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A dark and magical tale of ballrooms and bloodshed in the Gilded Age, from multi-award winning fantasy author Nghi Vo.

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.

But in a world ruled by appetite and ambition, the most dangerous hunger of all might be her own.

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PRAISE FOR NGHI VO:

'Nghi Vo’s perfectly honed prose embodies the intoxicating, knife-sharp dazzle of cruel wealth and hollow people. This book is as sharp and strange as the taste of a licked silver spoon –it’s breathtaking.' – Shelley Parker-Chan (on The Chosen and the Beautiful)

'Searing and seductive... the kind of book that leaves you wrecked on its shores.' – Alix E. Harrow (on Siren Queen)

'Nghi Vo is one of the most original writers we have today.' – Taylor Jenkins Reid (on Siren Queen)

© Nghi Vo 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026