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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, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 233 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.
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.
Did Not Finish
May 13, 2026firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!
unfortunately, dnf @ 13%, which is disappointing especially because these shattered spires was comped to gideon the ninth, which i really enjoyed!
i do think there has been may deadly competition fantasy novels lately, and i fear that either that trope has been exhausted, or that i am just exhausted by it.
i also listened to the audio, and the narrator did a good job!
i am sure this book will find its audience, but sadly it was not me.
unfortunately, dnf @ 13%, which is disappointing especially because these shattered spires was comped to gideon the ninth, which i really enjoyed!
i do think there has been may deadly competition fantasy novels lately, and i fear that either that trope has been exhausted, or that i am just exhausted by it.
i also listened to the audio, and the narrator did a good job!
i am sure this book will find its audience, but sadly it was not me.
March 23, 2026
Fourth 5⭐️ of 2026.
I fucking loved this. If you’re a fan of The Locked Tomb, CG Drews, Dark Rise and messy queers, you must read it immediately.
THE PREMISE: four acolytes who can manipulate blood, bone, botanical and stone, must soon take part in a Battle Royale in a cursed nightmare of a castle in order to pick the next king. But what if they worked together and tried to break the curse instead? WHAT THEN?
TROPES & VIBES:
- Basically YA Gideon the Ninth. But understandable
- Taro is my favourite, and is somehow simultaneously both Gideon and Harrow.
- The audiobook is very good. I switched when I had to “go do stuff outside” but still wanted to read
- Mysteries and deception
- Everyone has issues
- Multi-pov fantasy
I fucking loved this. If you’re a fan of The Locked Tomb, CG Drews, Dark Rise and messy queers, you must read it immediately.
THE PREMISE: four acolytes who can manipulate blood, bone, botanical and stone, must soon take part in a Battle Royale in a cursed nightmare of a castle in order to pick the next king. But what if they worked together and tried to break the curse instead? WHAT THEN?
TROPES & VIBES:
- Basically YA Gideon the Ninth. But understandable
- Taro is my favourite, and is somehow simultaneously both Gideon and Harrow.
- The audiobook is very good. I switched when I had to “go do stuff outside” but still wanted to read
- Mysteries and deception
- Everyone has issues
- Multi-pov fantasy
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.
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
May 29, 2026
the way to get to me is through my eyeballs; the character art in the first few pages of this made me push through and read the whole thing even when I was not having a great time. Very telling of me, but oh well
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.
May 10, 2026
Sometimes this book seemed like AI wrote it.
A character who had their tongue cut out, literally bites their tongue from pain in one scene. There is no tongue to bite?? (I know there was a reveal about this character and their tongue. But that doesn't change the fact that my brain hurt trying to understand how one can bite their tongue when they supposedly have no tongue.)
This same character writes what they want to say on pieces of paper. At one point this Charakter was in a dark room with another of our main characters, and they showed him what they had written, and the other character could read it. They were in a dark room. How could he read their cramped tiny handwriting in a dark room?
And that same character identifies as non-binary, but for some fucked up reason they refer to themselves as she/her throughout the book? WHY? Even in their own thoughts? So, why make that character a non-binary person then? I don't get it.
What I also didn't get was the world building. We are in a city that is directly underneath the open, saliva-dripping, teeth-filled jaw of some type of huge monster? And nothing else exists in this world? Just the space beneath that open mouth. And there are regular saliva-rains on the schedule for these people? Fucking come again?
I also hated Taro, she sucked ass. The most narcissistic person I think I've ever read about. Fuck her i hope she dies in the next instalment.
I won't be reading the sequel though.
A character who had their tongue cut out, literally bites their tongue from pain in one scene. There is no tongue to bite?? (I know there was a reveal about this character and their tongue. But that doesn't change the fact that my brain hurt trying to understand how one can bite their tongue when they supposedly have no tongue.)
This same character writes what they want to say on pieces of paper. At one point this Charakter was in a dark room with another of our main characters, and they showed him what they had written, and the other character could read it. They were in a dark room. How could he read their cramped tiny handwriting in a dark room?
And that same character identifies as non-binary, but for some fucked up reason they refer to themselves as she/her throughout the book? WHY? Even in their own thoughts? So, why make that character a non-binary person then? I don't get it.
What I also didn't get was the world building. We are in a city that is directly underneath the open, saliva-dripping, teeth-filled jaw of some type of huge monster? And nothing else exists in this world? Just the space beneath that open mouth. And there are regular saliva-rains on the schedule for these people? Fucking come again?
I also hated Taro, she sucked ass. The most narcissistic person I think I've ever read about. Fuck her i hope she dies in the next instalment.
I won't be reading the sequel though.
Did Not Finish
March 19, 2026Yeah I can't do it. I keep trying to pick it up and I manage two pages before giving up. The writing tries unsuccessfully to be funny, the gore is not goring and I simply don't care about any of the characters. There is a countdown to a slaughter and yet I am bored.
The only connection to GtN is that the author tried really hard to copied it.
The only connection to GtN is that the author tried really hard to copied it.
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 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.
August 11, 2026
2.5
“You haven’t met a real villain. Pray you never do.”
A queer, gothic, YA fantasy focusing on four familiars who might have to fight to the death for power, unless they can work together to stop the slaughter. For a book with such an exciting premise and interesting world-building, this fell remarkably flat.
The writing itself wasn’t my favourite. It was descriptive and at times grotesque, which I didn’t mind. However, I somehow felt very confused and like I was missing something. It felt like concepts or plans of action hadn’t been explained properly. One thing I did get really hung up on was the fact that there were random uses of modern language in dialogue. It just felt like it didn’t fit to throw in “yes, babes” and “psych!” at random times when the vibes were so old timey throughout the rest of the book. I always struggle with this if it isn’t consistent or deliberately used to liven up the storytelling.
I didn’t exactly like the characters (but then I don’t think I was meant to). They definitely gave off messy queers vibes and I did enjoy that aspect. I was most interested in Elliot and Alix. And I did also partly enjoy Nixie’s storyline. Taro was the one I struggled the most with. I liked her determination but goddamn she was stubborn and never seemed to listen to anyone else. She was also the weird modern language user so she sometimes felt like she belonged in a different story.
The plot itself was very slow to take off. The book was doing character work in the first third but the characters felt a bit flat and dead (understandable because of their situation) so it was really hard to get invested. I feel like the plot did all its best work in the final 100 pages. Those were captivating as hell and actually made me want to continue the series. I’m not sure if I will though. I’ll think about it.
“You haven’t met a real villain. Pray you never do.”
A queer, gothic, YA fantasy focusing on four familiars who might have to fight to the death for power, unless they can work together to stop the slaughter. For a book with such an exciting premise and interesting world-building, this fell remarkably flat.
The writing itself wasn’t my favourite. It was descriptive and at times grotesque, which I didn’t mind. However, I somehow felt very confused and like I was missing something. It felt like concepts or plans of action hadn’t been explained properly. One thing I did get really hung up on was the fact that there were random uses of modern language in dialogue. It just felt like it didn’t fit to throw in “yes, babes” and “psych!” at random times when the vibes were so old timey throughout the rest of the book. I always struggle with this if it isn’t consistent or deliberately used to liven up the storytelling.
I didn’t exactly like the characters (but then I don’t think I was meant to). They definitely gave off messy queers vibes and I did enjoy that aspect. I was most interested in Elliot and Alix. And I did also partly enjoy Nixie’s storyline. Taro was the one I struggled the most with. I liked her determination but goddamn she was stubborn and never seemed to listen to anyone else. She was also the weird modern language user so she sometimes felt like she belonged in a different story.
The plot itself was very slow to take off. The book was doing character work in the first third but the characters felt a bit flat and dead (understandable because of their situation) so it was really hard to get invested. I feel like the plot did all its best work in the final 100 pages. Those were captivating as hell and actually made me want to continue the series. I’m not sure if I will though. I’ll think about it.
March 19, 2026
idk I’m confused but I liked the characters
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!
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’.
August 19, 2026
Overall: Not bad for a debut! However, the characters are frustrating and unlikable (though I'll give credit for them at least being motivated, mostly). There are serious plot holes, repetitive beats, and the figurative language missed as often as it landed. I'm also still not sure who the ideal audience is.
There's a lot to unpack here.
The characters
Let's start with the strengths: each character has some kind of goal and they're not always fully aligned with each other, allowing Salter to successfully present them as unreliable narrators and generate conflict. They each have their own emotional challenges and themes, which mirror common queer experiences (trauma bonding into codependent relationships, playing the clown to avoid self-examination, parental rejection)--a neat trick considering this world doesn't seem to have the kind of homophobia that causes those things in real life. (There is, however, transphobia.) Almost every named character is both queer and complicated (read: a f*cking mess). Represented identities: nonbinary femme, lesbian, bi/pan, gay.
As much as I appreciate those strengths ... I can't say I actually enjoyed these characters!
Salter was definitely aiming for flawed but relatable and unfortunately only managed ... flawed. It was hard for me to sympathize when these characters missed no opportunity to be cruel instead of kind and missed every opportunity to self-reflect or be sincere. A little bit of that is human, but the amount that's here is exhausting. It goes on for soooo long before we get to see any growth.
Another issue is that, although characters had goals, they moved toward and away from those goals erratically. Sometimes their actions were sensible attempts to move toward what they wanted, but a lot of the time it was just for the vibes whether it made sense or not. This was especially true for secondary characters, whose actions never seemed to match their ruthless, power-hungry desires. (More on that later.) The result was a plot that dragged because characters moved without urgency and flip-flopped on their opinions whenever the story required it (which was about once per chapter).
It's the same energy as "what if the blorbos kissed?" but instead it was "what if the blorbos were forced to fight--again!!!"
Each of the four narrators got their own time to shine, which mostly meant a hissy fit, each one following the same structure (including a feeling of regret but not being able to stop themselves from saying something even nastier) and each one landing at a predictable moment rather than one that felt natural. In addition to repeating similar beats, the four protagonists sometimes seemed to share a personality. Taro (the brash clown) and Nixie (the uptight control freak) usually managed to stay distinct, but Elliot and Alis/Alix were too similar to each other (i.e. alternately pissed and aloof, almost taking turns). Clearer arcs would've helped, but it also would've helped if one of them was less mean or angry than the others.
Some of the inconsistencies in characterization were so bad that they even undermined the world-building.
Plot holes
One of the most noteworthy examples was the way no one really punished Alis for collapsing a ceiling. We're told that familiars are less than second class citizens and can be readily killed without consequence. Yet when they made such a terrible mistake that they were cast out ... it sounds like a good thing, actually, because they don't have to be a familiar anymore...? What happened to useless familiars basically being taken out back and put down, like Cassia fears will happen to her? So ... none of the supposed threats are real, deflating the sense of urgency.
The biggest issues have to do with how familiar-arcanist relationships work. We learn that the only difference between a familiar and an arcanist is where they went to school (i.e. their social class) and everyone knows this. In other words, the familiars know that they're capable of the same magic as their owners, and the arcanists know it, too. Towards the end, we even see three familiars kill their arcanists with their bare hands (pretty quickly too!), which makes you wonder: why wouldn't they have tried to kill their arcanists to escape much, much earlier? In general, how are powerful familiars actually kept under control? Books like The Fifth Season show exactly how society controls powerful individuals and what happens to those who rebel, but it's totally absent here. As a result, the angst feels hollow, which is especially troubling because we're basically talking about enslavement, a subject that deserves to be handled with care and not just as an aesthetic.
Prose and figurative language
Salter has a better handle of the English language than most debut YA authors, but they still have a lot of room to improve.
First, they overuse words like violence like crazy. If I had a dollar for each instance of violent/violence, I could probably take a week off work. It's especially bad because it's redundant. Like, bruh, the pages are practically oozing blood and characters are constantly knocking each other around--I already know it's super violent in here.
They also used a lot of figurative language--probably more than they really needed to--and some of their similes were distractingly weird. Within the first 150 pages, there are three soup-based similes, and they're all stilted and confusing. (A face as blank as mushroom soup? This makes me picture chunks of mushrooms floating in a bowl, which I wouldn't call blank.) It's also such a mismatch for a book that's otherwise so preoccupied with blood and bones.
And unfortunately that wasn't the only thing about this story that felt confused about itself.
Audience
The publisher isn't incorrect to advertise this as a Gideon the Ninth read-alike ... though that unfortunately is not a strong selling point for a teen audience: no teen I know is asking for Gideon the Ninth.
There are also at least two passages about Elliot and Morgan that felt dangerously close to kink. They're basically engaging in knife play and sexualized power games (though no sex is actually depicted). The text makes it clear this isn't meant to be a healthy relationship and that Morgan is a villain, but it's still a lot for a teen book, even for older teens. Even without those parts, this is basically whump, which I do think teens like to write themselves, but only when it's about characters they're already familiar with or their own OCs. I think the number of teens who are looking for something this relentlessly dark and dense is quite small.
At the same time, other Goodreads reviews show how many adult readers of GtN aren't satisfied with this. The aesthetics match and both books are self-indulgent in the way only a longtime fanfic writer can manage ... but the characters in These Shattered Spires are too childish for adult readers, made worse by the unsupported threats and gappy world-building.
So ... who is this for? I think the answer is whump fic readers who want a lot of gay angst. Those readers definitely exist, but I'm skeptical enough of them will find it buried on the teen shelves.
There's a lot to unpack here.
The characters
Let's start with the strengths: each character has some kind of goal and they're not always fully aligned with each other, allowing Salter to successfully present them as unreliable narrators and generate conflict. They each have their own emotional challenges and themes, which mirror common queer experiences (trauma bonding into codependent relationships, playing the clown to avoid self-examination, parental rejection)--a neat trick considering this world doesn't seem to have the kind of homophobia that causes those things in real life. (There is, however, transphobia.) Almost every named character is both queer and complicated (read: a f*cking mess). Represented identities: nonbinary femme, lesbian, bi/pan, gay.
As much as I appreciate those strengths ... I can't say I actually enjoyed these characters!
Salter was definitely aiming for flawed but relatable and unfortunately only managed ... flawed. It was hard for me to sympathize when these characters missed no opportunity to be cruel instead of kind and missed every opportunity to self-reflect or be sincere. A little bit of that is human, but the amount that's here is exhausting. It goes on for soooo long before we get to see any growth.
Another issue is that, although characters had goals, they moved toward and away from those goals erratically. Sometimes their actions were sensible attempts to move toward what they wanted, but a lot of the time it was just for the vibes whether it made sense or not. This was especially true for secondary characters, whose actions never seemed to match their ruthless, power-hungry desires. (More on that later.) The result was a plot that dragged because characters moved without urgency and flip-flopped on their opinions whenever the story required it (which was about once per chapter).
It's the same energy as "what if the blorbos kissed?" but instead it was "what if the blorbos were forced to fight--again!!!"
Each of the four narrators got their own time to shine, which mostly meant a hissy fit, each one following the same structure (including a feeling of regret but not being able to stop themselves from saying something even nastier) and each one landing at a predictable moment rather than one that felt natural. In addition to repeating similar beats, the four protagonists sometimes seemed to share a personality. Taro (the brash clown) and Nixie (the uptight control freak) usually managed to stay distinct, but Elliot and Alis/Alix were too similar to each other (i.e. alternately pissed and aloof, almost taking turns). Clearer arcs would've helped, but it also would've helped if one of them was less mean or angry than the others.
Some of the inconsistencies in characterization were so bad that they even undermined the world-building.
Plot holes
One of the most noteworthy examples was the way no one really punished Alis for collapsing a ceiling. We're told that familiars are less than second class citizens and can be readily killed without consequence. Yet when they made such a terrible mistake that they were cast out ... it sounds like a good thing, actually, because they don't have to be a familiar anymore...? What happened to useless familiars basically being taken out back and put down, like Cassia fears will happen to her? So ... none of the supposed threats are real, deflating the sense of urgency.
The biggest issues have to do with how familiar-arcanist relationships work. We learn that the only difference between a familiar and an arcanist is where they went to school (i.e. their social class) and everyone knows this. In other words, the familiars know that they're capable of the same magic as their owners, and the arcanists know it, too. Towards the end, we even see three familiars kill their arcanists with their bare hands (pretty quickly too!), which makes you wonder: why wouldn't they have tried to kill their arcanists to escape much, much earlier? In general, how are powerful familiars actually kept under control? Books like The Fifth Season show exactly how society controls powerful individuals and what happens to those who rebel, but it's totally absent here. As a result, the angst feels hollow, which is especially troubling because we're basically talking about enslavement, a subject that deserves to be handled with care and not just as an aesthetic.
Prose and figurative language
Salter has a better handle of the English language than most debut YA authors, but they still have a lot of room to improve.
First, they overuse words like violence like crazy. If I had a dollar for each instance of violent/violence, I could probably take a week off work. It's especially bad because it's redundant. Like, bruh, the pages are practically oozing blood and characters are constantly knocking each other around--I already know it's super violent in here.
They also used a lot of figurative language--probably more than they really needed to--and some of their similes were distractingly weird. Within the first 150 pages, there are three soup-based similes, and they're all stilted and confusing. (A face as blank as mushroom soup? This makes me picture chunks of mushrooms floating in a bowl, which I wouldn't call blank.) It's also such a mismatch for a book that's otherwise so preoccupied with blood and bones.
And unfortunately that wasn't the only thing about this story that felt confused about itself.
Audience
The publisher isn't incorrect to advertise this as a Gideon the Ninth read-alike ... though that unfortunately is not a strong selling point for a teen audience: no teen I know is asking for Gideon the Ninth.
There are also at least two passages about Elliot and Morgan that felt dangerously close to kink. They're basically engaging in knife play and sexualized power games (though no sex is actually depicted). The text makes it clear this isn't meant to be a healthy relationship and that Morgan is a villain, but it's still a lot for a teen book, even for older teens. Even without those parts, this is basically whump, which I do think teens like to write themselves, but only when it's about characters they're already familiar with or their own OCs. I think the number of teens who are looking for something this relentlessly dark and dense is quite small.
At the same time, other Goodreads reviews show how many adult readers of GtN aren't satisfied with this. The aesthetics match and both books are self-indulgent in the way only a longtime fanfic writer can manage ... but the characters in These Shattered Spires are too childish for adult readers, made worse by the unsupported threats and gappy world-building.
So ... who is this for? I think the answer is whump fic readers who want a lot of gay angst. Those readers definitely exist, but I'm skeptical enough of them will find it buried on the teen shelves.
March 21, 2026
Thank you to the Bloomsbury Creator Circle for the gifted physical ARC of this book.
I’m giving 3.5 stars rounded up.
I am impressed with the creativity and texture in this book. Every square inch of the world is dripping, bleeding, rotting, or covered in blood and teeth. The cover of this book needs to include the Desecrae!
This book is LBGTQ+ inclusive, including the discussion and processing of body dysmorphia.
These characters!!! Deeply flawed, dramatic, self-absorbed, murderous, and traumatized. I didn’t like a single one of them, but darn it, they were funny and entertaining! I struggled to feel connected to this group of misfits with all their betrayals and actions. The Unholy Mothers and the Librarian were both super creepy!!! Mr Fingers was funny.
The plot was medium paced throughout, although the beginning of the story felt slow due to the setup of the four alternating POVs. I liked the writing style.
The world building in this book is cool, creative, immersive, and original. The relationships between the arcanists and familiars were layered with abuses and elitism. The magic system is interesting, with four designations, and magical wresting with physical objects. The setting is detailed and descriptive.
This book does not have on page spice, just steam.
So why 3.5 stars? Throughout the story, the buildup and countdown to the Slaughter is the main focus for ~85-90% of the book. But when the time came for this event and entering the tower, the actual events only occurred over the course of a few chapters. I felt the buildup did not match the final events/payoff. The ending felt rushed.
Overall, this book is entertaining and creative. I would continue with the series and try another book by this author.
I’m giving 3.5 stars rounded up.
I am impressed with the creativity and texture in this book. Every square inch of the world is dripping, bleeding, rotting, or covered in blood and teeth. The cover of this book needs to include the Desecrae!
This book is LBGTQ+ inclusive, including the discussion and processing of body dysmorphia.
These characters!!! Deeply flawed, dramatic, self-absorbed, murderous, and traumatized. I didn’t like a single one of them, but darn it, they were funny and entertaining! I struggled to feel connected to this group of misfits with all their betrayals and actions. The Unholy Mothers and the Librarian were both super creepy!!! Mr Fingers was funny.
The plot was medium paced throughout, although the beginning of the story felt slow due to the setup of the four alternating POVs. I liked the writing style.
The world building in this book is cool, creative, immersive, and original. The relationships between the arcanists and familiars were layered with abuses and elitism. The magic system is interesting, with four designations, and magical wresting with physical objects. The setting is detailed and descriptive.
This book does not have on page spice, just steam.
So why 3.5 stars? Throughout the story, the buildup and countdown to the Slaughter is the main focus for ~85-90% of the book. But when the time came for this event and entering the tower, the actual events only occurred over the course of a few chapters. I felt the buildup did not match the final events/payoff. The ending felt rushed.
Overall, this book is entertaining and creative. I would continue with the series and try another book by this author.
Did Not Finish
April 7, 2026Thank you to Bloomsbury USA Children's Books and Bloomsbury YA for this advanced copy. You can pick up These Shattered Spires now.
When I started this book, I was immediately sucked into this terrifying, visceral world of towers and blood magic and zombie/monster nuns?? I love the approach of throwing the reader into the story with little to no exposition, allowing them to find their way through it on their own. It demands a certain level of curiosity and trust in the reader, and I fear we need more books like that to challenge us.
We're introduced to some wildly fascinating characters, spanning several POVs and coming from different magical backgrounds. Some are allies, some enemies, some use others without them knowing, but all are competing for the same prize.
While I wish I could say more, unfortunately, I did have to set it down for now because the world/magic system revolves around a manipulation of human bodies that left me feeling a bit queasy at times. This is totally personal preference, and while I'm fascinated by what the author has created, I think if I decide to continue, I'll have to be in a much different mood/headspace.
But for fantasy/horror fans who love messy relationships and diabolical betrayals, I fear this one is for you!
When I started this book, I was immediately sucked into this terrifying, visceral world of towers and blood magic and zombie/monster nuns?? I love the approach of throwing the reader into the story with little to no exposition, allowing them to find their way through it on their own. It demands a certain level of curiosity and trust in the reader, and I fear we need more books like that to challenge us.
We're introduced to some wildly fascinating characters, spanning several POVs and coming from different magical backgrounds. Some are allies, some enemies, some use others without them knowing, but all are competing for the same prize.
While I wish I could say more, unfortunately, I did have to set it down for now because the world/magic system revolves around a manipulation of human bodies that left me feeling a bit queasy at times. This is totally personal preference, and while I'm fascinated by what the author has created, I think if I decide to continue, I'll have to be in a much different mood/headspace.
But for fantasy/horror fans who love messy relationships and diabolical betrayals, I fear this one is for you!
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 20, 2026
I was a little worried going into These Shattered Spires, because I know the author, and even though I figured the chances of me not liking this book were small, the concern that I may not finding it quite for me was still there at the back of my mind, chomping away at me. Well, I'm happy to say there was no need to worry. I had a lot of fun with this one.
I think the best way to describe this book is wonderfully weird, neon pink gothic chaos. And what a ride!
I enjoyed how all 4 POV characters felt different, it truly felt like being inside their minds, and hopping on this twisted, strange, gruesome adventure with them. Elliot and Alis/Alix both have my heart, I want to wrap them both in hugs and make them a cup of hot chocolate.
The second part of the book really, really hooked me. I like that I mostly wasn't able to see completely where this would go. Some things I was able to anticipate, but not all of them, and I enjoyed being surprised as I neared the end.
I'll now be eagerly awaiting book two...
I think the best way to describe this book is wonderfully weird, neon pink gothic chaos. And what a ride!
I enjoyed how all 4 POV characters felt different, it truly felt like being inside their minds, and hopping on this twisted, strange, gruesome adventure with them. Elliot and Alis/Alix both have my heart, I want to wrap them both in hugs and make them a cup of hot chocolate.
The second part of the book really, really hooked me. I like that I mostly wasn't able to see completely where this would go. Some things I was able to anticipate, but not all of them, and I enjoyed being surprised as I neared the end.
I'll now be eagerly awaiting book two...
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.
June 4, 2026
really hoped i would've liked this more. the story is fun and there's a plot, but it was muddy at some points. idk if it was my own mental state but sometimes it was hard to follow. could've perhaps done with a little more editing and more 'show, dont tell'. I love that writing style when reading fanfic but it didn't give the impact the story deserved in this setting. I am curious about the rest of the series though.
August 17, 2026
gideon the ninth v2 was exactly what i was looking for
May 1, 2026
Everyone is evil, deranged and gay… 5 stars
May 11, 2026
1 star
I was hoping to like this book, but 3 things ruined it for me:
1. The pacing felt all over the place and there were scenes i felt went on for way too long
2. The overuse of similes and metaphors, like there were some pages with 2/3 within a single page. It’s almost as bad as Powerless with its overuse of alliterations.
3 (and this is the worst of them all) Taro:
Taro might actually be one of, if not THE, most insufferable, most unlikeable character i have ever read. She’s Chloe Price from life is strange but WORSE. Jace from Mortal Instruments was an insufferable character but Taro, by god, she’s Jace but cranked up to 11! I legitimately have never wanted to throw a book and scream STFU at a character before. Her jokes and one liners were so cringe it made the game Forspoken more forgiving. They were drier than a desert.
The other 3 characters were fine. But Taro, holy shit i fucking hated her so much. If that was intentional then congrats, but if not then in sorry but you wrote a god awful, cringy character. She also did a ‘your mom’s butt’ joke which was SO cringe!
The writing isn’t on the same level as Fourth Wing with its meta-millennial humour, but the writing in this had my eyes rolling on the same level. There were a couple of times where i wasnt sure if it was a character saying something or if it was the narrator, especially when describing something and then go ‘yup, those definitely are turkey legs!’
Any positives? The world building was its only redeemable quality.
I was hoping to like this book, but 3 things ruined it for me:
1. The pacing felt all over the place and there were scenes i felt went on for way too long
2. The overuse of similes and metaphors, like there were some pages with 2/3 within a single page. It’s almost as bad as Powerless with its overuse of alliterations.
3 (and this is the worst of them all) Taro:
Taro might actually be one of, if not THE, most insufferable, most unlikeable character i have ever read. She’s Chloe Price from life is strange but WORSE. Jace from Mortal Instruments was an insufferable character but Taro, by god, she’s Jace but cranked up to 11! I legitimately have never wanted to throw a book and scream STFU at a character before. Her jokes and one liners were so cringe it made the game Forspoken more forgiving. They were drier than a desert.
The other 3 characters were fine. But Taro, holy shit i fucking hated her so much. If that was intentional then congrats, but if not then in sorry but you wrote a god awful, cringy character. She also did a ‘your mom’s butt’ joke which was SO cringe!
The writing isn’t on the same level as Fourth Wing with its meta-millennial humour, but the writing in this had my eyes rolling on the same level. There were a couple of times where i wasnt sure if it was a character saying something or if it was the narrator, especially when describing something and then go ‘yup, those definitely are turkey legs!’
Any positives? The world building was its only redeemable quality.
March 29, 2026
I really wanted to love this book, I felt as though the concept had so much potential and the opening chapters completely pulled me in. The setup was intriguing, and I was excited to see where the story would go.
Unfortunately, as the book went on, it started to lose me. The plot felt like it drifted away from that strong beginning, and I found myself struggling to stay invested. I just didn’t fully connect with the characters, which made it harder to stay engaged as the story progressed.
It also felt quite long, and some sections dragged more than they needed to. I think this could’ve been a much stronger read if it had been tighter and more focused.
There are definitely elements here that I can see others loving, but overall this one just didn’t quite work for me. Thank you to Bloomsbury ANZ for the eARC of These Shattered Spires
Unfortunately, as the book went on, it started to lose me. The plot felt like it drifted away from that strong beginning, and I found myself struggling to stay invested. I just didn’t fully connect with the characters, which made it harder to stay engaged as the story progressed.
It also felt quite long, and some sections dragged more than they needed to. I think this could’ve been a much stronger read if it had been tighter and more focused.
There are definitely elements here that I can see others loving, but overall this one just didn’t quite work for me. Thank you to Bloomsbury ANZ for the eARC of These Shattered Spires
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