A review by bookcheshirecat
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

4.0

"You're only a monster if you choose to be."

➽ Celestial Monsters is the long-awaited sequel to The Sunbearer Trials! I knew in my heart that this wouldn't be a 5-star read like the first book because it has been a while and my reading tastes have slowly been changing. However, I still enjoyed Celestial Monsters, mostly because I like the characters and wanted to see how their story ends! The story follows Teo, Niya and Aurelio as they try to find a way to end the apocalypse caused by the Obsidians return. We also get Xio's perspective this time which was great as we could see them trying to please their new family. Xio harbors a lot of resentment towards the Golds and was a great foil to Teo, who as a Jade, also knows what it's like to be overlooked!

➽ Teo, Niya and Aurelio were a great trio to follow! They're the only competitors who didn't get abducted by the Obsidians and determined to resurrect Sol, so he can banish them again. While the Gods are trying to do damage control, they set out on their quest and hope to free their friends along the way. I liked seeing Teo's complicated emotions, as he's partly responsible for the literal apocalypse, even though he had good intentions. Some people are furious with him, but others understand that killing someone else is a horrifying responsibility. Teo starts to question if the Sunbearer Trials aren't antiquated and if change is needed. He's seen firsthand how reliant everyone is on the Golds! I love that he's trying to help the best he can even though his friends Aurelio and Niya are much more powerful as Golds!

➽ Xio is determined to prove themself to the Obsidians! They've been lied to his entire life and thought bringing back his real family might be the answer. However, seeing how vicious the Obsidians are has them questioning if it was the right choice, as they are causing so much suffering. Xio's hatred for the Golds consumed them and they specifically designed the Golds cells to suppress their powers. In the end, they're wavering though, as their father seems to see them as a mere pawn. Their situation is still precarious and reliant on Xio being useful. I loved that they were still figuring out their gender identity and switching to they/them pronouns!

➽ I have to admit that the plot was a bit weaker than the first book! Celestial Monsters feels like an end-of-the-world roadtrip (when it comes to Teo's POV), which I loved. Unfortunately, the plot felt aimless because of it and the characters took too many detours. Their mission to resurrect Sol was so important, but sometimes I missed the urgency, as they were fighting random monsters and going off course. The first book felt more structured, mainly because the trials were the focal point of the story. Celestial Monsters should have been more focused as well, because as much as I love the characters, the plot was slow-going. The discussions about the current society also felt more heavy-handed compared to the previous book and I didn't feel like we had enough time to explore them! I reread The Sunbearer Trials beforehand and while I still loved it, I also remember being annoyed with the meme/internet slang, which was used even more in this book. As time goes on, I'm less happy with this kind of language, as it so quickly feels dated and unnatural!
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