These Shattered Spires

Wyrdos Trilogy #1

by Cassidy Ellis Salter

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.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer, Young Adult Fantasy, LGBT, Gothic, Lesbian

368 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication March 10, 2026

Reviews

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Jamie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

#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.

[Mella aka Maron]

DNF 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.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

📚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

[DragonflyFoxes · Rating 4 out of 5]

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, but I found myself being a little frustrated that the narration misgendered the character for 80% of the book. I feel like the big moment was breezed over by the finale of the plot, but at the same time I did like the scene itself in its own bubble. It’s a strange dichotomy for me: I think the narrative decision to not refer to Alix properly was interesting, especially when they finally did come out and the narration changed to reflect that — but the timing was not my favorite for being so late into the book and with it met with such little fanfare. It’s kind of treated like a “whatever” moment. I don’t know if I’m conveying my words properly, but I didn’t hate it, at least. My opinion is not a monolith, also, and I do think it’s lovely representation.

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!!

[Aila Krisse · Rating 4 out of 5]

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: the character only comes out and comes to terms with their own gender identity in the like 2nd to last chapter of the book and is thus misgendered all the time, including by themselves in their own internal dialogue).

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!

[Rishali Dey · Rating 5 out of 5]

(4.5 stars rounded up)

These Shattered Spires completely took me by surprise in the best possible way. This book felt unlike anything I’ve read before. It is dark, gothic, and atmospheric, with a tone that immediately pulls you into its sharp-edged world.

And the characters, oh the characters. They were witty, biting, and endlessly entertaining. Getting to live inside their inner monologues was one of my favorite parts of the story. Their frustration with their spires and the head arcanists felt so raw and real that it almost took me back to college, when I too (only a little, I promise) occasionally despised my professors. That emotional authenticity made the characters feel incredibly human, even in such a fantastical setting.

The world building deserves special praise. The spires, the magic, the literal tooth-filled sky, and the academy setting were vivid and unique, yet still easy to imagine. Everything felt intentional and immersive, and I never struggled to picture the world unfolding around the characters. On top of that, I loved how thoughtfully this book represented the LGBTQ community, while also addressing the very real stress and pressure students face within an academic system. Those themes added so much depth to the story.

I will admit that I didn’t realize this was the first installment in a trilogy until I reached the final page. Finding that out left me both thrilled and devastated. I’m thrilled because I get to spend more time in this world with Taro, Alix, Elliot, and Nixie, but devastated because now I have no idea how long I’ll have to wait to jump into book two.

All that said, I couldn’t be happier that I had the chance to read this early proof of this epic YA fantasy. Thank you to Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read and review this book early. I’ll be counting down the days until the rest of the trilogy arrives.

[PaygeLP · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury Publishing UK for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this gory, creepy, pain and magic-filled story even when the sky was filled with (checks notes) teeth??

It’s a classic high fantasy structure with four perspectives of the four familiars trying to break the system and take it over themselves. Each have their own darkness and secrets and felt like genuine 3D people in their own right. I think my favourite was Alix, who was struggling with their sense of self and who they were perceived as. Honestly I think their personal storyline could have been even deeper as it’s kind of resolved a bit quick for my liking, when everyone finally knows what’s going on with them. Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely, just maybe a little unsatisfying and kind of overshadowed by the big finale.

The magic system was unique and had a high cost which made it really interesting to read about. This sort of system has been done before in some other books, but I liked how this one was more about the oppression of it all as opposed to “just how the magic works” which gave it a unique flavour.

I think the only reason I’m not giving it five stars is because there were some parts I struggled to visualise and I didn’t feel as driven to pick it back up as I have with other books. Like, I still have no clue what the pit the familiars start out in looks like. Maybe this is me missing some description, but I struggled to settle int the scenes described there because of this.

But, if you’re in to epic heist-like stories with gore and creepiness abound, then this book is for sure for you.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw this advertised on Netgalley and thought I'd give it a go. It's a bit different from my usual go to book genre; Romantasy!

I wasn't quite sure what to expect at first, this book is definitely up there in terms of unique and unapologetically strange 😂.
The world building is a lot to take in but in a good way. At the beginning of the book, readers are introduced to the Spires - Blackspire, Redspire, Greenspire and Greyspire. The illustrations of the four familiars...Taro, Nixie, Elliot and Alis from each discipline (blood, bone, stone and botany) are cool.
The story follows the four of them in the slaughter and their relationships along the way. This is suitable for all ages, nothing inappropriate, just a need for a strong stomach 😂.

For me the world was very gross, the descriptions had me feeling queasy in places. A rotting castle, I mean the sky is made of teeth (yes you heard that correctly 😂).
My favourite thing about this book was definitely the sarcasm, wit, inner dialogue and the many retorts from characters.
This book has LGBTQIA+ representation too 👏

some non context dialogue/quotes ⬇️

I hope the library cats murder you in your sleep

They won't kill me. Someone has to look after the books when the old bag is gone.

Hurry up and go for your morning nap, you total waste of bones. I have
treason to commit.

I implore the library to fall on your head and crush your spine like an accordian.

Go impale yourself.

[Lumley Little Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley and Bloomsbury for an advanced copy!

These Shattered Spires follows a rag tag group familars as they are thrust into a magical competition to the death, also called the Slaughter, when the Thaumaturge (ruler) dies. The majority of the story is spent counting down the 72 hours before the Slaughter begins, as the characters attempt to band together and find mysterious keys to use to break the curse that has been cast on their castle.

I was definitely enraptured at the beginning with the magic system and vivid descriptions of the setting, which was so unique and grotesque. Our characters are trapped inside the Fourspires castle, protected from the rotting, melting city outside only by a suppression spell that is cast every morning by the heads of the four magic lines- bone, botany, blood, and stone. Envision teeth in the sky, ooey gooey dripping walls, and chandeliers made of bones.

I felt like These Shattered Spires is more character driven, as opposed to plot, and unfortunately as the story progressed I found myself not really connecting with any of the characters. I also struggled with the pacing at parts, and then the ending felt very quick. These things definitely impacted how much I enjoyed the book, but I think if you like more character focused books, with witty inner monologues and that act somewhat reprehensible at times, you will probably really enjoy this.

[Vicky · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75 Stars - ARC Review

What an incredible debut! Unique world-building, complex characters and a haunting gothic atmosphere - this book has it all!

The story follows four different Taro, Alix, Nixie and Elliot, each a familiar from one of the magical disciplines: bone, stone, blood, and botany. I loved each one of the POVs (and the stunning illustrations at the start of each chapter). Each character was unapologetically queer, complex and flawed, and also slightly unhinged (let's be honest, who wouldn't be when you are stuck under a sky with teeth and a daily apocalypse), but you can't help but root for them. They all had a distinct voice, and I was completely obsessed with their humour and insults.

I loved how the book was set up, counting down the hours to the Slaughter. Books like this can often feel a bit repetitive to me while reading, but that was absolutely not the case for These Shattered Spires! We had quite a few twists and turns, aided by the insane world-building. It was unlike any world I had ever read in a fantasy book. The writing is rich and vivid, bringing the world to life and creating the perfect gothic atmosphere.
And the ending?! I will need the next book immediately to see what my four favourite Wyrdos get up to next!

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves unique world-building, gothic atmosphere and slightly unhinged characters!

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury YA and NetGalley for the eARC.

[Lucy Cummings · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a strange, gothic, and borderline macabre story. Many reviewers compare this to another series called Gideon the Ninth but I myself haven't read that series.

The world-building delivered a unique setting - 4 disciplines of arcane magic, a tooth-filled sky surrounding the kingdom, and a curse that routinely causes the entire world to fall on the verge of apocalypse if not suppressed by the head arcanist of each arcane discipline. It took quite a bit of story to understand the main principles of this book's world, but once it clicked, I was invested.

The characters are morally grey - each has made choices that could be easily villainous or framed as survivalist in a world where everything is a struggle for them. Each main arcane apprentice (at one time or another) all have dynamic relationships with each other that feel believable. Feelings change as devastating secrets are revealed. Decisions made based upon that character's view of the other's. It was refreshing to have ambivalent characters where none of them could be classified as the hero of the story.

I'd enjoy reading more of this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher Bloomsbury for allowing me a chance to read and review an ARC of this book.

[QueenRelan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was incredibly excited for These Shattered Spires because the world-building sounded so weird and inventive. A setting entombed beneath a "tooth-filled sky" with magic divided into bone, blood, botany, and stone is exactly the kind of high fantasy I love. The concept of the four rival familiars forced into a deadly competition for survival is a strong hook, and the darker imagery definitely delivered on the "creepy" factor.

However, the tone didn't quite land for me. While the world is dark and decaying, the humor felt a bit too "derpy" and at odds with the high-stakes environment. I wanted to be fully immersed in the grit and the danger of the Fifth Tower, but the comedic beats often pulled me out of the experience. It felt a bit more YA-tropey than the "Gideon the Ninth" comparison suggested.

If you enjoy a fast-paced magical competition with a quirky cast and don't mind a lot of levity mixed in with your body horror, you’ll likely enjoy this more than I did. The imagination behind the setting is top-notch, but the execution was just a bit too silly for my personal taste.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Katie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love letter to the YA dystopians of my youth. This has everything you could want; intricate world building, cool magic system, and questionably likable bisexuals!

If you see this compared to Gideon the ninth and you get discouraged since that book confused the hell out of you, try not to be! They are more closely related in plot points and character personalities than level of confusion (in my opinion).

I can appreciate the level of wit and sarcasm from these characters while they are just trying to survive. They have messy history with each other and find a way to put it aside (sometimes lol) in order to band together. I think the plot and world building are interesting (and maybe a little gross at times) and I was rooting for them the whole way.

The dialogue can read very childish at times, and while they are indeed young people and it’s not so crazy, I can see it being irritating. I think it makes a cool juxtaposition with the chaos and turmoil to hear a ‘yo mama’ type joke lol.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author/publisher for an early copy of this book in exhange for an honest review. Very interested in continuing this series.

[Sleepy Book Lover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for this eARC!

First off, the Gideon the Ninth comp is very accurate. There’s enough original lore and the characters are different, but the influence is incredibly strong—it really feels like a YA Locked Tomb, undead nuns and bone magic and meme humour and all.

Despite the gore and death, I’d say the writing style actually sits lower in the YA category, and it’s mostly very accessible.

The Taro/Nixie dynamic is incredibly juicy and fascinating, the sort of ship you want to put under a magnifying glass and study rather than actually ship. I loved how the different POVs betrayed each other’s unreliable narration, and thought there was a good balance of voices and characters. Elliot and Alix were my favourite characters, though Taro’s POV was probably the most fun even though she’s literally the worst character ever (pos)!

I don’t usually notice the design of books but the interior illustrations were beyond gorgeous! Can’t wait to own a physical copy and will definitely continue this series!

[C. Kuster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book. Honestly, I don't really even know where to begin praising this one. This story has one of the most unique settings I think I've ever encountered, the Desicrae, which has a sky filled with teeth, a castle that has to be saved from the apocalypse every day, a place called the Ulcer, and just an absolute proliferation of mold, slimy things, oozing fluids, and corpses. Stuck in this place are Taro, Nixie, Alix (who is my favorite forever), and Elliot (who I undertand at a profound and spiritual level also being in need of sleep I just can't seem to achieve.) Obviously, they want to get out, but old grudges, misdeeds, and a general mistrust of each other make escaping darn near impossible. No one's hands are clean in this cast--and it's not just because of the mold, blood, bones, dirt, or whatever it is they've been touching recently. The book is funny, wickedly fast-paced, and the characters play off each other so well. The ending made me exclaim, "What?!" in the best of ways, and I can't wait to get my hands on the next one.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yesss a horror fantasy with queer characters! While it definitely has horror vibes, this book is absolutely an epic fantasy. I would recommend this for fans of Five Broken Blades. You have a ton of awesome characters who don’t really want to work together that are stuck together and relying on one another to stay alive.

It’s gothic. It’s epic. It’s full of reluctant allies tension. It’s action packed. Has very vivid descriptions. And it’s a must read for epic fantasy lovers.

It was personally a little difficult for me to keep track of things because the story is written in third person but following a bunch of characters. We’re mostly following the same throughout, but the third person just makes it feel a little more expansive.

The art for the chapter headers though…omg I love! I want to buy a physical copy just so I can admire them.

Thank you very much to Bloomsbury USA Children’s Books and NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sierra Branham · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was hands down one of my favorite reads of 2025! It's gloriously queer, filled to the brim with snarky, witty dialogue and internals that had me cackling nonstop, and messy, loveable characters (even when they're being awful). Alix has my whole heart, I am determined to give Elliot a hug, Taro is The Worst but in that way where I'm still obsessed with her/would maybe follow her into a cult? (that's talented writing right there) and I found Nixie so very relatable but omg keyboard smash. I am fully rabid for round two, like what do you mean I have to wait?!

The worldbuilding is immaculate, the setting is weird and horrific in the best way, and the vibes fully live up to the Gideon the Ninth comp.

Thank you to Bloomsbury for sending me an Advanced Copy (I got the Greenspire edition with the gorgeous portrait of Nixie on the cover!)

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Shattered Spires is about four magical familiars with unique powers. They are forced to work together to try to survive after their masters are set to fight over who gets to be the new king of the Fourspires arcanists castle. Except they don't really like each other or trust each other.

It was an easy read- very quirky, gothic and even morbid right from the start. Addams Family meets Harry Potter vibes. All characters were interesting, with their own sense of humour, but I had to keep reminding myself that this is an YA novel and maybe "noped back", "checked out" and other phrases that I found kind of cringe is what would attract an younger generation to read.

It was a fun read, and I know a few teens that would probably like this a lot. I think it was a great debut novel and start of a planned trilogy!

[Bent Spoon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never in my life wanted to live in the head of an author for 24 hours so badly. @cassidyellissalter is dark, twisty, creepy and SO WEIRD ( in the most amazing way possible). In These Shattered Spires, you follow the story of 4 apprentices to the four houses of magic, blood, bone, stone and botany. At the death of their leader, the start of a magical competition begins, throwing these four individuals into a death spiral. When a ghost appears in a rare and secret mirror, telling them there may be a way out of the cursed hellhole, all they have to do is work together, they all but believe their deaths are imminent.

Think, trials, blood and guts, disgustingly intriguing and so so gory.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dnf

I appreciate Bloomsbury USA Children's Books giving me the opportunity to read the e-arc. I thought that I was going to love this book, with it being a YA Queer Gothic Fantasy. But this book was not for me. I was enjoying the descriptive writing. This book has a haunting and death-scented atmosphere.
However, I was not the biggest fan of characters not being likable. It was a character-driven story, which I love, but I couldn't connect to the characters. I know the right audience for this book is going to devour this.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cassidy Ellis Salter, and Bloomsbury USA Children's Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and bloomsbury for the eARC of this book *all thoughts and opinions are my own*

I really enjoyed this book, I will say at the beginning I wasn’t sure how I would feel but after the first 20% I was really into the story. It took me a while to understand the world but once I did I was really into the story! I started off hating all of the characters but ended up rooting for them all.
I loved the setting and the descriptions were amazing and made me feel a bit squeamish!
I am so excited to read the second book but now have a long wait for it 😂

I would recommend this book to people who want a YA fantasy with an interesting world and unique magic system.

[Liv · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but for me it just fell short. Maybe I should have known, since I couldn't stand either of the books that it gets compared to, but I at least wanted to give it a try!

I wasn't a fan of the writing style, and the characters drove me nuts - but not in that way that made me secretly love them. The plot was also fairly stilted, though I'll admit I did quite enjoy the world building.

Overall, just not the book for me.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

[Zoe Lipman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

This is a fun new YA series (a trilogy, I believe) that I am very much looking forward to continuing.

And the chapter headers have illustrations!! And they're very cool illustrations. Very up-my-alley.

I loved how atmospheric and vivid this world is. This had such a cool and unique magic system and the world-building was so thought out.

This is definitley a darker YA fantasy, but the way Coraline is dark (if that makes sense).

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

[Zach Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique and interesting world! Cassidy Ellis Salter brings the world of necromancy and queer culture all into one! The characters were unique and different, the representation was properly presented, and character growth was enjoyable to see. Concerning the chapter page art I was floored with how amazing it looked and helped indicate who the chapters point of view was through. Overall this was a very intriguing story, I can’t wait for the next book already!

[May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this world. A great ya fantasy for teens. I would describe the aesthetic of this book as gothic, moody, and filled with ancient magic, adventure, and self discovery. In essence, it is an adventure novel following four individuals as they explore ancient ruins and problem solve, but in a unique setting.