The Greatest Gothic Book of the Last 5 Years Is a Dark Fantasy Take on 'The Gilded Age'

A dangerous role in society

Judith Ban, a former convent girl who is half-French and half-Vietnamese, arrives in New York seeking to escape her past. A courtesan and thief, she strikes a risky bargain with the Howard family matriarch.

Judith uses magic to place the face of the family’s missing granddaughter, Iphigenia, over her own. Her mission to enter high society leads toward a ball where elemental forces, disguised as men, seek to consume young women. A storm demon’s interest in Judith complicates her plan.

Gilded wealth with a dark price

The story retains the period’s pursuit of wealth and status while recasting its elite as bound to primal forces. The Four Hundred preserve their influence through blood oaths and rituals that increase their fortunes at the expense of those with less power.

Arranged marriage also takes on a supernatural menace: demons become the suitors. Through these elements, the novel examines how women’s autonomy can be traded for status, alongside wealth inequality and the theft associated with the era.

Vo’s immersive fantasy

Vo’s descriptions give the story an atmospheric setting, from grand ballrooms to detailed gowns. The supernatural presence makes even dark corners feel charged with hidden danger. The book combines social criticism with visceral horror, including blood and body horror, as well as an unconventional romance. Vo is also known for The Empress of Salt and Fortuna, which won the 2021 Hugo Award for Best Novella, and The Chosen and the Beautiful, a sapphic reworking of The Great Gatsby.