Reviews with content warning for Kidnapping - The Sunbearer Trials

For some reason, I thought this was a standalone. It's very much not, and now I have to wait a year to resolve a cliffhanger endng. I tried to not let that affect my rating, but I'm only human, not a semidiós!

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erins_bookshelf_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny 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? Yes

5.0

This has been on my most-anticipated books list since I heard about it’s existence and it did not disappoint, however I have made the *tragic* mistake of reading this entire book in one day and I can tell I’m going to regret it because that ending was absolutely insane. The Percy Jackson mixed with The Hunger Games description really held up the whole time and I’m glad it wasn’t an exaggeration, it really was like that :)
The whole story was a good mix of funny and tense and dangerous and I just don’t know what I’m going to do now because this is the most engrossed I’ve been in a book in a while and I need the sequel right this second

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melaniereadsbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous 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

Thank you to Bookishfirst, Fierce Reads for a finished copy of this book!

When the Sunbearer Trials, which only happen once a decade, come back around, Teo doesn't think he has a chance of being chosen. As a Jade, Teo is less worried about being one of the 10 semidioses to compete, and more worried about his best friend, a Gold, being chosen. But then the unthinkable happens: not only is Teo chosen, but Xio, another Jade semidios, is also chosen. Teo and everyone else knows that the Jades are the most likely to lose the Sunbearer Trials and become the sacrifice that renews Sol's protection of their land, but he is willing to do whatever it takes to keep that from happening.

My expectations for this one were completely sky high and I wasn't at all disappointed. Teo is a chaotic disaster bird-boy and I love him. Niya is strong and amazing and soooo chaotic. I would like to be her friend. And Aurelio is such a great character and I wanted more more more scenes with him and Teo and I can't wait for the sequel whenever it comes out so I can see more Teo, Aurelio, and Niya kicking butt and taking names together!

The plot of this is so good! I love competition books like this (kind of Hunger Games - esque) and the added layers of mythos and the Dioses (oh my god, Quetzal is so pure) and Sol the Nonbinary Sun Dios and...Yeah. I don't know how else to talk about this except by naming elements that I loved. It is so so good. The world-building is rich and complex and I was so fully immersed. Also like the world is so queer and trans- normative and I love that soooo much.

This was one of those books that you want to devour in one sitting, but also want to spend your time with and savor. It was a weird push-pull for me in that way. I ended up devouring, but now that it is coming out, I plan on borrowing the audio and really savoring it for a second readthrough!

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? It's complicated

4.5

In order to keep the Sun’s power replenished, semidioses between the ages of 13 and 18 are chosen by the god Sol to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. The winner of these Trials will then carry the light to the rest of the world, but only after the sacrifice of the competitor in last place. They will be used to fuel the sun for the next 10 years.

Teo is the son of a Jade god, not usually chosen to compete in the Trials. But when he and another Jade semidios are chosen to compete, Teo now finds himself competing against those training for the Trials for their entire life. Specifically, against Aurelio, his ex-best friend turned rival. And if Teo doesn’t do well enough, he might find himself becoming the sacrifice to Sol.

Thanks to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for an advanced copy of The Sunbearer Trials to review! Aiden Thomas is a favorite of mine, so this was high on my list for this year. Plus, the cover is absolutely gorgeous. This book is being pitched as Percy Jackson meets The Hunger Games and let me tell you, that is an accurate description of this book.

Right from the start, Thomas drops readers into this rich world, drawn from Mexican mythology. There is a lot to keep track of, between the different gods and the different cities. While there were a few details I think slipped through the cracks, overall the world building is solid. I especially appreciated the way sexuality and gender were incorporated; no one really bats an eye. Teo also has a great conversation with Xio, the other Jade semidios, about gender identity, and I am here for that in a fantasy novel.

This book is also pretty fast-paced, but Thomas doesn’t sacrifice any of the character building for the plot. One of the best aspects of the book was the evolving relationship between Teo and Aurelio. They are ex-friends to a potential romance, but it doesn’t take over everything else. Can’t wait to see what happens with them in the next book.

For me, this book is closer to the feel of Cemetery Boys than Lost in the Never Woods was. Thomas’s writing has also grown, and I can’t wait to see what they do next.

All in all, if you love mythology inspired fantasy, definitely pick this one up in September!
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Percy Jackson x The Hunger Games is really such a great description for this book. Stay tuned for a full review to come tomorrow!

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cemeterygay's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book really exceeded my expectations and the comp titles are a very good comparison. This book does read more Percy Jackson than Hunger Games in terms of tone.

This book very much reads as Percy Jackson for older teens, mostly due to the more mature humor (still teen appropriate though) and heavier themes, think like early high school rather than later middle school. The humor could be a bit hit or miss, especially with the pop culture references, but the pace moves so quickly that I honestly didn't care. If I were to compare this book to anything else, the dynamics between Golds, Jades, and mortals gave me big My Hero Academia flashbacks in the best way.

I was initially concerned about the large cast and that characters would start to blend together but each semidios and Diose is so distinct that I had almost no problem with differentiating between the characters. I also was rooting for everyone to survive by the end of the book. This also goes into how much I love the worldbuilding and the attention put into setting. The world was given so much lovely description, I adored the lore especially the opening prologue, and the descriptions are just so vivid. This book also continues the trend of the food descriptions being so good that they actually make me hungry reading them.

The actual tournaments and main plot were so well-paced and plotted out. I loved the progression of reveals in this story leading to the climax. I think the emotional stakes were always very much there. I think the ending both resolved enough that I didn't feel too mad about where it ended while still very much setting up intrigue for the sequel.

Now onto Teo. Teo is my favorite protagonist written by this author to date. I love his strong convictions, the way he shows affection, and his more prankstery attitude. I just really bought into his beliefs and the emotional strength and conviction he had just really made me root for him. I also adored the build up for the romantic relationship in the series and the relationship between Teo and the main "antagonists" of the book.

I also absolutely adored the relationships between the Dioses and their kids and it provided so much intense emotion in this book

Ultimately, the book was surprisingly fun for a book about a death tournament while still having a deeply emotional center. I could not recommend this book enough.

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bookcaptivated's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? No

5.0

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