There were so many elements happening all at once that left the reader wanting more. This was such a fast-paced and exciting novel. Teo makes it a point to keep Xio safe as they compete in five trials. Usually they choose Golds, but this year two Jades are chosen, Teo and a thirteen-year-old named Xio. The winner gains light and life, while the loser must die.
When this happens, Sol chooses ten demidioses they deem worthy to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. A cliffhanger ending sets up a promising second half for the projected duology.įrom the January/February 2023 issue of The Horn Book Magazine.The Sunbearer Trials by: Aiden Thomas: Every decade, the Sun’s powers need refilling so that the Sol can continue to journey around the sky and keep the Obsidian gods away. The novel successfully balances magical, action-packed battles with lighter interactions and dialogue. Though the cast of characters is large, the individuals are engaging and distinct. Reino del Sol is devoid of queerphobia, with powerful gods in same-sex relationships or using they/them pronouns, and Teo’s dysphoria about his wings serves as an intriguing metaphor for transness. Each city that hosts the competition is devoted to one of this world’s gods, with elements richly drawn from Mexican culture to create a narrative setting that’s colorful, expansive, and unique. Teo and his best friend, Niya, vow to keep Xio from becoming the sacrifice and find a way to put the other, stuck-up competitors in their place. Seventeen-year-old Teo, whose family wields little power, is certain he won’t be chosen to compete-but the god Sol selects both him and thirteen-year-old fellow trans boy Xio. Although winning the Trials brings glory, it comes with a price: it’s the Sunbearer’s duty to sacrifice the competitor in last place.
Every ten years in the fantastical but contemporary-feeling Reino del Sol, ten demigod children are chosen to compete in the Sunbearer Trials, a sacred ritual deemed necessary in order to avert the apocalypse.
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