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To Our Untamed Core
Not yet published
Expected 22 Sep 26The Hunger Games meets The Sunbearer Trials in bestselling and award-winning author Sonido Reyes’s YA dystopia about a boy who survives by hiding his truth until his boyfriend is sentenced to El Torneo — a brutal, fight-to-the-death game — where he must risk everything to save him.
Centuries after the conquistadors claimed the Afueras for their own, Temo spends his life obeying the Holy Order’s decree, undergoing their sacraments to tame his supposedly violent nature.
The only rule he hiding that he’s trans. If that fact is discovered, Temo will face El Torneo, a brutal, fight-to-the-death game pitting the untamed against one another. No Afuereño who enters El Torneo ever escapes with their life.
But when Temo’s boyfriend is unexpectedly arrested and thrown into the deadly tournament, he’ll do anything to rescue Ollin from his gruesome fate, even if it means entering El Torneo himself.
Only there's far more to this tournament than meets the eye—survival is just the beginning. When the cost of saving the one he loves the most might be higher than he ever imagined, is Temo willing to pay it?
Centuries after the conquistadors claimed the Afueras for their own, Temo spends his life obeying the Holy Order’s decree, undergoing their sacraments to tame his supposedly violent nature.
The only rule he hiding that he’s trans. If that fact is discovered, Temo will face El Torneo, a brutal, fight-to-the-death game pitting the untamed against one another. No Afuereño who enters El Torneo ever escapes with their life.
But when Temo’s boyfriend is unexpectedly arrested and thrown into the deadly tournament, he’ll do anything to rescue Ollin from his gruesome fate, even if it means entering El Torneo himself.
Only there's far more to this tournament than meets the eye—survival is just the beginning. When the cost of saving the one he loves the most might be higher than he ever imagined, is Temo willing to pay it?
Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 22, 2026
About the author
Sonora Reyes
8 books1,498 followersAuthor also writes under Sonido Reyes
Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes writes fiction full of queer and Latine characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories.
Outside of writing, Sonora loves breaking their body and vocal chords by playing with their baby niblings, and dancing/singing karaoke at the same time.
Born and raised in Arizona, Sonora Reyes writes fiction full of queer and Latine characters in a variety of genres, with current projects in both kidlit and adult categories.
Outside of writing, Sonora loves breaking their body and vocal chords by playing with their baby niblings, and dancing/singing karaoke at the same time.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Entering To Our Untamed Core by Sonido Reyes feels like stepping directly into a fighting arena. This high-stakes, brutal gauntlet of a novel demands your full attention from the opening moves.
Reyes pulls no punches. The religious trauma is visceral and unavoidable. Had I not read the content warnings beforehand, I might’ve tapped out in the first few pages. While the prose is highly accessible, the level of violence hits hard and might overwhelm younger readers.
Once you’re in, the world-building is spectacular. Comparisons to The Hunger Games and The Sunbearer Trials are apt, but Reyes has engineered a completely unique battlefield. The story skillfully blends sci-fi and alt-history, using the Afuereños to represent real-world civilizations fractured by Spanish colonization. Reading a sci-fi/fantasy story rooted in Mexican and Central American lore is deeply refreshing, especially with El Centro standing in as the villainous European colonizers.
The battles our characters face start well before El Torneo actually begins. Temo’s struggle to shed his religious programming and the terror of hiding his true identity from a hostile regime hit incredibly close to home. And Reyes ensures their trans-masc protagonist commands the spotlight. Seeing Temo serve as the central love interest for two rivals, Ollin and Socoyote, is a massive victory for queer storytelling. He’s the champion of his own narrative, securing the center stage he deserves.
To Our Untamed Core is a ferocious fight for identity and survival. With its unflinching exploration of religious trauma, spectacular world-building, and a trans-masc protagonist who fiercely commands his own narrative, Reyes walks away with another triumphant win.
Reyes pulls no punches. The religious trauma is visceral and unavoidable. Had I not read the content warnings beforehand, I might’ve tapped out in the first few pages. While the prose is highly accessible, the level of violence hits hard and might overwhelm younger readers.
Once you’re in, the world-building is spectacular. Comparisons to The Hunger Games and The Sunbearer Trials are apt, but Reyes has engineered a completely unique battlefield. The story skillfully blends sci-fi and alt-history, using the Afuereños to represent real-world civilizations fractured by Spanish colonization. Reading a sci-fi/fantasy story rooted in Mexican and Central American lore is deeply refreshing, especially with El Centro standing in as the villainous European colonizers.
The battles our characters face start well before El Torneo actually begins. Temo’s struggle to shed his religious programming and the terror of hiding his true identity from a hostile regime hit incredibly close to home. And Reyes ensures their trans-masc protagonist commands the spotlight. Seeing Temo serve as the central love interest for two rivals, Ollin and Socoyote, is a massive victory for queer storytelling. He’s the champion of his own narrative, securing the center stage he deserves.
To Our Untamed Core is a ferocious fight for identity and survival. With its unflinching exploration of religious trauma, spectacular world-building, and a trans-masc protagonist who fiercely commands his own narrative, Reyes walks away with another triumphant win.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Action-packed and thoughtfully chilling, To Our Untamed Core was an unflinching and heartfelt examination of colonial violence and the rebellion it necessitates.
As always, Reyes' character work is stunning and sincere. There is a broad cast, but they are all distinctive and beautifully fleshed out. Athziri in particular has my whole heart. The world building was also a triumph. The Afuereños, El Centro, the conceit of Spanish colonisation and religious abuse was executed with thoughtfulness and precision.
Some elements of the story felt unfulfilled, and I left wishing this were a duology. The plot's reliance on miscommunication and constantly shifting POVs were tiring. The pacing was generally solid, but weirdly rushed near the end. Reyes is cooking with some potent ingredients, and I feel they would have been better served with another book's worth of simmering.
If you are looking for a fast-paced YA dystopian with themes of anti-colonialism and a fabulous cast of characters, you are in the right place.
As always, Reyes' character work is stunning and sincere. There is a broad cast, but they are all distinctive and beautifully fleshed out. Athziri in particular has my whole heart. The world building was also a triumph. The Afuereños, El Centro, the conceit of Spanish colonisation and religious abuse was executed with thoughtfulness and precision.
Some elements of the story felt unfulfilled, and I left wishing this were a duology. The plot's reliance on miscommunication and constantly shifting POVs were tiring. The pacing was generally solid, but weirdly rushed near the end. Reyes is cooking with some potent ingredients, and I feel they would have been better served with another book's worth of simmering.
If you are looking for a fast-paced YA dystopian with themes of anti-colonialism and a fabulous cast of characters, you are in the right place.
June 19, 2026
The beautiful: Reyes has a magical ability and talent when it comes to stirring feelings and creating relationships. Love. Found familia. Queer joy and queer wrongs 😂 as well as the Mexican sazón 🤌 love the multiple POVs. While lots of people are met in a short amount of time the characters building is on point! Need an Adult HEA online pls 😝
The representation: LOVE having a trans mmc 🫶 did feel like fluff in a sense where only a person in power is unsupportive-ish but high key we get enough BS in real life I feel like this is justified 🥰 plus the beautiful names and their strong personalities 🙌
The ugly?: In a way, I feel like you almost *have* to have read The Huger Games prior to reading this. Which thankfully, I feel like the majority of the people interested in this world, would have. Some situations felt like they barely touched surface. I agree having this be more of a duology would allow the reader to connect with characters deeper 👀 I have read all of Reyes’s novels and I just wish we had more time to fully go on the ride together 💗
The representation: LOVE having a trans mmc 🫶 did feel like fluff in a sense where only a person in power is unsupportive-ish but high key we get enough BS in real life I feel like this is justified 🥰 plus the beautiful names and their strong personalities 🙌
The ugly?: In a way, I feel like you almost *have* to have read The Huger Games prior to reading this. Which thankfully, I feel like the majority of the people interested in this world, would have. Some situations felt like they barely touched surface. I agree having this be more of a duology would allow the reader to connect with characters deeper 👀 I have read all of Reyes’s novels and I just wish we had more time to fully go on the ride together 💗
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This was, simply, awesome. "Chain Gang All Stars" meets "Hunger Games" meets "The Sunbearer Trials" meets the beautiful, thoughtful, fun writing of Sonido Reyes. Every character was developed so well I can't believe it. How Reyes can create such a complex world and characters with that much action happening is truly a feat. The care Reyes gave to Athiziri?? Don't get me started; I love that girl and I loved how she was cared for. As a Librarian this is such an easy recommendation for me. There is so much for anyone to enjoy.
I do think this will get compared too much to the Hunger Games, and while I understand it and I even compared it at the beginning, I want to stress that this book is so much more!
I do think this will get compared too much to the Hunger Games, and while I understand it and I even compared it at the beginning, I want to stress that this book is so much more!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This book was incredible and compelling; I couldn't stop reading and was STRESSED the entire time. It's action-packed, emotional, and inclusive. I loved how we saw so many point of views, you get every side of this story, which makes it fully engaging, offers so much depth, and ups the stakes. You can't help rooting for Temo, Socoyote, Athziri, and Ollin as they deal with trauma, turbulence, family, and impossible odds. It's powerful, and the entire time I wasn't sure how it was going to end. The comparison to Hunger Games and Sunbearer Trials is legit, while being something wholly new. I love seeing Sonido in science-fiction and I can't wait to see more!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Sonido Reyes, the storyteller you are!
Reyes is an auto-read author for me. Anything he writes, I’m going to read. So when I saw To Our Untamed Core was pitched as The Hunger Games (fave) meets The Sunbearer Trials (fave), I already knew this was going to become of my favorite books of 2026, and Reyes DID NOT DISAPPOINT!
Temo, growing up knowing that he will someday be thrown into the fight-to-the death that is El Torneo when it is discovered that he is trans, ends up escaping his fate only to join El Torneo anyway when his boyfriend Ollin is taken instead. He’s determined to save the ones he loves from their fated end. But everything he thinks he knows is shaken after a shocking betrayal!
Reyes is an auto-read author for me. Anything he writes, I’m going to read. So when I saw To Our Untamed Core was pitched as The Hunger Games (fave) meets The Sunbearer Trials (fave), I already knew this was going to become of my favorite books of 2026, and Reyes DID NOT DISAPPOINT!
Temo, growing up knowing that he will someday be thrown into the fight-to-the death that is El Torneo when it is discovered that he is trans, ends up escaping his fate only to join El Torneo anyway when his boyfriend Ollin is taken instead. He’s determined to save the ones he loves from their fated end. But everything he thinks he knows is shaken after a shocking betrayal!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Fierce, devastating, and achingly hopeful. "To Our Untamed Core" is a breathtaking rebellion story about love in all its forms and the brutal systems built to crush it. Sonido Reyes crafts a world of religious terror, stolen histories, and impossible choices, then fills it with characters so vivid and vulnerable you cannot help but fight beside them. A stunning, unforgettable fantasy about what survives when everything else is taken away.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was absolutely everything a YA dystopian should be. Both tender and brutal, it doesn't shy away from the horrors of colonization, and how much it rips away from people. But it also doesn't shy away from hope, and from the understanding humans can offer, and the love that can still be found. It's brilliant.
Review of advance copy
This was a bit of a mess for me. Still an enjoyable read, I really liked the representation & the love triangle(!!!) but I just feel like the villain was lacking in depth, half the plot was because of miscommunication, and there’s a lot of threads with no closure. I really like this author but just wanted more from this.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
2.5 stars rounded up to 3. I think there were a lot of loose ends that needed to still be tied up. This story is so rich and has so much actual history involved it would have benefitted heavily if it was either longer or split into a second book. Overall this was a great first attempt at a new genre change by Sonido! I'm excited to see more books from them.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Look for my full review in School Library Journal.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews