I enjoyed this so much more than I thought I would! When I first applied for it, my thoughts were “that’s a nice cover” but I’m so glad that I read it through.

This book ticked so many boxes for me, royal courts, fantasy politics, a strong female character that goes through amazing characters development (although sometimes I wanted to shake her!), and I LOVED that this was fantasy with a romance sub plot and that wasn’t the whole reason for the book.

The characters were really easy to love and you felt connected with even just the small side characters you only see for 2 chapters. The writing was really good and wanted to go read more by Brittney to find out this is her first release! I’ll definitely be picking up more of her books in the future.

This was such a high 4 stars and I’m so excited to see what happens in the next book!

I really wanted to love this one, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t for me.

What I liked:
The originality of the story, the disability representation, and the way the dances were written—those scenes painted such a vivid picture. I kept thinking that if this were ever adapted into a movie, it would be visually stunning. I also enjoyed the last 10% of the book.

What didn’t work for me:
The story just didn’t grip me. It felt very slow, repetitive, and overwhelmingly overwritten. The characters felt flat and often annoying, and there was no real chemistry between the love interests. For a romantasy, it surprisingly lacked romance. While the plot wasn’t entirely predictable, it was still easy to guess what would happen next. There was no real intrigue or twist to keep me excited or wanting more.

I thought about DNF-ing it but kept pushing through, hoping it would pick up. Sadly, it never really did.

This is very beautifully written and a great start for a debut novel! I think I picked this up at the wrong time, and could not get into it. I definitely will try to pick it up again later. Thank you for sending me an arc copy!

I have very mixed feelings on this book. I was intrigued at one moment then underwhelmed the next. I loved the idea of this book and thought it could have been great, but in the end this lacked something for me. Vasalie is undoubtably traumatized though she perseveres repeatedly, I felt little connection to her and felt like she lacked personality while grabbing the attention of every male in the area. I had trouble visualizing her performances and overall this felt a bit rushed and chaotic but and the same time, I still enjoyed the overall story. Hard to say if I will pick up book two when it comes out but I had a semi-enjoyable time with this. I think I just prefer a different type of fantasy.
All that to say, this will definitely have fans when it is released!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of A Dance of Lies!

Unfortunately, I'm bailing on this one. I felt like it had so much promise, but if you're chained in place for 2 years, unable to get up and move around, and with an atrocious diet, you're not getting up to dance in 2 months. It's not happening, no matter what. It's just silly. Add in how repetitive and overwritten this is, it just isn't it's the book for me.

What a great debut novel!

Vasalie a Dancer in King Illians court is wrongly/set-up for murder. She spends two years in a dark cell until she is offered her freedom as long as she does some spying at the Gathering.

I loved the angle of her being a disabled dancer. It was done well and you were shown she tries to dance her way through the pain. It was a journey for her to accept her body and its limitations.

During the gathering she really mentally struggles with the tasks she is given. She has internal conflicts of not wanting to harm her new friends and wanting freedom.

While it took me a minute to get into the book at about the 25% mark I couldn’t put it down constantly wanting to see what was going to happen. It was interesting to try and figure out why she needed to do certain things and then see Vasalies actions turn into consequences. There was lots of little twists and political intrigue throughout.

The reader has to wait a hot minute for the MMC to emerge but it’s worth it.

I am really looking forward to the next book as that cliffhanger I wasn’t fully expecting.

Thank you to netgalley, Brittney Arena, and DelRey for the ARC.

This might just be my personal experience with Manga and manhwa but this story felt so similar to plots I've read before, and always enjoy. The disability representing was so refreshing in romantacy. Reading about a character with the level of strength and determination of Vasalie makes me feel motivated to challenge myself to rise to be my best. I really enjoyed this book ans cannot wait for the next one

4.5 stars rounded up

The first book of a purported duology.

Full of political power struggles and scheming, A Dance of Lies mostly takes place during the Gathering, an event where all the kings and leaders are collected. In an attempt to gain her freedom, Vasalie must spy while in attendance. She makes friends and enemies during the festivities and has to work through her chronic pain while performing her dances and spying for her king.

I found the description of Vasalie’s disability to be realistic and appreciated her ways of dealing with the pain. The way she kept working towards her freedom and her guilt over her actions made her a likeable character. There were plenty of twists that kept me interested along the way and I am looking forward to book 2 after that cliffhanger.

Thank you Del Ray for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

Thank you NetGalley and DelRey for sharing this ARC with me, it truly was a pleasure!

This story drew me into it like few have done recently. I was driving home from work and caught myself just longing to curl up in my couch to read. I snuck every moment I could find to read a little, every break or slow moment. I think the worldbuilding is very cool, and introduced in a well-paced and easy to understand way. It’s not very heavy, and neither is the “magic”-system, so I’d say this is a pretty easy fantasy if you’re not used to the genre. It’s got loads of political intrigue which is my favorite type of fantasy, and it’s not very heavy romance wise, but there definetly is some! I found the characters to be quite compelling, and I really want to know what happens in the next book (buuuut this one isn't even out yet so I’m guessing I’m gonna have to wait a while for the next one…)

I really liked the story too. Some plot twists I saw coming, but others shocked me thorougly. The pacing was really well done for most of the book, and I also loved the style of writing. It was very descriptive and floated away a bit at times, but in like a good, artistic kind of way. Speaking of artistic, the way the author talks about the dances in this book is magical, it’s so filled with love and passion that I feel almost certain it’s not only because our character loves dancing but because the author does too.

!! these next points could be considered light spoilers !!

My issues are:

I want more Emilia time. I would’ve wanted a prolouge or something about Vasalie growing up and getting to know her, so that when her motiviation is doing something because Emilia would’ve wanted it, we would’ve been able to relate more to it.

I felt the ending was quite rushed, and it became a lot more romance and less plot in the last 10 or so percent, which isn’t how I wished it had ended.

Vasalie is supposed to be dissabled due to imprisonment, and I feel like that disability only ever came forward when it was convenient, and wouldn’t affect her too much. In every critical moment she managed to push through and perform, but once she was safe and alone she’d collapse. Not once did it actually affect her much, it felt more like a second thought, which a disability usually definetly isn’t.

ALSO I would’ve wanted even more yearning. I yearn for good yearning. Please give me more yearning.

Still a solid, good, entertaining book. Had it not been a debut I’d probably been a bit harshed with the rating, but for a first book? This feels super promising and I can not wait to see what the author comes up with next.

I loved that book so much, it was an addictive first book and I can't wait for the rest to come.

Vas is such a strong women despite her struggles, she lived nightmares and find a way to still stand despite pain, fatigue and everything her disability shot at her. The place given to the dance is amazing, dancing is not just about movements, it's about the art of telling a story and I am so glad to have read a story telling, showing us that.

The plot is well written, I loved Anton our main characters as well as the secondary characters (which are so important). I also loved discovering the past of each character with Vas going through the book.
Really, I am dying for the sequel!

Thank you Netgalley and DelRey for the opportunity to read it!
Note: 4,5/5

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena is a strong debut that pulls you into a world full of danger, political games, and emotional stakes. The story follows Vasalie, a heroine with a disability, as she’s thrown into a kingdom divided between three royal brothers, each ruling their own land. The politics are complex and full of surprises, and I genuinely didn’t see some of the twists coming.

One of the biggest strengths of this book is the worldbuilding. Everything felt detailed and alive, from the history, traditions and legends to the relationships between different countries and even the invention of new tools and weapons. Everything was so brilliantly set up and thought out, I couldn't think of one thing that was lacking! The focus on dance was also really original. As someone who knows nothing about dance, I found the scenes easy to picture and beautifully described.

The relationships in this book are also very compelling. Vasalie’s connection with King Illian, who betrays her (as is also stated in the blurb, so it's no spoiler), is heartbreaking and really well written. She also has two very different love interests, and each relationship brings something unique to the story. One of them didn’t work as well for me. He felt too harsh and distant, and their romance felt rushed. I would’ve liked more build-up on the page. The other love interest completely won me over, though—great banter, great chemistry, and a really fun character! To be fair, the first love interest had no chance after this one showed up.
Just to add; I actually despise love triangles, but this one wasn't bad at all. I'm not sure if it was really necessary, but I didn't mind it and it actually made the plot more compelling for me personally.

This book is also heavy on the angst. The emotional struggles Vasalie goes through are intense, and the story doesn’t shy away from showing how much she suffers, especially after the things she has to do to survive. The romance is also very angsty. At times, it made me feel overwhelmed, and I found the middle a bit slow because of how dark everything got. I just wanted a little more light and happiness for her. Still, the ending made it all worth it. It was shocking, sad, and hopeful all at once, and I can’t wait to read the sequel! I need to know what happens next so badly!!

My only other small complaint is that while Vasalie’s disability is mentioned and respected, I wish we saw more moments where it made her struggle or fail in the more important moments. She’s so strong and impressive, but showing those harder moments, especially during moments where she can't fail, would’ve made her feel even more real and relatable. But I don't want to say too much about this since Vasalie's struggles are based on the author's struggles, and I respect that. I'm just happy we got some disability rep! It was also very heartwarming to see her come to terms with her disability and learn that she's still strong!

I’d recommend this book to fans of angsty fantasy romance, strong heroines, vivid worldbuilding, and stories full of betrayal, politics, and emotional intensity. If you enjoy books where the stakes are high and the characters have to fight for every moment of peace, you’ll probably love this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion!

Disability rep in a romantasy novel?! Yes please! That being said, I do feel like the plot drug in some spots and the FMC wasn't always the most interesting. Still, it was a super interesting plot all around and I think a lot of people are really going to enjoy this novel when it releases.

**4.25 Stars**Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC. Arena created tension, pushed her characters through their limits, and left readers with an ending where you’re asking for more! I found myself talking to the characters, who rarely did what I told them to do which is fun for me since many times I can guess their next moves and the book becomes predictable. That was not the case in this debut! Lovely prose and although the world building occasionally felt a lot in some scenes, it felt necessary by the end. Looking forward to more.

I was excited for this one after seeing a lot of buzz on social media about it. I may of gone into this book with too high expectations.

There are alot of great things about this book. I liked the disability rep, scheming, the twist and the turns. The writing style is immersive and descriptive, I found it easy to picture the settings and characters. The pacing is good through out the book and I enjoyed the political intrigue

The plot itself is very character driven, however I just didn’t feel like I connected with our FMC, I’m not sure why. There are a number of love interests and again I didn’t feel like I knew any of them well enough to root for one in particular because our FMC couldn’t make up her mind.

The ending did have me wanting to continue the series though and despite there being aspects of the book I didn’t enjoy I do think overall it was a decent read.

Romance, betrayal, spies and a whole lot more. Brittney Arena did a wonderful job of having you vision this story while reading it..

I can't even put into words what i felt reading about a mc that struggles with chronic illness, i felt like i was finale seen, so thank you from the bottom of my heart Brittney Arena for writing this wonderful book.

#MastCell #SystemicMastocytosis

3.5 Stars rounded down

First, I wanted say I love the the cover of this book, the artwork is beautiful!

The premise of this story was intriguing and promising. I do think the character and story telling fell a bit short. I did not connect with Vasalie or the other characters very well. I found Vasalie's blindness to the king and willingness to do anything for her "freedom", then for Anton, even betrayals of her friends, frustrating. I personally wish Vasalie would have shown growth by the end of the of the story. I also found the storyline confusing at times. However, for a debut novel, I think the writing was promising and the descriptions of the dance beautiful. I will keep a look out for future novels from Brittney Arena.

A Dance of Lies is AMAZING. The imagery, the world building, the tension… Brittney created a story that I can’t wait to dive back in to. This book is in my top 5 favorites of 2025. The main character has so many layers, and the relationships in this book are top notch.

3.5 stars

Halfway through A Dance of Lies I wasn't entirely sold. But by the end I was upset I couldn't immediately start reading the next book in this series. Considering this one hasn't even been published yet, I might have to wait a little bit.

Yeah, the writing is a little stilted and repetitive - seriously, so. repetitive. But as you get into the story, these characters just grab hold and make you care.

I really appreciated the disability representation. Full stop. But, it didn't quite sit right that despite Vasalie's severe injuries, she was still capable of performing every time it was necessary. Yes, she made accommodations as needed, but I'm sorry, the parts of this narrative that relied on her being the very best of the best dancers after so much time in captivity and so little training were just too outrageous to believe at times.

It's always easier to point out the negatives but there was a lot of promise here and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

This was a great debut novel with an amazing world building and writing style. I loved the disability rep and the overall idea of the story, even if the beginning was slow and took a bit to get me interested. Some parts felt a little underdeveloped and I wanted more depth from the characters and the things that were happening, but it kept me wanting to know how it would all wrap up. To me this would’ve made a great standalone but alas, it’s not one. Still this definitely has me curious to see where the story might go next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC.

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!