3.5/5 Stars

Every decade, 10 semidioses are chosen by Sol to compete in a set of 5 challenges to become the next Sunbearer. The loser is sacrificed to Sol in order to keep the Obsidian Gods at bay. 17 year old Teo is chosen this round, along with his best friend, Niya. A young Jade semidioses named Xio is also chosen and the three team up to keep each other out of the bottom ranking.

The first thing I want to call attention to this book is the diversity. There are so many identities and races represented in this book, and I really loved that. I think the worldbuilding was extremely well done, and didn't feel like I was being bombarded with information to quickly. I thought the trials were exciting and I liked reading about each challenge and how the semidioses rose to each occasion. I actually really liked every character in this, I didn't have any that I didn't enjoy reading about. The character development of the entire cast was wonderful, and I loved where each arc went. The ending through me for a LOOP, and I am definitely intrigued to see where the story goes from this point!

From my blog post: If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you know that I love Fantasy and when you add in mythology-inspired then its like winning the lotto for me. This book definitely hit the mark for me. I talked about it a lot after I listened to the ALC because from start to finish, I was invested. I loved how the narrator both narrated Teo’s voice but also the other character’s voices (especially his best friend). I wasn’t bored for one moment and wanted to know what was going to happen next (no, I didn’t speed it up to try to get to it faster, in case you are wondering). If I wasn’t often times driving or walking while listening, I would’ve been at the edge of my seat during the trial scenes. The banter was also really great and I laughed quite often. I also really appreciated the growth that Teo experienced, even though he was really put through the ringer. I’m really excited for the next book because while the end wasn’t the most intense of cliff hangers, we still ended in a sort of limbo *sigh*!

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advance audiobook.

Unfortunately, I have an unpopular opinion of this book and only gave it three stars. I loved the rich Mexican mythology and the vibrant setting. And I think we can all agree that the LGBTQIA+ representation was fantastic. But...there were a few things that stalled me on this book.

1) I didn't like Teo for a lot of the book. He's somewhat of an annoying main character, whiny, and, overall, makes poor decisions. In many ways, he has good intentions, but his execution is lacking.

2) The strange melding of current technology and modern media coverage melded with the rich atmosphere was...bizarre. It kept kicking me out of the worldbuilding and made it seem more superficial if that makes sense.

3) This felt like middle grade to me. The relationships, conversations, and 'romance' were all middle-grade. Every once in a while, a few *fucks* were thrown in there, or a mature joke was made (like a joke about furries), but they felt contrived and forced.

4) The trials never reached the level of tension and action I expected. Part of it could have been the lengthy banter that always seemed to take place during timed trials, which was unrealistic in a life-or-death contest.

These things added up to a loss of two stars for me. However, the ending caught me by surprise. I was envisioning a different, maybe even more dramatic, ending. But I'm not disappointed with the one provided. If anything, it's drawn me back into *maybe* reading the next one because the premise sounds interesting.

✨ Review ✨ The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas; Narrated by André Santana

This book is The Hunger Games meets Greek/Roman Gods set in Mexico. Teen semidioses battle it out in a Hunger Games style fantasy where the winner receives honor and the loser sacrifices themself to replenish Sol's (the Sun's) power. While typically the most powerful rank of semidioses are chosen for this battle, Teo and Xio (both lower-ranked semidioses) join eight more competitors, including Teo's good friend Niya. As the competitors compete in a variety of terrifying challenges, traveling throughout their realm, Teo learns about himselfv and the power of working as a team.

I absolutely loved this book - I could NOT get enough! I loved that it created this whole fantastical world built out of Mexican/Aztec/Mayan mythology and heritage. It was JUST. SO. MUCH. FUN. to read. The clever naming of gods and their powers, the atmospheric descriptions of the places they traveled, and the challenges (still awe-defying, but less deadly and terrible than the Hunger Games) all kept me reading eagerly.

The trans/queer representation throughout this book was also fabulous, with the main character talking about gender, transitioning, binding wings, and so much more. Throughout trans identity was normalized by the characters and the society they lived in. This was brilliantly written by Thomas.

If you're looking for a fun YA fantasy to get you excited this fall, this one is a great pick!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: YA fantasy
Reminds me of: Hunger Games meets Gods of Jade and Shadow
Pub Date: Out now!

Read this if you like:
⭕️ YA fantasy and competitions like Hunger Games
⭕️ Mexican / Aztec / Mayan culture, history, mythology, etc.
⭕️ positive queer/trans representation
⭕️ great fantasy world building

Thanks to Feiwel & Friends, Macmillan Audio, and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!

I really liked Teo as a main character - a troublemaker with a strong sense of justice but no patience for pageantry. I also really loved his softness around his wings (and what that means for his identity) and the mortals from his hometown. He has such a complicated relationship with his identity, the Golds, his status as a Jade.

I was pleasantly surprised by how well the large cast was handled. There was a lot of diversity among the groups (deaf character! People signing to him and it never falling out of relevance; nonbinary characters; different races and body types and musculatures) and they had such a great depth and complexity. Each character has friendships and baggage and flaws.

The trials were also fun and interesting and I liked seeing Teo’s struggles and the clever (or sympathetic) ways he gets through problems.

Overall very enjoyable, but I think I liked Cemetery Boys better.

Another terrific fantasy adventure with fabulous trans rep from author Aiden Thomas. This was not quite as dark as Cemetery Boys or Lost in the Never Woods. It features a selection of demigods (semidioses) who are competing to be the Sunbearer and bring light to the world. Tradition has the 10 Gold semidioses are chosen to compete with the winner becoming the Sunbearer and the last semidios is sacrificed. But, for the first time since most can remember a semidios who isn't a Gold is chosen.

I don’t know how I missed that this was book one of a series, but I don’t know how I’ll wait to find out what happens next. It makes total sense, but a girl can hope there won’t be a cliffhanger on the book that just came out the month prior right? I listened to the audiobook and really thought that it was a great narration. It really brought the characters and the story to life for me. This is a young adult story with lots of LGBTQA+ representation which I loved. It was basically the hunger games but with Latinx demigods competing instead. The sunbearer trials take 10 demigods and have them compete. The winner is the sunbearer and the loser is the one they sacrifice to keep the world safe until the next trials. There are two tiers of demigods the golds who are more powerful and trained in a private school to be heroes and the jades who have lesser powers and primarily live among the mortals. Teo is a jade, trans son of Quetzal goddess of birds. He’s a bit of a trouble maker and no one is shocked more than he is than when he is selected for the trials.

This was so much fun! After really enjoying the first two books from this author, and seeing the Percy Jackson/Hunger Games comparisons for this one I was really excited. It definitely leans more Percy Jackson with its humor, but I did find the games to be interesting, too. I loved the characters and I’ll definitely check out the next book!

Once every decade, the sun god Sol himself chooses ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen to compete in a series of trials, these are referred to as The Sunbearer Trials. The winner of the trials must sacrifice the loser to Sol, in order to fuel the sunstones that will keep enemies at bay and their city safe for the next ten years.

It is very rare that a Jade semidios is chosen for the trials, so Teo isn't concerned about himself. His best friend Nia, however, is a talented Gold semidios, and Teo is afraid of losing her in the trials. The last thing he expects is to be competing in the trials with Nia, let alone another Jade semidios, thirteen-year-old Xio. The three decide to form an alliance to make it through the trials alive, but what happens when Teo is more successful than he ever could have dreamed?

I absolutely loved this book. It was unique, fun, and it absolutely ripped my heart out. The twist at the end was completely unexpected, and left me longing for book two.

This book is like if the Hunger Games met Percy Jackson. I thoroughly enjoyed the story, the diversity, the depth, and the twist of the characters. I will absolutely be reading the second one as soon as it comes out.

This book was amazing!!! From the Latine representation and folklore, the character creation and the pace, I literally don’t have a single complaint! I devoured this book and I cannot wait for book 2!!!

It’s no surprise that I really enjoyed this book. After loving Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, I was excited about what they would write next. The Sunbearer Trials takes all the fun chaos from Percy Jackson with the stakes of the Hunger Games, to make a truly intersectional and queer-friendly world where demi-gods, or semidiós, fight in trials to see who will win and who will be sacrificed for the greater good. As an adult reading the book I was able to guess the main twist at the end but not how we got there exactly. Despite that, I had a lot of fun reading this and all of the characters felt so real. I couldn't help but fall in love with some of our side characters (um Dezi hello) I can't wait for the sequel!

Ahhhh!! I love, love, love this book!

I really didn't realize that what I wanted most in my life is Percy Jackson meets the Hunger Games ala Mexican mythology. And it did not disappoint! I was drawn in almost immediately by the main character and this magical, legendary world, and not once did it falter. A simple truth about myself is that if you comp a book to the Hunger Games, I'll be there in a literal heartbeat. So, with that said, this is the third such book I've read in the last few months and it might be my favourite of them all!

Teo is a notorious troublemaker and a Jade semidiós. As the son of a lesser god, this means he isn't considered a hero and does not get to attend the illustrious Academy, where the Golds train for years to be the noble heroes worshiped by the masses. Needless to say he's a little prejudiced against them, but relishes the freedom he has to wander and goof around. With Quetzal as his mother, this means he has the ability to talk to birds, and the scenes when he gets them to join him in pranks are some of my absolute favourites! Definitely had me laughing. And of course, the trans rep and honest discussions and thoughts Teo has are great! How Thomas used Teo's wings as a form of body dysmorphia was both so clever and heartbreaking, but I loved how they were eventually turned into an invaluable asset for him.

Of course, Teo doesn't cause problems in the Sunbearer Trials all by himself. His best friend is Niya, a super strong girl that constantly made me smile. She is the book's comic relief, sure, but she was genuinely funny. I loved how fiercely she looked out for Teo and did not give a hoot about what others thought. She reminded me so much of Luisa from Encanto. And of course, little Xio, the other Jade in the Trials. Poor thing made me want to give him a hug every other chapter. He is the son of the diós of bad luck and he gets really down on himself every time something goes wrong.

There are a lot of other characters in this story, and it is a testament to how memorable and unique each person is that I was able to easily keep track of them all. You have the ten champions, each the child of a diós or diósa, not to mention several side characters that play important parts in the Trials or the world itself. I found each character stood on their own really well and not once was I confused or lost.

The Trials themselves, while a little dark at their ritualistic core with the winner essentially sacrificing the loser to keep their world protected from the Obsidians, were so entertaining to read! Each one seemed pretty unique and tested the characters in several different ways. It's also what helped me differentiate the characters from one other, because they all handled them in their own magical ways. And honestly, as predictable as it was that Teo was picked for the Trials when Jades are never picked, I wouldn't have changed it for anything. Teo was absolutely the underdog, coming in with no training. Only a selfless heart and a desperate desire to simply survive, and his approach to much of the Trials was half the fun.

Not gonna lie, I did not see that ending coming! There are multiple twists that had me completely shocked and I can't wait to read the sequel!

In the Sunbearer Trials, teen semidioses compete in challenges to replenish the Sun's power. I love Aiden Thomas and have enjoyed all of their books. Sunbearer Trials was no exception. It is part Hunger Games and part Mexican mythology. There were some amazing conversations surrounding gender identity and as a mom of trans and nonbinary children I love that Aiden Thomas takes the time to explain everything. It never interrupts the flow of the story. It was exciting and I couldn't wait to see what happened next. I really hope we get more stories from Teo's world.

5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley for this alc copy!

Idk why more people aren’t talking about this book bc it seems to be a good mix of popular books that people love aka Percy Jackson x The Hunger Games. Full disclosure here I’ve not read either (go ahead take away my reader card 🙈) maybe having no reference to the source material helped me out here bc I had a great time!

The story of a jades getting to complete along side the golds made the steaks so high, I was worried the whole time mostly about Xio. I also liked the interwoven fantasy elements with gender and identity. I think whenever I’m in a fantasy world I’m not thinking too much about gender, but I like how Aiden made the fantasy world feel like the real world (it’s fantasy and there’s gods but you know what I mean!) it did throw me off a little when they had their phones tho!

Where I got lost was with all the characters! I kept getting confused as to who was who and who didn’t like who and what their ability was. This is a me problem bc high fantasy like this takes a lot of my brain power. I was listening so maybe the physical copy has a character map or I saw mentioned trading cards so I bet that helps!

Amazing world building and storytelling throughout. Fantastic lgbtqia representation! Loved it! Thank you NetGalley for an advanced audiobook listen!

Aiden Thomas did an AMAZING job with The Sunbearer Trials. This was a book that I simply was unable to put down from the beginning! From the world-building to the characters themselves I felt as though this was a movie playing out in my head. I am literally salivating for the second book simply because of the way this book concluded.
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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…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.

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.

I’ve been wanting to read this author for quite a while. I’ve had one of his books, Cemetery Boys, in my TBR for quite a while, but just haven’t gotten to it yet. When I was approved for an ARC (audiobook version) of The Sunbearer Trials, I knew it was time to get acquainted.

Similar to The Hunger Games, competitors are chosen and must complete several trials. But in this case, only the competitor with the least amount of points should die. Teo isn’t worried for himself. He’s a Jade, and for more than a century Sol has only chosen Golds to compete. He’s more concerned for his best friend Niya, a strong competitor. Golds have trained for the trials their whole lives, so when the names of two Jades are announced, everyone is shocked. Teo is an underdog and not expected to do well against the Golds, but he has no choice but to compete. I liked that he’s a go with the flow kind of guy, but also possesses a rebellious streak that tends to get him in some trouble.

The competitions are exciting, dangerous, and highly creative. Participants face both physical and mental challenges. After each was completed, I was as anxious to hear the ratings as the characters. I loved the relationships between them whether they were friends, siblings, or parent-child. All are so well-portrayed and heartwarming. As expected, some competitors form alliances, but by the end most of them support each other in some way. And that twist at the end! Not many books surprise me, but I didn’t see that one coming. It’s brilliant.

André Santana is a wonderful narrator, and I’d highly recommend the audiobook version if you enjoy them. With the competitors having various powers and the competition, Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games are perfect comp titles for this book. I’d advise fans of those series to jump on The Sunbearer Trials.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan for the audio book of The Sunbearer Trials.

This story is so rich with hispanic culture it was so wonderful to hear. Aiden does an amazing job with building the atmosphere that I felt like I was really there. It made me want to be in the city of Quetzlan or La Cumbre. The LGBTQIA+ representation is beautiful. I loved listening Teo's journey to self love and coming into his identity. The moment that he fell in love with his wings, as well as Teo and Xio talking about their gender conformation ceremonies made my heart so happy. It was great to see a physically strong female character in the story. She was so empowering and hilarious. There were multiple quotes of Niya's that I have absolutely also have said.

I really enjoyed the plot of this story. The characters being demigods was really unique. The trials were so well done. It felt very high stakes and I was cheering for the characters to move up in the ranks. When their rank would drop, my heart would drop as well. The ending! Oh my god! I loved it. I is really making me consider the next book. I want to see how the story progresses.

The Narrator Andre Santana was incredible telling this story. He was very entertaining and enjoyable to listen to. He really embodied the characters he was reading.

I did struggle to listen to parts of this story. I really enjoy YA books, but I felt like this story might be a little younger, maybe middle grade level. I had a hard time connecting with Teo when he would refuse to listen to any character that wanted to help him. He was really stubborn and his actions took me out of this really beautiful story. The conversations between Aurelio and Teo were really difficult for me to listen to. This feels like a build up to an estranged friends to lovers story, but it is a little pain full for me in the first half of the book.. I just want Teo to listen to Aurelio.

I really enjoyed the storyline and the world building, i just think that this story just may not be for me. I think that if in the next book, after everything that Teo had gone through and he matures a little more, i might consider continuing. That was the only downside to this story for me. I highly suggest this story for people who want to listen to strong hispanic and LGBTQIA+ representation, If you really enjoy angsty characters, and enjoy a well developed plot with high stakes.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review.

Aiden Thomas has quickly become a must-read author for me and I was so excited to see that they were writing a duology! Not only is the cover for THE SUNBEARER TRIALS absolutely gorgeous, but the story is so so good. This story is full of Mexican mythology and is a modern-ish setting where every decade, 10 teenagers that are semidióses compete in the Trials - one is declared the Sunbearer, and another is sacrificed in order to keep their world safe from the Obsidian gods that want to enslave humanity. But in this world, some gods are ranked higher than others creating a hierarchy to their semidiós children and causing friction between the group chosen for the Trials when two Jade semidióses are chosen to compete alongside Gold semidióses.

The characters are full of life, the Trial challenges are interesting, and that twist... OMG. I really enjoyed how diverse the cast of characters is and how each teenager was unique and had their own personality and backstory, even if we only got things from Teo's point of view. There is great LGBTQIA+ representation and I appreciated that while there are hints at romantic feelings within the group of teens, that this novel is more about friendships and chosen family than having the plot center around a romance. I cannot wait for the sequel to come out because I NEED to know what happens next!

André Santana does a great job with the audiobook narration.