This was a DNF for me. I tried to make it to 20% but was so bored at 15% that I just decided to not force myself to do more. I think the book has the potential to be really good for people who like Divine Rivals or books like that but it just didn’t keep my attention like I wish it would have. I felt like the world building was very extensive and over done and that some of the parts in the 15% that I read was very drawn out and could have been shorter. It just wasn’t for me but I do believe it has potential for some people.

Initially, I DNF'd this book at 20% but after talking to a friend who had completed the book and encouraged me to keep going, I picked it back up.

Overall, I very much enjoyed Arena's writing and the story she told. But the pacing was rough for me and I feel like a lot of the writing could be smoothed out. If those had been honed, I think I would be more interested in continuing to the second book in what is planned to be a duology, but even with enjoying the story as a whole, I just don't think this one is for me.

This book did really well with pacing, flow, characters, and prose. The characters were pretty distinct, and I love how they didn't blend into one another, each of their interactions true to who the character was. The plot was pretty good and solid. There wasn't anything confusing about what was going on, and the air of mystery/court intrigue was done well. Lots of things were happening (in a non-confusing way) that made it feel pretty "epic" and raised the tension and stakes for the fmc. The romance was pretty subtle, and definitely not the forefront focus of the book, which I absolutely adored. We got to watch the relationships happening with the fmc slowly growing and falling apart, new dynamics making things complex rather than the simplicity of black and white. I also love the increasing development of a magic system and lore being introduced during the second half, and all of this combined makes me excited for the second book when it comes out!

I was very excited to receive an advance copy of this book as I had heard so much about it, and there were certainly aspects of this that I absolutely loved! For me, this felt like a mix between a classic fantasy, and a caraval-esque book, intermingling elements of both, and that did give it a fairly unique feel.

I also really enjoyed the authors writing and thought it felt very accomplished and engaging!

I suppose my only criticism was that I didn’t really feel invested in the characters enough to be fully engaged in the plot despite it being quite gripping! A little more work on character development and relationships would push this up to a 5 for me!

I was so excited when I got this book, but it’s honestly been a little bit of a let down. The story and the characters didn’t grab me. And while I loved that this had a chronic illness rep, the FMC spent too much time in misery and complaining over her life.

A big thank you to NetGalley and publishers for access to this e-ARC!!

DNF @ 41%

Unfortunately this book feels generic, stunted, and inconsistent in tone. My first concern arrived when the first three men we meet, the first thing we learn about them is that FMC finds them attractive, even with her much larger problems looming over her.

The king responsible for her imprisonment? Ugh gorgeous

The judge who allows her entry to the Gathering who ultimately becomes her dance partner? Oh he's pretty, when his hand touched my back it felt like fire, what are these feelings

The overseer of the Gathering / master of the house? Shit he's hot too (pretty sure he's gay but still, damn)

Ultimately, everything in this book is entirely too -convenient-. Every guy FMC interacts with is so willing to flirt with her and tell them all their secrets, everyone that sees her dance says she's the greatest thing since sliced bread, the one person she was hoping to never see again and had no reason to ever see again was somehow invited to the Gathering and just -happens- to not see her through a topiary even though she can see and recognize him?

What finally convinced me to DNF this book was the result of these three wildly convenient happenings in the span of like four pages:

1. FMC is allowed into the secret tunnels under the palace (again, no one should trust you with that information but sure I guess) and instead of head where she's instructed, nah she goes -wandering the tunnels randomly- hoping to stumble upon some gossip? Girl it's a tunnel, it's pitch black in there you'd get lost 100%!! But no, she finds her way back to where she's headed after wandering into -the exact guy's room she was hoping to snoop on- and getting spooked.

2. As she re-enters the main tunnel, "A bell signals ten minutes until midnight." Why in the world would anyone need to be alerted that it's 11:50pm, across the entire palace, other than exactly you, exactly today, exactly because you have somewhere to be by midnight? If people need to know the time, ring a bell on the hour every hour like every other clock system does, why ten minutes before other than "because the author needed to remind FMC she had somewhere to be."

3. Once outside the tunnels, she finds herself on a beach dock and, upon getting startled by a guard doing rounds, trips in the sand and is basically a sitting duck to be caught. But no, -THE KING- is the "guard" who finds her! He elected himself to do a guard shift, right by the exit of the tunnel, just to ensure she gets where she's going. Not a single guard finds it weird that the KING volunteered for a shift of strolling the beach, during a country-wide conference where he absolutely should have better things to be doing?

Hopefully I've gotten my point across, and I'm going to DNF before I end up even more frustrated, because now that I've noticed this silly pattern, I will certainly pick up on so many more and would end up feeling poorly about the book overall if I were to finish it.

I had the opportunity to read the e-ARC through @netgalley for Dance of Lies, and the first thing I must say is that the writing is very poetic; lyrical if you will.

I genuinely don't know if I can describe this book as eloquently as it deserves, partly because I'm still reeling from that ending! I need the second book now.

I'm struggling to find the right words to draft a review. I don't think I can make it justice. So, I guess you'll just have to read it to find out, but I will leave you all with this: the story follows Vasalie who, for years, has endured major physical and psychological trauma at the hands of others. She is a talented dancer who happens to live with chronic illness, and as someone who too lives with a chronic illness that targets joints/muscles, which can be debilitating, reading about her journey was inspiring. She is one resilient and strong FMC!

What else can you expect from reading this book? A lot of secrets, betrayals, sexual tension, and of course drama and her cousin trauma.

Dance of Lies
⭐️: 4 - 4.5
🌶: 0, but has delicious tension and heated moments!

👑 Rival Kings
😈 Terribly Behaved Royals
❤️‍🔥 Who even is the ship?
🫦 Banter
💪🏼 Chronic Illness Rep
🏰 Court Intrigue
🔍 Dangerous Espionage
🪞 Glass Technology
🔥 No on page spice, but the tension was absolutely delicious!! The moments that got heated between the FMC and the MMC once she chose 🥵 (brothel scene IYKYK)

Lastly, hopefully, we finally get to see some uninterrupted moments between the MCs in book 2 😉

So grateful for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book! It is easily one of my favorite reads this year so far. I loved the representation of a disability/chronically ill main character in fantasy. I also enjoyed the dance aspect of the story and how well written it was. The royal court setting/political intrigue was very well done and kept me turning the page. I was sort of expecting the ending, but not the way it happened, so I was pleasantly surprised with the twist at the end. I cannot wait for the next book!!

It follows Vasalie, a dancer turned spy for her King, for the upcoming Royal Gathering. But as more time goes on, she realizes there is more going on behind the scenes that has her second guessing everything. The betrayals and secrets cause Vasalie to have to make a decision on exactly who she can trust or if she can only rely on herself.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the change to read and review this arc.

3.5⭐️

So i went into this thinking it was a standalone, and I will say realising it's the start of a series did change perspective on its rating.

I love the creativity of this. The world set up is interesting. I'm one of those people who can't see thing in their head, but if I could, I'm sure I'd have no issue here. Even I could tell this world is beautiful. I think the author did a great job with the dances too. Capturingg them in writing had to be difficult.

I really like vasalie, she's strong-willed and smart enough to manipulate people to make her life easier. I don't suffer with chronic pain but I definitely felt like I got a glimpse of what that is like (please read the authors note on this, you can tell how much it meant to her to write it). There are a few instances of anxiety response, and they're very accurate to my own experience.

The chemistry with copelan was well written. I loved anton, he gives sexy bad boy with a secret good side vibes. Our villain is a very well constructed absolute tool and very, very easy to hate. Top marks to the author for that.

It took me a while to figure out who the love interest(s) were. But once i decided on my favourite i was very invested and I was not disappointed. The author did a great job at giving each potential relationship a different type of chemistry.

Plotwise, it's a little slow, I was definitely expecting more of a full-blown magic fantasy. But once I realised this was not a standalone, the slower pace made more sense. We take time to build the world and the ruling system for the different kingdoms. The stakes really kick in towards the end of part 2, and it was fast reading from there. The ending makes you want to pick up the next one.

I've gone with 3.5 stars because it did drag a little in places, and I prefer my fantasy with a faster pace. But from 50% it had me and i'm expecting big things from the next book.

I received an advance review copy of this book, and this review represents my honest opinion. Thank you to netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! What can I say... this book was incredible! I loved how it was written! It was enchanting and full of plot twists and what an ending. I loved the betrayals and the fact Vasalie has a condition regarding her physical strength and health, that I am sure many readers will be glad to see is being represented. Of which, not many books have.
I really hope there will be a sequel as this book had me by the throat and I could not put it down.
Definitely recommend this book and I loved how Vasalie is a dancer!

Thank you so much netgalley and Del Rey for an early copy.

This was a fun and enjoyable read even though it took me a while to get through. The beginning was a little slow but the last half I was flying through it! I really appreciate the complexity of disability also showcased. Vasalie was easy to root for and the romance was so good!!

I'll definitely check out more works by this author.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
Rating: 4.25 ✨

“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.”

Once a dancer in King Illian’s court, Vasalie Moran was framed for murder and imprisoned for 2 years. After barely surviving her imprisonment, she’s presented a deal: become a spy at the royal Gathering and gain her freedom. The tasks set before her are increasingly dangerous and bloody, forcing her to betray those she becomes close to. As the tale unfolds, Vasalie must decide how important her freedom is and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn.

————————————————————————

It took me a little while to get into this book and I’m not sure why…the writing was lovely, the characters were intriguing, and the story was unique. Perhaps I’m used to much more prevalent fantasy elements. But I will say that in the final chapters, I was definitely locked in.

This book presents us with a whirlwind of political intrigue that kept me guessing the entire time. It was a story that had my heart breaking for Vasalie who didn’t ask for such turmoil in her life. But we also watched Vasalie become empowered and find her inner strength, we watched her adapt and find herself again after enduring such trauma.

For most of the book, I wasn’t 100% sure who I wanted her romantic interest to be…and if I’m honest, I mostly just wanted her to be surrounded by her new friends who love her unconditionally and only see her greatness. That girl deserves it.

This was the first in a duology and it left us with a cliffhanger that I absolutely need answers to so I will impatiently await book 2!

GORGEOUS. An absolutely phenomenal debut and I devoured it. Dancing and spies and romance and political chaos? SIGN ME UP (though I would absolutely not survive their world at all). The disability rep was lovely to see, and I can’t wait for everyone to read it. I am obsessed and I can’t wait for book 2!

I received an advance copy from the publisher, all opinions are my own, and a review was not required.

This was such an intriguing book. It starts off a little slow, but you won’t be disappointed if you hang in there through the first few chapters.

I feel like I’m always 10 steps ahead of a book and can usually call where it’s going; it’s pretty hard to surprise me. A dance of Lies kept me guessing the entire way through. Brittney does a great job at weaving Vasalie’s story including heartache, longing, and discovery. While there are aspects of romance, Brittney focuses more on unraveling the truth and Vasalie’s personal fight/growth.

I didn’t 100% connect with all of the characters and felt there were some things over explained, but would still highly recommend this book.

I loved this book. It’s beautiful and complex (in the best possible way). I’m absolutely dying for book two even though book one isn’t even out yet. It’s about resilience, survival, and strength, and a fantastic debut.

This is not a standalone…

First, I want to thank NetGalley and Del Rey for granting me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book sounded so incredibly fun that I just had to ran to NetGalley once I found out this was on there. Quickly, I got accepted and couldn’t wait to read it.

The book starts off quite slow, which wasn’t really my thing. I also felt like certain areas were prolonged without them needing to be. At times, that took me out of the reading flow. Around 35/40%, I started to get more invested into the story. The pace quickened and the general area to which the story was headed became clearer. From 50 to 70%, I had a hard time putting the book down. There was quite a lot of action and tension. From 70% onward, the book felt a bit rushed but also slow at the same time.

The ending is open, but with about 50 more pages this could have been a standalone. I think I would’ve preferred if it was. Going into the story, I presumed it was a standalone because I didn’t see anywhere that this would be more than one book. If this was communicated more clearly, I would’ve gone into the book with a different view.

Overall, the story had quite some potential but didn’t really align with what I love and expected before going into it. Because of that, I will rate the book 3 stars.

“Your story is not a kind one… But though you’ve suffered your own fire, child, you won’t always smell of smoke. And yes, it may have burned you, but scars are powerful things, because they show your resilience.”

Where do I even begin…

When I requested this book on NetGalley, I had heard next to nothing about it. What I knew was that it had an absolutely gorgeous cover, it was a debut, and the premise intrigued me. Little did I know that submitting that request and getting the chance to read this book early would alter my brain chemistry forever.

It has been some time since a book has had me literally itching to read every available second that I have (the last like this was Immortal Dark). I was jumping on this story every minute that I could. I just couldn’t stop wanting to read this book.

“I am broken.” “You are art.”

Vasalie is such a strong, resilient, and intricate character whose pain, struggles, and desire for freedom are so beautifully written that I felt every strain of tension, every wince of pain, every longing thought. She is fiercely loyal and will got to the mat for those she has come to care for. Her determination and sense of justice is to be admired, and her love for her craft is genuine. I love her and will be thinking about her as a character for years to come.

“He is a harmony, a song. A melody made flesh.”

Copelan was fun, if a little naive in a way. The chemistry between him and Vasalie was palpable, and the friendship that blossomed from their polarity was balanced with how their opposite natures ended up complimenting each other so well. I am excited to see where his character arc goes from here.

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

Anton is an intriguing character who had me second guessing who he was and what his angle was for almost every chapter he was in. He is like Vasalie in that he is fiercely loyal to his friends, and he is a true protector. His innovative personality shone through, along with his rakish charm. Anton is not all you expect him to be.

“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.”

Illian is a villain worthy of the title. He is in all ways despicable and vile. He is manipulative and cunning. Illian knows how to play the game and how to play the people around him, and so it is truly terrifying in so many ways. His obsession with Vasalie was giving me Frollo vibes (but make him young and hot). Ordinarily this kind of villain would have a redemption arc and have us falling for him. Not Illian though. Be prepared to stay hating him until the last page.

“You can choose to be his victim, Vasalie. Or, when you walk from these halls, you can deny him the permanence of such a gift.”

A Dance of Lies is a uniquely crafted jewel of a debut romantic fantasy. Every chapter had my heart racing at the dangers that lurked at every turn for Vasalie and her friends. One wrong move could cost them everything and the high stakes nature of that was executed beautifully. The world building was organic, intricate, and fleshed out in a way that I could vividly imagine each nation, culture, costume, persona involved. There is also such an incredible ensemble of a cast with amazing characters you will root for and loathsome characters you will fight against. Each character is so uniquely themselves and brings something different to Vasalie’s healing (or harming) journey.

The plot was addictive and the twists just kept coming, there were times I thought I had predicted something correctly, only to have it either be completely wrong or I missed a crucial piece of the puzzle. The writing style was so easy to read, flowing elegantly and eloquently. A Dance of Lies is filled with evocative language that was able to place me so immersed in the story that it felt like I was watching Vasalie’s choreography, Anton’s careless manner, and Illian’s schemes unfold before my very eyes. It is a character study in determination, resilience, morality, and a will to not just survive but live.

This is an absolutely breathtaking story and one that is going to be staying with me for a very, very long time. I dare say that this is going to be my favourite romantic fantasy of 2025 (and possibly even from the 2020s). There’s only one other book (which comes out October) that might claim the title of “Favourite Book of 2025” but currently, A Dance of Lies firmly holds that title out of the 37 books I’ve read so far this year.

“But I am not a thing to be taken or turned against anyone. I am my own, and I deserve justice as much as he.”

What you can expect to find in A Dance of Lies:

* A strong yet vulnerable FMC who is in her mid-20s
* A charismatic MMC who stole my heart
* A villain (or two…) you’ll love to hate
* Political intrigue - a very dangerous game of politics is afoot. It is a very political at the forefront romantic fantasy
* Beautifully written story
* Dancing, choreography, and art
* Queer normative world
* Slow burn romance (no spice exactly in Book 1)
* Found family
* Chronic illness representation
* Book 1 of a duology
* Prophecies
* Gods, fates, and a little bit of magic
* And so much more!

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing me with an eARC of A Dance of Lies, and to Brittney Arena for bringing a new favourite book into the world.

Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book.

A dancer is wrongly imprisoned for a murder she didn't commit and is offered an exemption by her King if she goes undercover at an international court gathering between 7 neighbouring kingdoms to spy for him. I was told this was a standalone but after reading it there are too many lose ends that I think it will send up a series. This story is full of political intrigue, plot twists, and loveable characters.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It had the right amount of everything. The romance was subtle but fun. The plot was well thought out and unravelled well. The ending twists kept me guessing until the very end. I genuinely didn't know which 'side' was going to win. I really hope that there is a follow up book at least as I would hate for the story to end like it did.

On the basis of another book- 4.5 stars

Thank you so much to Del Rey and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book. The following review is my honest opinion.

THIS BOOK HAD ME ON MY TOES FROM START TO FINISH! THE TENSION BETWEEN THE MAIN CHARACTERS AND THE POLITICAL INTRIGUE WAS IMMACULATE!

This adult romantasy is about Vasalie, an outstanding dancer for King Illian’s court. She respects and trusts King Illian for everything he has done for her. Until one day when he frames her for murder and imprisons her for two long years.
After not being able to move for such a long time, she inevitably suffers chronic repercussions. However, King Illian decides that he wants Vasalie to be a dancer and his spy at the six-week royal Gathering. In return he will give her her freedom back.
At the royal Gathering we, as readers, are confronted with a lot of interesting political intrigue, tension between the FMC and two other characters and very beautiful descriptions of the unique settings.

Where should I start? This book was right up my alley and I really enjoyed this story from start to finish. Brittney Arena has a very descriptive and beautiful writing style, which helped me picture all the scenes in my head. I feel like this story was so different from other fantasy books and it also had some really unique tension-filled romantic scenes. We also got a lot of unexpected moments plot-wise, which kept me on my toes throughout the book. I can’t wait for book two!!!

I would recommend this book to everyone, who enjoys a strong FMC, slow burn romance, great banter and beautiful world-building. Also go into it blind, like I did, it really enhanced my reading experience.

Thank you so much Netgalley and the publisher for accepting my request to read and review one of my more anticipated reads of 2025!

This book had me on the edge of my seat from the get-go, the court politics were diiiirrrrttyyyy. I loved how deep we got into people schemes and motives and I did not expect where it all went in the end. I obviously cant say much on this but I looooved it.

I loved where certain 'relationships' also went (this would also be spoilers) but wow

I think Brittney Arena was brilliant with keeping tabs on all the different characters and who likes who and who hates who and what motivations would be and how peoples histories connected. Genius.

If you like your fantasy to focus more on court politics and intrigue this is 100% the one for you.

I will say my biggest complaint is I felt the protagonist Vasalie was quite weak for how she readily agreed to do things that Illian asked her to. I feel she was too much of a pushover for a lot of this book and that she is largely at fault for how things played out. I did want to shake her and yell.

Overall, super addicting book and I do have to know what happens next.