Vasalie Moran, you absolute icon.

A Dance of Lies just completely took over my life. I went in expecting a romantasy about a dancer and came out emotionally destroyed in the best possible way. Vasalie is such a force of a main character; she’s sharp, guarded, so full of quiet rage, and yet still incredibly vulnerable. Despite the things she’s been through and the abuse she’s suffered, she rediscovers her strength and her voice. This story was an excellent reminder of the fact that pain and trauma don’t have to harden your heart, and strength is not always physical.

I won’t say too much about the romance bc spoilers but I will say this. There’s betrayal, longing, stolen moments, and just enough tenderness to make the pain hit even harder. No easy choices. No simple right or wrong. I really loved the twisted webs of romance in this book, my girl has ALL the men in a chokehold and it took me a bit to get a handle on who the main love interest was supposed to be and that made the tension and payoff so much more delicious.

Brittney Arena absolutely nailed the messy, morally gray vibes, and the slow burn romance is absolutely top tier. Add in the cast of goofy and lovable side characters and a pet tiger and there’s no way I’m not going to love it. Also? The writing is gorgeous. There are lines I had to reread just to soak them in again.

This book is perfect for anyone who loves a heroine with bite, a romance that hurts so good, and political games where everyone’s a lying liar. 10/10, would sell my soul for the sequel.

I am a bit conflicted about this one.
On the one hand, I really liked the premise, I liked that the main character is a dancer, I liked some of the characters. And the plot just kept hooked.
On the other hand, I was a bit frustrated with it at times. Vasalie kept making some questionable choices, which at times I can understand because of her trauma. Also I feel like her disability was simply forgotten after a while. And the part at the end between Anton and the Fate of Morta just felt off.
All in all I enjoyed reading this book and I will definitely read the next one!

I enjoyed A Dance of Lies but found myself having to push through at times. Some parts were overly explained without much to show for it. The pacing did get better as the story progresses. I really liked the descriptions of the dances and how it tied into the storyling. It was easy to imagine the details surrounding each dance.

Vasalie was a complicated MC for me—while I enjoyed her overall, I did not like the choices she made. I know why she felt she had to go the route she did, but I hoped she wouldn't keep falling into Illian's hands. That said, I loved the dynamic between Anton and her. I look forward to seeing how that develops in the next book. The scheming and court politics kept things evolving in an exciting way. I was not expecting the ending we got, but I am hopeful it all works itself out.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Rey, for providing this ARC. This is a voluntary review. All thoughts are my own.

I LOVED this! 😍 The world building was great, the storyline was different, and Anton is everythingggggg😩 his witty little banter, how cocky and insufferable he is. (In the best way of course) I just loved him so much. Our FMC Vasalie, is such a strong character in her own way and it’s so refreshing to see. She irritated me at times but her resilience after everything is so empowering. But the ending had me SHOOK! I cannot wait for the next book!!!

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

“I am wonderful. A joy. A gift to mankind.” He slides me a devilish grin. “But I find myself unable to resist getting a rise out of you.”

Thank you to NetGalley + Del Rey, Random House Worlds, Inklore for the e-arc!

The story started off a little slow, and while the concept had potential, I never really felt connected to the characters or fully invested in the plot. It wasn’t a bad read, it just didn’t leave much of a lasting impression.

There was some disability rep, but it felt more like an afterthought than something meaningfully woven into the story.

If you’re into slower paced fantasy with court intrigue and light romantic threads, it might land better for you.

If you love the political intrigue of The Cruel Prince, then this adult novel is for you. I really appreciated the author trying to incorporate more disability representation in the novel. I found the idea of a dancer becoming a spy so unique and I found the beginning of this book hard to put down.

What was difficult about this book was that there were times that the writing felt very disjointed. It seemed to hop all over the place with motivations changing constantly. I found it a little confusing to keep track of everything and the insertion of a love triangle felt unneeded.

Rating: 2.5 ⭐️ I was really excited about this book, but found the writing hard to follow. I enjoyed the spy aspect of this book and the political games, and appreciated the authors attempt to include more disability representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

2.5 stars
Great premise, but unfortunately, I was bored.

The first 15% of the book was quite interesting. I loved the concept of a dancer FMC turned spy. I also appreciated the mature tone of the book and the disability rep. It was mentioned in the promo that this was a slow burn with low spice—something I absolutely love. However, the story didn’t offer enough to make sticking around feel worthwhile.

If it's going to be a slow burn, I’d expect something more compelling to happen—perhaps some deeper lore or character development—while the simmering attraction unfolds in the background. Instead, we get chapters upon chapters of the FMC preparing for another performance or attending gatherings where not much happens beyond socializing.

Everyone seems to find the FMC quite alluring in one way or another. They either trust her unconditionally or find her interesting—but as a reader, I found her very boring. She's a "depressy" FMC with no real personality beyond her sadness. I get it—she went through a lot—but I found no joy in reading her thoughts at all.

I would have loved the love triangle, but by the halfway point, I found myself losing interest. I don’t think it’s a badly written book—just too plain for my taste.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review for A Dance of Lies by Britney Arena

I picked up A Dance of Lies not knowing what to expect and ended up completely hooked. This book surprised me in all the best ways. The story is full of secrets, court intrigue, and slow-burning tension that never lets up. It gave me serious Throne of Glass meets The Shadows Between Us vibes, but still felt fresh and original.

I loved how layered the characters were, especially the main character. She’s strong, sharp, but also deeply conflicted, and her inner battles were just as intense as the external ones. The romance had just the right amount of tension (uhuh enemies-to-lovers!) and the plot twists? I didn’t see most of them coming.

Britney Arena’s writing pulled me in with its cinematic detail and pacing. The world felt real without being overwhelming, and I was genuinely invested in what would happen next. I’m honestly still thinking about the ending and already hoping for a sequel!

Highly recommend to anyone who enjoys high-stakes fantasy with a touch of danger, betrayal, and heart.

🌟🌟🌟 A promising debut with powerful disability rep, but didn’t quite stick the landing for me.

I was drawn to A Dance of Lies the moment I heard it featured a chronically ill protagonist in a romantasy setting as it’s still so rare to see disability explored meaningfully in this genre. As someone who lives with chronic illness, I appreciated how Arena wove Vasalie’s experience into the story. It felt honest and empowering without ever reducing her to her pain, and the author’s note at the start was such a personal, validating touch.

There’s a lot to love here: a royal court simmering with secrets, political tension, and a dancer turned reluctant spy navigating it all. The setup is gripping, and Vasalie’s resilience shines throughout. The dynamics between the characters - especially the brothers and the morally grey love interests were interesting and messy in the best way.

That said, I struggled with pacing and cohesion. The story starts strong but meanders at times, and while there is a twisty undercurrent, I saw most of it coming well before the final reveal. I also found myself wishing some of the relationships (romantic and otherwise) were explored with more nuance.

Arena’s writing has promise and her vision is clear. For a debut, this is an ambitious story with heart, and I can see why many readers are hooked. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on where the sequel goes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC.

In A Dance of Lies, Vasalie, the former dancer and Jewel of King Ilian's court, has been released from imprisonment only to find herself trapped to Ilian's service as she is forced into spying during a six week celebration called The Gathering where royalty from throughout the realm come together. Vasalie struggles with disability after being confined for two years, but does her best to impress as she auditions, and is eventually accepted. As Vasalie becomes more ingrained into the Gathering, she finds herself questioning Ilian's motives and what exactly he wants her to do.

I enjoyed this, but did find the tension between Vasalie and Ilian to be a bit much at times. However, as the book continues, Vasalie comes into her own and develops a much stronger of a sense of self. I also very much appreciated that Brittney Arena specifically called out her desire to have disability representation and the intentionality behind Vasalie's movements and planning to work within her constraints.

Thanks very much to NetGalley and to Del Rey for the advanced copy.

Brittney Arena's A Dance of lies is a well written, i really enjoyed how the main character was displayed, it made me think and got me asking a lot of questions. However, there was one things there were times were i was confused and needed more clerification. overall for a debute book i really enjoyed this read thanks for the arc from netgalley

I am immensely grateful to receive an eARC from the publisher/author! Thank you Random House & Mrs. Arena!

I really struggled to get through this one. The storylines felt flimsy — not because they didn’t make sense, but because they lacked the depth and convincing development needed to truly pull me in. I found the main character’s lack of common sense especially frustrating, which made it hard to root for her decisions or feel invested in the stakes.

It’s clear the story isn’t finished and there will be another book to continue what’s left unresolved with Anton and Vasalle. But honestly, I’m not sure I’m convinced to stick with it. The fantasy elements were minimal at best — apart from the scattered kingdoms, lands, and character names, there wasn’t much to immerse me in a magical world.

Overall, I can’t say I’d recommend this one. It had potential, but for me, it fell flat.

DNF for now - beautifully written, but hard to connect

While the writing itself is strong and polished, I struggled to connect with the story. The story felt distant, as if I were being told a tale rather than drawn into the characters' experiences. It reminded me of a classic fairytale. It was elegantly crafted, but with characters that were just there rather than fully fleshed-out individuals.

Because of that, I found myself unable to invest emotionally in the plot or care about what happened next. The development may build later, but at this time, I’ve decided to set the book down as a DNF. I may pick it up again in the future when I'm in a different reading headspace.

I appreciate the chance to read this early and hope others connect with it more than I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read Dance of Lies.

I want to thank there publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I also want to state upfront that I did DNF this book at around 20%. I wanted to leave a review, not to discuss the actual story elements as I do think there's an interesting plot, but rather to point out the issues that ultimately lead me to not finishing the story.

The opening chapter was quite gripping and pulled me in initially. However, as I progressed, I found the repetitive exposition increasingly jarring. It felt as though previous events were being restated almost verbatim every few pages, which disrupted the flow and immersion. For instance, even by chapter 6, key plot points were still being reiterated. This left me feeling as though the author was over-explaining or underestimating the reader's ability to retain information.

Certain aspects of the world-building also strained credibility. For example, the explanation for the protagonist's state in the dungeon, given the described conditions and timeframe, didn't quite hold up logically.

Similarly, the use of modern-day allusions (e.g., 'I'm no princess bound in a tower') felt anachronistic and pulled me out of the established fantasy world. I would have preferred comparisons that were more integrated into the unique lore of Miridran, especially given the intriguing stories of Morta.

Furthermore, I noted inconsistencies in the lore itself. At 4%, it's stated that 'everyone takes [Morta's] hand' and 'refusing death is impossible,' yet later (at 16%) Eremis is described as having refused her. These contradictions made it difficult to fully invest in the world's established rules. Is it impossible or is it not?

The overt explanation of dangers, when the performers are welcomed, particularly the detailed commentary on spying risks felt a bit too 'on the nose' and unnecessary.

Ultimately, by around 20% I found myself struggling to stay engaged and was continuously pulled out of the story by these recurring issues. I decided to DNF at this point as the reading experience had become more of a chore than an enjoyment.

Perhaps this book is more suited to a YA audience or those less bothered by repetition and inconsistencies.

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for the e-ARC!

A Dance of Lies follows Vasalie, who has been in prisoned by her king and most trusted friend for the past two years. Despite the chronic pain that this has left her with, the king gives her a mission: infiltrate a gathering of all the nearby kingdom's leaders as a dancer and a spy in exchange for her freedom.

What works: Illian and Vasalie's fathers are both wonderful villains. They're cunning, clever, and very, very easy to hate. Additionally, the vivid descriptions of the palace were wonderful! Vasalie frequently explores the different performance areas and wings of the court and even the secret tunnels. It made for a wonderful backdrop for the plot.

For what doesn't work: The romances. First, every single person that sets eyes on Vasalie is immediately enamored with her. Within the first 20 percent, she had at least 3 different love interests. One drops off pretty quickly, but then we're subjected to a love triangle that I really did not care for. Neither man seemed like they really KNEW Vasalie and just started reciting poetry for her without a ton of buildup. There were time skips in the middle of days or weeks where I feel we could have used development between the romantic leads, but it was skipped over. Suddenly, the characters had just spent three weeks together all day, every day off page and saying how they cant get the other out of their head. I'm sorry, I can't root for that! Later, each love interest does something to offend Vasalie so she goes and seeks comfort with her other man, and this happened what felt like a couple times!

I really appreciate Brittney Arena's attempt at representation with chronic pain, but in my opinion that representation doesn't make up for the frustration I felt whenever Vasalie interacted with a member of the opposite sex.

Truly such a magical romantasy book. I tend to find romantasy books all seem to be the same, but this one not only stood out but made a stand. I loved it so much

This debut fantasy from Brittney Arena is loaded with good stuff you will love:
😈deception
😈spying
❤️crazy good banter
❤️unclear love interest
💯palace intrigue
💯feminine rage
😈SLOW BURN no spice yet but so much chemistry it’s crazy.

Vasalie is a dancer who’s been in prison for a crime she did not commit, released to spy for the king in a dangerous game…

Once I picked it up it was UNPUTDOWNABLE and I could not guess where the plot was going. The twists kept me guessing all the way to the end.

2.5. Massive like-hate relationship with this one.

It started promising, with Vasalie having been imprisoned in the dungeon for two years for a crime she did not commit. She was restrained with very little ability to move for a large amount of that time, and is left incredibly weak. In exchange for her freedom, she is tasked to spy for the king that imprisoned her by posing as the dancer that she was before her imprisonment. But is seems that her fragility and pain from imprisonment may not be something that she cannot fully recover from, and she may never be able to dance at the level she did before.

All of this sounded promising, but the execution left a lot to be desired. Vasalie comes up with a way to creatively improve her dances, but she's still pushing past her limits regularly, with seemingly no consequences. It felt really difficult to believe that her disability did not impede her in any material way throughout the entire book, despite having to constantly dance and do other physical activity.

She becomes attached to whats-his-face, the master of revels(? i think?) through a time skip that basically says "they practiced a lot together and became close," which felt lazy. She's consistently told to do things for the king or else lose her chance at freedom, and she doesn't even try to work around these orders that she doesn't want to do. She displays little to no personality throughout the entire book, and at least 3 men end up having the hots for her.

That all being said, I did enjoy some of the political machinations going on, and I enjoyed king number 2. The mythology has promise. Unfortunately, I don't think the positives made up for the negatives.

ARC Review of A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena – ★★★½

I love a fantasy rooted in royal courts and tangled with political intrigue, and A Dance of Lies delivered exactly that—with a compelling blend of tension, romance, and an honest portrayal of chronic pain. Following Vasalie, a dancer turned spy, was such a ride. Her character arc kept me engaged, and I found myself fully invested in both the budding romance and the shifting political landscape.

One of the standout elements for me was how the author portrayed chronic illness and disability. Vasalie’s refusal to be defined by her condition was empowering and refreshing to read.

I found this a little difficult to get into as it was very Throne of Glass-coded, especially in the first few chapters. The characters were well a little underdeveloped in some areas, and therefore I didn’t connect with them in quite the same way as other books. The exploration of disability in a FMC was appreciated as well. Probably more like 3.75 stars in my opinion.