Every decade an epic competition is launched to replenish the sun’s power and governance over existence. The children of the gods are chosen to compete with one selected as the sunbearer and another selected as a blood sacrifice. As far as Teo is aware, there has never been the child of a demi-god chosen to compete until he is selected. He is trans and has not fully embraced the wings gifted to him as the child of a demi-god. Along the way we see him gain self acceptance as well as educate and support others.
I totally get the comparisons to Percy Jackson and Hunger Games. This one is action packed with great world building and important representation. Teo was a really likable underdog protagonist and his ragtag group of friends and rivals are fun to get to know, root for and root against. It’s fun and action packed with a great potential couple to ‘ship’ as well as some real moral dilemmas that I think are great in a YA novel of this caliber. Happy to see such a positive, insightful and yet wholly entertaining work get such positive attention. I also appreciate that while it left us with a direction for book two, the competition finished and the cliffhanger took the story in a whole different direction. The betrayal in this one is a fun twist as well.
Now I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel coming out in the next year… what sequel are you anxiously awaiting?
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