The Last Messenger of Zitol

Rishi lives on a peaceful island until raiders steal her away to the jungle city of Zitól, where she is chosen as the Messenger—destined to be thrown into a sacred well as a sacrifice. Locked in a tower, she strikes an unlikely bargain with Nadal, the city's masked, manipulated heir, teaching him to read in exchange for food and hope. As truth dawns, the two must find the courage to overturn a society built on fear, sacrifice, and lies.

• Opens with a villain-narrator confessing 'I am not a good person'—then insists the heroine 'had to die,' hooking readers with a promise he ultimately breaks.
• A slow-burn clean romance built on reading lessons: the girl teaches the future king to read, and knowledge changes his heart.
• Lush Aztec/Maya-inspired world of pyramids, ball courts, and cenote sacrifices—rare and vivid for the clean-fiction shelf.
• A powerful allegory of virtue, agency, and self-mastery that LDS parents can hand to teens without worry.

“Which is exactly why she had to die.”

Perfect for a teen (especially a Latter-day Saint girl) who loves clean fantasy adventure with a strong heroine, a slow-burn romance, and a message about virtue and courage.