Skip to main content
Digital Audiobook
These Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter

Listen to a sample

00:00
00:00

These Shattered Spires

Wyrdos (Related to this series)

Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Publish Date
10 March 2026
Run Time
14 hours 41 minutes
Format
Audiobook

Not available in your country

We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.

What to expect

Bloomsbury presents The Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter, read by Kit Griffiths

In a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition. Gothic, visceral and utterly compelling, These Shattered Spires is the first book in the Wyrdos trilogy.

Beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots.

At the heart of the decaying world is Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines: bone, blood, botany and stone.

When the king is assassinated, chaos erupts. To seize the crown, arcanists and their human familiars are dragged into the Slaughter – a deadly competition, where survival means killing and death is the only escape.

Amidst the bloodshed, four rival familiars must work together … Taro, a bone witch still obsessed with her ex. Nixie, a botanical familiar with a ghost living in her bedroom. Elliot, a cursed and vengeful blood familiar and Alix, banished from the stone arcania tower and shrouded in secrets.

Together, the four Wyrdos are not just fighting to survive, but to lift the curse upon their world. There must be more to the sky than a dome of teeth and spittle; there must be something beyond the decay of Fourspires …



***********************************************************************************************************
‘These Shattered Spires is a grotesque extravaganza of a book, with a labyrinthine quest and complex, morally grey characters you can’t help but root for – no matter how many times they make clear you shouldn’t. With utterly unique world-building, a brilliant magic system and writing that flips from fun and entertaining to heart-wrenching without a moment’s notice, this is such a unique, compelling book that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. Grotesque, disturbing and frankly unsanitary. I've never had so much fun.’ Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen

‘Utterly fabulous and darkly imaginative. Complicated, flawed characters shine in a world of grit and bloodshed, all brought to life through effortlessly evocative prose. I devoured every page.’ Elise Kova, New York Times Bestselling Author of Arcana Academy

‘Gruesome, gothic, gay and glorious. I ate this up from cover to cover. Addictively weird, heartfelt and a bloody good time!’ Kat Dunn, author of Bitterthorn

‘These Shattered Spires is part fantastical court intrigue, part murder mystery, part lush queer romance, and part dysfunctional found family. At times, the writing is humorous, at others it bites like a scorpion's sting. This story follows four morally complicated people tangled by love and hatred but forced to work together to survive. You will keep wondering what will happen next to the very end!’ Katy Nyquist, author of the A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped

‘Absolutely perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth, These Shattered Spires pulses with the weird and wonderful macabre. Salter weaves a ragtag crew of lovable misfits with uniquely grim world-building that is impossible to forget. Witty, diverse characters and tongue-in-cheek humor makes this gothic YA fantasy both upbeat and chill inducing. I fear I’ll never look at nuns the same way again!’ Catelyn Wilson, author of All the Devils with Penguin

Critics Review

  • ‘These Shattered Spires is a grotesque extravaganza of a book, with a labyrinthine quest and complex, morally grey characters you can’t help but root for – no matter how many times they make clear you shouldn’t. With utterly unique world-building, a brilliant magic system and writing that flips from fun and entertaining to heart-wrenching without a moment’s notice, this is such a unique, compelling book that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. Grotesque, disturbing and frankly unsanitary. I've never had so much fun.’ Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen
  • ‘Utterly fabulous and darkly imaginative. Complicated, flawed characters shine in a world of grit and bloodshed, all brought to life through effortlessly evocative prose. I devoured every page.’ Elise Kova, New York Times Bestselling Author of Arcana Academy
  • ‘These Shattered Spires is part fantastical court intrigue, part murder mystery, part lush queer romance, and part dysfunctional found family. At times, the writing is humorous, at others it bites like a scorpion's sting. This story follows four morally complicated people tangled by love and hatred but forced to work together to survive. You will keep wondering what will happen next to the very end!’ Katy Nyquist, author of the A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped
  • ‘Absolutely perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth, These Shattered Spires pulses with the weird and wonderful macabre. Salter weaves a ragtag crew of lovable misfits with uniquely grim world-building that is impossible to forget. Witty, diverse characters and tongue-in-cheek humor makes this gothic YA fantasy both upbeat and chill inducing. I fear I’ll never look at nuns the same way again!’ Catelyn Wilson, author of All the Devils with Penguin
See more reviews
  • 'Salter deftly balances the intersectionally diverse characters’ grim existence with gleefully gruesome worldbuilding, snarky banter, and fraught queer romance. Candid close-third-person narration alternates between the quartet’s perspectives, revealing the pain and yearning that underlie the protagonists’ outsize personalities while fostering tension and drive.' Publishers Weekly Reviews
  • ‘Gory yet sensuous, weird and addictively compelling, These Shattered Spires is a unique magical fantasy about four complicated people who must work together to survive.’ The Bookseller
  • ‘Gruesome, gothic, gay and glorious. I ate this up from cover to cover. Addictively weird, heartfelt and a bloody good time!’ Kat Dunn, author of Bitterthorn
  • ‘These Shattered Spires is the weirdest book I've read this year, which is the highest praise I can give. It is delightfully grotesque, exquisitely macabre and viscerally strange’ Alwyn Hamilton, author of Rebel in the Sands
  • ‘Have never met a bunch of messier gays in my life’ Kai Spellmeier, author of Boy Friends, on Goodreads
  • ‘Gory yet sensuous, weird and addictively compelling’
    The Bookseller
  • ‘Blending gothic fantasy, intrigue, and found family, it’s a dark, beautiful, and astonishingly good story of loyalty and survival’
    The School Reading List
  • ‘Ambitious, gruesome and appallingly fascinating, this queer gothic fantasy kicks off a trilogy that's sure to attract legions of strong-stomached YA readers'
    The Guardian

User Reviews

No reviews yet.

Details

Author
Cassidy Ellis Salter
Narrator
Kit Griffiths
Duration
14 hours 41 minutes
Release Date
10 March 2026
ISBN
9781526682949
Format
Audiobook
Publisher
Bloomsbury Publishing
Genre
Children’s / Teenage fiction: Dark fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Horror and ghost stories, chillers, or other scary supernatural stories, Children’s / Teenage personal and social topics: LGBTQIA+

Synopsis

Bloomsbury presents The Shattered Spires by Cassidy Ellis Salter, read by Kit GriffithsIn a rotten and bloody world, four magical rivals are forced to work together to avoid certain death in a deadly competition. Gothic, visceral and utterly compelling, These Shattered Spires is the first book in the Wyrdos trilogy.Beneath a tooth-filled sky, the world rots. At the heart of the decaying world is Fourspires Castle, home to arcanists from across the four magical disciplines: bone, blood, botany and stone.When the king is assassinated, chaos erupts. To seize the crown, arcanists and their human familiars are dragged into the Slaughter – a deadly competition, where survival means killing and death is the only escape.Amidst the bloodshed, four rival familiars must work together … Taro, a bone witch still obsessed with her ex. Nixie, a botanical familiar with a ghost living in her bedroom. Elliot, a cursed and vengeful blood familiar and Alix, banished from the stone arcania tower and shrouded in secrets.Together, the four Wyrdos are not just fighting to survive, but to lift the curse upon their world. There must be more to the sky than a dome of teeth and spittle; there must be something beyond the decay of Fourspires …***********************************************************************************************************‘These Shattered Spires is a grotesque extravaganza of a book, with a labyrinthine quest and complex, morally grey characters you can’t help but root for – no matter how many times they make clear you shouldn’t. With utterly unique world-building, a brilliant magic system and writing that flips from fun and entertaining to heart-wrenching without a moment’s notice, this is such a unique, compelling book that kept me glued to the edge of my seat. Grotesque, disturbing and frankly unsanitary. I've never had so much fun.’ Bea Fitzgerald, author of Girl, Goddess, Queen‘Utterly fabulous and darkly imaginative. Complicated, flawed characters shine in a world of grit and bloodshed, all brought to life through effortlessly evocative prose. I devoured every page.’ Elise Kova, New York Times Bestselling Author of Arcana Academy‘Gruesome, gothic, gay and glorious. I ate this up from cover to cover. Addictively weird, heartfelt and a bloody good time!’ Kat Dunn, author of Bitterthorn‘These Shattered Spires is part fantastical court intrigue, part murder mystery, part lush queer romance, and part dysfunctional found family. At times, the writing is humorous, at others it bites like a scorpion's sting. This story follows four morally complicated people tangled by love and hatred but forced to work together to survive. You will keep wondering what will happen next to the very end!’ Katy Nyquist, author of the A Holy Maiden's Guide to Getting Kidnapped‘Absolutely perfect for fans of Gideon the Ninth, These Shattered Spires pulses with the weird and wonderful macabre. Salter weaves a ragtag crew of lovable misfits with uniquely grim world-building that is impossible to forget. Witty, diverse characters and tongue-in-cheek humor makes this gothic YA fantasy both upbeat and chill inducing. I fear I’ll never look at nuns the same way again!’ Catelyn Wilson, author of All the Devils with Penguin

About xigxag

xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.

There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.

Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.

Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.