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There’s no viable chance for escape into the Wasteland with a young girl, and no mercy for those who stay in Salem.

What if Dr. David Pilcher lied to the people of Wayward Pines?

What if there were other survivors?

Dr. Pilcher decides that a group of potential candidates for Wayward Pines will create problems because they put their faith and trust in God—not in his Seven Rules. He plans to terminate them, but his sister, Pam, demands that she be given these good people for her own similar project in Salem, Massachusetts. But will Pam’s well-intended plan for the faithful flock of Salem be able to overcome the dark legacy of Wayward Pines?

When the High Executioner of Salem is killed by lightning, the town’s new executioner must be chosen by lottery. Josiah Shaw is chosen as the new executioner, and soon, his daughter, Cassie, is accused of witchcraft, which is punishable by death.

An expert salvager, Josiah knows what’s outside the town’s high walls—the Flesh Eaters. Inside the walls, the people in charge run their oppressive regime with an iron fist. There’s no viable chance for escape into the Wasteland with a young girl, and no mercy for those who stay in Salem, trapped by their fear and indoctrination. Now, with just hours until he must execute Cassie, the clock is ticking for Josiah to take drastic action that could put him in the same position as his beloved daughter.

And then, the tables are turned on Josiah when Cassie begins to come into her own—she’s got secrets. Terrible secrets.

Can Cassie survive her witch trial? Can Josiah deal with his growing horror that his daughter may actually be a witch? Will Josiah and Cassie make a stand in Salem, or will they flee and take their chances with the cannibal aberrations that live outside Salem’s walls?

About Eve Paludan:

SALEM’S LOTTERY is Eve Paludan’s first novella in her own Wayward Witches series, set within the Wayward Pines Kindle World. Two more novellas are planned for Wayward Witches. SALEM’S LOTTERY is her third Kindle Worlds title.

Eve Paludan has published more than thirty other titles, including the Kindle Worlds bestsellers, VAMPIRE FOR HIRE: WOLF MOON, and (as co-author) THE ABNORM CHRONICLES: GLIMMER. 

Review by Douglas C. Meeks:

I am not sure what I was expecting here but it was not this, a second outpost of humanity in the world of Wayward Pines.

If you have not read the books nor seen the miniseries you might not be as familiar with this world as I was and I am not a hundred percent sure how much you really need to be to enjoy this story.

The story pretty much revolves around Josiah Shaw and his daughter Cassie but covers a much wider spectrum. It takes place in a dystopian future and things move pretty fast considering the short length of this novella.

There were a couple of things that are personal points of contention with me as a reviewer. Using a religious order as the whipping boy is overdone and I see it more and more (in all fairness the “religious order” referred to in this book is a non-existent one to the best of my knowledge), add to the fact that some people will not read this great story for that reason alone.

The next is that “climate change” has become almost a political argument and left the scientific realm and when you bring it up as a “reason” for humanity’s demise is smacks of politics no matter if the author meant for it to or not (politics in my entertainment is a quick DNF for me, this is not that heavy handed)

Bottom Line: This is a great story. The shortness of it almost makes it a serial but not quite. The two main characters are likable and noble for the most part although Josiah gets a bit whiny on the last couple of pages.