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A review by coralinejones
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
3.5
Despite the unexpected middle grade tone, I had fun, and I'm willing to continue to book two. I'm someone who doesn't mind an adolescent genre read here and there, as they most often give me the same feeling as watching a film such as Monster House or Coraline. These are nice palette cleansers. Books friendly enough to give you the vibe of the genre you're reading without having to worry about some of the heavier, adult, topics that may trigger some unwanted emotion in you. That said...
The Sunbearer Trials is marketed as a YA fantasy. I've read enough YA novels to tell the difference in writing style for the author's intended audience; I think this fell a little short. I understand the comparisons to Percy Jackson, and the tone matched that perfectly aside from the random, out of place swearing sprinkled throughout the novel, but not so much the one for The Hunger Games? I'm about to rant a bit here so feel free to move onto the next paragraph but, everybody wants to bite off The Hunger Games but not everyone can be The Hunger Games! I'm sick of YA novels being marketed as "Like The Hunger Games" when all they mean is some sort of battle royale-esq plotline with no stakes as high as Suzanne Collins' masterpiece! These are stories that can lead to anywhere. THG did not invent the narrative genre. I don't care how popular it is! Stop saying a book is like THG when it isn't!
Anyway. The stakes were a bit too low for THG comparison.
The world-building is WEAK. Enjoyable! But nothing to rave about. Again, comparing this to Percy Jackson, at least we know that's a low-fantasy novel that takes place within our own, contemporary, world just with superhuman / supernatural / mythological beings roaming around. The difference between that and this novel is... They're supposed to be in a completely different world from what I understand? New politics, animals that don't exist in our world, etc, but then had many pop culture references that felt out of place and odd? Like the faux-titles for social media and "furry" mentions. Not my thing, not my age range. I can't acknowledge that. Still didn't like it.
Rants aside, the book is genuinely very fun and I think a younger audience would get a KICK out of this. I even wrote in my notes how if I was fifteen I would've ate this up like The Raven Cycle all over again. I'd probably join the fandom and do everything in my power to campaign for this book. But as a 25 year old who reads anything, I will simply pass this onto the youngins with a smile on my face.
There's good representation, a bit of humor, fast pace action scenes that have impact, and genuine character dynamics that didn't feel faulty or forced.
The Sunbearer Trials is marketed as a YA fantasy. I've read enough YA novels to tell the difference in writing style for the author's intended audience; I think this fell a little short. I understand the comparisons to Percy Jackson, and the tone matched that perfectly aside from the random, out of place swearing sprinkled throughout the novel, but not so much the one for The Hunger Games? I'm about to rant a bit here so feel free to move onto the next paragraph but, everybody wants to bite off The Hunger Games but not everyone can be The Hunger Games! I'm sick of YA novels being marketed as "Like The Hunger Games" when all they mean is some sort of battle royale-esq plotline with no stakes as high as Suzanne Collins' masterpiece! These are stories that can lead to anywhere. THG did not invent the narrative genre. I don't care how popular it is! Stop saying a book is like THG when it isn't!
Anyway. The stakes were a bit too low for THG comparison.
The world-building is WEAK. Enjoyable! But nothing to rave about. Again, comparing this to Percy Jackson, at least we know that's a low-fantasy novel that takes place within our own, contemporary, world just with superhuman / supernatural / mythological beings roaming around. The difference between that and this novel is... They're supposed to be in a completely different world from what I understand? New politics, animals that don't exist in our world, etc, but then had many pop culture references that felt out of place and odd? Like the faux-titles for social media and "furry" mentions. Not my thing, not my age range. I can't acknowledge that. Still didn't like it.
Rants aside, the book is genuinely very fun and I think a younger audience would get a KICK out of this. I even wrote in my notes how if I was fifteen I would've ate this up like The Raven Cycle all over again. I'd probably join the fandom and do everything in my power to campaign for this book. But as a 25 year old who reads anything, I will simply pass this onto the youngins with a smile on my face.
There's good representation, a bit of humor, fast pace action scenes that have impact, and genuine character dynamics that didn't feel faulty or forced.