I have finally found a book that will satisfy the students who crave action and mythology but have already read Rick Riordain books. From the first chapter to the last sentence, I was enthralled with this story. Although they are mythical characters, they seemed real. Teo’s journey is of a true hero, and his friends while supporting him grew into strong good individuals. Teo thought the Golds were to be hated, but instead learned that they are good people as he is and he was willing to fight evil with them to save their people. The next chapter in the duology we will see them change from young people shaped by adult values to amazing people who can fight injustice while holding onto their own values. I surely don’t want to wait a year for the next book.

The Sunbearer Trials was a book I could hardly put done once I got started. It did not lack in action and the characters were a joy to get to know. I love the world building and mythology behind this book - after a few chapters you get used to the hierarchy/workings of the world. I love how there were no gender expectations in this book - we had cis characters, we had trans characters, we had non binary characters... all pronouns are represented as well. This is the first book I read that was so inclusive in this way, and honestly, I think it added to the richness of the culture/mythology.. I cannot wait for the second book!

I think I just love all books by Aiden Thomas! They write incredible characters and such fun and new stories! I can’t wait to see what comes next!!

I think the story line is a bit basic in such that the story goes about the MC feel like they ain’t special but in reality they can do so many amazing things! I love the diversity and the diverse culture presented in this book!

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 talking about the audiobook, which still applies to the E-ARC: 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*!

It takes a strong person, and a strong protagonist, to speak up for what they believe, even when what they choose isn’t popular. But such protagonists don’t always see themselves as strong. In the case of Teo in The Sunbearer Trials, the newest YA fantasy from author Aiden Thomas, he only believes that he’s a troublemaker. And it takes him a long time in the story to realize that sometimes, a little trouble is needed. Sometimes, so-called “good trouble” (as the legendary Representative John Lewis termed it) is an absolutely necessary part of changing unjust systems. And Teo’s world needs a lot of change in order to be more just. [See full review on Paste Magazine]

Soooo good! Aiden Thomas has definitely become an auto-buy author for me. I adored Cemetery Boys so, so much. I was worried this one wouldn’t be able to compare. Boy was I worried for nothing! I loved everything about this book from the characters, to the writing style, to All The Sass! Oh my gosh, so much sass!! And the twist at the end - did not see that coming! I’m literally on the edge of my seat for book 2!! Also, I would give my life for these characters. RIP my heart.

I’ve never read an Aiden Thomas book but I have friends who are obsessed with them and I now am too this book was BRILLIANT.

I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for book 2, oh my word the ending?? On a whole new level. All in all, this world that Aiden Thomas created is rich and imaginative, brutal and beautiful, and I love the characters they created and can't wait to see where they go next!

I love Aiden Thomas's work and this book is no exception. I loved the story, the premise. The characters. All of it was amazing. I definitely reccomend this book to people of all ages.

Dang, Aiden really did the thing huh? I am truly in awe of his ability to be all over the place in terms of how they design worlds. Like "oh this is what I want to create." Boom, consider it done. I feel like this duology is a true show of that talent that Aiden has when it comes to world-building and character creation. I cannot wait to see how it ends.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC read. I apologize for the lateness of this review!

Teo believed as a Jade, his life was set before him. He wanted to travel the world and see the other cities but as the only child of Quetzal, his dreams may only be that, dreams. There was one way he could travel the world and see all of the cities the realm had to offer and that was by competing in the upcoming Sunbearer Trials. It was a great honor to be chosen, but could lead to an untimely death but what an honorable death it would be. As a Jade, Teo knew his chances of being picked for the trials was slim but even slimmer would be his chances of surviving the trials. As a Jade, they were looked down upon as the lesser semidioses compared to the Golds but still better than the almost extinct Obsidians. The Golds had every advantage given to them. While the Jades and Obsidians had to figure it out on their own. A Jade never won the Sunbearer Trials but were often sacrificed to refuel the Sun Stones.

Teo, a trans boy, never felt right in his body. Upon his gender confirmation ceremony, he officially came out as a boy and began T. As the son of Quetzal, Teo had been blessed with wings but unfortunately, they didn't get with the program upon his gender confirmation and remained the neutral browns of a female quetzal instead of the beautiful bright blues and greens of the male. This added to his body dysmorphia and caused him to wear a binder to hide his wings. How could he be the son of Quetzal and be ashamed of his wings? Why couldn't they cooperate?

Teo had always been a trouble maker especially with the help of his close friend and Gold semidiose Niya. Niya who was the daughter of Tierra, could make a weapon out of anything. She had bracelets around her arms that she could bend at will to become mallets, swords, bats, etc. Even though Teo knew his chances of being picked for the Trials was slim, he knew Niya's was high. She was in the top of the class at the Academy and a force to be reckoned with. It was no surprise with the crown appeared above her head announcing her selection as a competitor.

The shock was short lived when the crown appeared above Teo's head. His mother's face was evident with worry as was everyone's around him. A Jade competing in the Trials? Let alone two Jades? What was Sol thinking? Did they want easy sacrifices this year? Teo only had one plan at first; keep himself and Xio, the other Jade competitor at a lowly 13 years old out of last place. With Niya's help, he felt like all hope was lost. Little did he know that Sol had other plans for him. That Sol saw something inside of him that he didn't know he had. Over the next five trials, Teo became more and more confident in his self. No longer were his wings dull and brown. They were beautiful blues and greens just as he always imagined them.

As the Trials continued, Teo couldn't shake the nagging sense that something wasn't right. There was something wrong about the way some of the competitors would act during the Trials, eyes turning black and bruised; their entire persona changing. Now with everything falling apart and the Trials are over, Teo must lean on Niya and Austrelio to find the other semidiose competitors and return the world to it's rightful place.

I did enjoy this book. The pace was a little slow at first. I am not as well versed in Mexican folklore and mythology so I definitively did have to do some research regarding what the dioses and semidioses were. The LGBTQ+ representation and the POC representation was absolutely amazing. Aiden always knocks it out of the park with this.

As mentioned, the pace was very slow at first. I felt at times the descriptions were confusing and had to reread the passage to get a better understanding of what Aiden was trying to communicate. By the end of the book, I was sitting on my couch thinking, "There's not enough pages for this to completely be over" and "I need more!". It was well constructed though I do believe that the pace could have been a bit better, for example instead of focusing so much on one trial but another trial being over in a couple of pages. I did enjoy the book. It just unfortunately did not blow me away. Though I will be reading the sequel when ever it releases!

First off, I’d like to thank Macmillan’s Children Publishing Group and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I feel like there’s so much I could say about this book, but the immediate thought I had after finishing it was that I need more. I need to know what happens with Teo and the other demigods. Aiden Thomas left us with a twist and cliffhanger that’ll definitely leave readers wanting more.
This book was marketed as The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson, and I definitely see the influences of both. I also caught the little Hunger Games reference that took me a second to get, but I definitely felt very cool when I did. It does give off more middle-grade vibes at times. I don’t think it has the same level of heaviness that The Hunger Games did, but I did see some similarities, such as the Golds being trained for this competition. However, I am glad that while there was a similar concept, it was still its own story. There was the danger looming over all these demigods, but they had their moments that were light-hearted.
This is the story of Teo, the son of Quetzal, Diosa of Birds. He is the son of a Jade God. I found it interesting how the gods had their own rankings. The worldbuilding in this book is really cool and easy to understand. Golds are gods like Primavera (Diosa of Spring) and Agua (Diosa of Water) while Jades are gods like Quetzal and Mala Suerte (Dios of Bad Luck). Demigods who are Golds are seen as superior to Jades. The school they go to trains them to be the best of the best, making them fit to compete in the Sunbearer Trials and be able to use their abilities to help others. This has led to them always being chosen to compete. No one expected any Jade demigods to be chosen. Now, Teo and Xio (another Jade) are thrust into this competition where they are at a disadvantage, not having any of the training that their fellow competitors do.
Thomas has a large cast of characters in this book, and all their powers are really cool. I really liked the characters! I still wish I had pre-ordered to get the trading cards when I had the chance. The book focuses a lot on Teo (obviously), Niya (his best friend) and Xio. We did get to see more of the other competitors, especially Aurelio since he’s Teo’s ex-best friend. I’d love to learn even more about them in the next book. The rep was also really well-done! There is so much inclusivity. A lot of the characters are queer, trans, and/or nonbinary. The god Sol themself is nonbinary, which is really cool! One of the characters is also deaf, and so there is the use of sign language in the book!
Some of the characters are only set on winning and aren’t afraid to let Teo know that they don’t think he belongs there. But they all eventually start realizing what this competition really means. The person sitting next to them at the dinner table could be the winner or they could be the sacrifice. It’s the way their world works: Sol chooses a Sunbearer who kills the sacrifice and then goes to all the temples of Reino del Sol, using the sacrifice to fuel the Sun Stones. This guarantees protection, but it means that one of them has to kill the other. It means one of them has to die.
There was some foreshadowing throughout the book, hinting that there was more something else going on during the trials. I kept trying to guess what it was, but the twist ended up being more than what I expected. I need the sequel now to see what happens to Teo and his friends and how they fix what happened at the end of the book.
Something that I didn’t really love was the many pop culture references. It felt a little out of place? It could just be because I’m not the intended audience. However, it did not take away from how much I liked this book.
Overall, I give it 4/5 stars, and I can’t wait to read the sequel!

Teo is in trouble. A semidios (demigod) himself, but a Jade, not one of the more powerful and revered Golds, Teo has been chosen to participate in the Sunbearer trials, a once-a-decade competition between ten semidioses to determine who will be the next Sunbearer, the top finalist who will relight the Sunstones that protect their world from the Obsidian dioses, the gods of darkness, confined by Sol to prevent them from once again wreaking havoc upon the world. The ten competitors are chosen by Sol, and judged by Sol as they compete in five trials - but it's been 150 years since a Jade was chosen to compete, and this decade there are two, and unlike the Golds, who are trained from childhood at the Academy, Teo, and the other Jade, Xio, have no training to back them up.

This is a wonderfully compelling novel, based on Mexican mythology, and including characters to appeal to nearly everyone. There is a casual attitude toward LGBTQ+, particularly transgender, bigender, and questioning - but it's not the in-your-face attitude that pervades so much literature that deals with these issues; it's simply a part of the world, and treated as such. But this pales into the background because of the story, which contains rich details, strong character development, and a strong grounding in self-described Mexican mythology. The entire novel deals with the competitors themselves, and the imperatives that come from trying to win at all costs - because the loser of the Trials is sacrificed to Sol by the winner, I look forward to the sequel, which I hope will come out soon. Recommended for eighth grade and above, due to mature themes.

The premise itself is pretty simple and reminiscent of every single adventure YA where the lead is a teen who thinks of themselves as basic but, in reality, they can pull off amazing feats because they're always fighting and standing up for their loved ones. It would be an engaging read either way, but the pre-Hispanic elements that are so expertly woven into every single element of the plot make it super fresh and exciting.
I loved reading about the different gods and the animals and elements of so many cultures all woven into integral parts of the story that helped define it and move it forward. The fact that it's not just 'set dressing' to make it stand out but actually feels like an homage to all the colorful particulars of the cultures is *chef's kiss* perfection.
Extra shoutout for calling out some of my favorite candies growing up.
Overall, it caught my attention from the very beginning and continually adds new twists and pieces to keep it straight up invigorating. I can't believe Thomas left us where they did. I need the next book now!

Very happy thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for the very exciting read!

An amazing read! The inclusion was great. I loved that all of the gods represented a wide range of queer and trans identities, and that they were accepted without question. I also loved the gender confirmation ceremonies. Honestly, this book might just be better than Cemetery Boys.

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As usual, Aiden Thomas is exceptional and this was no exception.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed the characterizations and depth of emotion. I think this would be a great addition to any library collection.

I think this is my top read of this year so far. I absolutely adored all of the characters, especially Teo and Aurelio. Aurelio is like my favorite character type and I just wanted to protect him so bad. I can't wait to see how Teo and the rest of the characters grow in the second book. I truly think Aiden Thomas outdid himself with this one. Not only were the characters strong and interesting on their own, but the story itself also was. The entire world was. The worldbuilding was so vivid and powerful without being overwhelming and the plot twists really were surprising. Even after finding out who the 'bad guy' was, I still liked that character and was rooting for them. Plus, the trials themselves were SO FUN to read.

The Sunbearer Trials thrilled me. If you are searching for a YA Fantasy with a compelling and intriguing competition, look no further. This trial, dangerous elimination style feels so perfectly timed. And each trial, I could not wait to figure out how it would be structured. The action and pacing work together to pull you in and make you read even faster - if you thought that was possible. Additionally, I enjoyed the set up and world of The Sunbearer Trials. The divide between the Golds and the Jades, the ways that society reveres the Golds.