Review: Sunbearer Duology by Aiden Thomas

Review: Sunbearer Duology by Aiden Thomas

To celebrate the release of the paperback edition of Celestial Monsters, the final book in the Sunbearer Duology by Aiden Thomas. I thought to myself, how will I promote this special release, and then I realized that I technically never posted a review on the blog…whoops. How is it that we sometimes forget to review some of our more talked about reads? So if you are a paperback reader, this mythological queer duology is now ready for you!

The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology, 1)

by Aiden Thomas
Published by: Square Fish
on September 6, 2022
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Mythology/Folklore, Young Adult
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Goodreads

Welcome to The Sunbearer Trials , where teen semidioses compete in a series of challenges with the highest of stakes, in this electric new Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times bestselling author of Cemetery Boys .

“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 chaotic Obsidian gods at bay. Sol selects ten of the most worthy semidioses 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 melted down to refuel the Sun Stones, protecting the world for another ten years.

Teo, a seventeen-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of the goddess of birds, isn't worried about the Trials . . . at least, not for himself. His best friend, Niya is a Gold semidiós and a shoo-in for the Trials, and while he trusts her abilities, the odds of becoming the sacrifice is one-in-ten.

But then, for the first time in over a century, the impossible happens. Sol chooses not one, but two Jade competitors. Teo, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old child of the god of bad luck. Now they must compete in five trials against Gold opponents who are more powerful and better trained. Worst of all, Teo’s annoyingly handsome ex-best friend and famous semidiós Hero, Aurelio is favored to win. Teo is determined to get himself and his friends through the trials unscathed―for fame, glory, and their own survival.

Celestial Monsters (The Sunbearer Duology, 2)

by Aiden Thomas
Published by: Square Fish
on September 3, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Mythology/Folklore, Young Adult
Bookshop
Goodreads

A New York Times-Bestseller!
A Kids' Indie Next Pick!
A B&N Best YA Book of the Year!

New York Times-bestselling author Aiden Thomas returns to the beloved world of The Sunbearer Trials in Celestial Monsters, a heart-stopping duology finale, in which three young semidioses travel through a dark monster-infested world, facing down chaotic Obsidian gods, in a quest to save their friends and return the sun to the sky.

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 chaos and destruction are wreaking havoc on Reino del Sol. All because Teo refused to sacrifice a fellow semidiós during the Sunbearer Trials.

With the world plunged into perpetual night, Teo, his crush Aurelio, and his best friend 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. Determined to rescue the captured semidioses and retrieve the Sol Stone, the trio races against the clock to return Sol and their protective light. With it, order can be restored.

The future of the whole world is in their hands.

Thank you to Square Fish & Fierce Reads for the gifted finished paperback copies of this duology! This gift does not influence my review below, because I read the books when first released.

Review

The Sunbearer Duology is a queer-normative, fantasy-based, mythological adventure inspired by Mexican culture. This is a magical world that is part Hunger Games, part Percy Jackson, but 100% more queer and that my friends should be a reason enough to read, but let me give you more…

The Sunbearer Trials, book one, we are introduced to Teo, a jade semidiós. A lesser son of a God, while the golds are the more prestigious children of semidióses. Teo never thought he’d have to worry about the Sunbearer Trials as jades are just not included usually. The golds, they train for the trials… but this time the god, Sol, nominates two jade semidióses along with a stack of golds for the trials.

Teo has no choice and he must compete in the Trials, even without training, and being trans he isn’t even sure he has the powers needed to compete. Those trials are extremely exciting and are the crux of book one. I will not spoil the ending, but the trials are won and one of the biggest twists ever hit me, I was not expecting this book to end the way it did.

Book two, Celestial Monsters, picks right up where book one ends. All the new readers are so lucky both books are available now, which means no cliffhangers to hold onto for a year!

Mild spoilers below…

We start off on a save-the-world journey, with Teo and friends, who have to fight off the dark monsters who have spawned from the Obsidian gods after the Sol stone has gone missing. They help villages, and find themselves as heroes in the eyes of the survivors, as they strive to return the sun to the sky, save their captured friends & semidióses and set things right.

For the ones who survived and weren’t captured, as well as facing the choices made, Teo is carrying a burdensome amount of guilt. However, there is a heartening romance budding between Teo and Aurelio, and Niya helps bring some levity to the dark times. We discover how much of history has been written to keep certain people in line, and what consequences are truly important.

The world is lush and magical yet also modern, the stakes are high, but we still have inclusivity, love, lightness, and hope. If you like a good queer fantasy, where being queer or trans isn’t the main story, and it is completely accepted and normalized, you will absolutely love this duology.

I rated The Sunbearer Trials 5 stars & Celestial Monsters 4 stars therefor the whole duology averages out at 4.5 stars.