Beneath the Sacred Well

by Rocio Carranza

What is history but blood and gossip?

In 1929, Luz Gomez, a museum assistant, joins a group of researchers deep within the jungles of a post-war Yucatán. The region is rife with archaeologists, scholars, and treasure hunters all searching for artifacts, gold, or anything to fill their pockets.

Embarking upon an adventure of lifetime to discover secrets buried within the ancient soil, Luz finds more than she bargained for in the dark, mysterious eyes of a hired guide who promises to show them a lost city filled with treasures beyond their wildest dreams.

But soon Luz realizes that some places are not meant to be found when they awaken an ancient being set upon enacting his centuries-long revenge...one life at a time.

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 2, 2026

About the author

Rocio Carranza is the international bestselling author of Blood of the Blackthorn and the rest of The Eternal Curse trilogy which includes Flame in the Silver Storm and Wrath of the Cursed Witch. Other works include historical fantasy romance, Beneath the Sacred Well (releasing June 2nd), horror collection My Dreams Come True, and short stories Lana Lang, and Miss Reliable.
Rocio is one half of the Chat You Up podcast where she and her co-host discuss sisterhood, fashion, pop culture, dating, and lifestyle.
When she isn’t typing frivolously at her computer, you can find Rocio gallivanting
about Austin, TX with her husband and two kids or with her nose in at least five different books she likes to read at a time.

Curious to know more?
You can find Rocio on social media on IG/Threads/TT @rociocarranzawrites and Bluesky @rociocarranza.

Reviews

[Nicolle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this! Historical fiction is not a genre I usually read at all, but considering that I enjoy Rocio Carranza’s writing and that I got a copy for being on her street team— I had to check it out. It was so fun and adventurous, and the Yucatán vibes felt perfect for summer!! Fans of The Mummy and Indiana Jones will feel right at home!
•
I received an eARC from the author as a part of her street team

[Margeaux (meg_booklover7) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ This novella packs so much story, excitement and adventure in just 185 pages! Reading it felt like watching a convergence of an Indiana Jones movie and The Mummy. I loved the historical context laid out that also established a lot of cultural elements for the novel. And then, there’s this little romance that gives the narrative a little more heart. And at the end, you get the understanding that this is also a commentary on modern hubris and capitalism that fails to recognize the value of ancient beliefs and traditions.

While mostly told in dual POV, there are a couple of chapters from the perspective of side characters which was a great way to enter the story and meet our main characters. Luz is a student of archaeology who works as an assistant for a museum curator. Camilo is a con artist who gets roped in by an ancient group of guardians to help protect a sacred but terrifying Mayan secret. Both meet when Luz joins a team who is seeking a treasure and temple in the jungles of the Yucatan when Camilo and company are hired as guides. What should have just been a treasure-seeking trip turns into a nightmare when the secret is found and the temple disturbed.

If you loved The Mummy (ala Brendan Fraser), you will absolutely enjoy Beneath the Sacred Well.

[Zaylie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great novella with my only complaint being that I wish it were longer. It's the perfect mix of Indiana Jones-style adventure, fantasy, and romance. Definitely a hidden gem

[Mariska Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a book designer I have the privilege to get the first glance at a manuscript after formatting it. And boy, did I enjoy the privilege this time around 😌

This book was exactly what I needed. A quick pick me up, with a pace that kept me hooked, and a perfect dash of romance. The little mythology nerd in me was also very happy. because we don't get enough Mayan lore by a long shot.

I will be binging the mummy & Indiana Jones movies after this as well, because it perfectly put me in the mood 👏🏻

Thanks Rocio!

[Judy Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a major fan of The Mummy series, I had to pick up this book, and it did not disappoint! It was exactly what I hoped it would be and more, especially with its references to a very real and amazing museum in San Antonio.

Beneath the Sacred Well is a story of a woman trying to carve out space for herself in a world dominated by men, of adventure, and Mexican history, and Mayan mythology. I personally don't know much about Mayan mythology nor Mexican history, so I really appreciated the historical perspective here and loved learning about it through a fast-paced adventure.

The climax scene with, you guessed it, the mummy, was dread-filled and bone-chillingly creepy - I loved it!

Rocio created an action-packed story with a lot of undertones on colonialism and treasure-hunting. Highly recommend!

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is such a great quick read! I’ve always wanted to read something in the same genre of Indiana Jones, so it was an instant save when I spotted this one on Instagram. Initially, I was a little intimidated by the amount of research the author discussed early on and whether I would have been able to keep up with the lore/ancient history. But once I got past the authors note, the story was written in a pretty digestible way and I was able to understand the plot. Overall, I think it’s a nice beach read, engaging but doesn’t require your full concentration. My only suggestion would be maybe the romantic side plot. I understand that this is a novella and there isn’t a lot of time to fully develop character relationships, but I would have appreciated a little more chemistry/interaction.

[Arien Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for giving me an ARC of this novella.

My favorite line:
“Don’t give your life for men who wouldn’t blink twice over your corpse.”

This book packed so much adventure into an easy read. It gave me the same vibes as the Mummy but set in the Yucatán. It has a mix of Mayan, Aztec and other folklore weaved into a thrilling narrative that kept me guessing through the last half of the book. I love to promote books that are outside of western cultures and this is one of those I’d recommend!

There are 3 POVs and the author does a great job at listing trigger warnings. I will be adding the authors other books to my TBR.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gorgeous book. I loved that it was short, but I could easily read hundreds more pages of this! The author delivers a really well-done short novel with the authentic feel of "the mummy" that many try to replicate but often fall short of. Very original story, the spooky element is something I would've loved to read more about as it was so imaginative that I got spooked lol, but it was done so well for its length that I'm only wishing for more, not needing it. I would've loved a clearer ending with Camillo and more about their life, but what can you do! It was great, and this author has a promising future in historical fantasy.

[Rocio Carranza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hi! I am the author of Beneath the Sacred Well. I hope you enjoy this novella as much as I did writing it. This story is very much The Mummy meets Zorro in 1920s Yucatán. There is action, adventure, love, and of course, an ancient being set upon enacting its centuries-long wrath upon the world.

Normal stuff.

Happy Reading!

[Karidad Ramirez]

"The Mummy" vibes

This short novella wraps you up in an adventure for a lost city and the mystery surrounding it. It's short, it's fun, it has a dash of romance and those gruesome scenes that Rocio is well known for evoking in her stories.

If you are searching for a quick read about treasure hunters, mysterious entities and a post-war Yucatán setting, this is for you.

[J. M. Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely Mummy meets Zorro as the author had previously mentioned. I love historical fiction and I enjoyed the Yucatán 1920s setting. It is a novella, so it makes sense that there wasn’t much time to lean into the romance story line. It would be fun to read another of Luz and Camilo’s adventures so we could get a deeper view of their romance.

[Lizz Kitchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this as much as I thought I would. It’s obvious there were a lot of elements sacrificed due to the shorter novella format, but there were times I felt the prose was written in a confusing way as well. I enjoyed the premise of the story, and it gave spooky/thriller vibes but did not excel in execution for me.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need more!

This was an incredible piece of work. If you loved The Mummy or Indiana Jones, this is the story for you. I’m so incredibly sad it’s a novella because I needed more. So much more. Its small stature packs one of the biggest action packed suspenseful punches that I’ve seen. This author is incredible at descriptive imagery. Not only did you feel like there was a camera in front of these characters during the apprehensive scenes, the word choice gave me chills at times because there was definitely an element of horror hovering over this story. Especially near the end during the climax. Although this is categorized as a romance, it’s definitely a sub plot which I appreciated because there’s so much happening in this adventure. The backstory for Camilo reminded me of a video game; like Uncharted. The whole legend and the intrigue roped me in from the first chapters. I seriously hope the author considers rewriting this to create a full length novel. I would buy it in a heartbeat, even though I know what happens. I’m going to explore from this author because her writing style is captivating!