This is a wonderful debut romantasy where a dancer, Vasalie, has to spy for the King to earn her freedom. It’s full of secrets, lies, betrayal, and of course dancing.

I was so excited to see a fantasy respresenting a chronically ill FMC who refuses to be defined by her disability. I enjoyed the other characters like her dance partner and I was never sure where it was going. And the ending?!?😱 I’m horrible at predicting plots so I never saw it coming.

There were some parts in the book that did drag a bit and the clothing and dancing descriptions were very detailed, but that comes down to personal preference.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

A Dance of Lies a beautiful lyrically written story of a royal dancer, now a reluctant spy. Vasalie Moran is no stranger to performing. But when she's forced to serve the king who destroyed her life, the stage becomes deadly-and every step pulls her deeper into a tangled game of deception, desire, and war between
brothers.

Vasalie was framed for murder , the King's Jewel now nothing but a criminal. 2 years in the prison, weak & starved. Now she's being given a chance of freedom, dance at the Gathering and act as the King's spy. After 2 years in prison she's no longer the dancer she was before, "I'm broken". Having to learn to not only navigate around her weakened body to dance and perform, Vasalie must navigate the Courts and Crowns to figure out what it is the King wants. A rivalry between Crowned Brothers , love triangles, Tension, epic dance performances , all on an island in a glorious seaglass castle. I was immersed into the beautifully written story from the first few chapters, I was left guessing and following along feeling all the emotions. Vasalies growth and strength is so well written. The humor even amongst the tensions is everything. I loved the little banter moments between her and a special someone, had me swooning and laughing. This book is an art piece. My mind wondered to the most beautiful places.

Thank you @netgalley @delreybooks for the ARC! ✨️

Wow I LOVED this!! Vasalie was the King’s personal dancer (his “Jewel”), but then he had her framed for murder and imprisoned in darkness for 2 years. Unable to move freely, she lost her physical strength, which as a dancer was her identity. Then she’s suddenly released, but must overcome her weakness and figure out how to earn a highly competitive dancer spot at a multi-kingdom royal gathering where she will have to do the King’s nefarious bidding or go back into her cell forever.

If you think that sounds intense, just wait for the rest of the story! So much happens. Political chess games, prophecies, backstabbing, poisons, passion, and - BANTER - that hit every time. I honestly couldn’t believe how good this was! It was ✨ everything ✨ I want in a fantasy novel. Begging for book 2 already.

Thank you to Random House Publishing for the ARC!

Glittering courts, seaside castles, cautionary fables, and lyrical storytelling await in this mesmerizing new romantic read that will have you addicted to its atmospherical story and haunting mystery.

Once the favored dancer of the king in his court, circumstances shifted suddenly for Vasalie once she was framed for a wrongdoing she didn’t commit. After years locked away in the castle dungeons, she’s offered an opportunity to spy for the king during the upcoming royal gathering and a chance to gain her freedom.

This book read like an enchanted dark and dreamy fairytale. It was full of lush storytelling and poetic prose. The atmosphere of the novel mirrored the setting and rhythms of waves and dance itself. A push and pull of drama, flare, mystery and intrigue. Arena lured me away like a siren call, and I didn’t want this beautiful, addicting story to end!

From heartbreak, betrayal, and chronic illness, Vasalie’s perseverance, determination, and incredible character development were inspiring. The secondary characters were absolutely lovable too, especially one handsome character that I couldn’t help but majorly swoon over!

Now, I am desperately waiting for the next book and can’t wait to see what’s ahead for our cast of characters!!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

This book is hauntingly beautiful, and so immersive you feel like you ARE Vasalie. She struggles with weakness and disability brought on by years locked away, but perseveres as much as she can in spite of it.

This kept me interested from page one, and I was really intrigued by the world, the premise, and the characters.

Vasalie, the FMC, is a dancer who has been wrongly imprisoned for 2 years, and has health issues as a result. Her king demands that she act as his woman in the inside at The Gathering, where all the royals and elite meet up to be entertained. I liked the representation of someone who has to manage invisible disabilities, as Vasalie has to manage and hide her fatigue, nausea, and weakness, as well as adjust her dance routines to be possible for her AND impress others.

I will say that this felt slow-paced for the first 2/3rds, and like it took a bit to find its way. The romance was very much a subplot, and there was a red herring or two. I didn't necessarily feel a lot of tension for awhile, so this one is a very slow burn. Vasalie meets a variety of people throughout, and each one feels pretty well-developed, so you feel for the situations that they all find themselves in.

There were moments where I felt that Vasalie could have, and should have, made very different choices. She is very wrapped up in the idea that she has to obey her king, despite the fact she claims to despise him and see through to who he really is. This evolves some, so I can forgive some of the times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room!

The world is incredibly well-described, as is the dancing. There is no shortage of details, sometimes perhaps a bit too much, but largely, I felt like it really leant well to the overall tone of the book!

The last third really ramps up, and the twists and turns make for a really great story.

This book is breathtaking. The story, the worldbuilding, the characters, the backstory... everything is so deftly woven into this thrilling debut novel. I'm so grateful I was given this as an ARC, because I need people to read it and discuss / wait for the sequel with bated breath with me.

Vasalie has been imprisoned for two years for a murder she didn't commit by a king who knew she was innocent. When he offers her the chance to resume her previous role--as a dancer, but this time, also as a spy for him--in exchange for her vindication and freedom, Vasalie has no choice but to agree. But her body is not what it used to be, and she struggles to relearn how to dance. And she is quickly thrust into a position she never imagined, being the solo dancer and spectacle she has been ordered to be for the largest royal gathering of the Northern Kingdoms.

I feel I can't say too much more about the plot for fear of giving anything away, but rest assured, it's a tightly plotted, intricate story with political intrigue, forbidden romance, reclaiming one's past and finding your own strength, even in the darkest of places.

One of the things I feel the strongest about in regards to this book is the invisible illness representation. The author prefaces the book stating that she herself deals with multiple "invisible" ailments, and she wanted to have a heroine who similarly experienced such incongruity between bodily autonomy and limited physical ability. I also experience conditions like the author's, and I felt so seen in the beautiful depiction of Vasalie's physical and mental strength in the wake of her imprisonment and the subsequent "breaking" of her body and spirit. I often read fantasy with badass FMCs, and I've always longed to be like them, wielding a sword and my wits in battle (even if that aspect is, itself, a fantasy). With this book, seeing Vasalie dance and perform feats she never believed she was capable of, and deal with the various traumas of her past that simultaneously bolster and hinder her... it feels like healing. Even if my body may struggle to, or my mind tells me I'm incapable of recovery, having a heroine like Vasalie, and a writer like Brittney Arena dedicated to telling gorgeous stories such as this one, give me so much hope.

I truly cannot wait for the sequel. I'm so invested in this world, and know it's only going to get bigger and more intricate. And to the author, even though you'll likely not see this: thank you so much for the gift of this book. I am so, so grateful to feel like I, too, could be a badass fantasy heroine through your eyes.

SO many thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 5 stars

Review posted to StoryGraph: June 8, 2025 (https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/5f3d01a2-71f3-4089-a677-141224dd7fd1?redirect=true)
Review posted to Instagram: June 13, 2025 (https://www.instagram.com/p/DK2lBoERZex/)

DNF @ 47%

I feel like fans of Sarah J Maas will really enjoy this book, but I kept attempting to push myself through a read that ultimately will be 2.5 stars for me.

Absolutely loved this story, I loved the court intrigue and clever scheming. I could not predict the storyline and was guessing the whole way!! 5 stars!

Big thanks to Del Rey Publishing, NetGalley, and the author for the eARC.

This is a romantasy debut with a strong focus on court politics, secrets, and survival. We follow Vasalie Moran, once a renowned court dancer, now a prisoner offered a dangerous deal—attend a royal Gathering undercover, or remain behind bars. What follows is a careful dance (literally and politically) through lies, power plays, and unravelling truths.

Vasalie is a quiet but compelling lead—strategic, emotionally layered, and navigating both trauma and chronic pain. I really appreciated the thoughtful representation of her character. The romance is subtle, with tension simmering beneath the surface, and the world-building leans into rich settings and gilded atmospheres.

If you enjoy fantasy stories with a slower pace, morally grey choices, and layers of political intrigue, this might be one to add to your list!

4.5 Stars!

Wow. Where to start?!

Tense. I was pretty much tense from the beginning and the entire duration, right up until the last page! A good tense, the kind that has your mind whirring and makes you NEED to keep going.

This book has you rooting for the FMC from page 1. There's immense world building, so much detail and yet not a tonne of information dropped at your feet, it's dripped to you as and when you need it. You circle back to clarify things, just when you think you have guessed where it's going, it's not! You are deceived often, making revelations and emotional investment constantly there.

I can also tell you, your heart is not safe in this authors hands. The hope, the heartache, the highs, the lows. I feel like I'm wrung out and I am just wanting more!

This book had the feeling of a murder mystery, trying to unravel things before the impending doom, always alert and second guessing everyone trying to piece the puzzle together. On the edge of your seat stuff.

The representation of the FMC physical disabilities and her strong mentality to try to overcome it always is amazing. I am fortunate enough not to live in chronic pain and I am all the more grateful after the author's depiction of it, I have the utmost respect for anyone who lives with it and still manages to push each day.

I simply cannot wait for the second book. What a debut!

There’s one thing that I always look for in a book that I very rarely get and it’s the feeling of being surprised. I’m very good at deciphering clues and knowing what’s going to happen in the movie next. I really enjoyed the amount of times I was able to be surprised, and the times where I knew what would happen but was surprised at how Brittany Arena carries us to the scene.

The pacing of this book in the beginning had me feeling a little iffy and unsure. Our main character Vasalie, is broken down to her bare bones, and as the story progresses we see her rise above her past trauma and the monstrous men that seek to cage her and take away everything she holds dear. It helps inform her character choices, her inability to trust or her tendency to trust the wrong people, and lead me to flip flop on who I would choose to trust or even love in her circumstances. Looking forward to the next one!

I really, really wanted to get into this because the premise is intriguing, but I couldn't. Maybe it was the writing style, or maybe it was the couple of points that contradicted themselves toward the beginning of the book. There was a lot that I just didn't connect with, including the FMC.

I do really applaud the author for her inclusivity and giving a voice to those with disabilities.

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
World Building: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Themes:⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

A Dance of Lies is as beautiful on the inside as it is on the outside. It entices readers with complex court politics, flowery writing, and a resilient main character (disability rep). If you're looking for a book that will keep you guessing until the end, this is the book for you.

Let's start with what I think is the greatest strength of this book: the plot. This book may be labeled as a Romantasy, but I do think this label might detract from the fact that the main focus of the book is the plot. There is a romantic subplot, but this book is at its core a book with layers upon layers of political intrigue and machinations. After being falsely accused of murder and imprisoned for two years, Vasalie becomes a spy in order to gain her freedom. She's given tasks that she must blindly follow, and these tasks test her morals and integrity. As she becomes more embroiled in the scheming and betrayals of rival rulers, we begin to see that Vasalie, herself, might have a role to play as well. And she might become a person she never thought she'd imagine.

Vasalie's struggle in this book is not only mental and emotional, it is also physical. After two years of malnutrition and imprisonment, Vasalie's body is broken. I appreciate how the author wrote about and depicted her disability and chronic pain. There were moments in the book where the author unflinchingly and sensitively described Vasalie's pain and broken spirit. My only critique is that it didn't seem believable that Vasalie could suddenly perform difficult dances so soon after her release. I think I would have liked to have seen more struggles with the dances. In addition to Vasalie's physical struggle, Vasalie must also contend with the trauma of being emotionally manipulated and abused. Her spirit is also broken. There is nothing more that she can lose. She begins as a pawn in other people's games, and it was fascinating and empowering to see her gain some of her voice and power back.

My biggest complaint about Vasalie's journey is her romances. There are two romantic interests, and it diminishes the love that she eventually does have at the end of the book. How can we believe that she truly loves the one she ends up with if she was crushing hard on someone else a few days ago? She has to heal from her past, figure out her future, and survive the present. She does not need two loves to complicate things. It's already complicated enough. Spoiler regarding one of the romances: <spoiler> I wonder if the author thought that having Copeland as a romantic interest would make his betrayal more dramatic and shocking. If that was the reason, I will say I had no feelings when Copeland turned Vasalie in. I was just glad to see him gone. I would have preferred those pages between Vasalie and Copeland to be erased and used for Anton.</spoiler>

I found the world-building to be lacking. This is a fantasy book, and for much of this book, the magic was set aside in lieu of the politics. I think those who want a strong magic system in this book will be disappointed. There isn't a concrete explanation of the magic system in this world. The book doesn't feel like a fantasy until the prophesy is introduced later on in the book, and even then, it feels like an afterthought. It's as if the author suddenly remembered that this is a fantasy book. What I would have liked to see is the magic woven into the first part of the book as well. I hope that in the next book we learn so much more about this world.

The book's main theme is centered around the quesiton of how much are you willing to sacrifice to attain what you desire? The author does a great job intertwining the theme into the plot and characters of the book. For Vasalie, she must contend with losing parts of her morality to get revenge. Some other characters are willing to sacrifice their loved ones for power. As a reader, I really felt the gravity of Vasalie's dilemma.

I think some readers will take issue with the writing style. The writings leans more purple. Because of this, the pacing is slow, especially when we're given paragaphs of description, info dumps, or action. Further, this type of writing lends itself well to long train of thoughts and rumination. While I do appreciate the writing style of this book, there were some moments that were difficult to picture because we're so intimately in the mind of the main character. I appreciate this style of writing, but I am so aware that it may not be for everyone so I just wanted to point this out.

Overall, I think this is a great debut, and I look forward to the next book.

<i>Thanks to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an eARC to review. </i>

A SOLID 4.5 starts for me. I am still REELING from that ending!! 🤯 I don't know how I'll survive until the second books comes out!

Vasalie has been unrightfully imprisoned and chained up for the last two years by the slimiest of dudes only for him to force her to relearn to dance and earn her freedom by spying at an art festival. Enter - the "hot for teacher" dance instructor AND the brooding brother of said slimeball?! YES PLEASE. The characters were relatable, I was laughing, I was crying. The TENSION, the banter 🤌🏻

The writing style was lyrical without being over the top, honestly might be my favorite in recent memory. I felt like I was transported to The Gathering and was actually watching the dances live, seriously stunning! Between the writing, the plot twists and that ENDING.. I definitely will be thinking about this book for awhile.

Highly recommended for readers who enjoy beautiful writing, political intrigue, high stakes and dancing 💃 (Do check the trigger warnings before reading)

Thank you to Brittney, Del Ray, and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had a good time while reading this book! I thought the atmosphere was incredible and I loved the disabled/ chronically ill representation that we had in the main character. This was the first fantasy romance that I have enjoyed in a while!

This is a new romantasy that is sure to take Tiktok by storm. I can't say no to a good enemies to lovers story. I will say that there should be some trigger warnings for this, as I was surprised by the SA. The disability rep is also a bit questionable and could have been worked on more. There isn't enough disability/ chronically ill representation in fantasy so it's important to be accurate, especially as I am also chronically ill. Thank you to the Brittney, Del Ray, and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

What a fresh take in the world of romantasy!
I did find some of the world building to move a little bit slowly, but I didn't find that it lost my interest.
The FMC had really excellent character development and it was refreshing to have the FMC have some disability representation.
So often I feel like the the FMCs are over the top in how "tough" they are.
Just know that this is a SLOW BURN (and truly is a slow burn).
I would recommend picking this up if you are looking for something more unique in romantasy.


Also, the cover of this book is STUNNING.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray for the ARC!

3.5-4 stars, rounded up!

I did very much enjoy this one, though it felt a bit slow at times for my liking. The political intrigue of it all was refreshing to read! I found our main character likeable, and I liked her journey throughout. I loved watching her gain confidence, and figure out how to survive. Vasalie has to figure out how to become a performer in a body that has been broken after two years of imprisonment, and finding ways to rediscover what dancing is and can be. I think for me, the middle of the book did get a bit bogged down for me - though not enough to have my experience ruined. I was so invested in the beginning of this book, and got re-invested by the end again that it still was a very enjoyable read for me. The stakes were high, and we were constantly being pulled every which way. I found myself questioning who I could truly trust, and even in moments where the book felt "slower" for me, I was still eagerly turning that page wanting to know what would happen next.

The writing was also so stunning. The perfect blend of evocative but informative, for me. I truly felt transported in this world. The atmosphere definitely hit the mark!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This debut fantasy romance pulled me in fast and didn’t let go. Brittney Arena crafts a lush, intrigue-laced world full of secrets, betrayal, and uneasy alliances. Vasalie Moran is a protagonist who grows on you—not instantly likable, but layered and compelling. Her constant back-and-forth wore on me at times, but there’s a strength in her that slowly demands respect.

Anton? An absolute standout. Complex, grounded, and unforgettable. As for Ilan… I’ll keep it spoiler-free, but let’s just say: nope.

The writing is vivid, the stakes are high, and the tension is relentless. Fans of slow-burn tension, morally gray choices, and political court intrigue will devour this. A strong debut with serious series potential

A Dance of Lies will draw you in with a captivating story filled with courtly intrigue and subterfuge.

I was instantly captivated with Vasalie’s storyline and loved her strength to preserve despite her debilitating chronic illness. Vasalie pushes her body to its limits and beyond in order to earn her freedom and clear her name. That means being accepted as a dancer in the elite Royal Gathering and turning spy for her captor…King Illian. Illian is a puppeteer and literally pulls Vasalie’s strings to achieve his goals. He gave off some despicable vibes from the beginning and his motives kept me guessing throughout the story. Vasalie struggles with betraying those with whom she is growing close to and starts to realise that Illian may not be who she thought he was.

I absolutely loved King Anton. From the moment he had his debut on the page, he had my attention and I was craving more interactions between him and Vasalie. I loved their banter but also how Anton interacted with those from his Court. With how the book ended, I am keen to see how this storyline progresses.

The writing style was easy to digest and the world-building was incredible. I felt that the author did a wonderful job of detailing the opulence of The Gathering and with so many Nations represented, there were easy distinguishing markers for each nationality. With a book that is so heavily focused on dance and the escape it provides to Vasalie, I loved how it was written. The dances were beautifully described and easy to visualise.

Thank you to Del Rey for gifting me with an arc in exchange for an honest review.