Chalk this up as a win for the chronically ill baddies!

Vasalie flees the home of her abusive father, straight into the court of an abusive (and obsessive creepy) king where she starts a new life as a dancer. One day said creepy king frames her for a murder she didn’t commit and throws her in the dungeons for TWO SOLID YEARS. When she is allowed out her body has transformed from a strong dancer to a weakened and atrophied state. Despite this Creepy King says she must infiltrate another court by getting in as a Super Duper Dancer Girl, so Vasalie must fight against the machinations of King Creep, the deadly politics of the courts, the fear of discovery by her shitty old dad AND the chronic exhaustion and pain that is her new normal.


I loved this book. Vasalie has jumped straight to the top 10 of my FMC leaderboard because she is so complex. She is ACTUALLY morally grey, she does terrible things and good things and everything in between to survive and to cope with her trauma and it’s so painfully real. She has panic attacks that a visceral and raw, she chooses the wrong people out of a craving for belonging and comfort, she is just a delicious character.

I also loved the representation of chronic illness it seemed so authentic and didn’t have one of those over-simplified “oh she overcame it with the power of love/magic/will”.

The romance in this was also super refreshing!! It’s not obvious and it’s not straightforward. It’s as complex as the characters and the plot at large and I was EATING IT UP.

I’m dying for book two which is a tragedy because I managed to bag this before it was released so SEND PRAYERS to get me through til book two 😭

Great premise with royal intrigue and chronic pain rep I connected with, but the pacing dragged under heavy, unnecessary description. Still, the political scheming kept me interested enough to maybe keep going.

“I am broken. You are art.”

I absolutely adored A Dance of Lies this book was everything I wanted in a romantasy.
I devoured this book staying up late at night to continue reading one more chapter.

A story of a young woman who is a dancer turned spy whose only chance at freedom is to get the information the king needs.

Vasalie is such a wonderful nuanced character and I loved her character arc of learning to love herself as she is & knowing she is worth more than a “prized jewel”. At the beginning of the book we meet her when she is imprisoned in a cell and shackled so tight that she has barely been able to move resulting in a long term disability & chronic pain.
She cannot dance in the way she once did, she becomes exhausted & has muscle weakness & she requires time to rest and recover if she pushes her body too hard.

Her struggle with her pain & having to learn how her body works all over again was so real and relatable. I felt so seen. Her anger at her new limitations & her mourning the life she can no longer have was so raw and real. I felt her pain deep in my soul.
As the story continues we see her learn to accept herself as she is and realise she is not less because of her disability, she just has to adapt and achieve her goals in a different way.
Her resilience and perseverance and her determination to get her freedom meant she had to make hard choices & we see her have to also deal with the consequences of those choices & how she becomes a better person.

This story is full of political intrigue, an oh so charming MMC that has great chemistry and banter with Vasalie & who loves all of her.
We also have a great cast of side characters that become true friends with Vasalie and then there’s the men who try everything to control her, who I hated with a burning passion.

The plot is quite fast paced and we have to slowly put the pieces together to see what is truly happening so there’s lots of mystery and intrigue & the ending had me screaming! I need book 2 asap!

A superbly crafted fantasy adventure full of thrills, intrigue and adventure than you've ever seen - but in the best way possible.

R E V I E W

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena

Advanced Reader Copy provided by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC via Netgalley

☆☆☆☆☆

As far as debut novels go, this one blew me away. As an avid fantasy reader, I can usually tell within the first few chapters what might unfold or whether I am going to click with a certain narrative voice, and let me tell you, I did not predict the ending of this book and the prose had me gripped from start to finish.

Similar to Sarah J Maas' 'Throne of Glass', A Dance of Lies begins with the female main character imprisoned, staring down the barrel of a future riddled with darkness, loneliness, and maltreatment. However, much like the protagonist in 'For She is Wrath', dancer Vasalie Moran is innocent of all charges and has been imprisoned at the behest of someone she once knew, and maybe even loved.

The story begins two years after Vasalie's incarceration when she is plucked from obscurity at the whim of the King who first imprisoned her. Broken, beaten down and bereft of all hope, Vasalie has little choice but to do as King Illian bids: perform at The Gathering, a decennial celebration where the various Crowns from across the lands convene, and act as his spy in exchange for her exoneration. But with eyes upon her at all times and increasingly disquieting orders left for her to follow, Vasalie quickly realises that Illian has alterior motives beyond espionage - he is making a play for the entire kingdom of Miridran, and he is using her to do it. With new friends in her corner, surprising allies, and a sudden determination to be more than the victim the King of the West has made her out to be, Vasalie endeavours to uncover the truth behind Illian's actions, all the while engaging in a dangerous dance with foreboding partners and menacing past acaintances.

This book was addictive, with questions aplenty, clues laid out seductively around every corner and a tantalising prospective romance, or two. A five-star read for me and now an arduous wait for the sequel!

A Dance of Lies follows Vasalie, a former dancer from King Illian’s court, who was imprisoned after he framed her for murder. He offers her a deal: become his spy at the month-long royal Gathering and he'll grant her freedom.

I absolutely love purple prose, but this story was far too overwritten. I became distracted by the writing, and found myself not taking in what was actually happening in the story. I feel like the author tried to write in a lyrical and poetic style, but it unfortunately impacted the narrative in a negative way.

I found the pacing to be very slow, and the plot was predictable. I also struggled to connect to the characters, who lacked depth and personality. I was really excited to read about a character suffering with chronic pain, but I feel like the depiction was sometimes a little unrealistic.

Overall, this book wasn’t for me. However, if you enjoy fantasy books that are low on the fantasy with very poetic prose, and don’t mind a predictable plot, you may enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing me with en eARC in exchange for an honest review.

DNF'd at a around 30%

I was still waiting for a more fantastical element to the story that was more than political intrigue and waring kingdoms. I found it difficult to get into and didnt have an urge to keep picking it up. May be my own issue as i had expected something else.

A lot of praise for this so it clearly is a me thing.

A Dance of Lies is a mesmerizing high-stakes fantasy romance featuring a beautifully represented protagonist who struggles with chronic pain, physical injury, and emotional trauma. The plot revolves around a slow-burn romance set against a love triangle at the heart of complex and dangerous political machinations between rival kingdoms. Brittney Arena’s writing is beautifully descriptive, emotionally evocative, and multifaceted, with intricately woven characters and a tense, treacherous world-building.

Vasalie is a powerful protagonist because she’s broken in mind, body and soul at the start of her character arc that takes her from her darkest moment to starting to thrive as she discovers strength in her resilience, finds new ways to work with the limits of her body and uses her artistic flare to design costumes to conceal and props to enchant her audiences. Her vulnerability and struggle make it very easy to relate to her character and become emotionally invested in her dances of deception and fight for her life, as a single misstep could cost her everything.

You can feel how much of the writer’s soul and experience has fashioned her writing to show a genuine representation of living with pain, frustrations of limitations, and mental health trials of when your body becomes the enemy and no longer feels like your own. The descriptions of the dancing were phenomenal - each dance was vividly depicted, allowing the choreography and physical motions to flow through the imagination, interlaced with the strain, frustration, and agony felt by the protagonist as she forced her body to perform. You felt each winded breath, painful muscle tremor, and quivering heart flutter as if it were yours.

Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and Brittney Arena for approving my Netgalley eArc of A Dance of Lies.

read this for:
- new adult romantasy
- kingdom politics & courtly intrigue
- invisible disability & chronic illness rep (inspired by the author's own life)
- a whirlwind of romance that has you asking, who even is the main love interest?

From the moment I opened this book and read the first few pages, I knew I was going to love it. There's just something about how it is written that is just so.. I don't know... GLORIOUS! Exquisite writing, enchanting descriptions, luxurious prose. Oh, how I adored this book.

Brittney Arena's debut fantasy spins a tale of mythical lands, reluctant espionage, treacherous plots, and haunting prophecies that deserves widespread adoration and praise. You might be thinking, "oh there goes Aqeelah with her dramatics again," but trust me folks, this is a good one! And when am I ever wrong about good books?

We follow Vasalie, a dancer framed for murder, whose incarceration changes her body irrevocably. Let out of the dungeon, Vasalie is forced into the political machinations of the many kingdoms. Acting as a spy for the ruthless King Illian, Vasalie experiences a journey of hope and despair as she tries to untangle herself from the increasingly intricate knot of royals on the edge of war. It's one hell of a tale!

Despite the fantasy, Vasalie's experience with disability and chronic illness was something so REAL to read about. As someone suffering from chronic illness myself, I felt a strong kinship with the disabled dancer, and I really appreciate having more invisible illnesses explored in fiction (even if Vasalie's illness did not affect her life as much as I expected). Beyond her illness, Vasalie is a captivating character with a rich history, personality, and mind that made reading her point of view both thrilling and heartbreaking.

Main character aside, I loved all the side characters. I ESPECIALLY loved the dashing young King Anton. Tragically beautiful and beautifully tragic, he is JUST MY TYPE. See that flirtatious and dramatic golden boy who leaves trails of rumours and hedonism in his wake while hiding a deep dark past and inner soul filled with pain? Yup, that's the character I am going to fall in love with. Every single time. (*sobs* Anton, I love you!!!!! 🥹)

With well-crafted characters and a riveting storyline, this book is one I'll be raving about for ages. I NEED A SEQUEL ASAP!! And I need you all to read it so we can * s C r E a M * together!!!

I’m so sorry I hated this. I loved the first 20% the. It went downhill so fast. Won’t be posting about it don’t want to post negative reviews !

An excellent, intriguing, and twist fantasy debut.
There's plenty of potential, excellent world building and character development.
I found it a bit slow at the beginning but I was hooked after some chapters
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is such a strong romantasy entry that I was blown away. It had amazing disability representation and the concept of our FMC being pulled from prison to start our story was a great jumping off point. The beginning reminded me of Poison Study by Maria Snyder, which is my favorite fantasy story (before romantasy was even a subgenre), so I knew I was going to love this. It also had elements of characterization that reminded me of Danielle Jensen's A Bridge Kingdom series (another favorite of mine). The idea of a court dancer who has been left disabled, but is still being used for political aplomb, intrigued me.

Cannot wait to see what is next for this author.
I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I really wanted to love this, but after pausing it for a few days and going back, I realized that I didn’t miss this story or the characters at all. There’s nothing wrong with this, nothing major I can point out as the reason, the only explanation was that I wasn't able to connect with the main character and her journey. As soon as I started skim-reading around the 35% mark, I knew it was time to give up.

~
Thank you to Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC. All opinions are my own.

4 stars rounded up! I think this was a compelling and unique story, though I think calling it a romantasy is a bit misleading. There is no fantasy aspect until the end, and the romance is not the biggest part of the story. I was also mildly disappointed about who the love interest ended up being, but I still enjoyed them together. The plot was well executed and as the book proceeds, there are so many twists and turns that kept me on my toes. I had so many emotions reading this! The FMC is disabled, and while I've seen other reviewers criticize the disability rep is in this book, I personally think she did a great job. As someone who lives with chronic pain, I could relate to her character a lot. Not only did the author showcase her strengths despite the weight of everything she's going through; it is also noted, many times, just how hard it is for her to continue dancing. It's clear that she pushes through the pain, that it takes a huge toll on her, and completely exhausts her by the time she's done performing. The ending leaves me to assume that there might be a second book and I would definitely be interested in reading that! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

A dark, lyrical fantasy with a smart heroine and brilliantly portrayed disability rep – A Dance of Lies is a rich, layered read that left me genuinely intrigued for what’s to come.

We follow Vasalie, once the King's prized dancer, now a broken scapegoat imprisoned for a murder she didn’t commit. Illian knew she was innocent but locked her away anyway, and after two years of pain, starvation, and isolation, he drags her back into the spotlight with an impossible bargain: spy for him at a royal gathering, or be publicly exposed as a murderer. Her freedom is dangled like bait, but every step forward seems to cost her a piece of herself.

What I really loved here - beyond the lush world-building and courtly tension - was the depiction of chronic pain. As someone who lives with it, I found the portrayal incredibly relatable. The tension between wanting to perform and having a body that simply won’t cooperate, the physical cost of pushing through... it’s all here, subtly but powerfully done.

The dance scenes are vividly written, the romance slow to reveal itself (which I loved), and the secondary characters bring warmth and complexity. The ending shifts into something unexpected and devious – full of uncertainty, grey areas and the kind of power play that keeps you guessing. A strong, smart read – and I’m looking forward to seeing where book two takes us.

Anything Brittney Arena puts out in the future will be an insta-buy for me.
This book is a gorgeously rich tale of reclaiming agency. It has amazing disability representation.
The characters was addictively layered, with so many nuances and motivations that made them feel very multi dimensional.
The story is intriguing, in some places it pulls you along in a quick pace, and in others it lets you savour the tender and thoughtful moments.

I absolutely LOVED this book and I can’t stop thinking about it!!

The world building was phenomenal and Vasaile’s character development was top tier- a story with politics, schemes and twists that I ate up. Whilst there wasn’t much spice, the slow burn and tension were incredible!!

This is a true slow burner of a story. There is good disability/chronic pain rep and the potential for romance on a couple of fronts leaves Vasalie with some options - neither of which seem very safe bets!

The storytelling is beautiful and the depictions and descriptions of the performances are stunning. As someone who suffers from chronic pain, I can feel for Vasalie and the doing more than the body is ready for and then suffering when you have the time and energy to deal with it! There is plenty of royal politics and Machiavellian plots to usurp crowns to keep you interested.

The gods have potentially been interfering in the structure and government of the land and I was a bit aghast when we finally met one of the Gods and Morta was just spoken to like A.N. Other! I did feel it was rushed a bit at the end and I could have done with a bit...more. Also not complete struck on Vasalie's nickname, I know it comes from her main foe, but it really grated on me for some reason!

I'd be happy to read book 2 and see where the story (and potential romances) go.

<b>DNF at 50% — Not for Me</b>

I really tried to give <i>Dance of Lies</i> a fair shot. After a slow start, I hoped it would pick up—but unfortunately, <i>it didn’t</i>. The writing leans heavily into overly dramatic and lengthy descriptions that often felt unnecessary and weighed down the pacing. Details were shared that added little to the plot, and the balance between action and description felt off throughout.

The descriptions lack balance—either overly detailed or frustratingly vague. One scene involving a shared glass made zero sense (keeping it spoiler-free, but how exactly was the other half of the glass consumed by the second party). It feels like the author was aiming for the Jude Duarte vibe, but it just didn’t land.

I couldn’t grasp why such a key moment in the FMC’s backstory was told in hindsight—it weakened the stakes. Also, with so many potential love interests, it was hard to tell who the actual one was (though I’ll guess, since it’s tagged enemies-to-lovers).

To end on a lighter note: this book *did* help me fall asleep faster than melatonin. I’m sure it’ll find its readers, especially among those who enjoy flowery prose and slower, atmospheric fantasy—but I just can't continue reading it.

A Dance of Lies focuses on Vasalie, who after being imprisoned for two years is now struggling with chronic pain. Despite this, she manages to get an esteemed place as a performer at the Crowns Syndicate where the rulers of the land meet. She spies and tests her morals with the aim of getting her freedom.
3.5 stars. The writing is very beautiful and while this sometimes slows down the plot, if you enjoy descriptive prose this is for you. The world is very immersive and pretty. You will especially love this if you like theatre or dance shows because there are lots of performances described.
The romance plotline started quite late on and there was a bit of a love triangle, which I didn’t find myself connecting with massively. Towards the end I started to feel more invested in the main love interest, but we do not get a happy ending. The plot twist at the end was a big redeeming factor and it has made me want to read on.