Father's DayGifts for GradsBlack-owned or founded brands at TargetGroceryClothing, Shoes & AccessoriesBabyHomeFurnitureKitchen & DiningOutdoor Living & GardenToysElectronicsVideo GamesMovies, Music & BooksSports & OutdoorsBeautyPersonal CareHealthPetsHousehold EssentialsArts, Crafts & SewingSchool & Office SuppliesParty SuppliesLuggageGift IdeasGift CardsClearanceTarget New ArrivalsTarget Finds#TargetStyleTop DealsTarget Circle OffersWeekly AdShop Order PickupShop Same Day DeliveryRegistryRedCardTarget CircleFind Stores
$11.63When purchased online
About this item
Specifications
Suggested Age: 13-18 Years
Number of Pages: 416
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
Sub-Genre: LGBT
Series Title: Sunbearer Duology
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Format: Hardcover
Author: Aiden Thomas
Language: English
Street Date: September 6, 2022
TCIN: 85007797
UPC: 9781250822130
Item Number (DPCI): 059-12-7399
Origin: Made in the USA
Description
Book Synopsis
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.Review Quotes
Praise for Cemetery Boys:
Detailed, heart-rending, and immensely romantic. Cemetery Boys is necessary: for trans kids, for queer kids, for those in the Latinx community who need to see themselves on the page. Don't miss this book. --Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a GiftThe novel perfectly balances the vibrant, energetic Latinx culture while delving into heavy topics like LGBTQ+ acceptance, deportation, colonization, and racism within authoritative establishments. --TeenVogue.com A romantic mystery as poignant as it is spellbinding, weaved in a mosaic of culture, acceptance, and identity, where intricately crafted characters are the pieces and love--platonic, romantic, familial, and communal--is the glue. --Publishers Weekly, starred review
About the Author
Aiden Thomas, New York Times-bestselling author of Cemetery Boys and Lost in the Never Woods, received their MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Born in Oakland, California, Aiden often haunted Mountain View Cemetery like a second home during their misspent youth. As a queer, trans Latinx, Aiden advocates strongly for diverse representation in all media. Aiden is notorious among their friends for always being surprised by twist endings to books/movies and organizing their bookshelves by color. When not writing, Aiden enjoys exploring the outdoors with their dog, Ronan. Their cat, Figaro, prefers to support their indoor hobbies, like reading and drinking too much coffeeIf the item details above aren’t accurate or complete, we want to know about it.
Shipping details
Estimated ship dimensions: 5.4 inches length x 1.3 inches width x 8.3 inches height
Estimated ship weight: 1 pounds
We regret that this item cannot be shipped to PO Boxes.
This item cannot be shipped to the following locations: United States Minor Outlying Islands, American Samoa (see also separate entry under AS), Puerto Rico (see also separate entry under PR), Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, U.S., APO/FPO, Guam (see also separate entry under GU)
Return details
This item can be returned to any Target store or Target.com.
This item must be returned within 30 days of the date it was purchased in store, shipped, delivered by a Shipt shopper, or made ready for pickup.
See the return policy for complete information.
loading...
More to consider
Similar items
4.7 out of 5 stars with 7 reviews
100% would recommend
4 recommendations
Inclusive!
5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
STC - 2 months ago, Verified purchaser
I loved this book! The storyline was captivating and I loved the inclusion of so many diverse people. Definitely recommend!
Great book
5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
Bktate - 5 months ago
My son loves the book!
a fantasy read
3 out of 5 stars
bostieslovebooks - 7 months ago
A group of teenage semidioses are chosen for The Sunbearer Trials – a competition to determine who will be sacrificed to Sol to fuel the Sun Stones for the next ten years. THE SUNBEARER TRIALS started out on a good note but quickly went south for me. There were so many characters that all of the introductions began feeling cumbersome. I didn’t know if it was someone important to the story that I needed to remember or someone that was just being mentioned in passing. The largest issue I had with this book was not knowing whether it was trying to be middle grade, YA, or something else. The writing felt chaotic with respect to the target audience.
Incredible, inclusive fantasy adventure
5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
lurkykitty - 9 months ago
The Sunbearer Trials is a fantasy inspired by Mexican mythology, set in the modern land of Reino del Sol, each of its cities governed by a different dios. The story follows Teo, the trans semidios son of Quetzal, Diosa of birds. Every ten years semidioses from all over the land compete in a series of dangerous trials to become the next Sunbearer, whose role is to carry light and energy to the Sol stones, which keep the selfish Obsidian dioses powerless and trapped in the stars. The loser of the trials is sacrificed so that the Sol stones can be replenished. In the history of Reino del Sol, the Gold semidioses have traditionally been the ones to compete in the trials; the Jades have typically been spared from competing. Teo is a Jade, and it is a major upset when he and another Jade semidios are chosen for the trials. Teo is mischievous, funny, impulsive, loyal and has a strong sense of justice. His goal in the trials is to survive with his Gold friend Niya and protect the younger Jade semidios who seems ill equipped for the intense competition. The characters are complex, flawed and well-developed, with incredibly diverse representation. The world building is lush and vividly described. I love the combination of ancient mythology and tradition integrated into a modern queernormative society. The trials are brutally difficult and suspenseful, each one escalating in danger, and will keep you reading late into the night. I absolutely loved and inhaled this incredible fantasy adventure story. The sequel can't come a moment too soon.
Loved it
5 out of 5 stars
Would recommend
- 9 months ago
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas is a five out of five stars. I loved it and it was hard to put down once the Trials started. The Golds who take part in the Trials are Ocelo, Marino, Twins: Auristela, Aurelio, Atzi, Xochi, Dezi and Niya. The Jades who takes part are Xio and our main character Teo Son of Quetzal. The Sunbearer Trials are trials that take place to decide who will be this decade's Sunbearer and who will be the one sacrificed in order to fuel the Sol Stone for the next ten years to keep the people safe from the Obsidians. The Obsidian God's were locked away when Sol sacrificed themselves to protect their people. If a sacrifice doesn't take place every ten years to refuel the stone they will be set free. The eight golds and two jades must compete in five Trials to see who Sol deems worthy enough of being Sunbearer and the one who is sacrificed to protect all others. This boom had a lot of action which I loved and made it very interesting. I love books that are action packed. Some Trials were more interesting than the others. My favorite was probably the trial where Aurelio and Teo teamed up and won it. They were friends when little so it must have been nice being able to work together again. I also loved the animal one the animal that Teo collected was so cute. The trial they had to collect all the stones seems fun as well. The last one was pretty scary though especially Auristela's outburst at the end of it. By the end of the book I was crying. Teo, Nina and Xio were friends throughout the Trials but I always had a bad feeling about Xio. Something about him just seemed off. So I was surprised but not surprised by their betrayal at the end. My least favorite character of the ten competitors was probably Ocelo. He just gives off bad vibes. It was Auristela at first to but I came to realize deep down she was just trying to protect her twin brother Aurelio and help him to become Sunbearer. She wanted this for him so their mom would deem him worthy and stop treating him so badly. Outside the Trials my favorite scene was probably when Aurelio and Teo sneaked off the boat to get the candy to cheer up Niya. I loved when Aurelio touched Teo's wings it was cute. If you love books with God's, Goddesses, and their children I definitely recommend reading this. Also, I love the cover it fits the story perfectly.