The Sunbearer Trials

“You are not a Hero, Teo.”

Huemac’s words, spoken just after Teo saves a woman from a fire, emphasize that, in Reino del Sol, heroism is defined by one’s race and social status rather than their actions. This framing reinforces the institutional barriers Teo faces as a Jade—a central conflict in the novel.

“But it is the semidiose who becomes the sacrifice who has the greatest honor of all.”

Diosa Luna, the high priestess of Sol, uses rhetorical framing to present the death of the lowest-ranking semidiose as a noble achievement. Her words exemplify the societal propaganda surrounding the Trials, highlighting the novel’s thematic engagement with The Glorification of Heroism Versus the Reality of Sacrifice. The author juxtaposes the concept of ‘greatest honor’ with the brutal reality of death, critiquing a system that demands the ritualistic killing of its youth for its own preservation.

“He went to push his feather circlet back into place, but when Teo reached up, his fingers touched the cold rays of a sunburst crown.”

Teo’s selection as a competitor in the Sunbearer Trials acts as the novel’s inciting incident. The author uses tactile imagery—the “cold rays” of the crown—to contrast with the sun’s warmth, symbolizing the terrifying and deathly burden of the Trials purported to bring them glory. Reaching for his Jade feather circlet and finding the Gold Sunbearer crown symbolizes the forced imposition of a fate Teo did not choose and does not support, placing him into direct conflict with the system.

“‘And outcasts need to stick together, right?’ Teo asked, nudging her with his elbow.”

Following his selection for the Trials, Teo makes a conscious decision to form an alliance with Niya and Xio, marking a shift from individual despair to collective resistance. By labeling themselves “outcasts,” Teo reclaims a term of marginalization and turns it into a source of solidarity, suggesting that community is the only way to challenge the individualistic and deadly nature of the Trials.

“‘They shouldn’t be here,’ Aurelio said, his voice low and gruff. ‘It’s not right—they’re Jades.’ […] ‘At least we don’t have to worry about one of our own losing,’ came Auristela’s voice, loud and clear as they passed by the door. ‘It’d suck if the sacrifice was one of us.’”

This dialogue establishes the novel’s central conflict regarding social stratification, directly referencing the Gold and Jade motif. Auristela’s casual cruelty and Aurelio’s blunt prejudice reveal the systemic dehumanization of Jades within their society. The comments explicitly frame Jades as disposable.

“‘Each uniform has special accommodations depending on the semidiose’s talents. […] Those are for your wings.’ ‘My wings?’ Teo shook his head and tried to hand the shirt back. ‘I don’t use my wings.’ Luna’s eyebrows pinched. ‘You’ll need them for the trials—’ ‘No, I won’t,’ Teo insisted.”

In this exchange, Teo’s wings function as a symbol of his gender dysphoria and his struggle with self-acceptance. His adamant refusal to use them in the trials points to his internal conflict and his desire to suppress a part of himself that conflicts with his true identity. Luna’s practical insistence highlights the external pressure Teo faces, forcing a confrontation between the world’s expectations and his own deeply personal journey toward identity integration.

“In the thrill of flying, for once Teo hadn’t thought about what his wings looked like. He spent so much time trying to avoid the sight in his periphery and mirrors. Now he hesitantly glanced over his shoulder and let out a surprised yelp. […] Now, brilliant ultramarine, iridescent blue, and electric green feathers sprang from his back. The feathers of a proper male quetzal.”

The transformation of Teo’s wings, triggered by a selfless act of heroism, reinforces the novel’s argument that true self-acceptance is achieved through action and purpose. The author uses this moment of magical realism to symbolize the progression of Teo’s arc and emphasize The Power of Self-Acceptance in a World of Prescribed Norms and Expectations.

“‘I would remind you, Ocelo,’ Luna said slowly, deliberately, ‘that as a semidiose, it is both your honor and your duty to protect the people of Reino del Sol, not harm them. Your behavior in this trial proved that you have much to learn about your position in the world.’”

Luna’s formal reprimand highlights the stark contrast between the societal ideal of heroism and the brutal, competitive reality of the Trials. Her deliberate, measured tone underscores the gravity of Ocelo’s actions, which violate the core tenet of their duty as a semidiose. This moment serves as an authorial critique of the system, questioning a culture that glorifies strength while punishing its misuse, thereby complicating the very definition of a hero within Reino del Sol.

“Hesitantly, Xio held out his list and pointed. ‘Paloma, daughter of Quetzal,’ he read. Teo’s heart pounded in his head, his rushing pulse making his whole body feel tingly and numb. His sweaty hands gripped the phone, trembling as he watched the girl—his half sister—lie on the stone table.”

The discovery of Paloma raises the personal stakes of the narrative for Teo, transforming the Trials from a dangerous competition into a potential reenactment of family tragedy. The revelation reframes the abstract horror of the sacrifice into a concrete, personal threat. Teo’s visceral physical reaction—a pounding heart and trembling hands—is conveyed through sensory detail, communicating his shock and grounding the history of the trials in an immediate, emotional reality.

“You Golds run around pretending to be Heroes when you’re just bullies with a god complex! […] I’m trying to keep me and my friends alive—all you care about are the rankings and making Mommy proud!”

Here, Teo’s dialogue provides a direct critique of Reino del Sol’s social hierarchy, framing the Golds not as noble heroes but as entitled bullies. The contrast between Teo’s focus on survival and the Golds’ alleged preoccupation with “rankings” exposes the differing stakes between Jade and Gold competitors, highlighting how the Trials function as both a life-or-death struggle and a performative spectacle.

“‘Oh, you mean mortals?’ Niya laughed and waved him off. ‘They always close down places to the public when we visit.’ […] The detachment between Golds and the mortals they devoted their lives to protecting seemed unnecessary and a bit backward.”

While visiting a hot springs, Teo observes the stark separation between the Gold semidioses and the mortal public. Thomas uses Teo’s perspective as an outsider to critique the Gold social structure, revealing an institutionalized segregation that contradicts their role as protectors. Niya’s casual acceptance of this norm contrasts with Teo’s critical assessment, underscoring the ingrained nature of the class divide and questioning the efficacy of heroes who are disconnected from those they serve.

“‘For so long, I was afraid,’ Quetzal continued, the words tearing out of her with a ferocity Teo had never heard. ‘To have another child, to love someone that much, only for them to…’ She pulled away, taking Teo’s face in her hands.”

This private moment between Teo and Diosa Quetzal subverts the public narrative of noble sacrifice, exposing the private, generational trauma it inflicts upon families. The author’s use of an ellipsis and the description of Quetzal’s “ferocity” convey her deep, unspoken grief.

“I’ve never felt like I belong or fit in anywhere, and not just because I’m…a Jade. I’m still not sure who I am…”

In a private conversation, Xio confides in Teo about his feelings of alienation, which stem from his intersecting identities as both a marginalized Jade and a transgender boy who’s still exploring his identity. Xio’s dialogue points to the ways societal pressures compound personal journeys of discovery. The halting delivery and ellipsis underscore Xio’s vulnerability and the uncertainty inherent in his search for selfhood, a struggle made more urgent by the threat of the Trials.

“Their enraged gazes were locked, but there was something very wrong about them. Niya’s eyes weren’t their usual shade of hazel-brown, but black. Auristela’s eyes had changed, too, and the skin around her eyes was dark, almost bruised looking.”

Observing a fight between teammates Niya and Auristela during the third trial, Teo notices a sinister physical transformation in both of them. This moment of descriptive foreshadowing introduces an external, corrupting influence into the narrative, pointing to a more complex conflict. The imagery of “black” and “bruised” eyes signals a malevolent force manipulating the competitors and hints at the reveal of the Obsidians’ revenge plot.

“‘Sol is looking for the heart of their champion as well as their sacrifice,’ Diosa Luna continued. ‘That’s how the Sunbearer is chosen. You would all do well to remember that.’”

Diosa Luna’s explanation of why teamwork and conduct are valued over individual aggression in the rankings reframes the purpose of the Trials, expanding the focus from a competition of pure strength to include a moral and psychological evaluation. The juxtaposition of “champion” and “sacrifice” suggests the winner must possess a specific character to both kill and save. This line serves as foreshadowing, indicating that the final choice of Sunbearer will hinge on integrity rather than power.

“Aurelio cut him off. ‘I like your wings,’ he said, simple but earnest.

Teo’s heart gave a heavy thud. ‘I just thought […] [because] [y]ou always avoid touching them—’

[…] ‘No I don’t.’

‘Then why haven’t you?’ […]

‘You never said I could.’”

Here, Thomas highlights Aurelio’s distance from Teo’s wings as a sign of respect for Teo’s bodily autonomy, rather than—as Teo assumed—evidence of revulsion. This interaction directly challenges Teo’s internalized belief that his wings make him abnormal. The simple, declarative sentence structure emphasizes Aurelio’s sincerity and provides a stark contrast to other characters who touch Teo’s wings without consent and ask him invasive questions about his connection to birds.

“The jumbotron switched to a live feed, focused on his stunned, open-mouthed face. The crowd erupted in screams, shouts, and whistles. They thundered so loudly, Teo could feel it reverberate deep in his chest. Garbled words slowly filled the air until it became one resounding chant. ‘Pa-ja-ri-to! Pa-ja-ri-to!’”

Here, the author uses auditory and kinesthetic imagery—the “thunderous” cheers that “reverberate” in Teo’s chest—to convey the physical impact of this moment of validation from Laberinto’s population. This scene marks a turning point for Teo’s character arc and the novel’s exploration of The Injustice of Inherited Social Hierarchies, as he is publicly embraced as a hero of his people. The chant of his childhood nickname, “Pajarito” (little bird), transforms a term of endearment into a heroic public identity.

“She pinned his wings down with her knees, rendering them useless as Auristela wrenched the Sol Stone out of his grip. Her eyes were dark as night, the skin around them angry blue and purple.”

Thomas’s physical description of Auristela’s darkened eyes and bruised skin provides crucial foreshadowing, connecting her uncharacteristic brutality to a supernatural, corrupting influence that is manipulating the competitors. The specific action of pinning Teo’s wings represents a direct assault on his identity, power, and the element that most visibly marks him as a Jade. Her subsequent shattering of the replica stone foreshadows the eventual threat to the real Sun Stone.

“‘Choice is the most powerful force in existence. Much more powerful than me,’ the diosa said casually, gaining some shocked looks. ‘Jades, Golds—these descriptions mean nothing, really,’ Opción said, dismissively waving her hand. ‘We gave them to ourselves. It’s humanity that has all the power.’”

Diosa Opción's speech provides a philosophical counterpoint to the rigid social structure of Reino del Sol. Her dialogue functions as direct thematic commentary, explicitly challenging the Gold and Jade hierarchy and questioning the nature of divine power. By framing choice as the ultimate power, Diosa Opción’s words foreshadow the novel’s climax, where Teo’s individual decision to defy tradition will alter the fate of their world. This moment uses a god’s own testimony to subvert the foundational beliefs upon which the society and the Trials are built.

“‘You are a loud, impulsive, persistent seeker of justice,’ Huemac cut in, not letting him finish. ‘And that makes people uncomfortable, but it doesn’t make you bad. It makes you very good, in fact. Far better than the rest of us who stay quiet because they’re afraid to speak up.’”

Here, Huemac reframes Teo’s perceived flaws—impulsivity and defiance—as components of his inherent virtue, pointing to The Power of Self-Acceptance in a World of Prescribed Norms and Expectations. The syntax presents “loud, impulsive, persistent” as a cumulative list that defines Teo as a “seeker of justice.” This moment argues that Teo’s true worth lies in his character, which challenges the unjust social order, rather than in conforming to it.

“‘Resistance training, my mother called it,’ Aurelio murmured.”

In a moment of vulnerability, Aurelio reveals to Teo the severe burn scars hidden on his arms, inflicted by his mother, Diosa Lumbre. The use of the euphemism “resistance training” to describe systematic abuse highlights the brutal reality masked by the Golds’ privileged status. Delivered as a murmur, the vulnerability of the confession contrasts sharply with the violence of the act itself, underscoring the deep-seated trauma and isolation Aurelio experiences.

“TEO! Niya shouted, and he realized: He couldn’t get out of this. But his friends could.”

The chaotic climax of the final trial provides Teo with a moment of anagnorisis, or critical discovery, that signifies the completion of Teo’s journey from a resentful outsider to a selfless hero. The concise, direct phrasing of his realization demonstrates a clear resolve, free of hesitation. By choosing to sacrifice his own standing in the Trials to save his friends, Teo embodies a form of heroism based on personal compassion, which stands in stark contrast to the institutionalized, state-sanctioned sacrifice the Trials demand.

“‘I won’t do it.’ The words flew out of his mouth, surprising Teo just as much as the people surrounding him.”

Teo’s simple, declarative statement serves as the novel’s moral climax—a direct rejection of the violent tradition that underpins their society, that underscores the tension between The Glorification of Heroism Versus the Reality of Sacrifice. Thomas indicates that the decision is instinctual rather than premeditated (“surprising Teo just as much”), positioning Teo’s compassion as a core trait that overrides immense societal pressure. This act of defiance breaks the cycle of violence and sets the stage for the novel’s final plot twist.