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A review by thebooknerdscorner
Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas
5.0
Teo, Niya, and Aurelio are back to save el Reino del Sol on a road trip that takes them to the end of the world (and hopefully back) in this exhilirating conclusion to "The Sunbearer" duology!
After Teo decides not to go through with the sacrifice that has gone on for ages after winning the Sunbearer Trials, the Sun is gone and the Obsidian gods have been released from their celestial prisons. Now that darkness engulfs the land, Teo is on crunch time to fix his mistake. He sets off on a quest to find the Sol Stone and restore the sun to its proper position to the sky before the world freezes over and the Obsidian gods become its rulers.
It was so fun to be back in this world! "Celestial Monsters" opens up right where "The Sunbearer Trials" left off, so the reader is immediately immersed in the action. The book actually even starts in Xio's point of view, which is a new addition to this series. It was cool to get into their head right from the get go and see some of their tumultuous thoughts about why they backstabbed their friends.
Teo, Niya, Aurelio, and Xio are such a wholesome found family. Teo is super sassy and witty, Niya is obnoxious and loyal, Aurelio is sweet and caring, and Xio is awkward and self-concious. They have all been through some serious things in their lives, and it is so sweet seeing them find comfort and home in one another, especially towards the end of the story. I'm so glad that these four found one another so they could find their way into my heart. <3
One thing I really appreciate about this book is the look into prejudices. Pretty much every single character in this book has strong opinions about other groups of people that are different than them, and most of these assumptions end up being not entirely true or plain out wrong. Everyone seems to hate the Obsidians, the Golds tend to think that they're better than everyone else, and even the Jades tend to forget that they are supposed to be looking out for the common people. It's great to see all of the characters realize that many of their assumptions are wrong, and that deep down, they are more the same than they are different, no matter what color their blood is or the fancy powers they possess.
I'm so glad that Thomas was talked out of taking the more obvious way of ending this story. I was worried from the start that it would end in a specific way, so I was relieved by how satisfying and not cliché the ending was. Obviously, I'm not going to go into anything too specific here, but the ending was pulled off very well.
El Reino del Sol has to be one of my favorite fantasy worlds I've entered thus far. I love the simplistic names, the lore behind the different types of gods, the powers of the semidioses, and the overall Latinx vibes. Diverse fantasy worlds layered in specific cultures fill me with so much joy, and it saddens me that this duology has officially come to a close.
I also want to give a brief shout out to the humor in this book; it is truly top tier. There are so many lines that make me crack up, and it truly is a magical feeling when a book can make you laugh out loud. Stay hilarious Teo; the world appreciates it.
Overall, Thomas once again knocked it out of the park with "Celestial Monsters." This book was funny, emotional, intense, and filled with so much heart. I love the characters, the magic, the writing; I can truly not get enough of Thomas' work. This may be the end of Teo's adventures but you can be certain that I'll be checking out and auto-buying any of Thomas' future releases!
After Teo decides not to go through with the sacrifice that has gone on for ages after winning the Sunbearer Trials, the Sun is gone and the Obsidian gods have been released from their celestial prisons. Now that darkness engulfs the land, Teo is on crunch time to fix his mistake. He sets off on a quest to find the Sol Stone and restore the sun to its proper position to the sky before the world freezes over and the Obsidian gods become its rulers.
It was so fun to be back in this world! "Celestial Monsters" opens up right where "The Sunbearer Trials" left off, so the reader is immediately immersed in the action. The book actually even starts in Xio's point of view, which is a new addition to this series. It was cool to get into their head right from the get go and see some of their tumultuous thoughts about why they backstabbed their friends.
Teo, Niya, Aurelio, and Xio are such a wholesome found family. Teo is super sassy and witty, Niya is obnoxious and loyal, Aurelio is sweet and caring, and Xio is awkward and self-concious. They have all been through some serious things in their lives, and it is so sweet seeing them find comfort and home in one another, especially towards the end of the story. I'm so glad that these four found one another so they could find their way into my heart. <3
One thing I really appreciate about this book is the look into prejudices. Pretty much every single character in this book has strong opinions about other groups of people that are different than them, and most of these assumptions end up being not entirely true or plain out wrong. Everyone seems to hate the Obsidians, the Golds tend to think that they're better than everyone else, and even the Jades tend to forget that they are supposed to be looking out for the common people. It's great to see all of the characters realize that many of their assumptions are wrong, and that deep down, they are more the same than they are different, no matter what color their blood is or the fancy powers they possess.
I'm so glad that Thomas was talked out of taking the more obvious way of ending this story. I was worried from the start that it would end in a specific way, so I was relieved by how satisfying and not cliché the ending was. Obviously, I'm not going to go into anything too specific here, but the ending was pulled off very well.
El Reino del Sol has to be one of my favorite fantasy worlds I've entered thus far. I love the simplistic names, the lore behind the different types of gods, the powers of the semidioses, and the overall Latinx vibes. Diverse fantasy worlds layered in specific cultures fill me with so much joy, and it saddens me that this duology has officially come to a close.
I also want to give a brief shout out to the humor in this book; it is truly top tier. There are so many lines that make me crack up, and it truly is a magical feeling when a book can make you laugh out loud. Stay hilarious Teo; the world appreciates it.
Overall, Thomas once again knocked it out of the park with "Celestial Monsters." This book was funny, emotional, intense, and filled with so much heart. I love the characters, the magic, the writing; I can truly not get enough of Thomas' work. This may be the end of Teo's adventures but you can be certain that I'll be checking out and auto-buying any of Thomas' future releases!