The Sunbearer Trials
Aiden Thomas
Macmillan Children’s Books, 2022
Paperback, £8.99
ISBN: 9781035008612
The Sunbearer Trials is the type of novel that takes a while to really get going, but will reward a patient reader with an action-filled, gripping adventure. The plot follows Teo, a seventeen-year-old semidíos and trans son of the Goddess of Birds, and Xio, the thirteen-year-old son of the God of Bad Luck as they compete in The Sunbearer Trials, a series of five dangerous and demanding trials set up by díoses. Teo must fight not only to get himself through the trials, but he must also make sure his friends survive too.
Thomas’s skill as a writer shines in their depiction of character. They present the reader with a large cast of díoses, semidíoses and mortals, all of them well-developed with identifiable strengths and weaknesses. Sexual identity is a central theme among the characters – many are gender neutral and Teo’s transitioning, in particular, is treated with respect and beauty.
The Sunbearer Trials is the first book of a duology and the ending of the book is very much written with the next one in mind. Personally, I felt that a quicker pace at the beginning could have made this an even better stand-alone novel without a sequel.
This was an enjoyable read. It’s not a curl-up-on-the-couch-feel-good type of book. But if you enjoy a story that drags you through the emotional highs and lows of betrayal and sacrifice, and leaves you questioning, this is for you.
Lola Mae McCormack, 13
I really liked this story. Though the beginning was clichéd and predictable, the story went from strength to strength. There were sprinklings of funny events and conversations throughout the book which had me smiling to myself. You can picture the beautiful settings and mouth-watering food clearly throughout the story. The author was so attentive to describing Indonesia and I feel she did a great job. I learned so much about Indonesian culture while following Sharlot and George’s story . There was such entertaining banter between the characters. Each character had their own distinctive personality and was well written. 
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