The Sunbearer Trials

The Sunbearer Trials                                    
By Aiden Thomas
Feiwel and Friends, 2022. 405 pages. Young Adult Fiction

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. 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.

Allow me to be sappy for a moment and say that the LGBTQIA+ representation in this book was the best I've seen so far. In this world Thomas removed the concept of fear and shame surrounding sexuality and gender completely. In doing so, he strips away the coming-out and the trauma usually found in stories about these characters and instead gives us a celebration of queer joy even amidst the suspenseful events of the book. Which brings us back to the actual story. The world building was also beautiful and left me wishing these were real places I could go visit. After introducing our main character and providing some background the pace picks up and I promise you won't want to put it down. The high stakes combined with well-written characters provides the perfect amount of suspense. I personally loved watching the characters develop throughout the trials. It was as if the author was peeling off a film, layer by layer, allowing us to understand the characters more clearly each time. Overall, this book was reminiscent of the Hunger Games but with a vibe that had much more color and light.

If you like The Sunbearer Trials, you might also like: 

Godly Heathens

By H.E. Edgmon

Wednesday Books, 2023. 388 pages. Young Adult Fiction

Gem Echols is a nonbinary Seminole teen living in the tiny town of Gracie, Georgia. Known for being their peers' queer awakening, Gem leans hard on charm to disguise the anxious mess they are beneath. The only person privy to their authentic self is another trans kid, Enzo, who's a thousand long, painful miles away in Brooklyn. But even Enzo doesn't know about Gem's dreams, haunting visions of magic and violence that have always felt too real. So how the hell does Willa Mae Hardy? The strange new girl in town acts like she and Gem are old companions, and seems to know things about them they've never told anyone else. When Gem is attacked by a stranger claiming to be the Goddess of Death, Willa Mae saves their life and finally offers some answers. She and Gem are reincarnated gods who've known and loved each other across lifetimes. But Gem - or at least who Gem used to be - hasn't always been the most benevolent deity. They've made a lot of enemies in the pantheon--enemies who, like the Goddess of Death, will keep coming.

All of Us Villains

By Amanda Foody and C.L. Herman

Tor Teen, 2021. 386 pages. Young Adult Fiction

The Blood Moon rises. The Blood Veil falls. The Tournament begins.
Every generation, at the coming of the Blood Moon, seven families in the remote city of Ilvernath each name a champion to compete in a tournament to the death. The prize? Exclusive control over a secret wellspring of high magick, the most powerful resource in the world--one thought long depleted. But this year a scandalous tell-all book has exposed the tournament and thrust the seven new champions into the worldwide spotlight. The book also granted them valuable information previous champions never had--insight into the other families' strategies, secrets, and weaknesses. And most important, it gave them a choice: accept their fate or rewrite their legacy. Either way, this is a story that must be penned in blood.

KJ