I need the next book yesterday.

OMG WHAT A BOOK! There needs to be more hype around it because WOW.

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.

Vasalie Moran was once a dancer in King Illian’s court, until he framed her for murder. Barely surviving her two years in the dungeons, she’s suddenly called to face her king. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the six-week royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.

As Illian’s orders grow bloody and dangerous, forcing her to harm and betray those around her, Vasalie discovers that the monster she serves may be aligned with a bigger monster—one far closer to home. With her world threatened, Vasalie enlists the help of Illian’s brother and greatest adversary, the infamous King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying truth of her past comes to light. If she wants to survive, she must decide who to trust, who to fight for, and how much of her soul she’s willing to damn in the process.

Thank you to #netgalley and #randomhouse for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was exactly what I needed to get me out of a reading slump. It has the slow burn, will they, won't they romance that we all love, a vibrant, chronically ill main character who grabs your heart and won't let go, and a compelling plot that keeps you turning the page to find out what is really going on. And just when you think you've got it figured out, Brittney goes and throws in another plot twist you didn't see coming. Vasalie stole my heart by the end of the book, and that ending, let me tell you - Brittney you have some explaining to do!! I cannot wait for book two! Do yourselves a favour and add this one to the top of your TBR pile! 4.5/5 stars!

I can't lie, the FMC's name being so similar to "Vaseline" really tripped me up.

Overall, this book was good. I loved seeing an author provide disability representation, it's not seen nearly as often as it should! I did not particularly enjoy every single male character swooning over Vasalie the second she entered their eye-line, but I suppose that's show business baby. The pacing felt off at times and the time jumps could've been used to further the developing romance. I'm also very much a dialogue-driven reader, so having so much of Vasalie's inner thoughts was what ultimately kept me from enjoying the story as much as I could have.

Edit: I originally gave this 4 stars, but I can't stop thinking about it. 4.5 stars now!

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!

Vasalie was once a dancer and then imprisoned for a crime she didn't commit! Forced to become a spy to gain her freedom, she's put in some tough situations.
If court politics are your vibe, this book will be perfect for you! Throw in a splash of rival kings, impossible choices, and a heroine who fights back!
The pacing is fast and sharp, and Arena's writing is so immersive and lush. Vasalie is cunning, layered, and unwavering in her pursuit of freedom.
I enjoyed the ride this book took us on. I was so fascinated with the writing style and how easy of a read it was.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this EARC.
Sadly I DNF’d at 20% - hate to do this to an EARC but I’ve tried and tried but just cannot get into this book.
The premise sounded great but I just found it quite flat and just could not get through it..

I went a little back and forth on this one. I really appreciated the unique POV and the disability rep. I liked the world a lot too. I just had a hard time connecting with the plot. But it’s a strong debut overall and I hope to see more from Arena soon.

I LOVED the first half of this book. I flew through it and lost sleep, but around the 60% mark it REALLY started to slow down for me and ended up taking me WEEKS to slog through the ending. I wanted to love this one so much, but unfortunately the second half just pulled the book down for me.

After being framed for murder and rotting in the dungeon for years, a famed dancer is called by her king to serve as a spy in the royal court.

A beautifully written debut with intricate politics and court intrigue. I loved the POTS representation in our fmc, Vasalie, and thoroughly enjoyed following her journey throughout this book. The pacing was a bit slow at times but once it picked up, it really picked up.

Overall a good read with stunning prose and great characters!

Thank you to NetGalley, Brittney Arena, and Random House Publishing for this arc <333

Sadly I couldn’t get this book to open on my e reader but my husband brought home the physical copy for me to read instead. Sadly I had to dnf the book at around 56%.
I just didn’t connect to the characters or story at all. I was always hoping for this to change but at 56% I just didn’t want to give it any more time. I simply do not care enough to spend more time reading.

In all honesty, this book was a struggle for me to get through. A combination of being in a slump and the slow pace of this plot. I did think the prose was well crafted, and the stained glass palace was beautifully described.

I also liked Anton's character a lot, I just wish we'd got to know him a bit more as he only became relevant in the second half of the book.

I also didn't really like the fmc. I found her inner monologues lacking vibrancy and fun (which is part of her character I know, but it made the book less enjoyable). I do appreciate the disability representation in Vasalie, and the complexities of her character as she warred with fighting for her freedom, vs fighting for what's right.

Ultimately, the last 50 pages were a blast and had be hooked! But the rest of it not so much...

As a fellow POTsie I was so excited when I read that not only did the main character have POTS but the author did as well. That being said, this was beautifully written and I was absolutely ensnared by this world page one. I think it’s the first time I’ve ever seen a love triangle possibly coming and didn’t immediately throw the book out a window. Trust me, it’s WORTH IT.

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. This was a great fantasy read. Loved the writing style.

I ultimately had fun with this book, especially the dancing scenes which were pretty and i enjoyed following them, I also appreciated the disability rep. And I think many people will enjoy this one., But if you've read a lot in this genre you might notice a bit of the same formula in most other romantasy titles, which I know wouldn't be much of a problem to many people but it did hinder my enjoyment a bit. I'd still love to follow this author's future work for sure.

DNF at 12%

I got bored, and I didn't find myself connecting to any of the characters, or liking them.

A Dance of Lies was one heck of a debut novel, and it had everything I need in a romantasy. The tension and yearning were perfection, and I loved how we didn’t know who the love interest truly was until later on. While I have never been locked in a dungeon, Vasalie was a very relatable character. Her resiliency and ability to adapt to her chronic pain was portrayed brilliantly. Representation for invisible disabilities is so important, and Brittany Arena couldn’t have written a more compelling story. The main plotline was neatly tied up but left enough up in the air to keep me hooked for book two!

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅:

♡ rival kings
♡ chronic illness rep
♡ court intrigue
♡ a prisoner turned spy
♡ kingdoms at war

DNF at 19%
I don’t know what’s going on with me lately but this string of DNFs is unusual. I really thought this book might stick. I loved the beginning and the writing but then we moved to another castle and I just got well …bored.
I can appreciate the attempt at disability representation but I was slightly confused that she had this debilitating condition but could dance? Maybe it’s better explored later in the book. I’ll never know.

I really wanted to love this one. The premise had so much potential, and I was genuinely excited going in. But no matter how much I tried, I just couldn’t get into it. The pacing felt super slow, and I kept waiting for something to hook me. I think it just wasn’t the right fit for me, which is a bit disappointing.

This was SO good - I went into this expecting it to be really similar to things I’ve read before, and it really stood its ground. The overall concept and the way everything comes together was all so well timed and well done. The integration of dance into this as well added another level of creativity and metaphor into this that I really loved.

Vasalie being a disabled fmc added so much to the story, especially with it being a very physically demanding plot line. It was all so well done where it both highlighted how she worked with and around her limitations while also not letting them limit what she was able to do.

The romance in this was also the absolute perfect about - it didn’t overtake the story, but also was involved enough to appropriately impact the actions of the characters. All the politics of this as well were supersuper interesting. I am so sad that this is not a stand alone like I thought, but also am so excited to see where book two goes.

Thank you to Del Rey and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

About the book:
So, this book is written in first point of view by the main character Vasalie. From the beginning on we find out about her history. When she was just a young girl she ran away from home, from her abusive father. She´s a very gifted dancer, and danced her way up to being King Ilian´s favoured ´jewel´. However, her beautiful dream of a life comes to an end when she's falsely accused of murder and is locked away in a dungeon. Two years have passed, and the king comes with a proposition she can´t refuse. She is to be a spy for the king and do his bidding during the upcoming royal Gathering, in exchange for her freedom. In this book, we follow how Vasalie dances and spies her way throughout the Gathering, and what kind of hardships she faces along the way.

My review:
The book starts with an author's note telling the reader about how she included the physical flaws she has experienced from her own (several!) disabilities, into the story. So, I like the disability representation!
Of course, as a dancer, being physically fit is quite a necessity for our main character Vasalie. But she was locked up in a dungeon for two years with shackles around her ankles, and under bad circumstances. This has caused some serious physical damage. So, I do feel like these are some very realistic flaws Vasalie is struggling with.

I do however feel like the story lacks a bit of describing how she actually realistically overcomes her flaws. And please don’t come after me, I have no experience whatsoever with these disabilities so I’m the last person to ask how it would feel like. But how I see it, is that Vasalie is forced to perform really difficult dances while being disabled, in a lot of pain and malnourished and whatnot. To me, it basically felt like she bit the pain away during her performance, but afterwards she simply had a good night's sleep and then was back on track again. I feel like if you put these flaws in such a spotlight, there should be a little more attention to how the character deals with and overcomes it all, in a realistic way. But again, I have no experience with it, so please correct me!

I feel like the first third of the book had a rather slow pace, but after that, the story picks up and kept me excited. I really enjoyed the political intrigue and how at some point I felt suspicious about nearly everybody mentioned. There were definitely some plot twists that took me by surprise and left me agape. I did notice that nearly every eligible young man mentioned in the book was at some point completely smitten by Vasalie. Because of this, every time a new young man entered the story, I went a bit like ´here we go again´. But nonetheless, I really enjoyed the romantic scenes throughout the book.
I think the book ends really well and leaves the reader (me) wanting the sequel as soon as possible!

Favourite quotes:
“But though you’ve suffered your own fire, child, you won’t always smell of smoke."

“But scars are powerful things, because they show your resilience. So rise from your ashes, my dear. Do not crumble alongside them.”