The Sunbearer Trials

Thomas’s novel constructs a rigid social hierarchy that positions the privileged Golds as defenders of the realm and the marginalized Jades as inherently inferior. Teo’s attempts to deface the Golds’ poster in the novel’s opening scene make this division between Golds and Jades explicit from the start: “[T]he kids of Gold golds were stronger and more powerful than Jade demigods […] They went to a fancy academy […] training from the age of seven to be Heroes of Sol” (7) In contrast, Jades like Teo attend a public school “held together with duct tape and glue” alongside mortal students (7). This institutional segregation reinforces a societal belief that Jades are less capable, destined for minor roles, while Golds are trained as heroes. Across the novel, Teo’s arc refutes this premise, allowing Thomas to argue that true worth is defined by character and action rather than race or birthright. Thomas’s novel critiques such systems as flawed constructs designed to suppress the potential of those deemed lesser to reify the power of the ruling class.

Thomas emphasizes the entrenched, inherited nature of prejudice through the dismissive attitudes of Aurelio, Auristela, and Ocelo, which mirror the behavior of their divine parents. From the moment the competitors are selected, the Gold semidioses openly express their disdain for Jades, claiming Teo and Xio are “background noise” and “default sacrifices” chosen to ensure a Gold will not have to die (131).