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The Scarlet Ball
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From USA Today bestselling author Nghi Vo, this all-consuming tale of ballrooms and bloodshed weds The Gilded Age with the Gothic vision of Guillermo del Toro.
Pick a face, pick a fate.
Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she’s no stranger to risk, but she’s unprepared for the secrets of New York’s legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city’s heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage.
In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match—and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command...so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading—the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.
A razor-sharp subversion of romance tropes and nightmare of manners, Vo's fusion of history and fantasy does for Edith Wharton what her acclaimed debut The Chosen and the Beautiful did for F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Pick a face, pick a fate.
Judith Ban, former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief, is on the lookout for her next identity. The daughter of a Vietnamese adventuress and a French naval officer, she’s no stranger to risk, but she’s unprepared for the secrets of New York’s legendary Four Hundred, or for the women who build their power at the city’s heart through blood-soaked, gold-etched rituals of demonic marriage.
In exchange for enough wealth to outrun her past, Judith strikes a deal with the matriarch of the powerful Howard she will stand in for the missing Howard granddaughter, who was poised to make her debut when she disappeared. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith is white, rich, and about to risk body and soul in the deadly games that determine which girls will find a match—and which will be devoured. If she can keep her wits and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power who will be hers to command...so long as she can keep his infinite hungers fed. But to survive the season, Judith will have to seduce a storm in the shape of a man, before the night to which everything has been leading—the Scarlet Ball where the demons choose their brides.
A razor-sharp subversion of romance tropes and nightmare of manners, Vo's fusion of history and fantasy does for Edith Wharton what her acclaimed debut The Chosen and the Beautiful did for F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Audible Audio
Expected publication October 6, 2026
About the author
Nghi Vo
43 books4,615 followersNghi Vo is the author of the acclaimed novellas The Empress of Salt and Fortune and When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain. Born in Illinois, she now lives on the shores of Lake Michigan. She believes in the ritual of lipstick, the power of stories, and the right to change your mind. The Chosen and the Beautiful is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 131 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Okayyyyy, this was an incredible standalone.
A dark and gothic fantasy set in Gilded Age New York with vampirism demons.
Judith is a failed thief and courtesan who strikes a deal with the elite Howard family to assume the identity of their missing debutante granddaughter.
This is an exploration of power, identity, wealth, and control. Judith has the missing debutante’s face physically stitched over her own. She swaps the danger of being an Oriental, French lone girl that gets used to a white young woman with respectful opportunities (if you count demons courting you as respectful).
When you tell a story about something that happens to you, you flatten it. Instead of memory—hot, cutting, strong enough to fetch you a blow that will put you on your back for a week—it becomes words. The words are a bag that help you to carry it.
Nghi Vo makes the metaphor literal: trading a woman’s body, her blood, for a man’s protection. It’s constantly a give even as you win - women exerting power in the world through their husbands.
I have found Nghi Vo’s earlier works lacking in depth, engagement and connection. Here, you truly get into the desperate and arrogant kind of Judith.
The atmosphere is gritty and glamorous, quite like the reality of Gilded age New York.
This was almost five stars, but I wish there was a bit more depth to the supporting cast. This is very internal and I wish we got more from the characters around Judith.
Arc gifted by Penguin Random House, Cornerstone.
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A dark and gothic fantasy set in Gilded Age New York with vampirism demons.
Judith is a failed thief and courtesan who strikes a deal with the elite Howard family to assume the identity of their missing debutante granddaughter.
This is an exploration of power, identity, wealth, and control. Judith has the missing debutante’s face physically stitched over her own. She swaps the danger of being an Oriental, French lone girl that gets used to a white young woman with respectful opportunities (if you count demons courting you as respectful).
When you tell a story about something that happens to you, you flatten it. Instead of memory—hot, cutting, strong enough to fetch you a blow that will put you on your back for a week—it becomes words. The words are a bag that help you to carry it.
Nghi Vo makes the metaphor literal: trading a woman’s body, her blood, for a man’s protection. It’s constantly a give even as you win - women exerting power in the world through their husbands.
I have found Nghi Vo’s earlier works lacking in depth, engagement and connection. Here, you truly get into the desperate and arrogant kind of Judith.
The atmosphere is gritty and glamorous, quite like the reality of Gilded age New York.
This was almost five stars, but I wish there was a bit more depth to the supporting cast. This is very internal and I wish we got more from the characters around Judith.
Arc gifted by Penguin Random House, Cornerstone.
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Want to Read
March 18, 2026bro you know i'll read whatever she writes but the plague of bad covers is killing me. what is this.
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April 12, 2026I couldn't be more thrilled to share the blurb I wrote for this beauty with you all!
“After reading The Scarlet Ball, one has to wonder whether Vo is a witch herself, perhaps married not to a flood or wildfire but a demon of stories and genius. The Scarlet Ball is so utterly original, so spellbinding, so effortlessly plotted and so gorgeously written, it's hard to believe a mere mortal could write it, and yet she did, and I stand in awe of it and her."
“After reading The Scarlet Ball, one has to wonder whether Vo is a witch herself, perhaps married not to a flood or wildfire but a demon of stories and genius. The Scarlet Ball is so utterly original, so spellbinding, so effortlessly plotted and so gorgeously written, it's hard to believe a mere mortal could write it, and yet she did, and I stand in awe of it and her."
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was delicious. A gothic fantasy set in the Gilded Age with a dark romance at the heart of it and a smart heroine who survives no matter the cost, while also asking questions about race, privilege, and wealth? Incredible.
The Scarlet Ball follows a young Vietnamese woman with a complicated past who doesn't know what she's in for when she makes a dangerous deal. Her role? To impersonate the granddaughter of her benefactress at bloodsoaked balls where the daughters of the wealthy (and white) elite compete to gain immense power through marriage to demons. If Judith can survive, she will have enough money to live freely, but to compete she must have another woman's face literally stitched onto her own. And there are no guarantees...
It's a smart and incisive novel that blends gothic horror and dark romance, pulling you into a terrifying and exhilarating world. Also there are a couple minor details that make me think this might be set in the same universe as The Chosen and the Beautiful, which is fun for fans of this author (like me!). This is the perfect fall read, at once creepy and quite sexy. The audio narration is fantastic. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
The Scarlet Ball follows a young Vietnamese woman with a complicated past who doesn't know what she's in for when she makes a dangerous deal. Her role? To impersonate the granddaughter of her benefactress at bloodsoaked balls where the daughters of the wealthy (and white) elite compete to gain immense power through marriage to demons. If Judith can survive, she will have enough money to live freely, but to compete she must have another woman's face literally stitched onto her own. And there are no guarantees...
It's a smart and incisive novel that blends gothic horror and dark romance, pulling you into a terrifying and exhilarating world. Also there are a couple minor details that make me think this might be set in the same universe as The Chosen and the Beautiful, which is fun for fans of this author (like me!). This is the perfect fall read, at once creepy and quite sexy. The audio narration is fantastic. I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It's a book for monster fuckers, but if the monster you want to fuck is a wildfire or a forest or a mudslide or a storm.
This is already on track to be my favourite new book of the year. It's brilliant: fun and weird and sexy and full of ideas about the cruelty of the world and what it takes to survive. Most of the time when I read a book that has romantic elements like this one does, I have a rough sense of where it's going, what the end-goal is, and I simply never did here. It kept me on my toes, kept me laughing, kept me wondering at the beauty of the prose and the delight of the ideas.
I have complained previously about Vo's books that they leave me wanting more: I find her Singing Hills novellas a little bit plot-light for me, and while The City in Glass was excellent, it left me wanting just a little bit more character development and a little bit more time with the world. The Scarlet Ball leaves me fully sated. All the core cast of characters (and plenty of the bit players) are painted beautifully, fleshed out and understandable even if they are inhuman and incomprehensible. I have held up American Elsewhere as an exemplar of making the unknowable extradimensional Lovecraftian horrors relatable and understandable, and The Scarlet Ball does that as well; it's weird, the way The Library at Mount Char or a China Mieville novel is weird, full of cruel and beautiful magic and the sense that the world is wider than can be contained within the pages of a single book.
In Twilight, Stephanie Meyer asked what it would be like for a mortal woman to become the target of affection for a beautiful, powerful, immortal man, and then went on to mostly use it as a wish fulfillment fantasy and not examine it any more deeply. Vo, on the other hand, takes the time to look at the way that any woman being pursued by a man, even a human one, needs to manage the threat of violence and a societal power disparity, and the text makes it clear that our protagonist being aware of the danger to her life from interacting with a man is not something that is a new experience simply because that man is a literal demon. It's a great exploration of the idea of women exerting power in the world through their husbands, and it does that thing I love so much about speculative fiction where it makes a metaphor literal, in this case the yoking of a man to one's will and the trading of one's body for power. It's worth remembering that that sort of arrangement can only work until it doesn't, and that playing those games and winning for a while still requires living in a world where those sorts of power structures exist and do people harm. There's also examination of racial tokenisation and the experience of interacting with a caricature of oneself, as our narrator is an outsider again and again.
For all that thematic meat, it's worth noting that this is a book which is a whole hell of a lot of fun. We get to have our cake and eat it too: getting a critique of a world of opulence doesn't stop us from getting the wish fulfillment fantasy of living in that world of opulence, with beautiful houses and clothes and food abounding. Getting a critique of upper crust relationship dynamics, the sort of thing that Natalie Wynn calls Default Heterosexual Sado-Masochism, doesn't stop this from delighting the reader with a genuinely steamy romance. If you like proper fantasy world-building, if you like fairy-tale romance, if you like a thrill to your novels, you'll find it all here. I had a huge amount of fun reading this book, and I'm sure that I'm going to re-read it some time soon.
This is already on track to be my favourite new book of the year. It's brilliant: fun and weird and sexy and full of ideas about the cruelty of the world and what it takes to survive. Most of the time when I read a book that has romantic elements like this one does, I have a rough sense of where it's going, what the end-goal is, and I simply never did here. It kept me on my toes, kept me laughing, kept me wondering at the beauty of the prose and the delight of the ideas.
I have complained previously about Vo's books that they leave me wanting more: I find her Singing Hills novellas a little bit plot-light for me, and while The City in Glass was excellent, it left me wanting just a little bit more character development and a little bit more time with the world. The Scarlet Ball leaves me fully sated. All the core cast of characters (and plenty of the bit players) are painted beautifully, fleshed out and understandable even if they are inhuman and incomprehensible. I have held up American Elsewhere as an exemplar of making the unknowable extradimensional Lovecraftian horrors relatable and understandable, and The Scarlet Ball does that as well; it's weird, the way The Library at Mount Char or a China Mieville novel is weird, full of cruel and beautiful magic and the sense that the world is wider than can be contained within the pages of a single book.
In Twilight, Stephanie Meyer asked what it would be like for a mortal woman to become the target of affection for a beautiful, powerful, immortal man, and then went on to mostly use it as a wish fulfillment fantasy and not examine it any more deeply. Vo, on the other hand, takes the time to look at the way that any woman being pursued by a man, even a human one, needs to manage the threat of violence and a societal power disparity, and the text makes it clear that our protagonist being aware of the danger to her life from interacting with a man is not something that is a new experience simply because that man is a literal demon. It's a great exploration of the idea of women exerting power in the world through their husbands, and it does that thing I love so much about speculative fiction where it makes a metaphor literal, in this case the yoking of a man to one's will and the trading of one's body for power. It's worth remembering that that sort of arrangement can only work until it doesn't, and that playing those games and winning for a while still requires living in a world where those sorts of power structures exist and do people harm. There's also examination of racial tokenisation and the experience of interacting with a caricature of oneself, as our narrator is an outsider again and again.
For all that thematic meat, it's worth noting that this is a book which is a whole hell of a lot of fun. We get to have our cake and eat it too: getting a critique of a world of opulence doesn't stop us from getting the wish fulfillment fantasy of living in that world of opulence, with beautiful houses and clothes and food abounding. Getting a critique of upper crust relationship dynamics, the sort of thing that Natalie Wynn calls Default Heterosexual Sado-Masochism, doesn't stop this from delighting the reader with a genuinely steamy romance. If you like proper fantasy world-building, if you like fairy-tale romance, if you like a thrill to your novels, you'll find it all here. I had a huge amount of fun reading this book, and I'm sure that I'm going to re-read it some time soon.
Want to Read
December 8, 2025(me 🤝🏻 everything Nghi Vo writes)
Definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2026!
Definitely one of my most anticipated releases of 2026!
Want to Read
April 2, 2026I GOT AN ARC LET'S GOOOOOOO
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oh my god is this going to be in the vein of siren queen (aka my favorite favorite nghi vo book)? GIVE IT TO MEEEEE
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oh my god is this going to be in the vein of siren queen (aka my favorite favorite nghi vo book)? GIVE IT TO MEEEEE
September 4, 2026
Everyone needs to lock in this was fucking brilliant
Gilded Age fantasy, where among the elite walk monsters and natural disasters in the shape of men.
Caught in the wrong place and time (or the right one), Judith Ban accepts a deal without quite realising its consequences; be sewn into the skin of a white rich girl, and play the game of courting the monsters.
I had an absolute blast with this, it was grotesque and compelling and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I read it on the train I read it in my lunch break I read it in the bedtime hours. Much like its demon lords, it devoured me.
Nghi Vo can do NO WRONG
Gilded Age fantasy, where among the elite walk monsters and natural disasters in the shape of men.
Caught in the wrong place and time (or the right one), Judith Ban accepts a deal without quite realising its consequences; be sewn into the skin of a white rich girl, and play the game of courting the monsters.
I had an absolute blast with this, it was grotesque and compelling and I genuinely couldn’t put it down. I read it on the train I read it in my lunch break I read it in the bedtime hours. Much like its demon lords, it devoured me.
Nghi Vo can do NO WRONG
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of this book!
The Scarlet Ball sounded right up my alley - Gilded Age wealthy society and a demonic underbelly. Unfortunately the execution just wasn’t there for me. This book focused on all the wrong details in my opinion. The demonic action and magical elements were completely vague and glossed over, to the point they actually made no sense. And since I was reading this for the supernatural spookiness, this left me disappointed. There was too much detail and care given to things that didn’t matter, and what I had hoped would be the meat of the story was only covered in a very high level way. There wasn’t much dread built because the scarier parts were rushed through. This was a miss for me, though the idea behind it was an interesting one.
The Scarlet Ball sounded right up my alley - Gilded Age wealthy society and a demonic underbelly. Unfortunately the execution just wasn’t there for me. This book focused on all the wrong details in my opinion. The demonic action and magical elements were completely vague and glossed over, to the point they actually made no sense. And since I was reading this for the supernatural spookiness, this left me disappointed. There was too much detail and care given to things that didn’t matter, and what I had hoped would be the meat of the story was only covered in a very high level way. There wasn’t much dread built because the scarier parts were rushed through. This was a miss for me, though the idea behind it was an interesting one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio ARC.
The world that Vo crafted is fascinating. I loved the gilded age setting. I also loved the supernatural elements. However at times I wished for more details about the supernatural elements due to being at bit confused at times. Judith also made for an interesting character. The narration was superb for this book and overall really great to listen to.
The world that Vo crafted is fascinating. I loved the gilded age setting. I also loved the supernatural elements. However at times I wished for more details about the supernatural elements due to being at bit confused at times. Judith also made for an interesting character. The narration was superb for this book and overall really great to listen to.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Tor for the gifted arc!! This seemed so up my alley—gothic gilded age vibes, a marriage mart with demon lords, and what would seem like the perfect fall read. While the premise was so intriguing, the execution wasn’t my cup of tea.
The Scarlett Ball follows Judith who enters the marriage trials as the granddaughter of Mrs. Howard, who has gone missing. The two reach a mutually beneficial deal, and Judith is swept up into the dark underbelly of gilded Age NYC glamor. The demon lords are personifications of natural disasters, which I found super interesting.
I think where this fell flat for me is that there were so many unique and interesting supernatural elements, but the details were very glossed over and not explained. The author spent so much time describing the places, the clothes, the food—I wanted that same level of care used to describe the supernatural elements such as the demons themselves, the supernatural objects, and the spells.
All in all, I just don’t think this author’s writing style is for me. I wasn’t a fan of the ending, and I was actually kinda hoping she would end up with Mielle. I would’ve liked to know what happened to Mrs. Howard’s granddaughter too.
The Scarlett Ball follows Judith who enters the marriage trials as the granddaughter of Mrs. Howard, who has gone missing. The two reach a mutually beneficial deal, and Judith is swept up into the dark underbelly of gilded Age NYC glamor. The demon lords are personifications of natural disasters, which I found super interesting.
I think where this fell flat for me is that there were so many unique and interesting supernatural elements, but the details were very glossed over and not explained. The author spent so much time describing the places, the clothes, the food—I wanted that same level of care used to describe the supernatural elements such as the demons themselves, the supernatural objects, and the spells.
All in all, I just don’t think this author’s writing style is for me. I wasn’t a fan of the ending, and I was actually kinda hoping she would end up with Mielle. I would’ve liked to know what happened to Mrs. Howard’s granddaughter too.
2026
September 28, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
ANHPI TBR
Halloween TBR
Pride TBR
ANHPI TBR
Halloween TBR
Pride TBR
June 21, 2026
I really wish I'd read this in autumn! It's suuuuper atmospheric and Gothic, but instead of your typical waif-ish blonde heroine, we have a kickass former courtesan/thief who's trying to escape her old life, and will stop at nothing to get what she deserves. That's probably my favourite aspect of the book. She never reacts how you expect her to react, and it's just COOL. Judith is the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons.
I also think the characters are so well thought out, so savage yet poised in the best way. There's such a clever undertone throughout of being right on the edge, ready to tip one way at any point. The relationships between the girls and the men are so tense and you just can't predict what's going to happen next. The historical setting is perfect for this, at a time where society would forgive anything as long as you stick to the rules of hierarchy. It's a great background to this story.
The reasons I didn't give it 5 stars is because the book feels longer than it is. It's quite dense, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think it needs more moments of light vs the shade for relief. The fantasy element also feels a little bit clunky in places. There's no overt explanation on how this alternate world works, and you learn it through osmosis, which is fine but sometimes random elements just completely took me out of it. Like, some people seem to be able to do something magic, or they own magical things, but how? Are they somehow harnessing the lords' weather based powers but how would that enable someone to put a bird down someone's throat and change their voice? I fully get that there's a brutality to the things these girls do to themselves to appease the lords, but there's just no base level of understanding. I thought I'd got it and then suddenly a random magic thing happens which doesn't match anything else that's already happened. I'm missing knowledge of limitations and possibilities.
That being said, this is a beautifully crafted story and the characters are three dimensional and well thought out, so it's a 4 stars from me. Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for the free review eArc.
I also think the characters are so well thought out, so savage yet poised in the best way. There's such a clever undertone throughout of being right on the edge, ready to tip one way at any point. The relationships between the girls and the men are so tense and you just can't predict what's going to happen next. The historical setting is perfect for this, at a time where society would forgive anything as long as you stick to the rules of hierarchy. It's a great background to this story.
The reasons I didn't give it 5 stars is because the book feels longer than it is. It's quite dense, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I think it needs more moments of light vs the shade for relief. The fantasy element also feels a little bit clunky in places. There's no overt explanation on how this alternate world works, and you learn it through osmosis, which is fine but sometimes random elements just completely took me out of it. Like, some people seem to be able to do something magic, or they own magical things, but how? Are they somehow harnessing the lords' weather based powers but how would that enable someone to put a bird down someone's throat and change their voice? I fully get that there's a brutality to the things these girls do to themselves to appease the lords, but there's just no base level of understanding. I thought I'd got it and then suddenly a random magic thing happens which doesn't match anything else that's already happened. I'm missing knowledge of limitations and possibilities.
That being said, this is a beautifully crafted story and the characters are three dimensional and well thought out, so it's a 4 stars from me. Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray for the free review eArc.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Not for me, I'm afraid.
The prose was lush (but with no substance to back it up), the pacing good and the plot, such as it was, was reasonable.
However, the characters were beyond two dimensional, many aspects of the "magic" were illogical, and, unlike the publisher's blurb, there wasn't a subversion of trope in sight. I rather took exception to the fact that this was marketed as some overthrow of the social mores of the Gilded Age, some great and harrowing examination of class and gender, when in fact it was merely a slightly better than average YA novel. Disappointing.
My thanks to Edelweiss for the Arc, all opinions are my own.
The prose was lush (but with no substance to back it up), the pacing good and the plot, such as it was, was reasonable.
However, the characters were beyond two dimensional, many aspects of the "magic" were illogical, and, unlike the publisher's blurb, there wasn't a subversion of trope in sight. I rather took exception to the fact that this was marketed as some overthrow of the social mores of the Gilded Age, some great and harrowing examination of class and gender, when in fact it was merely a slightly better than average YA novel. Disappointing.
My thanks to Edelweiss for the Arc, all opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced listening copy.
I am absolutely in love with the fantasy worlds that Nghi Vo has been building. The faint lines connecting them all together through hints and whispers and echos are so much fun to spot.
Judith serves as a great character to view through. Her lack of understanding of the world allowed us a reader to get the rules, which we got just as chaotically as she did. It didn't feel overly info-dumpy which was great as Vo really could have hit us hard with the rules of this world.
Essentially, Judith's role (and the plot) in this story is that she is to act as the grand daughter of a high society woman and go through their version of a debut. As Jinny she is to attend a series of balls, along with other social engagements, with the end goal of binding a demon lord as her husband. The way the that the girls must play out the game within the rules or be eaten by one of the lords was *chef's kiss* for a stand in of societal expectations on young women. With Judith coming from the intersection of both poor and not-white, she has further strictness on her adhesion to these rules.
I also think there was something about the demon lords all being the embodiment of natural disasters that felt really visceral. Imagine you are a young woman, just coming into adulthood, and now you are told you have to enter society and make a marriage contract with a man who is also sometimes a wildfire. You will be expected to control his urges, his anger, his desires, and his hunger. If you manage all of those things well, you will be rewarded with wealth and power, and it only might sometimes cost you a finger. But it might eventually cost you your life. If you don't manage his hunger, if you starve him or feed him too much any of his actions are your fault. You should have done better. A proper lady knows how to keep her husband in line.
I haven't even gotten into the whole wearing someone else's face part! Like whole essays could be written on that.
There are a lot of things to really love about this book. I do, however, wish that Judith and Miel's relationship ended a little different but I like how open ended it was.
The more I read from Vo, the more I CANNOT wait to see what she does next. Each book has been digging a little deeper and pulling more at fraying threads. I have become utterly enthralled with the conversations he has in her books about fitting into society, roles that women play and how that interacts with race and sexuality, class divides, and the way she uses subtle magic woven throughout.
I am absolutely in love with the fantasy worlds that Nghi Vo has been building. The faint lines connecting them all together through hints and whispers and echos are so much fun to spot.
Judith serves as a great character to view through. Her lack of understanding of the world allowed us a reader to get the rules, which we got just as chaotically as she did. It didn't feel overly info-dumpy which was great as Vo really could have hit us hard with the rules of this world.
Essentially, Judith's role (and the plot) in this story is that she is to act as the grand daughter of a high society woman and go through their version of a debut. As Jinny she is to attend a series of balls, along with other social engagements, with the end goal of binding a demon lord as her husband. The way the that the girls must play out the game within the rules or be eaten by one of the lords was *chef's kiss* for a stand in of societal expectations on young women. With Judith coming from the intersection of both poor and not-white, she has further strictness on her adhesion to these rules.
I also think there was something about the demon lords all being the embodiment of natural disasters that felt really visceral. Imagine you are a young woman, just coming into adulthood, and now you are told you have to enter society and make a marriage contract with a man who is also sometimes a wildfire. You will be expected to control his urges, his anger, his desires, and his hunger. If you manage all of those things well, you will be rewarded with wealth and power, and it only might sometimes cost you a finger. But it might eventually cost you your life. If you don't manage his hunger, if you starve him or feed him too much any of his actions are your fault. You should have done better. A proper lady knows how to keep her husband in line.
I haven't even gotten into the whole wearing someone else's face part! Like whole essays could be written on that.
There are a lot of things to really love about this book. I do, however, wish that Judith and Miel's relationship ended a little different but I like how open ended it was.
The more I read from Vo, the more I CANNOT wait to see what she does next. Each book has been digging a little deeper and pulling more at fraying threads. I have become utterly enthralled with the conversations he has in her books about fitting into society, roles that women play and how that interacts with race and sexuality, class divides, and the way she uses subtle magic woven throughout.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was so much fun! And horrific!
In a Gilded Age-inspired world where bad, BAD, things happen, Judith Ban has successfully navigated many difficult situations. But nothing can prepare her for her newest mission - to wear someone else's face (literally, it's sewn onto her own) to land the season's catch. The grandparents are behind this scheme and yeah, they're horrible people, too.
There is a lot of weather-related incidents, including one Sebastian Rowe, and honestly, I loved the imagery. This is such a cinematic book that had me smiling through each description. With Nghi Vo's work, the atmosphere is as important as the story itself, and I loved it.
And that ending - *chef's kiss*.
In a Gilded Age-inspired world where bad, BAD, things happen, Judith Ban has successfully navigated many difficult situations. But nothing can prepare her for her newest mission - to wear someone else's face (literally, it's sewn onto her own) to land the season's catch. The grandparents are behind this scheme and yeah, they're horrible people, too.
There is a lot of weather-related incidents, including one Sebastian Rowe, and honestly, I loved the imagery. This is such a cinematic book that had me smiling through each description. With Nghi Vo's work, the atmosphere is as important as the story itself, and I loved it.
And that ending - *chef's kiss*.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am speechless. I went in not knowing what this was about and screamed once I learned in the book itself because this is so extremely my kind of fantasy. Stolen faces, demon suitors, power at a constant and dangerous price. Add in a Gilded Age gothic setting/atmosphere with a messy romance and a heroine you will support no matter what rights or wrongs she gets up to and I was SO invested.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars
Nghi Vo’s The Scarlet Ballis an enthralling blend of historical fiction, gothic horror, and dark fantasy that grips you from the very first chapter and doesn't let go. Blending the opulence of Gilded Age New York with atmospheric dread, Vo delivers a tale that feels as dangerous as it is dazzling.
Set during a high-stakes social season, the story centers on the elite "Four Hundred" of New York’s high society. However, behind the polished manners, silk gowns, and extravagant ballrooms lies a bloody secret: the city's power is built on dark rituals, where wealthy families vie to marry their daughters off to literal monsters and demonic forces disguised as men.
At the center of this nightmare is our protagonist, Judith Ban—a former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief of mixed Vietnamese and French heritage. Desperate for a fresh start and the financial security to outrun her past, Judith accepts a terrifying proposition from the matriarch of the elite Howard family. She agrees to take the place of their missing granddaughter by having the missing girl's face stitched directly over her own. Thrust into high society as a wealthy white debutante, Judith must navigate a deadly game of courting elemental and otherworldly horrors at the season’s extravagant gatherings.
Judith’s journey is easily the highlight of the novel. She isn't a traditional gothic heroine waiting to be saved; she is a survivor through and through. Her evolution throughout the story is sharp, practical, and fascinating to watch. Pitted against cutthroat high-society rivals and predatory supernatural entities, Judith relies on her sharp wits, adaptability, and relentless drive to secure her freedom. While the narrative utilizes the backdrop of the high-society "season"—a setting typically reserved for traditional historical romance—this is far from a typical love story. Rather than a straightforward romance, the interactions between the debutantes and their terrifying suitors serve as a high-stakes power struggle, subverting traditional genre tropes into a tension-filled nightmare of manners.
The world-building is rich with magic, blood-soaked rituals, and terrifying monsters, generating an undercurrent of peril. The central question of how Judith will survive the perilous games leading up to the Scarlet Ball creates a constant sense of momentum that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
I experienced this story via audiobook, and I cannot recommend the format enough. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Vo’s lush, atmospheric prose to life. Each character’s distinct personality was captured brilliantly, and the performance elevated the book's eerie, tense mood, making the listening experience completely immersive.
The Scarlet Ball is a brilliantly dark, imaginative, and thrilling read. Nghi Vo has crafted a captivating historical fantasy that delivers equal parts elegance and horror. After finishing this, I will definitely be picking up more of Nghi Vo’s work in the future!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Nghi Vo’s The Scarlet Ballis an enthralling blend of historical fiction, gothic horror, and dark fantasy that grips you from the very first chapter and doesn't let go. Blending the opulence of Gilded Age New York with atmospheric dread, Vo delivers a tale that feels as dangerous as it is dazzling.
Set during a high-stakes social season, the story centers on the elite "Four Hundred" of New York’s high society. However, behind the polished manners, silk gowns, and extravagant ballrooms lies a bloody secret: the city's power is built on dark rituals, where wealthy families vie to marry their daughters off to literal monsters and demonic forces disguised as men.
At the center of this nightmare is our protagonist, Judith Ban—a former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief of mixed Vietnamese and French heritage. Desperate for a fresh start and the financial security to outrun her past, Judith accepts a terrifying proposition from the matriarch of the elite Howard family. She agrees to take the place of their missing granddaughter by having the missing girl's face stitched directly over her own. Thrust into high society as a wealthy white debutante, Judith must navigate a deadly game of courting elemental and otherworldly horrors at the season’s extravagant gatherings.
Judith’s journey is easily the highlight of the novel. She isn't a traditional gothic heroine waiting to be saved; she is a survivor through and through. Her evolution throughout the story is sharp, practical, and fascinating to watch. Pitted against cutthroat high-society rivals and predatory supernatural entities, Judith relies on her sharp wits, adaptability, and relentless drive to secure her freedom. While the narrative utilizes the backdrop of the high-society "season"—a setting typically reserved for traditional historical romance—this is far from a typical love story. Rather than a straightforward romance, the interactions between the debutantes and their terrifying suitors serve as a high-stakes power struggle, subverting traditional genre tropes into a tension-filled nightmare of manners.
The world-building is rich with magic, blood-soaked rituals, and terrifying monsters, generating an undercurrent of peril. The central question of how Judith will survive the perilous games leading up to the Scarlet Ball creates a constant sense of momentum that kept me turning the pages late into the night.
I experienced this story via audiobook, and I cannot recommend the format enough. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing Vo’s lush, atmospheric prose to life. Each character’s distinct personality was captured brilliantly, and the performance elevated the book's eerie, tense mood, making the listening experience completely immersive.
The Scarlet Ball is a brilliantly dark, imaginative, and thrilling read. Nghi Vo has crafted a captivating historical fantasy that delivers equal parts elegance and horror. After finishing this, I will definitely be picking up more of Nghi Vo’s work in the future!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Audiobook review (ARC)
If monsters were natural phenomenons, and the way to harness them was by offering yourself in a deadly game of courtship. Basically, this was everything I wanted in a truly DARK and DEVASTATING story where the characters are morally grey, self serving and set on winning. Honestly, this was just all of my favorite things to read.
In the Gilded Age, Judith Ban is a struggling seamstress with a colourful past, and she’s just trying to survive. One night, she delivers a package to a wealthy family where she is presented with the option to help them in an endeavour. That endeavour will make her a wealthy woman if she plays her cards right. During this bargain, she has to survive the deadly game that this family has thrust her into while remaining on alert. Because it’s not just the family that wants her help, there’s something dark and demanding coming for her and it’s not willing to let her go…
The scene was beautifully described and the magical system was so intricately incorporated in EVERY aspect of this book. Despite it being very familiar settings aka NYC, there was something about it being foreign to me. There was a punishing magic system, and it was not just unforgiving but torturous to wield to the user. I thought there was a dark and dangerous way that the author just made it so surviving this city was more than just trying to work and get by, but also magical creatures were deadly. The story itself was critically important and just the way the main character put herself forward and demanded the respect she deserved despite it really was an attention getter. Overall, it paced well, with each chapter blending into the next with little to no problem, with time jumps being small and serving a point.
Judith is a HELL of an anti-heroine, and I found myself rooting for her — the way she propositioned for the best outcome, made use of her talents and generally just used her spatial awareness to fight her way through. This is a woman where I just don’t support her rights, but also her wrongs. Oddly enough, even the evil and despicable characters like Mr & Mrs Howard were perfectly set to their role. Ambition, values and background made these characters come alive.
The narrator, Natalie Nadaus was flawless in her presentation and how she vocalized each character. I thought she was perfect for the role and no one else could have done better. I would read anything narrated by her.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced listeners copy. My review is entirely my own.
Audiobook review (ARC)
If monsters were natural phenomenons, and the way to harness them was by offering yourself in a deadly game of courtship. Basically, this was everything I wanted in a truly DARK and DEVASTATING story where the characters are morally grey, self serving and set on winning. Honestly, this was just all of my favorite things to read.
In the Gilded Age, Judith Ban is a struggling seamstress with a colourful past, and she’s just trying to survive. One night, she delivers a package to a wealthy family where she is presented with the option to help them in an endeavour. That endeavour will make her a wealthy woman if she plays her cards right. During this bargain, she has to survive the deadly game that this family has thrust her into while remaining on alert. Because it’s not just the family that wants her help, there’s something dark and demanding coming for her and it’s not willing to let her go…
The scene was beautifully described and the magical system was so intricately incorporated in EVERY aspect of this book. Despite it being very familiar settings aka NYC, there was something about it being foreign to me. There was a punishing magic system, and it was not just unforgiving but torturous to wield to the user. I thought there was a dark and dangerous way that the author just made it so surviving this city was more than just trying to work and get by, but also magical creatures were deadly. The story itself was critically important and just the way the main character put herself forward and demanded the respect she deserved despite it really was an attention getter. Overall, it paced well, with each chapter blending into the next with little to no problem, with time jumps being small and serving a point.
Judith is a HELL of an anti-heroine, and I found myself rooting for her — the way she propositioned for the best outcome, made use of her talents and generally just used her spatial awareness to fight her way through. This is a woman where I just don’t support her rights, but also her wrongs. Oddly enough, even the evil and despicable characters like Mr & Mrs Howard were perfectly set to their role. Ambition, values and background made these characters come alive.
The narrator, Natalie Nadaus was flawless in her presentation and how she vocalized each character. I thought she was perfect for the role and no one else could have done better. I would read anything narrated by her.
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio for this advanced listeners copy. My review is entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5/5, to a 4
Loved the gothic atmosphere, the gilded age that Vo was able to capture wonderfully and the characters! She is such a lovely writer and how she portrays the quality of women (appear demure despite the feminine rage) well. The reason why it is a 3.5 stars from me is due to the repetition of the same point, several times. Which, of course made me think was my netgalley shelf not working? Am I really or progressing through the story? The marketing on this was also not in agreement with what the read actually entails. I literally did not get any romance vibes reading this. All the more why I enjoyed the majority of the book, but repetition is what made me lose a bit of interest. Additionally, I enjoy narrations by Natalie Naudus and will continue to support her (and why I rounded up).
Thank you Macmillian & Netgalley for the ALC.
Loved the gothic atmosphere, the gilded age that Vo was able to capture wonderfully and the characters! She is such a lovely writer and how she portrays the quality of women (appear demure despite the feminine rage) well. The reason why it is a 3.5 stars from me is due to the repetition of the same point, several times. Which, of course made me think was my netgalley shelf not working? Am I really or progressing through the story? The marketing on this was also not in agreement with what the read actually entails. I literally did not get any romance vibes reading this. All the more why I enjoyed the majority of the book, but repetition is what made me lose a bit of interest. Additionally, I enjoy narrations by Natalie Naudus and will continue to support her (and why I rounded up).
Thank you Macmillian & Netgalley for the ALC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is my first full length read by Nghi Vo and it was oh so good. Some light body horror, but otherwise a deliciously dark historical fantasy - perfect for scaredy-cats! I was equal parts horrified, because hold a mirror up to society, and eager to find out how it would all conclude.
Set in NYC during the Gilded Age where not every person is actually human, with magical plastic-surgery but make it much much darker. A haunting story about race and power and what some people will go through to get it.
I read this via audiobook, and Natalie Naudus remains one of my favourite narrators. This is possibly the most and various voices I've heard by her yet, and it was excellently done.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an ALC. All opinions are my own.
Set in NYC during the Gilded Age where not every person is actually human, with magical plastic-surgery but make it much much darker. A haunting story about race and power and what some people will go through to get it.
I read this via audiobook, and Natalie Naudus remains one of my favourite narrators. This is possibly the most and various voices I've heard by her yet, and it was excellently done.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an ALC. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Scarlet Ball was lush, unsettling, and wonderfully strange. Nghi Vo takes Gilded Age New York society and twists it into something much darker, where beauty, wealth, marriage, and power are quite literally monstrous.
Judith was such an interesting character to follow. She’s clever, ambitious, morally flexible, and constantly calculating what version of herself she needs to be in order to survive. The concept of her wearing another woman’s face was horrifying on its own, but I loved how it became part of the larger commentary on race, class, identity, assimilation, and the performances women are expected to give in order to access power.
The atmosphere was easily one of my favorite parts. Everything feels glamorous on the surface while something deeply sinister is always lurking underneath. The demonic marriages, rituals, social maneuvering, and grotesque elements gave the story this deliciously macabre quality that worked so well with the historical setting.
I did find myself wanting a little more clarity and development in certain parts of the world and mythology. There is so much happening beneath the surface that occasionally I wanted the story to linger longer and let me fully understand it. But Vo’s prose is gorgeous, and the sheer originality of the story kept me intrigued even when I was still piecing things together.
Dark, decadent, queer, and incredibly imaginative. The Scarlet Ball gave me historical society drama wrapped in body horror and demonic bargains, while having plenty to say about who gets access to power and what they’re expected to sacrifice for it. Definitely unlike anything I’ve read recently.
Judith was such an interesting character to follow. She’s clever, ambitious, morally flexible, and constantly calculating what version of herself she needs to be in order to survive. The concept of her wearing another woman’s face was horrifying on its own, but I loved how it became part of the larger commentary on race, class, identity, assimilation, and the performances women are expected to give in order to access power.
The atmosphere was easily one of my favorite parts. Everything feels glamorous on the surface while something deeply sinister is always lurking underneath. The demonic marriages, rituals, social maneuvering, and grotesque elements gave the story this deliciously macabre quality that worked so well with the historical setting.
I did find myself wanting a little more clarity and development in certain parts of the world and mythology. There is so much happening beneath the surface that occasionally I wanted the story to linger longer and let me fully understand it. But Vo’s prose is gorgeous, and the sheer originality of the story kept me intrigued even when I was still piecing things together.
Dark, decadent, queer, and incredibly imaginative. The Scarlet Ball gave me historical society drama wrapped in body horror and demonic bargains, while having plenty to say about who gets access to power and what they’re expected to sacrifice for it. Definitely unlike anything I’ve read recently.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I don’t know what it is with me and demon books lately, but they keep finding me. 😈
I found this book to be very atmospheric and detailed when it came to the building of this world. I liked how descriptive the author was with our main FMC Judith’s clothing. The gowns all sounded so beautiful and I could picture them clearly.
I liked Judith a lot-she is such a badass and will do what she needs to to survive.
The rest of the book felt pretty one note to me sadly. The other characters I didn’t really care for so I had a hard time being invested.
If Natalie Naudus narrates it though… I will read it and she did a great job!
Thanks NetGalley for the ALC.
I found this book to be very atmospheric and detailed when it came to the building of this world. I liked how descriptive the author was with our main FMC Judith’s clothing. The gowns all sounded so beautiful and I could picture them clearly.
I liked Judith a lot-she is such a badass and will do what she needs to to survive.
The rest of the book felt pretty one note to me sadly. The other characters I didn’t really care for so I had a hard time being invested.
If Natalie Naudus narrates it though… I will read it and she did a great job!
Thanks NetGalley for the ALC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Scarlet Ball was the perfect horror blended fantasy I was craving. Over the years, Nghi Vo has become one of my favorite authors. Vo's writing is interesting and fresh, yet still has a classic gothic quality. The fantasy she builds is easy to follow, but can also create a fever dream-like atmosphere. There were some spicy scenes and I loved how head-strong the female MC was and the imaginative way the author had the demons take on the shape of natural disasters.
The Chosen and the Beautiful and Siren Queen are some other novels by Vo that I loved and would recommend, as well. They seem to all fit a certain theme but are incredibly unique and creatively crafted.
The Chosen and the Beautiful and Siren Queen are some other novels by Vo that I loved and would recommend, as well. They seem to all fit a certain theme but are incredibly unique and creatively crafted.
September 26, 2026
Thank you to the publisher for approving me to read this book, I’m rating it 4.0 stars.
A wild concept has been brought to life in this book and it had me hooked. I love the way our FMC isn’t coy or ever trying to minimise herself, she wants what she wants and she’ll survive by any means necessary.
The story is dark, it has themes surrounding power and the hunger for it. We get somewhat traditional values of gender roles even if the people aren’t what they seem, there’s a trial of sorts that brings the plot to a head. It tests every character in crazy ways and we get to see what people will do to stay ahead or get there at all.
A wild concept has been brought to life in this book and it had me hooked. I love the way our FMC isn’t coy or ever trying to minimise herself, she wants what she wants and she’ll survive by any means necessary.
The story is dark, it has themes surrounding power and the hunger for it. We get somewhat traditional values of gender roles even if the people aren’t what they seem, there’s a trial of sorts that brings the plot to a head. It tests every character in crazy ways and we get to see what people will do to stay ahead or get there at all.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Gworls…idk wtf I just read.
The premise was sick: this Vietnamese woman has to pretend to be white and go to these high society balls so she can marry herself off to a demon who eats people… LOVE!!
But I never really know wtf was going on. Like the demons were actually natural disasters and the main girl’s man was a storm and he would make her bust by lightning shocking her coochie!! And that was the least weird thing that happened.
Amazing premise and gorgeous writing but like…what happened?? Idk
The premise was sick: this Vietnamese woman has to pretend to be white and go to these high society balls so she can marry herself off to a demon who eats people… LOVE!!
But I never really know wtf was going on. Like the demons were actually natural disasters and the main girl’s man was a storm and he would make her bust by lightning shocking her coochie!! And that was the least weird thing that happened.
Amazing premise and gorgeous writing but like…what happened?? Idk
Want to Read
September 8, 2026*thank you to the publisher for a copy to review*
August 30, 2026
I wanted to love this book! I got it as a ARC and it’s not edited for final copy but there were few grammatical errors. Thank you TOR for sending it to me. Now, I doubt she fills in the holes. This book and its characters are quite imaginative, but I feel like she could have done so much more with it. There were big holes that left big questions. There is no spoiler here, but the first one she walks into a home to make a delivery and is asked to fill in for a granddaughter. THEY SEW A FACE ON HER HEAD. And she doesn’t have questions just thinks this is normal? I was confused and felt like maybe I missed something like there is another book that builds the world and I’m just walking into it not knowing. I looked it up it’s not the case. There are plenty of moments where she brings things to a head and it’s just a let down. Like how the battle with the white walkers ended in game of thrones..anti-climatic. This book has a place and I’m sure there is a fan base, but this hits low on my good read. I don’t think I would recommend it to anyone at any chance unless they say they like to be confused and kept just on the outside of the world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wow wow wow wow wow. 😮 This is possibly my first dabble into this type of novel but absolutely NOT my last! I absolutely devoured this book over a few hours. Utterly stunning!
Let’s highlight a few things from the blurb…
Judith Ban – convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief – is looking for her next identity. She’s no stranger to wealth or danger, but the glitter of New York’s Gilded Age hides a darkness even she has never imagined. Here, the city’s elite maintain their grip through opulent balls, whispered rituals, and marriages with demons hungry for human devotion.
When she crosses paths with the formidable matriarch of the Howard family, Judith is offered an irresistible bargain: to take the place of a missing debutante in the coming season. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith becomes white, rich, and ready to risk it all.If she can hold onto her charm, her wits, and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power.
Did you see those parts in bold? Super significant to the brilliance of this novel. Falling in love with powerful demons with powers that can cause destruction, death and dismay? I didn’t think I’d be there for it but I SO was.
Judith LITERALLY has the face of a white girl stitched over her own dark skin in order to pass as the granddaughter of the powerful Howard family. In their granddaughters absence they NEED someone to take her place to attend a serious of debutante balls like no other. They need her to be a chosen one. Chosen by a dark one. Married to a powerful demon which ironically brings great status to the family.
This book just sucked me in. Dark moments, tense scenes, descriptive language, beauty and ugliness often on the same page. Love or hate the situation it’s freaking exciting. With dark magic at play and romance that is other worldly kind this book is pure escapism. I didn’t not think I’d like this style of book but I was proven wrong.
This is not soppy romance, far from it. Some scenes are graphic and dark and come at you from nowhere. Some scenes make you question just why? Then others just take your breath away as the Author transports you into other realms, imagery and scenes that I pictured as clearly as if I was watching a movie.
It tackles issues of class and social standing, skin colour, prejudices, family heritage and the burning need to keep the family name at the top of society. Judith’s journey, transformation and choices are fascinating. Her reasons for agreeing to do this understandable. I loved her grit, courage and sassy personality.
This is more leaning towards gothic horror than anything traditional, but even that doesn’t describe it fully. It’s darkly seductive, fantastical, magical and so much more.
The actual balls that the ladies attend in the hope to be chosen are spectacularly descriptive and not your usual sort of ball whatever. Expect a lot of shocking and thrilling moments to hit when you don’t expect them. I was definitely tense at times! I absolutely LOVED the ending! There could well be a sequel but if not it’s awesome as a standalone. I am keen to read more from this Author now.
I am not doing it justice. It’s got so much more than what I can e press here. Was I rooting for a passionate yet bizarre union between a human and a powerful dark being? Yep. I definitely was. Whether this is your type of genre OR like me you are willing to go in open minded I highly recommend this one. If you need to escape your everyday life this is a great book to pick up. Get this on your ready to read list upon publication!
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey for my ARC via NetGalley.
Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.
Let’s highlight a few things from the blurb…
Judith Ban – convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief – is looking for her next identity. She’s no stranger to wealth or danger, but the glitter of New York’s Gilded Age hides a darkness even she has never imagined. Here, the city’s elite maintain their grip through opulent balls, whispered rituals, and marriages with demons hungry for human devotion.
When she crosses paths with the formidable matriarch of the Howard family, Judith is offered an irresistible bargain: to take the place of a missing debutante in the coming season. With Miss Iphigenia Marshall’s face stitched over her own, Judith becomes white, rich, and ready to risk it all.If she can hold onto her charm, her wits, and her life, her reward will be a husband with undreamt-of power.
Did you see those parts in bold? Super significant to the brilliance of this novel. Falling in love with powerful demons with powers that can cause destruction, death and dismay? I didn’t think I’d be there for it but I SO was.
Judith LITERALLY has the face of a white girl stitched over her own dark skin in order to pass as the granddaughter of the powerful Howard family. In their granddaughters absence they NEED someone to take her place to attend a serious of debutante balls like no other. They need her to be a chosen one. Chosen by a dark one. Married to a powerful demon which ironically brings great status to the family.
This book just sucked me in. Dark moments, tense scenes, descriptive language, beauty and ugliness often on the same page. Love or hate the situation it’s freaking exciting. With dark magic at play and romance that is other worldly kind this book is pure escapism. I didn’t not think I’d like this style of book but I was proven wrong.
This is not soppy romance, far from it. Some scenes are graphic and dark and come at you from nowhere. Some scenes make you question just why? Then others just take your breath away as the Author transports you into other realms, imagery and scenes that I pictured as clearly as if I was watching a movie.
It tackles issues of class and social standing, skin colour, prejudices, family heritage and the burning need to keep the family name at the top of society. Judith’s journey, transformation and choices are fascinating. Her reasons for agreeing to do this understandable. I loved her grit, courage and sassy personality.
This is more leaning towards gothic horror than anything traditional, but even that doesn’t describe it fully. It’s darkly seductive, fantastical, magical and so much more.
The actual balls that the ladies attend in the hope to be chosen are spectacularly descriptive and not your usual sort of ball whatever. Expect a lot of shocking and thrilling moments to hit when you don’t expect them. I was definitely tense at times! I absolutely LOVED the ending! There could well be a sequel but if not it’s awesome as a standalone. I am keen to read more from this Author now.
I am not doing it justice. It’s got so much more than what I can e press here. Was I rooting for a passionate yet bizarre union between a human and a powerful dark being? Yep. I definitely was. Whether this is your type of genre OR like me you are willing to go in open minded I highly recommend this one. If you need to escape your everyday life this is a great book to pick up. Get this on your ready to read list upon publication!
Many thanks to Random House UK, Cornerstone, Del Rey for my ARC via NetGalley.
Thanks so much for taking a little time to read my review. Your likes and comments mean a lot to me. 😻 Feel free to add me as a friend or follow me for more book reviews.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A huge thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook via NetGalley! The following is my honest review:
4.5 stars, rounded up
Spice level: 1.5 🌶️
🎧: Single narration
Reminiscent of Angela Carter's gothic fairytale re-tellings, Vo transforms not folklore, but the high-society customs of the Gilded Age. Brimming with subversions, The Scarlet Ball is a gothic re-imagining of the 19th century social rituals that secured political and financial alliances. It drenches the traditions we recognize in blood, dark magic, and biting social commentary.
Macabre and sinister from its opening chapter, The Scarlet Ball is a masterclass in atmospheric writing. The prose is lush and purposeful, lacing the extravagance of the historical setting, which is richly depicted, with a sinister edge. The writing is simply gorgeous, though not in a flowery way. It is often stark, with grotesque elements delivered in a distinctly matter-of-fact manner that had me rereading sentences because they were so unexpected. Through this uncanny blend of realism and indulgence Vo sustains a sense of dread and unease, underpinning the story with relentless atmospheric tension.
Though elements of the story are grotesque and disturbing, both thematically and literally, The Scarlet Ball never crosses the line into horror. Evocative of the dark elements of traditional fairytales- bodily mutilation, grim punishments- body horror is threaded throughout the story, yet it's alluded to rather than graphically detailed. The Scarlet Ball is pure atmosphere.
Given the novel's categorization as historical fantasy, and as a lover of fantasy myself, I found the exploration of the magic system, the lore, and the mythology to be underdeveloped or, at least, under explained, which detracted from my enjoyment while reading the book. The demons have elemental magic. There is blood-magic, binding women to their demonic counterparts. Women use objects imbued with magic. There is magical body alteration and transformation. It is a story entrenched in magic, yet there is no exploration of it- its rules or origins. Though manifested in every chapter, in new and unexpected ways, the magic remains an entirely abstract concept. It simply...is.
Looking back on it though, isn't this is also reminiscent of a fairytale? The magic is a tool of the plot, though not its purpose. The Scarlet ball is a story of moral lessons. It's a story of privilege and power, of survival and resistance, of female autonomy and the price of assimilation for the marginalized. The very omission of a codified magic system points us directly back to the narrative focus; magical logistics are simply not the point. This will likely be a hurdle, though, for fantasy readers who find this story.
Best enjoyed as a dark, gothic fairytale, The Scarlet Ball is wholly original and as thought provoking as it is vicious. Deeply feminist, Vo's reimagining of Gilded Age New York highlights racial and class disparities, presented in lush prose and brutal metaphors. This may not be a great fit for readers expecting fantasy with detailed world-building. Those who love atmospheric writing, complex characters, moral ambiguity and trope subversions, though, will be as insatiable for The Scarlet Ball as the demons lurking inside its pages.
* A note on the format: I listened to the audiobook which is a single narration performed by Natalie Naudus, who is one of my favorite narrators. Though I don't necessarily think this story allowed her to display her full, dynamic range, still, she gives a wonderful, grounded performance and I highly recommend the audiobook.
4.5 stars, rounded up
Spice level: 1.5 🌶️
🎧: Single narration
Reminiscent of Angela Carter's gothic fairytale re-tellings, Vo transforms not folklore, but the high-society customs of the Gilded Age. Brimming with subversions, The Scarlet Ball is a gothic re-imagining of the 19th century social rituals that secured political and financial alliances. It drenches the traditions we recognize in blood, dark magic, and biting social commentary.
Macabre and sinister from its opening chapter, The Scarlet Ball is a masterclass in atmospheric writing. The prose is lush and purposeful, lacing the extravagance of the historical setting, which is richly depicted, with a sinister edge. The writing is simply gorgeous, though not in a flowery way. It is often stark, with grotesque elements delivered in a distinctly matter-of-fact manner that had me rereading sentences because they were so unexpected. Through this uncanny blend of realism and indulgence Vo sustains a sense of dread and unease, underpinning the story with relentless atmospheric tension.
Though elements of the story are grotesque and disturbing, both thematically and literally, The Scarlet Ball never crosses the line into horror. Evocative of the dark elements of traditional fairytales- bodily mutilation, grim punishments- body horror is threaded throughout the story, yet it's alluded to rather than graphically detailed. The Scarlet Ball is pure atmosphere.
Given the novel's categorization as historical fantasy, and as a lover of fantasy myself, I found the exploration of the magic system, the lore, and the mythology to be underdeveloped or, at least, under explained, which detracted from my enjoyment while reading the book. The demons have elemental magic. There is blood-magic, binding women to their demonic counterparts. Women use objects imbued with magic. There is magical body alteration and transformation. It is a story entrenched in magic, yet there is no exploration of it- its rules or origins. Though manifested in every chapter, in new and unexpected ways, the magic remains an entirely abstract concept. It simply...is.
Looking back on it though, isn't this is also reminiscent of a fairytale? The magic is a tool of the plot, though not its purpose. The Scarlet ball is a story of moral lessons. It's a story of privilege and power, of survival and resistance, of female autonomy and the price of assimilation for the marginalized. The very omission of a codified magic system points us directly back to the narrative focus; magical logistics are simply not the point. This will likely be a hurdle, though, for fantasy readers who find this story.
Best enjoyed as a dark, gothic fairytale, The Scarlet Ball is wholly original and as thought provoking as it is vicious. Deeply feminist, Vo's reimagining of Gilded Age New York highlights racial and class disparities, presented in lush prose and brutal metaphors. This may not be a great fit for readers expecting fantasy with detailed world-building. Those who love atmospheric writing, complex characters, moral ambiguity and trope subversions, though, will be as insatiable for The Scarlet Ball as the demons lurking inside its pages.
* A note on the format: I listened to the audiobook which is a single narration performed by Natalie Naudus, who is one of my favorite narrators. Though I don't necessarily think this story allowed her to display her full, dynamic range, still, she gives a wonderful, grounded performance and I highly recommend the audiobook.
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