➸ 5 stars

“I am broken”
“You are art”

𓈀 𓄹𓂃 thank you to netgalley, random house publishing / del rey and of course, brittney arena, for the advanced readers copy!!

🪞 dancer turned spy
✨ dangerous courts
🔹 disability representation
🪞 glass technology
✨ banter & romantic tension
🔹 rival kings

guys… THIS BOOK WAS SO MUCH FUN!!!!! the dancing, the spying, the suspense… i was HOOKED and truly could not put this book down!!! i loved vasalie’s story so much and her development throughout this book was chefs kiss!!

never would i have thought i’d be so down bad for a mmc who’s nickname for the fmc is a fish and i have no idea why but HERE WE ARE!!!! i loved the slow burn romance subplot and I LOVE THESE CHARACTERS SO MUCH!!!! they literally had me grinning from ear to ear… the ending?! jaw on the FLOOR and im so excited for the sequel, i need it now!!!! that little trope at the end hurt in the BEST way possible and im so excited to see how this plays out!

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Vasalie is an enchanting main character who I constantly cheered on. Her past is heartbreaking, yet she is so much more than her trauma. At first, I feared that Vasalie would let her pain overcome her motivation, but Brigitte, her assigned attendant, delivers a beautiful speech about hope. I won't say any spoiler, but I teared up.

I could relate to Vasalie's passion. She adores dance and respects other within her profession. It broke my heart that her degraded health conflicted with her art. So when she began to think outside the box and work with her limitations rather than against them, I was overjoyed. Losing the ability to do what you love can be devastating. Although I had to quit my passion because of mental health (not physical), I understood the cruelty of Vasalie's loss.

Brittney Arena crafts a world where deception is survival and every choice has consequences. With a strong heroine, unexpected twists, and a story that keeps you guessing, this book is perfect for fans of political fantasy and forbidden love.

Vasalie is wrongly imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit. After two years in a dungeon, malnourished, broken, and forgotten, she's dragged before the king and offered a brutal choice: spy for him or die. Though her body is no longer what it once was, she’s forced into a role where performance becomes survival. As she navigates a court full of secrets and betrayal, she must outwit the king, reclaim her strength, and fight to control her fate and all while hiding her pain.

What I really enjoyed:
- politcal scheming
- twists, betrayel and secrets
- slow burn tension
- survivor heroine

What didn't work for me:
- slow start, it took me a while to get into it
- it also felt a little anti-climatic
- the love triangle

I was really excited to read this book, unfortunately it wasn’t quite the right book for me, but I appreciated what it set out to do.

Overall, this was a solid first book in a new romantasy series. It gave me Throne of Glass vibes with the main character, Vasalie, forced to work for an unscrupulous king to gain her freedom while also hiding from her past. The world building was good, with Brittany using vivid language to make the costumes and setting easy to imagine in your mind’s eye. I also loved how Brittany included dance into the story, it was a very unique touch. What did not work for me was that too much happened in this book. Too many characters were introduced, too many royal plots and prophecies for all of it to be fully developed. I would have preferred they be spread out over several books. I also didn’t love the fact that Vasalie cycled through several love interests in this book, making her ultimate choice less believable, IMO. But that aside, I thought the ending was solid and am curious to see how the rest of the series progresses

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Whew, where to even start with this one?

First of all, I really liked the arc of Vasalie learning that her body not functioning exactly as it did before her imprisonment did not diminish her as a person or mean she was any less strong. Very important messaging.

That being said, Vasalie as a narrator was not very interesting to me. Her voice was flat and I just couldn’t understand some of the decisions/actions she was taking.

In terms of other characters, Anton was by far the most interesting at the start, and then he immediately fell into the trope of misunderstood good guy in the second half and lost some of his complexity. All the other characters were very one-dimensional. Vasalie had another love interest for a second and I’m still not entirely sure why he was there in the first place. All her friends were flat (and all men??? Why does she not have girl friends????). And don’t get me started on the antagonists that felt like cartoon villains who were somehow one thousand steps ahead of everyone else.

I’m also not entirely sure what the conflict is in this world. There are some political issues going on between the countries, but the stakes feel really low on that side of the story, which really takes me out of a fantasy novel.

Overall, I can see people enjoying this, and there were some elements that pulled me back into the story, but in the end, I just wasn’t interested in any of the characters or the world enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for a review copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

I was soo exited for this! I mean the cover is stunning, I really wish fantasy books had more color. And a dancer turned spy? So exiting! Unfortunately this did not hit the mark for me.

Firstly, it is described as a fantasy romance but I felt it lacking in both departments. There was so little magic in this and the little that was didn’t appear until the very end. The romance(s) were messy and I didn’t feel any chemistry or passion at all between the characters. It didn’t really feel anything for the mmc either… when I finally found out who it was. He was putting up a facade by trying to be this careless, flirty type that’s high on himself but it wasn’t cute or funny. Especially when the fmc did not play along in some kind of way. I guess it did get a little bit better towards the end but if this wasn’t an arc I would have stopped reading long before that happened unfortunately.

The pacing was also very slow and not to my taste. I usually prefer a bit more action/fighting but I did like the concept of a dancer turned spy/assassin. I feel like the author could have made her do so much more exiting stuff though but instead there were a lot of dancing and descriptions of architecture and other stuff I didn’t really care about. Also why did she eat so little when she danced so much? I don’t get how she didn’t collapse more. She conveniently managed to do everything she was supposed to even though she is sick? It’s great with representation but I feel like it was a bit unrealistic because sometimes we can’t do what we want because our body says no. And maybe that would have made some scenes more exiting if the reader was afraid she’d get caught more.

The things I did like were the world building for one. It was a little bit hard to keep up with every royal as they didn’t have the same amount of screen time but what I did understand/remembered I quite enjoyed. And the scheming and politics of it all were kinda exiting when it finally came into the light. The secret tunnels and what was done with them were also really cool and unique. I now get the beautiful cover! I also liked some of the characters. And plus point for a cute pet tiger. The last 50 pages or so when things finally went down I was glued to the page. So much was happening and it was super exiting for once!

I think if you don’t mind a slow paced book with a lot of dancing and descriptions of costumes and beautiful architecture you might like this one. But be aware that there is little magic and little romance in my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is the feeling I imagine how people feel when reading Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas and if you are looking for that high I could not recommend this more, you will love this. In this book you will find deception and romance but also deceptive romance, so a recipe for a BANGER. I love female mc and her development throughout the book. 10/10 would recommend.

A Dance of Lies was a dazzling read. An easy five stars from me. I keep having to fight the urge to reread, which is to say that I can’t wait for the sequel.

The world is elegant and picturesque. Every place in the Miridran was described vividly (East is the winner, of course!) and also reflected the personalities of the kings who ruled the specific area. The beauty of the West was described with excess, distracting from its exorbitance (at the cost of others). As for the East, just like mosaics that is used to beautify the kingdom, the closer we got to it, the more beautiful it became. And I was absolutely floored by the way the author wrote dancing as a way of storytelling. This has to be the most passionate narrative of the dancing that I’ve read. I also loved that the author wrote the scene where Vasalie spoke about wanting to honour Razam (a kingdom that, from what I gathered, is a fictionalised India) but didn’t want to tell the stories that only the people of Razam have the right to tell, setting the boundaries for inspiration.

The characters are brilliantly written. I loved Vasalie’s sense of agency and her creativity. As someone who has been dealing with chronic pain for years, I appreciate how it was written in the book. Vasalie’s pain was not glossed over, nor was it written to be a hindrance to her goals and ambitions. The story placed emphasis on her journey of learning her new body: to love it, to know the limits of what she can do and to slowly, constantly and carefully redefine the said limits. I didn’t see her use of special effects to distract the audience as a compensation. It was her embracing herself, enriching the gaps in her physical ability with creativity. Some of the choices she made were at first a little frustrating, but later, considering her backstory and the fact that she was in a relationship that physically and mentally impacted her, it made sense to me that she did everything she could to escape Illian while also still hesitating to defy him. As for Anton, I almost started to dislike him at one point. Key word: almost. He turned out to be humorous, smart, charming, tactful and set the bar really high, an impressive feat considering that his awful brother buried it underground.

There is no shortage of plot twists in the book. Even the ones I predicted were written in such a way that I was still left speechless. The prose was engaging and fast-paced. I pictured a tragic ending, but what happened was sadder than what I imagined.The cliffhanger did everything it was meant to do. Did I mention that I would LOVE to read the sequel like right now? It’s going to be a very long wait.

If a fantasy book featuring a disabled dancer caught in a world with kingdoms at the brink of war is up your alley, you should give this a try.

A Dance of Lies was such a charming and engaging read. Vasalie, is a dancer recently released from prison for a crime she did not commit. She is offered a chance to be absolved of her crimes by becoming a dancer-spy for an upcoming celebration that brings together multiple esteemed leaders. Vasalie must decide if she wants to help the man who framed her for her crimes or join his brother with his own motive.

One of the key highlights about Vasalie’s character is how two years of imprisonment has caused her to develop chronic pain that affects her ability to dance. While Vasalie is a great dancer, with her illness, she must think of clever ways to hide her pain and still perform at the same level as the other dancers without pain.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think there is something so unique about a main character who isn’t royalty or a warrior, but a dancer. You might think that dancing is not a typical skill of someone who can change history, but Vasalie doesn’t just dance, she is clever and a great actor. She is strong yet loves wholeheartedly even though her past romances have not been successful. I can’t wait to see where her story goes.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena is a brand new fantasy romance following Vasalie, a prisoner wrongly-accused by her king who she used to dance for in his court. When she is suddenly called out of the dungeons to face her king, she is offered a deal: be his spy in enemy court in exchange for her freedom. This covert operation will push her to physical limits (due to her confinement disabling her) and make her question everything she knows. 

I am not a ride-or-die fantasy romance fan - it really just depends how the two genres are balanced because I am all in for fantasy but romance mmm 😶🤣 with a few exceptions. This balance is tricky to measure because I didn’t feel like fantasy OR romance took the spotlight for the most part, the focus is definitely court politics (I know that’s TECHNICALLY fantasy but you know what I mean) and scheming, but the pacing was good so I didn’t mind! I rated it 3 stars, but it would’ve been lower if not for the ending which I really enjoyed. 

I liked Vasalie and the chemistry she had with other characters, and she didn’t read like the ‘stabby fmc’ archetype that turns me off a lot of books in this genre which was a welcome relief. There were a couple of REALLY great reveals in the second half too! 

My biggest issues were that a lot of scenes were over-written - that’s not to say I disliked the prose, it was just TOO MUCH. This book is 448 pages (GR) and not nearly enough happened plot-wise to justify that many pages in my opinion. Even though the ending really picked me up, I can’t say it’s a must-read, but it might be a win for romantasy girlies don’t need OTT romance. 

I do not have a physical disability so I can’t comment on whether the representation was ‘good’ but I have seen a lot of reviewers express that it was an unrealistic representation of living with a disability, but I felt like the FMC’s limitations were clear and consistent.

I need 10 more books in my hand right now. This hit so hard, and I need it to go viral so that everyone can read it and I can discuss it so much more. I was lucky enough to receive it as an ARC, so thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, but all opinions are my own.

A Dance of Lies starts with Vasalie being pulled out of the prison she’s been locked in for years after King Illian has framed her for murder after being his favorite dancer in his court. He offers her a deal: if she performs at the Gathering, a 6 week party for the kings and queens of all the Northern kingdoms, and acts as his spy, she can be free. As his orders grow more dangerous and blood thirsty, revealing a much more threatening plot, Vasalie turns to Illian’s brother, the charming scoundrel King Anton, for help.

As the rivalry between brothers boils over, war is brewing between multiple countries, and Vasalie is caught in the middle of it all.

This was one of my favorite fantasy books ever, and that takes a lot. This book had so much delicious tension, lovable characters, gorgeous setting and magic systems, and a gripping plot. What was most impactful to me was the world-building. The descriptions of the different settings were so detailed, clearly crafted with love, and made it so easy to picture the glittering and deadly Gathering. It’s hard to describe how flowy and intricate the writing style is and how well it reflects the world that it’s building, because it’s that good. The author really nailed the atmosphere, which is so important in a fantasy like this one.

Besides just being in a different world, there is another fantasy element to the book, and that comes in the form of the Fates. The Fates are characters in old stories that may or may not have been real, but affect the story in great ways. The lore around them is interesting, and I’d love a prequel-style book or two focused solely on them. They reminded me a lot of the gods in Divine Rivals or the Fates in Once Upon a Broken Heart.

The setting and magic are all great, but the plot revolves mostly around the politics of the world. There are a couple of different countries involved, each with different ruling systems and important characters, and each is involved in some way with the rapidly evolving plot. There are a lot of moving pieces within the action, lots of fun reveals, which makes the book more interesting than if it had been focused primarily on the romance(s?). I thought it was written well, with enough plot to follow and have to pay close attention to, but not too much to the point where it’s confusing or there are too many characters involved.

As for the characters, I loved them. Vasalie is a good, strong main character without being too Netflix “strong=masculine and/or cold,” which is important in this genre. She was determined, willing to do whatever it takes to survive, but also sweet and caring about the people around her. She was a good character to follow in the sense that she’s involved in the plot, but she isn’t a Crown, so she gets to be more in the action than the strategy, if that makes any sense.

Illian was gross, period, but he makes an intriguing villain. I do think his motives could’ve been a little bit more unique, as the “brother took part of my kingdom and I want it back” feels like it’s been done before, but it’s alright. The other villains are engaging as well, and I hope we see more of them in the next book.

Anton was a chef’s kiss, amazing, incredible, a diva, hilarious, so charming, ugh. Talk about a charismatic love interest. He has a reputation for debauchery and being a scoundrel, which he lives up to, but he’s also a dashing hero and a good King, who knows exactly what to do in stressful situations. He’s really funny as well, with clever one-liners, and balances out some of the tension quite well. He was definitely my favorite character, and the plot twist with him at the end had me so gagged.

The other side characters, particularly those in Anton’s staff, were also great additions to the cast. They were heartfelt and added a lot of emotion to the story, making me really root for them.

There is technically no spice in this book, but it’s quite sensual and filled with sexual tension, so take that as you will.

Everything in this book was great, except for the fact that it took about half of the book for any true action to kick in. That’s not to say the first half is bad at all. I appreciated the world-building and development of character relationships, but I do wish it could have been a tad more interesting or shortened a bit. Or, what may have been better is if the 40-50% area had been building more in anticipation, because it felt like such a clear line of “world building” then “PLOT PLOT PLOT”, there wasn’t a smooth transition. I haven’t reread the book yet, but I am a little worried that the slow pace of the first half might worsen the re-readability of the book. Idk though, we’ll find out eventually.

Anyway, other than that, I ate this book up. It truly helped remind me what a GOOD romance can look like in a time when bookish social media is oversaturated with the genre. This was such a crazy debut and I need every book she comes out with next.

Hear me when I say: This. Is. Not. A. Debut.

This is a PREMIERE, because I was delivered a whole performance. 🩰 ✨ 👏🏻

I was absolutely captivated by the beginning of this book, and Vasalie is a character who represents a part of the author’s own struggle with chronic illness, and I believe that’s why it worked and that’s why it was written so well. 😮‍💨 I felt for her, but I did not pity her, and that’s the difference. I knew she wanted to fight through her circumstances, and through many ups and downs in this story you feel like you’re looking through a stained glass window catching a glimpse. It was beautiful and painful. And yet, you forget about her pain at times because she doesn’t lead with it.

The dance. The torment. The descriptions. The romance. It’s all there. The ending took me off guard and I think I’m still processing? 😅 So I’m going to need that next book as soon as I complete all 5 ballet positions. 🙆🏼‍♀️

A Dance of Lies is a fast paced romantasy that plays on a lot of classic tropes and will most definitely give romantasy lovers a new read to obsess over. I enjoyed the lush worldbuilding and how sumptuous the setting was, and seeing a chronic illness in a romantasy was definitely a breath of fresh air! The writing style is very easy to sink into. I wasn’t particularly keen on the romance as someone who avoids love triangles at absolutely all cost. I think this will go down well with romantasy lovers who love a brooding love interest and a twisty plot!

This was quite different to the Ramantasy I normally read. I quite enjoyed it though. I really enjoyed the characters. I loved how resilient Vasalie is and I loved her creative flare. The way she was able to deliver such a unique show despite her disability was great. And king Anton….say no more. Swooning!!! This book kept me on my toes and guessing throughout the whole book. Many times I thought I had figured it out just to find out that I hadn’t. And that cliffhanger ending. Wow! I need book 2 now please. I feel like things are just starting to really ramp up.

What if we just kind of mess around doing next to nothing the whole book and then do everything imaginable including death, death, and more death, all at the end??

I did not have the highest hopes, but this was both an ARC (thanks Netgalley & Del Rey!) and also my tiny book club's (me & my best friend) pick for June. SO. Here we go.

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Vasalie is a dancer, or at least she was until she was framed for murder and imprisoned by the king she trusted more than anyone. Now pulled out of her cell after 2 years, she is forced to dance again and deal with the agony of a body that will never recover.

While at a gathering of rulers that occurs every 9(?) years, Vasalie is surrounded by men that just want her sooo bad. Who will she pick! Also she has to poison people, get people arrested, and maybe commit regicide too. But don't worry about that!!! Look instead at pretty dancer boy who just feels so alive dancing with her! Or maybe bad reputation younger king that is definitely flirting with her!! Or what about the king that imprisoned her in the first place!! Who will she choose?!?!

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The biggest disappointment to me was that the love interest is so much the stereotypical dark haired, misunderstood, bad reputation, actually a good guy that he is just... so boring. Nothing about him could hold my attention all that much. Vasalie and him have what is supposed to be that type of "love to hate them" snarkiness and yet it falls flat. I am also severely spoiled at the moment after reading The Moth and The Knight...

The ending didn't make me want to keep reading. Are there ever any stakes if anyone could just come back to life literally on the same page they "died"?

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As always, thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing an eARC of A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena in exchange for this honest review!

DNF.

I just couldn't get into the writing style for this one. It felt very overwritten and flowery, but not in a way where the prose was lovely/interesting to read. It was just overly sentimental with a lot of telling instead of showing that made it difficult for me to enjoy the story.

3⭐️

“Rise from your ashes, my dear. Don’t crumble alongside them”

Locked away for a crime she didn’t commit. Betrayed by the king she adored. Now to live, she must dance a lie.

In A Dance of Lies, Vasalie Moran, once King Illian’s prized dancer, is imprisoned and framed for a crime she didn’t commit. Two years later, the king offers her a harrowing deal: perform at the Crowns’ Gathering—a royal summit involving Illian and his rival brothers—as his spy, or remain caged forever. Sent to the Isle of Anell, Vasalie must navigate political treachery, covert missions, and her own past trauma, all while yearning for the freedom that always seems just out of reach.

💗 what I loved:
• Writing & Pacing: Arena’s prose is lyrical yet accessible, drawing you into the court’s grandeur and looming danger in equal measure. Vasalie’s voice—resilient, wounded, curious—grounded the story emotionally.
• High Stakes Intrigue: I was along for every whispered secret, every shifting alliance, every pulse-quickening twist—especially once the Gathering began. The simmering tension between brothers added real depth to the political landscape.
• Spying as Central Tension: The espionage layer added weight. Not just political power plays, but moral ones. It kept me guessing and glued to the pages.

💔 what fell short:
• Disability Representation: The book introduces Vasalie’s POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) and EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) as key to her character, yet the ARC glosses over her recovery and adaptation. After being released from the dungeon, she goes through 5 weeks of training that we don’t really get to see, and is then performing and spying without realistic physical struggle. And by the last quarter of the book, it felt like the disability aspect was sidelined completely.
• Dance Clarity: Some reviews hail the dance scenes as vivid, but I struggled to visualize them. The movements felt like a backdrop rather than central art—something I wanted more texture and grounding in.
• Romance Arc: The dynamic with Copelan, her dance partner and the first person to offer her safe, gentle touch after years of isolation. Their moments felt soft and meaningful at first, but ultimately it wasn’t connection—it was comfort. A lifeline, not love. When the romance shifted to someone else, that arc was left feeling unfinished and unnecessary.

Final Take: ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A Dance of Lies is structurally strong and emotionally gripping. Vasalie’s journey through political espionage kept me hooked, and the world felt fresh. But the sidelined disability arc and uneven romantic beats pulled me back from fully rooting for it.

That being said, while some threads didn’t land as deeply as I hoped, the world, tension, and character journey kept me engaged. For fans of morally grey leads, slow-burn tension, and courtly intrigue: this is worth your time.

──. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁
Thank you to the author and publisher, Del Rey, for sending me a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
Release Date: June 10, 2025

This was an alright debut story. I've seen some other people describe their experience with this book as a rollercoaster and that's exactly how I feel about it. There were some good, exciting moments and some bad ones. As much as I loved the premise, I had a really hard time picking this book up at times.
I think my biggest issue was the pacing and the writing style. There were times where it was really slow and times where it all felt really rushed. You'd have some really exciting moments and then some really flat chapters.
I do like Vasalie and Anton's relationship, I just hope it gets more fleshed out in book 2. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles.
I also really enjoyed the atmosphere/world, even though there wasn't too much world building.
Overall I think book 2 has a lot of potential and I'm intrigued to see where it goes.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the ARC of this book!

This is a lush and emotionally charged romantic fantasy that delivers a gripping blend of espionage, court politics, and slow-burn tension. At its heart is Vasalie, a former royal dancer wrongfully imprisoned and forced to spy for the king who betrayed her. What unfolds is a compelling story of survival, strength, and self-discovery, with chronic pain representation woven seamlessly into her character arc. The writing is immersive and the political stakes are high, and the romance between Vasalie and the enigmatic King Anton simmers with just the right amount of distrust and longing. The novel’s atmosphere and emotional depth make it a standout. Perfect for fans of morally grey characters, dangerous courts, and heroines who fight with both vulnerability and resilience, I can't wait to read more!