This one reminded me of fantasy books like Poison Study and the first Throne of Glass, in the best way!

After being falsely accused of murder and spending two years in prison, Vasalie is freed by king Illian and given a task: she must spy for him at the upcoming royal gathering.
A former dancer, Vasalie must infiltrate the performers at the event and carry out the orders of the king, putting in danger those who're becoming her friends.
She will soon start uncovering the intrigues and secret plans of the Royals, while she tries to guard secrets of her own.

The plot is not groundbreaking but I thought it was well done, with a steady pacing and a good balance of revelations and twists throughout the story.

I appreciated the portrayal of disability and chronic pain. Vasalie can’t dance like she once did, since her two year imprisonment led to malnutrition and muscle atrophy. She’s forced to mask her pain and adapt her choreographies to be able to perform as a dancer.

She’s is a resilient and creative main character. She hasn’t processed the tragic events of her past and she’s often struck by sudden grief and anxiety because of that, but her character journey is the more interesting for it.
I admit I hated some of the decisions she made, but most of the time she acted that way because of lack of information that her allies could’ve provided.

I'm not a big fan of dancing, but I still thought the dance performances in the book were creative and well thought. The descriptions of the costumes and architecture were vivid and beautiful, I could tell the author worked hard to bring the aesthetics of her world to life.

On the other hand, the palace intrigue and the evil schemes of the villains felt a little silly and see-through at times, like something out of Mean Girls. I kept thinking how naive and gullible the court was, to believe everything the bad guys said when showed forged or flimsy proof.

My least favorite part was the ending, since I personally don’t enjoy that trope too much, but I'm still intrigued to see how the story continues in future books.

Fun slow-burn fantasy that kept me thoroughly entertained! Pacing was slow-building in the first half then really picked up as the story progressed. Loved the invisible disability representation. There was a good balance of the strengths and struggles that come from having one. The plot was full of political scheming and morally questionable characters but I do wish we had a bit more background on them early on in the story.

As a reader, you are in the dark for the first bit as to why everything is happening. You slowly find out more as you read on. The author did a good job with filling the reader in as needed while still keeping some of the bigger plot details a mystery. I just wanted to keep reading to figure everything out!

At times the writing could be a bit poetic and descriptions would take over the story. But the current environment/atmosphere was always very well described and would leave me feeling immersed while reading. The conversations flowed well and I liked watching all of the friendships and relationships develop. The ending was wild and I’m very antsy for the next book!

ARC provided for an honest review.

There are no words, THERE ARE NO WORDS to describe how much I loved this book. Reading A Dance of Lies was a religious experience in every sense, this story awakened in me the same feelings as When the Moon Hatched and Throne of Glass at the time and that in itself says a lot about how much I connected with this book.

Each of the characters has a story of pain or planning to tell and discover them while reading it was quite an experience, although without a doubt my favorite has been that of Vasalie, our FMC, she had to go a hard road until the end of this book, going through a disability, a terrifying relationship with an abusive father, an obsession on the part of her king, betrayals followed by more betrayals, and blackmail in exchange for her eternal freedom, but despite all the darkness that surrounds her she finds the light both in herself and in a shameless king who is willing to discover all her secrets. Vasalie's resilience as the story went on was an element that made me love her more as a character and her undoubted strength and courage to face the obstacles in her path even though at first I thought it was impossible.
I have to admit I was a little scared in the first half because Who even is the ship? was killing me, I desperately needed it to be a certain King of the East, and the other MMCs had me shivering in fear for a moment.

The espionage, the secrets, the delicious tension and the banter had me screaming the whole time, Anton made the sensual moments between him and Vasalie unforgettable, I really found myself rereading all those scenes they had together morethan once, because I repeat, DELICIOUS TENSION AND BANTER!!!!

Anton was such a wonderful and fun character to read about, he made me blush all the time, and his story was definitely another one that touched my soul, he always had a smile on his face despite the nightmares and unpleasant moments he experienced at the hands of his own brother, he is simply one of my favorite things in this book!
On the other hand, the setting was so magical, the glass technology was something extremely original and made my imagination soar on more than one occasion, along with Brittney's wonderful writing that made every detail described easy to imagine. The ending was beyond criminal and I'm still in shock from itand I have no idea how I'm going to hold on until the next book when ADoL hasn't even been released yet.

I swear, I'm on the floor, this book has been a wonderful experience, the story and the characters have left their mark on me in the deepest and most meaningful way, infinite stars for this book, it has been beyond majestic!

What to expect from A Dance of Lies?

• Dangerous espionage
• Court intrigue
• Who even is the ship?
• Rival kings
• Low spice, BUT heat & tension for days
• Glass technology
• Terribly behaved royals
• Glittering courts & secret tunnels
• All the banter & romantic tension

Thank you Netgalley, Del Rey, Random House Publishing Group and Brittney Arena for this arc! This is possibly my favorite book of the year, I had the best time reading it.

This started off really strongly! As a dancer, I was very intrigued to see a romantasy story that centered a lot around dance. I was also pleased to see a disability rep in here too. However, as the story went on, there was a couple of things that ended up bringing the rating down.

I enjoyed our main characters overall. Vas was a determined girl on a mission, which I appreciated. It is important to have a character with motives, and she did. However, a big part of her personality and character was her disability, which I think is great! But, the disability rep was a little misguided since her pain never completely stopped her from doing anything. Vas would just push through it, even when it hurt her. While I think there could be an upside to that and a positive twist, it seemed that she could make her disability pretty much go away whenever she wanted, as she continued to do complete insanely complicated dances that involved being thrown and jumping and falling. That seems to disregard the whole point of having a disabled main character. For someone to be completely unable to walk to performance-ready in 5 weeks is just not accurate.

The world-building was also very confusing. For something with no magic, for the most part, I thought this would be simpler to understand, but no. There were so many characters, families, countries, and connections that I did not keep any of them straight. And then when we added in the fates and the prophecy, I was lost. I understood the story enough to get by, but all of those intricacies that I adore in fantasy were not picked up on here.

I did like the romance for the most part here, and there were a couple of moments that gave me little butterflies. But, it was a little confusing to know which man we were supposed to root for and who she was going after because every guy in this narrative wanted her. I'm not a big fan of love triangles, but when there is one, I would appreciate a clear winner. The everyone loves me trope is not one I enjoy. Not only is it frustrating when everyone falls at Vas's feet, but it is also frustrating when she continues to break the rules and get away with things she should not have over and over again.

Also, the aspect of her father did not make sense to me. Yes, she ran away when she was 13 and she was a few years older, but there is no way and in no world that her father would not have recognized her. She just put on makeup and different clothes and thought that would be enough? Also, I feel as though as a general's daughter she would have had a much different upbringing and people would have known who she was more. The anonymity she claimed to have didn't make a ton of sense either.

The worst offender for me was probably the last 50 pages of the book. I was really close to giving this a 4-star and was pretty set on it being that, but the way this ended was NOT for for me. It completely cheapened the rest of the book and seemed like a cop-out. The way magic was inserted at the last possible moment was too convenient when nothing was mentioned in the book.

I will say this was pretty fast-paced overall and I did fly through it. I was intrigued the entire time and constantly wanted to know what was happening. The writing was very consumable. But, I was not aware that this was a series. I just wanted a standalone, but there is clearly a second and potentially more to this.

For a debut, there was a lot of good in this, and a great place to start. I think the writing was good and the story was told well. I just think that some of the choices plot-wise were not the best direction-wise nor made a ton of sense.

I love fantasy and this was the perfect book for that! With great characters and excellent world building, it was such a well done book and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
I don't really know how to review this book; I think it will do well, though it lacks the propulsive nature of many popular romantasy books. I loved the dancing aspect, and I thought the disability representation was really well done, much better than Fourth Wing. The pain was a constant presence for Vasalie, not just a dislocated knee that hurt every few chapters. The modifications made to dances made sense, and felt familiar. The main issues I have with Dance of Lies lie in the trope-y parts; I felt the most interesting parts of the book were the parts that had the least attention. If I had a nickel for every time the purportedly hedonistic racially ambiguous ruler turned out to be the love interest and the Best Guy Ever, I would have a lot of nickels. The romance detracted from the espionage and Vasalie's character development, which I think could have been very strong if this had been edited differently.
Overall, if you want a slow burn, slow build romantasy with familiar tropes and wonderfully described dance scenes, Dance of Lies is for you, but don't expect anything more than that.

This book has a very interesting set-up, which I think would appeal to fans of Throne of Glass (as others have said) but once I got into the meat of the story, I sadly found it to be a bit of a slog.

I think it's amazing to highlight a main character struggling with chronic pain and illness, especially in a setting we pretty much never see them in. There was some genuinely interesting intrigue as well--when I managed to find momentum I did enjoy the schemes and twists.

I found myself really not wanting to pick this book back up, though, whenever I had put it down. The characters were pretty one-note with a simple plot and romance. There was just nothing particularly ground-breaking about this... even the chronic pain doesn't seem to factor into the story that much other than being reflected upon at times.

In most instances, I probably wouldn't recommend this but if you're more of a Romantasy fan than I am, I think you have more of a hope of enjoying.

It took me quite a while to get into this book. I felt the first 50% was very heavy on the politics and history of the kingdoms and referred back to past event often. Also, during this time I felt that the romance took a back seat and I didn't really get a chance to connect properly with our MMC before suddenly she was falling for him. I understand this may have been done intentionally to make the reader believe that we had a chance to fall for Copelan instead.

However, from 60% onwards I was kept on my toes and felt exhilarated with the events taking place. I feel if I had more of a connection to the MMC throughout the book I may have felt more devastated with the ending. Overall interesting concept and very light fantasy elements and I did enjoy the second half.

This world and concept was interesting and I was invested, up until the end that is. It just lost me at the end. Just a lot of information being unloaded on me in the span of 10 pages. Didn't expect it to be a series.

Wow. I’ll be honest, I preordered this book as soon as it was announced without even reading the blurb or knowing the author simply because it was from a publisher who published many other books I’ve read before and enjoyed. This was an amazing journey and I loved the representation as someone who summers some autoimmune disorder (undiagnosed). I felt like I was being transported through so many worlds I’ve loved so dearly, while still maintaining its own unique identity. There’s political intrigue and betrayal, murder, found friends and family, so many lies. I laughed, I nearly cried from anxiety, I closed kindle just to reopen it because I didn’t want to know what was gonna happen next just to find I couldn’t not know what happened next. Then the plot twist and the ending! I’d read it again in a heartbeat. I’m very blessed and privileged and SO honored to be able to read this ARC. It deserves every star it receives and I’ll definitely be reading more form the author. I felt like I did when I was reading Once Upon a Broken Heart and Metal Slinger from last year all over again and that is an amazing feeling!! Love love love it! Can’t wait to see Vas bring Anton back to her because I just know she will! Thank god Copelan (maybe?) got his head out of his ass even if it was the very end. Though I am routing for Anton! ❤️ So when’s book 2??

Vasalie is dancer turned prisoner turned spy to the King she thought was going to give her heart to, but is the cost of her freedom worth the price she has pay? This is the debut from Brittney Arena and the first in a series and it very much feels like just the tip of the iceberg!

I was pleasantly surprised by this! I didn’t know what to expect from an ARC but this did not disappoint at all. It follows similar themes to many other fantasy books I love but I really loved the focus on the strength of the mind. A lot of fantasy/romantasy books see FMC’s wielding weapons and physical strength against all odds which is of course bad ass… but that isn’t Vasalie and it’s really refreshing. She suffers with chronic illness (great disability representation) after years of incarceration, she’s downtrodden, minimised and does not recognise this new version of her and she has to dig DEEP to find that inner strength and recognise the weapon in her mind.

The beginning is a little slow and repetitive at times but there is this building unease and trepidation that keeps you reading. World building is minimal but that doesn’t take away from the experience, I would like to see a little more from outside the isle moving forward. I think there is so much potential there. This book definitely feels like a building block to something bigger and I am absolutely here for it!

For my spice seekers there is minimal spice in this book but the tension, the yearning is smouldering! And with multiple interests what more could you want!

A Dance of Lies is romantic, it’s tense and it is just the beginning! We end on an OUTRAGEOUS cliffhanger and I now have to wait for a second book when the first isn’t even released yet?! I’ve truly outdone myself when it comes to starting unfinished series.

I was so grateful to NetGalley & Del Rey for the opportunity to read this wonderful ARC!

This romantasy novel was quite a delicious treat! The anticipation, the yearning, political intrigue in the kingdoms, the sheer beauty of writing, and oh, gosh, that ending!

The first thing I noticed about the book was the beauty of its language and the vivid descriptions. These features dominate the first part of the book, where we are introduced to the FMC and her inner world, which I particularly love, as well as the world surrounding her. It is slow-paced but doesn't continue to be so. It is like an introduction to a dance, slowly luring you into the story.

In these opening chapters, there are beautiful descriptions of dance and costumes that helped me easily envision the scenes, as well as Vasalie's intimate thoughts and struggles. Her character is a breath of fresh air in modern romantasy books, as we see in her a different kind of strength and bravery than typically found in most romantasy FMCs. Her character also develops throughout the book, making her more relatable and realistic.

While reading about her story, the character of Evangeline Fox came to mind, as there is a vague similarity. Not in character, but in energy. Therefore, I imagine that fans of Once Upon a Broken Heart will thoroughly enjoy this book.

As for the second part of the book, this is where everything takes a turn over. The slow pace of the first part gives way to a fast pace as things begin to unfold. You start understanding everything that has been happening from the beginning of the book as the plot unravels before your eyes. At this point, I was unable to put the book down. At the same time, as you get your questions answered, the story becomes more entwined, opening up even more questions and weaving the plot further.

As the story reaches its ending, we realize that it's actually a new beginning, opening more doors for plot development. After that experience, all I ask is: When is the sequel coming out?!

A Dance of Lies captivated me with its intriguing concept, beautiful descriptive writing, and a plot packed with compelling mysteries. From the outset, I was drawn into the world and eager to unravel the questions posed throughout the story.

The representation of chronic pain stood out to me—it was refreshing to see this portrayed in a meaningful way. The character’s strength and determination were inspiring, though at times her focus on her predicament felt somewhat repetitive.

While I appreciated the level of detail in the world-building, the info-dumping early on did detract from the story's flow. I would have loved for the background to unfold more naturally alongside the plot.

Pacing-wise, the book started strong and had a great rhythm, but around the 20% mark, it began to slow down noticeably. While this made it harder to stay fully engaged, I enjoyed how the mysteries and revelations kept me intrigued enough to push forward.

Overall, A Dance of Lies offers an imaginative concept and compelling questions that drive the story. Though the pacing and heavy exposition created some challenges, I found elements worth appreciating and moments of brilliance that made the journey worthwhile.

🌟 3

Alright… 👍
The cover is great 👍
Not original 👎

💙 Romantasy
💙 chronic pain and disability recognition
💙 tension and banter
💙 found family
💙 slow burn romance
💙 dancer turned spy
💙 action packed

Overall an easy Romantasy with familiar characters and plot lines.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this e-arc!

4.5 🌟

This is how you do a debut fantasy novel! Wow. A Dance Of Lies has a slower buildup with some world building and lots of new names and places, but once I was about a quarter or so in, the pace picks up and I could not put it down.

What to expect:
-to fall in love with the mmc
-a patient and emotionally mature mmc
-chronic pain and disability recognition
-amazing tension and banter
-found family
-slow burn romance

Definitely recommend giving this one a read if you love page-turning fantasy in a unique kingdom by the sea, with a sweet and tension-filled, slow burn romance. This book appears to be the first in either a duology or a series and I will definitely be on the lookout for that next book announcement.

❤️ I absolutely loved A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena ❤️ Thank you @tandemcollectiveglobal and @bloomsbury_export for having me along for the ride.

Thank you @reverieandink for writing this amazing book ❤️

I can't actually put into words how lovely this book was, so read the blurb about the book as it sums it up beautifully ❤️ If you love a romantasy, you will love this book, which releases in June.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the process.

#BBNI2025 #Bloomsbury #TandemCollectiveGlobal

“A Dance of Lies” by Brittney Arena is a debut adult fantasy novel scheduled for publication on June 10, 2025. The story follows Vasalie Moran, a former court dancer who, after being framed for murder by King Illian, endures two harrowing years in the dungeons. Upon her release, the king offers her a perilous deal: to serve as his spy during the royal Gathering in exchange for her freedom. As Vasalie navigates a treacherous web of political intrigue, she must decide whom to trust and how far she’s willing to go to secure her liberation.

Receiving an ARC of this novel from Bloomsbury Publishing, I was drawn to its promise of a complex protagonist entangled in a dangerous game of espionage and betrayal. The premise of a dancer-turned-spy caught between warring royal brothers intrigues me, especially with themes of resilience and deception at its core.

Brittney Arena’s writing is absolutely stunning—lyrical, immersive, and fast-paced. From the very first page, I was hooked, unable to put the book down. The prose flows beautifully, making every moment feel vivid and emotionally charged.

Vasalie is such a relatable and passionate protagonist. Her determination to regain her freedom resonated deeply, and I loved following her journey. Anton, on the other hand, was equally captivating—his fierce protectiveness and desire to help Vasalie, despite the risks, made him incredibly endearing. Their push-and-pull dynamic was intoxicating—forbidden, intense, and utterly delicious!

The plot kept me obsessed—one task after another, I was desperate to see how everything would unfold. The tension never let up, and the stakes continued to rise in ways that left me breathless. The world-building was equally mesmerizing—so immersive that I wished I could step into it myself. The intricate political intrigue, the dangerous court, and the richly crafted setting made it feel like a world I never wanted to leave.

The book also weaves in some of my favorite themes: forced proximity, arranged marriage, death, forbidden love, and that irresistible "touch her and die" energy. Each element was executed masterfully, adding to the novel’s depth and emotional pull.

My final thoughts: I absolutely loved this book! I was captivated and obsessed immediately. Everyone has at one point suffered with pain and being there with Vasalie as she was forced to push through all obstacles from her imprisonment to achieve her ultimate goal. It was refreshing, enlightening, and inspiration. I loved watching her overcome challenge after challenge and suffer through her moral thoughts and what stood between her freedom. Sometimes it can be viewed as selfish to put yourself first, but Vasalie didn’t have a choice. She spent the last two years suffering, locked in a cell, forced to watch her body atrophy before her eyes. But her strength resonated, and I saw myself in Vasalie. Aside from Vasalie’s strength, Anton is the hero she needed in her life and the person who would be strong for her when she wasn’t able to keep going. I love Anton, and I NEED BOOK TWO IMMEDIATELY!!
Thank you Brittney Arena, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC.

I want to start off with the good before I get into the not so great.

The concept of this book really drew me in. I was excited to experience a fantasy world told from a main character with a disability. The overall plot peaked my interest and I like how the author writes.

Now for the bad.

This book had so much info dumping that I felt so detached from the actual story. It is a first person narrative and instead of learning through the current scene we just paragraphs upon paragraphs of random background information. I could not bring myself to care about the world building or the random rumors because it felt so cheap. I get that this is a debut novel but it feels like an editor should have cut some information out.

I also could not bring myself to care about any of the characters. They felt so one dimensional and bland. The writing was poetic but the words meant nothing. I might have enjoyed this more if I was in middle school due to the depth of the story.

Overall I would recommend this novel if you like the following:
* Information dumping
* Simple character
* Over complicated and yet unclear world building
* Romantasy that resembles ideas already published

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

I was excited for a fresh take on a female main character in the romantasy genre with a disability rep, but despite the first person narrative, I didn't feel her pain as I expected to. The writing style wasn't my cup of tea and felt slightly choppy and disjointed, but not so terrible that I couldn't bear it. I understand this is a debut, so I won't be too tough on it. It was just ok.

I wanted to love this, but I was just so bored I DNF'd. It's a shame - this has such a STUNNING cover design and I desperately hoped I'd find a new favorite with this ARC.

From the beginning of this book I was just a little... confused. We started off super strong and a bit graphic and then ended up somewhere closer to YA than I thought but then the guy who had caused her so much abuse was the love interest after all? I don't know, maybe this book just wasn't for me or I wasn't in the right frame of mind to read it but I found all the characters a little confusing, the world building a bit unsteady and the turn around for Illian a little too unbelievable - even for fantasy. Would I read more from this author? Yes. Will I rush back for a re read? No.