This was not bad but ended up just being okay. I always feel so bad leaving meh reviews for an arc but I was so excited for this one and it just fell a bit short.

"We all have our comforts, Minnow. I wonder if you might be mine."

I absolutely loved this book!

Vasalie Moran used to be a dancer for King Illian. After being framed for a murder she didn't commit, she is sent to prison by the king for two years. King Illian summons Vasalie and gives her a proposal; she must become a spy for the royal Gathering where she will dance for other royal courts. But King Illian threatens Vasalie with her freedom, forcing her to complete these tasks. King Illian's orders are simple at first, befriend a worker in the court or get the attention of his brother, the King of the East. But the King's orders become more ruthless and bloody, and Vasalie must decide between her freedom and doing the right thing.

One of the main things I found interesting in this book is the fact that Vasalie isn't depicting as physically strong all the time. She struggles to just stand throughout the novel which is something I don't see very often in fantasy novels. Usually, the main female lead is magically strong and healed after one training session but, she continues to struggle.

Vasalie's passion for dance jumps (or leaps) off the page. Yet, when the King of the East asks her why she loves to dance, she can't seem to answer the question. She loves to perform but after her injuries, doesn't love it as much as she used to. This is such a fascinating representation of a dancer because having your passion ripped away from you is extremely traumatic. But Vasalie still has to dance anyway, even though she is pain.

Although this book is marketed as a romantasy, it is not very romance heavy. It focuses more on the politics than romance.

I cannot wait for the sequel! Thank NetGalley and Del Rey for this ARC!

A Dance of Lies is a lovely mix of court intrigue, romance, and the power of dance as both art and strategy. The story is immersive, and once it hits its stride, it’s hard to put down. The slow build of tension, both political and romantic, keeps things engaging.

Vasalie is a strong lead, but her lack of court knowledge puts her at a disadvantage, making her growth throughout the book really satisfying to experience. She’s thrown into a world where alliances shift often, and no one can be fully trusted. The male characters—some charming, some dangerous—keep you guessing about who has her best interests at heart and who’s just playing their own game.

The romance is compelling, though at times, it leans into the “everyone is obsessed with the main character” trope a little too heavily, in my opinion. There’s also a clear emphasis on attraction, and while some connections develop naturally, others feel underbaked at first. That said, the uncertainty around who she’ll end up with makes for a fun read.

While the book delivers on its drama and romance, the worldbuilding—particularly the gods—felt underdeveloped. There’s some backstory on the goddess, but the role of the divine in the larger scheme of things remains vague. Given how central power and politics are to the plot, I would have liked a stronger connection between the world’s mythology and its current conflicts. Perhaps that will come in book 2!

That ending was absolutely ruthless. It leaves things wide open for the next book, and I’ll definitely be picking it up.

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC.

I adored this book!!! The romantasy genre is not my favorite lately, but A Dance of Lies singlehandedly cured that for me. Arena did an incredible job with her world building, gave us an awesome FMC, and gave us a solid plot. Every time I put the book down, I wanted to immediately pick it back up. I'm so shocked this is a debut novel and can't wait to see where Arena takes this story!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for sending me an e-arc of this book firstly.

I mean who doesn't love a slow burn romance? ill forever eat them up.

I've not really read a book before like this with the reputation it had in it.. not nearly as much as I would like to which made me enjoy this more also I feel.

The banter, world building, the characters I did enjoy and thought it was well written.

I truly did love the premise of the book, and I do believe a lot of intriguing things are happening in it - the disability rep, the politics. However, I did not vibe with it for reasons (as of now) unknown to me.

Keeps you on your toes from start to finish—moving, inspirational, and completely unexpected.

This book was a wild ride in the best way. It’s a refreshing take on romantasy, I love the mix of intrigue, politics, espionage, myths, and romance in a way that never feels predictable. The story is gripping, intense, and full of twists that constantly make you question who to trust (and even who to root for in the romance).

Once the king’s prized dancer, Vasalie was known as the King’s Jewel, until she was framed for murder and locked away. Now, after two years in prison, she’s offered a chance at freedom in exchange for a dangerous task: spying.

The main character, Vasalie, is an absolute standout. Her journey through trauma and chronic pain/illness is deeply moving and handled with so much care. She’s not just the typical “badass FMC”; she’s layered, determined, and incredibly relatable. Seeing her find strength, despite everything she’s endured, felt real—like the author truly understood and respected that experience.

The side characters are just as vivid. The ones I loved, I really loved. The ones I hated, I really hated. Some were even genuinely frightening, which made the stakes feel even higher.

I can’t gush about this book enough. It’s beautiful, intense, and thrilling. I need more people to read it. If you love a story that’s equal parts heart-wrenching and exhilarating, this is the one.

This was pretty good!
I really enjoyed the banter and world building. The romance plot was logical. The big baddies were properly bad. The scenes and locations were lush and fleshed out.
To be slightly critical: it dragged in a few spots. And the mfc was tiptoeing the line of being a "pick me girl" imho. Everyone fawned over her without her really earning it. I give her a pass because she was kind of aware of it.
But it had great ending and I'm ready for the next installment!

🅐🅡🅒 🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦

★ 🩰+｡🩰★

★𝐓í𝐭𝐮𝐥𝐨: A Dance of Lies.
★𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫: Brittney Arena.
★𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐢ó𝐧: ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
★𝐅𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚 𝐝𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐜𝐢ó𝐧: 10 de junio de 2025.
★ 𝐯𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐬: ⚔️🩰❤️‍🔥🥀🕯️👑🗝️


Opinión

¡Wao, qué paseo!

Una historia muy entretenida, con el ritmo siempre cambiante y feroz de una montaña rusa.

Admito que me costó engancharme un poco a mediados del libro, pero estoy feliz de haber insistido porque terminó por ser bastante bueno.

★Amo que la autora introduzca cosas que son cotidianas en la vida real dentro de su trama, y les de un trasfondo místico y etéreo.

★Siempre resulta increíble leer sobre una protagonista que, a pesar de sus límites físicos (en este caso, Vasalie padece de una enfermedad crónica que le produce dolor constante y debilidad corporal), se las arregla para aprender a aceptar y domar sus propias inseguridades y fortalecerse. Volverse una guerrera desde el interior.

★AMÉ las descripciones de las escenas de danza. Tan vívidas, creativas y sólidas que se sentían como ir al teatro y ver un performance en vivo. Fue espectacular y muy bien detallado.

★La autora usó el elemento "among us" hasta decir basta. Siempre puedes hacer teorías de quién es el traidor real, quién pensaba que estaba engañando a quién, murió o no murió?? En fin, que de ahí viene lo de montaña rusa 🤣

Recomendado si amaste sagas como The Plated Prisoner, que es de mis favoritas ✨

¡De antemano muchas gracias a la autora y a Netgalley por el e-arc!

P.d: Esa portada va al top 5 de mejores portadas de este año. Uf, qué preciosidad.

This book started off slow, but once it picked up, I was hooked. The world was detailed, and the writing pulled me in. I had trouble connecting with some characters. The slow-burn romance was worth the wait, and even though some parts felt a bit slow, I didn’t mind. A great and exciting read!

I have no words for how good this book was. This is a 6 star read for me. It was a bit slow at the start but I quickly got hooked and just got better from there I ATE this up. Not only was the story really unique but the characters were so well made and the descriptions and language were top tier and I could easily understand what was going on and could picture everything really well. There was nothing confusing about the plot which like I mentioned before was really interesting and different than most fantasy books out there. There were nice short chapters so makes for a really easy read and doesn't feel too long winded. And it made me FEEL things I was giggling and kicking my feet and I was shocked by the ending I actually feel unwell now. I needed the second book five minutes ago and safe to say I will be buying the book and rereading it because its THAT GOOD.

Brittney Arena is my new auto buy author and if/when there's a second book I will a million percent be applying for that ARC too. I am so impressed by this and it was just a lovely read.

I could not put this book down. It kept me up past my bedtime every night for a week (which says a lot because I really like sleeping). I couldn't stop turning the pages. In addition to being "romantasy" it's also a terrific mystery.

I already preordered my copy and can't wait to share this with my friends! The ending has me screaming for book 2 now...

This book tackles disability and chronic illness in a way that seems true and honest. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters but it was an intricate story and world building. The visuals for the island and buildings were great.

In A Dance of Lies, we meet Vasalie, the former king’s jewel, now prisoner for a crime she didn’t commit. When King Ilian offers her a deal she can’t refuse, be his spy during a Royal Gathering and he will grant her back her freedom. Only Vasalie has to pose as a dancer and the imprisonment has left scars and pain in her body which leads to its own challenges.

Once at the Royal Gathering, Vasalie meets Copelan, the Master of Ceremonies who becomes her dance partner and Ilian’s younger brother King Anton. There’s more to Anton than meets the eye and while Vasalie remains suspicious, she can’t help but like him.

However, King Ilian has his own agenda and as his orders to Vasalie grow more and more dangerous, she will have to navigate her new alliances, her loyalty to her court and her own moral compass.

This was such a fabulous romantasy debut. It was easy to root for Vasalie as she pushed herself both physically and mentally in dance and in intrigue. Her love interests are all intruiging and charismatic and I’m excited to see more from them. And that ending just left me begging for the second book to be out now. Absolutely not a book to miss! Pre-order it now!

Thanks to Del Rey and NetGalley for an arc for an honest review.

The disability rep made me feel so seen! Other than that, I didn’t connect much with the characters. Unsure if I will continue.

This book was so good!
Vasalie our FMC is imprisoned for two years, which leads to her being disabled. (Which isn't something you see in books and I loved it). As part of her release, The King orders her to the gathering of monarchs as a dancer/entertainer and in return she will be let free. She soon finds herself in a dangerous situation though that harms and betrays those around her.
This book is great because it kept me on my toes. I wasn't ever sure who to trust, whether they were bad or good. It's a slow burn romance, but worth it! Of course the end was a bit of a cliff hanger, and I'll be hanging on that cliff until the next one comes out!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

I was originally pulled in by the cover art, which I think captures the prose and feel of the work beautifully. While I am not usually a big romantasy reader, I really appreciated Arena's character-driven narrative as well as the way she captured the dance elements alongside the challenges of chronic pain. This protagonist will absolutely stand out in a crowded genre, and felt very authentic and human.

Thank you so much for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Overall, I thought this was a wonderful debut. It felt a bit slow in places, but I did not mind at all to be perfectly honest. It was refreshing to me (compared to many romantic fantasies on the market) to be able to sit with parts of Vasalie's personal journey. It was painful but also beautiful as she slowly began to rise from the ashes of her life.

I also enjoyed the political intrigue, but it wasn't too heavy or intense with some of it, and in the end, I kind of wanted more there.

The romance is a slow burn, and I loved the moments they shared. It felt like we were barely scratching the surface with them, and yet I couldn't stop smiling nonetheless.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable read that I couldn't put down towards the end. I am already looking forward to book 2 and seeing where the story takes these characters.

So....
This book!
What 🤌🤌🤌🤌
1000000/10
I was lucky enough to be approved as an arc reader for this book( when you get a copy of the ebook before a book is published in exchange for an honest review) .
I now need the physical copy!
The story line is just *chefs kiss*!
Everything is so well written.
BRB gonna go check if there's a indication of when book two will come out, bc the cliffhanger!!😱
I cannot believe this is the authors debut novel.I am so excited to read more of this authors books!

I loved this book!! Vasalie is such a strong FMC, in multiple ways than one. I fell equally in love with her love interest and I was so pleased she ended up with him instead of choosing the 'easier' option, and not tolerating less than she deserved. I did think the portrayal of her chronic illness could have been a bit stronger, sometimes I was still confused during her performances how she was achieving some of the steps, so maybe more description could make this theme of the book stand out more. I do respect the delicate balance that must be struck between not making it the FMC's defining trait and showing her fighting through it sometimes, however.
As an ex-dancer myself, I loved the description of dance and why we do it, and of course the more tangible side of it like Vasalie's props and costumes.
The ending lost me a bit, but only because I wanted so badly for Vasalie to FINALLY have a happy ending, finally be able to rest and feel loved. But that just means I need the next book ASAP. I have no doubt she is going to succeed in her next mission.
Also, the cover is SO beautiful. I can't wait to buy myself a physical copy.