Celestial Monsters

Gr 7 Up–As this second installment begins, Xio has betrayed his friends, the most promising semidioses are now in the hands of the dioses who made the Sunbearer Trials necessary, and the apocalypse is in progress. In the chaos, Teo, Niya, and Aurelio who set forth to rescue their friends (or enemies) and restore the sun to the sky. Along the way, the trio is repeatedly confronted with the largely negative impacts the governance of the dioses has had on the mortal population, forcing them to incorporate others’ experiences into their understanding of their world. With a narrative that bounces between Xio and Teo to give comprehensive coverage of these rapid-fire, high-stakes events, readers across many age ranges will be riveted. The character growth is realistic and endearing, while also providing excellent modeling for developing a healthy sense of self and positive personal relationships. Although there are romantic subplots, most are minor and none progress far beyond confirmed crushes. In this queernorm Mesoamerican world, the Spanish flows freely and queer representation is diverse, with Xio and Teo identifying on the transmasculine side of the gender spectrum. Notably, 13-year-old Xio is encouraged to continue his gender exploration despite having come out as a binary transgender boy prior to the events of the first book.