Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. I ultimately decided to DNF this at 25% - it’s just not for me. I found the writing to be overly drawn out, with not enough plot to support it and the characters were also not compelling to me. There was a lot of repetitive and flowery language used to describe not much of anything, which was frustrating to me as a reader. I’m giving it 2 stars because it might be someone else’s cup of tea and style of writing.

This took some willpower to not dnf around 40%.

When I first came across this book, I was instantly captivated by the gorgeous cover and as well as the interesting synopsis of a framed dancer vying for her chance of freedom within a playground of untrustworthy royalty.
What made it difficult for me to stay absorbed in the plot was the slow start with very little buildup for more than half the book. It does focus more on the characters and their relationships rather than anything else-which is more than fine, yet some dialogue felt repetitive and unnecessary after so many times.
The last quarter is what saved this book for me as it definitely picked up with almost every aspect (relationships, plot, revelations, secrets uncovered) to the point I finished it in one sitting because so much was happening. I feel the main flaw overall is the balance of the pacing- it’s either too little or almost too much.
With that being said, the ending was completely unexpected AND GOOD. I was so glad I pushed through till the end. It took a very different turn and left me wanting more. And from how it concluded, it seems the main focus of the next book will heavily rely on the issues of what occurred near the end that got me finally hooked and if that’s the case, i’ll truly love the next chapter of the series even more.

There was truly so much to love about this debut. It had everything! I'm excited to see what comes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the arc! I did not like this! I put it down at approximately 20% for numerous reasons. They are as follows:

The constant repetition really did a number on my brain, and I think temporarily made it smooth. Poor miss Vaseline had a tragic life, I know, but can she please shut the fuck up about it for even a single page. There’s only so many ways you can write about the same goddamn thing, and the author really tried to find them all.

As such, this book is overwritten to shit. Every single thing is described in detail, things are over explained, and feelings and thoughts are repeated ad nauseam. Fuck me

I cannot connect to any of these characters for the life of me. Vaseline is annoying, Copeland is annoying, Ilian is annoying, they’re all fucking annoying.


As such, I refuse! Nope! If I wanted to ready something that would bore me to death I’d pick up a book on ww2. That’s all I got, folks.

An incredibly interesting read!

Vasalie is a dancer betrayed by her king. Left to rot in a prison cell after being condemned for a murder she didn't commit, Vasalie finds herself dancing again - but now with chronic pain and that same king threatening her. As she is entangled in the web that her King creates, Vasalie finds moments of beauty and people to team up with. However, the plot is bigger than she thinks, and more rests on her shoulders and actions than she could ever expect.

I found Vasalie to be a very strong character, Her stubbornness and creativity work together to get her through the worst of things. I loved her use of the millen flour to aid in her performances, as well as her desire to fight back against the evil king. There were possibly a few too many moments where she bows and becomes complicit, and the pacing fell a bit towards the middle. I also struggled with the romance. There were a few romantic lead contenders and while she has chemistry with them, the ultimate choice felt a bit too rushed and not fleshed out enough.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for book two, and recommending this to anyone that loves some good court drama/political intrigue.

4 ⭐️

What to expect-
💎 Court Politics
💎 Betrayal, Deception and Secrets
💎 Plot Twists
💎 Secret Spy
💎 Reluctant Allies
💎 Trauma and Anxiety Rep
💎 Themes of Grieving and Loss
💎 Intriguing Lore
💎 Love Triangle
💎 Slow Burn

This book was the best start to 2025!!! I could not book this book down for several days and was staying up insanely late to find out what would happen next!

This book takes place in a world where on the surface everything is not what it seems. Plotting and secrecy run deep and the greed of a few individuals has the ability to tear down the existing peace. The world building was beautifully done and painted such a vivid picture. Thats actually how I would sum up this book in one word is VIVID! It was beautiful and colorful full of relatable characters. Especially our FMC, Vasalie who has found herself being used by the one person she felt safe. She struggles with guilt, loss, grief and so much trauma by what has been done to her. This book has such an intriguing character arc for her from beginning to end where she starts as the victim and ends with taking back her life and her choices. The author also wrote some insanely swoon worthy men, I definitely picked my favorite (hint: he’s a swoon worthy, playboy prince with charm in spades!) While there is little to no spice, I felt so giddy!

Another thing about this book that drew me in so deeply were the plot twists and reveals. They truly were masterful and do deceptive. I could not predict which way the story would go. The author did a good job of leaves bits and pieces, revealing them slowly, without giving everything away all at once. I was ACHING to figure it all out!

This was a beautiful first book to the start of a new fantasy romance series and after that ending I most definitely will be counting to see where Vasalie’s story will go!

**Big thank you to Brittney Arena, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. I truly am honored to have gotten to read this beautiful story.**

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. (via Netgalley)

As someone who is a fellow invisible illness suffer, I loved the dedication at the beginning.

I loved seeing the characters and the world. You get to see Vasalie's character develop as she adjusts to what is now her new "normal" (Personally, was very relatable) as well as Anton's development from someone giving F boy vibes to a more complex character.

This is the first time I can remember not actually knowing which love interest I preferred until it became obvious one of them sucked lol. The end was BUSY. TUGGING ON ALL THE EMOTIONS. I can't wait to see where the next one goes after the ending.

Utterly enchanting - I couldn't put this book down. This is such a stunning debut, with compelling characters and a plot with more twists and turns than a labyrinth. Longer review to come but for now, know that this is one of the must-read books of 2025!

This felt very overwritten. It could be so much shorter if the main character didn’t repeat the same sentiment over and over again. If I have to read about how she was “the King’s Jewel” again, I’m going to scream.

I saw someone say this was like an adult Thorn/The Theft of Sunlight, but unfortunately I would say this was more giving Throne of Glass (derogatory). It was SO poorly written, the characters were annoying, and the relationship/plot element that was most compelling was the weird almost romantic-coded way the mc kept thinking about her stepmother. And then there was the way that it felt like every man - if they were attracted to women - was into her and we had to constantly hear about it.

I wanted to DNF this book at 11% and unfortunately now having finished it, I have to say I really should have.

This was an amazing book! The story was so interesting and it definitely made me feel for the main female character. I would highly recommend reading this book!

I cannot shout enough high praises about this book! From the very first page, I was hooked. The plot was intricate yet accessible, the world building fleshed out yet streamlined, and the romance? A toe curling slow burn that left me begging for more. Every character felt unique and had their own flaws and characteristics (Illian…WOW). The last 100 pages had me on the edge of my seat—it’s currently 3:30AM and while I should have been asleep, I simply couldn’t put the book down until I finished. And that ending!! I’m devastated and immediately need the next book!

I also wanted to note that this book has chronic illness representation. As a chronically ill individual myself, I was so happy to see that Vas’s struggles (and even her internal arc as she slowly begins to come to terms with her condition) felt very authentic and real. I loved that despite her condition, she is able to live a rich and fulfilling life (with accommodations and modifications). It’s also important to note that Vas’s condition was not cured—an aspect I really really appreciated. I hope this is just the beginning of diverse stories written by disabled authors taking up much-deserved space in publishing (and especially in fantasy!)

If you’re on the fence about reading A Dance of Lies, this is your sign to preorder a copy now!! Brittney is an automatic read author for me. 5 million stars!

This was a really lovely story. It’s ultimately a story about survival and clawing your way back out of a pit. I enjoyed it, although heavy feeling at times. This is definitely more of a character driven book which is totally fine by me!

This book doesn’t just deliver hope after heartbreak; it claws its way out of the dark with defiance and resilience. It’s a story of survival, power, and love in a world where trust can destroy you, and I was hooked from the first page. The romance builds like a storm, electric and dangerous, with a slow burn that leaves you desperate for more. A stunning, soul-stirring debut.

Due to the trigger warnings, I will unfortunately not be able to read this book. Thank you so much for the opportunity to read the E-ARC!

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Release Date: June 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the opportunity to read this eARC.

What a fantastic debut! This book was so good! A Dance of Lies is the perfect combination of romance, plot, political intrigue, and character development.

A Dance of Lies follows a dancer, Vasalie, as she is released from imprisonment and promised her freedom if she works for King Illian. Vasalie’s friends are put in danger as she tries to figure out who to trust as she is caught between opposing royals.

Vasalie, the FMC has a chronic illness that she deals with throughout the book. It is a unique story for the Romantasy genre. After reading many Romantasy books this year it was so fun to read about a unique FMC. Vasalie and all the other characters are complex and keep you guessing until the cliffhanger at the end of the book. I need answers!

I cannot wait for the next book in the series and to see what Brittney Arena writes next.

This debut fantasy romance is a powerful blend of heartache, betrayal, and the struggle for freedom. Vasalie Moran is a heroine who grabs you by the heart from the very first page. Her resilience and defiance make her an incredibly compelling character. I love the way the story weaves secrets and revelations creates a slow burn of suspense that keeps you on edge, desperate to uncover the truth behind Vasalie’s past. The romance is complicated, intense, and full of chemistry. If you’re a fan of morally complex characters, high-stakes romance, and fantasy worlds filled with intrigue and betrayal, this debut will leave you breathless and craving more. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Thank you for the opportunity to read an early copy of A Dance of Lies! Ultimately, this isn't the right book for me due to the writing style and pacing, but I do love disability and chronic pain representation along with a premise that includes a dancer, which isn't often found in fantasy!

A dancer is framed for a murder she didn’t commit. After two years she wrenched from her dungeon cell and thrust in front of the king. He gives her an ultimatum spy for me or die. Two years without proper nutrition, movement, and care has left her body broken - yet she’s expected to dance and perform in her new role as a spy for the king. As the kings tasks become increasingly dangerous she must find ways to foil his plans, but secrets, lies, and danger lurk at every turn.

What’s to love…
- disability rep
- chronic pain rep (I love seeing this!)
- political scheming
- twists, turns, and plenty of secrets to be revealed
- character driven
- lots of dance scenes and representation
- vivid imagery

What’s not to love…
- slow start and definitely more character driven than plot driven

Overall this wasn’t a bad read, but not quite the right book for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey, Inklore for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

𝑨 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔

Wow, where do I even start? This book was absolutely amazing! I can’t believe this is Brittney Arena’s debut novel—it’s so well-crafted, it feels like she’s been writing for years. I couldn’t put it down! And I’m already yearning for the sequel after that heart-wrenching ending.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘝𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘯, 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘬𝘦𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘱𝘺. 𝘊𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘝𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵—𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳.
𝘈𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘣, 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘔𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭, 𝘝𝘢𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮.

❈

At its core, this is Vasalie Moran’s story, and her journey is what truly captivated me. From a broken woman trapped in the dungeons, clinging to memories of her past, to someone who navigates a world full of lies, betrayal, and impossible choices—her development is breathtaking.

Vasalie isn’t a typical heroine who falls head over heels in love. Even with her main romance, the relationship is more about a deep bond of trust and mutual respect. It’s such a powerful dynamic, and it’s never framed as a whirlwind romance. Instead, there’s this emotional development that feels natural and real. She starts to wonder what could be if her feelings grew stronger, but even then, it’s not the focus—it’s about survival and the person she’s becoming. That made her journey feel so much more authentic to me.

What I loved most, though, was the range of relationships Vasalie develops. She forms bonds with new characters on so many different levels—some based on trust, others on shared goals or mutual desperation. At the same time, she also grows a deep hatred for her father and for King Illian, the man who imprisoned her — and used to be her everything. The emotional complexity of these connections is astounding. There’s a raw truth to them, whether they’re built on love, loyalty, mistrust, or outright betrayal.

The plot itself is gripping, full of twists and turns that kept me guessing. The betrayals hit hard, and the alliances are always shifting. There’s a constant sense of desperation as Vasalie navigates this dangerous world, trying to figure out who she can trust (if anyone). The pacing is perfect, and the emotional stakes are always high.

The world is vivid, the pacing is perfect — balancing action, political intrigue, and moments of the heart — and the emotional weight is so intense you’ll feel every moment alongside Vasalie.

𝑨 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝑳𝒊𝒆𝒔 has everything I want in a fantasy—an unforgettable main character, relationships that feel real and impactful, and a plot that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
This is a truly incredible debut that I wholeheartedly recommend to fans of fantasy and romance alike.

Release date: June, 2025. Don’t miss it!

This book totally blew me away - I don't even know where to start! This was an absolutely fantastic debut and a fantasy romance with the perfect combination of plot, political machinations, romance, and characters.

Dance of Lies follows Vasalie, who fled from her abusive father and earned a place at King Ilian's court as a dancer and quickly becomes his prized Jewel. He is obsessively protective of her and views her as a prize, wanting to keep her for himself and loving her in a twisted way, but treating her with cruelty. Despite this, she has always "loved" him and wanted nothing more than to be with him. The dynamic between Ilian and Vasilie reminded me so much of Midas and Auren in the Plated Prisoner series, which may give some context. After Ilian imprisons her for two years for a murder he knows she didn't commit, he releases her on the conditions that she spies for him at the Royal Gathering, posing as a dancer for the entertainment.

Once she gets to the court, his fist on her tightens and the orders he gives her become increasingly brutal. It becomes increasingly clear just how evil Ilian's intentions are and she soon finds herself at the center of political schemes so devastating and beyond what she had ever imagined.

She quickly gets close with the Master of Ceremonies, Copelan, who also becomes her dance partner. The two of them have such a complex relationship and without giving away anything, I was completely blindsided by how it unfolded. She also forms a bond / alliance with Anton, the king of the East and Ilian's younger brother. I LOVED Anton. He is flirty and charming and Vasalie (rightfully so) does not trust him at all at first. But boy did I love how his role evolves in the story - I couldn't get enough of them.

Vasalie's character development is incredible. She suffers from chronic pain and health issues but is so perseverant. She truly comes into her own and is so empowering! I literally cannot wait for the sequel. This was an incredible read.

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for this ARC! 📚