The Well of Sacrifice

By Chris Eboch

Book Overview

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 tosave 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.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395903742
• ISBN13: 9780395903742
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.8"
• Age Range: 10 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 5 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great Book!

My 10 year old daughter says, “I give this book a 5 star rating because you will always be surprised each chapter. I don’t usually like reading non-comic style books but I loved this book. I was always excited to read the next chapter, and I sometimes wanted to read more than one chapter per day. My favorite character was Small because he was well-written.”

Captivating book!

Eveningstar Macaw lives in an ancient Mayan city, where high priests and kings are the ultimate rulers. She helps her mother get herbs from the jungle for her mother is a healer. Eveningstar knows the jungle inside-out. One day she comes upon a group of 'savages' who are enemies of the Mayans. She immediately warns everyone in the city. The savages are caught and some are kept for sacrifice while the others are kept as slaves for the noblemen. Eveningstar met a savage boy in the jungle and named him Small. Evening Star's family took him in as a servant. Eveningstar's oldest brother, Smokeshell is met with much honor after the capturing of the savages for he helps capture them. When the old King Flint Sky god dies,the evil High Priest, Great Skull Zero is left to rule. Great Skull Zero does not want anyone to threaten his spot on the throne, so he calls out a list of men who will be thrown into the Well of Sacrifice. All of these men are noblemen, and are soldiers who are highly respected. Among the chosen men are Smokeshell and Feather Dawn's fiance.(Feather Dawn is Eveningstar's snotty and headstrong sister) Eveningstar quickly figures that Great Skull Zero is only having those soldiers killed for his own greed, and not for the Gods. From there the story takes a great leap from peaceful to dangerous and suspense-filled. Excellent book!

Fast-paced and Exiting

When the king of the great Mayan city dies, the high-priest starts sacrificing anyone who stands in his way of being the most powerful man in the city. Only Eveningstar, a Mayan girl, has the courage to stand up to the evil high-priest and save her city. "The Well of Sacrifice" is a fast-paced, exiting book filled with adventure, and is a great way to learn about the ancient Maya. There are many interesting plot twists. This book is also fun to read, and the words flow nicely. I would reccomend "The Well of Sacrifice" to almost anyone.

The Well of Sacrefice

When I was in 6th grade my teacher was reading us "The Well of Sacrefice". It started like any other book but then it started to get better and better until it was like no other. I was never really intrested in stuff past the Revolutionary War but after this book I have been reading on the Mayans every chance I get. We would be in class, and the teacher would stop so we could go for a recess but we would rather give up are recess then stop reading. I enjoyed this book a lot and that is why I am making my voice heard. Sydni

A wonderful read

I had the good fortune of reading a final draft of this book. It set a gripping story in a well-researched, utterly convincing setting. The heroine is likable and believable. I recommend it highly.

Great!

This riveting story tells of Eveningstar Macaw, a Mayan girl in the ninth century. While Eveningstar is in the jungle, she sees the Maya's enemies, the Savages. (Her relationship with one of them, Small-Shield, blossoms into a love.) She runs to her brother, a warrior, and he captures them. Later the city begins to fall to ruin under the rule of Great Skull Zero, the high priest. He sacrifices her beloved brother. When Eveningstar resists, he captures. She must find courage to save her city, her family, and herself from Great Skull Zero.