THIS IS EVERYTHING. I have been waiting so long for this sequel and I couldn't put this down. Aiden Thomas has done it again. 10/5 stars

Aiden Thomas does it again! This story is so delightful and nostalgic. Funny, heartwarming, and diverse.

My favorite part of this book was the community aspect found in the small villages that the trio visited along their journey. The self reliance they had without the help of the big cities and gods was so inspiring.

The themes of forgiveness were so special. Xio is a very relatable and heartbreaking character for so many. It was amazing to see Teo's confidence in himself grow over the course of both books.

I can't wait for more from Aiden Thomas - hopefully book two of the Cemetery Boys soon?

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, and Feiwel & Friends for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Celestial Monsters picks up right where The Sunbearer Trials ends. As Teo, Niya, and Aurelio embark on their quest to Los Restos, they are met with towns that have been upside down in the darkness, with monsters who have come out of the shadows, and the guilt they each carry for how the trials ended. This trio really has to lean into each other to succeed and it takes time for them to fully adjust to this new dynamic but the bond they create is so strong.

We also get Xio’s perspective in this book, which was definitely needed. His POV added a layer of complexity to the story; and allowed us to keep up with the Obsidians and all the other competitors of the Sunbearer Trials.

I think Xio had the most to learn and grow from and we have to remember this is a literal child!! And his moments with Suerte at the end of the book were so special and emotional!!!

This duology has great Latine and queer representation, and I cannot wait to keep reading more from this author.

It took me months to get through this book. I don’t quite know why it didn’t engage me like the first book did. I can’t really find fault with the book itself but I will say I tried several times to read the book, starting in May. I tried different locations, different devices, different fonts. I had a lot of trouble with the pacing and the actions of the characters. Niya in particular was just dumb a lot of the time, too dumb. And they acted so stupidly with little to no urgency. And they kept traveling and traveling and stopping to sleep or eat. It was very monotonous most of the time. Maybe I just read this book at the wrong time. I don’t know. I would have liked to have enjoyed it more, since Thomas is one of my favorite authors. I’ve loved everything else he’s written. But sometimes a book is a miss and I just have to move on from that.

I loved "The Sunbearer Trials", and this sequel followed up with just as much action and emotion as I hoped it would! The reader is thrown right back into the world of Teo and the other semidioses, and the expansion of POV characters helps keep the plot moving along while also expanding on the characters themselves. Themes that were introduced in the first book were expanded on deftly in this sequel, such as seeing the world as more than just solely good or solely bad. There were plot points that could have been expanded on more, but it didn't detract from my readthrough. I honestly appreciate that the story is contained in just two books! As a librarian, this will be a go-to recommendation for teens looking for a fantasy story that isn't a very long series. Additionally, the queer representation in this story is so well done- it's multifaceted and intrinsically woven into both the world and the story. I look forward to seeing what's next from Aiden Thomas!

I loved the first book in this series and this followup is just as good! In fact, I'm a little sad there won't be more, but I'm happy to see the series end on a high note. I loved the themes of human perseverance present throughout the book. It's tied up perfectly at the end with a very fitting conclusion that I won't spoil here. I love, love, love the characters, especially Niya (who is mentioned to have ADHD at once point and I can totally see it) and Aurelio. The poor boy just wants to watch internet videos and make fun desserts. I also didn't expect to like Xio, considering how the last book left off, but the chapters dedicated to them really help the reader understand their perspective and how much they long to be understood.

The book also re-contextualizes what we've been told about the gods and the world from book 1, really underlining the phrase, "history is written by the winners". The Obsidian gods may not be good, but the other gods aren't as perfect as they claim to be either.

I was so happy to be back with my favorite semidioses in the most beautifully queer world! This book takes off right where the action of The Sunbearer Trials left us. Teo, Aurelio and Niya head out to save the world from chaos and darkness. They navigate adventure, trauma, and romance (I loved this angle so much - Aiden Thomas knows exactly what the readers want and need)...

While this duology is perfect as is, I am holding out hope that we will get novellas in the future because I am going to miss this world and semidioses so much!

Thank you to Aiden Thomas and MacMillan for my advance copy.

Celestial Monsters was a great follow-up to The Sunbearer Trials. I loved getting to know the characters better, and particularly enjoyed getting Xio's perspective and a deeper understanding of Niya's insecurities. Aurelio and Teo's growing relationship was so sweet, even amidst their dangerous journey to save their friends and the world. I also love how the author includes nonbinary and trans representation so seamlessly into the fantasy genre. This was a perfect conclusion to the duology!

Such a bitter sweet ending.

I cried at the conclusion because I did not see that coming. It was wholesome to see that conclusion but also heartbreaking. These authors really know how to pull at your heart strings. I’m trying to leave out details because I don’t want to spoil it but it was so good. I really enjoyed reading the conclusion of this duology. It was funny, and intense and kept me on the edge of my seat and had me in my feels. I recommend this series for sure!

A massive shoutout to Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book!

Celestial Monsters is the sequel to Aiden Thomas' The Sunbearer Trials, which tells the story of Teo, a demigod that is thrust into the Sunbearer Trials to find a sacrifice to keep Sol, god of the sun, appeased.

This series is an absolute delight to read. It's based on Mexican mythology, which is refreshing in the sea of Greek mythology retellings. Not only is this an original story, but it also shows compassion and inclusion in the character choices in the story.

The sequel picks up not long after the events of the first book, and has a dual perspective way of telling the story. Teo and some of his friends are sent to fix what the end of the Trials brought about, before a proper apocalypse can break out.

It also shows the view of Xio, one of the youngest participants of the Trials, and how his choices impacted the world around them. It also delves deeper into what makes you a good or bad person. I think this topic was handled quite well, as it shows that sometimes misunderstandings can lead to people being labelled a certain way, even though that isn't what they really are. And it also shows that intentions can sometimes lead you astray, but that sometimes your sincerity can help you get back on the right path.

Overall, I've really enjoyed this duology, and I'm excited to see what Aiden Thomas brings out next! He has a great way of showing inclusivity without sacrificing the plot.

Another amazing book by Aiden Thomas! This is a fabulous follow up to The Sunbearer Trials. I loved getting to visit the totally queer and fabulously magical world that Teo and the rest of the semidioses inhabit. I really appreciated the dual perspectives and how it deepened my understanding of the characters. It was interesting to see Xio in a new place, and the way that CIO responded to the problems and troubles that came with finding the rest of the Celestials in the flesh. It was also really exciting to see the wider world along with Teo, Niya, and Aurelio. Which, speaking of Teo and Aurelio: !!!!. I loved the way their relationship continued to develop even with the amount of trouble thrown their way. All in all, a really satisfying conclusion to the Sunbearer Trials and one that I definitely want to binge again. Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this ARC!

Now why did I not know this was going to be a duology and this is the end?! I really liked the characters and the world Aiden Thomas created. I liked that the story picked up right where the first one ended and was action packed from the start. The introduction of the new characters from the outskirt city was a good choice to show how the dios have been to humanity. I wish that the series was a trilogy so there could have been more expansion on Xio with his dad and the rest of the Obsidian gods. I wish there was more expansion on their world before they were defeated and the civilians. I felt like it was convenient for Xio's decisions and their whole storyline was wrapped up too quickly for me. I just wanted more I can't put me finger on it. Otherwise it wasn't a bad series. I love Teo and Relio for life. I would love to see this adapted on screen. Looking forward to more from this author.

Thank you to the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for this eARC to review. All thoughts are my own

5000/5 stars

AIDEN FREAKIN THOMASSSSSSSSSSSSS

This book was beyond what I could've imagine for this sequel. It was full throttle from start to finish, while also still filled with so much emotion and internal turmoil with all 4 of our main characters. I'm also glad that we got a POV from Xio in this book, to see them work through their fear and regret for their actions and to become good again! There were also so many perfectly hilarious moments woven into the pain and action, and I've never read something so quickly. I'll read anything Aiden writes.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Aiden Thomas has been one of my favorite YA authors for a long time now and I have been looking forward to this release for so long! I got the eARC and the audiobook ARC as well. The audiobook was fantastic! I loved it! The characters and the writing were amazing and exactly what I expect from this author. I love that every character is so different but also well developed. My favorite thing about it was the growth that the author grew several of the characters.

Love, love, love. Aiden Thomas has outdone himself in this sequel and conclusion to The Sunbearer Trails. I will be recommending this to every Percy Jackson fan I know.

”Maybe that’s exactly why Sol put you in the trials. So you could fix them, so you could fix everything. Did you ever think of that? That just maybe, the person who created the whole damn universe thought there could be more to you than just some evil Obsidian who should be dead?”
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The sequel was even better than the first. This book showed a new depth for each of the characters that made me fall more in love with them. Seeing them face their fears and weaknesses and find their strengths regardless of them was so powerful.
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I LOVE me a villain POV! Getting to be inside Xio’s head was so perfect for this sequel and makes me wish we’d had that through The Sunbearer Trials.
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The queer rep in this book was beautiful, I love seeing teenagers figuring out themselves and the world around them. 💕

First off, I want to thank Colored Pages Book Tours, Fierce Reads and Aiden Thomas for giving me the chance to be a part of this tour!

Oh, I had such a fun time reading this book! I’m torn between wanting to see more of this world and just wanting them all to be left alone and live peacefully. It’s so easy to get attached to these characters, and I really loved getting to read from Xio’s POV! They’re one of my favorite characters from this duology, and it was interesting to learn more about them and what led them to this point. Also, since we weren’t seeing the other semidioses as fellow competitors anymore now that the Trials ended, I feel like we got to know them a lot better, which I liked.

Teo and Aurelio!! The way their romance was further developed had me grinning and so happy for them. I re-read The Sunbearer Trials before Celestial Monsters (it had been so long so I definitely had to refresh my memory), and seeing their relationship grow the way it did and comparing it to how they started off in the first book was so great to see.

One thing I love about this is that although Teo, Niya and Aurelio were going on such a dangerous journey, there was still a lighthearted aspect to it. There were so many scenes that I loved in this book, and I can’t help but think that this duology would make a fun animated series!

We were also introduced to new characters, which was interesting! Getting to know more about Reino del Sol showed that there’s so much of this world left to explore, which is also why I would love for a spinoff, especially with the new information that the three found out while traveling. It really opened their eyes the more they saw how the residents of different cities lived.

Now that everything has changed, they started questioning what kind of world they wanted to live in and how to change it for the better for everyone. Teo was already questioning how fair these Trials were, and that, as well as how their world is run in general and how it came to be, was further expanded upon in this book. They also saw a different way that their world could be run, and the aspects of community and who gets to run the community was really interesting to read about. And the twist at the end! I was not expecting for everything to be resolved the way it was, and I think other readers will be surprised too.

Overall, this was a fun, great read and an amazing conclusion to the duology! I can’t wait to read more from Aiden Thomas (and hopefully a short story or spinoff from this world!)

4.5 stars!

I absolutely loved this book. Aiden Thomas does such a great job building a beautiful world in this series. This book was a darker world, but every bit as intriguing. The journey the characters take is full of ups and downs and I loved seeing their identities and relationships evolve. I'm sad to be leaving this world behind at the end of this duology. Looking forward to reading whatever Thomas writes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for this ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

I absolutely loved the first book in this series and reread it in preparation for this books release so to say I was excited for it is a bit of an understatement. I loved the world and the characters and I just wanted more, so when I got my greedy little paws on an ARC of this I just about cried. I was so psyched.

Celestial Monsters kicks back off from where the first book ended and now Teo, Aurelia, and Niya have to go on a quest to make things right and when I say go I mean go. This is a journey book. I like journey books, I do, just not as second books in series. I feel like a lot of the urgency is lost. However, I acknowledge that this is in part a personal issue and I know that the author needed this time to build-up Teo and Aurelio's relationship and do some character work with Xio.

The characters were the strongest part of this story for me. I was excited to see my old favorites and to see how their relationships changed and grew. Aurelio and Teo are so cute, but not without a little angst at times. However, Niya mostly felt like she was there for comedic relief and to go "Niya smash" once in awhile. I was looking for a little more.

Overall, I think most fans of the first book will be pleased with this one. I think the ending will be satisfactory and they'll be glad to see their favorites. I just have a particular set of issues and I have one more thing, but that would be major spoilers so I won't be mentioning it, but it does impact my review. Anyways, it's going to be a 3.5, but I will round it up to a 4. I will happily read whatever Aiden Thomas comes out with next.

So I really loved the first book in this duology but this one just didn’t measure up. There were unexplained plot lines and Niya was actually really annoying in this book. I also felt like the author themself forgot that many of these characters are 13-15 years old and their actions were more of the 18-21 yea role variety. It just didn’t work for me. Book 1 was spectacular and vibrant but this book was not. I however did really appreciate and enjoy the LGBTQ+ representation and how they were incorporated. What a fabulous book for teens who need to be represented and know that they are perfect as they are.