I wanted a world where my my queer characters specifically could live in comfort,” he said. “I was like, ‘OK, I get to create this world and I get to make up the rules.’ And I decided in this world, I didn't want any bigotry. More: What to know about the Texas Book Fest 2022 in Austinĭespite the real-to-life trans experiences the characters talk about - from top surgery for characters removing breasts to hormone therapies - Thomas said the presence of queer and trans mortals and gods is also a nod to the different gender identities that existed in indigenous communities before colonization. Thomas said it was important to him for the book to reflect modern queer and transgender teen experiences regardless of the fantasy setting. Throughout the book, as the characters prepare for and compete in the five trials, they also face normal teenage challenges - crushes, rivalries, hormones and an inability to follow the rules.
When the day of the selection ceremony rolls around, however, Teo is chosen to compete. Teo has a chip on his shoulder about his mother’s lesser status, but at least he can rest easy knowing that a child of a Jade god has not been chosen to participate in the trials in over a century. The protagonist Teo is the son of Quetzal, one of the Jade gods that play second fiddle to the more powerful Gold deities. The winner will carry light and life to all the temples of Reino del Sol, but the loser will be sacrificed to Sol, their body used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the universe for the next 10 years.
The book, the first in a duology, follows 10 teens with one godly and one human parent - called semidioses - who must compete in five trials with high stakes. Thomas pitched “The Sunbearer Trials” as a cross between the beloved Percy Jackson series and the Hunger Games trilogy. More: These are the authors to see at Texas Book Festival, from food to fiction Thomas was scheduled to appear, but he had to cancel because of illness, according to his publisher. "The Sunbearer Trials" was one of the young adult picks for the Texas Book Festival, which is Nov.
There's a lot of Easter eggs within the book that are nods to specific indigenous cultures, and also to actual cities and places.” “Pantheons are representative of a culture not only where they are geographically located, but also things like what are their ideals and their morals? What do they prioritize?. “A lot of it was inspired by modern day Mexico,” he said. Inspired by indigenous mythology in Mexico, where his family is from, Thomas said he wanted to create gods that felt true to his contemporary experience of his culture. One of the first steps young adult author Aiden Thomas took when writing his new book “The Sunbearer Trials” was no small feat: He had to concoct a creation myth and craft a pantheon full of gods to populate his fictional world. 3 update: Aiden Thomas has canceled his book fest appearance because of illness, according to his publisher.
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