Celestial Monsters is the sequel/finale to The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas. This duology features the semidioses born to Jades, Golds, and Obsidians, aka dioses of different varieties who exist with different goals for the world. Celestial Monsters picks right up from the cliffhanger ending of The Sunbearer Trials. Teo, Niya, and Aurelio must trek across their world and into Los Restos, the monster-ridden ruins of Venganza’s Obsidian city, in order to save the world from the apocalypse and its creatures and bring back Sol to save them from the neverending night— all while Teo and Aurelio fall for each other in spite of their uncertain future.

Returning to this world felt like coming back home. Something about Aiden Thomas and the worlds he spins is comforting and fun and so funny. I was legitimately constantly laughing *and* gasping out loud and crying (multiple times) as Aiden Thomas played my emotions like the strings to the story he orchestrates. (Also, I just have to specifically mention that I love all the food that Aiden writes about— immediately makes me want to hit up Mexican restaurants and grocery stores to eat all of these for myself. Please, please where can I can find a homemade bowl of pozole, for I am aggressively not a good cook, but I want it, and I miss it.)

I absolutely adore Niya. She is everything. Can she be my best friend? I feel like she’d take me in. Please and thank you. Her “brand of ADHD” and her personality had a way of keeping me laughing and easily brought levity to what could have otherwise been a much darker book had she not existed.

I loved reading Xio and their coming into the world and themself. Being a 13-year-old can be real hard, and I can only imagine that being a 13-year-old Obsidian from the past living in a world run by Golds and Jades and finding out how and when they did the truth of their bloodline— much harder. I have a special spot in my heart for lonely characters, so all I wanted to do was wrap up Xio in a blanket of love and candy. They deserve to feel the love of friends and community and especially also have the time and space to figure out how they fit into their own being as well as into the world.

I would also like to wrap up Aurelio in a blanket of safety from the pressures of becoming a hero and especially from his mother. It was so easy to see why sweet, sweet serious Aurelio commands so much love and loyalty from both his twin and Teo. He’s just Zeke from High School Musical. Someone get that boy into culinary school where he can cook and bake to his heart’s content.

My favorite things about Teo are his mischievousness and most especially his heart of gold. (heh see what I did there.) His ongoing and persistent friendship with Fantasma in spite of not really understanding each other warms my jaded heart. (heheh i think i am funny.) I really empathized with his and Niya’s continued concern for Xio despite their conflicted feelings. Moreover, I loved reading Teo and Aurelio fall into each other. (I love a good childhood friends to strangers to enemies/rivals to lovers.) Because of their early friendship, they had a certain understanding of each other that carried through their years apart and laid the foundation for their budding relationship. *chef’s kiss*

Also! Every single one of the semidioses chosen for this Sunbearer Trials has a special place in my heart. I absolutely adored reading every single one of their scenes, and <spoiler> the first time that they stood up for Teo to the Obsidian dioses had me legitimately crying, especially at the beginning of the book/fresh off of rereading the first book. </spoiler> The captured Golds’ conversations with each other and with the Obsidians were so!! good!!! Special shouts out to Atzi and Dezi— they know what they did. <3

As of writing this review, according to my record, I have read over 150 books for the year or 2024, and Celestial Monsters is by far one of my favorites for the year (mayhaps of all time?). Thank you, Aiden Thomas, for making me laugh and cry and bringing me back into fantasy (a genre that I very much love but largely miss since I am a mood reader who has largely been in the mood for contemporary romance since covid changed the world). I pledged my loyalty to Aiden after picking up Cemetery Boys, and I will read everything he writes, even his grocery list if he so chooses to share that with the world. Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends, for the ARC!

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this #gifted arc. All opinions are my own.

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I LOVED the first book in this duology (The Sunbearer Trials) and Cemetery Boys is one of my all time favorite reads. When I say I screamed from happiness when I saw I was approved for this arc I am not exaggerating.

And so it PAINS me to give this anything less than 5 stars.

Don’t get me wrong, there were A LOT of things in here that worked for me, but overall it wasn’t as engrossing as the first book.

Things I loved:

The representation: Just like in the first book, Aiden Thomas draws on Mexican culture to create a vibrant world where trans, non binary, and queer characters shine as the heroes and main characters in the story.

The characters: Each one was written realistically, and with thought and care. They were well rounded, and easy to root for.

The dialogue: It wasn’t stilted and kept the story moving. It also felt natural for the age of the characters.

Dual POVs: we get two POVs in this novel, and each felt unique and strong.

The conclusion: the ending was satisfying and went in a direction that took me by surprise, which is a good thing.

Things that didn’t work this time:

The pacing: this one felt a lot slower to me, partially due to the fact that the main characters didn’t exhibit as much urgency as I was expecting them to throughout the bulk of the novel.

The plan: … there was no real plan here? This is a bit typical for YA fantasy adventure novels, but I was hoping for more.

However, I’m glad I read it, and I’d recommend it - to both adults and teens.

SUGGESTED SNACK PAIRING: mazapan, takis, or pozole

Triggers: kidnapping, injury detail, suicide, death of a parent

“You may not be able to change what you’ve done, but you can use it as fuel to drive you forward. You can still make a difference.”

I’m so sad that this story is over, but I don’t think it could have ended any better. We pick up right where The Sunbearer Trials left off and it feels like we hit the ground running immediately. The perspectives shift between Teo and Xio, which I really loved. Getting an insight into Xio and the actions they take in the first book propels the entire plot. Teo, Aurelio, and Niya have teamed up to try save Reino del Sol. There is so much to be said about the friendships and growth throughout these two books. These characters are just incredibly well-written. They all have such distinct personalities, even the ones that don't get a particularly large amount of page time. Everything in this book works so well together to form a story that is engaging and compelling.

Aiden Thomas has this way of writing where I can clearly picture the world they create. It feels visceral and vibrant without overpowering the rest of the story. Teo and Aurelio’s relationship starts off subtle and builds, and I adore them so much. The journey that Teo takes throughout this book is compelling, and as a read you can’t help rooting for him. He really wants to make their world better, especially after his experiences in Los Restos. Teo is one of my absolute favorite characters in this story. It's inspiring how much he wants to change the world and how he enlists all the other semidioses to help.

Xio’s arc is great. Not only do they come into their own by harnessing their powers, they embrace they/them pronouns. One thing I have loved about this duology is the way gender is fluid and there isn’t an uproar when pronouns or transitions take place. It’s accepted and it is really great to read. I felt that Xio’s chapters were necessary to explain his actions and give him the complete arc he deserved.

I love this duology and I’m so grateful to have participated in the street team. I can’t wait to see what Aiden Thomas does next!

3.5⭐️

This was a really great conclusion to the duology. One thing I really liked and appreciated in both books, especially this book, was that these characters are children and they act like children. This means immaturity, small attention spans, short tempers, big dramatics. All relationships between all characters were expanded on with this second book, and I loved the little bits of love we saw.

I did feel that this book had way too much action and the scenes went by so fast. I found myself having to go back and reread parts because I couldn’t understand how we got to where we were. The same things I disliked in the first book I also disliked here, but this is more of a personal preference than a mark against the books themselves.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Thanks NetGalley for giving me access to this ARC! Celestial Monsters was everything I wanted it to be — adventurous and humorous and heartfelt with a side of social commentary and queer romance. Aiden Thomas weaved the narratives together seamlessly and brought all of the endearing characters to a satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed this one even more than The Sunbearer Trials and can’t recommend this duology highly enough.

In a word—incredible. Once more, Aiden Thomas has created one of the most thoughtful, compulsively readable, and validating fantasy novels I’ve ever had the pleasure to read, a duology closer that leaves me wishing for more while simultaneously pulling off an incredibly satisfying ending.

Often in a review I’ll give a special shout-out to a favorite character, but Celestial Monsters has such an incredible cast that it was nearly impossible to narrow it to just three! Niya is undeniably my favorite cis character in this book—she’s the kind of unabashed, snarky, loud, and vulnerable character I absolutely need to see more of in fantasy (and just in general, for that matter), and she truly has one of the strongest personalities I’ve encountered in a book. Xio is a quieter character, but their ferocity and struggle brought them to life for me. They could’ve so easily become a cliché based on The Sunbearer Trials’s setup, but instead I couldn’t wait to get to their point of view chapters and see what they did next.

And I’ll always have a soft spot for Teo. His determination, strong bonds (platonic, familial, and romantic), and voice form the core of this series, and there’s truly no story I wouldn’t follow him into. There aren’t a whole lot of characters I would root for unconditionally, but Teo is absolutely one of them.

In a genre still so dominated by cis characters, there’s something incredible about seeing trans and nonbinary characters as the leads, the villains, the side characters…the diversity of experiences and characters in this book is truly beautiful. And the entire world of Reino de Sol is gorgeous—even beyond the deft queer- and transnorm society, this world is vibrant with color and personality, with each city that Teo and his friends travel through filled with its own character

​I truly can’t recommend Celestial Monsters enough--without question, this book deserves five stars!

Celestial Monsters is a great continuation of the series. The Sunbearer Trials left on such a cliff hanger I was dying to know what happened to the semidioses. This book was exactly what I needed. Witty and funny but also answering very important questions in the world of how should we make things better for everyone. The first book had the Jades at war with the Golds in the Sunbearer Trials and this book really fleshed out the growth between the two.

As always it’s refreshing to see a queer normative world. I am particularly fond of how pronouns and gender are something you chose as you grow up.

The most endearing part for me about this book is the humor. I love the quips Niya and Teo make throughout the book and it genuinely makes me smile.

Celestial Monsters is just the way the series needed to end but I wish I could see so much more because I love this world and all the characters.

what an amazing conclusion to a spectacular duology!! i adored book one, and this one stepped up the stakes and took it over the top to be a favorite. the magic system aiden thomas creates is so lush and wonderful and i am obsessed with it; everything is rooted in mesoamerican culture and history, and i feel like i learned a lot by happy accident. his characters feel as real as anyone i've ever met, and i would defend teo with my life (he could probably hold his own i fear). the queernormative element to the world here is something so comforting, and my heart clenches to think of a kid picking these books up and finding solace and comfort in others that might be like them. this has such a triumphant conclusion to the semidioses and their story that it makes me warm to think on it.

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas is the stunning sequel to The Sunbearer Trials. It follows Teo, Aurelio, and Niya as they quest to stop the Obsidian gods from taking over Reino del Sol.

What a delight it was to read this book, thank you @coloredpagesbt @fiercereads and @aidenschmaiden for the opportunity to read it earlier and get to rave about it!

This was an amazing conclusion to one of my favorite duologies to date, Teo, Aurelio, and Niya are amazing characters, the romance made me giggle and kick my feet, and the comic relief was on point.

The added POV of Xio made it richer, I loved seeing the story from their perspective and exploring the aftermath of The Sunbearer Trials and their whole childhood. Xio was a well-defined character with such character growth over the book, that made me even root for them in the end.

My only issue with this book, and that´s just me grasping at straws here, to make a balanced review, is that there were a few too many "deux ex machina" moments that made the stakes less high and I ended up feeling like nothing can go wrong for our heroes.

It is very hard to talk about the book without spoiling it because my favorite part of this world was how queernormative it is, how everyone is accepted as they are and even a certain character change of pronouns mid-way was accepted as a matter a fact without make much fuss about it.

This series will have a special place in my heart and it worked perfectly to cement Aiden Thomas as one of my favorite authors!

Celestial Monsters

I absolutely ADORED this conclusion to The Sunbearer Trials duology. This is everything I love about YA. The emotions, the adorkable romance, the jokes and irreverence, the role of teens to save the world. It was so well done and I loved followed the journey.

The representation in this duology is absolutely incredible. So many different ways to see love of all kinds, open acceptance and people being and loving who they are. I also appreciated the non-verbal representation.

Picking up where The Sunbearer Trials leaves off, we follow two POVs: Teo and Xio as they respectively take sides in the impending apocalypse. A delightful return of the characters we loved in book one plus some new personalities sprinkled throughout.

Check this one out if you’re looking for:
✨ YA fantasy duology
✨ Queer love in many forms
✨ Mexican culture and Spanish language throughout

I alternated between the ARC and ALC. The narration was fabulously done. I loved the accents and pronunciations which truly added to the experience of the duology!

Celestial Monsters is on shelves September 3, 2024! My opinions are my own.

WHAT A CONCLUSION!
Following Teo, Niya, and Aurielo as they head off to try to stop the apocalypse that Teo accidentally (unintentionally?) kicked off on the one hand, and Xio's continued efforts to find a place that feels like home in the messy world of Golds, Jades, and Obsidians. I absolutely loved the addition of Xio's POV in this book. Not only did it help to track what was going on with the captured semidioses, but getting to be inside of their head as they figured themself and their place in the world out made it far easier for me as the reader to forgive them.

As for Teo, Niya, and Aurielo, it was fun to follow along on their adventures, as well as watch the blossoming of the romance between Teo and Aurielo. I especially loved how their interactions with mortals also shaped their developing worldview, and how this manifested in Teo's continued defiance at the very end with the full set of the dioses. I also loved how well Thomas writes his teenagers. I think Niya is sort of the perfect example of this, as she is always having to be so strong that the moments she breaks down and Teo has to comfort her really highlights that even though she is this extremely strong semidios, she's still affected by being overwhelmed and exhausted. The way the trio leans on each other in the face of mounting stress about this massive responsibility was really heartwarming.

I do think there were a couple too many "deux ex machina" moments, where the trio is saved over and over again by sheer chance in a way that became a little predictable. By the third time I was no longer worried they all wouldn't make it I just assumed they would be fine. But this is me truly picking at straws, this book was honestly SO so good. What a great conclusion to a beautiful duology.

*Thank you to Feiwel and Friends and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Celestial Monsters throws us right back into the thick of it and it's CHAOS. And not the fun kind of queer crush chaos, though we get that too later!

I enjoyed getting both Teo and Xio's POVs, as we get to see them grapple with their decisions from The Sunbearer Trials. I was honestly more interested by Xio's chapters - the growth that he's forced to have as a character is unparalleled. We also get to see more of characters like Atzi who were overshadowed by all of the Auristela drama in the first book. We also get to see Aurelio adjust to being on his own for the first time and all of his internalized inadequacies. I did feel like Teo and Aurelio's relationship was a little rushed in this book, but I'm guessing some scenes had to be cut so it wouldn't be 500+ pages. It was nice to spend time with some of the other gods and learn more Reino del Sol's past. I thought that the ending twist was well foreshadowed and aggravated me just enough for me to feel satisfied at the end.

Overall a great duology that I'd recommend for anyone who loved mythology as a kid or just wants to see some queer kids save the day.

i received an e-arc from netgalley for an honest review :)

i’d heard a lot about the sunbearer trials, being a gay trans man who reads a lot of gay books, but id shied away from it due to my own fears of dysphoria. what if, reading about someone like me, reminds me of who i am and makes my fears seem more real and problematic? recently i’ve been ignoring that fear and it has consistently paid off. so when i saw this book i knew it was some kind of sign, to finally buck up and read it. and god they did not disappoint. i finished the sunbearer trials yesterday, and celestial monsters maybe 5 minutes ago, and they were incredible. celestial monsters deals with the ‘what happens after?’ that many books and media completely ignore. we’re faced with the monsters and darkness the events of book 1 left us as consequences, and characters who were teetering on the edge of good and bad. celestial monsters being dual POV most definitely heightened the experience, even if i wanted like 300 pages of aurelio and teo being cute. speaking of, i was 1000% over analyzing but aurelio being a metaphorical sun and teo being a metaphorical icarus had me in a chokehold about halfway through, i was gnawing on the bars of my enclosure with that thought. anyways, though, this series will leave a lasting impression. i am certain i won’t be forgetting these characters for a very, very long time and look forward to other works of thomas.’ found family with blood family and healing generational trauma was written so, so well. amazing work

Teo never imagined he’d be a hero, but with the sun gone and chaos unleashed by the Obsidian gods, he must now rise to the challenge. Alongside his crush Aurelio and best friend Niya, Teo must navigate a dark wilderness, confront personal demons, and restore light to save the world.

Wow wow wow wow … WHAT A FINALE!

Listen there will be no spoilers here but if you loved The Sunbearer Trials you will eat this second book up with a spoon!

I swear I highlighted half the book from my laughter, shock, excitement, swooning, fear, tears, and love. There were some parts I was full on cackling, some parts I was clenching my jaw, some parts with tears in my eyes, and some parts that hit the romantic in me SO HARD.

The friendship. The dual pov *chef’s kiss.* the burgeoning romance. Niya’s wit. Aurielo’s steady presence. Xio’s feelings. Teo’s sarcasm, love, and joy.

This is a book world I will return to again and again. The pure joy I felt by the end is unmatched.

Oh gosh I really wanted to be able to get into this series but I think I missed my time. It has strong Percy Jackson vibes (but make it trans) which in absolutely amazing but a touch too middle grade for my current reading tastes. I've seen plenty of other adults loving this duology though so I'm sure it's personal preference.

🧬⚔️✨BOOK REVIEW - Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas✨⚔️🧬

🌟🌟🌟🌟 (4/5 stars)

Okay, the moment I finished The Sunbearer Trials, I needed to pick this up. Celestial Monsters picks up where we left off, with Teo still grappling with the aftermath of the Sunbearer Trials. Aiden Thomas doesn’t waste time and plunges us right back into the action, and I was HERE for it. The stakes are higher, the challenges tougher, and Teo's journey is more intense than ever. But did it live up to the hype? Mostly, yes!

The world is just as vibrant and immersive as in the first book. Thomas expands the mythos in such a satisfying way, giving us more of the world of the gods, the monsters, and the trials. The character development also shines; Teo's struggles with his identity and purpose hit all the right emotional notes. Plus, the inclusion of more queer characters made my heart sing. Representation matters, and Thomas nails it here.

But the pacing was a bit uneven for me. There were parts where I felt like we were racing through the plot, only to hit a lull that took me out of the story. And while I adored Teo in the first book, there were moments in Celestial Monsters where his decision-making had me frustrated. I get that he’s under a lot of pressure, but come on, Teo, get it together!

In the end, Celestial Monsters is a worthy sequel that fans of The Sunbearer Trials will definitely enjoy. It’s a solid continuation of Teo’s story with all the action, emotion, and queer rep you could want. If you loved the first book, you’ll be eager to see how this chapter in Teo's journey unfolds.

Thanks to Aiden Thomas, the publisher, and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This duology was so much fun to read! Where the The Sunbearer Trials had me hanging onto my seat as the teens competed against each other, Celestial Monsters had me both so worried for and in awe of these kids. The weight of the world and of the consequences of their actions is heavy on their shoulders and it would be SO easy to just give up and accept what is coming, and instead each and every one of them finds the strength to keep pushing and survive, and ultimately to do what is best for the many and not just the few.

I’m so glad that we regularly got moments of comic relief because boy was I stressed! And I ended up finding myself bawling by the end. It was great being in Teo’s pov for book 1 but for this sequel I really loved that we got a dual pov with Xio too, I loved having that insight into both of their journeys.

I loved how so very Mexican this world is. There was a lot that was familiar to me but I loved looking up unfamiliar names and words and learning that they all had Mexican roots. At a time where there’s so much discourse in the Latinx diaspora about people like me not being “Latinx enough,” Aiden’s books remind me that that’s not true. Add to that this world that is so queernormative and it feels like a home.

It’s been such a joy to read Aiden’s books, I can’t wait for what’s to come.

4.5 stars rounded up

Review: I have loved this duology so much. I think this was the perfect ending. I loved how everything came together and how the characters grew and the story evolved. Absolutely loved it

Synopsis: Teo never thought he could be a Hero. Now, he doesn’t have a choice.

The sun is gone, the Obsidian gods have been released from their prison, and now chaos and destruction are wreaking havoc on Reino del Sol. All because Teo refused to sacrifice a fellow semidiose during the Sunbearer Trials.

With the world plunged into perpetual night, Teo, Aurelio and Niya must journey to the dark wilderness of Los Restos, battling vicious monsters while dealing with guilt, trauma, and a (very distracting) burgeoning romance between Teo and Aurelio. Once more racing against the clock, the trio are determined to rescue the captured semidioses and retrieve the Sol Stone. With it, Sol and their protective light can return and order can be restored.

Now the future of the whole world is in their hands.

Celestial Monsters immediately continued where The Sunbearer Trials left off, so the tension at the beginning was already high. unfortunately, i didn't find this as appealing as TST.

there's 2 POV, Teo and Xio. while it's full-on adventure in Teo's POV, there wasn't really much happening in Xio's POV aside from their internal turmoil. no action from Obsidian gods, IDK what they're doing in that temple for days. and despite the title "Celestial Monsters", the monsters themselves didn't get proper spotlight IMO. Just another obstacle for Teo and friends.

with more Teo & Aurelio's interactions, Niya's moody temperaments, the lack of other Demigods action, overall the plot was underwhelming. at least the ending was decent and heartwarming.

extra points for the inclusivity, just like TST. even though I found it bizzare how whoever can hate and threaten anyone but the right pronouns should be used at any time despite of the bubbling hatred.

Aiden Thomas just keeps getting better! What a fantastic conclusion to this sparkling duology. I love the worldbuilding, the banter, and the character growth! I'm a sucker for found family, and that is such a strong theme in these books. 10/10 recommend!