Stars: 4 for fast moving fantasy, world building extraordinaire and an end too soon.

My Thoughts:
I was a little slow to pick up this fantasy book, but it is magical and fast paced. The storytelling and world building is refreshingly exotic. The trials are out of our best dystopian stories like Hunger Games and Maze Runner. Add in different classes of beings, from teenage gods to half deities, everyone with strengths and weaknesses in a trial where the loser is the ultimate sacrifices and you have the start of this fabulous book. Inspired by Mexican culture, this is an exciting and fast read. Don't forget to get book 2 before you get to the end. Otherwise, it will be a very frustrating wait.

When book talking this book, in this political climate, you have to reveal that the main character as well as other characters are trans. Although this is a LGBTQIA+ book, that is not the theme of the book and I don't think it should be a hindrance, however, in full transparency, it is present. For students that enjoyed Percy Jackson and other Rick Riordan Presents books like Tristan Strong books or Pahua, this is an older version of their same comfortable genre. Give them these next step books.

From the Publisher:
“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”


As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses 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 melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed—for fame, glory, and their own survival.

Publication Information:
Author: Aiden Thomas
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends (September 6, 2022)
Print length: 413 pages

"The Sunbearer Trials" delivers a vibrant and thrilling journey through a richly imagined world inspired by Mexican mythology, capturing the essence of youthful determination and defiance. Aiden Thomas weaves an engaging tale that, despite my own fatigue, kept me intrigued with its unique blend of fantasy and high-stakes competition. Teo's story, as a Jade semidiós thrust into the trials against more powerful opponents, resonates with both heart and tension, making it easy to root for his survival and growth. The dynamic cast of characters, including Teo's best friend Niya and formidable rivals like Aurelio, add depth and complexity to the narrative. Thomas's writing brims with cultural richness and emotional authenticity, making each trial a vivid spectacle. While the premise of life-and-death competition isn't groundbreaking, the execution and character-driven storytelling make "The Sunbearer Trials" a captivating read, even when you're feeling a bit worn down by life's own trials.

Aiden Thomas has emerged as a new favorite author. The Sunbearer Trials hits all the representation; the energy of the story was engaging; and the Mexican mythology was fun for me. I recommend this book for those who have worked their way through the Percy Jackson series and its companion series.

First of all, I am a sucker for a book that centers around a competition. The fact that this has trans representation and is a Mexican-inspired fantasy just made me that much more excited to read it. And the fact that it was written by Aiden Thomas, an author I really admired, made this book seem like it would be a perfect match for me.

Ultimately, this book did not disappoint. It was everything I hoped it would be.

Sometimes when publishers use comparative titles for upcoming books, they can be a bit of a stretch. But I truly felt the Hunger Games vibes and the Percy Jackson vibes with this book!

The Sunbearer Trials themselves were the highlight of the book for me! Whenever one trial ended, I was anxious to dive into the next one! I love how the intensity, anxiety, and stakes built with every passing trial--I feel the author portrayed that really well through the characters and world building!

There was a lot to like here! I’m excited to see more representation in books, the pacing was rapid and you wanted the characters to survive their ordeals… that being said- the tone felt oddly light? The dread was named but not felt, and I’m not sure who the target age group is- I think this would land best for mature middle grade readers.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Feiwel & Friends!

As a latinx trans masculine person, this book was such a joy to read. Aiden Thomas never fails to make me feel seen and I recommend his books all the time and this one is no different.

Aiden Thomas the writer that you are!

The world of this book is so richly realized. It's incredibly modern, which can be jarring at times, but overall it's very fun and works well.

The comp titles of Percy Jackson and The Hunger Games are definitely accurate, and Thomas balances the potentially conflicting vibes perfectly--This is a fun YA fantasy book filled with banter and friendship and memes and pop culture references (the TikTok and Vine parts are where I struggled the most, but not all readers will feel this way), and it is also a serious story about some very high-stakes death games.

Teo, the main character, is a seventeen-year-old trans guy who's the son of Quetzal, diosa of birds. As the semidios son of a Jade diosa, Teo doesn't expect to be anyone special. He covers his wings, which cause him some dysphoria due to their coloration, and he does not attend the elite training academy with all of the Gold semidioses. And then Teo is selected for the Sunbearer Trials, and everything changes.

The challenges were exciting and difficult. The character dynamics were compelling. I loved Teo and Niya. I want more from Niya especially. The ending made me gasp so many times.

And also, Aiden Thomas's economical and vivid descriptions continue to wow me. He puts sentences together with so much skill.

I'm glad I didn't read this sooner because now I only have to wait five months for the sequel!

I cannot rate this low because books about Trans characters by Trans authors are going to be hated for reasons only regarding that and not genuine critiquing of the book. I loved Cemetery Boys, have met Aiden Thomas and think hes a really cool down to earth guy.

That being said; I did not enjoy this book. I feel like more than anything else it is the fault of the publishers and their unrealistic timelines for literary greatness. Thomas has skill but we couldn't see his skill in this book. Too much was thrown at the readers with little time to digest what we learned. Characters felt one dimensional, elaborate and interesting settings were given so little page space. The first round of finalized prints had the wrong pronouns for some characters which again, editors should have caught that. I think this series has the building blocks to be great and gorgeous cover art, trading cards, etc. That combined with excellent marketing have gotten this book into the hands of a lot of people who have little negative to say. However as an immediate part of Aiden Thomas' community and someone who works for his target audience (Black & Brown teens), I can say this misses the mark and I expect better. If it is truly an issue with publishing (which i believe it is) PLEASE PUBLISHERS give these authors more than 9 months to write, create, edit. You cannot rush art.

It was a fun story with enough thrills and not too much rambling. At the same time, this is not one of those YA books that would work well beyond its target age group.

Such a good book! I loved the queer representation! To have a trans person being the main character was so refreshing to see. I thought the high action was great, but also different then other competition books we've seen in the past. I love seeing more Mexican representation in the media and it was such a fun and easy book to pick up I know that teens and adults will be wanting to read it.

I loved that this is such an amazing and inspiring way to tell mythology and lore through modern characters with compassion and grace. Overall one of my favorites and waiting for the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy in exchange for honest feedback

A high stakes fantasy adventure, where Teo, must survive a series of trials or be sacrificed to their god.

I loved the world building, which is richly detailed with Mexican culture. Teo's small tight knit community is warm and supportive. I also liked the small sprinkling of romance for Teo. The action-packed scenes of the trials kept me on the edge of my seat and I devoured those pages. And then the ending is a TWIST with a cliffhanger that is sure to make you want the next book IMMEDIATELY.

I think Cemetery Boys is probably still my favourite Aiden Thomas book, but I'm glad I finally got around to reading this! Very excited to dive right into Celestial Monsters.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

I tried reading this book on two separate occasions but each time I just couldn't get into the story. This was a surprise to me because I have read other books by Aiden Thomas and loved them, so I am not sure why I didn't connect with this one. This has very strong fantasy elements and has a very good introduction story, so I still suggest giving it a try.

I love Aiden Thomas' work and The Sunbearer Trials was no exception. I can't wait to read the sequel.

This was a wonderful new magical competition story—I loved the fast pace, the Mexican setting, and the fully-developed cast. A joy!

I absolutely love Aiden Thomas and look forward to everything he writes. The Sunbearer Trials was no exception. It was richly imaginative with a cast of characters that draws you in and makes you invested not just in the story but in their growth as well. I can't wait for more.

I LOVE competition-centered fantasy, and THE SUNBEARER TRIALS was such a beautiful book! I still think about the scene where Teo gets his wings all the time and get teary <3 Aiden Thomas is an autobuy for me