Teo

Teo is the trans boy protagonist of Aiden Thomas's Sunbearer Duology — a Jade semidiós of lower divine status who is unexpectedly chosen for the Sunbearer Trials, a sacred competition that will end with one young demigod sacrificed to power the Sun for another decade. His selection is shocking by the standards of his world: the Trials are supposed to choose from the most powerful Gold semidioses, not someone like Teo.

Thomas writes Teo with the specificity and care that defines their approach to representation — his trans identity is present and meaningful without being the entirety of his character, integrated into who he is alongside his sarcastic humor, his fierce loyalty to his friends, and his complicated feelings about his own divine heritage. The Aztec mythology that grounds his world is rendered with genuine cultural engagement, making Teo's story one of the most distinctive and joyful entries in contemporary YA fantasy.