Rektok Ross has written many books, but did you know that isn’t the Author’s real name? Rektok Ross’ name is actually Liani Gwen Kotcher and she used to be a trial attorney (at least that’s what linkedin says)

Salem’s Rise was a highlighted book on Netgalley and because it’s October and Halloween is this month, the title sounded nice but the description was even better. I didn’t get the book through Netgalley but through the authors assistant.

What would you do if your brother, who was attending Salem’s Fall Uni, disappeared almost a year ago on Halloween and no one is bothered with finding him or telling what actually happened? You attend as soon as the new school year starts! If no one is willing to speak up, you’ll find out what happened yourself.

With almost no money to her name the only room she could afford was housed in the building where all the poor students resided, but at least she had a roof over her head so, how bad could it be? The only thing she’s here for is finding out what happened to her brother. He was given a scholarship because he made a game that got quite popular and was still adding levels when he disappeared.

The kids of the three most influential families of Salem’s fall attend school to; Val Hawthorn, Rowan Ashcroft and Silas Blackhollow. Jack knows her brother was friends with Silas but he hasn’t replied to any of the emails she’s sent out to him, she wants to know why. Letting the trio know she’s here to find answers wasn’t the best idea though, they let her know that people that ask to many questions or stick their nose where they don’t belong tend to vanish.

Jack is foolhardy though, not giving up on her brother, not even when she get’s taken and mutilated does she let go of this. One of the three boys seem to be drawn to her, hanging around Jack and following her like a sad puppy that is in need of attention. When Jack finds a secret message from her brother about The Veil is when the questions really start flowing and with that, her live is in more danger than before.

On Halloween, Jack has been invited to attend a ball – when after a couple of hours she sees her friends have left without saying goodbye but Rowan is still standing she asks where everyone went, only to be told to go home, sleep it of and stop asking questions, but of course Jack can’t let it go, it’s been exactly a year since her brother went missing so, she’s demanding answers – Rowan takes her to a ceremony, little did she know that stepping over some kind of barrier means forfeiting her live.

Every 50 years a ceremony takes place that give the houses an opportunity to enter in trails, surviving and winning these trials means that you get to rule over Salem’s Fall – you can’t talk to non-members about it though. Jack enters the trails because the only alternative is death – is this what happened to her brother? Did he stumble upon a ceremony and with that had to forfeit his live?

The trials are hard – but one thing Jack learns rather quickly is to not trust anyone and that if you don’t partner with someone she’ll likely lose. What the trails entail? Who survives and who doesn’t? And who are part of this society? You’ll have to read for yourself.

I’m giving this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ stars because I really did enjoy reading this.