“𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣” “𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩”

We were gratefully gifted this arc 🫶🏼
This book is a political fantasy, interwoven with elements of mystery, espionage and tension that had us super intrigued to read it from the moment we got our hands on this book. This debut novel follows a dancer-turned-spy who struggles to secure her freedom. It’s full of court intrigue, moments that had us gasping and the slowest of slow burns - which completely suited the story.

Although there was minimal world building, the actual courts and alliances did take us a minute to get our heads around.

We unfortunately struggled to connect with the FMC - wishing she developed her personality a bit more. She has a lot of potential and we just wanted to get to know her more.

And then in walks the MMC 😍
He was seductive, he was witty and his banter was on point.

We had mixed opinions on the pacing, but overall we are excited to see how the author develops the characters and story. Considering this is a debut novel we are thoroughly impressed! 🫶🏼

𝓣𝓻𝓸𝓹𝓮𝓼:
Found family
Sibling rivalry
Slow burn
Betrayal
Chronic pain/disability rep
Political/court intrigue

I don’t know how to feel about this book. The concept of the story was really good, but I struggled to connect to the characters, and they just didn’t grab my attention. For me, this book was very overwritten, and things were just overdescribed. I typically love books with political intrigue, spies, and betrayal, but this missed the mark for me.

I’m so incredibly proud of Brittney and the work she’s put into this book! I am so privileged to have gotten to read an early copy. As far as debut novels go, this was a strong one. I felt a little underwhelmed with the beginning of the book. I felt really thrusted into the main plot without much background, and I felt like many words were being used to not say much? I love a flowery language, but sometimes the metaphors really took away from the substance.

This was a really quick read for me though! I feel like this book is going to really land with certain readers, and isn’t that always the goal?

Thank you again for this opportunity!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!!
I really enjoyed this book we follow Vasalie she's a dance and the king lillian Jewel king Illian has falsely accused Vasalie of murder and she's has been in a cell for two years when the Illian calls for her to become his spy.
We have to mmc love interest Copelan who's annoying as hell!! Wasn't a fan of him at all and Illian brother king Anton who I loved from the start!!
Overall this was such a fun and enjoyable book to read!!

AAAAHHH!! I absolutely loved this book. The story pulled me in right away with interesting morally grey characters, an unforgettable romance & a brilliantly cruel villain (hated him to my core BUT we love to see a straight up manipulative evil villain!!). The political intrigue kept things tense & exciting. That ending left me reeling. I need the next book immediately!!😭 absolutely five stars all round, such a brilliant debut.

What can I say about this book? It was wonderful!

It is hard to believe this is Brittney Arena’s debut novel, it is well written and very well thought out.

A damsel in distress who isn’t a damsel but a shadow. A king who was meant to protect her but instead betrayed her in the worst possible way. Kingdoms aligned in a delicate balance, and one false move could start a war.

Vasalie is absolutely incredible – After fleeing an abusive father, she ends up dancing for King Illian and becomes his ‘jewel’. Only then he betrays her, and frames her for a murder she didn’t commit, throwing her into a cell for two years. It is here that she develops the chronic illness/disability that is a thread throughout the entire book. As someone who has a myriad of health issues, her portrayal of exhaustion and pain was familiar, as was her need to drive herself forward anyway.

Despite being locked away in a cell for two years, Vasalie is still King Illian’s choice as a spy for the upcoming Royal Gathering, and he sends her there under the guise of a dancer for the entertainment. What follows is a heady mix of performance, political scheming with a splash of romance, and I loved it.

Vasalie is an inspiration, and her gradually embracing her new limitations is authentic and emotional. The world building is immaculate, and I can’t wait to learn more about the different countries. All the supporting characters are so well written, especially Illian and Anton. Illian is devious and twisted and will leave you full of loathing, whereas Anton is powerful but funny, clever and soft, and will leave you wanting more!

I am already desperate for the next book after the cliffhanger at the end of this one – so we warned! You will want more.

“You are art”.

5⭐️ and .5🌶️

🖤Romantasy
🖤Disability Representation
🖤Love Triangle/SQUARE?!
🖤Heartbreak, betrayal
🖤Court Politics with shocking and fun plot twists
🖤Dancer FMC, creative and badass

This book initially hooked me from the start, reading the foreword. Let me preface this with stating that I had requested this book only knowing a small amount about the story; I knew there was disability representation and that it would be a Romantasy. And as someone that is disabled I knew I was sold on the read. But after reading the foreword and learning that the author herself struggles with the same conditions that I do, and decided to write them into her story- I was equal parts incredibly emotional and excited.
The FMC struggles with a condition referred to as POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardiac Syndrome) including other common and comorbid health issues as well, like EDS (Ehlers-Dahnlos Syndrome).
I felt the author did a beautiful job representing the struggle and pain it is to have a condition like this condition. Some days are better than others. But we just don’t know which days those are. And sometimes our bodies will fail us. And sometimes they will surprise us. And I felt the author portrayed that beautifully in the story.
I pride myself on spoiler-free reviews so without going into more detail, I will say I loved this story. I can’t wait for more details on the next in the series because the cliffhanger-ish ending has me twisted into knots. But regardless, what an incredible, magical, inspiring, and fun read.
*I added half a chili pepper to this rating- there is no sex in this book HOWEVER there is HEAVY kissing and touching, on more than one occasion.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Del Rey and Random House Publishing for the advanced readers copy of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an EARC of this title in exchange for an honest review!!

I loved this book!! I will admit it was a slow start, but at about the 30% mark I was hooked. Our female main character not only has to thwart several men interested in her, but also work as a spy for a crown who has her blackmailed. With each page new details unfurl, and I was eagerly anticipating what was going to happen next. One thing I specifically enjoyed is that the different territories/kingdoms were not confusing to follow. I was so happy when our FMC had her redemption arc and everyone who wronged her got what was coming to them. Can’t wait for book two!

3.5 stars rounded up

A Dance of Lies is a beautifully written fantasy novel centering Vasalie, the king's Jewel and dancer, who he'd framed for murder and imprisoned, and her chance to earn her freedom through spying and intrigue at a royal gathering.

The two elements of the story that I had expected the least from, Vasalie's disabilities and the dancing/performance aspect, were actually extremely well done and were a constant through line throughout the story. I had thought those would be easy aspects to drop as the political intrigue and drama picked up, but Vasalie was consistently impacted by her physical limitations and the descriptions of the dances were actually some of my favorite parts and I was able to visualize it all really vividly, which surprised me.

That said, overall, the political intrigue and plotting didn't always work for me. There were definitely pieces that I enjoyed and I couldn't stop reading, a lot of the moving pieces sometimes felt a little convoluted. It isn't necessarily that the pieces didn't make sense (for the most part, I saw it all coming) but there were several reveals towards the end that I found frustrating (specifically regarding Vasalie's past). But I will say that I did love the ending and cannot wait for the sequel to find out what happens next. I liked Vasalie well enough and am excited to see her have a chance to grow but I loved Anton and some of his court enough that I will definitely follow them wherever this leads.

Thank you NetGalley and Del Rey for the ARC!

If you want a book that embodies glittering courts and lavish palaces in beautiful writing, look no further. I was immediately wowed by how lush Brittney's writing was, especially the beginning chapters. And the premise of this former dancer now burdened with chronic pain being sent to spy as a dancer at this gaudy event all the royals attend in a giant seaside palace? It hooked me easily. I had so much fun exploring the sea glass castle as she snuck around, performed for nobles and accidentally found people she really liked that she might have to betray. And this one was interesting because I actually couldn't immediately tell who the love interest was going to be, but gosh once we got more into it, I was so team... him! He has such a sense of humor and false bravado that half my tabs are probably his snarky lines, and he distantly reminded me a bit or Rhysand in his behavior. And as for spice, there isn't anything explicit but lust is a very common theme you'll find. Brittney described the book as sensual and I loved how she did it. As for the political intrigue, I actually found it a smidge predictable which surprised me? I also struggled just a bit with the ending feeling... out of place almost compared to the rest of the book? Perhaps that is a me problem but I won't say more to avoid spoilers. But the villains, oh Illian was so delightfully complex, especially with his obsession for Vasalie! Overall I really enjoyed reading this book, it had me trying to get through my housework quicker so I could get some more pages in, but at the same time was just missing a little something to tip me over into obsessed territory personally, but I can see where many of you will devour this one!

Thank you to Del Ray and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

3.75 stars

A Dance of Lies kept my attention the entire time. I adored the setting, and the story kept me on my toes, constantly wanting to know more. The concept of the main character, Vasalie being a dancer was exciting for me to read about, as I have never encountered a fantasy novel that revolved around a dancer. Seeing Vasalie overcome so much and come to understand herself and her disability and still find the passion to dance and perform was a great character arc, and I overall really enjoyed being in her point of view. The disability rep included in this book is so important and it was amazing to see how Vasalie carried herself and pushed herself despite her limitations.

I was very intrigued by the politics included in this book, and I felt the tension between the different sides throughout the book. Brittany Arena was able to create a complex political web despite this being on the shorter side, and I think that deserves recognition. As much as the politics entertained me, I do feel like the magic system was slightly underdeveloped and I would love to see it expand in the sequel.

This book is not very heavy handed with the romance, which I appreciated. However, the romance that we did get in this book was great, and I found myself rooting for both of the characters so much. It was quite the slow burn, so if you are a reader who enjoys that I would really recommend picking this book up! Despite enjoying the romance we did get, for me it was overshadowed by the "villain" and his treatment of Vasalie, so I felt like I did not get as invested as I wanted to be, but I can see myself becoming even more attached in the sequel.

I thought the writing in this book was amazing, especially for a debut novel. It was original and descriptive enough to which I could see the story playing out in my head without being overwhelming or too much, which is refreshing to find in a fantasy novel. The ending is quite a cliffhanger, and I cannot wait to see where Brittany Arena takes this story!

Overall, I enjoyed A Dance of Lies. If you are looking for a slow burn, political, and unique fantasy novel I would really recommend picking this up!

For Romantasy lovers who are always chasing the high that they got from ACOTAR -- A Dance Of Lies is an un-put=down-able story about a dancer who becomes a spy and meets our MMC that gives Rhysand vibes when he said "you, too, Fox Boy," and Rhys Under The Mountain, helping Feyre and the most handsome High Lord when he would do anything protect his court. And I'm not even going to tell you his name because we meet a few gentlemen through Vasalie who I thought were potential MMCs. But when you meet him, you'll know.

The world-building is stunning and the plot is so intricate that you will find yourself turning page after page and staying up late into the night to finish this beautiful and gut-wrenching story.

This book completely blew past my expectations. For a debut novel, A Dance of Lies is impressively written, gripping, emotional, and filled with action and romance.

Our main character, Vasalie, has been wrongfully imprisoned for two years, enduring unimaginable mistreatment that leaves her physically disabled. When she’s summoned before the very king who falsely accused her, she’s offered a deal to act as an entertainer at a royal gathering and spy on powerful monarchs in exchange for her freedom.

Brittney Arena handles Vasalie’s disability with so much care. It’s not just a trait that’s mentioned once and forgotten; it’s part of who she is. I love how it doesn’t hold her back, but it also isn’t erased or glamorized. I do wish it had been explored in more depth at times because some things were left hanging or just not properly developed; maybe in the next book this will be further explored.

What really kept me hooked was the nonstop political tension; each chapter is packed with tension and intrigue without ever feeling repetitive. And the romance? Beautifully done. Slow-burn, with moments that hit hard without being overly dramatic. Watching Vasalie navigate her feelings while surviving in a world that’s constantly testing her was just as interesting as all the royal drama.

If you’re into fantasy with a strong heroine, messy power plays, and a romance that unfolds at just the right pace A Dance of Lies is definitely worth the read.

A dancer is arrested and placed in the dungeon for a murder she didn't commit. she is left there for two years before being brought back out by the same king who sent her there. The two years in the dungeon has resulted in nerve damage and pain that make it difficult to do everyday things. Why is she pulled from the dungeon? To be the king's spy at an upcoming event involving other kings.

I really had such high hopes for this book. There was disability representation, an interesting premise and spying intrigue. Unfortunately, it did not hold up to my expectations. The writing itself was over done. Like the author was trying to write in a lyrical fashion but it turned out to be to much. The premise for the disability aspect, while I respect what the author was trying to do, was for me unrealistic. This whole books takes place in the span of maybe two or three months. Not only do I have chronic pain, I have studied anatomy, illness, disabilities, and a bodies capabilities. As well as helping someone regain their health and physical abilities after injury. Believing that this woman can go from barely standing to dancing in the span of less than a month is not something I can believe truly happened, even in a fantasy novel. The romance aspects and almost instant trust the people she meets have for her confused me the whole book.

I know that this book will have a lot of fans and will work for many people. I can understand what the author was trying to do and respect them for it, However, this book was not for me.


Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for an eARC of this title for my honest review.

When I finished this book and realized it was a debut novel, my mind was blown. Brittney Arena’s writing is tastefully beautiful — polished, emotional, and immersive. I never would’ve guessed this was her first book!

The dance aspects of the story were absolute perfection. As a former dancer, my heart was so full. The way Vasalie talks about dance — the passion, the freedom, the identity in movement — was spot on and deeply resonated with me.

At the heart of it is a “missed connection” love story that was pure swoon. Anton completely stole my heart — to say I adored him is an understatement. He also brought so much humor to the story, which gave the emotional moments balance and charm.

And that ending?! Mind. Blown. It was the kind of twist you don’t see coming, but once it hits, all the breadcrumbs were clearly there. I love when a story pulls that off — not overly predictable, but masterfully crafted in hindsight.

I’m already counting down the days for Book 2. This is hands down one of my favorite reads of 2025 so far!

We follow Vasalie, a dancer and performer for King Illian, who was wrongfully accused of murder and imprisoned 2 years ago. Tasked with infiltrating and spying on an upcoming meeting of the kingdoms as a performer in order to earn her pardon, Vasalie befriends the leader of the performers as well as King Anton, Illian's mysterious and alluring brother.

Surrounded by intrigue and plotting, Vasalie is unsure who to trust and struggles to balance what she knows to be right with what she is asked to do to earn her freedom.

I really liked this book! The ending was unexpected and the concept focusing on dance was really unique. This book is fantasy forward and political with very little romance and no spice, although we may get more in the next book as it was very slow burn!

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

What a fantastic debut!

I really enjoyed this story. The fmc, a dancer who has spent the last two years imprisoned after being betrayed by her royal protector, showed such strength and resilience. I loved that she’s written as being someone who now suffers from a weakness equivalent to being a chronic illness sufferer. I love that she doesn’t instantly recover from her trauma, but has to deal with it in different ways throughout the story, and that it continues affecting her relationships with others. It was so much more realistic than it would have been to have her instantly trusting and falling in love.

The characters were written really well, with their motivations and actions very nuanced and realistic encompassing good and bad aspects to both their personalities and behaviours.

The political intrigue and manoeuvrings of the various courts were really interesting to follow, and I loved seeing how things all played out. And I’m really looking forward to continuing this series when the next instalment comes out.

The writing was very smooth and the pacing of the book was excellent, and very impressive for a debut author!

Thank you delreybooks and netgalley for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have doubted a long time whether to apply for this arc or not, but in the end I am happy I did and that @delreybooks granted my request, as it was for sure an enjoyable read.

The main power of this book is hidden within the amazing world building with a super intriguing story woven within that was easy to read. However, while it started strong at some point in the middle the pacing start to feel a bit off and slow and I feel certain parts could have been shortened, but towards the end the pace became much better again luckily.

I love the disability representation and how Vasalie (FMC) suffered from being locked away for two years and didn’t just walk away with a few nightmares and that was it.

The romance part in this book was a little confusing, the premisses does hint at it but I believed it was between Vasalie, king Illian and king Anton. But while reading it seemed to be leading towards Copelan (her dance partner) as a romantic interest in the triangle. Meanwhile the MMC (Anton), is the typical MMC in romantasy stories (only without it the shadow powers) with his morally greyness that actually isn’t morally grey but just misunderstood actions. While I like this I didn’t specifically feel blown away by him. And I was a bit sad that Vasalie didn’t really decide to fight against her oppression until she was told by Anton to do that. The relationship between Vasalie and Anton is very slow (and not necessarily in a slowburn kind of way), but when it develops (around 60ish precent in) it develops very nicely in my opinion, so I did enjoy that.

But that ending, Brittney Arena, what the heck is that ending, you gave us everything and then ripped it away. I demand book 2 as a compensation right now! (But will wait of course while you work on it 😂💞).

Add this masterpiece to your TBR but be warned about the ending and how it rips out your heart….

This cover in color is stunning! Beautifully written debut novel by Brittney Arena! Releases June 10th!

In a realm split between three brothers, ….a dancer is forced to spy on a rival brother King at The Gathering to earn her freedom, yet he can’t keep his eyes off her 👀

MY PROTECTOR IS GONE, REVEALED TO BE A MONSTER


🩷 colorful immersive descriptions
❤️ rival kings
🧡 espionage
💛 tension and lust without spice— 1/5 🌶️
💚 dangerous courts
🩵 dancer turned spy
💙 TW: disability and illness rep. The author’s representation of masking pain in those with chronic illness is spot on!
💜 TW: ~semi~ off screen torture
🖤 betrayal

It’s hard to be a debut author in the romantasy world. There’s so many big name authors with huge followings and there’s inherent comparison. I did not go into this book knowing it was a duology and the ending completely surprised me. I would consider this more if a light fantasy, with romance but not spice. This book would be a great entry for a reader who was new to fantasy and world building. I was almost expecting a little love triangle in the beginning. #Team Anton! Although I would not want my endearing nickname to be “little minnow”…it’s memorable though lol!

I loved Vas’ evolving friendship with King Anton, as well as the growth of emotional and psychological strength the she exhibited as the story progressed. Many romantasy books have such a STRONG and fierce FMC but here it’s more subtle. Her ability to overcome her limitations is her strength. Her ability to open her heart again and trust. Her physically dancing despite the pain and weakness. When you live with a chronic condition that humbles you, life continues to goes on, and you learn to cope, you mask how you feel. The author did a good job with showing that. Vas is a dancer and while her passion, she’s forced to do it despite the pain, for her freedom.

Brittney Arena was the moderator for Danielle Jensen’s book release event I attended in Raleigh (A Curse Carved in Bone). I loved the energy by Brittney Arena so much that I immediately wanted to read her new debut book. A big THANK YOU to NetGalley and Del Rey for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review. When does book 2 come out? 👀👀👀I LOVE a duology

Thank you to NetGalley and Del Rey for this eARC.
I'm not sure what to say about this book. I had high expectations, but they kept going down as I read. The premise and world-building were interesting, but the execution fell short. The FMC annoyed the hell out of me. In the first half of the book, she mentioned her stepmother in almost every chapter; I'd rather have heard about how she grew so close to her dance partner. Her relationships with other characters didn't make sense - they trusted her without question and easily forgave her after she betrayed them. Two potential MMCs developed feelings for her out of nowhere. She had inconsistent feelings towards the man who broke her; she often seemed puzzled about why he touched other women but not her. She despised people one moment and begged for their help the next. When she finally decided to stand up for what was right, she immediately did the opposite. Her decisions and regrets made me want to throw my Kindle more than once. The biggest issue was her complete lack of character development throughout the book, and I never understood why she was so important to everyone.
The pacing was uneven, with a slow start and a rushed ending. Sometimes it felt like chunks of the plot were missing; other times, it felt like random events were thrown in. The timeline was implausible, with a king being dethroned, celebrated the next day, dying, and then having a wedding, followed by a king getting framed and a new one being chosen on the spot without any questions asked - all within five weeks. Overall, I was disappointed with this book and wouldn't recommend it.