The Night of the Flowered Dagger by Brenna Rios

Betrayed and condemned to a sacrificial death, disgraced warrior Tonatiuh plunges into the Aztec underworld of Mictlan—a realm of obsidian halls, blood rivers, and vengeful spirits. He escapes the corrupt priests who sentenced him, only to find a new, terrifying threat rising in the shadowed depths.  A banished god, Xipe Totec, the Flayed One, plots to usurp the pantheon and unleash chaos upon both the living and the dead.

Driven by a thirst for vengeance, Tonatiuh navigates this treacherous labyrinth, the whispers of the dead a constant torment. His only ally is Izel, a former slave whose spirit remains unbroken despite the horrors she has endured. Her knowledge of Mictlan’s hidden pathways and the whispers of forgotten gods proves invaluable, but her own mysterious past hides secrets that could unravel their fragile alliance.

Together, they face spectral jaguars, treacherous landscapes, and the wrath of Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacihuatl, the formidable Lord and Lady of the Underworld. As they delve deeper into the heart of Xipe Totec's conspiracy, Tonatiuh must confront not only the horrors of Mictlan but also the shame of his past.  His desire for revenge wars with a growing sense of responsibility—protect the realms or succumb to his rage?

With the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance, Tonatiuh must choose his destiny. Will he become the hero Mictlan needs or remain consumed by the shadows of his past?  Enter the world of *The Night of the Flowered Dagger*, where Aztec mythology collides with dark fantasy in a breathtaking tale of betrayal, redemption, and the eternal struggle against overwhelming odds.