I love Aiden Thomas's work and this book is no exception. I loved the story, the premise. The characters. All of it was amazing. I definitely reccomend this book to people of all ages.

Dang, Aiden really did the thing huh? I am truly in awe of his ability to be all over the place in terms of how they design worlds. Like "oh this is what I want to create." Boom, consider it done. I feel like this duology is a true show of that talent that Aiden has when it comes to world-building and character creation. I cannot wait to see how it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC read. I apologize for the lateness of this review!

Teo believed as a Jade, his life was set before him. He wanted to travel the world and see the other cities but as the only child of Quetzal, his dreams may only be that, dreams. There was one way he could travel the world and see all of the cities the realm had to offer and that was by competing in the upcoming Sunbearer Trials. It was a great honor to be chosen, but could lead to an untimely death but what an honorable death it would be. As a Jade, Teo knew his chances of being picked for the trials was slim but even slimmer would be his chances of surviving the trials. As a Jade, they were looked down upon as the lesser semidioses compared to the Golds but still better than the almost extinct Obsidians. The Golds had every advantage given to them. While the Jades and Obsidians had to figure it out on their own. A Jade never won the Sunbearer Trials but were often sacrificed to refuel the Sun Stones.

Teo, a trans boy, never felt right in his body. Upon his gender confirmation ceremony, he officially came out as a boy and began T. As the son of Quetzal, Teo had been blessed with wings but unfortunately, they didn't get with the program upon his gender confirmation and remained the neutral browns of a female quetzal instead of the beautiful bright blues and greens of the male. This added to his body dysmorphia and caused him to wear a binder to hide his wings. How could he be the son of Quetzal and be ashamed of his wings? Why couldn't they cooperate?

Teo had always been a trouble maker especially with the help of his close friend and Gold semidiose Niya. Niya who was the daughter of Tierra, could make a weapon out of anything. She had bracelets around her arms that she could bend at will to become mallets, swords, bats, etc. Even though Teo knew his chances of being picked for the Trials was slim, he knew Niya's was high. She was in the top of the class at the Academy and a force to be reckoned with. It was no surprise with the crown appeared above her head announcing her selection as a competitor.

The shock was short lived when the crown appeared above Teo's head. His mother's face was evident with worry as was everyone's around him. A Jade competing in the Trials? Let alone two Jades? What was Sol thinking? Did they want easy sacrifices this year? Teo only had one plan at first; keep himself and Xio, the other Jade competitor at a lowly 13 years old out of last place. With Niya's help, he felt like all hope was lost. Little did he know that Sol had other plans for him. That Sol saw something inside of him that he didn't know he had. Over the next five trials, Teo became more and more confident in his self. No longer were his wings dull and brown. They were beautiful blues and greens just as he always imagined them.

As the Trials continued, Teo couldn't shake the nagging sense that something wasn't right. There was something wrong about the way some of the competitors would act during the Trials, eyes turning black and bruised; their entire persona changing. Now with everything falling apart and the Trials are over, Teo must lean on Niya and Austrelio to find the other semidiose competitors and return the world to it's rightful place.

I did enjoy this book. The pace was a little slow at first. I am not as well versed in Mexican folklore and mythology so I definitively did have to do some research regarding what the dioses and semidioses were. The LGBTQ+ representation and the POC representation was absolutely amazing. Aiden always knocks it out of the park with this.

As mentioned, the pace was very slow at first. I felt at times the descriptions were confusing and had to reread the passage to get a better understanding of what Aiden was trying to communicate. By the end of the book, I was sitting on my couch thinking, "There's not enough pages for this to completely be over" and "I need more!". It was well constructed though I do believe that the pace could have been a bit better, for example instead of focusing so much on one trial but another trial being over in a couple of pages. I did enjoy the book. It just unfortunately did not blow me away. Though I will be reading the sequel when ever it releases!

First off, I’d like to thank Macmillan’s Children Publishing Group and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I feel like there’s so much I could say about this book, but the immediate thought I had after finishing it was that I need more. I need to know what happens with Teo and the other demigods. Aiden Thomas left us with a twist and cliffhanger that’ll definitely leave readers wanting more.
This book was marketed as The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson, and I definitely see the influences of both. I also caught the little Hunger Games reference that took me a second to get, but I definitely felt very cool when I did. It does give off more middle-grade vibes at times. I don’t think it has the same level of heaviness that The Hunger Games did, but I did see some similarities, such as the Golds being trained for this competition. However, I am glad that while there was a similar concept, it was still its own story. There was the danger looming over all these demigods, but they had their moments that were light-hearted.
This is the story of Teo, the son of Quetzal, Diosa of Birds. He is the son of a Jade God. I found it interesting how the gods had their own rankings. The worldbuilding in this book is really cool and easy to understand. Golds are gods like Primavera (Diosa of Spring) and Agua (Diosa of Water) while Jades are gods like Quetzal and Mala Suerte (Dios of Bad Luck). Demigods who are Golds are seen as superior to Jades. The school they go to trains them to be the best of the best, making them fit to compete in the Sunbearer Trials and be able to use their abilities to help others. This has led to them always being chosen to compete. No one expected any Jade demigods to be chosen. Now, Teo and Xio (another Jade) are thrust into this competition where they are at a disadvantage, not having any of the training that their fellow competitors do.
Thomas has a large cast of characters in this book, and all their powers are really cool. I really liked the characters! I still wish I had pre-ordered to get the trading cards when I had the chance. The book focuses a lot on Teo (obviously), Niya (his best friend) and Xio. We did get to see more of the other competitors, especially Aurelio since he’s Teo’s ex-best friend. I’d love to learn even more about them in the next book. The rep was also really well-done! There is so much inclusivity. A lot of the characters are queer, trans, and/or nonbinary. The god Sol themself is nonbinary, which is really cool! One of the characters is also deaf, and so there is the use of sign language in the book!
Some of the characters are only set on winning and aren’t afraid to let Teo know that they don’t think he belongs there. But they all eventually start realizing what this competition really means. The person sitting next to them at the dinner table could be the winner or they could be the sacrifice. It’s the way their world works: Sol chooses a Sunbearer who kills the sacrifice and then goes to all the temples of Reino del Sol, using the sacrifice to fuel the Sun Stones. This guarantees protection, but it means that one of them has to kill the other. It means one of them has to die.
There was some foreshadowing throughout the book, hinting that there was more something else going on during the trials. I kept trying to guess what it was, but the twist ended up being more than what I expected. I need the sequel now to see what happens to Teo and his friends and how they fix what happened at the end of the book.
Something that I didn’t really love was the many pop culture references. It felt a little out of place? It could just be because I’m not the intended audience. However, it did not take away from how much I liked this book.
Overall, I give it 4/5 stars, and I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Teo is in trouble. A semidios (demigod) himself, but a Jade, not one of the more powerful and revered Golds, Teo has been chosen to participate in the Sunbearer trials, a once-a-decade competition between ten semidioses to determine who will be the next Sunbearer, the top finalist who will relight the Sunstones that protect their world from the Obsidian dioses, the gods of darkness, confined by Sol to prevent them from once again wreaking havoc upon the world. The ten competitors are chosen by Sol, and judged by Sol as they compete in five trials - but it's been 150 years since a Jade was chosen to compete, and this decade there are two, and unlike the Golds, who are trained from childhood at the Academy, Teo, and the other Jade, Xio, have no training to back them up.

This is a wonderfully compelling novel, based on Mexican mythology, and including characters to appeal to nearly everyone. There is a casual attitude toward LGBTQ+, particularly transgender, bigender, and questioning - but it's not the in-your-face attitude that pervades so much literature that deals with these issues; it's simply a part of the world, and treated as such. But this pales into the background because of the story, which contains rich details, strong character development, and a strong grounding in self-described Mexican mythology. The entire novel deals with the competitors themselves, and the imperatives that come from trying to win at all costs - because the loser of the Trials is sacrificed to Sol by the winner, I look forward to the sequel, which I hope will come out soon. Recommended for eighth grade and above, due to mature themes.

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.
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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.