I really loved this one I just couldn’t put it down! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This story is such a moving one! I absolutely love the main character, she is fierce and smart, and she doesn't allow things to stop her. Having a character that deals with a chronic issue absolutely raises the stakes and makes her even more compelling. The side characters are also fantastic! You never quite know where the story is taking you, I couldn't put it down.

I can't wait to see where the next part of the story takes us!

This book broke my soul and tried to mend it again before breaking it.

Vasillies once a the 'jewel' of King Illian's court now in a dungeon framed a crime she didn't commit. Now she has the opportunity to gain freedom, by acting as his spy in the kingdom gathering for 6 weeks as a dancer. Facing betrayal and fat worse things that Illian, Vasillies obtains the help of Illian's younger brother King Anton. During these 6 weeks at the gathering Vasillies must choose who's side to trust, fight for and who to guard her heart from.

The world building in book is incredible. I absolutely adore the imagery of the gathering as it seemed really unique. The politics in this book. I loved it. So much plotting and scheming. For reasons I don't want to say ofc.

Now the main character Vasillies. I loved her and definitely cried for parts of her journey. She's definitely a pawn in the political games which hurt. But I love love love her creative mind and mindset to not give up.

King Illian. Honestly he seems pretty but don't let the looks decieve you. But gosh he leaves a bitter taste. He's definitely a power hungry person who will use Vasillies as a pawn for his own personal use.

King Anton. He had me giggling and kicking my feet. Not to mention seems like a kinder soul. The nicknames uhhhh my heart.

You'll love this book if you like
• he falls first
• delicious tension
• banter and adorable nicknames
• politics that have you playing mind games in your head to try and think of what will happen next.

I can't wait to read the next book and get my hands on a published copy!


Thank you so much to Del Rey, Brittany Arena and Netgalley for the E-ARC!

Unfortunately this did not do it for me.
It had all the building blocks for a good story but 40% in and I was dragging my feet to read it, i had no desire to continue on.
I'm sure this will hit with a large audience but for me i didnt find myself caring for what happened to Vasalie

I binged this in Dec of 2024. Oh my god??? The most pleasant surprise after a terrible reading year l've had with fantasies. A lot of this book reminded me of a very adult version of Thorn & Theft of Sunlight (2 YA books that I obsess over) This is DEFINITELY going among my top fantasy reads of the year holy shit!??? It's rly hard to win me over with any romance in fantasy but this is so much more than romantic fantasy. The court intrigue and politics was SO GOOD. this book PERFECTLY balanced plot & romance where the slow burn was very much propelled by the plot and clever sharp banter. But u also don't know who the love interest is for a bit and I LOVED guessing and I'm glad I OBSESSED over a certain someone. Any time he was on page he was COOOKINGGGG ( & in combo with the court intrigue & espionage which had many layers of complexity to firmly cement this as adult fantasy. Such high stakes, so atmospheric!? And the turns this took to raise the stakes? Seriously EXACTLY what I want from any romantic or court intrigue fantasy. I cant believe I have to wait so long for book 2 after that crazy ending.

also the DISABILITY REP IN THE MC!! we need more of it in fantasy and books in general. Huge respect and thank you to the author for it - I was so touched by it and resonated deeply with it. A strong resilient but emotionally vulnerable MC who uses her wit to navigate the terrible circumstances and situation she is in - she is strong but vulnerable but not helpless at all. I love her deeply.
I am DYING to get the sequel in my hands. bloomsbury popped off with this book

Brilliant debut. Romance, political tension and the world building was sublime.
I enjoyed the writing style, I found it really grabbed me in and felt very whimsical!
While I did see the plot twist coming, it was enjoyable.and the ending left be really excited for what is next to come.

The representation of chronic illness made the main character incredibly realistic and along the story she finally accepts the illness after the grief which is something a lot of us can relate to.

One of the best romantasy novels I’ve read this year!

This is a challenge to review, because I GLIMPSED a book I would love in this overlong, overwrought tale; especially in the back third. However the first half was SUCH A SLOG to get through. So in the end this is the test: would I recommend this book to a friend? And no I would not. Too much slog not enough payoff

Vas was a difficult heroine to pin down; her defining feature for much of the story is being manipulated and being lusted after. The former is understandable given her situation and the second is a huge problem for me in the book… we don’t need three love interests. The page count should have been dedicated to making the relationship between the REAL romantic leads deeper and more believable, because I honestly do not understand the friendship and love Vastia engenders given the fact she does nothing but hurt those around her.

I don’t think a plot that strains belief (Vastia being given trust and friendship for NO reason; Vastia apparently being thin and brittle and sickly, but having throngs of men obsessed with her; Vastia apparently not being that talented or able but making up for that with costuming and spectacle?? ) is a terrible problem in fantasy settings if the pacing and world building weren’t also a slog.

But the political intrigue was fairly compelling; Anton and Vastias banter was charming; the Fate of Morta mythos (a goddess of death both worshiped and feared, who haunts the narrative) was my goth cup of tea.

If you hate “love triangles” and “special main girl pretty powers” this one will frustrate you. If you can see past it and make it to 50% in when pieces start coming together, you may enjoy.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC I rate Dance of Lies 2.5⭐️ rounded up on goodreads as I always want the book to have a fair shot

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A Dance of Lies is a gripping fantasy full of courtly intrigue, slow burn romance and unexpected twists.
This debut was fantastic! I loved the plot, the tension and the sprinkle of romance. Though some parts felt a bit drawn out, the story, twists and side characters made up for it.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey Publishing for an advance readers copy in exchange for my honest review!
Release date: 06/10/2025!

ɴᴇᴛɢᴀʟʟᴇʏ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ || A DANCE OF LIES [thank you to Del Rey and @netgalley for my #gifted copy!]

Title: A Dance of Lies
Author: Brittney Arena
Genre: Fantasy + Romance
Format: Digital
Star Rating: ★★★★☆

ꜱᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ:
Framed for murder and left to rot in the dungeons, Vasalie Moran never expected to see the light of day again. But when King Illian offers her a deal—spy for him at the royal Gathering in exchange for her freedom—she has no choice but to comply.

As Illian’s orders grow more brutal, Vasalie realizes the true monster she serves may not be the worst threat. Desperate, she turns to his greatest rival—the ruthless King of the East. But as war looms and secrets unravel, Vasalie must decide where her loyalties lie…and how much of herself she’s willing to sacrifice to survive.

ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
If it tells you anything about how much I enjoyed this book, I read it in just about 24 hours. I could NOT put it down!

This was a wonderful first installment to a fantasy adjacent series. There was just enough world building, just enough lore, and just enough character building to keep you interesting and wanting more! I only felt a little lost as all of the countries and players were introduced, but Arena does a good job of reminding you who people are and why you care.

I think my favorite part of this book was the fact that I had no idea who to trust or who to like (or who to hate for that matter). Just when you think you know what’s happening, a wrench would be thrown and everything was tipped on its head.

I can’t say more without giving it all away - but if you enjoy ACOTAR or anything assassin-y, you should add this to your list!

ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Dark Mythology/Lore
Love Triangles
Found Family
Royals Behaving Badly
“Trust No One” Vibes
Espionage

ᴅᴇᴛᴀɪʟꜱ:
GR: 4.05 ⭐️
# of Pages: 448
Pub Date: June 10, 2025

Wow. Just... Wow.
It's been a while since a book sent me on such a wild emotional journey.
While the first chapter had me hooked, I was worried the rest of the book wouldn't live up to such a strong start, but it absolutely did. The story just kept moving. There were twists and turns, some of which I guessed, and others which completely blindsided me.
The writing is beautiful, with lots of atmospheric language that helps draw you into the beautiful settings. The world is rich and fully realized, and full of complicated characters that make you question who to trust. The plot is filled with mystery, intrigue, and beautifully tender romance. Vasalie, the main character, is so achingly vulnerable yet strong, and watching her development was so heartening.
From the halfway mark the story picked up so quickly that I found it extremely hard to put the book down. However, I also had to force myself to put the book down between chapters and take calming breaths, because it was just that intense of a read.
I can't wait to hand this to my friends so they can share in the emotional trauma.
In short, this book hurt me, and I need the sequel the second it's available.

Thank you to Random House, Del Rey, and Netgalley for the ARC.

Just wow -

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. Even though it’s categorized as a romantasy, I appreciated that romance wasn’t the primary focus. The story focuses more on the world’s political dynamics - the divided kingdom, ruled by three sons which made it clear how distinct each crown is from each other.

Vas is a beautifully well-written protagonist. Despite her horrible past, shaped by years of abuse from her father and Illian — she remained resilient. Even in moments of doubt, she found ways to stand her ground and keep going, which made me admire her even more. I really appreciated that her character wasn’t written as a "sob story" but rather as someone who grew and adapted, struggling to define her own morals along the way. Moreover, she isn’t depicted as a perfect hero either; her flaws—born from betrayal, revenge, and temptation—made her feel all the more realistic and easier to understand/relate to. In regards to her disability, I am glad it wasn’t written as a “hinderance” in a ableist society. Instead Vas came up with unique ideas to work with her disability (it was nice touch how in the beginning she wanted to hide her limp but then embraced it).

The two main male leads, Anton and Illian, were also well-written. Their differences weren’t just evident in how they interacted with Vas but also in how they treated the people of the kingdom. Illian’s tragic backstory was a bit generic, but I appreciated that the book didn’t use it as an excuse for his actions. He does give off typical villain vibes in contrast to Anton, but his character works well especially in highlighting the lengths Anton goes through for his people/friends.

The book was well-paced, and the plot had a couple of twists that genuinely caught me by surprise. I didn’t expect the reveal that Vas came from a family with political standing and wealth—it added an unexpected layer to her character. I also liked how in the beginning both Vas and the reader were kept in the dark about the true motives behind the missions, piecing things together as the story progressed. It created the feeling that we were solving the mystery alongside her which made the journey even more fun and engaging. Vas’s father’s involvement was definitely a surprise. I initially thought his role would serve more as a background element to explain Vas’s past, so seeing him play a bigger part in the story was unexpected.

Also, I just wanna give a mini shoutout to all the support characters from Laurent to Gustav. They all sound so sweet and precious. Must be protected at all costs!!! (Copelan is debatable but he came around in the end)

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by how much more depth this book had beyond its romantic elements and how invested I was in the plot building. I look forward to reading the sequel!

God, I loved this. LOVED THIS.

We follow Vasalie, a runaway dancer trapped by a king. The story unfolds when she's offered her freedom and we witness how exactly she is to earn it!

The world building in this was incredibly whimsical and poetic and was done PERFECTLY. I wish Miridran was a real place because it sounds dreamy af.

I cannot believe this is a debut! I need more books from Brittney immediately.

I liked this debut fantasy! It took me a bit to get into it, but once the action started up, it was impossible to put down. I really liked Vasalie's character development throughout the book, and I liked the side characters as well. I also liked that while there was romance in the book, the book wasn't completely focused on the romantic aspect. The plot was extremely fast-paced, and it was overall very entertaining! I also enjoyed how it was hard to tell who the love interest would be. Overall, I would recommend this book, and I'm highly anticipating the sequel! :)

An interesting and immersive debut fantasy! It's refreshing to have an original character for once. The representation of a disabled FMC was excellent and well done.

Unfortunately, this was a DNF for me. The entire plot of A Dance of Lies felt like a glaring copy and paste of the plot from the popular book series Throne of Glass. I have no idea if the author has even read that series, but I couldn’t get past the plot feeling similar to something I have already read.

Some of the similarities from just the first couple of chapters:
- A girl in captivity, put there unjustly by a man who both doted on her and treated her awful.
- Taken out of captivity by the king to be his spy.
- A close relationship with the older woman, taking care of her after captivity
- She has a secret past (revealed later to be similar to the hidden past of the main character in ToG)
I won’t point out the several other parallels, lest I spoil the plot of Throne of Glass.


Other than that, I struggled with the world-building. Modern lingo and terminology meet mid-evil vibes isn’t something I enjoy. Example: main character throws on a pair of leggings… with a tunic. I also found a lot of it to be unbelievable. I don't think someone who suffered as the main character did would honestly be able to walk at ALL so soon as they told her to, much less be able to dance within a couple of weeks, despite the… physical therapy? They gave her. Are the drinks the physician gave her… magical? I don’t enjoy having to fill unbelievable gaps in my mind.
Much of the prose was unnecessary and, as I’ve seen others state, simply over-written. There was so much writing to set the scene, and the plot crept along amidst it all. I feel it could have been a much shorter read. I didn’t feel any connection to the characters.

The cover was gorgeous, and despite my perspective, plenty of others will love the plot!

What an absolutely stunning debut! I've been in a reading slump postpartum, but decided I wanted to give it a try with this book, and I'm so glad I did. This is the first book I managed to hold my attention since having a baby, and wow, what a special thing to discover my love of reading again with such an amazing story. The prose is absolutely gorgeous, the characters are compelling, and there is such sorrow, hopefulness, and a beautiful journey of self-love in this. I was at the edge of my seat on several occasions, unable to put it down, and that ENDING. I need book two now! This is a must read for anyone who loves romantasy.

If you've ever been a dancer, perhaps even an athlete, you've likely felt the strain of wanting to achieve more than your body will allow, and our main character is grappling with this feeling of 'who am I without my body' energy in spades, while navigating mazes of the ways we use one another to prop our hurts. Her story is a lesson in not letting limitations define you, and in knowing that the cards life hands you aren't your responsibility to carry.

We are learning always as women that the burdens of others are not always yours, expecially where they do not carry yours in return. Our MFC is finding that sometimes the only choice left for you is to play the hand your delt...of course through your classic fight for the kingdom fantasy.

Finally, if you love an ending, like an ending that is everything, this is your read.

I would be lying if I said the cover isn’t originally what captivated my attention 😂. However the synopsis mentioning betrayal and secrets is what ultimately won me over and Pheww what is FULL of betrayal. I truly felt bad for our FMC, Vasalie the entire time while reading this. Every time she stood up she was pushed back down. It was betrayal after betrayal and the ending was truly the most shocking part!!

I did struggle with wanting to dnf this book somewhere around the middle of it which is why it lost a star from me. I found myself bored at times and wondering what the point of it all was. But then told myself it could just be a slow build up with tiny bread crumbs to lead you along and that is EXACTLY what happened. So if you find yourself and your mind straying, consider powering through it. The ending was truly worth it, my jaw is still on the floor and I also feel like we were set up with what could be a very interesting sequel!!

I’d say overall this is a very impressive debut and I already can’t wait for the next book ahaha!

Thank you Netgalley for the arc!

So a debut novel, this was absolutely off the charts. I love that there’s representation of disability and trauma (I FELT SEEN) which forces the FMC to confront the reality of adapting to a new life. I love the world building - it was so immersive and everything was painted so beautifully and vividly! Also, the romance aspect of the book is so realistic. Given Vasalie’s history, of course she isn’t going to fall easily and I appreciated the slow-burn and how the relationship progressed naturally.

I loved this one!! I loved the dancing with chronic pain aspects, which really made me want to root for the main character, Vasalie. I also loved the secret spying and all the tension that comes with that. There's a lot of fantastic character growth too, with Vasalie questioning everything she wants and needs, and how those aligns with her personal morals and loyalty. I also think the politics and world building were so detailed and fit well with the story. And oh my goodness, THAT ENDING? I need book two asap.

There were some minor annoyances for me in this book, mainly with the info dumping, a middle that dragged a little, and some small frustrating moments with Vasalie. But overall, I enjoyed this book so much (especially the last 30%), that it deserves all the stars!

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 4.5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Del Rey, for the arc!

Content: kissing