sake of the competition and all of the key players, which took quite a bit of time for me to get a grasp of, but I think the momentary confusion was worth it for this diverse fantasy adventure with a really exciting competition element. I will absolutely be picking up the conclusion next year!

Welcome to the Sunbearer Trials, where every decade 10 semidioses are chosen to compete in the tournament that ensures the safety of their world. It has always been the fate of the Gold semidioses, who train for this their whole lives. Teo, the son of Quetzal and a Jade, never imagined he would be chosen. But Teo is not the only Jade to enter the Trials, and now he must work to ensure that he and his friends survive. Because at the end of the Trials, one semidios will be crowned Sunbearer and one will become the sacrifice. Full of lush world-building and fierce friendships, this delightful, action-packed, Mexican-inspired fantasy is a perfect series starter that will leave readers wanting more.

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials… 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.
---
What Worked: Hunger Games meets Mexican Percy Jackson with queer representation – Need I say more?! Okay, I will. The world of this novel is creative, the characters are loveable and relatable, and the action sequences are super detailed and action packed. The visuals of this novel – the setting, the magic, the trials – are so vivid that it sucks you right into the storytelling. For anyone who loved Cemetery Boys, like me, this one is even better so you best go read this ASAP!

What Didn’t: The only negative was reading an uncorrected proof with graphics on my kindle, but this had zero effect on the story, and I’m off to get a print copy pronto for my shelves!

Rating: Loved It ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Wow!! I loved this book. 100% Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games — it did not disappoint. I can’t wait for book 2.

What do you get when you amalgamate the insouciant humor of Riordan’s Percy Jackson series with J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, and infuse it into a well-paced, fun contemporary fantasy tale infused with Latinx and LGBTQ+ flair? Aiden Thomas’ The Sunbearer Trials provides a wonderful, easygoing read. Seventeen-year old protagonist, Teo, is a semidiós, trans son of Quetzal, the bird goddess, and inconfident in his abilities, since he transitioned a mere two years before: truly an unlikely hero and a bit of a goofball. However, when he is chosen by Sol to participate as one of the Jade representatives in the Sunbearer Trials, Teo must literally and metaphorically spread his wings. Every decade, the sun’s power must be replenished in order for Sol to keep the world safe from the Obsidians and monsters. The Sunbearer Trials select the most worthy semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen to engage in a series of challenging tasks to test their endurance, skill, strength, and strategic wisdom. The winner of the Trials becomes the Sunbearer, while the participant with the lowest ranking is sacrificed to Sol, so that their body becomes the essential ingredient for the elixir that refills the Sun Stones, which provide safety and security. Thomas does a commendable job disrupting the heteronormativity characteristic of fantasy novels; their story includes several LGBTQ+ characters and addresses issues of identity insecurity and gender dysphoria. Their weaving of Nahuatl and Mexican cultural traditions, myths, elements, and language into Teo’s hero’s journey narrative also make this book stand out. Enthusiastically recommended: though liberal use of the F word throughout might make this young adult novel unsuitable for middle schoolers, The Sunbearer Trials should definitely pique and hold high school readers’ interest. Thanks to NetGalley for kindly providing an ARC of Thomas’ novel.

4 ⭐️ I think. This was a really fun time if you like magical competitions you should 100% check this one out. I will not if you don’t like teenage pining or moodiness this book might turn you off. My major complaint would be this is very much not our world but there were many nods to modern things like Instagram (Instagrafia in this world) and the slang was so 2020 street slang that it felt a little disjointed with this fantastical world. But I will celebrate this book because it is so rare to see a female to male transgender protagonist in any books let alone fantasy, and it is the authors lived experience because they are also trans so it was so cool reading about some of the struggles a young trans person goes through filtered through this fantastical lens. If you like Ya fantasy, and want a fun magical competition with a super dark twist…check this one out!!

Note: I was provided and ARC by the publisher for an honest review. 🤗

My rating: 4 of 5 stars—

I think I’ll forever be ~thrilled~ to read anything that Aiden Thomas sees fit to write. They are without a doubt one of the most talented writers in the YA fantasy space. And they write some of the most lovable queer teen characters out there.

If I had to sum up the plot of The Sunbearer Trials—It’s like The Hunger Games, but for the demigod children of Latin America-inspired gods—many of whom are trans and non-binary. In The Hunger Games, the competition serves as entertainment to distract a populace from income inequality and state-perpetrated violence. In The Sunbearer Trials, Thomas’s competitors are chosen by Sol—a god who sacrificed themselves (yup, they’re NB)—to compete for the “honor” of participating in a ritual that maintains the safety and security of their world and the mortals they are tasked with protecting. “Honor” gets air quotes because the loser of the competition gets ritually sacrificed by the winner.

Another similarity to Hunger Games is that not all competitors are on equal footing. The children of the more powerful Gold gods are sent to a special training academy from a young age, where they prepare to one day participate in the trials. Children of the less powerful Jade gods are rarely chosen for the trials, so they go to regular public school and lead pretty simple lives among mortals. When Teo—a Jade boy whose mother is the goddess of birds—is chosen to compete, this puts him at a marked disadvantage.

While the plot may not be particularly original, the Mexican cultural and queer twists certainly are. Thomas brings both their setting and characters to life. The only character who fell flat for me was Niya—Teo’s best friend—who came across as loyal but dumb. The rest of the characters are imbued with rich motives, background stories, and emotional lives. I also sense the beginnings of a few redemption arcs in Book 2—which I *definitely* plan on reading. I’m a sucker for a good redemption arc.

Many thanks to Macmillan/Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Aiden Thomas is back with another dazzling story filled with amazing characters and romance unlike any other!!!

The Sunbearer Trials is an incredible young adult fantasy competition story filled with so much heart and definitely deserving of its comparisons to Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games. Aiden Thomas creates such an interesting world here and explores it in a way that is never overbearing or info-dumpy-y. Instead, our understanding develops organically as Teo travels to different cities for the trials. I loved how this was filled with great friendships and parent relationships and budding romance (the scene with the wings had me gushing) - Aiden Thomas absolutely delivers here with the beginning of a childhood best friends to enemies to lovers arc. I love loyal characters with strong moral compasses, so Teo and Aurelio were both personal favorites for me. Niya was also super fun and Xio really sweet. I literally had to pause my audiobook multiple times just to take in how much fun I was having while reading this book. Things were a little goofy at times (some out-of-pocket contemporary references like to furries, BDSM, baking videos) which was not quite to my taste but I think will still work for young audiences. I'm very interested to see what happens in the sequel, particularly with regards to the commentary this book is trying to make on rebellion and inequality. I kind of saw the twist coming at the end, and I'm super intrigued to see how Thomas explores things further in the next book as they seem to be setting up for a quest. Such a fabulous start to a fantasy duology!!!

Beautiful, powerful, imaginative — this modern Latin mythology-meets-Hunger Games story features a heartfelt cast of characters and a daring plot that captured my interest from the first chapter. Full of adventure, empathy, and action, this story is a message for the misfits, an ode to the outcasts, and a reminder to keep reaching for the stars even when the world tries to convince you to keep your feet on the ground.