A Dance of Lies is such a good story. Loved the storyline, the plots, the characters are fantastic! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

I went into this book with high expectations, given that I love books centered around dance and court intrigue. On paper, it seemed like the perfect combination, and overall, I found it to be an immersive and bingeable read. Every time I picked it up, I ended up reading for hours, which speaks to how engaging it was.

One thing that stood out to me (in both good and bad ways) was the writing. The dialogue during casual interactions flowed nicely and felt natural, but in moments where the characters tried to be profound or impactful, some lines felt a bit forced and cliché—like things I’d read in other books before. There were also a couple of moments where repetition was used for dramatic effect, but for me, it didn’t quite land and ended up being more distracting than anything. During those moments, I could understand where some readers might have gotten the "overwritten" criticism from. That said, aside from those minor issues, I didn’t mind the writing overall and thought it was really immersive. Between that and the good pacing, there was plenty to keep me interested despite the small flaws.

Another recurring detail that slightly bothered me was how nearly every semi-important male character was described as young and attractive (with the exception of her father). It’s not a huge deal, but from a realism perspective, it pulled me out of the story a bit—it got to the point where I found myself thinking, no way are they hot too. In a setting with political intrigue and power struggles, you’d expect a wider range of characters in terms of age and appearance.

Another small annoyance was that the main character had a bit of that “special snowflake” vibe. Everyone seemed to fawn over everything she did. On top of that, there were three important guys obsessed with her, along with constant mentions of her being stared at, which made it feel a little over-the-top.

On the topic of relationships, I appreciated that it wasn’t immediately clear who the love interest would be—it kept me on my toes for a while. The connection between the main character and one of the guys didn’t work for me at first; their initial bond felt underdeveloped. Luckily, as the story progressed, we saw the main character herself begin to question the depth of their relationship, which made it feel more intentional in hindsight. That’s a testament to the author’s skill—being able to take what initially felt like a flaw and show that it did, in fact, serve a purpose.

On the other side of the triangle (or is it a square?), the relationship with the other guy she meets really worked for me. There was more development, solid banter, and plenty of memorable scenes that made their connection feel more real and believable.

Finally, I really appreciated how the protagonist’s disability was handled. It wasn’t something that conveniently disappeared when it was convenient; instead, we saw how it affected her throughout the story, which added another layer of depth to her character.

Overall, while there were a few things that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, this was still an addictive read with strong moments of intrigue and great character dynamics. Given the ending—and the cliffhanger that made me feel like I was reading a certain Stephanie Garber book all over again—I’m assuming there’s going to be a sequel sometime in the future, and I’ll definitely be looking out for it.

~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 75~

Unfortunately I had to DNF at about 25%. This is going to be a bit of a rant.

I liked how this story started. Seeing the protagonist having to deal with the physical repercussions of her time in prison made for an unique story situation and character, added to the fact that she’s a dancer and not a “chosen one” type.

However, other elements of the story were not as well set up or thought out in my opinion. To start, within the first 100 pages I felt I should start to count how many times Emilia was mentioned. It was so much that every time I saw her name, it took me right out of the story and quickly got on my nerves.

There really is a lot of tell not show and overly descriptive where it doesn't need to be. I didn't feel much connection to the characters, including our FMC. I thought it would pick up when she arrived at the Gathering, but unfortunately it didn't. We get a couple brief scenes introducing Copelan and Laurent, before she’s telling, not showing, us about how she's getting closer to both.

The part that I think lost the story for me though was the first performance at the gathering. Her and Illian aren't supposed to interact at all so no one becomes suspicious, except he arrives, they stare at each other while he gestures to where she needs to look for a note for his task for her - in a room filled with people. No one noticed he’s having a staring contest with one of the performers? And that she’s pulling out a hidden piece of paper right where he’s gesturing and reading it? Not to mention she pulls out this paper and reads it right next to her dance partner, who is just luckily distracted during the entire time and doesn’t see her bent over reading a piece of paper. At this point I just couldn’t take Illian’s plot seriously - I was surprised she hasn't already been caught at this point.

I tried to continue but her pulling King Anton (her task to get his attention) into the dance felt just as off. My immediate thought was how will Copelan not be mad about that? Then she’s thinking about all the reasons it's against the rules, and I just kept thinking I don’t understand why this is her move to get close to him. It felt like she knew all the reasons not to do it and she admit she could have tried to get his attention at the party after - so she does the one thing that has multiple people, including another King, upset with her?

Again, I tried to continue in the next chapter to see how it was addressed. I thought Copelan should have seriously tried to get rid of her (since, again, she points out that actually they aren’t close and she broke so many rules in the very first performance). Instead that’s somewhat touched on, with him ultimately saying he doesn’t know if he would get rid of her anyway if he could because supposedly her ideas and creativeness are just that good (again, we haven’t really been shown any scenes where this creativeness is so great that it would excuse these types of things, at this point what we've been told and what we've seen sounds interesting but not earth-shatteringly great).

Then in the middle of this conversation with Copelan she goes down a long tangent of memory (taking you right out of the current scene and story) when she first met Illian when she performed at the Melune, where she's trying to explain why she made the choice with Anton in her performance, but it does not work at all.

At this point I just couldn’t continue. I felt it was going to continue to be too much telling and not enough showing, and there was no way I could take Illian’s spy plot seriously after they are acting suspiciously out in the open and not seemingly trying that hard to try to hide that she is working for him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.
The story was unique, and unlike similar fantasy novels not as predictable or trite in how it plays out.
I enjoyed the world building and character development.
I believe the fates of mortal could have been mentioned directly fewer times.
This was a fun and engaging read. Would recommend if you are a fantasy fan.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the arc. All opinions are my own.

I looked everywhere to confirm if this was a series and upon not finding anything I assumed it was a standalone. Wrong. Now I'm here six months from the official release of this book and who knows how many from the sequel, desperate to know what happens next.
What grabbed my attention initially was having a main character with a disability, because we so rarely see that and the other time it happened the book became one of my favourites(Six of Crows), but it was so much more. I loved this book so much. The descriptions are so vivid I felt like I was in the world with the characters, I can see the buildings, the costumes, the dances so perfectly in my mind, it's great writing. The pacing is perfect, everything gets the necessary spotlight to shine: romance, world building, characterization… it reminded me of the great fantasies that weren't just copy paste of the same book over and over. The court schemings are delicious to read, I hope to have more of it in the sequel. There was a point in the very beginning where I wasn't sure where the romance was going, and I was very afraid of having the romantic lead be a certain character because there are some lines that I'm not comfortable crossing, so if you have similar thoughts just keep going it's going to be fine.
It was just a perfect read, one of those that remind you why fantasy is the greatest genre. I highly, highly recommend it.

That... took a turn I did not see coming.

My first book of 2025 and it did not disappoint! You're telling me this is a debut novel?!

I don't know what I love most- the political scheming, King Anton and his flirty banter, Vasalie's passion for dancing and how it transports me to another world every time or the oh so beautiful cover I can't stop staring at?!

I love how A Dance of Lies kept me on my toes from page one. I didn't know who to trust. And every time I think I know what exactly is going to happen I am proven wrong.

This was a little hard to read. In that the FMC, Vasalie, went through so much pain and suffering and loss. I might not have agreed with some of the choices she made but I can understand why she made them. I wouldn't know what I'd do in her shoes. She has proven to be a resilient character and I admire that about her. She always strives to do what's right given the limited and life-or-death choices she has. She's a survivor and her character gives hope.

The romance was oh so sweet and just the right amount of slowburn. I was screaming kiss kiss kiss! for almost half of the book.

If I have one complain it's that I got a little headache from keeping track of who's who and what's what. (So and so is from what kingdom again?! I should have kept a list...)

I don't know what to expect from book two but this book's end has me worried with a capital W. (Please, please, please be kind to my new favorite King.)

"You are art."

This story follows Vasalie Moran who after facing 2 years in prison for a crime she did not commit is hauled before her king and given an ultimatum: become his spy by dancing at the royal Gathering where all the leaders come together and she will get her freedom. She soon finds herself in a plot where her king is working together with a person she knows from her past and who she has sworn she will get revenge on. She enlists the help of her king Illian's younger brother Anton and finds herself torn between freedom and revenge.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey for the ARC.

I really liked that the story centered around dance and I thought the scenes where Vasalie and Copelan were dancing together were really beautiful in the intensity they protrayed between the 2 characters. That being said I was kind of hoping that Copelan his character was a bit more layered as he felt very textbook broody and I didn't like where his character went. He did redeem himself at the end though. I liked Anton but the connection for me between him and Vasalie was not as pronounced or I did not find it as interesting as it is a pretty standard plot point where the FMC falls for a king or a prince. I think for me her love for dancing and the intensity and importance of dance for her survival would have made for a much more interesting dynamic with Copelan who is an entertainer and dancer himself. And his backstory with his last partner could have been such an awesome way into this.

I really liked the writing style and I did not have any issues with how descriptive the author wrote. I actually quite like a more lyrical approach to a story and I think it worked really well here as it made the descriptions of the dances etc more flowy and organic. I did think the story was kind of slow in the beginning but the ending was really great and all the plot points came together. To me the reveals were not mind-blowing or anything as you could deduce the twists pretty well from the story but I didn't really mind that. I did think that the whole Emilia wallowing was a bit much and descriptions of the gloves or her clothes that last morning etc etc were too much and should have been cut back.

I think having Vasalie suffer physically and mentally from her imprisonment also felt believable and I think it was a great that the author focussed on her physical limitations and how she could overcome them.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time while reading this book and I think it was a great debut and hope there will be a sequel as I definitely interested in how the story will end.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
Release Date: June 10th
Four Stars

What a strong debut into fantasy romance!

The only critique I have, and I will say it first so I can move on to the things I loved, was that I felt the start of the book was a bit slow and I had trouble getting into the story initially.

Saying that though, when I was pulled in, I was so glad to be there. Especially, the end! The end to this book was phenomenal and I am really hoping there is a sequel in the works!

Vasalie, our protagonist, was such an interesting, strong character. When we meet Vasalie, she is in a situation where despair would be easy to succumb to, and yet she fights for her freedom with everything she has left. Her character shows such ingenuity, creativity and resilience throughout the story and the web she has found herself stuck in.

The side characters were well thought out as well. There were characters that I genuinely felt uncomfortable when they were on the page, and some I really adored.

I also enjoyed the mystery and unpredictability surrounding the plot. When I started to get into the plot, I genuinely had no idea who the romantic interest would end up being, who we could trust, and where we would end up.

I am looking forward to reading this author again in the future!

Thank you to the publisher Random House Publishing Group and Del Rey as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to reading this ARC.

thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars 🌟

Dance of Lies is one of the most beautifully written romantasy books i have read in a long time. Arena has such a talent for crafting gorgeous, vivid imagery that easily immerses the reader into her world. whilst this may be a debut novel, it's apparent that this author has honed her craft well.

the story itself was also incredible, filled with political intrigue that keeps the page turning. the feuding family dynamics are done so well, i only wish we had gotten even more page time dedicated to really exploring Illian and Anton's complex sibling relationship.

Arena also does a wonderful job illustrating the protagonist's experience with disability. Vasalie has a character arc delving into her internal perception of becoming chronically ill, and i think this is done so well.

one of the highlights of this story for me is the exploration of abuse and power. we see this with Vasalie's relationship with Illian and also with her father. i especially liked the way the former showcases how Vasalie's feelings towards Illian evolve as she realises the true nature of his character. the incorporation of Vasalie's past with her stepmother in relation to this was done so well, and i really liked how it was a persistent driving point for Vasalie throughout the story.

in regards to what i didn't like: more of a personal preference, but i wish this story was more plot driven. i think Arena has the capability to do this well, and it would have suited the story better.

the whole romantic arc in the first half also felt unnecessary and took up way too much page time. i understand the author was trying to do a "who's the real love interest?" but it wasn't super interesting to me. the *actual* romance in the book is nice, but it definitely wasn't my favourite aspect of the story.

overall, though, this was a fantastic debut! i truly cannot wait to read Arena's future releases as this left a really great first impression of her writing talent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of A Dance of Lies!
4.5 / 5 ⭐
A Dance of Lies as a thoroughly enjoyable romantasy, and I would happily read any upcoming sequels. I would highly recommend it for fans of the first Throne of Glass book.

4.5

You know that feeling you get after you read something so intense yet so good, you have no words to describe how it made you feel? This is what im feeling right now as I sit here trying to write a review and all i could think of;

'How on earth could someone be so smart to write something so good?'

I dont know if anyone agrees with me or I'm just not smart enough to predict what was going on but every revelation in the plot had my jaw on the floor. Literally, hand on my mouth, staring at the words in complete silence at how well everything was connecting.

Also the characters are all so well written especially Vasalie. I loved how we could look into her dilemmas when making her decisions, it made her seem so human, so understandable. Despite struggling so much during her time in prison and the health issues that came after it, she was always perseverant and strong.

AND THE ENDING? MY GOD, THE ENDING.

I actually loved it.

and the tension? THERE IS SO MUCH TENSION.

The reason i did not give this book 5 stars is only because it felt overwritten at most parts. And I don't mean overwritten as in more words. I mean overwrriten in the sense, most words were used to describe the surroundings so much that it took away the focus from the plot. Atleast for the first half of the book which makes its pace way slower than one might like. The ending does make up for it but we could've gotten to it alot sooner if she wasnt explaining every single room she walked into after every 5 min.

It is a character-driven book but since i do enjoy those a lot more, I could feel myself liking this book way too much. And im realizing after reading this book, I enjoy reading about court politics alot more than i had imagined.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️ Overall, a fun read; albeit, at times, the pacing felt off, which is why it was not a four or five star read for me. Specifically, the first half of the book had me on the edge of my seat, then the story slows until the last 10% of the book, where so many things are crammed in.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore | Del Rey for providing me with an ARC.
To be honest this story has been told far too many times that at this point it's a cliché, though props to author for making it interesting.
There aren't many female characters but those who are do leave a mark, still I hope we'll see more in the next book.
The male characters are definitely written from cookie-cutter archetypes and having three love interests is just too much.
The only thing I truly liked was that Vasalie's injuries do not disappear by magic, it's something she has to learn to live with and that journey of hers was very well written.

WOW! This is how you write a romantasy novel!

This book is now an immediate pre-order for me! A Dance of Lies, sucked me in right from the first page - I’m a huge fantasy fan, but I usually feel like I have to trudge through at least 15% of the book before I feel fully immersed in the world and story. The author, Brittney, had me hooked immediately, and I ended up devouring this book in 24 hours. 📚✨

This book had EVERYTHING:

• Single POV (yesssss!)
• Political tension ⚔️
• Secrets and intrigue 🤫
• Slow-burn romance 🔥
• Well-developed side characters 💕
• Suspense and mystery 👀
• Banter 😏
• Disability rep done right 💪
• A sassy MMC 😈

The story centers around Vasalie, our FMC, who was a dancer for King Illian. After being held captive for two years by him, she’s finally released—only to face the aftermath of her traumatic experience. Chronic pain, health issues, and physical limitations now affect nearly everything she does. But the trauma goes deeper than that, Vasalie also has to confront deep childhood wounds she hasn’t fully processed.

I love that Vasalie isn’t magically healed when she’s released from the dungeon. She’s real. She’s struggling—physically, mentally, emotionally—and the author does such an amazing job showing how those struggles shape who she is. Watching Vasalie navigate her new reality, manage her friendships, and tackle the tasks she’s forced to take on was one of the most compelling aspects of the book. There’s no "toxic perseverance". Instead, we see Vasalie’s journey as one of acceptance and learning to live with her new reality.

Let me tell you about the romance! For a while, I really didn't know who Vasalie's love interest would be and I was tempted to jump ahead a bit just to see who she would end up connecting with. I had my favorite and was really worried that I was getting too attached to the wrong love interest, but I’m soooo glad I didn’t spoil anything for myself. I LOVE how the relationships here developed. There is NO instalust (thank you!!! 🙌), no constant inner monologues about the other person’s sex appeal or good looks. Instead, it’s slow, gradual, and real. The way the relationship develops is so well done, and it’s exactly what the story needed.

As much as I love romance, this book is so much more than that. It’s a journey of healing, self-discovery, freedom, and learning to trust others again. Vasalie’s vulnerability makes her incredibly strong—not just because of what she’s been through, but because of how she adapts and learns to live in a world that feels like it’s constantly shifting beneath her feet. There are no easy answers, no quick fixes.

Do yourself a favor and read this as soon as it’s released on June 10th—you won’t regret it!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC! 🙏

I started reading this book and got so engrossed that I looked up hours later, completely unaware the time had flown by. Brittney Arena's debut is stunning—in just the first chapter alone she sweeps you into a lush world of danger and deadly stakes. Vasalie instantly captured my heart. A definite recommend and a truly stunning debut.

(Posted on goodreads)

Thank you thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for this ARC I had the best time!

A Dance of Lies is a mystical gem of a book that follows Vasalie as she dances her way through infiltrating courts, espionage, and maybe also learning how to wield her agency and feel like herself again. This filled the cruel prince, red queen, once upon a broken heart shaped hole in my heart and I’m so glad for it. I have not been this surprised by a book in a long long time the way I was so wrong about EVERYTHING is actually a little embarrassing. The machinations that unravelled in this debut had me well and truly gagged. I had such a scrumptious time.

Things I liked:
•Vasalie. MY SHAYLA 😭 what a genuinely gorgeous MC to follow. It was so so so rewarding to see all the ways she discovered how to stand up for herself, how to work with her new limitations made me cry and cheer and also root for her so hard. Her relationship to dance was also stunning and a little heartbreaking, the way Brittney Arena described all the dances had me gagged. Also what a diva. Sometimes I too tune out when men talk and then remind myself that actually I don’t need to listen to that. Icon.
•Disability and chronic illness representation in this book popped wayyy tf off. Ngl the authors note alone made me tear up. Seeing Vasalie come to terms with herself and her disability was rough but the way she found different ways to be just as strong as she always was made me cry. So glad that her disability was so explicitly described as something she can’t just “get over” and something she now has to learn to live with. It was done so wonderfully in ensuring her character makes a point to maintain and advocate for her agency even though physically and also like by the characters around her she wasn’t always afforded that but she fights for it anyway and my girl WINS.
•Anton. I’m not gonna say a lot bc of like spoilers but I love my pookie pie. THATS MY POOKIE. THE DIVAAA. Ngl carried.
•The political intrigue was on a whole other level that I haven’t read in a very very long time. When I say I want politics and espionage and conspiracy this is what I mean actually like truly I am GAGGED.

Things I didn’t enjoy as much:
•The pacing in the first half of the book was a little odd, time moved in very funny ways we’d be skipping weeks in a paragraph and then spend a whole chapter on like 30 minutes. The start gets a little bogged down by some repetitive exposition- truly I thought I had lost the plot and was close to giving up when each line of dialogue was interrupted by ungodly amounts of Vasalie’s thoughts. I cannot express how much when this book dragged it DRAGGED. However when the story found its feet in the second half I’m so glad I stayed because once I was fully sat I was SAT. This was sitting on like a 2.5 for so long but the ending and the final acts beat me over the head and I actually need to stare at a wall to recover. I’m genuinely so glad I stayed because the heart of this book in the second half was delectable.
•Hello what the FORK was that ending? I was yelling at my kindle in earnest for the last probably third of the book only to be served actual emotional devastation??? WHAT WAS THAT?? That was frankly diabolical I’m actually shaking. IM- WHAT??


Mark June in your calendars right NOW because when this drops I need to yell with all of you please I truly cannot wait to get my hands on a hard copy of this scrumptious gem of a book 🫶

I picked this book up and could not put it down. I had no idea what I was getting into when I started reading it. I have never felt so seen by an author. I have never identified so much with an FMC before. I have a chronic illness that for the most part, keeps me at home. In the book, Vasalie reflects and realizes how much she took her able body for granted. I felt so seen by that. It’s something I’ve felt in my bones. Brittney Arena’s prose was so descriptive and wonderful. I was able to picture each scene beautifully in my head.

This book is an easy five stars for me. The chemistry between Vasalie and all the characters was remarkable. What I also loved about this story was that the characters weren’t young and in their early 20s or late teens. They were my age. They were people who had lived their lives. I found the story so much more poignant because of that. It was clear that each decision Vasalie made was based on her experiences both good and bad.

I truly felt like I was on the edge of my seat while reading. I was constantly ready to see what happened next. Every twist and turn felt unpredictable. This is my first read of 2025 and it has set the bar so incredibly high. Brittney Arena did a magnificent job on her debut novel. I cannot wait to see what she does next. I’ll be waiting excitedly!

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for the eARC!

5/5 ⭐️

A Dance of Lies presents a fresh take on an immersive fantasy story-line, while simultaneously incorporating some of the best-loved tropes in the genre. 

It’s been a long time since i’ve read a book in one sitting, nothing could take my attention from it! From the character driven plot, to the immersive world building I was completely hooked. 

The twists, the turns! I was so immersed in this story. Vasalie, our main character, holds a special place in my heart. She isn’t your typical run-face-first-into-battle heroine, but she takes a different approach and at her core represents that strength is beyond wielding a blade. I also loved how she didn’t hide from her trauma or try to ignore it and instead embraced it and the person she became because of it… Like a phoenix rising from the ashes. I could gush over her character development for days. 

The disability representation, chronic pain representation, and mental health awareness are some of the best I’ve read. What a wonderful debut book! Brittney Arena is on my must-read list for every book she writes in the future. 

The ending had me in complete emotional turmoil. I spent half an hour face first in my pillow contemplating my life choices, counting down the days until the next book comes out. (We don’t even have a date yet. Thoughts and prayers y’all! LOL)  

A Dance of Lies is a masterpiece every romantasy reader needs to experience, and I’m eagerly awaiting the publication date so I can gush over these characters and the exhilarating story with fellow readers! 

Thank you to the publisher; Random House Publishing Group and Del Rey, the author; Brittney Arena, and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my unbiased opinion and is given with free will.

This was different! Reading the title makes you think it's going to be like the nut cracker. However, it's a typical fantasy romance book. It was ok!

I received an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

Debut author Brittney Arena creates a beautiful world with quite the political games. The villain is well made and you detest him. The hero so good. The FMC is confusion. You feel for her, but because of her past she makes some stupid mistakes. She betrays and lies. But she does do good as well. She redeems herself but at what cost. I don’t typically enjoy books where I don’t love the main character but I like the fact that she is a real person. She has flaws and she isn’t perfect. We all tell ourselves we would do the right thing but would we? I will definitely grab the sequel when it releases.

The Good
World building: Arena has created a well thought out realm with easily understandable concepts.
The characters: the characters are wrote well and make you feel for them.
Pace: The pace is done very well.
Ending: Action packed!

The Bad
The almost love triangle. It seemed unnecessary. The romance between the one character seemed forced and not well defined.
The Main Character: I didn’t love her. She seemed to always do the wrong thing but the author wanted to create a flawed haunted character and she did indeed do this.
Spice: Noooone. Okay they had some passionate moments but nothing beyond a kiss or two. I need more!
The Ending: Clifffffy 😒.

Summary:
Vasalie has been in prison for a crime she didn’t commit for 2 years. Her king, the person she trusted was the one who put her there. Now after those years he is releasing her to dance and be his spy at an upcoming event that occurs at his brother’s home. If she refuses he places her squarely back in the cell to rot, so she accepts. Once there she finds she must dance, spy, and do everything her king asked even if it’s against everything she is. As she works towards her freedom, the king’s brother takes interest in her. Can Vasalie keep to the path and gain her freedom or will she fall for the handsome brother?

Thank you to Del Rey and NetGalley for the ARC.