Back of Book: 

“Only the most powerful and honorable semidioses get chosen. I’m just a Jade. I’m not a real hero.”

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy to compete in The Sunbearer Trials. The winner carries light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser has the greatest honor of all―they will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years.

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste.

But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival.

Book Number: One

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

In this action-packed start to a fantastical duology, ten semidioses compete in five aggressive challenges in order to claim the realm's greatest honor: to become this decade's Sunbearer and complete the sacred ritual of Sol to maintain peace and prosperity throughout the land. 

Teo, the seventeen year old trans son of the goddess Quetzal, has finally come of age that he could be chosen to compete in the Sunbearer trials. But he's not worried. As a Jade, he knows that the only way he'll be participating in the trials is through spectating. The prestigious children of the major gods, referred to as Golds, have trained their entire lives for this competition, but as the son of a minor god, or a Jade, Teo knows his place on the hierarchical god chain. Teo is a bit worried about his best friend Niya, who is a Gold child of the god Tierra. But when the day for the selection comes, something unprecedented occurs: not only is Teo selected to compete, but another Jade by the name of Xio is, too. Can the three underdogs survive these dangerous trials, or will they end up on the bottom of the totem pole and end up as a sacrifice to the great god Sol?  

After reading "Cemetery Boys," I was ecstatic to read any book by Aiden Thomas. And "The Sunbearer Trials" did not disappoint! Once again, Thomas hits gold with a fantastic fantasy read featuring Mexican culture, a transgender protagonist, and important societal issues in a magical setting. One of my favorite things about Thomas' writing style is their humor. There were so many times that this book had me cackling and my sister literally turned to me and was like, "Are you okay?" I love the witty way that the dialogue is written and the banter between friends seems so authentic between Teo, Xio, and Niya. Also, there were some sneaky pop culture references to the most random of things which often had me giggling. 

Despite this book taking place in a magical world, there are many modern issues that this book addresses in a nonchalant way including themes such as gender identity, unjust social hierarchies, and self identity. Both Teo and Xio are transgender, so they have some really solid conversations between bros about transitioning and becoming proud of their image and themselves as people. The social hierarchy between the Golds, Jades, and Obsidians is also highly problematic. The Golds never interact with mortals and believe that they are superior to them, while the Jades are viewed as lesser to the Golds. The Obsidians have been cast out of society in its entirety, leaving them destitute and angry. I think that this scenario is easily compared to many things happening in our world and leaves room for many intriguing discussion points. 

Another thing I love about Thomas' books is the Mexican culture and folklore. Though Thomas constructs their own mythological world in this one, Mexico's influence is breathed into every single page. All of the gods/dioses are named in Spanish, Mexican food is everywhere, and our main character is even part Quetzal! The quetzal has got to be my favorite bird, and I loved seeing them be such an important part of this story. I also like how Teo's wings added to the gender dysphoria that he felt, because he was born with the brown wings of a female quetzal. I thought that this was a brilliant way to enhance the gender themes in this book while taking advantage of the magical setting. 

The biggest downfall of this book had to be it's predictability. That was "Cemetery Boys'" one major flaw, too, so this might be a weakness in Thomas' writing. However, I feel that the writing style, the creative story plot, the humor, and all the other elements make up for this minor flaw. I would love to see Thomas shock me one of these times, but I guess we'll see. 

Overall, I love "The Sunbearer Trials" in its entirety. Fantasy is my favorite genre and any time I can get fantasy books featuring LGBTQIA+ characters, I truly am a happy camper. After two reads, I'm pretty confident that Aiden Thomas will be an auto buy author from here on out. This book is often pitched as "Percy Jackson" meets "The Hunger Games," and I'd say this tagline is actually pretty accurate. It combines the demigod status and humor of "Percy Jackson" and the high stake games that  these kids have no choice to compete in from "The Hunger Games." If this sounds like a fun combo, then be sure to check this one out! I cannot wait to get my hands on the second installment! 

Back of Book: 

Teo never thought he could be a Hero. Now, he doesn’t have a choice.

The sun is gone, the Obsidian gods have been released from their prison, and now chaos and destruction are wreaking havoc on Reino del Sol. All because Teo refused to sacrifice a fellow semidiose during the Sunbearer Trials.

With the world plunged into perpetual night, Teo, Aurelio and Niya must journey to the dark wilderness of Los Restos, battling vicious monsters while dealing with guilt, trauma, and a (very distracting) burgeoning romance between Teo and Aurelio. Once more racing against the clock, the trio are determined to rescue the captured semidioses and retrieve the Sol Stone. With it, Sol and their protective light can return and order can be restored.

Now the future of the whole world is in their hands.

Book Number: Two (Last Book) 

Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Romance | LGBTQIA+ 

Review: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 

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!