#xio son of mala suerte

[mimi-croissant]

Sunbearer Trials doodles bring them back to me

[fandomtrash-whataboutit]

something something Teo alis volat propriis something something Suerte urbem latericium invenit, marmoream reliquit something something

latin phrases worth knowing:

(in case you wanted to know because i fucking love this language) 

ad astra per aspera - to the stars through difficulties 

alis volat propriis - he flies by his own wings 

amantium irae amoris integratio est - the quarrels of lovers are the renewal of love 

ars longa, vita brevis - art is long, life is short 

aut insanity homo, aut versus facit - the fellow is either mad or he is composing verses 

dum spiro spero - while I breathe, I hope 

ense petit placidam sub libertate quietem - with the sword, she seeks peace under liberty 

exigo a me non ut optimus par sim sed ut malis melior - I require myself not to be equal to the best, but to be better than the bad

experiential docet - experience teaches 

helluo librorum - a glutton for books (bookworm) 

in libras libertas - in books, freedom 

littera scripta manet - the written letter lasts 

mens regnum bona possidet - an honest heart is a kingdom in itself 

mirabile dictu - wonderful to say 

nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - there is no book so bad that it is not profitable in some part 

omnia iam fient quae posse negabam - everything which I used to say could not happen, will happen now 

poeta nascitur, non fit - the poet is born, not made 

qui dedit benificium taceat; narrat qui accepit - let him who has done a good deed be silent; let him who has received it tell it 

saepe ne utile quidem est scire quid futurum sit - often, it is not advantageous to know what will be 

sedit qui timuit ne non succederet - he who feared he would not succeed sat still 

si vis pacem, para bellum - if you want peace, prepare for war 

struit insidias lacrimis cum feminia plorat - when a woman weeps, she is setting traps with her tears 

sub rosa - under the rose 

trahimir omnes laudis studio - we are led on by our eagerness for praise

urbem latericium invenit, marmoream reliquit - he found the city a city of bricks; he left it a city of marble 

ut incepit fidelis sic permanet - as loyal as she began, so she remains

[toasted-valentine]

Spoilers for The Sunbearer Trials

Alright, since Celestial Monsters cover just got released, gonna share some theories I have, mostly centered around Xio.

•Xio’s power is vengeance due to his parent being Venganza and he wears a bracelet for good luck to either evade Mala Suerte’s powers or try and prevent his own from affecting people.

•When people’s eyes go black is Xio’s powers affecting them, Ocelo losing it because Teo taunted them and they wanted revenge, Aurestela attacking Teo cause she’s angry at him for keeping Aurelio’s attention, Atzi angry she’s losing, Xochi upset she didn’t get to the stones in time. Along with that, Xio tells the story of how when a couple girls in his class were making fun of his hair they both ended up getting really bad lice and having to shave their heads, Xio wanted revenge so it happened. His powers make bad things happen to people he’s upset at and causes people around him to become consumed with a want for vengeance.

•Throughout the book it’s hinted repeatedly that Xio is not Mala Suerte’s son. It’s pointed out that he’s the only one of the kid’s who doesn’t have straight black hair, during the second to last trial the floor tiles have Venganza’s symbol on them, Xio doesn’t go to see a doctor about transitioning.

•Xio doesn’t medically transition because his blood is black and it’d give away that he’s an obsidian.

•Xio was trying to lose the trials on purpose so he can free the obsidians, but his powers affecting the other contestants was making it harder since the trials search the hearts of a person and Xio is failing to keep them from becoming spiteful and vengeful.

@aidenschmaiden

[ilibra]

Xio, Son of Mala Suerte

I had to draw my precious bad luck boy! I would love to draw portraits for all the other characters, but that's so many and I have poor time management, haha

[siereads]

Celestial Monsters Review Notes

Notes under a read more due to spoilers

I'm so mad at Xio. HE COULD HAVE MADE A CHOICE. HE HAD FRIENDS. TEO AND NIYA WOULD HAVE MADE THINGS WORK. Gonna shake that kid until he sees he's been manipulated because holy hell. Mala Suerte may not being his biological father, but he's still his *Dad* dammit.

Huemac being proud of Teo does not shock me. That mans KNEW Teo wasn't capable of killing.

Teo: it's the end of the world. My dumbass: as we know it! And I feel fiiiiine! While Niya rants about wanting to beat Xio to a pulp

Aurelio's older sister, Brilla, is baby and I love her. The actual compassion, gentleness, reassurance, and support she showed Teo, Aurelio, and Niya was very much needed. Teo also needed to be told by someone that had been in his position that he had done the brave thing.

Xio, you're a dumbass. Baby boy, they is using you, wake up and smell the shit. Also, what y'all are doing to Dezi and Marino especially is cruel beyond measure.

Auristela, please, baby girl, shut your goddamn mouth.

Xio out here testing my patience. I know he's fictional and a child but good gods is he testing my goddamn patience.

Oooh we love a good, hastily abandoned, creepy ass town after a sleep over in the creepy ass desert cabin.

Teo, now is NOT the time to be horny.

I feel like, at this point, Teo just needs a tattoo across his forehead that reads "The Plan Guy"

Niya needing reminded who she's the daughter of and what her skills are is exactly why Teo is The Plan Guy xD You go girl, beat the fuck out of those sentient rocks.

Niya: I've changed my mind about helping people. I don't like them anymore

Me: Girl, same.

Niya breaking down sobbing because she doesn't think she's strong enough to pull off this mission is making my heart hurt. Someone give this sweet angel baby a soft, fuzzy blanket, a warm cookie, and a hug jfc.

Also. I do appreciate the reminders that these kids are just that, kids.

Just got me over here singing that Xio is a dick. I'm hoping someone slaps some sense into that kid. Like goddamn.

Teo, sweetie, stop getting so defensive. Being underestimated isn't always a bad thing in the literal end of the world.

Niya is the most ADHD coded little shit and like, dammit, mood. I too would have been playing with the good luck charms because ooh smooth and make click clack sound.

Mala Suerte is giving Giles with his shade. I am so fucking here for it.

This mans is fighting for his life talking to these dense ass children and I just...oh Mala Suerte, you poor, poor, sweet, scary man. May peace find you because otherwise you'll be stuck with these three morons for another 6 hours.

He tried so damn hard for Xio. Tried to protect that baby and raise him with love. Even now he still has hope for his son. Xio might not be his blood, but he damn sure is Suerte's kid.

I'm glad the trio got a glimpse into who Suerte really is as a person and how much care the man has. He deserves to be seen for the complete person he is instead of just the assumptions everyone else puts on him.

Oof. Just...oof. Xio, baby, you feel like shit because you know what you did was wrong. It's why Teo's voice is still in your head like a weird Jimminy Cricket. Baby. You are being MANIPULATED. Venganza does not care about you beyond what he can use you for.

Boys. Boys, now is NOT the time to flirt.

I love gay panic

Okay, who are you feral jungle child and how did you know the big scary monster that mimics crying babies wanted to play fetch? Am *I* hallucinating? What the actual fuck?

How did all of the gods miss a whole ass village out by Los Restos? One of the trials was literally just held out there. How do you miss a whole ass collection of people????

This is def making me think there's a lot more that went down with the OG war against the Obsidians. We're def missing pieces here.

Xio getting called tf out! Which needed to happen cuz damn. Hopefully this is the tipping point?

Xio having a crisis of gender in the middle of the apocalypse they set off is genuinely hilarious because, fucking hell, what a goddamn mood.

But also, Xochi calling Xio and Atzi out like "we get it, y'all *like* eachother" is equally fucking funny.

I. Love. Atzi. She is BABY. Telling Xio to their face that they're only a monster if they chose to be and she just thinks they're lost right now? Sweet, precious, angel baby.

She right tho.

Seeing how this little village deals with "monsters" and being told they're just animals was def something the trio needed. Plus, I really love Paz and her patience in explaining it all to them

I hate how much Lumbre has destroyed Aurelio's sense of self worth. Abusive ass bitch.

WE GOT SMOOCHES!!!!!!!! Awkwardly clumsy smooches BUT STILL SMOOCHES

Niya bouncing back from her breakdown over Xio's betrayal to tease Teo about kissing Aurelio is why, once again, I'm reminded that she's my literal favorite.

Stela needs to learn to keep her mouth SHUT and Xio needs to wake up and smell the bullshit.

Me: anxiously waiting for Xio and their dad's monster to show up and attack the trio.

Xio: -pops up-

Me: Shit

-squints suspiciously at Xio- I can't tell if they're genuinely trying to give warning and help or if this is a trap. Please for the love of fucking everything let it be genuine.

XIO, MY BABY, YOU'VE COME BACK TO US!!! YOU'VE COME TO YOUR GODDAMN SENSES!!

Also, not at all shocked that 1. the owl witch's weakness was salt because, ya know, salt's a purifier and 2. Niya, girl, the net? Really?

Niya's begrudging acceptance of Xio coming back with them including the phrase "fine but I'm going to be a dick about it" is a vibe

Super glad Xio seems to be doing the right thing. Atzi's gonna be thrilled.

The gang being back together and teasing one another again genuinely made me forget for a moment that they were basically in hell. Ope. Thanks for the reminder Chupie.

Nope. Nope. No. Nuh uh. No. Absolutely fucking not. YOU CAN'T GIVE ME CUTE FIREBIRD FEELS AND THEN HAVE AURELIO PLAY FUCKING SACRIFICE. I FUCKING REFUSE

Jesus fucking christ I need to stop reading and go to bed...

Fantasma! My beloved! Trust that sweet little bean to give the most unassuming gift to Teo that ends up being the literal best thing in the middle of a battle they were about to lose.

And I'm fucking crying. Again. STOP GIVING ME FEELS

Hell yeah, kids! Fuck the system. Tear that shit down and build something better.

CAN WE STOP TRYING TO SACRIFICE OURSELVES??? First Aurelio and now Xio. Jesus, kids, stop. No. Bad children.

Awww, the bird army has arrived!!! Here for it.

Lmfao Auristela, baby girl, you don't even know where you're going. But also, Dezi and Marino are literally the cutest.

Daaaaaamn what a POWER MOVE, Xio! And ayyyyy on them realizing exactly who tf they are and who their real dad is! Proud!!!

Yesssss!!! Call in the parentals!!!

Teo screaming what I've been for the last few chapters xD fucking mood. E'eryone needs to stop tryna off themselves to save the world.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. NOT SUERTE!!!! -ugly sobbing like a little bitch- like, I get why he did it, I do, but dammit, that fucking HURT.

I understand why the gods left but I don't have to like it.

Yucca is def gonna be pissed when they all show up xD

Okay but that was a good ending AND I AM EMOTIONAL

[just0nemorepage]

The Sunbearer Trials || Aiden Thomas || The Sunbearer Duology #1 || 405 pages Top 3 Genres: Fantasy / Young Adult / LGBTQIA+

Synopsis: “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.

Publication Date: September 2022. / Average Rating: 4.32. / Number of Ratings: ~22,030.

[haveyoureadthispoll]

“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.

[marsmachtmobil42]

Title: The Sunbearer Trials (The Sunbearer Duology #1)

Author: Aiden Thomas

Page length: 352

Synopsis: The Hunger Games meets Percy Jackson in this electric Mexican-inspired fantasy from Aiden Thomas, the New York Times-bestselling author of Cemetery Boys.

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.

[otakutemmiebooks]

Currently reading The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

“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.

[semper-legens]

101. The Sunbearer Trials, by Aiden Thomas

Owned: No, library Page count: 401 My summary: It’s time for the Trials. Ten semidióses will be chosen today to compete for the title of Sunbearer. The winner will gain the crown - and the loser will have the honour of being sacrificed to keep the Obsidian gods at bay. Teo didn’t expect to be chosen - he’s the son of a Jade, not a prestigious Gold - but he and another Jade are selected by Sol to compete. Now they’re fighting for their lives to keep out of the bottom spot, but is something strange happening at these Trials? Why are the other competitors acting so out of character? And just what was Sol thinking in all of this? My rating: 4/5 My commentary:

The Sunbearer Trials! I'm always down for a bit of LGBT+ YA, and I've liked Aiden Thomas' previous work, Cemetery Boys. Though I thought that book suffered from being not particularly subtle at times, overall I enjoyed the world, setting, characters, and plot, and so after reading the summary for this one, I decided to give it a shot. And, overall, I'm glad I did. While I still had some of the same problems with Thomas' writing, the world and characters were expansive and interesting enough to engage me, and when the sequel to this comes out, I'm probably going to give it a read. What can I say? I'm a sucker for YA fantasy.

Our main character is Teo, the trans son of the goddess of birds, Quetzal. He's a Jade (more on that later) so he didn't expect to be chosen for the Trials. Unfortunately for him, he's the protagonist. He's joined by Niya, his friend who is the daughter of the Earth god Tierra, and Xio, the youngest competitor, fellow Jade, and son of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck. Niya is fun as hell, she’s a boisterous lass who acts without thinking roughly 110% of the time. Xio is shyer, more retiring, and very out of his depth. And Teo himself is bitter about being a Jade (and about his relationship with Aurelio, a Gold, dying) and fighting to keep all of his friends safe. He’s less worried about Niya than himself and Xio, however. Teo’s a good YA protagonist - he’s got a strong sense of justice, finds himself leaping into danger rather than listening to caution, and has a good instinct when something’s wrong. His voice is compelling and I found myself very much liking him. In general, actually, all the characters here are pretty well-defined - despite there being ten semidióses and a handful of gods as well as auxiliary characters to keep track of, I never struggled in remembering who everyone was and the short version of what their deals were.

And the worldbuilding here is so cool! This is a sort of alternate Mexico without so much of the colonialism - the gods are clearly inspired by Aztec mythology (like Quetzal) and a lot of the world is based on classic Mexican iconography, such as the alebrijes. Thomas has put a lot of thought and creativity into how the cities of Reino del Sol work, and the various powers and blessings gifted to the semidióses. And much of the language is Spanish-inspired rather than English-inspired; semidiós instead of demigod, TuTube instead of YouTube, Mexican candy rather than white American candy. It’s really neat, very much in line with the worldbuilding of Cemetery Boys.

Now, I do have a few criticisms here. As I said with Cemetery Boys, the writing here isn’t exactly subtle. Teo’s wings are the best example - he keeps them bound under his shirt at first because they’re the brown of girl wings, not the green that boys have. But when he stops hiding his wings, they change to green dramatically. Gee, I wonder what this is a metaphor for? It’s not like the writing’s bad, it’s just not keeping its subtext...sub. Xio and Teo have a heart-to-heart about being trans that sounds like it came straight out of a ‘how to talk to your trans friend’ handbook. The Golds missing out on normal lives and childhoods because of their Gold status is hammered home again and again. I just feel like this could have done with another draft to make it that much less overt, you know? It’s also notable that there are fair few transmascs in this book, but no (mentioned) trans women. None of this stopped me enjoying the book, but it did keep me from completely loving it.

Next up, some short stories that are allegedly horror, and prove once again that I should stop judging books by their covers.

[treesap-blogs]

HI GUYS IM POSTING ON SUNDAY INSTEAD OF SATURDAY!! Sorry. Back with a review of “The Sunbearer Trials” by Aiden Thomas

Hello, Tumblrians! It’s been a while since I’ve made a review, I’m sorry about that. Alas, only two weeks after school, my mom took me down to the South to go visit some family 😔it was lowkey miserable! 2/10 don’t recommend I got gaslit so many times lmao

SORRY FOR NOT POSTING ON SATURDAY😭I was very busy! I’m gonna try to stop making self-imposed deadlines, because a) I literally never follow through with them so they read like empty promises, b) I get last-minute anxiety paralysis and never upload.

Anyways! Here’s a review of a queer book, because they probably would’ve been restricted in the state I was in. Maybe not banned per say, but definitely not accepted with open arms. The only open arms we’re getting in South Carolina are guns, and dear old Uncle Dave pretending he’s asking me for a hug and not forcing me to do it out of moral/familial obligation. Sorry.

Not really any Book Discovery Backstory for this one, except for that I wanted to get around to reading every single Aiden Thomas book. And this was originally meant to be for the Trans Rights Readathon, but I got tired and gave up! Oops.

The Sunbearer Trials is the book in question! For once, its advertising is pretty accurate: Think The Hunger Games’ nail-biting (and televised) battle royale, mixed with the demigod folklore and plot aspects of Percy Jackson (but make it gods of Mexican instead of Greek/Roman mythology)! Teo, a Semidiós transgender teen(son of Quetzal, the god of birds), because of his Jade status, doesn’t expect to be chosen as a competitor in The Sunbearer Trials: a group of deathly games played by Semidiós teens, where the lowest-ranking has the “greatest honor” of all—be sacrificed in order to fuel the Sun’s power and keep the Obsidian evil gods at bay. However, that doesn’t mean Teo’s worried about others: his friend Niya, the higher-ranking Gold daughter of Tierra, is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and dangerously likely to be chosen. So he’s in for a nasty surprise when two Jades get selected for the games this year, one being Xio, the thirteen year-old son of Mala Suerte, and Teo. Now the two of them must compete in five mysterious trials, against far more powerful opponents, for glory, pride and their own survival.

For a book with that intense of a summary, I wasn’t expecting for it to be as humorous and fun as it was? But I’m kinda glad for that, because hundreds of pages of just on-page child death will inevitably get emotionally taxing. So, I found this to be a very enjoyable read! I liked the descriptions of food!!(don’t read this on an empty stomach), and our character dynamics, which I was pleasantly surprised by because I usually dislike or outright hate books with large casts! Aiden Thomas definitely had his priorities straight on the characters to center though, and although we got to know a bit about everyone, it didn’t feel like there was too little or too much time spent with anyone. It didn’t feel crowded, basically.

Not to be that book account, but we also got a bit of rivals to lovers, with Aurelio and Teo! I was a little on-the-fence about it at first because, you know, tropes, but I ended up growing to like the genuine bond they developed amidst the trials. Also, Aiden Thomas just has a way with writing gay yearning I think! 

With all that said, although this book was a fun read, it felt juvenile at times. If some of the cursing or sexual humor was cut out, it could definitely pass as a middle grade. Personally, I don’t like middle grades, so this was disappointing to me especially considering how dark the summary is? Some of the lines (particularly Niya’s) were so corny or cringey I had to laugh. Add that to this being in a modern world, and I take critical damage from being reminded that memes and vine coexist with demigod death games in this book. 

Anyhow! Overall, this was an enjoyable (even if flawed) read. As you guys should know, I love culturally rich stories, and I loved the Mexican parts of the settings and story. And if you read the summary for that and thought to yourself “hey! That sounds right up my alley”, I’m not stopping you from checking it out. I’ll also be reading the sequel, because there was a hell of a cliffhanger.

Book rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½ stars/5. Finished 04/05/2023.

(Book content/trigger warnings: fire/fire injury, child death(on-page), violence+blood, bullying, gender dysphoria.)

-Paz, signing off!

[mimi-croissant]

A bunch of goofy shit posts as Sunbearer Trials characters

[publishedtoday]

The Sunbearer Trials - Aiden Thomas (The Sunbearer Duology #1) 

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.

[atardisnameddesire]

I finished Aiden Thomas’s The Sunbearer Trials last night. Wow. I loved this book! This incredible high stakes underdog story follows Teo, son of bird goddess Quetzal, after he is chosen by Sol (sun god and creator of all) to compete in the Sunbearer Trials. Teo is such a fascinating and likable character. Thomas shows the reader a glimmer of Teo’s heroic potential early on. The whole cast of characters is complex and interesting in their own way. Over the course of the trials, Teo and the reader learn that everyone is not as it seems. My favorite elements are the friendship between Teo, Niya (daughter of earth god Tierra), and Xio (son of bad luck god Mala Suerte) and the romantic tension between Teo and Aurelio (son of fire goddess Lumbre). Everything comes to a head at the end with a major reveal and cliffhanger that left me reeling. I can’t wait for the next book come out! 🌞🦜🛕#thesunbearertrials #aidenthomas #teo #birdbrainandgoldenboy #dioses #semidioses #bookstagram #bookstagrammer https://www.instagram.com/p/ClgrP0JLR0N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[mimi-croissant]

I LOVE THEM SO MUCH THEY ARE WONDERFUL

[mimi-croissant]

Rereading one of the best books ever and I had to draw the this dude