The Thin Executioner

The Thin Executioner is the first book written by Darren Shan not to be part of a series.

Plot
Jebel is the third son of a respected executioner. His father has told the village that his two older sons will battle to see who will have the honor of succeeding him - poor, thin Jebel is left out. He decides to go on a perilous quest to petition the fire god for invincibility and hopefully return to his village a hero.

Behind the Scenes
Darren Shan was inspired by The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and many similarities can be found in the book to that.