Zita's Revenge

Book excerpt: High school junior, Erik Anderson, and his friend Alpherge, find themselves stranded on the distant planet of Aloheno, desperate to find a way home. They soon discover that the only way off the planet is to rescue the stone warriors, ancient guardians who have been imprisoned by the malevolent tyrant Haskell, the Mountain King. To do so, the boys must find the legendary golden crown, a powerful artifact that holds the key to unlocking the stone warriors' prison. But Zita will stop at nothing to prevent them from succeeding, and will do whatever it takes to exact her revenge on the boys. As they journey through the treacherous landscape of Aloheno, Erik and Alpherge are aided by the wise and mysterious Gadiel, a mentor to Zita's father who possesses ancient knowledge and powerful magic. But as they draw closer to the golden crown, they must also confront their own inner demons and navigate the complicated feelings that have formed between Zita and Erik. Will they be able to capture the golden crown, or will Zita's vengeful plans come to fruition?