Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy. I was really excited about this one based on the blurb, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me.

My biggest issue was the writing—it felt overly flowery and overwritten, which made the reading experience feel more exhausting than immersive. So much time was spent on elaborate descriptions that the plot often got lost, and I found myself wishing for a more streamlined approach. What could’ve been covered in a single chapter sometimes stretched unnecessarily long.

That said, this is still an impressive debut. The writing style simply wasn’t to my taste. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I really appreciated the inclusion of disability and chronic illness representation—especially in a fantasy setting, where it’s still far too rare.

For a debut this was amazing! Such a well written and captivating fantasy romance, highly recommend to any fantasy lovers. The writing was beautiful too

Just wow! It was such a lush ,lyrical and atmospheric read! I really loved the settings , all the scheming and the twist and turns that left me shocked! I loved Vasalie with her physical weakness and inner strength from page one and since that I couldn’t stop reading about her story!
I loved also Copeland, which was a very interesting and complex character, and his relationship with Vasalie was so layered and complex that developed in unexpected ways!

I

I loved this book! It perfectly combines excellent world-building with a sizzling romance that I just couldn't get enough of. The plot was fast-paced and never felt boring. I can't wait for this to come out so I can talk to everyone about it! Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the e-arc

A Dance of Lies pulled me in from the first chapter and I couldn't stop reading. Vasalie is such a compelling main character—strong, flawed, and easy to root for as she’s thrown into a deadly game of lies and loyalty.
The court intrigue, the slow-burn tension, the emotional twists… it all had me hooked.

Brittney Arena nails the balance of heartbreak, romance, and high stakes. Just when you think you know what’s coming, another secret drops—and it leaves you shocked and mad and heartbroken.

If you love fierce heroines, morally gray choices, and fantasy with a lot of action, don’t miss this one.

Vasalie & Anton
Fantasy Romance
Royal Courts
Dancer
Chronic Pain/Disability Rep

I saw a lot of people talking about this one and I was intrigued by the storyline!

I really enjoyed this one!

The book starts where Vasalie has been in captivity for two years, and when she's finally released, she has to overcome her trauma along with dealing with physical pain and health issues.

I love Anton and his mysterious ways! The flirting and the banter is so good!

I love the dancing within this one, it's fantastic! And learning more about these characters is great.

I didn’t realise this one wasn't a standalone, so now I'm eagerly awaiting book 2!

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena is a darkly seductive fantasy full of court intrigue, reluctant alliances, and the quiet, simmering rage of a woman who refuses to break.

Vasalie Moran, once a prized dancer in King Illian’s court, is now a scarred survivor framed for murder and left to rot. But when the very king who betrayed her offers her freedom in exchange for becoming his spy, Vasalie has no choice but to step back into the lion’s den—this time, cloaked in shadows and secrets.

Arena does a brilliant job balancing Vasalie’s trauma with her steely resilience. She’s not invincible, and that’s what makes her so compelling. The moments of pain, hesitation, and vulnerability felt raw and real. Vasalie is no perfect heroine—and that’s exactly why I rooted for her.

The writing absolutely shines in the dance sequences. Every movement is laced with emotion and meaning; the imagery is chef’s kiss. You can almost feel the hush of the room, the pull of the music, and the silent rebellion in every step she takes.

The political tension, the rivalry between Illian and his brother, and the layers of deception kept me flipping pages. I also would've loved a bit more depth in a few of the side characters, especially those Vasalie is forced to betray—their motivations and relationships with her sometimes felt underdeveloped, which lessened the emotional weight of her choices.

That said, the ending—while gripping—does feel a little rushed and clearly sets up a sequel. I wanted a touch more resolution, but I’m also hooked enough to eagerly await what’s next.

This is a story of survival, agency, and calculated rebellion. Perfect for fans of The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, To Cage a God by Elizabeth May, or The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon—especially those who love morally grey heroines, tangled loyalties, and slow-burning tension you can cut with a dagger.

5⭐️ – Beautifully written, atmospheric, and full of heart.

A Dance of Lies completely swept me up. From the very first page, I was hooked by the intrigue, the rich world-building, and Vasalie herself—who is, quite honestly, one of the most compelling fantasy heroines I’ve read in a long time.

The use of dance in this book was so clever—it wasn’t just a background detail; it was central to who Vasalie was, both as a survivor and as a weapon. And I loved how her chronic pain was portrayed. It felt real and raw without defining her. Just… really well done.

There’s political scheming, hidden identities, and slow-burn tension galore (especially with a certain king 👀). The romance is subtle but simmering, and the banter? Chef’s kiss. I could feel the tension in every scene they shared.

Brittney Arena’s writing is stunning—lush, lyrical, and packed with emotion. I found myself highlighting so many lines. This didn’t just feel like a story; it felt like an experience.

I can’t wait to see where this series goes next. Massive thank you to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for the ARC!

I found A Dance of Lies to be an enjoyable read. For me, although this started slowly, I did enjoy the increase in pace later on where the story picked up.
I respect Vasalie's determination in this story as I'm sure that's pretty much the main thing keeping her going through everything.
There are quite a few characters whose come uppance I am looking forward to in the next book.
Gustav and Laurent are fantastic supporting characters. I want nothing but good things for them in the next book.
I kept second guessing myself when it came to Anton. I couldn't work him out.
There's genuinely so much I have to say but am refraining as I don't want to spoil anything for anyone.

This book was beautiful and heartbreaking all at the same time.😭

Five stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The world-building was done so well, and Brittney's writing is so beautifully done; I could picture each scene in my mind with such vivid detail.💜

The trauma in this book is deep and makes the FMC really relatable in so many ways, and I can see many readers getting her point of view. The villains in this story really make me want to scratch their eyes out, and so much thought was put into their story; it really paves the way for the love you feel for both the FMC and MMC.

This book has multiple twists and turns that I didn't see coming and kept me entertained until the very last page. I felt so many emotions reading this book, and it really shocked me how deeply I felt them, as it has been a while.

Overall, this is a fantastic fantasy romance, and I am so very excited to continue this story, as that ending left me on a cliffhanger, and I need to know what happens next.

While the prose is very lyrical and attempts to draw you in to a lush and beautiful story, it didn’t have that effect on me. I found the book to be overly wordy and lacking any emotional connection. The start was a slog to get through, and the characters lacked depth and personality for me.

I wish I had loved this book however it wasn’t for me. Thank you for the opportunity to review.

Revered as a dancer within King Illian’s court, Vasalie Moran was destined for greatness, until a murder charge levied against her destroyed her chances. Two years have passed since Vasalie was imprisoned, and now the very person who framed her for murder, Illian’s king, has use of her once more—her freedom, if she can work her way into the upcoming royal gathering as a dancer and gather information in his favor. Dance of Lies was an intriguing romantasy novel that captivated me with its premise of a dancer turned spy who uses her talent to gather intel on a gathering of flawed royals, while facing the wounds of her past and a devastating romance. Brittney Arena’s focus on a disabled heroine was also a promising center for this debut that I had not seen represented enough within this genre. All to say, Dance of Lies had a lot going for it. As I began this novel, I kept an open mind even as we cycled through the motions of setup and characterization that never really found its footing. Dance of Lies had a sensational atmosphere, the prose evoking beautiful imagery, but it was just an elaborate smoke screen masking the flat characters, world building, and overarching plot. This novel was overwritten, at the expense of these things, while our heroine continued to go through the motions and repeat the cycle much to my chagrin. I definitely think slowing down certain developments would have helped a lot in drawing out this series, especially at the end where a truly bonkers amount of things were revealed. Definitely sad I didn't love this one more.

Oh my freaking god, this book! Y'all this book! I feel changed after reading it. A Dance of Lies is packed with everything that I could ever want in a book - political intrigue, incredible chronic illness rep, a thrilling world with just the slightest hint of a magical secret, great love interest(s?) and of course, the most incredibly crafted plot.

This book starts off intense and immediately upon reading the first sentence, the first page and the first chapter, you know that things will get crazy and wild. The pacing is so so great - the intensity (take a shot every time that I mention this) never goes away and as we get to the middle of the book, it only ramps up. It made reading the book a very nail biting experience and I am so here for that. And the writing?? Obsessed. I'm obsessed. Every word on page is written with care, and that shines through in so many intense moments (see I used it again).

Vasalie, as a protagonist, was so riveting and I didn't want to stop reading about her. She's suffered a lot, more than you could imagine, and fights for her survival every day. Even when she's forced out of the prison King Illian threw her in, she thinks of her future and her freedom and uses that as a motivator as she gets embroiled deeper and deeper in the vicious plot organized by the king. The way she describes her love for dance feels very visceral - it is very much a part of her and will always be. Her dance is a weapon and you see her utilize that throughout the story.

I have to admit, Copelan was a very interesting character. No spoilers, but him and Vasalie have a very complex relationship which unfolded in an unexpected way. Then there's Anton. The moment he appeared on page, I was a goner. His flirty nature had me in a chokehold. I wish I could say more about him, but trust me, he will get you too. And grudgingly, I will admit this - I despised Illian and hope he can rot, but he was such an interesting and well developed character. But still evil though.

Honestly the way the book was going, I thought it was going to be a standalone, but luckily the ending leaves you with room for what I think is going to be an amazing sequel.

All in all, A Dance of Lies was absolutely amazing and I will buying everything that Brittney Arena writes.

Our protagonist, Vasalie, is a traumatised, poorly treated dancer to a horrible king. She grows so much throughout this book; she is fierce, confident and intelligent but is still vulnerable and emotional.

Maaann, this book has my perfect combination: banter with heaps of emotional damage.

“What, you think your extra limb is the size of a gourd or something? You can’t overcompensate your way into her favour when you’re the very definition of a rectum.”
💀💀💀💀 the way I CACKLEDDDD at this 💀💀 A very unserious remark in a very serious situation, and I loved it!

It was a pretty action packed book with sooo much court intrigue/politics, deceptions, secrets and revelations, TWISTS AND TURNS, incredible locations and of course, emotional turmoil. You will laugh, you will cry. You will giggle, and you will want to scream at the icky characters.

I liked the chronic pain representation and the theme that you can still be strong even when struggling physically.

Personally, the writing style didn't capture my attention. It's not a discredit to the author, just sometimes writing styles don't click for everyone. This book has a lot of very descriptive scenes and I am more of a plot driven reader than one who enjoys long descriptions of the room, outfits, surroundings.

This turned out to be a really enjoyable romantasy! The writing had this lovely poetic flow that made it super easy to get lost in. The villain was definitely a standout - way more complex and layered than your typical bad guy, which was a nice change of pace. Sure, some plot points were pretty predictable, but there were still plenty of surprises that caught me off guard.

The story follows Vasalie, who used to be a court dancer until King Illian basically destroyed her life by framing her for murder. After rotting in his dungeons for two years, he suddenly drags her out with a deal: spy for him at this big royal gathering and earn her freedom. Sounds simple enough, right?

Wrong.

His missions get increasingly twisted, forcing her to hurt people she's starting to care about. Things get even messier when she realises Illian might be working with an even worse threat - and it's closer to home than she thought. Enter his brother, the King of the East, who becomes both an ally and another complication as Vasalie gets caught between their family drama.

The whole thing builds to some pretty intense revelations about her past, and she has to figure out who she can actually trust while trying not to lose herself completely in the process. Good stuff if you're into morally grey characters and political intrigue with your romance!

I highly recommend this if you’re looking for a romantasy to get lost in and honestly, I can’t wait for the second book in the series because that ending… yeah, it still has me gurning hard!

This book can be summarised in 3 parts.
The first part: i was incredibly enchanted by the beginning of the book, we are introduced since the very first chapters in half of the plot and that was very much needed and made me trust the wrong characters. I loved so much how the dancing was heavily a part of the story

The second part is where I lost a bit of my interest because even though the story continues i hated how the fmc was being pushed from all the sides. Now one character that is too nice for my liking made me also hate the continuation of the story but the third part saved the day.

The third part i think is what saved the book in my opinion from being a total failure and got to the point of “omg i cant believe that just happened “ and “what am i going to do now?”
And it makes me happy to say that this book even though in some parts got boring for me is definitely worth the read and has an unique way of shaping the tale that the author wrote.
I definitely recommend this if you want an easy politically intriguing with a dash of romantasy.

Thank You so much to the publisher for the arc this is out on the 5th of June

I absolutely adored this book. I thought the premise of having the main character having to deal with the lifelong effects of imprisonment and having to continue on as ion nothing happened to her was very intriguing, and it was done so well. I loved that she didn't have a magical fix, she had no choice but to continue on and to look after her body. I thought the romance was really well done, it wasn't insta-love, it was a lovely slow burn and I am desperate for the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

A Dance of Lies is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!! I don't know if I devoured this book or if this book devoured me! I was so taken with the story and Vasalie and Anton; I feel like a tsunami has hit me, to be honest.

It's brutal but it also offers hope and light through characters' bravery and friendship. It reminded me a lot of Natasha Ngan's GIRLS series and writing for their brutality, emotional resonance, and brave mc.

Vasalie escaped an abusive household and became the King's Jewel, his most precious treasure in his court. But all good things come to an end, and Vasalie was imprisoned in brutal ways. She was malnutritioned and weakened to the point she could barely stand. We see her struggle so much with the loss of her dancer body, with envy of those other dancers who didn't have any difficulties and women who were "whole" when Vasalie didn't feel whole at all. That portrayal was genuine and authentic since it stems from the author's background. I come to tears everytime I think about this.

The King, Illian, then has a change of heart and he orders her to become his spy at an event where all kings and queens of the neighbouring kingdoms will be present. However, it's not only espionage he orders but also poisoning. There, Vasalie meets a dancing partner and another King, Anton who happens to be Illian's younger brother. Both become love interests for Vasalie, and we see Vasalie develop different feelings and later evaluate them. It's not really a love triangle, since Vasalie becomes attracted to the first man, comes to terms with her feelings and his behaviour, and then becomes attracted to the other man. I actually liked that she had different love interests, that she experienced different feelings and met different people, instead of going from the one king who betrayed her straight to the ultimate love interest. I don't see it often, sadly, and I loved it. Let women experience more before their ultimate love interest, people. We deserve to see women wanted and wanting.

I loved Anton. He was the warm breeze in a cold night. He is powerful and humble, smart and funny, and arrogant only about his looks and delightful personality, to which I have to agree. He's the best!

Ishu is definitely a scene stealer! You will love her! hehe

The plot was sooo good! The court intrigue was unique and stood out from other court intrigue, in my opinion. Maybe because we had three Kings who were brothers, I'm not sure. But reading it felt new and refreshing. I didn't see any of the plot twists coming, and the fantasy elements were so brilliantly woven through the story.

And people, this is a debut!! Like where has this author been and why has it taken so long for the author to be published?! Masterful character portrayal, excellent plot, and some steamy scenes to turn up the temperature; this book has everything! I will read anything by Brittney Arena, ANYTHING! She's an autobuy author for me.

This is the July adult monthly pick for a UK monthly book box company, and there is no way I'm skipping! I am so excited to see the design!!

Oh how I loved this book! We follow Vasalie Moran who was a dancer in King Illian’s court. She was his ‘Jewel’, until he framed her for murder. After surviving 2 years in his dungeons, King Illian makes a deal with Vasalie; he will let her out if she spies for him at a six-week Gathering where all the most important people of the kingdom will be.

First of all, in a Romantasy world full of very similar FMC; Vas really stood out. She is strong and resilient, but also has to deal with chronic pain and physical limitations due to the 2 years she spend in a cell and a lot of trauma from her past. Her development throughout the book is beautiful and you won’t be able to not root for her.

This book has romance, court intrigues and an amazing world building. I really love how Vas navigates her feelings towards the different men who are in her life and how she figures out what she wants and deserves through the events that take place during that 6 weeks period.

As a dancer, the way her different dances were described was absolutely beautiful and painted vivid images of all the choreography, costumes and the stories they were telling.

The themes of grief, guilt, pain, love and loneliness were explored in a great way and I loved discovering Vas and the other characters backstories.

I’m very excited to continue this series and can’t wait to see what will happen between Anton and Vas!

Thank you very, very much to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc and Brittney Arena for giving me the opportunity to read an e-arc of this great book ♥️