These Shattered Spires A queer, gothic fantasy YA, perfect for fans of The Atlas Six and Gideon the Ninth

A story set in a grimy, cruel and sinister world and four characters, all carrying their little package of lies and secrets, at times almost stumble through the story trying to stop what until the last page seems like the inevitable fate of this realm. I'm a big fan of unconventional characters and the setting at first leaves no room for heroism, each character acting out of self-serving motives. Especially Eliott and Alix, at first the more unremarkable ones out of the squad, turn into two great characters as the story unfolds and have me rooting for what will come in the next novel. And while the story was a little predictable I was still clenching the pages during the last chapters, hoping they can somehow turn the tide in their favour. If horror and quite a bit of gore don't scare you away you will be rewarded with a grand time!

Four magical prodigies from rivalling houses must band together in a bloody and grueling quest to escape imprisonment and ensure their survival. Should they fail, towers will crumble, bones will be crushed and all hell will break loose. Be prepared for unlikeable and downright evil characters that will get on your nerves more often than not but nonetheless have you attached to them in no time. The worldbuilding will have you on the edge of your seat and captivate you from the start. I found myself especially entranced by all the scheming that concludes deliciously at the end. Cannot wait for the next installment in this trilogy!

Let's start with the best thing about this book, which is its characters. They are so compelling and messy and their dynamics are quite literally addicting. Even Morgan, who isn't part of the core four, I've grown to... love? They are all absolutely psycho. But when that's the baseline, it's really only up from here and all of a sudden you find yourself arguing for your favorite sociopath. It was awesome. The only bone I have to pick with is otherwise pretty phenomenal book is in the world building. I felt like the book kinda lost itself in the attempt to be as grotesque and strange as possible to the point the whole world becomes almost swampy and unintelligible. It's still undoubtedly expansive, just not very clear in the picture it's painting. If that potential had been met, working in tandem with the top tier characters, this could have certainly been a five star read for me.

This definitely was a wild ride from start to finish. Characters which were interesting and nuanced but not that likable. Combined with a bloody and grimy gothic world where magic always comes at a price. Overall, I enjoyed the first half but after that it went a bit downhill for me. There were just too many plot lines, it got a bit messy. Unfortunately, that made me lose a bit of interest in the end. Still, a unique book with a lot of promising potential for the rest of the series.