The Well of Sacrifice

by Chris Eboch, Bryn Barnard (Illustrator)

Eveningstar Macaw lives in a glorious Mayan city in the ninth century. When the king falls ill and dies, the city begins to crumble. An evil high priest, Great Skull Zero, orders the sacrifice of those who might become king, including Eveningstar's beloved brother. Suspicious of the High Priest's motives, Eveningstar attempts to save her brother, thus becoming an acknowledged enemy of the High Priest. Condemned to be thrown into the Well of Sacrifice, Eveningstar must find a way not only to save her own life but to rescue her family and her city from the tyrannical grasp of Great Skull Zero. Set against the vivid background of everyday life at the height of the Mayan golden age and illustrated with striking black-and-white paintings, Eveningstar's candid, gripping, and not-for-the-faint-of-heart account of the last days of a great city will have readers at the edge of their seats. Afterword.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, School, Young Adult, Historical, Medieval, Childrens

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Chris Eboch writes a variety of genres for all ages. Advanced Plotting helps writers identify and fix plot weaknesses.

The Genie’s Gift is a lighthearted action novel. Shy Anise seeks the Genie Shakayak to claim the Gift of Sweet Speech. How will she get past a vicious she-ghoul, a sorceress who turns people to stone, and mysterious sea monsters, when she can’t even speak in front of strangers?

The Eyes of Pharaoh is a mystery set in ancient Egypt. This story of drama and intrigue brings an ancient world to life as three friends investigate a plot against the Pharaoh.

In The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power.

Read excerpts at www.chriseboch.com.

Other books by Chris Eboch include the Haunted series for ages 8-12, which follows a brother and sister who travel with their parents’ ghost hunter TV show. They try to help the ghosts, while keeping their activities secret from meddling grownups. In The Ghost on the Stairs, an 1880s ghost bride haunts a Colorado hotel, waiting for her missing husband to return. The Riverboat Phantom features a steamboat pilot still trying to prevent a long-ago disaster. In The Knight in the Shadows, a Renaissance French squire protects a sword on display at a New York City museum. During The Ghost Miner’s Treasure (2012), Jon and Tania help a dead man find his lost gold mine—but they’re not the only ones looking for it.

Jesse Owens: Young Record Breaker and Milton Hershey: Young Chocolatier are inspirational biographies in Simon & Schuster’s Childhood of Famous Americans series, written under the name M.M. Eboch.

Ms. Eboch also writes for adults as Kris Bock. Kris Bock novels are suspense and romance involving outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. . Counterfeits starts a new series about stolen Rembrandt paintings that may be hidden in a small New Mexico art camp. Whispers in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest ruins. What We Found is a suspense with romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in the woods. Rattled follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. Read excerpts at www.krisbock.com

Reviews

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well here's another one I couldn't put down! Eboch has obviously done a lot of research here into Mayan culture at its height. At times, especially in the beginning, it read like a treatise on the Maya rather than a story, but it was fascinating to me nonetheless. I loved the main character, Eveningstar Macaw. The story really got going around the middle, and got very suspenseful in the second half of the book, as Eveningstar Macaw kept getting foiled in her plans just as you thought she was going to succeed. It didn't end as I expected, but given the author's reason for writing the book (to explain why Mayan cities were mysteriously abandoned) it made sense. Few fiction for children has been written set in the time of the ancient Mayans, so I'm hoping she'll write more like The Well of Sacrifice. It stands along with Alida Sims Malkus' Newbery honor-winning Dark Star of Itza as one of my favorite novels on ancient Central American civilizations. Outstanding and highly recommended.

[Joanne Renaud · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I'd read this book when I was younger! This is a deeply impressive achievement. It's a dense, rich middle-grade novel with lots of action, adventure, a believable young female protagonist, with lots of believably dysfunctional family drama.

This is, BTW, dark as hell for a middle grade book. There is a LOT of death. There's gore, political intrigue, and even a smidgen of romance. The world is rich and fascinating, well researched, and it captures the imagination. There's not enough books set in the Mayan period! Anyway, I really, really wish this was the first of a series, because I really want to spend more time with these characters.

The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars is because the prose is not quite up to, say, Lloyd Alexander, but TBH I enjoyed this much more than my recent attempts to reread the Prydain Chronicles.

Highly recommended.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this with my 13yo son. We laughed in the beginning because of the many different names in the book, but we ended up loving the story. When we finished it, and I asked him how many stars to give the book, he said, "Is that even a question?! 5!"

[Goan B.]

Voor een kinderboek zitten er eigenlijk best wel heel erg veel mensenoffers in.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. A beautiful, historical fiction. Well researched and well written. Morgan is reading this for class. Once I started reading it I couldn't stop. The best part is its stein female lead character.

[Alex Colella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was originally looking for a nonfiction book about mayan culture, when i came across this book. I had just visited Mexico - even visiting a cenote like the well of sacrifice mentioned - So i was excited to learn more.

The writing felt pretty dry and factual to me, which i was fine with since i knew my original target book would have likely been very dry too. I felt the author spent great lengths of the book providing details about the setting, people, cultural stories, mayan mythology, explaining medicines and travel, which again is what i was looking for so i liked that. However, it read less like a story and more like a description of Mayan culture much of the time.

The plot read like a young adult novel, similar to the hunger games - very predictable. But - You can know the end and still enjoy the journey. The characters were somewhat one dimensional, maybe pigeon holed is the right word? I enjoyed some characters and relationships throughout the story such as the mother daughter, brother to wife, priest to hero, and slave to friend developments for sure as they brought a smile to my face. Yet there was a definite lack of complexity and voice in comparison to other fiction/nonfiction i have read and enjoyed like books of neil gaimon or richard feynman.

In summary, good information about general mayan culture. Plot was fun, albeit predictable, with a high action ending. I would recommend it to my 6th grade neice and she would love it.


TLDR: the writing wasn’t magical, the plot was decently predictable, but i still enjoyed it and learned a few things about mayan culture in a creative way.

[Bruddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book for an ESL class I teach for middle schoolers. The book was chosen more for its subject matter--Mayan culture and history--than anything else. I thought the story--set in the 9th century and narrated by a young girl whose family is threatened by an evil priest-- periodically became weighed down by overdone descriptions of Mayan culture and customs. The author obviously knows a good deal about the Maya; however, I don't think the story she tells is always accessible or suitable for young readers. For example, she gives a detailed description of the Mayan calendar which I found myself having to read through several times to understand. The narrative is often undercut by excessive detail, which to me would be better placed in a history of the Maya rather than a novel for young people.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. A nice YA novel that touches on all the major aspects of Mayan culture circa 900 AD - ball games, temples, weaving, calendar counting, cenotes, war, human sacrifice, bloodletting, slavery, festivals, social class strata, and so on. The author does not shy away from human sacrifice and bloodletting rituals, a key component of this culture, but handles them simply enough so as not to be gratuitous for young teen readers. She also describes the Tzolk'in calendar and shows how its divinatory aspects were applied to everyday Mayan life. She refrained from the Haab and Long Count calendars for simplicity's sake I am sure! In short, if you are looking for a short book that describes what ancient Mayan life was like, so far as we understand it, this is an excellent choice.

[Nina Salvati · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when I was a child and i loved it, now, in my early twenties , I can tell I still love it. The storyline is so interesting and Im in love with the setting! Maya culture is so interesting and I love that while reading this book I learned something that not even my teacher at University thought me.

The story is easy and short because it is a book for children but still it teaches so much about such an interesting culture that, unluckily, is completely gone.
Totally recommend it for children and adults both. And the illustrations are amazing! They give the right vibes for the setting.

[Emily G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating is based solely on this book’s influence on my life since I don’t actively remember the writing quality.

I remember reading it in 3rd grade. I loved it then, and it’s one of the books that really kickstarted my love of reading. But it also made me fascinated with the Maya and I wanted to be an archaeologist all the way through undergrad. Really the only reason I switched to geology was because I liked the career options better. All because I read a book that sparked my interest in ancient cultures 25 years ago.

[Maxine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evening star Macaw was a girl who ends up going on an unexpected adventure in this coming of age story about life as Mayan people. The Mayan people would make sacrifices to the gods so they would have favor on Earth. Things get tricky when the king dies and his assistant decides to take his power and proclaim himself as king by getting rid of everyone in his way. My 13 year old son reviewed this book .

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic

This book is a classic coming of age story that blends modern emotions of finding your place in the world with fictional history of a mayan girl. Well researched, this book is still a page turner filled with excitement for people of all ages.

[JJ Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was amazing, it was historically accurate, it had a strong female character, and it was full of heartbreak and humor. I read this book a few years ago, and I still remember it as one of the best book I've ever read.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading some of the bloody rituals in the beginning, my son and I weren’t too sure about this book, but I’m glad we stuck with it. We both ended up loving this story and enjoying the glimpse into 9th century Mayan life and culture. Such an inspiring and gripping book!

[Laurie Wheeler · Rating 2 out of 5]

Children's historical fiction that includes human sacrifice. My kids skipped those chapters as this was recommended in our curriculum when they were very young teenagers, not yet ready to grapple these topics.

[Jess Freeman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Latest family-read-aloud:
Chris Eboch's The Well of Sacrifice
w/ black & white painted illustrations by Bryn Barbard
For fans of:
- MG Historical Fiction
- Ancient Mayan Culture
- Brave Spunky FMCs
- Ritualistic Bloodletting & Sacrifice 😵
- Lots of Action & Adventure

[Sara Witt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for my daughters school.

[Izzy Obert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 3/4

[Harriet]

Stopped on p. 151/Ch 17 because it got scary!

[Owen James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Weird, but i had no choice! (It was a school book)

[B. Zucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty traditional "young adult" novel. What sets it apart is the window it provides into what it might have been like to live in Maya civilization at its height... And how it might have fallen.

[Micah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The plot is good. You can tell that the Author really researched into Mayan culture, the authors note is really informative.

[Ellie_the elephant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Personally, I enjoyed this book. It was a great read for school, or just even for pleasure. The only reason I gave it four stars, was that it slowed down a bit in the middle, then picked back up abruptly.
Which personally, I don’t really enjoy. But in conclusion, a good read.

[Jason Golomb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chris Bloch's "Well of Sacrifice" is a fictional anthropological tour of Maya life set during the tenth century just as the Maya civilization has peaked and the mighty Mesoamerican civilzation starts to crumble. This wonderful book, targeted at 6th grade and up, is strong in historical and cultural content and makes a terrific complement to an educational program, or in preparation for travel to the Yucatan or anywhere in Central America where the Maya had significant presence. Imbued with cultural context, Bloch's narrative makes the educational content fully engaging.

While Maya nobility and royalty play a key role in the story, the focus of Bloch's book is on the common people, specifically one young girl named Eveningstar Macaw, and how, through the will of her personality, changes this one Maya city. The Story is not action-filled until the last 40 pages or so, but it moves quickly and Evengstar is well-developed.

She's very respectful and religious, but not blindly so. She's free-thinking and logical, while also proscribing to her deep religious foundational beliefs (sacrifices and all).

Through Eveningstar, author Bloch takes the reader on a tour of Mayan society, and this what makes the book truly standout. We read about the Maya culture, religion, as well as their calendaring system. As Eveningstar finds her way through the difficulties of Mayan life, the reader learns about the society's professions, food, hobbies, trade, death rituals, medicinal and construction capabilities, and military. Bloch even builds a scene at a ball court, found at many Maya sites throughout Mesoamerica. The story concludes with a view into some of the climatological, military, religious and societal reasons as to why the Classic Maya age came to an end.

Bloch takes the archaeological-based realities of Maya life, and communicates it through a strong and simple narrative.

I enjoyed this book as an adult. It puts flesh on the bone of a people I know relatively little about. I'll ask my 11 and14 year olds to read it before we travel to the Yucatan and visit Chchen Itza and Tulum. 

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE WELL OF SACRIFICE by Chris
Eboch “We let the high priest destroy our now we are a city no more”(pg222)
Eveningstar is a brave girl in the ninth century that lives with the mayan people. Her brother Smoke Shell and sister Feather Dawn, mother, father and her slave small (also known as Shield).
THE WELL OF SACRIFICE BY Chris Eboch
When Evningstar goes to the forest to get some herbs for her mother’s medical service. She spots a couple of wild people one saw her move to a bush to hide. He got her and she saw his face he lets her go without telling his friends. Evningstar tells her big brother Smoke Shell he goes out to hunt them down he brings back prisoners one of themis the boy who let her go. She asked Smoke Shell to let him go with freedom that can not be possible. A few years later the king died then the high priest tries to become the king by killing every one who wants to be king.

[Hannah Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eveningstar Macwaw is a young vibrant teenager who is growing up around the time of the Mayan collapse. Her family has risen up in rank from lowly peasants to nobles, thanks to her brothers heroic deeds. However after the death of their beloved King Flint Sky God, their city is thrown into turmoil. An evil high priest seeks to have all the power for himself, and seeks the life Eveningstar and that of her brother. Can she stop this evil priest in time to save herself, her brother, and the city?

I really liked this book. Granted it will probably never make the list of great classics, but all in a really good book. This was the first book where I started really getting into the Mayan Civilization. I developed a great love for these ancient people and started really looking into their history and livelihood. Recomend this book highly. Good starter book for reluctant female readers.

[Austin Curtice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Well of Sacrifice by Chris Eboch is one of the few fiction books set in the Mayan Empire. The book was published in 1999 and was intended to give readers the feeling of what times were like when your whole empire was beginning to fall. The book is mainly written for 5-8 graders but can open up your imagination and can expand your view on this culture. The way Chris Eboch wrote the story makes it so the readers are drawn into it and can’t get out until finished with the story. While you read this wonderful, fast paced read, the author creates these characters that make you feel like you are actually in that time period. The unique details that Chris Eboch includes for each character defies all books and makes you want more and more. When you finish the book, you wonder what happened next and why it all happened.

[Lauryn · Rating 2 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*
Although seemingly juvenile, this book captured my imagination and transported me to a mysterious world of the past.
I have read a very small amount of books set in this time period, and I have to admit, I was very curious about how this book would portray things. It read as a middle-school book, but served as an good platform for further thinking and imagination about what life was really like for the Mayan people.
Was this book the greatest? No. But it wasn't horrible. The characters were likeable and the story decent, like any good middle school/YA novel. However, it was the mystery and enchantment of the unknown past that really had me hooked.

[Ciera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very graphic tale about a young girl named Eveningstar Macaw and her family. After the death of the king, the chief priest takes control and starts throwing innocent people into the well of sacrifice in honor of the gods...but Eveningstar begins to question his motives and looks into the case. In the end she must fight for what she believes in, deny the doings of the priest, risk her family's lives and face the well of sacrifice.

[Chris Eboch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirkus Reviews called The Well of Sacrifice, “[An:] engrossing first novel….Eboch crafts an exciting narrative with a richly textured depiction of ancient Mayan society….The novel shines not only for a faithful recreation of an unfamiliar, ancient world, but also for the introduction of a brave, likable and determined heroine.”