This will be one of my most favorite books of the year, of that I have no doubt.

While a little slow for the first 50%, the story seemed to sink its claws into me and I devoured the second half.

Vasalie is a refreshing fmc in a fantasy story. Strong and determined, but also so very human. While her passion is a driving force in her ability to work through her disabilities, she doesn’t completely “overcome” them. She isn’t “cured” as the story continues, the strength and muscle she builds back helps her work through, or oftentimes around, her limits. Its what makes her all the more stronger

It should go without being said that Anton is such a charming and swoon worthy character. He very quickly became a welcome sight on the page. Copelan too, but unfortunately he was a little outshone by the king (I’m not complaining). Still I couldn’t find it in my heart to ever hate him.

The imagery was wonderful. Arena was able to truly convey the beauty of everything from the setting, to the costumes, to the dances.

The twists were delicious. Everything fell together so perfectly. I feel both fulfilled and am left craving more from that ending!

I cannot wait for more of this series, truly. I can’t wait for more of Vasalie, more of Anton, the fates, and more realistic and hopeful, disability rep.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

So I just finished this and honestly, it was... fine. Like, a middle-of-the-road 3/5. The pacing was kinda weird and uneven and dragged a bit in parts where nothing important was happening. And the writing? Kinda overwritten, if I’m being honest. Lots of unnecessary details and flowery descriptions that didn’t really add much and got a bit tiring.

That said, the story itself wasn't bad. It had enough interesting bits to keep me going and the way it ended makes me curious enough to look out for the sequel.

This book has a really intriguing premise with good supporting cast. I enjoyed Vasalies journey to recovery and he ingenuity when dealing with her disability and her tasks she is required to perform. The main male character was genuine and honest with Vasalie, he felt more than one dimensional which made for a refreshing read.

I do have to agree with other reviewers who have noted the book was overwritten. While it had a strong premise and was an enjoyable ride so to speak I believe there was a lot of reiteration in the book. For example noting the King had never touched her, noting how nice another characters arms felt, noting very frequently how her body was not able to perform due to her ailment - I believe some of this would have done better as "show, don't tell" to drive the point home.

I will also note the love triangle felt superfluous to the romance plot and didn't at any point feel like "who will she chose".

In saying this I'd absolutely read the sequel, Vasalie generally makes the intelligent decision throughout the book. I enjoyed the reveal with the main male character and the foreshadowing there was particularly good. Very excited to see the change in him in book 2.

A Dance of Lies follows a dancer ravaged by long term imprisonment and the burden of a crime she didn’t commit. This book had a lot of potential — and I can’t believe i’m saying this, because I don’t see it often — but it was very overwritten. Everything was very overwhelmingly written, with far too many details and over explaining that wasn’t really necessary. This was very character driven, but it didn’t seem like it was character driven in the right way. Things were just repeated over and over and became frustrating to read. The one thing I LOVED and really appreciated was reading disabled rep. As a disabled person, we don’t see characters rhat reflect what we go through often, especially in fantasy and it was very nice to read. There was lots of potential, a good premise, and a sort of interesting story, but it fell short.

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*I really enjoyed A Dance of Lies by Brittany Arena! The story was so interesting and kept me hooked from the start. The twists and turns kept me guessing, and I couldn’t wait to see how it all played out.

The characters were well-written, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the story. Brittany Arena has a great way of blending suspense and emotion, which made the book hard to put down.

It was such an exciting and enjoyable read. I’m giving it 4 stars because while I loved it, I felt like a few parts could’ve been explored more. Still, it’s a great book, and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who loves a good story with political mystery and drama!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I really liked A Dance of Lies by Brittany Arena! The story was so interesting, and I enjoyed every moment of it. The plot had just the right amount of twists to keep me engaged, and the characters were so well-written.

It was an exciting and enjoyable book that kept me turning the pages.A great read overall, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Brittany Arena!

I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me a chance at reading this.

A Dance of Lies is a book that is very interesting - focusing on the intimacy of dance and what goals it can obtain. Our female lead is headstrong, but lacks court intrigue and knowledge. Which is what I like in a female lead, gives good growth.

The various male leads - good and bad - had me curious on which one she was going to end up with and which one was out to get her. I really liked the two princes. The King she is working for is a slime-ball though. He continues to remain one through the whole book.

The end makes me excited for book two and what will come of it all.

The reason I rated it down a star is that I find the world building with the gods to be lackluster. I do appreciate the backstory behind the goddess, but the reason / lack of the gods, or their importance to the story (except the one that plays an important bit) isn't strong enough. I hope in the later books the scope and understanding of the loss of the gods is seen and we get more political scheming. If this is a strong focus on romance, then, you will enjoy the book.

A Dance of Lies caught my attention with its court intrigue premise centering a disabled dancer. The prose flows well, but as some other reviewers have pointed out, how it can be overwritten. For example, when Vasalie is doing something she knows is morally gray but feels that she is forced to do anyway, the reader gets many and multiple sentences describing her guilt and how bad she feels. I understand that the repetitiveness is to help generate sympathy for Vasalie as she carries out terrible things, but it's still difficult to stomach to the point that I find myself wishing that she was more unapologetic.

I love fantasy, but the suspension of belief that was required for this book was too much for me. Every single potential love interest was incredibly beautiful and obsessed with Vasalie almost immediately, because Vasalie was just that special. Unfortunately, I stopped reading at the 40% mark even though I found myself pleasantly surprised by how an early plot point fleshed out.

I'm sure that others will really enjoy this book, but it just personally didn't work for me.

Thank you for the e-ARC!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it didn't disappoint! Vasalie is a fantastic main character--her struggles with grief and choosing her way forward felt so real. This kept me guessing all the way through to a cliffhanger ending that has me eagerly anticipating the next book. I loved the descriptions of dancing, the multiple uses of glass, and Vasalie's journey towards finding her own strength.

I recommend A Dance of Lies for anyone who likes their fantasy political, dark, and meditative! Also, I'm just so thrilled to see more disabled leads by disabled authors in fantasy books. Keep it coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

A Dance of Lies is such a good story. Loved the storyline, the plots, the characters are fantastic! I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can because it's really good and the characters are fantastic.

I went into this book with high expectations, given that I love books centered around dance and court intrigue. On paper, it seemed like the perfect combination, and overall, I found it to be an immersive and bingeable read. Every time I picked it up, I ended up reading for hours, which speaks to how engaging it was.

One thing that stood out to me (in both good and bad ways) was the writing. The dialogue during casual interactions flowed nicely and felt natural, but in moments where the characters tried to be profound or impactful, some lines felt a bit forced and cliché—like things I’d read in other books before. There were also a couple of moments where repetition was used for dramatic effect, but for me, it didn’t quite land and ended up being more distracting than anything. During those moments, I could understand where some readers might have gotten the "overwritten" criticism from. That said, aside from those minor issues, I didn’t mind the writing overall and thought it was really immersive. Between that and the good pacing, there was plenty to keep me interested despite the small flaws.

Another recurring detail that slightly bothered me was how nearly every semi-important male character was described as young and attractive (with the exception of her father). It’s not a huge deal, but from a realism perspective, it pulled me out of the story a bit—it got to the point where I found myself thinking, no way are they hot too. In a setting with political intrigue and power struggles, you’d expect a wider range of characters in terms of age and appearance.

Another small annoyance was that the main character had a bit of that “special snowflake” vibe. Everyone seemed to fawn over everything she did. On top of that, there were three important guys obsessed with her, along with constant mentions of her being stared at, which made it feel a little over-the-top.

On the topic of relationships, I appreciated that it wasn’t immediately clear who the love interest would be—it kept me on my toes for a while. The connection between the main character and one of the guys didn’t work for me at first; their initial bond felt underdeveloped. Luckily, as the story progressed, we saw the main character herself begin to question the depth of their relationship, which made it feel more intentional in hindsight. That’s a testament to the author’s skill—being able to take what initially felt like a flaw and show that it did, in fact, serve a purpose.

On the other side of the triangle (or is it a square?), the relationship with the other guy she meets really worked for me. There was more development, solid banter, and plenty of memorable scenes that made their connection feel more real and believable.

Finally, I really appreciated how the protagonist’s disability was handled. It wasn’t something that conveniently disappeared when it was convenient; instead, we saw how it affected her throughout the story, which added another layer of depth to her character.

Overall, while there were a few things that didn’t quite hit the mark for me, this was still an addictive read with strong moments of intrigue and great character dynamics. Given the ending—and the cliffhanger that made me feel like I was reading a certain Stephanie Garber book all over again—I’m assuming there’s going to be a sequel sometime in the future, and I’ll definitely be looking out for it.

~🅞🅥🅔🅡🅐🅛🅛 🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ . 75~

Unfortunately I had to DNF at about 25%. This is going to be a bit of a rant.

I liked how this story started. Seeing the protagonist having to deal with the physical repercussions of her time in prison made for an unique story situation and character, added to the fact that she’s a dancer and not a “chosen one” type.

However, other elements of the story were not as well set up or thought out in my opinion. To start, within the first 100 pages I felt I should start to count how many times Emilia was mentioned. It was so much that every time I saw her name, it took me right out of the story and quickly got on my nerves.

There really is a lot of tell not show and overly descriptive where it doesn't need to be. I didn't feel much connection to the characters, including our FMC. I thought it would pick up when she arrived at the Gathering, but unfortunately it didn't. We get a couple brief scenes introducing Copelan and Laurent, before she’s telling, not showing, us about how she's getting closer to both.

The part that I think lost the story for me though was the first performance at the gathering. Her and Illian aren't supposed to interact at all so no one becomes suspicious, except he arrives, they stare at each other while he gestures to where she needs to look for a note for his task for her - in a room filled with people. No one noticed he’s having a staring contest with one of the performers? And that she’s pulling out a hidden piece of paper right where he’s gesturing and reading it? Not to mention she pulls out this paper and reads it right next to her dance partner, who is just luckily distracted during the entire time and doesn’t see her bent over reading a piece of paper. At this point I just couldn’t take Illian’s plot seriously - I was surprised she hasn't already been caught at this point.

I tried to continue but her pulling King Anton (her task to get his attention) into the dance felt just as off. My immediate thought was how will Copelan not be mad about that? Then she’s thinking about all the reasons it's against the rules, and I just kept thinking I don’t understand why this is her move to get close to him. It felt like she knew all the reasons not to do it and she admit she could have tried to get his attention at the party after - so she does the one thing that has multiple people, including another King, upset with her?

Again, I tried to continue in the next chapter to see how it was addressed. I thought Copelan should have seriously tried to get rid of her (since, again, she points out that actually they aren’t close and she broke so many rules in the very first performance). Instead that’s somewhat touched on, with him ultimately saying he doesn’t know if he would get rid of her anyway if he could because supposedly her ideas and creativeness are just that good (again, we haven’t really been shown any scenes where this creativeness is so great that it would excuse these types of things, at this point what we've been told and what we've seen sounds interesting but not earth-shatteringly great).

Then in the middle of this conversation with Copelan she goes down a long tangent of memory (taking you right out of the current scene and story) when she first met Illian when she performed at the Melune, where she's trying to explain why she made the choice with Anton in her performance, but it does not work at all.

At this point I just couldn’t continue. I felt it was going to continue to be too much telling and not enough showing, and there was no way I could take Illian’s spy plot seriously after they are acting suspiciously out in the open and not seemingly trying that hard to try to hide that she is working for him.

Overall, I enjoyed this book.
The story was unique, and unlike similar fantasy novels not as predictable or trite in how it plays out.
I enjoyed the world building and character development.
I believe the fates of mortal could have been mentioned directly fewer times.
This was a fun and engaging read. Would recommend if you are a fantasy fan.

Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey for the arc. All opinions are my own.

I looked everywhere to confirm if this was a series and upon not finding anything I assumed it was a standalone. Wrong. Now I'm here six months from the official release of this book and who knows how many from the sequel, desperate to know what happens next.
What grabbed my attention initially was having a main character with a disability, because we so rarely see that and the other time it happened the book became one of my favourites(Six of Crows), but it was so much more. I loved this book so much. The descriptions are so vivid I felt like I was in the world with the characters, I can see the buildings, the costumes, the dances so perfectly in my mind, it's great writing. The pacing is perfect, everything gets the necessary spotlight to shine: romance, world building, characterization… it reminded me of the great fantasies that weren't just copy paste of the same book over and over. The court schemings are delicious to read, I hope to have more of it in the sequel. There was a point in the very beginning where I wasn't sure where the romance was going, and I was very afraid of having the romantic lead be a certain character because there are some lines that I'm not comfortable crossing, so if you have similar thoughts just keep going it's going to be fine.
It was just a perfect read, one of those that remind you why fantasy is the greatest genre. I highly, highly recommend it.

That... took a turn I did not see coming.

My first book of 2025 and it did not disappoint! You're telling me this is a debut novel?!

I don't know what I love most- the political scheming, King Anton and his flirty banter, Vasalie's passion for dancing and how it transports me to another world every time or the oh so beautiful cover I can't stop staring at?!

I love how A Dance of Lies kept me on my toes from page one. I didn't know who to trust. And every time I think I know what exactly is going to happen I am proven wrong.

This was a little hard to read. In that the FMC, Vasalie, went through so much pain and suffering and loss. I might not have agreed with some of the choices she made but I can understand why she made them. I wouldn't know what I'd do in her shoes. She has proven to be a resilient character and I admire that about her. She always strives to do what's right given the limited and life-or-death choices she has. She's a survivor and her character gives hope.

The romance was oh so sweet and just the right amount of slowburn. I was screaming kiss kiss kiss! for almost half of the book.

If I have one complain it's that I got a little headache from keeping track of who's who and what's what. (So and so is from what kingdom again?! I should have kept a list...)

I don't know what to expect from book two but this book's end has me worried with a capital W. (Please, please, please be kind to my new favorite King.)

"You are art."

This story follows Vasalie Moran who after facing 2 years in prison for a crime she did not commit is hauled before her king and given an ultimatum: become his spy by dancing at the royal Gathering where all the leaders come together and she will get her freedom. She soon finds herself in a plot where her king is working together with a person she knows from her past and who she has sworn she will get revenge on. She enlists the help of her king Illian's younger brother Anton and finds herself torn between freedom and revenge.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Del Rey for the ARC.

I really liked that the story centered around dance and I thought the scenes where Vasalie and Copelan were dancing together were really beautiful in the intensity they protrayed between the 2 characters. That being said I was kind of hoping that Copelan his character was a bit more layered as he felt very textbook broody and I didn't like where his character went. He did redeem himself at the end though. I liked Anton but the connection for me between him and Vasalie was not as pronounced or I did not find it as interesting as it is a pretty standard plot point where the FMC falls for a king or a prince. I think for me her love for dancing and the intensity and importance of dance for her survival would have made for a much more interesting dynamic with Copelan who is an entertainer and dancer himself. And his backstory with his last partner could have been such an awesome way into this.

I really liked the writing style and I did not have any issues with how descriptive the author wrote. I actually quite like a more lyrical approach to a story and I think it worked really well here as it made the descriptions of the dances etc more flowy and organic. I did think the story was kind of slow in the beginning but the ending was really great and all the plot points came together. To me the reveals were not mind-blowing or anything as you could deduce the twists pretty well from the story but I didn't really mind that. I did think that the whole Emilia wallowing was a bit much and descriptions of the gloves or her clothes that last morning etc etc were too much and should have been cut back.

I think having Vasalie suffer physically and mentally from her imprisonment also felt believable and I think it was a great that the author focussed on her physical limitations and how she could overcome them.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time while reading this book and I think it was a great debut and hope there will be a sequel as I definitely interested in how the story will end.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
Release Date: June 10th
Four Stars

What a strong debut into fantasy romance!

The only critique I have, and I will say it first so I can move on to the things I loved, was that I felt the start of the book was a bit slow and I had trouble getting into the story initially.

Saying that though, when I was pulled in, I was so glad to be there. Especially, the end! The end to this book was phenomenal and I am really hoping there is a sequel in the works!

Vasalie, our protagonist, was such an interesting, strong character. When we meet Vasalie, she is in a situation where despair would be easy to succumb to, and yet she fights for her freedom with everything she has left. Her character shows such ingenuity, creativity and resilience throughout the story and the web she has found herself stuck in.

The side characters were well thought out as well. There were characters that I genuinely felt uncomfortable when they were on the page, and some I really adored.

I also enjoyed the mystery and unpredictability surrounding the plot. When I started to get into the plot, I genuinely had no idea who the romantic interest would end up being, who we could trust, and where we would end up.

I am looking forward to reading this author again in the future!

Thank you to the publisher Random House Publishing Group and Del Rey as well as NetGalley for the opportunity to reading this ARC.

thank you to Netgalley and Del Rey for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.25 stars 🌟

Dance of Lies is one of the most beautifully written romantasy books i have read in a long time. Arena has such a talent for crafting gorgeous, vivid imagery that easily immerses the reader into her world. whilst this may be a debut novel, it's apparent that this author has honed her craft well.

the story itself was also incredible, filled with political intrigue that keeps the page turning. the feuding family dynamics are done so well, i only wish we had gotten even more page time dedicated to really exploring Illian and Anton's complex sibling relationship.

Arena also does a wonderful job illustrating the protagonist's experience with disability. Vasalie has a character arc delving into her internal perception of becoming chronically ill, and i think this is done so well.

one of the highlights of this story for me is the exploration of abuse and power. we see this with Vasalie's relationship with Illian and also with her father. i especially liked the way the former showcases how Vasalie's feelings towards Illian evolve as she realises the true nature of his character. the incorporation of Vasalie's past with her stepmother in relation to this was done so well, and i really liked how it was a persistent driving point for Vasalie throughout the story.

in regards to what i didn't like: more of a personal preference, but i wish this story was more plot driven. i think Arena has the capability to do this well, and it would have suited the story better.

the whole romantic arc in the first half also felt unnecessary and took up way too much page time. i understand the author was trying to do a "who's the real love interest?" but it wasn't super interesting to me. the *actual* romance in the book is nice, but it definitely wasn't my favourite aspect of the story.

overall, though, this was a fantastic debut! i truly cannot wait to read Arena's future releases as this left a really great first impression of her writing talent.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of A Dance of Lies!
4.5 / 5 ⭐
A Dance of Lies as a thoroughly enjoyable romantasy, and I would happily read any upcoming sequels. I would highly recommend it for fans of the first Throne of Glass book.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5 ⭐️ Overall, a fun read; albeit, at times, the pacing felt off, which is why it was not a four or five star read for me. Specifically, the first half of the book had me on the edge of my seat, then the story slows until the last 10% of the book, where so many things are crammed in.