What a fabulous debut!

Dance of Lies is a new romantasy debut telling the story of Vasalie who was formerly a treasured dancer in a king's court who starts the story imprisoned after being framed for murder. When she is pulled out of prison she is thrust back into court politics without knowing who to trust and what the endgame is.

This book was so much fun. As a former dancer I enjoyed that aspect of it but most importantly I did not see the twists and turns coming. The stakes were high and I really had no idea who the male protagonist was going to be until more than halfway through the book. The twists were twisty and it was such a good time. The ending had me hooked and eager for the next book, which I will be grabbing as soon as it is available!

Can't wait for more from this author!

I appreciate the fact that this book has a disability representation because we really have too less of it in fiction. However, the story irked me from the very beginning. The writing is not very solid, the sentences read like an essay. Because this is fantasy, I expected much more from writing. I didn't like the way Vasalie could dance despite being imprisoned for so long. As someone who suffers from fibromyalgia, I find it difficult to believe. I wish I could enjoy this more but I've come to realise that romance fantasy isn't my favourite genre yet.

A Dance of Lies is a the first in a series by debut author, Brittney Arena. It follows Vasalie, who has been wrongly imprisoned by her king that she was once close to. Vasalie's story is one of strength and perseverance, the story has numerous twists and unique world building, and plenty of yearning.

Could this book be 50-100 pages less? Yes. Could this book be 50-100 pages more? Also, yes. Unfortunately, this is the slowest of slow burns, without anything rewarding at the end. I desperately wanted more from our MMC. Hopefully we will see much more in the subsequent books. I do feel this should be marketed as a fantasy. There is minimal romance in this, with only one somewhat explicit scene (honestly, mild).

Thank you to the publishers for this ARC!

"My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I'm no princess bound within a tower. I am a shadow."

First off, congratulations to Brittney Arena on her debut novel! Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this! I wasn't sure what to expect, but I was blown away! The descriptions were beautifully written and helped me imagine this world in even more detail. A specific someone's banter gave me butterflies, and I enjoyed everything about this book!

Vasalie was a dancer before she was framed for murder and wrongfully imprisoned for two years. She is then given the opportunity of freedom in exchange for her spying at the Gathering, an event attended by royals of the kingdom and their royal allies. She agrees, and what follows are twists and turns I was not expecting - I truly didn't anticipate some of plot twists that happened.

This was easily one of my favorite reads this year! It is beautifully written (so many highlights) - there was court intrigue, chronic illness representation, romance, world building and more. I also didn't feel like the romance was the main plot but became a part of Vasalie's story, and it also had me guessing. Vasalie also sort of reminds me of Violet from Fourth Wing in terms of pushing through their chronic illness, the pain, and doing what needs to be done. I cannot wait for my preorder to come in because the cover is absolutely GORGEOUS and will (im) patiently wait for the next book. I need to know what happens next!

Oh my gosh, I loved this book! It immediately sucked me in from the moment I picked it up. The tension, the beautiful imagery, the betrayals! I need the second book in my hands this very second. Everyone, please go read this book, you will not regret it!

--I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.--

2.5 stars! i liked it but maybe it’s high time i accept that i’m just not a pure romantasy reader :(

my main issue i think was that i’m all for an enemies to lovers arc and it’s my favorite trope in the world for romance subplots but mc gave me the ick with how much she was pining over someone who didn’t even want her??

i appreciate what the author was trying to do with the representation though!

(more detailed rtc! as i’m currently traveling)

The cover of this book is stunning 🤩 and that’s what made me want to read it, but then I read the summary and I was sold!

The world building in this fantasy was so so good! I loved it and it made the read so immersive. Also the relationships made this book so great. There is longing and twists in characters that really built the suspense because as a reader, I didn’t know which characters to trust, and still didn’t until right near the end!

There was so much going on in this that I loved! From love and hate relationships, lies and deceit, and moments of real strength and weakness, this book had it all 🫶🏻

For a debut novel, this was incredible 🤩 I read this as an ARC and this is my honest review. Thank you to the author and publisher

I’ve been on the hunt for my next five-star read — and let’s be honest, after reading over 28 books this year and only finding four that made the cut, I wasn’t holding my breath. But this book absolutely delivered.

From the very first page, the tension was high and it never let up. The characters pulled me in immediately. The world-building was so vivid and layered without feeling overwhelming. The suspense, the found family dynamics, the slow-burn romance, the secrets, the betrayals — it had everything I love in a story, all wrapped up so well that I couldn’t put it down.

This book had me completely hooked, and it’s one that’s going to stick with me for a long time. If you love fantasy with high stakes, deep character development, and a story that keeps you guessing (and a little on edge) right to the last page, this one needs to be on your list.

This was a great read! The cover art for this book is stunning and I think it will capture people’s attention immediately. I think this book will hit a wide range of audiences as it fits nicely within the genres of YA and fantasy adult fiction. It was a nice change of pace with the story centering around art and dancing rather than the typical violence and fighting that is popular within the fantasy genre. I do wish the characters were given more depth especially the side characters such as Copelan as they lacked a proper personality and motivation besides the main protagonist. It is definitely a book I would recommend to others and library customers and I look forward to what else Brittany Arena publishes in the future.

This book omg this was so good the characters were every thing I liked how the author let us majority of the book don’t know who the love interest is going to be. the plot of this book was perfect I liked so much the dancing aspect in this book I felt so connected to our FMC and at first I wasn’t sure about the love interest but I fell in love with him at the end. the beginning of the book was a little slow for me but it was a very good building for the last 30% and the plot twists that happened. after how the book ended I honestly don’t know if we are getting another book or no but I hope we get another book because I need more.
4.75⭐️

Such a brilliant book about love & hate, trust & lies, weakness & strength. Vasalie has a constant inner war with herself. She finds it hard to trust both herself and the people around her, and is in a constant battle to do the right thing for the right people.

There is so much longing, lust and ache between the characters. I went from having my faith in one guy, to a new within very few chapters, always being surprised by a hidden agenda and story.

The book is so beautifully written, and it had my heart absolutely aching. I can’t even fathom that this is Brittney Arena’s debut novel, I struggled to put it down!

Thank you so much both Brittney Arena & NetGalley, for the early arc!

Favourite quotes / scenes:

🪶 “He is etched into the fabric of my being. Both his kindness and his cruelty are braided into a tangle of memories I can’t escape.”

🪶 “She was the sunlight in my dreary world, and he is the terror who seizes the night.”

🪶 “Oh, how I had taken my abled body for granted. I hadn’t realized what a privilege it was, how thankful I should have been.” … something I often try to appreciate!!

🪶 “Hearts are fragile things, like glass. They break far too easily in the wrong hands. Offer them only to someone who can care for them, who might polish them until they glow.”

🪶 “That’s the problem with so many of us who hold privilege and power. We talk too much. We talk above others.”

🪶 “I am broken,” I say. An admission, or explanation. The only words I can string together. “You are art,” he says in response.

🪶 “We all have our comforts, Minnow. I wonder if you might be mine.”

🪶 “Your laugh,” he breathes. “I could drink an ocean’s worth.”

🪶 “He watches me through the fringe of his lashes, his thumb tracing my bottom lip—softly, like he wants to capture my smile. Pocket it. Like it’s fragile and rare, and he can’t believe it belongs to him.”

🪶 “Guilt eats up entirely too much energy. I’d rather you spend it on justice,”

🪶 “The company one keeps is an indication of character.”

4.25 stars

Okay, I can definitely see this becoming a romantasy book people will be obsessed with. The beginning was a bit slow and did not stand out to me as a romantasy book, but once the story got going, I binged around 30% to the end in one sitting.
I’ve seen some criticism regarding the disability rep, since the FMC is able to dance quite well despite her disability. However, knowing that the author based the FMC’s disability on her own experience, I think she represented it in a way that felt authentic to her. I really enjoyed the espionage aspect and felt like it was done so well. A lot of court-spying books don’t fully lean into that trope, but in this book, I truly felt the high stakes. It was nerve-racking in the best way and super addicting to read. I enjoyed the love interest but wanted to know more about him and get more from their romance, but maybe that is coming in book 2?

The ending was very chaotic and did upset me, but only because I know I’ll be waiting far too long for book 2!!

Oh. My. Gosh.

All the freaking stars.

This book was a RIDE y’all!

So good!

This book had me question which characters were good, which were bad, which we could trust and which we couldn’t, AND WHO were we going to ship?! Mercy. This is a fabulous debut story. Can’t wait to see what this author cooks up next!

The first part of this book was pretty slow, I found myself losing interests. The characters motivations for their actions (especially the FMC) were not clear to me. It was not developed enough for me to totally stand beside the cause and effects. I found the FMC whiny and she has been the first one to ever annoy fully me. She would go through the same debate in her head just to do something stupid. So many things could have been avoided and maybe it was the lack of connection to the FMC motivation that had me confused, and angry during the book. Dare I say there was a love triangle? I’m not sure, for me there wasn’t. It was clear as day in my eyes. The ending fell flat because despite all the characters and plot being confusing at first I did manage to guess the ending. I will say I think this would have been more successful if there wasn’t so many royal characters to keep straight. I was going to give this a 2 but the little bit of romance we got towards the end and the beautiful descriptions of the dancing scenes bumped it up to a 3.

3.5/5

i enjoyed this one! but i will say that it’s something you’ve likely read before.

it kept my attention and i was interested to see how everything would play out. the ending felt a bit weak and there were plenty of details that seemed all too convenient.

i liked the desire to include disability representation but it was more subtle than it should’ve been. if you skip a few sentences here and there, you wouldn’t see it.

the biggest surprise to me was that this is the first book in a series when i was reading it as a standalone. not the way i like to read books if you’ve talked to me about my reading philosophy, but a big THANK YOU to Del Rey and Netgalley for the eARC !!

overall, this story will feel familiar as you could guess where it’s going. but it was still a well-written entertaining read for me.

sooooo when’s book two coming out again?

I will post my review closer to publication date!!!! but just know I loved it and will be obsessing over these characters and anxiously awaiting the next book!

I truly wanted to love this book as it had representation for chronic illnesses, however, I found myself struggling to connect with the main character, Vaselie. Being chronically ill and disabled while being imprisoned and forced to dance should leave her with immense anger and frustration for her situation and not to mention the excruciating pain, she’d be in being forced to dance, but none of that came through to me, making her feel a bit flat. I liked some of the descriptions of certain decor and characters, but I felt like it was trying to be well written in a way that didn’t feel natural and despite the flourishing descriptions, I found myself struggling to imagine the scenes in my mind. The pacing of the first half made it very hard to get through, but I loved the premise. I won't be reviewing on a public platform as to not bring down the authors average and affect her debut release.

Thank you to Delrey and NetGalley for providing me an ARC .

Unfortunately, I dont think this is my genre, while I like the themes that were presented to explore, it felt empty in places. and while I wanted to like the attempted Romance, I wanted to stab whats his face.

It follows a dancer who is imprisoned for a crime she didnt commit, kept in abysmal conditions, till the kind and her former flame(?) brings her back and asks her to spy for him by posing as a dancer for a highly charged event, but first she has to deal with her body and herself because those two years in literal confinement have left her with permanent scars, medical issues and I think this book is trying to show this as a character with a disability, specifically a dancer with a disability.

I think my biggest beef is that I learned a lot through the story, like literally, there was so much information thrown at me which I dont mind, but most of it didn't really matter at the end, i.e. there were the threads of parts of the plot that might have been cut out due to edits? I liked the way this was structured, but do you know the feeling when you're watching a period piece and an actor looks like they know what an iphone is, thats the way I felt about Vasalie.

Also, thats a lot of flour, there should be a flour counter at the end of the book or something

I honestly struggle to find the right words for this book. It tore me apart and put me back together so many times. It is just one of those books that you HAVE to read.

The characters, story and emotions are so real, honest and raw. Your emotions are at all times engaged as you devour the pages.

The story was also new and fresh, with quite a cliffhanger.

I am honestly at the edge of my seat for the next installment.

I recommend this book if you love:
🌿Court intrigue
🌿Morally grey characters
🌿Slow burn
🌿Hidden identities

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for this arc

📚 ARC Review: A Dance of Lies
✍️ Author: Brittney Arena
📅 Release Date: June 10th, 2025
🏷️ Genre: Romantasy
🌶️ Spice Rating: 🌶️- Warm
⭐️ Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📖 Book Overview
Framed for murder and left to rot in the dungeons, former court dancer Vasalie Moran is offered freedom—if she spies for the king who betrayed her. But as his bloody orders grow darker, she turns to his rival brother for help. With war looming and dangerous secrets surfacing, Vasalie must decide who to trust—and how far she's willing to go to reclaim her power.

✨ Initial Thoughts
I was drawn to this book because the cover is so beautiful, but what sold me was the blurb and I went in feeling hyped. From the first chapter, I fell in love with Vasalie and her struggles and triumphs. It gave off Summer Court atmosphere mixed with The Cruel Prince energy, and I knew I was in for something fun.

💘 What I Loved
This book absolutely delivered on who even is the ship. I was left waiting and questioning at every interaction Vasalie seeing who she would end up with if anyone.
I especially loved all of the dance scenes that happen. They were so vivid that I felt like I was there watching her dance and could picture the looks and feelings the characters where feeling.
The world building was unforgettable and had so much depth. I found myself saving quotes like my life depended on it.
Did I also mention HOW MUCH I LOVE how Vasalie started to find people that she could trust and how that changed her and helped her grow as a character.

😬 What Didn’t Work for Me (Optional)
While I really enjoyed the book overall, I felt like even though I instantly connected with Vasalie, the story took some time to really start picking up. It didn’t take away from the overall experience, but it’s something I noticed while reading.

🖤 Final Thoughts
If you love character and plot driven books with terribly behaved royals that give off tension for days, I think you’ll absolutely devour this one.
And that ending….. let me tell you how I went through so many emotions and I’m already begging for book two.(How am I suppose to wait for book two when book one isn’t out!!)
Definitely one to watch — and I’ll be following this author closely!

📢 Thank you to DEL REY and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC for my honest thoughts.