Scan barcode
A review by pastelwriter
The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
I have…conflicting feelings about this book.
For one, it took me absolutely way too long to get into this story. For about 200 pages, I wasn’t particularly compelled to pick it up. It wasn’t bad (by any means), but I was struggling to convince myself to read it despite the fact that I would enjoy it once I decided to pay it attention again.
Another dilemma was that I was hit hard by the reality that I’m not the target audience of this book. It read very clearly as a YA novel. This is not inherently a bad thing, but it means it’s a type of writing I’m less and less compelled by. It honestly read like a staple of YA—with all its strengths and shortcomings.
Still. Once I made it 200 pages in, I began to be invested in the narrative and the characters. I was becoming more curious about the trials and the competitors. I became invested in Teo, Niya, and Xio’s friendship. I found the trials themselves engaging and thrilling to read. Although I had a strong sense of where the story would go, I didn’t mind because I was still driven enough by the storytelling to keep reading.
I ended up loving not just the friendships in this novel, but the blooming romance between Teo and Aurelio. Aurelio is definitely the quiet and reserved type. So, Teo and Aurelio took a while to rekindle their previous friendship and their romantic feelings for each other. Still, I loved how respectful Aurelio was of Teo’s boundaries as it showed a deep and genuine care for him.
I also have to say that one of the characters to steal my heart away was Xio. That’s my baby child! I adore him and want to protect him at all costs.I don’t care that he played a role in what happened in the conclusion of this novel…and that he brings more questions than answers considering he’s an Obsidian…I DON’T CARE. THAT’s STILL MY BABY 😭
All this to say, I still found things to love about this book. I don’t regret having read it or owning 3 copies of it 🙈 I look forward to reading the sequel. However, I would say that readers who might be “outgrowing” YA might not be the best served by this book 🤷🏻♀️
For one, it took me absolutely way too long to get into this story. For about 200 pages, I wasn’t particularly compelled to pick it up. It wasn’t bad (by any means), but I was struggling to convince myself to read it despite the fact that I would enjoy it once I decided to pay it attention again.
Another dilemma was that I was hit hard by the reality that I’m not the target audience of this book. It read very clearly as a YA novel. This is not inherently a bad thing, but it means it’s a type of writing I’m less and less compelled by. It honestly read like a staple of YA—with all its strengths and shortcomings.
Still. Once I made it 200 pages in, I began to be invested in the narrative and the characters. I was becoming more curious about the trials and the competitors. I became invested in Teo, Niya, and Xio’s friendship. I found the trials themselves engaging and thrilling to read. Although I had a strong sense of where the story would go, I didn’t mind because I was still driven enough by the storytelling to keep reading.
I ended up loving not just the friendships in this novel, but the blooming romance between Teo and Aurelio. Aurelio is definitely the quiet and reserved type. So, Teo and Aurelio took a while to rekindle their previous friendship and their romantic feelings for each other. Still, I loved how respectful Aurelio was of Teo’s boundaries as it showed a deep and genuine care for him.
I also have to say that one of the characters to steal my heart away was Xio. That’s my baby child! I adore him and want to protect him at all costs.
All this to say, I still found things to love about this book. I don’t regret having read it or owning 3 copies of it 🙈 I look forward to reading the sequel. However, I would say that readers who might be “outgrowing” YA might not be the best served by this book 🤷🏻♀️