Courts, Ballrooms, and Bloodshed

Prepare yourself for a nightmare of manners and political machinations in this session that fuses history and fantasy! Set in a fantasy Gilded Age, Nghi Vo’s The Scarlet Ball is the story of Judith—a former convent girl, courtesan, and failed thief—who is on the lookout for her next identity. When she strikes a deal with the matriarch of a powerful family, Judith must peel back the silk and glamour to reveal the demons and witchcraft under the opulent splendor of New York’s legendary Four Hundred. In the turbulent politics of Bel Banta’s The Court of Venus, a moon-blessed magician is summoned back to the deadly, Tudor-inspired magical court she thought she had escaped. At court, power is determined by the stars―and the closer you are to the king, the more likely you are to die. We’ll delve into lethal political games hidden by lavish beauty, and discovering your agency even in hierarchical worlds. 

Purchase your book from Eagle Eye and a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the festival.

This event is free and open to the public. No tickets are required, and seating is first come, first served. Signing information: Signing time: 1:30 PM

Signing location: First Baptist Church – Front Lawn

About the Authors

Bel Banta is a bookseller and writer. She graduated from the University of Virginia and lives with her partner and two cats in Brooklyn. Some of her very favorite things include video games, coffee, and walking around the city listening to movie scores. Her new book is The Court of Venus.

Nghi Vo is the USA Today–bestselling author of Siren Queen, The Chosen and the Beautiful, Don't Sleep with the Dead, and The City in Glass, as well as the acclaimed novellas of the Singing Hills Cycle, which began with The Empress of Salt and Fortune. Her work has been nominated for the Nebula, Locus, and Lambda Literary Awards, the LA Times Book Prize, and the Ursula K. Le Guin Prize, and has won the Crawford, Ignyte, and Hugo Awards. 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. Her new book is The Scarlet Ball. 

About the Moderator

Preet Singh is a lifelong reader who shares her passion for reading and books as the Events Coordinator at Eagle Eye Book Shop. She’s a fifteen year veteran of publishing and held roles as a marketer, assistant, proof reader, and festival creator and organizer. She’s a lifelong romance reader and happy to talk romance, fantasy, and science fiction all day long.