Take a photo of a barcode or cover
chronicallybookish 's review for:
The Sunbearer Trials
by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quick Stats
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
This is definitely my favorite of Aiden Thomas’s books so far. It was fun and fast, and the diversity of representation was immaculate. I absolutely loved Teo. He’s such a compelling main character. It’s impossible not to love him and root for him. It was easy to become invested in him and in Niya, Xio, and Aurelio. Aiden Thomas truly exceeds at crafting characters.
The plot of this book was also super interesting. It wasn’t the most unique take on a trial-based plot, but it was still easy to remain engaged. It never lagged or bored me. There were a few places where the pacing was a little bit too fast. I felt like I had whiplash.
The largest downfall of this book was the writing and portrayal of emotions. Sometimes, I felt like the way Teo’s emotional state was described was very… distant. Telling, not showing. It made those instances hard to connect to. It was like, the more intense the emotion should’ve been, the less I was able to connect with the way it was written. I also had an issue with other characters making little sense and lashing out randomly. Like, I understand some of those instances were explained later, but others don’t fit that explanation and were just… jarring and took me out of the story. The most significant instance was Diosa Lumbre’s reaction to Teo’s theory. That was just too much, and it took me out of the story.
The writing itself was mostly good, but sometimes it felt a little too cringey, a little too juvenile. I understand that this is a YA book, so the characters are going to act like teenagers, but Teo is 17, and sometimes his internal monologue and just the narration itself felt much more middle school level than upper high school. I just found it to be a bit lacking.
However, this is definitely the strongest of Aiden Thomas’s books. With Lost in the Never Woods, I found the plot and pacing to be very slow and boring, the characters not compelling enough. With Cemetery Boys, I loved Yadriel and Julien, I loved the world and magic, but the plot itself, the mystery, was very obvious from early on to me, in a way that made the aspects regarding “solving” it rather annoying. I had none of those issues with The Sunbearer Trials. The twist at the end completely shocked me. I knew something was coming, of course, but I did not expect what happened. I will definitely be picking up book 2, and I do highly recommend this one.
Age Rating: 13+
Over All: 4.25 stars
Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 3.5/5
This is definitely my favorite of Aiden Thomas’s books so far. It was fun and fast, and the diversity of representation was immaculate. I absolutely loved Teo. He’s such a compelling main character. It’s impossible not to love him and root for him. It was easy to become invested in him and in Niya, Xio, and Aurelio. Aiden Thomas truly exceeds at crafting characters.
The plot of this book was also super interesting. It wasn’t the most unique take on a trial-based plot, but it was still easy to remain engaged. It never lagged or bored me. There were a few places where the pacing was a little bit too fast. I felt like I had whiplash.
The largest downfall of this book was the writing and portrayal of emotions. Sometimes, I felt like the way Teo’s emotional state was described was very… distant. Telling, not showing. It made those instances hard to connect to. It was like, the more intense the emotion should’ve been, the less I was able to connect with the way it was written. I also had an issue with other characters making little sense and lashing out randomly. Like, I understand some of those instances were explained later, but others don’t fit that explanation and were just… jarring and took me out of the story. The most significant instance was Diosa Lumbre’s reaction to Teo’s theory. That was just too much, and it took me out of the story.
The writing itself was mostly good, but sometimes it felt a little too cringey, a little too juvenile. I understand that this is a YA book, so the characters are going to act like teenagers, but Teo is 17, and sometimes his internal monologue and just the narration itself felt much more middle school level than upper high school. I just found it to be a bit lacking.
However, this is definitely the strongest of Aiden Thomas’s books. With Lost in the Never Woods, I found the plot and pacing to be very slow and boring, the characters not compelling enough. With Cemetery Boys, I loved Yadriel and Julien, I loved the world and magic, but the plot itself, the mystery, was very obvious from early on to me, in a way that made the aspects regarding “solving” it rather annoying. I had none of those issues with The Sunbearer Trials. The twist at the end completely shocked me. I knew something was coming, of course, but I did not expect what happened. I will definitely be picking up book 2, and I do highly recommend this one.