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Wyrdos Trilogy #1
These Shattered Spires
In a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition. A queer, gothic fantasy YA, perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and Gideon the Ninth.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.
Those yet to succumb to the curse of decay inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines – blood, bone, stone and botany.
The castle is thrown into chaos when the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their human familiars are forced to kill or be killed in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower. Familiars, both servants and sources of power to arcanists, are forbidden from even speaking. For them, the Slaughter means certain death.
When Nixie, a botanical familiar, learns that her fate can be avoided and the rotting curse of Fourspires lifted, she'll stop at nothing to save herself. But she must work with familiars from across the rival disciplines – not easy when one of them is her bone witch ex-girlfriend, Taro – find four magical curse keys and climb the deadly Fifth Tower. With just 48 hours until the Slaughter begins, Nixie and Taro must forge an unlikely alliance with rival familiars Alis and Elliot. Together, the four Wyrdos must battle re-animated skeletons, poisonous and possessed plants, un-dead nuns and the deadliest enemies of all; each other.
These Shattered Spires is the first instalment of the sensational and gloriously gothic Wyrdos Trilogy.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.
Those yet to succumb to the curse of decay inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines – blood, bone, stone and botany.
The castle is thrown into chaos when the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their human familiars are forced to kill or be killed in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower. Familiars, both servants and sources of power to arcanists, are forbidden from even speaking. For them, the Slaughter means certain death.
When Nixie, a botanical familiar, learns that her fate can be avoided and the rotting curse of Fourspires lifted, she'll stop at nothing to save herself. But she must work with familiars from across the rival disciplines – not easy when one of them is her bone witch ex-girlfriend, Taro – find four magical curse keys and climb the deadly Fifth Tower. With just 48 hours until the Slaughter begins, Nixie and Taro must forge an unlikely alliance with rival familiars Alis and Elliot. Together, the four Wyrdos must battle re-animated skeletons, poisonous and possessed plants, un-dead nuns and the deadliest enemies of all; each other.
These Shattered Spires is the first instalment of the sensational and gloriously gothic Wyrdos Trilogy.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 10, 2026
38 people are currently reading
7814 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
March 12, 2026
have never met a bunch of messier gays in my life
December 7, 2025
I know a lot of books comp Gideon The Ninth, but this genuinely felt like reading a YA version of it. It has queers that could not be more horrible, and yet so are incredibly endearing in their enduring of the suffering they face. The worldbuilding and plot are insane and do not care if you understand them. Just pure brilliance.
Did not finish
February 16, 2026DNF @ 73%
Yeah, I'm gonna call it quits. I thought that this would be fun and stupid, but it ended up being plain ol' stupid.
This feels like Temu Locked Tomb. There are so many petty fights between the characters due to childishness, this reads like Gossip Girl but make it dark fantasy. They're in a life or death situation, yet they're still arguing with each other and picking nonsensical fights.
And don't get me started on the miscommunication trope. If you're a huge fan of that, then check out this novel. I'm neither here nor there on this extremely hated trope, but my god. The author manages to stretch it to the moon and back. I can see why a good subset of readers hate this trope.
Such a cool premise and cool worldbuilding, but utterly destroyed by such inane characters.
Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this arc.
Yeah, I'm gonna call it quits. I thought that this would be fun and stupid, but it ended up being plain ol' stupid.
This feels like Temu Locked Tomb. There are so many petty fights between the characters due to childishness, this reads like Gossip Girl but make it dark fantasy. They're in a life or death situation, yet they're still arguing with each other and picking nonsensical fights.
And don't get me started on the miscommunication trope. If you're a huge fan of that, then check out this novel. I'm neither here nor there on this extremely hated trope, but my god. The author manages to stretch it to the moon and back. I can see why a good subset of readers hate this trope.
Such a cool premise and cool worldbuilding, but utterly destroyed by such inane characters.
Thank you to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this arc.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
#gifted from Bloomsbury Publishing, thank you!
These Shattered Spires is a debut and the first book in an exciting new series.
Centered around four familiars who are essentially human power banks for the lead Arcanists who every morning stop the apocalypse that would destroy the world. They must work together to stop a deadly tournament and get their freedom.
These characters are fantastic, everyone is gay and awful but you can't help but fall in love with them. There's a lot of world building in this book and it's well threaded into the story which hits the ground running. The countdown system was used really cleverly and added to the tension of the story.
This world feels expansive and I feel like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg, I'm excited to see where Cassidy takes this series because it's an impressive and ambitious debut.
These Shattered Spires is a debut and the first book in an exciting new series.
Centered around four familiars who are essentially human power banks for the lead Arcanists who every morning stop the apocalypse that would destroy the world. They must work together to stop a deadly tournament and get their freedom.
These characters are fantastic, everyone is gay and awful but you can't help but fall in love with them. There's a lot of world building in this book and it's well threaded into the story which hits the ground running. The countdown system was used really cleverly and added to the tension of the story.
This world feels expansive and I feel like we've only seen the tip of the iceberg, I'm excited to see where Cassidy takes this series because it's an impressive and ambitious debut.
Did not finish
February 5, 2026DNF at 11%
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. While the premise and plot sound really good, I am not a fan of the writing style at all. I didn’t enjoy the atmospheric writing, the vulgar childlike obscenities, and the overall use of similes/metaphors that just didn’t work for me. 🙃
All below quotes are based on the ARC copy.
“…casting it in shadow darker than an armpit.”
“…slowly melting like a Gothic ice lolly.”
“…moves like a skeleton with wet celery for feet.”
“I don’t know how you get your rocks off.”
There is also a “your mum’s ass” joke. 🙄
Suffice it to say, this is definitely me not enjoying the writing style. I don’t think this is a bad book at all and I’m sure it will find its audience. I just do not think that’s me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. While the premise and plot sound really good, I am not a fan of the writing style at all. I didn’t enjoy the atmospheric writing, the vulgar childlike obscenities, and the overall use of similes/metaphors that just didn’t work for me. 🙃
All below quotes are based on the ARC copy.
“…casting it in shadow darker than an armpit.”
“…slowly melting like a Gothic ice lolly.”
“…moves like a skeleton with wet celery for feet.”
“I don’t know how you get your rocks off.”
There is also a “your mum’s ass” joke. 🙄
Suffice it to say, this is definitely me not enjoying the writing style. I don’t think this is a bad book at all and I’m sure it will find its audience. I just do not think that’s me.
November 4, 2025
The world building in this book to stunning, the descriptions throughout the book of the fourspires and surrounding world is unlike anything I’ve ever read. It is a completely unique world from the sky of teeth to the melting walls and rotting ulcer in the basement. The description is so detailed you can imagine you are there inside the gory, creepy, gothic castle.
The introduction to the 5 spires and the main characters was a nice touch and incredibly useful. The accompanying illustrations are absolutely beautiful and continue throughout the book.
The magic system is incredibly unique, it’s made up of four disciplines stone, blood, bone and botany. Each discipline has a head arcanist that takes power from a familiar. Each morning they have to perform the suppression to stop the apocalypse.
The story follows four familiars one from each discipline Taro, Nixie, Elliot and Alis as they are forced to work together to prevent the slaughter. The slaughter is a competition between their arcanist to become the new head which will lead to most if not all of their deaths.
The relationships between these characters are complex, full of hate, love, longing and attraction. If there’s an emotion they feel it at one point or another.
The inner dialogue is hilarious, the characters are complex and have a complicated history we are yet to learn more about. I can’t wait for book two.
The book has great LGBTQIA+ representation and Handles dark themes well.
I haven’t been this excited about a book in a long time, I simultaneously didn’t want to put it down and wanted to make the reading experience last as long as possible.
Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury publishing and Cassidy Ellis Slater for my copy of the E-Arc.
The introduction to the 5 spires and the main characters was a nice touch and incredibly useful. The accompanying illustrations are absolutely beautiful and continue throughout the book.
The magic system is incredibly unique, it’s made up of four disciplines stone, blood, bone and botany. Each discipline has a head arcanist that takes power from a familiar. Each morning they have to perform the suppression to stop the apocalypse.
The story follows four familiars one from each discipline Taro, Nixie, Elliot and Alis as they are forced to work together to prevent the slaughter. The slaughter is a competition between their arcanist to become the new head which will lead to most if not all of their deaths.
The relationships between these characters are complex, full of hate, love, longing and attraction. If there’s an emotion they feel it at one point or another.
The inner dialogue is hilarious, the characters are complex and have a complicated history we are yet to learn more about. I can’t wait for book two.
The book has great LGBTQIA+ representation and Handles dark themes well.
I haven’t been this excited about a book in a long time, I simultaneously didn’t want to put it down and wanted to make the reading experience last as long as possible.
Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury publishing and Cassidy Ellis Slater for my copy of the E-Arc.
December 28, 2025
4.5! Truly chaos personified for every second and I loved it
Full review to come - thank you to Bloomsbury for providing an arc copy for my honest feedback
Full review to come - thank you to Bloomsbury for providing an arc copy for my honest feedback
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
3.5 rounded up. I loved the world building and the writing, and I'm frankly obsessed with the descriptions of the nuns, but the characters were a bit too grimdark for me.
March 7, 2026
DNF at 30%
Unfortunately this book is just not for me. It is not a bad book, I’m just not the right audience for it and I know a lot of people who would love it.
The premise is interesting but I could not find myself invested in it or the characters! It is definitely dark, twisty and a little too gory for my taste but can definitely see the appeal for someone who enjoys things like these. The characters and their backgrounds are intriguing and they’re written to be unlikable which the writer definitely delivers on!
The writing and language is more geared towards teens and can see it doing amazing in that space.
Thank you Bloomsbury for a the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Unfortunately this book is just not for me. It is not a bad book, I’m just not the right audience for it and I know a lot of people who would love it.
The premise is interesting but I could not find myself invested in it or the characters! It is definitely dark, twisty and a little too gory for my taste but can definitely see the appeal for someone who enjoys things like these. The characters and their backgrounds are intriguing and they’re written to be unlikable which the writer definitely delivers on!
The writing and language is more geared towards teens and can see it doing amazing in that space.
Thank you Bloomsbury for a the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
February 7, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley, Cassidy Ellis Salter, and Bloomsbury Publishing for this ARC!
Okay, I was a little nervous when I saw the Locked Tomb comp. But this book is genuinely a Gideon the Ninth read-alike. Of course, it can’t quite attain Locked Tomb level in my mind, but it certainly convinced me that I have a thing for fucked up bone lesbians, so…
The world is rotting. Trapped beneath a sky filled with teeth, the four arcanists of Fourspires castle must perform a daily ritual (with the reluctant help of their familiars) to suppress the morning apocalypse. Taro, Elliot, Alix, and Nixie, familiars for bone, blood, stone, and… plants, are forced to work together after the ruler of their world is mysteriously assassinated. But all of them have secrets, and everything is working against them.
I’ll admit, as I was reading this, the parallels to Gideon the Ninth were at times almost too much. But for me, Salter pulled it off! The characters are all equally hatable and lovable. The rotting world vibes are there. The magic system is satisfyingly gory. Also, Salter did a commendable job ensuring that each POV (and it’s hard when there are four) had a distinct voice, and I was never disappointed when the book switched to any of the POVs.
My only complaint is that the kindle copy I read had majorly messed up formatting, which made it somewhat difficult to read at times.
I’d say if you’re a fan of messy magic, snarky protagonists, and Locked Tomb vibes, this book is for you!
Okay, I was a little nervous when I saw the Locked Tomb comp. But this book is genuinely a Gideon the Ninth read-alike. Of course, it can’t quite attain Locked Tomb level in my mind, but it certainly convinced me that I have a thing for fucked up bone lesbians, so…
The world is rotting. Trapped beneath a sky filled with teeth, the four arcanists of Fourspires castle must perform a daily ritual (with the reluctant help of their familiars) to suppress the morning apocalypse. Taro, Elliot, Alix, and Nixie, familiars for bone, blood, stone, and… plants, are forced to work together after the ruler of their world is mysteriously assassinated. But all of them have secrets, and everything is working against them.
I’ll admit, as I was reading this, the parallels to Gideon the Ninth were at times almost too much. But for me, Salter pulled it off! The characters are all equally hatable and lovable. The rotting world vibes are there. The magic system is satisfyingly gory. Also, Salter did a commendable job ensuring that each POV (and it’s hard when there are four) had a distinct voice, and I was never disappointed when the book switched to any of the POVs.
My only complaint is that the kindle copy I read had majorly messed up formatting, which made it somewhat difficult to read at times.
I’d say if you’re a fan of messy magic, snarky protagonists, and Locked Tomb vibes, this book is for you!
March 11, 2026
ohhh this was so good. Oh my gosh. It was so good.
It was bloody and confusing and mean, but also tender and sad and really beautifully written. The characters acted their age, and in a book where the main premise is children and teenagers are literally drained of their life, it was really great that the teenagers actually sound like teenagers!
And oh my gosh, like real teenagers, the characters were mean. They were messy and horrible to each other and they loved and hated each other in equal amounts, sometimes at the same time, and it felt so incredibly real. Of course these kids would be awful people. Look at the circumstances they’re in.
And yet. None of the main characters are unlikeable? Even when they were actively beating each other up and betraying each other, you felt terrible for them. They were going through literal hell. And they still manage to be snarky and silly and even a little bit sweet while they’re at each other’s throats.
I just adored this. The world building was so incredible. The way arcana worked and the way the world was set up was SO strange and the mystery that threads through the entire story is resolved in a great way.
Yeah the ending freaked me out. I was really concerned this was a standalone and if that was the case, this would have been so lower rated, but i am SO happy this is the first book in a trilogy and there’s more to come. I can’t wait to see how these characters act outside of their situation.
There’s toxic found family, a crazy situationship, and awesome bone magic. What isn’t there to love?
My only thing is I wish there was a content warning for grooming. One of the characters (who I think is 17, as he stated he was a year younger than the 18 year old characters) gets into a relationship with an older man that feels, very grooming-ish and made me incredibly uncomfortable. IT IS NOT PORTRAYED AS A GOOD THING but it is there and could be triggering.
It was bloody and confusing and mean, but also tender and sad and really beautifully written. The characters acted their age, and in a book where the main premise is children and teenagers are literally drained of their life, it was really great that the teenagers actually sound like teenagers!
And oh my gosh, like real teenagers, the characters were mean. They were messy and horrible to each other and they loved and hated each other in equal amounts, sometimes at the same time, and it felt so incredibly real. Of course these kids would be awful people. Look at the circumstances they’re in.
And yet. None of the main characters are unlikeable? Even when they were actively beating each other up and betraying each other, you felt terrible for them. They were going through literal hell. And they still manage to be snarky and silly and even a little bit sweet while they’re at each other’s throats.
I just adored this. The world building was so incredible. The way arcana worked and the way the world was set up was SO strange and the mystery that threads through the entire story is resolved in a great way.
Yeah the ending freaked me out. I was really concerned this was a standalone and if that was the case, this would have been so lower rated, but i am SO happy this is the first book in a trilogy and there’s more to come. I can’t wait to see how these characters act outside of their situation.
There’s toxic found family, a crazy situationship, and awesome bone magic. What isn’t there to love?
My only thing is I wish there was a content warning for grooming. One of the characters (who I think is 17, as he stated he was a year younger than the 18 year old characters) gets into a relationship with an older man that feels, very grooming-ish and made me incredibly uncomfortable. IT IS NOT PORTRAYED AS A GOOD THING but it is there and could be triggering.
March 6, 2026
These Shattered Spires is a queer gothic fantasy, verging on horror. The Locked Tomb’s little sister meets The Scholomance, with a heaping of bones, blood and viscera.
Fourspires is a city trapped under a cloche of teeth that occasionally rains saliva down upon its unfortunate inhabitants, where the apocalypse must be beaten into submission every morning. When the ruler is murdered, the countdown begins to the slaughter that will decide who is crowned the next Thaumaturge.
Our cast of characters are familiars, servants to arcanists who pay the physical toll of channelling magic for their masters. Each character POV has a very distinctive voice. All loveable in their own flawed and messy ways. Taro’s POV in particular feels like a love letter to The Locked Tomb.
The worldbuilding is gloriously revolting, with the chillingly evocative prose you would expect in a gothic. There is a healthy dose of wit, that at times verges on silly but those moments fit perfectly with the personalities of the POVs.
Book 1 feels like it has only just scratched the surface of the magic system, and I look forward to seeing how this develops in future books.
The ending was perfection. I can’t wait to see how Taro follows through on her numerous promises to go to hell for Nixie in book 2.
Fourspires is a city trapped under a cloche of teeth that occasionally rains saliva down upon its unfortunate inhabitants, where the apocalypse must be beaten into submission every morning. When the ruler is murdered, the countdown begins to the slaughter that will decide who is crowned the next Thaumaturge.
Our cast of characters are familiars, servants to arcanists who pay the physical toll of channelling magic for their masters. Each character POV has a very distinctive voice. All loveable in their own flawed and messy ways. Taro’s POV in particular feels like a love letter to The Locked Tomb.
The worldbuilding is gloriously revolting, with the chillingly evocative prose you would expect in a gothic. There is a healthy dose of wit, that at times verges on silly but those moments fit perfectly with the personalities of the POVs.
Book 1 feels like it has only just scratched the surface of the magic system, and I look forward to seeing how this develops in future books.
The ending was perfection. I can’t wait to see how Taro follows through on her numerous promises to go to hell for Nixie in book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for proving me with an eARC of These Shattered Spires to read. I wasn’t paid to read and review this book, and any opinions expressed are solely my own.
What a weird book, I enjoyed it though. I found it quite funny in places and can definitely see the Gideon the Ninth comparisons. I feel like if you like messy characters with complicated relationships, this book will be for you. That said, this book is not without its flaws, I found the plot a bit confusing at times and got lost. I also felt that some of the wording used throughout the book was a bit strange, like the author was trying to use a thesaurus.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and found myself laughing at times, so I’m rating this one 4 stars.
What a weird book, I enjoyed it though. I found it quite funny in places and can definitely see the Gideon the Ninth comparisons. I feel like if you like messy characters with complicated relationships, this book will be for you. That said, this book is not without its flaws, I found the plot a bit confusing at times and got lost. I also felt that some of the wording used throughout the book was a bit strange, like the author was trying to use a thesaurus.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and found myself laughing at times, so I’m rating this one 4 stars.
Read
February 18, 2026I really wanted to love this book but just couldn’t connect to the characters or the storyline at all. They are an unlikeable bunch of mis-matched antiheroes that must all work together to break a curse despite absolutely detesting each other. This means there is a lot of conflict between them with no cohesion and they almost succeed despite themselves.
The premise was fantastic with so much potential but it is very character driven with world building taking a bit of a back seat.
And if you cringe at bad similes and metaphors then give this one a miss - a couple of examples being ‘limp as a glob of porridge’ and ‘slowly melting like a Gothic ice lolly’.
The premise was fantastic with so much potential but it is very character driven with world building taking a bit of a back seat.
And if you cringe at bad similes and metaphors then give this one a miss - a couple of examples being ‘limp as a glob of porridge’ and ‘slowly melting like a Gothic ice lolly’.
March 13, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 3.75 stars rounded up to 4.0.
So this was wild and dark and quite gruesome in ways. I don’t know what I expected from this book but i’ve been pleasantly surprised.
There’s a multitude of magic thats definitely messed up and cruel in it’s use, the nuns scare the hell out of me and no ones very likeable in this book.. especially Taro from how she seems to be perceived. It’s quite a weird and enjoyable read in my opinion, I actually like our odd ragtag group who are definitely all using one another, but their end goals seem to differ.
As the plot builds with our characters following a mysterious treasure hunt of sorts, we get to find out more about why the world is the way it is, what happened in the past and the motivations of a lot of different characters. The ending surprised me in some ways but also felt a little predictable in others, I would read a book 2 to see what happens next.
So this was wild and dark and quite gruesome in ways. I don’t know what I expected from this book but i’ve been pleasantly surprised.
There’s a multitude of magic thats definitely messed up and cruel in it’s use, the nuns scare the hell out of me and no ones very likeable in this book.. especially Taro from how she seems to be perceived. It’s quite a weird and enjoyable read in my opinion, I actually like our odd ragtag group who are definitely all using one another, but their end goals seem to differ.
As the plot builds with our characters following a mysterious treasure hunt of sorts, we get to find out more about why the world is the way it is, what happened in the past and the motivations of a lot of different characters. The ending surprised me in some ways but also felt a little predictable in others, I would read a book 2 to see what happens next.
March 11, 2026
This one was quite a fun read! Which feels weird to say "fun" given all the blood and gore and suffering but the vibe for me was definitely more of a fun read!
It's a really interesting world build, a decaying world trapped under a tooth filled sky, a sinking castle, murderous skeletal nuns, a gruesome but intriguing magic system, it's chaotic in a good way!
The first thing that comes to mind for me is "The Atlas Six" combined with "The Library at Hellebore" with a touch of "A Deadly Education" thrown in. The characters all simultaneously hate and love each other and are constantly juggling whether to prioritise personal glory, self survival, or emotional feelings.
The ruler of the castle is assassinated and this prompts the Slaughter, a deadly competition to crown the next ruler. Alongside this there is a quest to finally end the curse. It's a race against time (and gruesome death and slaughter) and the stakes are constantly high at all times!
It's a really interesting world build, a decaying world trapped under a tooth filled sky, a sinking castle, murderous skeletal nuns, a gruesome but intriguing magic system, it's chaotic in a good way!
The first thing that comes to mind for me is "The Atlas Six" combined with "The Library at Hellebore" with a touch of "A Deadly Education" thrown in. The characters all simultaneously hate and love each other and are constantly juggling whether to prioritise personal glory, self survival, or emotional feelings.
The ruler of the castle is assassinated and this prompts the Slaughter, a deadly competition to crown the next ruler. Alongside this there is a quest to finally end the curse. It's a race against time (and gruesome death and slaughter) and the stakes are constantly high at all times!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
THESE SHATTERED SPIRES - 3.75 stars rounded up.
Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury YA, and Cassidy Ellis Salter for the ARC copy of These Shattered Spires. This is my honest review, which expresses my personal opinion of the book.
Plot
Trapped in Fourspires Castle in the rotting world of Desecrae and forced to be servants and sources of power for arcanists that will eventually kill them, the familiars of the four magical disciplines - Elliot of blood, Taro of bone, Alix of stone, and Nixie of botany, must form an unlikely alliance or die. The ruler of Fourspires Castle is assassinated, and the next ruler will be crowned in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower that will mean certain death for the familiars. To change their fate, the rivals and enemies have 48 hours to find four magical curse keys, one for each discipline, murder their arcanists, try not to kill each other, and climb the Fifth Tower to undo the curse that rots the world, or die trying.
I thought the plot was really interesting, and I enjoyed the sense of impending doom and the desperation evoked in our characters as the countdown to the Slaughter, helpfully added at the start of each chapter, ticked down to zero. I really love a good quest, so the quest to find the four curse keys was something I enjoyed. The biggest problem I had was that it was a bit predictable; I saw nearly all the twists before they happened, which did impact my enjoyment of the story somewhat. There were some unexpected moments, especially what happened right at the very end, but if you are looking to be constantly surprised or for the story to always be unpredictable, then this may not be the one for you.
Worldbuilding
Both the world of the Desecrae and the Fourspire Castle are dank, fetid and rotten places. The author does an excellent job of describing and showing that the castle is decaying, with its layers crumbling away and constantly needing to be replaced, blood seeping from the walls and floor, and a constant smell of death and petrichor. And the world is no better, closed off from the outside world in the jaws of a monster, where it rains saliva and where the apocalypse is barely held back each day.
I also enjoyed the magic system. There are arcanists and familiars; the arcanists are taught at the University to incant spells from their magical disciplines and draw power from their familiars to do so. Familiars are taught at the Academy, where they are tortured to teach them to wrest arcania, to give up the power they can draw from their discipline (bone, blood, stone or botany), despite the pain that it causes them or the life force it takes, and do so silently. I thought it was interesting that most of the familiars could self-wrest, taking on both the familiar and arcanist roles, which goes to show just how cruel and depraved the world is when a familiar is not really required and arcanists just don't want to feel their own pain. Then there is the idea of the undisciplined, those who can use any of the magical disciplines, and who are thought to be extinct.
Although we don't get a map, we do get an illustrated introduction to the familiars that describes the four magical disciplines and their towers in Fourspires Castle, which I found useful when I started reading.
Writing Style
For the most part, I really enjoyed the writing style. All four familiars have POVs, and each has a unique tone which matches the character. The author does an excellent job of showing that the world is a cruel, merciless and fetid place, with a constant dark, gothic, and brutal atmosphere that never lets up. This is a place where hope, light and goodness go to die, and you are never allowed to forget it. This could have made it difficult to read (and has been an issue with some grimdark books I have read in the past), but the engaging plot, the twisted humour, and the perceived fast pace, with the constant looming deadline to the Slaughter, help to balance this out. My biggest issue with the writing style was the use of modern words and phrases like 'babe' and 'get your rocks off', and the odd choice of analogy, e.g., "casting it in shadow darker than an armpit" or "melting like a Gothic ice lolly". This threw me out of the story, which is a shame given that the rest of the writing creates such an immersive experience.
Characters
So I hated all of the characters but also sort of enjoyed them as well?! The four of them were pretty insufferable, each in their own unique way. The author did an excellent job of making each of them unique, and in my head, I essentially broke them down into: Taro is the funny, cocky one; Nixie is the sensible one; Elliot is the broken one; and Alix is the clever one. Although Alix and Elliot were my favourite out of this bad bunch, Taro was, by far and away, the most entertaining. They are obviously a product of the world that they live in, and have been shaped into these morally ambiguous arseholes who are just doing what they must to survive. But underneath that, they also feel sort of relatable in their frustrations and their secret desire (to be free, to be loved, to be needed). Then there is the biting and twisted humour that made them enjoyable despite how much I didn't like them. Reading their inner monologues and seeing them interact with each other with this humour threaded through it made the whole thing much more entertaining than it would have been without it. The four of them are definitely very well written and interesting, even if they are all unlikeable.
Themes
Morality and Survival: The story is set in a world that is designed to kill our characters. As such, they commit terrible acts of violence and betrayal against those they call friends and lovers, as well as their rivals and enemies, because the alternative is death. Their survival requires them to lie, steal, betray and even kill. From this, the story highlights two things: one, in such situations, morality is a luxury; and two, do noble intentions justify monstrous means?
Identity: Part of the story explores gender identity, with the character Alix being misgendered as Alis for most of the book. Alix has to deal with not being able to be their true self around those around them, and with their best friend rejecting their feelings about their identity.
Overall
This grimdark fantasy has an intriguing plot and excellent worldbuilding, with an unrelenting sense of desperation and brutality, thanks to a well-written narrative that creates a dark, gothic atmosphere. The constant reminders of the start of the Slaughter create a continual sense of doom that drives the pace forward. The four main characters are all distinct, morally ambiguous, and equally insufferable; I hated and enjoyed them in equal measure. My biggest issues, and the reasons why this was a 5-star read for me, were the predictability of most of the plot points and some odd language choices that took me out of the story.
Thank you NetGalley, Bloomsbury YA, and Cassidy Ellis Salter for the ARC copy of These Shattered Spires. This is my honest review, which expresses my personal opinion of the book.
Plot
Trapped in Fourspires Castle in the rotting world of Desecrae and forced to be servants and sources of power for arcanists that will eventually kill them, the familiars of the four magical disciplines - Elliot of blood, Taro of bone, Alix of stone, and Nixie of botany, must form an unlikely alliance or die. The ruler of Fourspires Castle is assassinated, and the next ruler will be crowned in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower that will mean certain death for the familiars. To change their fate, the rivals and enemies have 48 hours to find four magical curse keys, one for each discipline, murder their arcanists, try not to kill each other, and climb the Fifth Tower to undo the curse that rots the world, or die trying.
I thought the plot was really interesting, and I enjoyed the sense of impending doom and the desperation evoked in our characters as the countdown to the Slaughter, helpfully added at the start of each chapter, ticked down to zero. I really love a good quest, so the quest to find the four curse keys was something I enjoyed. The biggest problem I had was that it was a bit predictable; I saw nearly all the twists before they happened, which did impact my enjoyment of the story somewhat. There were some unexpected moments, especially what happened right at the very end, but if you are looking to be constantly surprised or for the story to always be unpredictable, then this may not be the one for you.
Worldbuilding
Both the world of the Desecrae and the Fourspire Castle are dank, fetid and rotten places. The author does an excellent job of describing and showing that the castle is decaying, with its layers crumbling away and constantly needing to be replaced, blood seeping from the walls and floor, and a constant smell of death and petrichor. And the world is no better, closed off from the outside world in the jaws of a monster, where it rains saliva and where the apocalypse is barely held back each day.
I also enjoyed the magic system. There are arcanists and familiars; the arcanists are taught at the University to incant spells from their magical disciplines and draw power from their familiars to do so. Familiars are taught at the Academy, where they are tortured to teach them to wrest arcania, to give up the power they can draw from their discipline (bone, blood, stone or botany), despite the pain that it causes them or the life force it takes, and do so silently. I thought it was interesting that most of the familiars could self-wrest, taking on both the familiar and arcanist roles, which goes to show just how cruel and depraved the world is when a familiar is not really required and arcanists just don't want to feel their own pain. Then there is the idea of the undisciplined, those who can use any of the magical disciplines, and who are thought to be extinct.
Although we don't get a map, we do get an illustrated introduction to the familiars that describes the four magical disciplines and their towers in Fourspires Castle, which I found useful when I started reading.
Writing Style
For the most part, I really enjoyed the writing style. All four familiars have POVs, and each has a unique tone which matches the character. The author does an excellent job of showing that the world is a cruel, merciless and fetid place, with a constant dark, gothic, and brutal atmosphere that never lets up. This is a place where hope, light and goodness go to die, and you are never allowed to forget it. This could have made it difficult to read (and has been an issue with some grimdark books I have read in the past), but the engaging plot, the twisted humour, and the perceived fast pace, with the constant looming deadline to the Slaughter, help to balance this out. My biggest issue with the writing style was the use of modern words and phrases like 'babe' and 'get your rocks off', and the odd choice of analogy, e.g., "casting it in shadow darker than an armpit" or "melting like a Gothic ice lolly". This threw me out of the story, which is a shame given that the rest of the writing creates such an immersive experience.
Characters
So I hated all of the characters but also sort of enjoyed them as well?! The four of them were pretty insufferable, each in their own unique way. The author did an excellent job of making each of them unique, and in my head, I essentially broke them down into: Taro is the funny, cocky one; Nixie is the sensible one; Elliot is the broken one; and Alix is the clever one. Although Alix and Elliot were my favourite out of this bad bunch, Taro was, by far and away, the most entertaining. They are obviously a product of the world that they live in, and have been shaped into these morally ambiguous arseholes who are just doing what they must to survive. But underneath that, they also feel sort of relatable in their frustrations and their secret desire (to be free, to be loved, to be needed). Then there is the biting and twisted humour that made them enjoyable despite how much I didn't like them. Reading their inner monologues and seeing them interact with each other with this humour threaded through it made the whole thing much more entertaining than it would have been without it. The four of them are definitely very well written and interesting, even if they are all unlikeable.
Themes
Morality and Survival: The story is set in a world that is designed to kill our characters. As such, they commit terrible acts of violence and betrayal against those they call friends and lovers, as well as their rivals and enemies, because the alternative is death. Their survival requires them to lie, steal, betray and even kill. From this, the story highlights two things: one, in such situations, morality is a luxury; and two, do noble intentions justify monstrous means?
Identity: Part of the story explores gender identity, with the character Alix being misgendered as Alis for most of the book. Alix has to deal with not being able to be their true self around those around them, and with their best friend rejecting their feelings about their identity.
Overall
This grimdark fantasy has an intriguing plot and excellent worldbuilding, with an unrelenting sense of desperation and brutality, thanks to a well-written narrative that creates a dark, gothic atmosphere. The constant reminders of the start of the Slaughter create a continual sense of doom that drives the pace forward. The four main characters are all distinct, morally ambiguous, and equally insufferable; I hated and enjoyed them in equal measure. My biggest issues, and the reasons why this was a 5-star read for me, were the predictability of most of the plot points and some odd language choices that took me out of the story.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What did I just read? I'm not entirely sure but I know that I am OBSESSED.
Walls that bleed? A rotting ulcer below ground? Creepy nuns of questionable origin that take great chunks out of people and get excited at the prospect of bloodshed? Teeth in the sky?
Yeah, teeth.
I am in awe of the confidence of this writing; the world that has been created is completely bonkers and it couldn't care less whether you can keep up or not. It's going to keep throwing details at you and you can like it or lump it. There's probably actual lumps in the walls somewhere.
I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. For all of the "oh no, it's the end of the world" moments of peril, there are so many details that just make it such a fun, visual experience.
Then there's the characters. Oh, those troublesome four. The characters are beautifully flawed. They are SO easy to dislike and judge yet somehow, by the end, you are genuinely rooting for them to come together and succeed, all the while wondering: wait, when did I start to like them? I don't think I approved this change of heart?
The representation of LGBTQIA+ struggles was handled with delicacy and grace, not overplayed but written in just enough detail that your heart really goes out to them, Alix especially.
The little cliffhanger at the end as well, teasing the theme for the next book? Brilliant. Needless to say, I cannot wait for book two.
Walls that bleed? A rotting ulcer below ground? Creepy nuns of questionable origin that take great chunks out of people and get excited at the prospect of bloodshed? Teeth in the sky?
Yeah, teeth.
I am in awe of the confidence of this writing; the world that has been created is completely bonkers and it couldn't care less whether you can keep up or not. It's going to keep throwing details at you and you can like it or lump it. There's probably actual lumps in the walls somewhere.
I can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a book. For all of the "oh no, it's the end of the world" moments of peril, there are so many details that just make it such a fun, visual experience.
Then there's the characters. Oh, those troublesome four. The characters are beautifully flawed. They are SO easy to dislike and judge yet somehow, by the end, you are genuinely rooting for them to come together and succeed, all the while wondering: wait, when did I start to like them? I don't think I approved this change of heart?
The representation of LGBTQIA+ struggles was handled with delicacy and grace, not overplayed but written in just enough detail that your heart really goes out to them, Alix especially.
The little cliffhanger at the end as well, teasing the theme for the next book? Brilliant. Needless to say, I cannot wait for book two.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury YA for the eARC to read and review before release day!
These Shattered Spires follows four familiars in a brutal, cursed world as they attempt to locate four ancient keys to undo the apocalypse, all with the threat of the ‘Slaughter’ a vicious event that is supposed to mean their demise, hanging over them.
Right off the bat, I have to warn that I will be using the word, ‘brutal’ a lot, because that’s what this book is. It’s brutal, dark, and vicious. From page 1, you’re dropped into this terrifying world that leaves little room for hope or light. The gothic atmosphere is almost suffocating. There’s never a moment where you forget where you are. It’s horrifying in the best way possible. Each page reminds you through its descriptions of carnivorous nun creatures, living people rotting, the walking dead, rising blood that threatens to drown you and plants looking for someone to kill. The horrific elements of this book never let up for a minute. You are consistently drenched in the atmosphere, making the book feel that much more immersive.
But, on the flip side. The humor in this book is twisted and hilarious. It’s so dark and so ridiculous and honestly thrown in at the worst times (positively). There are too many moments to count where a character should not be cracking a joke or making a sarcastic comment, yet they do. It really is the younger sibling to Gideon the Ninth. If you loved that book, you will find yourself falling for this one too. The immaturity of the humor really hammers home how awful this world is. These characters lean on that sarcasm and biting humor to keep themselves going. Plus, each character has such a uniquely distinct style of humor that lends itself to build the voice of the piece.
Each POV is SO distinct. I didn’t need to be told whose chapter was whose. Taro’s were clear with her complete lack of seriousness, unbothered style and her idealist nature in a brutal world that wants to beat the hope out of her. She was scrappy and a bit of a hopeless romantic. Nixie, the logical, focused and cutthroat girl that would do anything to survive. Strong willed, stoic, and realist, I loved her inner battle. Elliot with his desperate, self-important, personality. The guy who always thinks he’s the smartest in the room but has the deep desire to be needed and to receive affection but will never admit it. And Alix, the deadpan, steady, self-preserving librarian, who has years of unspent anger and has been looked down on one too many times. They’re hardened and boastful and I probably enjoyed their inner journey the most. I was cheering for them so loudly by the end. All of these characters were so unique and played on subversions of popular character tropes.
Cassidy Slater did a fabulous job of building this dim and hollow distress to the book. The familiars aren’t allowed to speak at all, and you really never notice how much a character speaks until they’re not allowed to. Their despair is so much heavier and it really weighed on me throughout the book despite their desperation to survive and break the curse. They have all this power, but don’t really know how to wield it? They can do big things with it, but hardly know how to defend to defend themselves properly, adding to the helplessness that builds in this story. Similarity, the countdowns to the Slaughter present on each chapter page creates such a strong sense of foreboding. The dread is palpable, especially since the information on the Slaughter we’re afforded is virtually nothing. I was always on edge.
Overall, this is a spectacular debut. I enjoyed the play on the typical things we see in this genre. The horror elements were well written and the atmosphere was incredible. I did want to feel a little more for the characters. We see them as these awful people who do bad things and yes they live in a brutal and bloody world where they need to do whatever it takes to survive, but I wanted to see other facets of them, other sides aside from brutality and viciousness. However, I still had a fabulous time reading this and am already counting down the days until book 2!
Thank you again to Bloomsbury YA for the eARC to read and review before the book comes out on March 10th!
These Shattered Spires follows four familiars in a brutal, cursed world as they attempt to locate four ancient keys to undo the apocalypse, all with the threat of the ‘Slaughter’ a vicious event that is supposed to mean their demise, hanging over them.
Right off the bat, I have to warn that I will be using the word, ‘brutal’ a lot, because that’s what this book is. It’s brutal, dark, and vicious. From page 1, you’re dropped into this terrifying world that leaves little room for hope or light. The gothic atmosphere is almost suffocating. There’s never a moment where you forget where you are. It’s horrifying in the best way possible. Each page reminds you through its descriptions of carnivorous nun creatures, living people rotting, the walking dead, rising blood that threatens to drown you and plants looking for someone to kill. The horrific elements of this book never let up for a minute. You are consistently drenched in the atmosphere, making the book feel that much more immersive.
But, on the flip side. The humor in this book is twisted and hilarious. It’s so dark and so ridiculous and honestly thrown in at the worst times (positively). There are too many moments to count where a character should not be cracking a joke or making a sarcastic comment, yet they do. It really is the younger sibling to Gideon the Ninth. If you loved that book, you will find yourself falling for this one too. The immaturity of the humor really hammers home how awful this world is. These characters lean on that sarcasm and biting humor to keep themselves going. Plus, each character has such a uniquely distinct style of humor that lends itself to build the voice of the piece.
Each POV is SO distinct. I didn’t need to be told whose chapter was whose. Taro’s were clear with her complete lack of seriousness, unbothered style and her idealist nature in a brutal world that wants to beat the hope out of her. She was scrappy and a bit of a hopeless romantic. Nixie, the logical, focused and cutthroat girl that would do anything to survive. Strong willed, stoic, and realist, I loved her inner battle. Elliot with his desperate, self-important, personality. The guy who always thinks he’s the smartest in the room but has the deep desire to be needed and to receive affection but will never admit it. And Alix, the deadpan, steady, self-preserving librarian, who has years of unspent anger and has been looked down on one too many times. They’re hardened and boastful and I probably enjoyed their inner journey the most. I was cheering for them so loudly by the end. All of these characters were so unique and played on subversions of popular character tropes.
Cassidy Slater did a fabulous job of building this dim and hollow distress to the book. The familiars aren’t allowed to speak at all, and you really never notice how much a character speaks until they’re not allowed to. Their despair is so much heavier and it really weighed on me throughout the book despite their desperation to survive and break the curse. They have all this power, but don’t really know how to wield it? They can do big things with it, but hardly know how to defend to defend themselves properly, adding to the helplessness that builds in this story. Similarity, the countdowns to the Slaughter present on each chapter page creates such a strong sense of foreboding. The dread is palpable, especially since the information on the Slaughter we’re afforded is virtually nothing. I was always on edge.
Overall, this is a spectacular debut. I enjoyed the play on the typical things we see in this genre. The horror elements were well written and the atmosphere was incredible. I did want to feel a little more for the characters. We see them as these awful people who do bad things and yes they live in a brutal and bloody world where they need to do whatever it takes to survive, but I wanted to see other facets of them, other sides aside from brutality and viciousness. However, I still had a fabulous time reading this and am already counting down the days until book 2!
Thank you again to Bloomsbury YA for the eARC to read and review before the book comes out on March 10th!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Slater is founded in the decaying world of Desecrae, a world where arcania and magic dominate with arcanists using familiars as their source of power. Why self-destruct when you can use another person’s body to fund your power, even if that will kill them. Four familiars find themselves in the unlikely and unwanted position to co-operate and overcome their imprisonment in this world or die.
When we meet our desperate and unlikely group, Taro of Bone, Nixie of Botany, Elliot of Blood and Alix (Alis) of Stone, every expectation they had of a little longer to escape or suvive has been blown away by the murder of the ruler of Four Spires Castle. This event has triggered The Slaughter, a dark and bloody fight for the crown at the top of the 5th tower, and our desperate bunch have only 48 hours to find 4 magical curse keys and break the spell and undo the curse on Desecrae at the top of the 5th tower.
And yes, it’s another cursed love child, born of a doomed relationship between The Locked Tool and Scholomance – Taro is a YA version of Gideon, no question – sapphic, full of snark, not so witty come backs and of course a doomed love as a consequence of her own choices and actions. Nixie is the more sensible but, torn character, Alix is fighting their/her own internal battle and struggling with the consequences of other’s choices, whilst Elliot is just desperate for sleep!
Each character is wonderfully, delightfully hateful, insufferable and so damned entertaining, their in-fighting and the sheer fact that each and everyone them is an unsufferable a**hole, very much shaped by the world within which they have been raised in. Despite all of this, you will find yourself rooting for them, they are relatable in their internal struggles, they are amazingly LGBTQ representative and in their own very strange and twisted way, they do actually care for each other, very dysfunctional found family!
Cassidy Ellis Slater definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to the magic system and worldbuilding, each being decidedly rotten and disgusting in their dark, gothic, fetid and rotten structures. Desecrae is a world that despite all magical effort is crumbling and decaying, with layers being lost and replaced through magic but, the constant stench of death, petrichor and blood is always there. Arcanists are taught to weild the power of their familiars, using them as a tool and source that ultimately drains and kills those familiars. The familiars themselves, know no different, they are trained through torture, suffering, and pain to submit and give their life source to fund the magic wielded by Arcanists, and forbidden from speaking to prevent them from taking the Arcanists’ power.
These Shattered Spires is a pace driven story that accelerates as the countdown to the Slaughter decreases, increasing the pitch and pressure amidst a dark, cruel, gothic and merciless atmosphere. There’s nothing fluffy about this story, with the only lightness being the merciless and snarky humour between the gang but, somehow this story carries you along and I did find myself rooting for this horrible bunch of a**holes as they raced to save their lives and Desecrae. Overall, this is a strong YA grimdark fantasy, most definitely not for younger readers that won’t have you shocked by the twists but, will keep you entertained and wanting to find out what happens next.
Thank you so much Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
When we meet our desperate and unlikely group, Taro of Bone, Nixie of Botany, Elliot of Blood and Alix (Alis) of Stone, every expectation they had of a little longer to escape or suvive has been blown away by the murder of the ruler of Four Spires Castle. This event has triggered The Slaughter, a dark and bloody fight for the crown at the top of the 5th tower, and our desperate bunch have only 48 hours to find 4 magical curse keys and break the spell and undo the curse on Desecrae at the top of the 5th tower.
And yes, it’s another cursed love child, born of a doomed relationship between The Locked Tool and Scholomance – Taro is a YA version of Gideon, no question – sapphic, full of snark, not so witty come backs and of course a doomed love as a consequence of her own choices and actions. Nixie is the more sensible but, torn character, Alix is fighting their/her own internal battle and struggling with the consequences of other’s choices, whilst Elliot is just desperate for sleep!
Each character is wonderfully, delightfully hateful, insufferable and so damned entertaining, their in-fighting and the sheer fact that each and everyone them is an unsufferable a**hole, very much shaped by the world within which they have been raised in. Despite all of this, you will find yourself rooting for them, they are relatable in their internal struggles, they are amazingly LGBTQ representative and in their own very strange and twisted way, they do actually care for each other, very dysfunctional found family!
Cassidy Ellis Slater definitely doesn’t hold back when it comes to the magic system and worldbuilding, each being decidedly rotten and disgusting in their dark, gothic, fetid and rotten structures. Desecrae is a world that despite all magical effort is crumbling and decaying, with layers being lost and replaced through magic but, the constant stench of death, petrichor and blood is always there. Arcanists are taught to weild the power of their familiars, using them as a tool and source that ultimately drains and kills those familiars. The familiars themselves, know no different, they are trained through torture, suffering, and pain to submit and give their life source to fund the magic wielded by Arcanists, and forbidden from speaking to prevent them from taking the Arcanists’ power.
These Shattered Spires is a pace driven story that accelerates as the countdown to the Slaughter decreases, increasing the pitch and pressure amidst a dark, cruel, gothic and merciless atmosphere. There’s nothing fluffy about this story, with the only lightness being the merciless and snarky humour between the gang but, somehow this story carries you along and I did find myself rooting for this horrible bunch of a**holes as they raced to save their lives and Desecrae. Overall, this is a strong YA grimdark fantasy, most definitely not for younger readers that won’t have you shocked by the twists but, will keep you entertained and wanting to find out what happens next.
Thank you so much Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
November 22, 2025
📚These Shattered Spires
✍🏻Cassidy Ellis Salter
Blurb:
In a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition. A queer, gothic fantasy YA, perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and Gideon the Ninth.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.
Those yet to succumb to the curse of decay inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines – blood, bone, stone and botany.
The castle is thrown into chaos when the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their human familiars are forced to kill or be killed in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower. Familiars, both servants and sources of power to arcanists, are forbidden from even speaking. For them, the Slaughter means certain death.
When Nixie, a botanical familiar, learns that her fate can be avoided and the rotting curse of Fourspires lifted, she'll stop at nothing to save herself. But she must work with familiars from across the rival disciplines – not easy when one of them is her bone witch ex-girlfriend, Taro – find four magical curse keys and climb the deadly Fifth Tower. With just 48 hours until the Slaughter begins, Nixie and Taro must forge an unlikely alliance with rival familiars Alis and Elliot. Together, the four Wyrdos must battle re-animated skeletons, poisonous and possessed plants, un-dead nuns and the deadliest enemies of all; each other.
These Shattered Spires is the first instalment of the sensational and gloriously gothic Wyrdos Trilogy.
My Thoughts:
In this YA high fantasy, four magical rivals must work together to survive a deadly competition. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Gideon the Ninth.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots. Those who haven’t yet decayed inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from the four disciplines—blood, bone, stone and botany.
But when the king of Fourspires is assassinated, the castle is thrown into chaos. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their familiars must kill or be killed in a bloody fight to the top of the Fifth Tower. For the familiars, who are the arcanists’ servants and sources of power, this will mean certain death.
Nixie, a botanical familiar, discovers that this fate can be avoided if she and familiars from each discipline find four cursed keys and take them to the Fifth Tower themselves. It’s a dangerous and deeply illegal quest, and none of them has reason to trust one another. But with just forty-eight hours until the competition begins, four tenuous allies must decide if they can bear to work together long enough to save themselves.
The inner dialogue is hilarious, the characters are complex and have a complicated history we are yet to learn more about. I can’t wait for book two.
Thanks NetGalley, Bloomsbury YA Publishing and Author Cassidy Ellis Salter for the advanced copy of "These Shattered Spires" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#BloomburyYAPublishing
#CassidyEllisSalter
#TheseShatteredSpires
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Body horror, Death, Torture, Blood
✍🏻Cassidy Ellis Salter
Blurb:
In a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition. A queer, gothic fantasy YA, perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and Gideon the Ninth.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.
Those yet to succumb to the curse of decay inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines – blood, bone, stone and botany.
The castle is thrown into chaos when the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their human familiars are forced to kill or be killed in the Slaughter, a bloody fight for succession at the top of the Fifth Tower. Familiars, both servants and sources of power to arcanists, are forbidden from even speaking. For them, the Slaughter means certain death.
When Nixie, a botanical familiar, learns that her fate can be avoided and the rotting curse of Fourspires lifted, she'll stop at nothing to save herself. But she must work with familiars from across the rival disciplines – not easy when one of them is her bone witch ex-girlfriend, Taro – find four magical curse keys and climb the deadly Fifth Tower. With just 48 hours until the Slaughter begins, Nixie and Taro must forge an unlikely alliance with rival familiars Alis and Elliot. Together, the four Wyrdos must battle re-animated skeletons, poisonous and possessed plants, un-dead nuns and the deadliest enemies of all; each other.
These Shattered Spires is the first instalment of the sensational and gloriously gothic Wyrdos Trilogy.
My Thoughts:
In this YA high fantasy, four magical rivals must work together to survive a deadly competition. Perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Gideon the Ninth.
Entombed beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots. Those who haven’t yet decayed inhabit Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from the four disciplines—blood, bone, stone and botany.
But when the king of Fourspires is assassinated, the castle is thrown into chaos. To crown a new ruler, the arcanists and their familiars must kill or be killed in a bloody fight to the top of the Fifth Tower. For the familiars, who are the arcanists’ servants and sources of power, this will mean certain death.
Nixie, a botanical familiar, discovers that this fate can be avoided if she and familiars from each discipline find four cursed keys and take them to the Fifth Tower themselves. It’s a dangerous and deeply illegal quest, and none of them has reason to trust one another. But with just forty-eight hours until the competition begins, four tenuous allies must decide if they can bear to work together long enough to save themselves.
The inner dialogue is hilarious, the characters are complex and have a complicated history we are yet to learn more about. I can’t wait for book two.
Thanks NetGalley, Bloomsbury YA Publishing and Author Cassidy Ellis Salter for the advanced copy of "These Shattered Spires" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#BloomburyYAPublishing
#CassidyEllisSalter
#TheseShatteredSpires
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Body horror, Death, Torture, Blood
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.25⭐️. Thank you NetGalley & Bloomsbury for the ARC.
On paper, TSS sounded like a read I was going to have a blast with : weird gothic fantasy that’s hella queer. None of the 4 main characters are cishet.AlisAlix is a closeted enby who's mute. Nixie & Taro are sapphic; Elliot is achillean. I'll give author Cassidy Ellis Salter credit for creating such an oddly fascinating world and all that lore behind it. I found the four magic types of bone, blood, botany & stone cool. The flesh-eating nuns called the Unholy Mothers—also cool.
All that and I’m not sure why but it just didn’t *click* with me. I was just bored for most of the book; even thought of DNF-ing at the 60% mark (which I consider generous as I tend to DNF at 50% at most. That’s how much I wanted to give this a chance).
Individually, I do think each of the 4 protags had something interesting about them (of varying degrees) especially with regards to their backgrounds and present motivations. But their interconnected dynamics are messy in a way I didn’t find fun. It all stems back to their time inhigh school the Academy, which we are not privy to but are told about during their conversations: Nixie and Alix were best friends, . Alix is infatuated with . Nixie and Taro are dating, until (toxic yuri ensues when they’re older). Nixie also has a harmless, celeb-like crush on .
Messy queers? Rife with potential.
But at the present, while they’re all entangled in a scheme to work together and break out of their indentured servitude, their messiness just got draggy in a way that made me want to skim through unimportant-to-the-plot chapters. I'd expected some kind of found familyism between them all by book's end, but they're still mostly Complicated™, with a few actually positive dynamics. I'm not too bothered by this since it looks like Salter is going the slowburn route, given this is a planned series. The Alix/Elliot growing friendship was nice at least, because of how genuine it developed by the end.
By the time they got their shit together in gathering the essential items to break the curse keeping them trapped, I could see the betrayal coming a mile away. It really just emphasises that they’re still adolescents who didn’t think too much to question if they were being used all along. While there being a Surprise Antagonist was predictable, I do think the twist as to WHO they really are was rather well done. Maybe some might find it poorly contrived because it depended on misguided assumptions, but hey, I didn’t see it coming so I liked it.
As I was reading, it felt like Salter was auditioning to submit a script for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because there was snark and quipping everywhere. Dialogue, internal monologue, even expository prose. While this does not endear me as an adult reader, I can see teens potentially having a fun time. I actually do think my teenage self would like TSS, so I’ll say it’s successful as a YA novel.
Unsure if I'll continue, because ultimately I'm really not all that invested in the protags.
On paper, TSS sounded like a read I was going to have a blast with : weird gothic fantasy that’s hella queer. None of the 4 main characters are cishet.
All that and I’m not sure why but it just didn’t *click* with me. I was just bored for most of the book; even thought of DNF-ing at the 60% mark (which I consider generous as I tend to DNF at 50% at most. That’s how much I wanted to give this a chance).
Individually, I do think each of the 4 protags had something interesting about them (of varying degrees) especially with regards to their backgrounds and present motivations. But their interconnected dynamics are messy in a way I didn’t find fun. It all stems back to their time in
Messy queers? Rife with potential.
But at the present, while they’re all entangled in a scheme to work together and break out of their indentured servitude, their messiness just got draggy in a way that made me want to skim through unimportant-to-the-plot chapters. I'd expected some kind of found familyism between them all by book's end, but they're still mostly Complicated™, with a few actually positive dynamics. I'm not too bothered by this since it looks like Salter is going the slowburn route, given this is a planned series. The Alix/Elliot growing friendship was nice at least, because of how genuine it developed by the end.
By the time they got their shit together in gathering the essential items to break the curse keeping them trapped, I could see the betrayal coming a mile away. It really just emphasises that they’re still adolescents who didn’t think too much to question if they were being used all along. While there being a Surprise Antagonist was predictable, I do think the twist as to WHO they really are was rather well done. Maybe some might find it poorly contrived because it depended on misguided assumptions, but hey, I didn’t see it coming so I liked it.
As I was reading, it felt like Salter was auditioning to submit a script for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, because there was snark and quipping everywhere. Dialogue, internal monologue, even expository prose. While this does not endear me as an adult reader, I can see teens potentially having a fun time. I actually do think my teenage self would like TSS, so I’ll say it’s successful as a YA novel.
Unsure if I'll continue, because ultimately I'm really not all that invested in the protags.
March 10, 2026
Happy pub day to this wonderfully weird YA fantasy! Calling this the “Wyrdos Trilogy” is so fitting— this was such an odd book (and I mean that in the most positive way), and I enjoyed every moment! These Shattered Spires is a grotesque, darkly funny YA fantasy that fully leans into its gothic weirdness. Set in the decaying world of Desecrae—where the sky is literally made of teeth and the air sometimes rains saliva—the atmosphere is as unsettling as it is fascinating. Fourspires Castle feels alive in the WORST possible way: crumbling walls, blood-soaked stone, and the constant sense that the world itself is rotting from the inside out.
The story follows four familiars—Taro, Nixie, Elliot, and Alix—who are bound to arcanists that use them as living conduits for magic. When the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated, a brutal succession ritual known as the Slaughter begins, a deadly climb to the Fifth Tower that will almost certainly end in the familiars’ deaths. With only a short window before the bloodshed begins, the four rivals form a reluctant alliance to hunt down magical curse keys, free themselves from their masters, and possibly change the fate of their dying world.
One of the biggest strengths of this book is its characters. The four narrators each have a distinctive voice, and their personalities clash in entertaining ways. They’re messy, morally questionable, and often downright irritating—but in a way that feels intentional. Growing up in a world designed to exploit them has left all of them sharp-edged and deeply flawed, and watching their uneasy partnership evolve was easily one of the most exciting parts of the story. Their constant sarcasm, banter, and moments of reluctant camaraderie bring a surprising amount of humor (albeit Dark humor) to an otherwise brutal setting.
The worldbuilding is wonderfully terrible and vivid. The magic system—divided between bone, blood, botany, and stone—is so interesting, and the relationship between arcanists and familiars adds a layer of cruelty that makes the entire society feel believable. It’s clear this first book is only scratching the surface of this world, these characters, and the magic system, which makes the world feel huge even while the story stays mostly confined to the castle.
The pacing is helped by the constant countdown to the Slaughter, which keeps the tension high throughout the book. The quest element also adds momentum, as the characters race through the castle and its dangers in search of the curse keys before time runs out.
My only real complaint is there were some occasional modern (and often immature) phrases that felt slightly out of place in such a grim, gothic setting and briefly pulled me out of the story. Still, those moments were minor compared to how immersive the overall atmosphere was.
Odd and full of chaotic character dynamics, These Shattered Spires is a grim, gothic fantasy that balances its bleak world with dark humor and compelling characters. It’s the kind of story where the characters are constantly on the brink of betrayal—or bonding—and I’m very curious to see how both the magic system and the larger world develop in the next installment!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for this eARC!
The story follows four familiars—Taro, Nixie, Elliot, and Alix—who are bound to arcanists that use them as living conduits for magic. When the ruler of Fourspires is assassinated, a brutal succession ritual known as the Slaughter begins, a deadly climb to the Fifth Tower that will almost certainly end in the familiars’ deaths. With only a short window before the bloodshed begins, the four rivals form a reluctant alliance to hunt down magical curse keys, free themselves from their masters, and possibly change the fate of their dying world.
One of the biggest strengths of this book is its characters. The four narrators each have a distinctive voice, and their personalities clash in entertaining ways. They’re messy, morally questionable, and often downright irritating—but in a way that feels intentional. Growing up in a world designed to exploit them has left all of them sharp-edged and deeply flawed, and watching their uneasy partnership evolve was easily one of the most exciting parts of the story. Their constant sarcasm, banter, and moments of reluctant camaraderie bring a surprising amount of humor (albeit Dark humor) to an otherwise brutal setting.
The worldbuilding is wonderfully terrible and vivid. The magic system—divided between bone, blood, botany, and stone—is so interesting, and the relationship between arcanists and familiars adds a layer of cruelty that makes the entire society feel believable. It’s clear this first book is only scratching the surface of this world, these characters, and the magic system, which makes the world feel huge even while the story stays mostly confined to the castle.
The pacing is helped by the constant countdown to the Slaughter, which keeps the tension high throughout the book. The quest element also adds momentum, as the characters race through the castle and its dangers in search of the curse keys before time runs out.
My only real complaint is there were some occasional modern (and often immature) phrases that felt slightly out of place in such a grim, gothic setting and briefly pulled me out of the story. Still, those moments were minor compared to how immersive the overall atmosphere was.
Odd and full of chaotic character dynamics, These Shattered Spires is a grim, gothic fantasy that balances its bleak world with dark humor and compelling characters. It’s the kind of story where the characters are constantly on the brink of betrayal—or bonding—and I’m very curious to see how both the magic system and the larger world develop in the next installment!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury YA for this eARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was messy and chaotic in the best possible and most brilliant way - what a ride!
In a world that is clinging to life by its shredded fingertips, the sky is filled with teeth, undead nuns crawl across stones that literally bleed, and four human familiars, magical sources of power to their arcanists, fight to stop a daily apocalypse. But, as you can imagine, life is not easy for them, especially when the Thaumaturge, their ruler, is killed and a new one must be crowned from their arcanists.
The magic system is very well-built - each familiar has a different discipline, botanical, bones, blood and stone. It's explained at the beginning in a sort of handbook for new Wyrdos to the Pit (sorry, university) so the reader is immediately clued in. I liked having the reference to be able to flick back to if needed.
The story is told countdown style, each chapter showing how little time they have left which adds to the sense of urgency and pacing. Speaking of which, the pacing was excellent - it was gripping enough to keep you moving forward, but the breaks between each character were well-handled. I was worried I'd struggle with switching between 4 characters' POVs, but I needn't have been - each character was so distinct.
The world at large...what can I say? This is the work of a brilliant imagination. Full disclosure, the author is another of my best friend's best friends - what can I say, I have a fantastically creative friendship group! Nevertheless, as always with something I've read from someone I know, I try to remain impartial, but I genuinely don't think I've read a world that's quite so stunningly imagined before. It's gory and gruesome and often quite scary, but it's so immersive - you can practically feel the walls melting around you. I read it slowly to savour the deliciously disgusting (or disgustingly delicious?) descriptions. They’re so nonchalant at times and so unexpected. I loved how these broke you out of fast-paced moments with a touch of self-effacing or dark humour.
And despite this crazy, quirky world, the characters retain enough level of humanity for the reader to understand and empathise with them as young people figuring out their world but also their place in it. Elliot's strange desire to love and kill, Alis's longing for a past relationship - I loved this line (from an ARC copy): "She hated Nixie. She missed her even more." There is a history between them all that we're only just unravelling and I can't wait to know more about.
I read this as an ARC but I've pre-ordered a physical copy, and I'd suggest you do the same. I'm a Kindle girly through and through, but this is one book that I actually ended up reading on the Netgalley reader (I so rarely use this) because I needed to see the brilliant illustrations and chapter headings properly - my Kindle just didn’t do them justice!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.
In a world that is clinging to life by its shredded fingertips, the sky is filled with teeth, undead nuns crawl across stones that literally bleed, and four human familiars, magical sources of power to their arcanists, fight to stop a daily apocalypse. But, as you can imagine, life is not easy for them, especially when the Thaumaturge, their ruler, is killed and a new one must be crowned from their arcanists.
The magic system is very well-built - each familiar has a different discipline, botanical, bones, blood and stone. It's explained at the beginning in a sort of handbook for new Wyrdos to the Pit (sorry, university) so the reader is immediately clued in. I liked having the reference to be able to flick back to if needed.
The story is told countdown style, each chapter showing how little time they have left which adds to the sense of urgency and pacing. Speaking of which, the pacing was excellent - it was gripping enough to keep you moving forward, but the breaks between each character were well-handled. I was worried I'd struggle with switching between 4 characters' POVs, but I needn't have been - each character was so distinct.
The world at large...what can I say? This is the work of a brilliant imagination. Full disclosure, the author is another of my best friend's best friends - what can I say, I have a fantastically creative friendship group! Nevertheless, as always with something I've read from someone I know, I try to remain impartial, but I genuinely don't think I've read a world that's quite so stunningly imagined before. It's gory and gruesome and often quite scary, but it's so immersive - you can practically feel the walls melting around you. I read it slowly to savour the deliciously disgusting (or disgustingly delicious?) descriptions. They’re so nonchalant at times and so unexpected. I loved how these broke you out of fast-paced moments with a touch of self-effacing or dark humour.
And despite this crazy, quirky world, the characters retain enough level of humanity for the reader to understand and empathise with them as young people figuring out their world but also their place in it. Elliot's strange desire to love and kill, Alis's longing for a past relationship - I loved this line (from an ARC copy): "She hated Nixie. She missed her even more." There is a history between them all that we're only just unravelling and I can't wait to know more about.
I read this as an ARC but I've pre-ordered a physical copy, and I'd suggest you do the same. I'm a Kindle girly through and through, but this is one book that I actually ended up reading on the Netgalley reader (I so rarely use this) because I needed to see the brilliant illustrations and chapter headings properly - my Kindle just didn’t do them justice!
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publishers for an ARC of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
I greatly enjoyed this very raw and nuanced story of four apprentices/familiars who have decided they do not want to die in the service of another. You won't like any of them - they are deeply flawed, selfish, and very distinct. But it does make for a wild and chaotic ride as they try not only to survive the terrible world they have been born into but also each other.Story: They live in an enclosed magical world - to leave it is to die. Those children with a special kind of magic are taken from their families, pitted against each other, trained, and those that survive are slowly but inexorably drained of their magic and lives by the master who has chosen them. It's all supposed to be for the good of the world so that the nastier magical creatures are suppressed - but who wants to work for selfish stupid jerks while painfully and slowly dieing doing it? The four form a loose alliance to break the magic of the dome - but there is so much history between them that they would need to get over their intense dislikes of each other first. And do they trust the strange girl in the mirror who is supposedly telling them how they can be free?
So yes, this is fun in the myriad of twists and turns that constantly change the situations in which the four find themselves. Single minded and gruff Taro, cold and calculating Nixie, mute Alis, and mercurial Elliot. Bone, blood, stone, and botanical magicians who have only ever learned to hate each others and their factions. The fun is seeing them come together, be thrown apart, and then be forced to come together again to see if they can secretly break the curse on the land that keeps them trapped. All without murdering each other.
There is a lot gore and definitely quite a few aspects of horror. They spend most of the time hating each other and bickering and we get a POV for each of the four. But all the twists and turns work and the biggest surprise of all is if they can actually succeed.
This is the first book in the series and while there is a bit of a cliffhanger, it does complete in a satisfying arc. It is definitely not for those who prefer black and white overidealized heroines/heroes but instead is very rewarding in its character complexity. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
March 10, 2026
This book was creepy AF, and I found myself liking it 😂
I'm much pickier about the YA novels I read now. However, I am so appreciative to Bloomsbury YA for the chance to read this. It is, without a doubt, one of the most unique stories I've read in a very long time.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere/world-building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: None
Characters
It's not often that I read a YA novel and the teenagers actually FEEL like teenagers. They all spoke, acted, and even THOUGHT like teenagers. Despite the incredibly unrealistic setting, the characters felt believable. Though it was so accurate that I sometimes couldn't help but cringe 😂
I also appreciated how the relationships between the 4 main characters were depicted. It wasn't a convenient "we have to work together, and now we're suddenly best friends". In fact, there was a lot of resentment, disdain, and jealousy. They still had to find a way to work together. There were also parts of them that cared despite each one's selfish desires. It made for an interesting and realistic dynamic as the story played out!
Lastly, I did appreciate the LGBTQ+ representation throughout the story and the struggle with body dysmorphia as well.
Writing Style
Cassidy Ellis Salter's writing style brought the characters and settings to life. I'm still amazed at her ability to write realistic teenage characters. Creating an interesting story in a setting like this, without losing the reader, seems remarkable as well.
The only struggle that I faced was the formatting on Kindle for the ARC. It was occasionally difficult to track what was happening. I imagine this is an issue that will be fixed for the official publication, though.
Atmosphere/world-building
This was, without a doubt, the most unique setting for a book I have ever read. It was equal parts horrifying and gruesome. Which is also what made it intriguing. Even the monsters throughout the book seemed like the stuff of nightmares.
I normally struggle if I can't picture the setting in my head fairly clearly. This was so beyond what my brain normally imagines, that I didn't even try. I just accepted it.
Magic isn't an easy action in this world either that can be used as plot armor. It's difficult, limited, and there are real, sometimes dire, consequences when using it.
Spice
None!
I'm much pickier about the YA novels I read now. However, I am so appreciative to Bloomsbury YA for the chance to read this. It is, without a doubt, one of the most unique stories I've read in a very long time.
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Writing Style: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere/world-building: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: None
Characters
It's not often that I read a YA novel and the teenagers actually FEEL like teenagers. They all spoke, acted, and even THOUGHT like teenagers. Despite the incredibly unrealistic setting, the characters felt believable. Though it was so accurate that I sometimes couldn't help but cringe 😂
I also appreciated how the relationships between the 4 main characters were depicted. It wasn't a convenient "we have to work together, and now we're suddenly best friends". In fact, there was a lot of resentment, disdain, and jealousy. They still had to find a way to work together. There were also parts of them that cared despite each one's selfish desires. It made for an interesting and realistic dynamic as the story played out!
Lastly, I did appreciate the LGBTQ+ representation throughout the story and the struggle with body dysmorphia as well.
Writing Style
Cassidy Ellis Salter's writing style brought the characters and settings to life. I'm still amazed at her ability to write realistic teenage characters. Creating an interesting story in a setting like this, without losing the reader, seems remarkable as well.
The only struggle that I faced was the formatting on Kindle for the ARC. It was occasionally difficult to track what was happening. I imagine this is an issue that will be fixed for the official publication, though.
Atmosphere/world-building
This was, without a doubt, the most unique setting for a book I have ever read. It was equal parts horrifying and gruesome. Which is also what made it intriguing. Even the monsters throughout the book seemed like the stuff of nightmares.
I normally struggle if I can't picture the setting in my head fairly clearly. This was so beyond what my brain normally imagines, that I didn't even try. I just accepted it.
Magic isn't an easy action in this world either that can be used as plot armor. It's difficult, limited, and there are real, sometimes dire, consequences when using it.
Spice
None!
January 28, 2026
Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC!
(3.5) stars! I was immediately enthralled by the mere blurb of the book and its comp titles. A queer novel with 4 rival protagonists who can’t decide if they want to kill or help each other? Sign me up! The setting promised gothic and gore, and personally, it delivered. I’m a big fan of horror in fantasy AND magic systems with a high cost — so this hit the nail on the head for me in terms of marrying the two concepts.
The protagonists were insufferable and terrible (in a fascinating way). Every chapter felt like a car crash I couldn’t look away from and for the first time in a while, I genuinely felt like someone understood what it meant to write an enemies-to-friends kind of relationship. There were also a lot of really good quotes and lines that I loved that really made me pause to just consider the characters and their feelings.
The reason I rate this 3.5 stars (leaning towards 4) is that the beginning chapter of the book is a little hard to digest pacing-wise. The language is a little flowery and hard to follow, but ultimately as we moved forward I got accustomed, and it became easier. The other part is that I’m not sure how I feel about the way the nonbinary character was handled, in terms of narration. (CW and minor spoiler): There’s a lot of nuance for this, being that I am also trans,
Overall, I will definitely buy the physical copy when it comes out, and I will be looking forward to the other books in this series!!
(3.5) stars! I was immediately enthralled by the mere blurb of the book and its comp titles. A queer novel with 4 rival protagonists who can’t decide if they want to kill or help each other? Sign me up! The setting promised gothic and gore, and personally, it delivered. I’m a big fan of horror in fantasy AND magic systems with a high cost — so this hit the nail on the head for me in terms of marrying the two concepts.
The protagonists were insufferable and terrible (in a fascinating way). Every chapter felt like a car crash I couldn’t look away from and for the first time in a while, I genuinely felt like someone understood what it meant to write an enemies-to-friends kind of relationship. There were also a lot of really good quotes and lines that I loved that really made me pause to just consider the characters and their feelings.
The reason I rate this 3.5 stars (leaning towards 4) is that the beginning chapter of the book is a little hard to digest pacing-wise. The language is a little flowery and hard to follow, but ultimately as we moved forward I got accustomed, and it became easier. The other part is that I’m not sure how I feel about the way the nonbinary character was handled, in terms of narration. (CW and minor spoiler): There’s a lot of nuance for this, being that I am also trans,
Overall, I will definitely buy the physical copy when it comes out, and I will be looking forward to the other books in this series!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This is one of the few books where Gideon the Ninth actually is a fitting comp title. The whole time I was reading this I kept thinking about how reminiscent of the Locked Tomb series this book’s vibe was, and I didn’t even remember that that Gideon the Ninth was actually listed as a comp title in the blurb on Netgalley. It’s less confusing than the Locked Tomb series, especially compared to Harrow and Nona, but it definitely still captures that same feeling I got while reading the Locked Tomb books.
The characters are not especially likeable, in fact most of them are straight up assholes, but they still manage to be interesting and non-frustrating anyway. This book also doesn’t really feel a need to really explain its world-building to the reader, you just kinda have to pick up on how the magic system, the social structure, the institutions, etc. work, along the way. The humour may not be everyone’s thing, because it feels kinda tumblr-coded? I don’t know how to explain this because unlike the Locked Tomb series, These Shattered Spires doesn’t include any straight up tumblr posts, but to me, who’s been on tumblr since 2013, it still reads as very tumblr.
The book has not-exactly-necromancy-but-very-much-reminiscent-of-necromancy-magic-by-way-of-the-Locked-Tomb-books that is kinda gory and gross, occasionally veering on body horror. It’s also wonderfully queer; there’s sapphic bullshittery, MM bullshittery, and a non-binary main character who ended up being the only one who’s not an absolute asshole of a dumbass by the end (CW and minor spoiler warning about this: ).
Also, based on the ending, I’m guessing this is gonna be at least a duology, and I’m begging publishers to include that info in the description. As is, the blurb makes it sound like this is a stand-alone, but having read the book, I don’t think it is one.
----
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s for the ARC!
The characters are not especially likeable, in fact most of them are straight up assholes, but they still manage to be interesting and non-frustrating anyway. This book also doesn’t really feel a need to really explain its world-building to the reader, you just kinda have to pick up on how the magic system, the social structure, the institutions, etc. work, along the way. The humour may not be everyone’s thing, because it feels kinda tumblr-coded? I don’t know how to explain this because unlike the Locked Tomb series, These Shattered Spires doesn’t include any straight up tumblr posts, but to me, who’s been on tumblr since 2013, it still reads as very tumblr.
The book has not-exactly-necromancy-but-very-much-reminiscent-of-necromancy-magic-by-way-of-the-Locked-Tomb-books that is kinda gory and gross, occasionally veering on body horror. It’s also wonderfully queer; there’s sapphic bullshittery, MM bullshittery, and a non-binary main character who ended up being the only one who’s not an absolute asshole of a dumbass by the end (CW and minor spoiler warning about this: ).
Also, based on the ending, I’m guessing this is gonna be at least a duology, and I’m begging publishers to include that info in the description. As is, the blurb makes it sound like this is a stand-alone, but having read the book, I don’t think it is one.
----
Many thanks to Bloomsbury Children’s for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*3.5 stars*
These Shattered Spires is the perfect book for readers who love their fantasy unapologetically dark and weird, and their characters unapologetically morally gray and unlikeable. This book was truly wild; at no point could I predict where the world-building or plot was going, and I really enjoyed how unique of a reading experience it was.
In a world ruled by terrible people and filled with monsters and gory magic, four apprentices are thrown into a fight for the crown that will mean almost certain death for them. Tired of their magic and lives being used by others with no regard for them, they decide to work together and try to take the corrupt system down… which unfortunately means they’ll have to get along and not kill each other along the way.
If you are a fan of dark, gory, chaotic magic systems and worlds, this book has to be on your radar. Some of the most unique world building I’ve read in a long time combines with high-stakes, high-paced magical battles to make a bingeable read that will make you stare off into space and think “What did I just read?” (but you will enjoy it). The world building, pacing, and plot were 5 stars for me, but I really struggled with the characters just because I felt I couldn’t fully root for anyone. The characters are very well-written, and they also fit well into their story; this is not really a story about heroes. So my issue with the characters is entirely a personal preference thing, and while they were not for me, if you are a reader who enjoys books filled with all morally gray, “non-hero” protagonists, then you will most likely love all the characters. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book, and I am excited to see what this talented author brings us next!
I would recommend These Shattered Spires to readers who loved The Library at Hellebore, as well as to fans of weird / dark fantasy, incredibly unique magical systems, and morally gray characters.
Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury USA for the digital arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.
These Shattered Spires is the perfect book for readers who love their fantasy unapologetically dark and weird, and their characters unapologetically morally gray and unlikeable. This book was truly wild; at no point could I predict where the world-building or plot was going, and I really enjoyed how unique of a reading experience it was.
In a world ruled by terrible people and filled with monsters and gory magic, four apprentices are thrown into a fight for the crown that will mean almost certain death for them. Tired of their magic and lives being used by others with no regard for them, they decide to work together and try to take the corrupt system down… which unfortunately means they’ll have to get along and not kill each other along the way.
If you are a fan of dark, gory, chaotic magic systems and worlds, this book has to be on your radar. Some of the most unique world building I’ve read in a long time combines with high-stakes, high-paced magical battles to make a bingeable read that will make you stare off into space and think “What did I just read?” (but you will enjoy it). The world building, pacing, and plot were 5 stars for me, but I really struggled with the characters just because I felt I couldn’t fully root for anyone. The characters are very well-written, and they also fit well into their story; this is not really a story about heroes. So my issue with the characters is entirely a personal preference thing, and while they were not for me, if you are a reader who enjoys books filled with all morally gray, “non-hero” protagonists, then you will most likely love all the characters. Overall though, I really enjoyed this book, and I am excited to see what this talented author brings us next!
I would recommend These Shattered Spires to readers who loved The Library at Hellebore, as well as to fans of weird / dark fantasy, incredibly unique magical systems, and morally gray characters.
Thank you to NetGalley & Bloomsbury USA for the digital arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I received an ARC from the publisher in preparation for a UKYASpotlight interview. It has not affected my opinions.
3.5 stars
THESE SHATTERED SPIRES is a book about a decaying world with deeply flawed characters that was a bit too viscerally written for me.
The book goes very hard on the decaying atmosphere. It's all mould and crumbling stone, dirt and bones everywhere. There are walking mummified nuns who are the police of the castle and speak through exhaling dust that forms words. It is so well done it is actually pretty horrible and gross. I wanted to take many, many buckets of soapy water and just scrub the place clean. The only reason they're not all dead from disease is that they don't live long enough to contract anything.
The characters are awful. It's a very clear authorial choice and I did like that they didn't try to make them all sweet and nice. This world is awful, not just from the physicality of it but also the way it treats familiars as chattel. We only get glimpses of what they've been through before the castle, but it's enough to turn anyone selfish and manipulative. And they really, really are.
The relationships in the book are as broken as the world and characters are. Taro is the worst of the lot in my opinion, manipulative and unable to see or accept anything that goes against her narrative. I liked that this relationship was not romanticised at all but shown in all its unsettling shades of wrong.
I think my difficulty with this book was just how visceral my reaction was to the world. I was so grossed out I could not get into the book as I just wanted to keep it at arm's length from me. I suppose that's a mark of good worldbuilding and evocative writing. Also, I not-so-secretly wanted them to all die at the end - either by failing to end the curse or as a consequence of the curse being lifted. Not a likely option for a trilogy starter, but it was what I was hoping for throughout.
3.5 stars
THESE SHATTERED SPIRES is a book about a decaying world with deeply flawed characters that was a bit too viscerally written for me.
The book goes very hard on the decaying atmosphere. It's all mould and crumbling stone, dirt and bones everywhere. There are walking mummified nuns who are the police of the castle and speak through exhaling dust that forms words. It is so well done it is actually pretty horrible and gross. I wanted to take many, many buckets of soapy water and just scrub the place clean. The only reason they're not all dead from disease is that they don't live long enough to contract anything.
The characters are awful. It's a very clear authorial choice and I did like that they didn't try to make them all sweet and nice. This world is awful, not just from the physicality of it but also the way it treats familiars as chattel. We only get glimpses of what they've been through before the castle, but it's enough to turn anyone selfish and manipulative. And they really, really are.
The relationships in the book are as broken as the world and characters are. Taro is the worst of the lot in my opinion, manipulative and unable to see or accept anything that goes against her narrative. I liked that this relationship was not romanticised at all but shown in all its unsettling shades of wrong.
I think my difficulty with this book was just how visceral my reaction was to the world. I was so grossed out I could not get into the book as I just wanted to keep it at arm's length from me. I suppose that's a mark of good worldbuilding and evocative writing. Also, I not-so-secretly wanted them to all die at the end - either by failing to end the curse or as a consequence of the curse being lifted. Not a likely option for a trilogy starter, but it was what I was hoping for throughout.
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