First of all thank you to netgalley and the publishers for a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Well to be honest i only rated 4 stars as my reading of this was unfortunatly very interupted and stop startish. I feel if i hadnt been so interupted i may have rated higher. However having said that i really loved the FMC and i loved the disability rep.
Our fmc Vasalie is left disabled after a long imprisonment for a crime she didnt commit, when shes released she becomes a spy for a frankly very dislikable king.
She has to try and train her body so she can dance like she used to but struggles at times due to her disability.
And the ending of this book... well safe to say i definatly want to read the next book, whenever that may be since book 1 isnt even out yet lol

Absolutely phenomenal from start to finish! There were so many mysterious plot points gradually unravelling throughout that I just had to keep reading. While Vasalie isn't necessarily all good, I found her POV and character development throughout relatable and fascinating. The politics and scheming set for a tense storyline that kept me engaged from start to finish, and with that devastating and dramatic ending I can't wait for the next book!

Thank you for this book! Please find my review below:

A Dance of Lies is a debut fantasy novel that follows Vasalie, a dancer imprisoned for the past two years. When the king summons her with an offer—spy for the crown in exchange for her freedom—she’s thrown into a dangerous game of deceit and survival.

One of the strongest elements of this book is its focus on resilience. Vasalie is a determined and capable protagonist who doesn’t allow her circumstances to define her. Her strength and perseverance are at the heart of the story, and I found myself rooting for her throughout.

The romance was lightly woven into the plot, which I appreciated—it never overshadowed the main narrative. However, I think the romantic thread could have been more compelling with additional development of the love interest, helping readers feel more emotionally invested.

The villains were particularly well-written. They were deeply unpleasant characters, but their development made the stakes feel real and intense. The world-building was also a strength. Without lengthy descriptions or exposition, Arena creates a fantasy world that feels grounded and understandable. The setting is cleverly woven into the narrative, which made the story easy to sink into.

There were a few plot points that felt underdeveloped, and while I enjoyed reading this book, I wasn’t reaching for it every spare moment. It was an enjoyable experience, but it didn’t completely capture my thoughts outside of reading time.

Overall, *A Dance of Lies* is a solid debut with engaging characters, a fast-paced plot, and strong themes of resilience and survival.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book has completely blown my mind!

To begin with, the story is absolutelly well-crafted. Every single step taken by Vasalie is paced to a very specific place, but you don't notice it until the very end itself. That talent nettling the plot is absolutely amazing!

The characters are gorgeous, and not only phisically speaking. All of them are very well-constructed, and it's impossible not to imagine them in real life. I mean, they're deep, even the side characters that have minor roles in the story. All of them have their own background, something to thank for in a fantasy book because unfortunately it's not very common, and you can point them in the scenes and dialogues without needing to be mentioned. Very good job!

How Arena created such an deep worldbuilding with few details is something I have really loved. She doesn't need to give too much information to set you in her world. You discover the relationships between kingdoms throughout the book, how economy works, how their religion has been built, how they manage political affairs... It's perfectly well introduced.

And now, the best part: the tea. I was jumping on the coach every time Vasalie felt something towards a character. I was simply waiting for a confession, or a kiss, or something that could give me a clue about who the romantic interest would be. But Arena has written it in such a way that you cannot expect until de 60-70% of the book how the love story is going to be. Amazing job!

The only thing that makes me suffer is that the second part is not published yet! I need it right now!

Fates. What an emotive story. I could physically see everything described on the page, from the beauty of the setting, to the striking dances Vasalie and Copelan created. I really enjoyed the low spice, the themes of lust and obsession were rife, and this made a pleasant change. The espionage was well written, and I enjoyed the idea of the prophecy heading in a different direction to where I originally thought. This book kept me guessing throughout.

The representation of chronic illness and disability was amazing. To see lived experience of an illness in print, with such care and civility was refreshing.

I lost the pacing towards the ending of the book, which threw me off slightly. However, I cannot wait for the next t book.

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.
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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!

5⭐

A Dance of Lies is a masterpiece! Britney Arena's writing style is compelling, whimsical and lyrical and the purple prose had me hooked it the book! The world-building and rich lore and history was amazingly crafted and the thought put into the creation of these characters cannot go unnoticed! I cannot wait for the sequel!

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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