What started out with a prologue to rival most young adult prologues (in which the reader was thrown headfirst into a vibrant creation story, full of diversity and promise), quickly got overwhelmed by the sheer size of the main cast.

I loved CEMETERY BOYS, Aiden Thomas' debut, and was looking forward to this one, which is their third published work, especially when I saw the diversity of the cast on their Instagram. It's rare that trans and nonbinary characters get to simply exist on page and to see a cast fully made up of queer and genderqueer characters was a dream come true. And it did deliever on that page.

However, the size of the cast deeply disrupted my reading experience. The characters read largely the same and spoke with the same 2020-2022 inspired lingo that will be outdated in five years. I understand the attempt made here - writing teenage characters in a 2022-adjacent fantasy world requires them to speak like 2022-adjacent teenagers. However, and this could just be a pet-peeve, it made them feel juvenille. Like I was scrolling through Twitter replies instead of reading a book. Similarly, I didn't find any of them to be particularly fleshed out, which could also be because of the large cast. They all felt one-note, as if Thomas was also having trouble balancing them all on page.

The informality of their speech also caused a weird cognitive dissonance. In that, there were potentially dangerous things happening that I couldn't grasp the stakes of based on how the characters were conducting themselves and speaking about those occurances.

I wanted so deeply to get invested in Teo and Aurelio, but at the end of the day, I just didn't care, which is disappointing considering how invested I was in Yadriel and Julien (the mlm pair in Cemetery Boys).

Overall, I think this book fell flat for me because of the Cemetery Boys effect. Because Cemetery Boys was so amazing, this one couldn't be simply because everything about it felt like it was taking a step back (from the writing to the dialogue, to my inability to connect to the plot or the characters). However, I gave it a solid three stars and am planning on reading the sequel. The ending, at least, brought me back and I'm not ready to give up on the series just yet.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Feiwel & Friends for this eARC for review!

5/5 stars!!!!!

Oh my god??? OH MY GOD??? I can't believe it took me this long to get to this but this just became one of my new favorite books! This was such a fun ride from start to finish, but it was also so intense and so stressful! This was so beautifully written. Aiden has such a way with describing emotion, environment, and action that gets the ready fully enveloped into the story. I absolutely LOVED the growing friendship and comradery between the semi-dioses, and how intense the competition was. The challenges were so intense and refreshing! The magic system was absolutely invigorating, lush, and thorough while also being easy to understand. I also loved that gender identity and sexuality were so fluid, understood and accepted in society, and actually part of the overall culture itself. It was so refreshing and heartwarming! I spent so much of the book laughing, cheering, hand-to-heart warm and fuzzies, and also absolutely SCREAMING at the end of the book. The wait for book 2 is going to be AGONY, but I can't wait!

*Note I have received a free ARC of this book. This will not affect my thoughts or feelings toward it*

Where do I even start!?!? I LOVED this book so much! First of the world building was FANTASTIC. I felt like I knew how their world worked and could imagine every new and exciting location perfectly. The trials they go through were thought out perfectly. I really enjoyed the message that Thomas was able to deliver about teamwork and how completing a task isn't always the way to "win". The chemistry the characters had with each other was bouncing off the walls non-stop. This book was surprisingly super funny but had its really deep moments and both delivered every time. My only complaint about this book was the start was slow but once it starts going it's a fun party that never stops!

Overall a solid 4.5/5 rounded up!

I LOVED this book!

Why? Well, Teo is a fantastic protagonist. He's spunky and lovable and undergoes a great amount of development. There are a ton of fun, interesting side characters that I enjoyed the hell out of and rooted for. Niya was such a joy, Xio a sweetheart, and Aurelio pulled at the heartstrings. I can't wait to see what they're up to in book 2.

The competition itself lent great tension throughout the story then, when broken up by the quieter moments in-between, it all created a solid pace that always left me wanting more. I absolutely tore through this book and, while satisfied with the ending, I cannot wait for book two. Speaking of the ending, that was great. There were surprises along the way and I feel like book 1 has its own satisfying ending while leaving plenty of want for the next book. A tight rope to walk!

Ah but the worldbuilding! That's it, the worldbuilding. There is so much depth to this world. Nothing feels thrown on at the last minute, it's cohesive and it has bones (if that makes sense). You can tell a ton of thought and purpose went into how it was created and the way it’s revealed is interesting without feeling info-dump-ish. I enjoyed every taste of it that I got.

I can say confidently that The Sunbearer Trials is one of my favorite reads of 2023. It is such a solidly great all-around book that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to any reader. I loved it so much that, even though I had a reviewer ebook ARC, I went out and bought a hard copy for myself. I don’t know how to give a stronger endorsement than that!


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Years ago, Sol sacrificed themselves in order to travel into the sky and shed light onto the lands, in order to keep the villainous Obsidian gods at bay. Every new decade, Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses (demigods) 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 - they are sacrificed to Sol, their body melted down to refuel the sun stones for another ten years. Teo, a Jade semidiose (lesser demigod) and Trans son of the goddess of birds, is not worried about being selected for the trials (as it is generally only Gold semidioses that are selected to compete). But, his best friend, Niya, is a Gold and likely to be selected. When the selections for the trials begin, Teo is surprised when both he and another jade are selected, Xio (the thirteen year old child of the god of bad luck).

What a wild and amazing ride this book was. Honestly, incredible world building, amazing character development, and a twist that actually shocks. I am so anxious to read the next book, I need to know the rest of the story. I need to know if my predictions might be true. I need to know how Teo will work to fix what happened, how he will make the Golds see the worth of Jades.

I absolutely loved Teo's connection with his friends. Niya was fabulous and added lightness and humour to an otherwise dark book. These kids are facing death, but she barges head first into it without much thought, just hope and her ego. Aurelio is a Gold hero, but he is also reserved and cautious, he tries to do right by Teo after having rejected their friendship in the past. Xio is so downtrodden, down on his luck, sad; but Teo does all he can to help him and make him feel part of a group.

I also really liked how Teo questioned the world around him and how it worked. The blind obedience, the Golds wielding so much power and control, while the Jades work just to exist and provide for their people. Teo's questioning leads to others questioning the world as well, how unfair it seems to be for some, how maybe they need to look at new ways to approach how things are run. A good look at power imbalance and how oblivious those in power can be about the world around them and the space they take up.

The Golds are so disconnected from their people, they rule by enforcing and from a distance. Whereas the Jades are of the people, they interact with those they live with, they help, they feel like neighbours, friends. They are not cold and aloof, they are approachable and therefore loveable (which helps when people begin turning up for Teo).

I thought the ending would go another way and was completely surprised, but in a good way. Aiden Thomas is just a phenomenal author. Cannot get enough!

This was soooo good!!! I loved how many characters there were - everyone was so unique so it wasn’t hard to differentiate the characters. So much queer and diverse rep. The plot was super interesting but ended in such a big cliffhanger!! I can’t wait to read the next book once it comes out :)

This is well written and has an original setting. I already purchased it for the library! love the cover!

The trials of Hunger Games meets the gods of Percy Jackson meets the mercurial judging of Taskmaster meets the powers of young trained youth of My Hero Academia, with just a touch of LOTR thrown in at the end. This was really really fun. I feel like this has a very broad potential readership. It’s adventure, it’s unlikely hero, it’s gay as hell, it’s super Latine-empowering, it’s subtle Spanish language learning, it’s heart pounding, and beyond all that, it’s Aiden Thomas writing continuing to shine through in the rare successful sophomore book. Absolutely excellent and fun and I can’t wait for the other half.

By now, we've all heard the pitch that The Sunbearer Trials is Mexican Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games, but I promise you: it is so much more than that.

The Sunbearer Trials is an unforgettable introduction to a vibrant fantasy world that has everything you could possibly want: a large and diverse cast of characters, an epic series of trials, rich world-building, and great messages about the transformative power of community.

To start with the characters, If you’ve read Cemetery Boys you know that Aiden is very adept at crafting side characters who threaten to steal the spotlight, and they have really outdone themself in this one, especially because this is the kind of story that necessitates a very large cast. It’s not easy to juggle a bunch of different characters, to make them all feel personable and distinctive, to make sure that no one gets lost in the shuffle—but this book is able to beautifully balance all of those things.

Having such a big cast of characters also just makes things super fun and interesting. It allows a lot more opportunity for conflict and character growth, especially because all these characters have such different personalities and journeys to undertake. Having all these different characters also introduces an element of mysteriousness, because you can never guess what they’re going to do next, you don’t know how they’re strategizing behind the scenes, you never know how they’re going to approach each new challenge. And that’s exciting because it means there’s as many ways of conquering these trials as there are characters.

At the end of the day, these characters really are just kids. They’ve been conscripted into these circumstances where they have to compete against each other, and they've been forced to become something they might not have otherwise become—which is to say vicious competitors. Even though they’re expected to perform within those very specific constraints, they’re still they’re own people, and I feel like this story really respects that.

On a related note, if you really tried to force my hand and get me to describe the experience of reading The Sunbearer Trials in one concise phrase, I would tell you that this book is a feast for the senses. There’s so much rich information to take in about this world on literally every single page. The fantasy world is so lovingly steeped in Mexican culture and history that it’s impossible to miss that sense of warmth and depth that comes with that attention to detail. It's very much center stage at every turn.

One of the really exciting aspects of the trials is that each challenge takes place in a different host city across Reina del Sol. So the characters are touring through all these different cities as the story progresses. What's especially great is that even though the characters are united under the umbrella of their sun god and their various deities, each city very much has its own culture, its own history, its own distinctive architecture, food, belief system, and system of values. In other words, they are not monolithic. So the reader is constantly able to access all these different ideas, visuals, and landscapes that very much engage all of the senses, and give each part of this story a distinctive and grounded sense of place.

The experience of this world is fully immersive. It’s so clearly inspired by Mexican culture and draws from that, but it very much stands on its own and all the really cool details piece together something that’s new and exciting to read about. There are so many layers to excavate in this world, giving the story an element of discovery, and I think that’s something that really makes the book stand out.

I’m not revealing anything here, but I also appreciate how much thought has been put into how the trials themselves work. To go back to that comparison of The Hunger Games, I think there’s actually a huge difference between that story and this one, which is that competitors are actively killed off throughout The Hunger Games, which creates very different stakes.

Some people might argue that The Hunger Games are more intense because of that, because the possibility of death is constantly looming over the characters, which obviously presents a sense of finality and mortality. The Sunbearer Trials takes a very different approach in that the trial rankings are cumulative rather than solidified on a round-to-round basis, which I think actually makes it much more exciting and interesting, because nothing is ever set in stone.

While it would be "shocking" to see characters constantly being killed, I think this way of doing the trials actually makes for much more compelling stakes, because everyone is constantly 100% in the game throughout the entire process. If characters are dying as the story goes on, the pool of competitors would get smaller and smaller, and the possible outcomes would also significantly diminish with each character loss.

What’s most notable is that the story doesn’t lose *anything* by taking this different approach.

The threat of being sacrificed is still looming over all the characters throughout the trials, there’s still a sense of desperation as different characters take their turns at both the top and bottom of the ranks, but it’s almost more exciting and unpredictable because you can never truly count out any of the characters.

Something else that makes this story stand out compared to other series that involve life-and-death trials is that many of those other stories depend on outright brutality to establish high stakes, and this story is able to establish its own high stakes without having to solely rely on violence. That’s not to say that the characters don’t fight, get physical, or endanger each other with their magic powers—because they definitely do—but the trials themselves, by nature, are much more complex.

The trials are not all about power and brute strength. The characters can’t physically fight their way into the top ranks, no matter how hard they try. The trials themselves are designed to test other things like creative thinking, problem solving, decision making, sometimes teamwork—all of which are not only encouraged but lead to unique consequences. Again, because there are so many moving pieces and so many different and valid ways to approach each challenge, that not only validates all the characters' different strengths and perspectives, but it keeps you constantly guessing about what’s going to happen next.

But enough about the mechanics of the world. All of that would be fascinating and notable in and of itself, but the success of all those elements hinges on having a great main character, and The Sunbearer Trials has an incredible hero in Teo, our protagonist.

Teo is a chaotic little troublemaker. He does not like following the rules. And, honestly, why would he? He's spent his entire life being subjected to this weirdly stratified system of semidioses where his worth and his future have been pre-determined by his power or perceived lack thereof. He lives in a society where it’s considered an "honor" for kids to die for the benefit of everyone else. All things considered, the rules and the way things work objectively sucks, and in so many ways he is an unwillingly participant in this whole system. He doesn’t want to uphold it, but he also feels powerless to stop it.

His knack for challenging authority is something he takes with him into the trials. Teo is constantly testing the boundaries of what is allowed or expected. On principle (and most likely out of spite), he never takes the straightforward, easy path in any of the trials.

At the end of the day, this story understands that people who are willing to start some trouble, ask some questions, defy some boundaries, or dare to exist and think in ways that are not often embraced or accepted are the ones who can affect true and meaningful change. There will always be danger in following or investing in any kind of system without question, especially the kinds that actively harm or attempt to isolate the most vulnerable among us, and Teo is definitely not afraid to start poking all kinds of holes in the status quo, even if it means defying the gods.

To go back to the point of challenging this deeply-ingrained system, The Sunbearer Trials, much like any other kind of fictional death match, function in a way that motivates the competitors to fight their way towards the top, if only so that they don’t become the sacrifice. Not being killed is a great motivator, but on a broader scale, this is a system that expects its participants to prioritize their own ranking, their own well-being, their own honor, their own life over nine other people, and depending on how they conduct themselves, they could be rewarded for that choice.

I think that gaming structure really speaks to the cultural perspective that’s especially prevalent in Western society, most notoriously here in the United States, where the focus is on individualism and exceptionalism over everyone and everything else. People are conditioned to prize their own worth, status, safety, success, happiness, over everyone else’s, the thought process being that as long as you take care of yourself, nothing else matters.

That’s exactly the kind of mindset that’s encouraged in The Sunbearer Trials, because at the very least these semidioses should actively be trying to avoid death. But, in reality, it’s a lose-lose system. If you’re the worst-ranked competitor, you die. But if you’re the top-ranked competitor, you’re bestowed with this "divine honor," but you also have to do the actual sacrificing.

So the question becomes: how can Teo work around this conundrum even though he has no choice but to contribute to it?

The solution is that he doesn’t give importance to his own rank. He doesn’t want to be last place for obvious reasons, but he’s not actively trying to secure a higher place either. He’s more interested in helping the people he cares about and creating alliances so that none of them get left behind, which is inherently a collectivist mindset. And what's interesting is that some of those alliances are consistent, and some are situational. So it’s not like Teo is only reserving his help for a set number of people, but rather he’s judging whether he and the other competitors can help each other on a case-by-case basis.

I think that sends a really strong message about how the most disruptive and powerful thing we can do is care about other people and take care of the people around us. Though we might be trapped within these destructive, harmful, cyclical systems, we can still beat them by finding support in community, which is a transformative, lasting kind of love and support. Community is what endures, and stories like this remind us that our goal should not just be to *survive* these oppressive systems but to help as many people who are in our power to help. That is how we move the needle, that is how we restore hope, that is how we make a difference.

I think what's kind of astounding is that everything I've discussed here is *barely* scratching the surface of what The Sunbearer Trials has to offer. There's such an incredible element of discovery that is built into the story, and I think the fact that even this deep-dive review can't possibly begin to explore all those details and plot points is really a testament to the world Aiden Thomas has begun building in this duology. Simply put: The Sunbearer Trials is an incredibly exciting, fresh new fantasy story that you absolutely do not want to miss.

I absolutely loved the world building in this book. I felt like I was floating down the rivers looking at the beautiful indigenous communities of Mexico. Aiden Thomas has a way with words and names that just make reading fun. I wish some of the trials were a little more challenging, but the later ones demonstrated their creativity. The gods and backstories were detailed and complex. The plot twist happened way too late but I know it’s a planned duology, so knew it was coming. Chisme and Verdad are my favorite characters because their names are perfect and the represent the world of gossip amidst a world who wants news. Can’t wait for the next book.

If you’re looking for a Percy Jackson & Hunger Games cross but make it queer THIS IS IT!!!!

I absolutely flew through this book and fell in love with the characters!! The premise was so fun and I was hooked from the very first trial.. The ending of the book was WOW and I can’t waiiiiiit for the next book in the series 🫶🏼🫶🏼

One of the best YA fantasy books I've read in awhile! While it's a queer reworking of the Hunger-Games-style dystopias we've seen in the past, that's not all this is, and the story feels very fresh. There's a lot of fun to be had exploring the world-building Thomas has set up, and the "trials" themselves are actually interesting (another heavily-marketed YA fantasy I read recently did not have this part going for it.) Thomas does a great job writing endearing characters with humor and heart.
The ending sets us up for a sequel really well and I'm already excited to read the next book!
I received an ebook ARC from NetGalley for review purposes.

Yeah, I’m beginning to think Aiden Thomas just isn’t for me. The characters are so immature, and the story just isn’t great. Seems to be a theme across their books.

I can't believe I managed to forget to write a review of The Sunbearer Trials! I love all of Aiden Thomas' books and this was no exception. Readers will be drawn into the competition, as well as root for Teo, Niya, and the friends they make along the way. I loved the world building and character development, but if I am being honest, I am still distraught over the ending! Cannot wait for book 2!

I really enjoyed Cemetery Boys when I read it back in 2020, and while I have yet to read Thomas’s other recent release, I was super excited when The Sunbearer Trials was first announced. I’ve always loved stories about competitions, especially when blended with mythology, and this seemed like a fantastic new book with exactly those things! And honestly, it was! This was fun, full of diverse characters, and a wonderful dive into mythology that is less frequently seen in published stories.

I saw some reviews comparing this to Percy Jackson, and honestly, it’s a fair comparison! I feel like it has a similar energy and atmosphere to Riordan’s work, while still being wholly unique. There’s this incredible range of characters that complement each other well, and they all felt quite developed, even if they were only side characters. There’s also just this core of goodness at the center of the story, and especially within Teo, who seems to just want to do good and be good for a large part of the story. This, combined with a competition and world that is honestly quite gruesome when you think about it, makes for an interesting contrast, one that I can’t wait to see explored further in the next book as the consequences of the ending of this book become clearer.

There were moments where this book felt quite young, especially considering Teo is 17. I think it might just be the writing style, as I remember feeling similarly about Cemetery Boys, and I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing overall! I feel like it generally just lends some additional lightness to most of the story, which works with the overall energy the story seems to have anyway.

The only reason this book was a 4-star read for me, rather than 5 stars, was that I wasn’t as into the competition as I hoped it would be. I felt like I sometimes got a little lost in the trials, and I feel like this was partially due to Teo’s wavering motivations. While he was always technically motivated, his goals seemed to fluctuate, sometimes even within one trial. He shifted between wanting to win and do well for himself, to perhaps even be the winner, to wanting to make sure he focused solely on making sure all his friends made it. I feel like these two goals could’ve been blended better, as instead I sometimes felt lost as to what I was actually supposed to be cheering for. Did I want Teo to smash the competition and win? Or wait, was I supposed to be hoping he’d turn around and help his friends first? There often didn’t feel like there was a singular outcome to support, which makes sense because this was also a struggle for Teo himself too, but it ended up removing some tension from the trials for me.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I’m anxiously awaiting the sequel to see what happens next after that cliffhanger!


Review will go live on my blog on February 3

This book is absolutely chef’s kiss. I love the sprinkle of mythology, the trials, the culture that seeped through on every page. But what takes the cake and had be absolutely sobbing was the fantastic representation. Characters just got to be themselves and it didn’t have to be a big deal. This made my heart so happy. I can’t wait for book 2.

Another cute, solid book from Aiden Thomas.

Thomas has a gift for writing characters I immediately fall in love with. Pair this with a fun, Percy Jackson-esque vibe, and you've got a great book!.....for the right audience.

I think this book will do great with teenagers, but I'm not the intended audience for this book, and that's okay. I still think it was a lovely read, very fun and quick, with Thomas' signature quick wit.

There was a lot to enjoy about this fun Mexican mythology inspired challenge. The world illustrated through Teo's eyes, especially in the beginning as he moves through the market, seems wonderful and full of life and character. Skip the challenge, I would have just enjoyed hanging out in Teo's world for a while.
But into the Sunbearer Challenge we jump, and the friendship that develops between Jades Teo, sweet Xio and Gold Niya was wonderful.

But it did read a little more middle grade, than young adult, disappointingly and despite the possibility of death for one of the participants of the Sunbearer Trials, the stakes never felt truly high for the participants.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

I loved this take on The Hunger Games, where the participants are the children of Aztec gods. The writing is evocative and the settings very well described. As usual, we have an underdog protagonist who has unexpected skills, and his loyal companions who help him along the way. The ending is satisfying and makes me desperate to read the next book and see what happens! (Warning: if you don't like cliffhanger endings wait for book two and read them in sequence.) I devoured this book!

<i>Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.</i>

Oopsies, I started this August 2022 and didn’t get past 16% for no good reason, besides maybe the fact that I haven’t read a YA fantasy in a very long time. The writing was fine; I just get overwhelmed when it comes to world-building.

And then I tried again this year and finished it in a day. As it always goes.

Like many other reviews have stated, this is very much <i>The Hunger Games</i> meets <i>Percy Jackson</i>. It’s quick-paced with a group of lovable characters, lighthearted dialogue, and a good sprinkling of action and violence. I thought it was a fun read (human sacrifice plots are fun, right?), although I’m a bit iffy with it being set in the modern world. I think some of the references will date the book and also limit the audience, even if it’s YA. Regardless, I appreciated the rich diversity and fresh spin on otherwise familiar young adult fantasy plot points. I’m notorious for never ever reading beyond book one of a series but I’ll be brave and say it: I’m looking forward to book two.