The Path to the Sun — Kimberli A. Bindschatel

You do not question The Way. Every Toran knows this, even Kiran, a lowly orphan. But at age sixteen, he's still tormented by doubt. So when he and six other teens embark on a quest to save their drought-stricken village, for Kiran, it's a chance to seek the truth. With only an ancient scroll to guide them, they must navigate a world of shamans and witches, headhunters and slave traders, as they journey across flatlands rife with wind demons, raft a river whose spirit rages in a fury of whitewater, and cut through a jungle inhabited by cannibals, all the while evading the demon Mawghuls that lurk in every dark crevice. Lost and facing starvation, Kiran must decide whether to remain faithful to The Way or trust in the wisdom of the so-called heathen savages to survive. His revelation forces him to question everything he was taught to believe. For, in the quest for truth, one must ask: what is truth?