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robinks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this audiobook and can’t wait for the second half of the duology! The characters are so lovable and complex, and the descriptions of each scene were so detailed that I could picture them easily. I would LOVE to see this story in a visual medium.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Violence, Bullying, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Murder, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, and Cursing
Minor: Gore, Kidnapping, and War
theirgracegrace's review
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
In the world of The Sunbearer Trials, ten teenage children of the Gold and Jade deities of Reino del Sol compete once a decade in a tournament of the same name. The winner becomes the Sunbearer, who brings the light of Sol to the world to protect it from the dangerous Obsidian deities from beyond the stars; the loser becomes the sacrifice used to power the light of Sol. When Teo, the trans son of the Jade goddess of birds Quetzal is chosen, he sets out to make sure him and his two friends aren't the sacrifice...but maybe they might be able to win the Trials after all? I personally loved the representation of trans and non-binary people in this book; Teo and his friend Xio (which is also the first time I've seen someone who is actively questioning their gender in a piece of media!) are both trans boys, and the warlike Ocelo is non-binary. I also was enamoured with the deaf chosen boy Dezi, and how the group makes sure he is included. The worldbuilding of this setting is immense, with a pantheon of deities that boggles the mind and deepens in the modern-day context of the world. As a long-time fan of Aiden Thomas's previous book Cemetery Boys, I continue to enjoy the way they blend humour and anguish to make a riveting story with larger-than-life characters. I eagerly await the sequel!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cursing, Death, Dysphoria, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Grief and Medical content
Xio goes through phases of disordered eating in the book due to the stress of the Trials. Teo and Xio have a very frank conversation regarding using hormones and gender dysphoria about halfway through the book.stormeno's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Dysphoria
Minor: Bullying and Death
good_names_dont_exist's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Blood, and Bullying
Moderate: Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
ashylibrarian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
As many have described, this is a Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson, and I truly loved every moment of this book.
- An absolutely brilliant cast of characters with vast representation and fun, spicy, and quirky personalities
- Intense yet funny challenges
- Mexican Mythology
- World building is strong, clear, and intentional
Teo and his friends have moved this book right up my list of top 10 favorite books, and it is definitely in close contentions with Mina from The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea for a favorite fantasy read.
*Representation Present
- BIPIC
- LGBTQ+
- Nonbinary
- Transgender
- Questioning
- Deaf
- An absolutely brilliant cast of characters with vast representation and fun, spicy, and quirky personalities
- Intense yet funny challenges
- Mexican Mythology
- World building is strong, clear, and intentional
Teo and his friends have moved this book right up my list of top 10 favorite books, and it is definitely in close contentions with Mina from The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea for a favorite fantasy read.
*Representation Present
- BIPIC
- LGBTQ+
- Nonbinary
- Transgender
- Questioning
- Deaf
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, and Violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Dysphoria, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
20sidedbi's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
nearlyfearless's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Bullying, and Dysphoria
joensign's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Classism, Blood, and Bullying
Moderate: Dysphoria
Minor: Confinement and Death
rickireadss's review against another edition
5.0
AIDEN THOMAS DOES NOT MISS!!!!!!! i put this off for so long, and i am both mad that i did and grateful i did. i absolutely LOVED cemetery boys so i had a good feeling i would enjoy this one. BUT THE CLIFFHANGER ON THIS ONE?!?!?!?!? i am soooo angry that i didn't wait until book 2 was announced/closer to releasing. i ate this one up. it was PHENOMENAL. the competition plot had my heart RACING. the frienships made me so happy. the plot twists?!?!?!?! had me wanting to throw the damn book because WTF AIDEN?!!? anyways, go read this book, especially if you love fantasy, queer rep, and an all Latinx cast :)
⚠️: violence, bullying, blood, child abuse, dysphoria, fire/fire injury, child death
⚠️: violence, bullying, blood, child abuse, dysphoria, fire/fire injury, child death
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Bullying, and Blood
Moderate: Dysphoria, Child abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death
queer_bookwyrm's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
5 ⭐ CW: violence, cursing, bullying
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is a YA fantasy that is like The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson with a lot of Avatar the Last Airbender vibes, but make it hella queer and Latine. This was such an exciting read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it became a bright spot for my days. I think I liked this one even better than Cemetery Boys.
We follow Teo, semidios son of the Goddess of Birds, Quetzal. Teo is a trans boy with wings! He's also a Jade semidios. Every ten years Reino Del Sol has the Sunbearer a Trials where ten young people, aged anywhere between 13-17, compete to be the Sunbearer (the winner) or the Honored Sacrifice (the loser). A Sacrifice must be done every ten years to replenish the Sol Stone that protects them from the Obsidians. Usually this means Golds compete after having trained for years, but this year two Jades, Teo and another 13 year old Jade Xio, are selected by Sol to compete. Teo just wants to keep himself and his friends alive.
These characters are fantastic! Niya gives me strong Toph vibes if Toph were an extrovert and a himbo. I love Teo and Niya's friendship, it's so wholesome. The world building in this is banging. I love it so much. The magic is fantastic, the descriptions as per Thomas's style is stunning, and the art that goes with this is chef's kiss. I want this to be adapted into a show wicked bad (oops that's my Mainer coming out).
There is a ton of great representation in this book! This is a queer normative world, which is super refreshing. A lot of different skin colors, body types, and ability levels are mentioned. We get a dead character who we see using sign language, and there are several trans characters and nonbinary characters of all presentations. It was just such a lush world.
Oof that cliffhanger though. Can't wait for book two!
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is a YA fantasy that is like The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson with a lot of Avatar the Last Airbender vibes, but make it hella queer and Latine. This was such an exciting read! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and it became a bright spot for my days. I think I liked this one even better than Cemetery Boys.
We follow Teo, semidios son of the Goddess of Birds, Quetzal. Teo is a trans boy with wings! He's also a Jade semidios. Every ten years Reino Del Sol has the Sunbearer a Trials where ten young people, aged anywhere between 13-17, compete to be the Sunbearer (the winner) or the Honored Sacrifice (the loser). A Sacrifice must be done every ten years to replenish the Sol Stone that protects them from the Obsidians. Usually this means Golds compete after having trained for years, but this year two Jades, Teo and another 13 year old Jade Xio, are selected by Sol to compete. Teo just wants to keep himself and his friends alive.
These characters are fantastic! Niya gives me strong Toph vibes if Toph were an extrovert and a himbo. I love Teo and Niya's friendship, it's so wholesome. The world building in this is banging. I love it so much. The magic is fantastic, the descriptions as per Thomas's style is stunning, and the art that goes with this is chef's kiss. I want this to be adapted into a show wicked bad (oops that's my Mainer coming out).
There is a ton of great representation in this book! This is a queer normative world, which is super refreshing. A lot of different skin colors, body types, and ability levels are mentioned. We get a dead character who we see using sign language, and there are several trans characters and nonbinary characters of all presentations. It was just such a lush world.
Oof that cliffhanger though. Can't wait for book two!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Violence
Moderate: Bullying