This took me longer than I expected to get into but once the twists and turns started coming I was hooked. The authors writing and the lies and deception from all of the characters kept me on the edge of my seat for a good majority of this book. I absolutely devoured the last 15% of this book and am looking forward to the next one after the cliffhanger book one leaves us on

While I'm still not sold on the love interest just yet I'm holding out hope that the second book will add a little more depth to the romance aspect of this story.

In 'A Dance of Lies,' Vasalie was framed for a murder and imprisoned for two years. She is released by the king who framed her if she will be his spy. Vasalie suffers from chronic pain from her imprisonment. Having a MC with a disability was refreshing. As she gets further into the political intrigue, she must decide who to trust. I really enjoyed Arena's writing style and might continue the series. 4 stars.

✨Review✨ A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena

Brittney Arena’s debut delivers everything I love in a fantasy—high stakes, a heroine with grit, and a world dripping in danger and secrets.

Vasalie Moran is fierce. Once a court dancer, now a shadow forged in survival, she’s pulled into a deadly game of espionage and power. Her strength doesn’t just come from physical survival—it’s her unbreakable will, her sharp mind, and the way she fights for freedom on her own terms.

Arena weaves a world filled with political intrigue, ancient grudges, slow burn romance and chilling revelations. The writing is rich and immersive, with tension that builds. It’s emotional. It’s fierce. And it’s impossible to put down.

–S x

Thank you for sharing a piece of your heart with the world Brittney, I will treasure it 💗

I wish I loved this book.
I really think that my mindset when reading it was the issue for me and not the story it's self. I loved the premise but my attention was not holding. I plan to try a re-read in a few months. I will update my review based on that.
I did love the idea of dividing the counties rulership up by 3 children

I took some issue with the disability rep in this book and it really affected my ability to like it. The writing improved throughout the book but even then, not so great.

⭐️ Rating: 3.75/5
📚 Tropes: disability rep, betrayal & secrets, dancer turned spy, rival kings, court intrigue, low spice but heat & tension
💌 Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC!
(I also have the Fairyloot version, which is absolutely stunning)

I struggled to rate this one. There were a lot of things I loved, the banter, the world, the disability rep. But there were also things that made the experience less enjoyable for me: the pacing and the lyrical writing.

Vasalie, as the main character, was interesting. Her resilience is admirable, and her having ups and downs make her more relatable. Especially how she uses dancing as her creative outlet and comes up with ideas was interesting to read.

I mostly struggled with the pacing and writing. Multiple times the lyrical writing just confused me and took away from the overall flow of the book.
" A discordant melody winds around me, low and vibrating. Textured, like the brush of snakeskin. Like the hum of chapel bells during a storm, and there’s no set tune ."
I'm still not sure what this actually means. :(

The book hints at multiple love interests, but it wasn't as annoying as one might think.
I usually hate love triangles, etc., but I didn't mind it here. I just wish we had gotten to know the final love interest more. There were a lot of teasers for a backstory, but we never really learned all of it-just bits and pieces, which made me care less about him.

There wasn't any spice in the book but lots of tension and banter, which I really enjoyed.
" He kissed me like it was inevitable. I suppose we had been dancing around each other all this time, and yet we moved like it was a challenge. "

Overall, I enjoyed the book and will definitely read the second book. I just hope we get less of the lyrical writing in that one.

I sort of panicked when I realised I'd requested a romantasy book, because I have not the greatest track record of enjoying them. This one did surprise me, however.
In particular I really loved how this was written. Arena does such a great job at choosing the right words for whichever description she's trying to, well, describe, and it always evokes just the right emotions. I could clearly picture everything she was trying to show and it was a super easy read as well.
I was entirely behind the plot for the first 50% or so, perhaps a bit further than that. I was intrigued about our main characters circumstances, and she wasn't starting to irritate me just yet. When she starts jumping to conclusions and making very strange decisions that she randomly makes up in her head is when I started to lose her. Everyone is also very obsessed with her, despite the fact that she is merely one dancer amongst many. There was some cool world building elements as well, such as the focus on one particular deity with a very cool twist to her, but it doesn't dive much deeper than that into the world and religious elements.
I think there were simply too many men in this book. I really yearned for our main character to make some more female friends, because the ones she talks about are either left behind or dead, and there really were too many men to keep track of. It didn't help that I didn't care for many of them, and the ones I did like were sidelined for the love interest that I really did not like at all.
The writing was on the wall for which love interest she would choose; there really was not a compelling love triangle here at all. I found it very obvious who she would prefer and, unfortunately, I was correct. He did a lot of talking and not much doing, and as soon as he came out with a cringey nickname for her I was so over him. There's some good side characters here that I would've loved to have explored more in this almost 450 page book.
The plot was interesting when we were being drip-fed information, but I did find it fairly easy to guess plot twists and subversions in the narrative. Absolutely nowhere near the worst romantasy plot holes galore that I've seen before.

I have tried to read this 3 times over the course of a few months and I keep soft DNFing.

I can’t explain HOW excited I was for this book. I have POTS and other chronic illnesses and was soooo excited to see myself in the FMC.

The first chapter - obsessed. I love a good prison/ surviving vibe. However; the writing was really hard for me to get into. It was very flowery and just too much for my brain to process. I also found the plot, mentions of the past and symptoms to be repetitive and confusing. I also don’t understand the need to throw flour while dancing …

It was great to see her push through her struggles with chronic illnesses for her freedom, but overall the plot could not hold me interested enough to watch it play out.

I absolutely loved this book!! It did take a couple of chapters to get into it, but after that I was hooked. I loved the plot twists and I loved the representation for disability that the author provided. Definitely worth the read

What an amazing debut from Brittney Arena! I devoured this book in a couple sittings. Don't be fooled by the gorgeous cover - this book isn't a romantasy. I would categorize this as a political fantasy with romance.

The main character, Vasalie Moran, is forced to encounter and play the game of politics in every chapter of this book. She was held unjustly imprisoned for over two years by the king she thought would protect her position in court. She danced to his every whim (literally) and he unforgivably betrayed her. Then he calls her back out only to dangle her freedom in her front of her only if she acts as a spy for him. She has to go against everything she believes in and push her body to limits it can't reach anymore to win her freedom back. However, she begins to realize she was doomed to failure from the start.

I couldn't predict most of the political plots in this book and I loved that. I was learning and reacting with Vasalie as she was learning throughout the book. I found myself gasping with every new reveal. The climax and plot reveals, especially in the last 30% of this book, had me so hooked and on the edge of my seat.

Brittney Arena created such a magical work with interesting characters and political plots so deep it's going to take that second book to unravel it all and I'm so excited for it! She captured the strife of a woman with a disability and chronic condition who has been harmed at the hands of all men who have encountered her.

I am so excited to see how the Vasalie takes on her enemies in the next installment! Thank you so much Del Rey for the opportunity to read and review this book!

Not going to lie here... She deserves all 5 of the stars I have to give. This book GRABBED me from the start. I don't always love politics in books but the politics in this were actually worth picking the book up for! The drama is ADDICTIVE. While I do not like drama in my own life, I am obsessed with it in this book!!!
The fates are super interesting- we love to see some good book lore. It felt developed but left me with so many questions - and I loved it!! This book had a lot of twists and turns and I loved when what I'm reading has me thinking and making hypotheses- and I end up completely wrong. Even with the love interests! I was changing my mind every few seconds on who I was shipping.... Until like 2/3rds in AND THEN I WAS OBSESSED with just ONE MAN! The absolute way this certain love interest be saying the most swoon worthy things!! THE SLOW BURN we have been crying out for-this is what we wanted!!
If you're not sure if you'd like this still, to compare it to something, it's giving Throne of Glass meets Caraval.
Also this book is spice free but don't be mistaken. She is spicey!! I didn't notice until I was thinking back after finishing the book that yeah, there was actually no spice! A few moments where you knew stuff was happening (not even with our FMC) but even she walked away from it. And there was lottssaa tension

every bit worth the hype, wow. i need a part two asap! this book was phenomanel, absolutely breathtaking and i cannot wait to see where the author will take vasalies story!

LOVED THIS SO MUCH!! Amazing development, world- building, romance, everything! Highly recommend to everyone!!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey for this ARC!

Such an amazing story with fairytale vibes. The author had a beautiful way with words. They were able to spin a story of lies and deception into one with love and hope in the end. I cannot wait to read more.

I loved this book so much. It was such an excellent depiction of the balance folks with chronic illness have to have between taking care of themselves, recognizing their limits, but then somehow still having to “do the thing”. Loved all of the different characters. Some of the twists were so surprising. I also had no idea this wasn’t a standalone so now I’m needing book two like yesterday.

A Dance of Lies definitely stood out to me with it's beautifully described political intrigue, slow burn romance, and detailed world building.

The book follows our FMC, Vasalie, who is a dancer and used to perform for one of the three kings of Miridran, Illian, until she was imprisoned for a murder she didn't commit. While Vasalie does have some tricks and secrets of her own, she quickly becomes pushed into a world of betrayals and deceit.

The romance in this book had me screaming and kicking my feet. I absolutely love a slow burn romance with a questionably morally grey men and this one was no different. The world building as a very slow one but definitely one that feels rewarding by the end. The one story that intrigues me the most was Anton's and his court. He quickly became one of my favorite characters with his charm and wit, alongside the others in his court- Laurent and Gustav (and I cant forget about Basile). The court intrigue is the focal point of this book with the three king brothers that all hate each other at it's center.

I think an important thing to highlight here was the disability representation as it's often not shown in books. Our FMC throughout the book experiences chronic pain. I think Vasalie shows readers that disabilities don't define who you are, what defines you are your actions. Throughout the book, Vasalie struggles with herself to keep true to herself and her morals even if it means risking herself in the process.

I cant wait to see what is next in Vasalie's story and will be patiently waiting for the next book. Thank you so much to Del Ray and Brittney Arena for giving me an e-arc!!

A Dance of Lies is an impressive and emotional debut that blends political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and rich world building with a refreshingly unique heroine at its heart. Brittney Arena delivers a fantasy tale that quietly defies convention—and in doing so, stands out from the crowd.

At the center of the story is Vasalie, a former court dancer whose life and body have both been broken by betrayal, false imprisonment, and chronic pain. When her king forces her into espionage, she must infiltrate a court of rival kingdoms under the guise of a performer and uncover secrets that could change the fate of a continent. Vasalie isn’t a sword-wielding rebel or a chosen one destined to lead an army—she’s a disabled woman navigating trauma, pain, and politics with resilience, intelligence, and quiet strength. Her character is compelling, vulnerable, and deeply human.

What truly makes A Dance of Lies shine is its thoughtful disability representation. Inspired by Arena’s own experiences with chronic pain, Vasalie’s condition isn’t sidelined or treated as a plot device—it shapes her every action and thought, and yet never defines her entirely. Her perseverance doesn’t come from superpowers or grand magic, but from grit, vulnerability, and emotional endurance.

The courtly setting is lush with tension—alliances shift, masks are worn (sometimes literally), and every interaction carries layers of meaning. The prose is elegant, especially in how Arena writes Vasalie’s dancing. Despite the physical pain, her movements on the page are vivid, graceful, and often heart-wrenching. It’s rare to see dance written with such fluidity and emotional weight.

The romance unfolds slowly, full of longing and mistrust. There’s a tangled web of affections—possibly a love triangle (or square)—but it’s handled with care. The growing connection between Vasalie and King Anton, the charming and morally ambiguous younger brother of her king, is filled with banter, tension, and emotional nuance. He’s untrustworthy in all the best ways, and their dynamic kept me turning pages.

If there’s one caveat, it’s the pacing. The novel favors emotional and political buildup over high-stakes action, especially in the first half. But if you enjoy slow-burn intrigue with strong character development and immersive worldbuilding, it’s a rewarding experience.

A Dance of Lies is a powerful debut with heart, craft, and something to say. It's not just about espionage or forbidden romance—it’s about survival, recovery, and reclaiming agency in a world built to break you. I can’t wait to see where Brittney Arena takes us in book two.

Ending up finishing it within 3 days and felt as though this book just wasn't my vibe. I get the plot that the author was trying to execute but it just was unsuccessful. I felt as though the pacing of the book was very slow and the author over explained and gave too much detailed that just ended up confusing me even more

A lyrical, beautiful debut filled with court intrigue, romance, and fantastic chronic illness rep!! Excited to read the sequel!

This was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. A fantasy romance starring a disabled dancer and political intrigue, with symptoms based on the author’s lived experience with POTS–a condition I, myself have? It sounded like it was written especially for me.
Unfortunately, the execution was shallow and overwritten.

The beginning of the book is strong, we’re introduced to a seemingly complex political scheme, stakes that are only intensified as we are made intimately familiar with Vasalie’s disabled body and her pain and struggle to perform under threat of death. The pacing in this first act is exactly where it needs to be: fast enough to keep the reader engaged and the story progressing, slow enough to allow the reader to sit with Vasalie in both her physical symptoms and also the emotional ramifications of her situation.

Unfortunately, once Vasalie arrives at the Gathering the pacing picks up to an unsustainable speed and all character development and disability representation fall to the wayside in order to support plot progression. We are introduced to a slough of new characters at this point of the book, but none are developed beyond the surface. Vaseline’s relationships with these characters (while she spies on and betrays them) are meant to be major points of tension in the story, but the characters lack nuance beyond their basic archetypes, and Vasalie’s interactions with them lack any meaningful connection, including those with her love interests, leaving her internal conflict tedious and unconvincing.

This is also the point in which the disability representation falls apart. In the beginning of the book, Vaseline’s limitations–and the consequences she faces when she exceeds them–are directly laid out to the reader. However, when push comes to shove, all talk of symptoms and pain becomes meaningless. Several chapters will go by without reference to Vasalie’s chronic pain, fatigue, or dizziness. Occasionally, Vaseline’s internal monologue will make a statement along the lines of “doing this is going to make my pain horrible afterwards, but I have to do it anyway or else I will die”, only for her to wake up the next morning and continue on with her day with no mention of the increased symptoms. Though this representation is based on the authors’ lived experiences, the execution lacked the skill to balance the necessary character arcs and plot, leaving the portrayal of Vasalie’s disability inconsistent at the best of times, and completely overlooked for the majority of the book.

The plot itself interested me, but it was poorly served by shallow characters and overwrought prose, leaving both the story as a whole and Vasalie as a character difficult to connect with. The writing lacked concrete descriptions of character or emotion, instead relying heavily on abstract metaphors that lacked any definitive meaning.

Though the events of the ending have me curios as to how certain elements will play out, I did not find the character, plot, or prose to be compelling enough to warrant continuing this duology.