Behind the glass walls of a glittering kingdom, secrets twist like vines through the court. A talented dancer arrives at the palace, drawn by the promise of opportunity but quickly caught in a game where every step could cost her everything. Torn between truth and survival, she discovers that the court's beauty is only a mask hiding rot, and the most graceful dance might be one of deception. Everything about this felt beautifully restrained. There's danger under the surface of every scene, but it never overplays itself. I loved how quiet power moved through the story.

I enjoyed the fairytale vibes in this book. It has magic, royalty and a lot of darkness.
Vasalie has been imprisoned for two years for a crime she didn’t commit. Now, to get her life back, she has to help the king that locked her away. As a dancer she is to spy on his brothers and do the tasks he gives her. But who to trust? As secrets unravel and death is lurking in the shadows Vasalie fights to be free.

I like the combination of romance, mystery and politics. I found it a bit boring to read in detail how some of the dances were performed. And to be honest, I wasn’t surprised by some of the plot twists, they were a bit predictable. Guessing all those Agatha Christie novels I read are to blame for that...However! There were a lot that I didn’t see coming and the intrigue kept me curious. It was exciting and a gold star for making Vasalie her own heroine.

““𝙞 𝙖𝙢 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣,” 𝙞 𝙨𝙖𝙮. 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙞 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧. ‘ 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩,’ 𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙚””

vasalie moran was once a dancer in king illian’s court - until she was accused of a crime she didn’t commit. after barely surviving two brutal years in the dungeons, she’s brought before the king with an offer: spy for him during a month-long royal gathering, and earn her freedom. but as the king’s demands grow darker and more dangerous, vasalie realizes the real threat might not be the one wearing the crown. caught between two warring brothers - one her enemy, the other a reluctant ally - vasalie must decide who to trust, what she’s willing to sacrifice, and how far she’s willing to go to survive

this was such a beautiful and whimsical read. i was pulled into the story from the very beginning. the world building was rich without being overwhelming, and the characters were layered and interesting. i especially loved the political tension and the high stakes of vasalie’s mission

the concept itself was really strong and the pacing worked well overall. my only reason for giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is the romance 1 it felt a bit rushed for me. i’m a big fan of a good slow burn, and while there was tension and that delicious “enemies-to-almost-lovers” energy, it didn’t quite hit the emotional depth i was hoping for. i wanted more yearning, more build-up between them before everything kicked off

and the ending? again, i think it was a little rushed - we got a lot of information thrown at us in those last few chapters (and so many amazing plot twists!) but it didn’t take away from the story. it actually sets things up really well for book two, which i’ll definitely be reading

““‘𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝,” 𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨. ‘𝙞 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣’𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝’””

So beautifully written. Great storyline. Was hooked from the very start. My heart got so invested so fast. I was angry, teary, hopeful and all the range of emotions you could possibly imagine on behalf of the main protagonist. It felt like a spiritual reckoning, reading this book, it was unreal how amazing it was and all I can say you will have to read this or you'll be missing out on an epic piece of writing! I suggest you go in blind, without too much knowledge if what to expect abd just enjoy.
This review is early thanks to netgalley, despite that, this is an unbiased review.

#BBNI2025

This is a interesting romantasy debut, and I loved the author's note at the beginning, and how she explains the reader her choices.
I'm not a fan of the first person - present time writing style, but other arc reader talked a lot about a Dance of Lies, so I want to read it and see for myself what the hype is about.
I think that if you are a sim fan you will love this - but I am not so I don't know if I am going to like this
The cover guys is stunning, I think they really captured che concept of the book with this one

Okay, wow. I went into A Dance of Lies expecting a solid fantasy read, but I didn’t anticipate how much it would grip me. Brittney Arena’s debut is a lush, tension-filled romantasy with court intrigue, betrayal, and a heroine who refuses to stay broken—no matter how much the world tries to break her.

The story follows Vasalie, a former dancer who was once the jewel of King Illian’s court—until he framed her for murder and threw her into a dungeon for two years. When he suddenly offers her freedom in exchange for becoming his spy, she has no choice but to accept. But here’s the catch: her body is wrecked. Years of starvation and abuse have left her with chronic pain, muscle atrophy, and a heart condition. And yet, she has to dance again—flawlessly—in just a few weeks to prove herself.

I’ll admit, I was skeptical about the timeline at first. How could someone recover from that much physical trauma in such a short time? But the book makes it work by framing it as an impossible task—one that Vasalie tackles with sheer stubbornness. And honestly? I loved that. Her struggle felt raw and real. She isn’t magically healed; she pushes through the pain, and that made her victories hit even harder.

The writing is gorgeous. Arena has this way of describing movement and emotion that makes every dance scene feel hypnotic. The political intrigue is twisty, with alliances shifting constantly. Just when I thought I had someone figured out—boom, betrayal. The tension between Vasalie and King Illian is especially gripping. He’s manipulative, cruel, and yet there’s this twisted history between them that kept me glued to the page.

And then there’s the romance. Ohhh, the romance. The slow burn is chef’s kiss—full of banter, tension, and moments that made me kick my feet. But what I appreciated most is that Vasalie’s journey isn’t just about love. It’s about reclaiming her power, learning who to trust, and deciding how far she’s willing to go for freedom.

The ending? Absolutely brutal in the best way. It’s dark, unexpected, and sets up the sequel perfectly. I need book two yesterday.

If you love fantasy with court politics, complex characters, and a heroine who fights tooth and nail for her survival, A Dance of Lies is a must-read. It’s got heart, pain, and just the right amount of swoon. Brittney Arena is an author to watch—and I’ll be first in line for whatever she writes next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)

*Huge thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the eARC! This review is my honest opinion.*

I adored this book so much that I finished it in two days!!!

The books is so full of intrigue, court politics, a delectable spectrum of interesting and varied characters, the dynamics between Vasalie and the new charaishe meeta at the Gathering is such a joy to discover and read.

In the first half of the book I was kept wondering who the ship is. And then in the second half when I realised who it is my delight was extreme lol. Feet-kicking swoon ensues. Absolutely loved the banter and the found family aspects.

There are a lot of twists towards the end which I didn't expect and I can't wait for the next book. The K-drama lover in me lapped up the romantic tension and the swoony scenes.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy the following tropes and traits:

I love fantasies but in the last year I wasn’t able to find any good fantasy books until I read this one. Thank you tandem collective and bloomsbury for providing the online arc. The writing in a dance of lies is incredibly immersive, which was a big part of why I loved this book. Our main character is a dancer with chronic illness and has to spy at the royal gathering otherwise she’ll die. I went through so many emotions while reading, I was really concerned for my health for a second. The court intrigue was sooo well plotted out, that I couldn’t even connect any of the parts by myself. I loved the plot and I loved how the author connected the romance in the story. There are multiple potential love interests where we have to speculate, who she’s interested in and who has her best interest. Also as a slow burn loving reader this book was just perfect. The banter between the characters were adorable and the YEARNING!!!!

easily my favorite 5 star read of the year, the characters are immediately intriguing and the story pulls you in. A must read and worthy of the 'most anticipated' title!

A Dance of Lies is a unique fantasy book. I loved the disability rep. As someone who suffers with similar chronic health symptoms this was really refreshing and nice to see in a fantasy book. However I will say that some of the situations Vasalie found herself in and pushing through symptoms in these situations felt a bit unrealistic to me and potentially dangerous for someone with those symptoms.
Whilst I did enjoy the book overall I feel like it was just missing something to make it amazing for me. The fantasy storyline is really well done and I love the premise of this book but I felt the romantic subplot could maybe have been developed a little bit more. It took well over 50 or 60% before I knew who the romantic interest was supposed to be but didn't find myself rooting for any of the potential romantic partners until this point.
Overall an enjoyable fantasy story that I'm sure will be popular this year

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 month-long royal Gathering and he’ll grant her freedom.
~~~~~
I have, mixed feelings here. The plot hooked me really quickly and I loved it and wanted to keep reading to unveil the secrets and schemes. Plot wise, this is a winner. I also really liked the disability rep, I think it was really well included but didn't overshadow the narrative it added to it and gave it more dimension.

However, this is marketed as a romantic fantasy and that's where it let's me down. I wasn't even sure who we were romancing until about 50% of the way through the book. It wasn't slow burn it just for me wasn't clear sadly.

So I'd still say give it a shot, and I'm intrigued to know where it goes, but I wouldn't go into it looking solely for a strong romance plot!

Thank you Brittney Arena, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

This book is more than a romantasy book. This has to be THE book of 2025! It blew me away in the best way possible and immersed me into the world seamlessly. The world-building was very intriguing, given the loose Monte Cristo feeling. The political tension and intrigue is tense and very well shown.

As much as I love Anton and Vasalie's romance, this book is much more than fantasy or romance. It's a journey of self healing, journey to freedom and discovery of one's self after being broken thoroughly and stripped of her abilities.

The ending of this book had my jaw on the floor and I cannot wait for the sequel!

“If you think he’s the only one who can make you feel,” he murmurs, his lips against the shell of my ear, “you are so very wrong.”

Hearts are fragile things, like glass. They break far too easily in the wrong hands. Offer them only to someone who can care for them, who might polish them until they glow.”

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena is featured as a part of Bloomsbury Big Night In 2025 and as a guest of honour, I had the opportunity to read these stories early and I loved this book so much. Firstly, Brittney is an absolute sweetheart.

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 month-long 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 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 King of the East.

As the rivalry between brothers escalates with Vasalie caught in the middle, the 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.

This is an excellent debut fantasy with an element of romance that balances the utter desperation to survive against espionage, political intrigue and sheer evil.

Vasalie is a strong MC who has gone through so much of trauma only for someone who she thought was her protector, to imprison her and then frees her only to demand that she does his bidding, or he would make public her “crime”. Her imprisonment has resulted in several health issues including chronic pain which she learns to cope with whilst inventing new ways to take the level of her performance to those prior to her imprisonment. You understand her hesitancy in trusting people but also her need to survive, even when it risks others. Ilian is an utter pig and I hate him so much. Anton is quite simply perfect, he’s smart-alecky, sneaky and has moments of absolutely brilliant humour even in the most inopportune moments that you quite literally laugh out loud. See a quote below (that’s not spoilery)

“You could use a dose of humility, Sire.”
“Why would I dose myself with that? Sounds terrible.”

Those last few chapters have you completely dumbstruck. I quite simply cannot wait for book 2 and book 1 hasn’t even been released yet. This is going to be torture.

Thank you to Bloomsbury and Tandem Collective Global for the opportunity to read this

༺ A Dance of Lies༻

I am speechless. This was everything I needed in a book and more and I’m even more stunned that this is a debut novel because it is flawless!! The writing was effortlessly beautiful and so atmospheric! 🥹

Vasalie starts off in this book as a terrified, broken and bruised young woman who’s been held captive through a twisted tale of lies and deception, but when the opportunity to spy on her King’s rivals appears- she fights tooth and nail to fight for her freedom whilst regaining her love for dancing 🥹

Throughout the story we see her blossom and flourish into someone who is strong, determined and fearless despite the court and Kingdom politics and the network of people out to cut her down.

This story is filled with drama, deception, politics, enemies to lovers, layered and unforgettable characters, heaps of witty banter and a flirty King with a wicked tongue 🤤

I cannot fully explain how much I loved this book and how excited I am to see where this story goes next 🥹

This atmospheric, whimsical and beautiful story will be available to everyone on June 10th 🫶🏼

Thank you @netgalley and @reverieandink for sharing this ARC with me, I loved every single page 🤍

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Tropes:

💙- Dancer turned spy
🧡- Enemies to Lovers
💙- Drama & secrets
🧡- Chronic pain & disability rep

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My two favourite quotes:

♡ - “We all have our comforts, Minnow. I wonder if you might be mine.”

♡ - Because I am grateful that my heart still beats, grateful that this body, however pained, has not crumbled beneath the weight of all that has been done to me.

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SCREAMING CRYING KICKING MY FEET

I loved this book so much!!!! Just by reading the author’s note I knew I would have loved this read so much, and the portrayal of Vaselie’s disability deeply moved me, it was so brilliantly portrayed.

The rhythm of the story was also super fast-paced, especially in the second half! Loved all the twists we got and LOVED LOVED LOVED ANTON!!! A witty, sarcastic king sAY NO MORE ?!?!?

I can’t wait to read the sequel to this incredible debut, make sure to check it out!

AD/PR Thank you again to Tandem Collective Global and Bloomsbury Export for the copy!

I can't quite put into words how lucky I feel to have received an ARC for this book. It's the kind of book I've always dreamed about receiving an ARC for, and I'm very grateful to the author and publisher.

You know when you start a book and it's so clear that not only will you love it but the story and the characters will stay with you? A Dance of Lies was like that for me. The opening chapter had me hooked, and by chapter three I'd found the first quote that has stayed stuck in my mind; "But scars are powerful things, because they show your resilience. So rise from your ashes my dear. Do not crumble alongside them."

The story within this book is full of mystery, suspense, and hope. I loved all of the characters (honestly even the villains were incredible to read about), and Vasalie definitely makes my top 10 FMC's.

The world building was fantastic! And I found the story easy to follow even with a complex plot and a lot of characters.

If you liked The Cruel Prince, and A Court of Silver Flames (especially Nesta's dancing) this is the perfect book for you.

✨ Dive into a world of secrets and seduction! ✨

Just finished "Dance of Lies" by Brittany Arena, and wow, what a ride! 💃💔 This book weaves a captivating tale of forbidden love, hidden identities, and the dangerous games people play.

Arena crafts a story where every step is a delicate dance between truth and deception. The characters are complex, their motivations shrouded in mystery, and the tension is palpable. If you love a book that keeps you guessing until the very end, this one's for you!

Perfect for fans of:
* Intense romance 🔥
* Suspenseful plots 🕵️‍♀️
* Characters with hidden agendas 🎭

Questo libro è scritto in modo meraviglioso.
La costruzione del worldbuilding è coinvolgente, vivido e meticolosamente realizzato.

Vasalie Moran una volta era una ballerina alla corte di re Illian, fino a quando non l'ha incastrata per 0m1cidio. Sopravvissuta a malapena ai suoi due anni nei sotterranei, viene improvvisamente chiamata ad affrontare il suo re. Le offre un accordo: diventare la sua spia personale al raduno reale in cambio della sua libertà.

Durante la prigionia, i suoi muscoli si sono atrofizzati.
Il dolore cronico, i problemi di salute e le limitazioni non spengono lo spirito combattivo di Vasalie.
È resiliente ed intelligente e piuttosto che lasciare che la sua condizione la definisca o la sconfigga, impara ad adattarsi rifiutandosi di nasconderlo, mostrando un potere silenzioso davvero incoraggiante e stimolante.

Al Royal Gathering (dove si incontrano tutti i governanti dei regni ) incrocia le strade con alcune nuove e misteriose figure, tra cui il fratello di Illian, re Anton, e l'enigmatico Maestro di Cerimonie, Copelan.

Anton è civettuolo e affascinante; spiritoso e divertente.
Copelan è indeciso ed esasperante.
Sono il sole e la luna.
Solarità e mistero.
Due facce della stessa medaglia.
Opposti che attraggono e che ammaliano.
Ma sono alleati o sono segretamente dei villains?

Questo è stato un debutto romantasy assolutamente fantastico con la perfetta combinazione di trama, macchinazioni politiche, romanticismo e mistero.

È un viaggio di guarigione, scoperta di sé e di libertà.
Una storia perfetta per chi ha amato le dinamiche di Midas e Auren nella serie di Plated Prisoner o avrebbe voluto conoscere meglio il background di Inej di Sei di corvi.

I loved this book! The fact this is the authors debut, is just so insane to me!

Firstly, I was crying before it even started, when I read the authors note. As a chronically unwell girlie, this was absolutely the disability representation I have been craving in a fantasy novel!

A Dance of Lies is a debut romantic fantasy, with disability representation (!!), rival kings, tension for daaaays and dangerous espionage. This is a must for your 2025 TBR

Thank you Brittney Arena, Bloomsbury Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc

I unfortunately dnf’d this book! Although I liked the premise of the book. It became too confusing with all the different characters being added throughout!