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A review by mweis
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
5.0
*I received an audio review copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*
Action packed mythology based YA fantasy, this might be one of the best YA books I've read all year!
Aiden Thomas takes the best aspects of older YA books like The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson and makes it even better. In The Sunbearer Trials, he has built a world inspired by Mexican folklore and mythology that still feels modern as there are cellphones and in-world versions of social media platforms like TikTok. He centers themes of questioning the system when you see injustice and of finding your own path and the importance of collectivism and community, which are timeless but especially relevant in today's society.
Teo is so much fun to follow as a POV character! As a Jade semidiós, he never expected to be chosen to compete in The Sunbearer Trials and watching him come to terms with what competing (and winning or losing) meant was very compelling. I also loved his friends, Niya and Xio. They were all so different but those differences made their group dynamic shine. And the trials! I love a good competition story and Thomas was able to create a series of trials that felt unique and different enough that the plot remained engaging and the stakes felt high throughout. I literally couldn't put the book down because I had to know what would happen next. And that ending!! I cannot wait for the sequel!
I also loved that queerness and gender nonconformity was so ingrained in this world. There were several small scenes like Teo giving himself his T shot or talking to Xio about coming out and pronouns that were inconsequential to the plot but meant so much representation wise. And I loved that Thomas used Teo's wings to highlight his dysphoria. I also liked that normalization allowed for trans and nonbinary characters to be nuanced so that not all of them had to be likable or "good". And I loved the casual inclusion of and accommodation for Dezi as a deaf character.
Overall, I loved this and it cemented Aiden Thomas as an auto-read author for me. I also liked the audio narration by André Santana and will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work.
Action packed mythology based YA fantasy, this might be one of the best YA books I've read all year!
Aiden Thomas takes the best aspects of older YA books like The Hunger Games and Percy Jackson and makes it even better. In The Sunbearer Trials, he has built a world inspired by Mexican folklore and mythology that still feels modern as there are cellphones and in-world versions of social media platforms like TikTok. He centers themes of questioning the system when you see injustice and of finding your own path and the importance of collectivism and community, which are timeless but especially relevant in today's society.
Teo is so much fun to follow as a POV character! As a Jade semidiós, he never expected to be chosen to compete in The Sunbearer Trials and watching him come to terms with what competing (and winning or losing) meant was very compelling. I also loved his friends, Niya and Xio. They were all so different but those differences made their group dynamic shine. And the trials! I love a good competition story and Thomas was able to create a series of trials that felt unique and different enough that the plot remained engaging and the stakes felt high throughout. I literally couldn't put the book down because I had to know what would happen next. And that ending!! I cannot wait for the sequel!
I also loved that queerness and gender nonconformity was so ingrained in this world. There were several small scenes like Teo giving himself his T shot or talking to Xio about coming out and pronouns that were inconsequential to the plot but meant so much representation wise. And I loved that Thomas used Teo's wings to highlight his dysphoria. I also liked that normalization allowed for trans and nonbinary characters to be nuanced so that not all of them had to be likable or "good". And I loved the casual inclusion of and accommodation for Dezi as a deaf character.
Overall, I loved this and it cemented Aiden Thomas as an auto-read author for me. I also liked the audio narration by André Santana and will definitely be on the lookout for more of his work.