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A review by queer_bookwyrm
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
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