REVIEW: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

Pages: 416

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Macmillan

Genre: Fantasy, Mythology

Release Date: September 6th 2022

As each new decade begins, the Sun’s power must be replenished so that Sol can keep traveling along the sky and keep the evil Obsidian gods at bay. Ten semidioses between the ages of thirteen and eighteen are selected by Sol himself as the most worthy 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 used to fuel the Sun Stones that will protect the people of Reino del Sol for the next ten years. 

Teo, a 17-year-old Jade semidiós and the trans son of Quetzal, goddess of birds, has never worried about the Trials…or rather, he’s only worried for others. His best friend Niya―daughter of Tierra, the god of earth―is one of the strongest heroes of their generation and is much too likely to be chosen this year. He also can’t help but worry (reluctantly, and under protest) for Aurelio, a powerful Gold semidiós and Teo’s friend-turned-rival who is a shoo-in for the Trials. Teo wouldn’t mind taking Aurelio down a notch or two, but a one-in-ten chance of death is a bit too close for Teo’s taste. 

But then, for the first time in over a century, Sol chooses a semidiós who isn’t a Gold. In fact, he chooses two: Xio, the 13-year-old child of Mala Suerte, god of bad luck, and…Teo. Now they must compete in five mysterious trials, against opponents who are both more powerful and better trained, for fame, glory, and their own survival. 

Don’t you just love it when one of your most anticipated reads of the year lives up to your expectations? ME TOO. And thankfully, The Sunbearer Trials was one of those rare, special books for me. After falling in love with Cemetery Boys a couple of years ago, I’ve been eagerly anticipating Aiden Thomas’ next book. Reading the blurb and seeing the cover art only made me surer that I was going to love it. 

This book is set in an alternative world to our own in which selected teenagers born of diosas must compete in the Sunbearer Trials every ten years, with the last-ranked becoming a sacrifice to help keep their world stay protected. 

The characters in this story are just so fun. I loved getting to know all of them, even the ones that weren’t too friendly. But our main character, Teo, is such a joy to read about! He gets dragged into the trials unexpectedly and takes it all on the chin, doing his best to get through each day and ignore the prejudice of the other competitors who don’t believe that he deserves his place in the trials. 

I adored learning about the diosas and their children, getting to know the ins-and-outs of how their world works and their views over the course of the story. Xio was also an interesting character and I’m excited to see what happens with him in the next book. 

• Incredible fantasy world. It’s a world that’s very much like our own, with social media and normal school education for most people, except there are dioses that are accepted in everyday life. 

• Trials that will leave you on edge. They provide just the right amount of action and suspense. I was biting my nails every time the rankings were revealed! 

• Mother of all plot twists. Prepare yourself for the unexpected! 

This is easily a new fave and I cannot wait for the second book in the duology. I’m both nervous and excited to see what awaits the characters after that ending! If you want a fantasy that’s a perfect mix of action and humour, definitely pick this one up next.

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REVIEW: Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

Pages: 405
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: 22nd September 2016
Buy The Book: Book Depository

Three sisters. One crown. A fight to the death.

In every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn't solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it's not just a game of win or lose . . . it's life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

My Thoughts:

Three Dark Crowns is set in a world in which triplets are separated at the age of six and trained to be queens until they are sixteen. After that, the sisters then have a certain amount of time to try and, well, kill the others. The last remaining sister gets the crown and is allowed to rule until the next set of triplet queens are born. Each queen has one of three abilities that are common across the island; elemental, poisoner, and naturalist. Whichever sister wins the crown strengthens those with that specific ability during her rule. Since the poisoner queen has won the crown for several generations, poisoners throughout the island are stronger than ever.

The poisoner queen fighting for the crown this time is Katherine, but she is nowhere near as strong as those who have ruled before her, and the family training her are trying their best to hide it. The elemental queen is Mirabella, widely known by everyone as the strongest of the three sisters and the most likely to win. She is the strongest elemental in a long time, and their best chance of regaining the crown. The third and final queen is the naturalist, Arsinoe. So far she has not shown any of her ability and her sisters are aware that she is the weakest. Arsinoe's best friend Jules, however, is an exceptionally strong naturalist and is doing her best to help her friend find her ability.

Before I get into the plot of this story, let's talk about the three sisters in the heart of it and the people surrounding them. The first thing that made this book stand out to me was how focused it is on strong women. I found it refreshing that women were the ones holding power over the island. There are male characters in the story, but the intriguing ladies are definitely the main event. The sisters were all interesting in their own way. I liked Mirabella's attitude and her feelings over the situations she was being forced into as a queen. Although, there was a scene halfway through the book that made me question my opinion on her a little, along with another character who I haven't quite forgiven enough yet. Katherine was the queen I had the most sympathy for because as a poisoner, she faced a lot of pressure to do well, and was put through a lot of harsh training. My fave of the sisters, though, was Arsinoe. She was seen as the weakest when it came to abilities but she was strong in other ways. I adored the fierce friendship between her and Jules. Despite not being one of the three sisters, Jules was also a favourite character of mine. Although I enjoyed following all of the sisters, it was Arsinoe and Jules' journey that I was hooked on the most.

The plot was well paced and I enjoyed the time that was spent getting to know the characters. There are so many complex characters throughout this book, some of whom I feel we've only just scratched the surface of. The last quarter of the story was exciting and tense and I could not put it down for those final few chapters! There was also fantastic world-building that told enough to understand what was happening but definitely left the story open enough for questions. Oh boy, do I have a lot of questions about this island and what the bigger picture is. Also, the ending was incredible. Plot twists were thrown around all over the place before the big one right at the very end. I honestly just stared at the page open mouthed thinking I NEED THE NEXT BOOK IMMEDIATLEY. There are so many things I'm looking forward to in the next book after that ending, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for these characters. The world within Three Dark Crowns is utterly fascinating and it's one I'm eager to return to. 

Over here in the UK, there are three gorgeous covers to collect, one for each queen! My personal favourite is the poisoner cover because snakes are my thing. Which one is your fave??

Royal Rating:

 

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REVIEW: Uprooted by Naomi Novik

Bookish Details:
Pages: 437 Hardcover
Publisher: Macmillan
Release Date: 21st May 2015
Buy it From: Amazon - Amazon UK - Waterstones

Synopsis:
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood's powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows - everyone knows - that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia - all the things Agnieszka isn't - and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But no one can predict how or why the Dragon chooses a girl. And when he comes, it is not Kasia he will take with him.

From the author of the Temeraire series comes this hugely imaginative, engrossing and vivid fantasy novel, inspired by folk and fairy tales. It is perfect reading for fans of Robin Hobb and Trudi Canavan.

My Review:

There are four major issues I have with this book:

1. When I sat down to start reading the other morning, I only intended to read for a little while. I had other things I needed to be doing. However, when I next looked at the clock, I realised that the ‘little while’ had turned into hours. It left me wanting to scold my bladder for needing a toilet break, and glare down at my growling stomach for needing me to put the book down for lunch.

2. My heart says I love this book, but my eyes, stinging from lack of sleep, would hugely disagree. They really didn’t appreciate being forced to stay open until 3am when they needed to reopen at 7am that morning.  

3. I am now suffering from the nightmare we call ‘book hangover’. Do I have other books in my ‘to-read’ pile? Yes. Do I want to pick them up right now? No. Why is that, you ask? Because their pages do not contain the beautiful world within Uprooted, and Agnieszka and the Dragon are nowhere to be seen. AND I MISS THEM SO MUCH ALREADY.

4. This book is one of those books. You know the ones, a book that is so awesome you actually struggle to summarise the awesomeness into a review. Now I have to try and find something to say that’s a little more informative than just ASDFGHJKL;

But I’ll try.

This is enchanting fantasy at its best. It takes fairy-tale elements that we know, and twists them into something new and exciting. The writing  is truly gorgeous. The characters emotions are demonstrated beautifully and the action scenes are captivating. There is a creepy darkness to this story in the form of the Wood. I was completely sucked into the horror within it, desperate to know why it was there, and what it was doing.

What I also loved was the fact that it’s a stand-alone novel. Fantasy so often comes in the shape of a trilogy or more, so it was refreshing to read a book that gives a complete story with a satisfying conclusion.

What else do I need to mention? THE CHARACTERS. Seriously, the characters in this book are just so brilliant. Agnieszka was feisty when she needed to be, and I loved her coming-of-age journey. Her friendship with Kasia is touching, and the scenes that the pair shared were packed with emotion.

The Dragon was a fascinating character. The idea of him coming to the valley every ten years to take a young girl away intrigued me from the start. I loved how mysterious and cold-hearted he was in the beginning. He made me want to reach into the book and shout at him myself a lot of the time. But then I enjoyed getting to know more about his life, and understanding why he acts in the way that he does. I also loved how Agnieszka comes to challenge him rather than fear him. There was humour in the way he clearly didn’t know how to react to her attitudes and stubbornness.

The relationship between Agnieszka and the Dragon was well developed. Sometimes I find myself a little disappointed in the romantic elements of fantasy, because it can easily take away from the story itself. But the romance in this book adds to the story beautifully. There were no cringe-worthy moments. The tension between the two of them was unbearable at times, leaving you eager for further scenes between them. And there was just the right amount of *ahem* steaminess.

Everything from the Prince, the politics, the Wood, and the corruption is compelling to read about. It's a world that is well built for getting completely drawn in to. This is no Disney-style fairy-tale. It’s dark, it’s violent, and it will drag you through the wars within it. But it’s also beautiful, and magical, and thought-provoking, and everything you want from a fantasy story.

It is so difficult to not spoil anything here because I’m desperate to talk about all of it. It consumed my life for the couple of days I was reading, and by the end it felt like I had returned home from the same epic journey as the characters. I just hope I've said enough to ensure that you read this book for yourself, so you can fall in love with it as I have. 

*gently nudges you in the direction of the bookstore*

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