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!

This for me was a book that gave me conflicting feelings the first two thirds were slow and not really that compelling., it felt like lots of other books in this genre. Vasalie is a character that I struggled to like, she feels incredibly selfish as the story progresses. But she is a dancer, and the dancing is described beautifully. There is a dense plot that seems to move at a snail's pace. The last third is like a different story, it moved quicker, the plot evened out and my expectations heightened, I couldn’t turn the pages quick enough! So, suffice to say I will be picking up the next in the series as my curiosity is absolutely piqued.

Rating: 4.5 stars

A Dance of Lies follows Vasalie, who has been freed from imprisonment to do a king's bidding. A dancer turned spy, she navigates the treachorous political waters of a gathering of leaders.

This was a really enjoyable debut fantasy, and I'm glad (and heartbroken) that it's not the end of Vasalie's journey. The pacing was perfect, not a lull to be found, and I really enjoyed the immersion of Brittney's writing. She paints a beautiful world and I felt myself able to vividly picture the intricate glasswork, the stunning mosaics, Vasalie's costumes.

There were several moments that were truly heartwrenching: Vasalie's remiscence of her stepmother, that she would be disappointed in what she has had to become to survive; the betrayals on all sides; and the turmoil at the end! The last fifty pages were a rollercoaster of emotion.

Vasalie is a great character and given all she's gone through at the hands of her king (Illian—entirely evil, absolutely hated him), leaving her with chronic pain, she is so strong.

As for the romance, there is a slight love triangle but...not really, without spoiling anything I'm just glad that my suspicions were proven correct. The main love interest is definitely a character and I just loved the banter. It's not overdone, in that they're able to have a normal conversation and there's moments of vulnerability, but he's very charming and cocky and she responds with excellent snark. There aren't any open door scenes but there's definitely tension which I loved.

Oh and there's a prophecy and a fate and brewing wars and all that good stuff! A great read, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

I loved this book, I was instantly intrigued by Vasalie and really felt for her as she had been through so much but that was just the start.

I loved how we found out more about her past as well as what was happening with her currently and finding out what Illian wanted her to do at the gathering. I loved the way that the palace was described so clearly and well and I could really visualise each area that was described.

I liked watching the partnership between Vasalie and Copelan grow and loved how their dances were described, I was however, getting more and more engrossed with what the ‘bigger’ plan was and what was going to happen to Vasalie at the end of it all.

I liked that she had made genuine friendships with some of the characters but I think her ‘friendship’ with King Anton was really well written and had me hooked as it you didn’t know who could be trusted and who couldn’t so it was keeping me on the edge of my seat to see whether he was a true friend or just using her.

I was not expecting the ending that we got, it was absolutely brilliant but also heartbreaking at the same time. I think this book took me through a whole range of emotions and I honestly loved reading it.

I didn't end up finishing the book.
I think the story itself is fantastic and the way it's written is brilliant!
However for me I personally struggled to keep up with the constant introductions of new characters and I found it hard to keep up with the storyline.
I highly recommend it for fantasy lovers though!

I really enjoyed the world building and characters storylines. I did find it hard at the start to connect with the story but that changed after the first few chapters. I liked the political aspect of the story. Great representation of disability and health issues.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read and review the eARC!

I was really looking forward to this one, but unfortunately it just didn't resonate with me as much as I'd hoped. The plot was very interesting and I really liked the premise of it. The idea of a dancer turned prisoner turned spy was great and I loved that a lot and I think a lot of other people will also be drawn in by this! Sadly, I really struggled to connect with Vasalie as our FMC, so I had a very difficult time fully investing myself in her story and the struggles she overcame, which did ultimately put a bit of a dent in my immersion. Her personality occasionally fell a little flat for me and didn't shine through as well as it could have. There were a few times I found it difficult to really put my finger on how exactly she was feeling in certain situations, we're given an insight to her thoughts, but I struggled to really connect with being able to feel what she felt.

Vasalie is a dancer who has been set up for a murder she didn't commit. She spends two years of her life in prison, until she's offered a deal from King Illian to become his spy in return for her freedom, however the condition is that she must earn a spot performing for the kings of the kingdoms in a few weeks. At this point Vasalie's journey to recovery begins.
My main issue with this premise is that it's a very short time frame for her to have recovered from her years in prison. Her condition is described as being very poor, she has severe muscle atrophy, a heart condition, she struggles to keep any food down once out of prison (so I would assume she's badly malnourished as well) and she can barely stand or walk for long periods without fainting, there would also be the lasting mental trauma she went through from the betrayal and being wrongly imprisoned for years. Yet we're led to believe that she's recovered enough from multiple chronic illnesses within a few weeks to dance and perform to a reasonably impressive level again.

I do, however, understand that this was intended to be set up as an impossible task from Illian, it did feel like he was essentially setting her up for failure and from his POV it was unexpected that she would prevail and prove him wrong. Despite the short time frame this could also be seen as a real testament to Vasalie's strength and resilience even in the face of an impossible task, which is a great show of her character.

The writing was lovely and very immersive. The writer really set the scene well with just the right amount of description that I felt I could really clearly and accurately imagine what was happening at every moment. The pacing was decent, it didn't feel overly dragged out and there was a good balance of faster paced scenes that were heavier on the movement/action, and slower scenes more focused on dialogue and Vasalie's internal thoughts.

Overall I think this is a very unique story with a beautiful world and characters that have a lot of room for growth. There's mystery, twists and turns, high stakes and romance and I think this will appeal to a lot of people even if it wasn't necessarily my cup of tea!

I absolutely loved this book. This book has helped me get out of my reading slump and although the first half of the book was less amazing, I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to read more and more. If there was a second book to this I would definitely read it. I absolutely loved the relationship between Vasalie and Anton I just wish there was more of this because I am left craving more! I would definitely recommend this book to romantasy fans!

Thank you to net galley, the publisher and of course Brittney Arena for allowing me to receive an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Dance of Lies

I was over the moon to be accepted for an eARC of this book through Netgalley, thanks you so much Bloomsbury! I've heard so many great things and I'm happy to say they lived up to every single one.

What to expect

Multiple love interests
Chronic pain rep (caused my physical trauma)
Political plots
Lots of TENSION
Found Family vibes

What I loved immediately about this book is the portrayal of the FMC Vasalie. After being the King's Jewel and dancer for so long to being imprisoned for 2 years leaving her with a chronic pain condition as well as many other physical and emotional limitations, she was still so strong. Even though I didn't always agree with her choices I thought she was so brave and admired her fight to survive. I wish she wasn't so easily forgiven, she did some truly terrible things but, I did like that she had some darkness to her.

All the characters were well written with so much depth, including many amazing side characters.

The worldbuilding was beautifully written, with lots of description, but Brittney wrote this in a way that was easy to read and understand. I did seem to gloss over some of the lore about the fates etc, but it didn't ruin the book for me. I loved how all the dancing was described in detail, so rich you could almost see the performance as you were reading.

I don't want to go into a huge amount of detail about anything as I loved the twists and turns in this and I think it's much better to go in blind like I did!

But you won't regret picking this one up! 5 stars and definitely recommend.

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena is a beautifully written and gripping fantasy romance filled with court intrigue, betrayal and a protagonist who refuses to break, no matter how much the world tries to shatter her.

I was particularly drawn to this book because of its brilliant representation of chronic pain, which was both relatable and well-portrayed. As someone who experiences chronic pain myself, I appreciated how Vasalie’s struggles, both physical and emotional, were woven into the story in such a raw and authentic way.

Vasalie was once King Illian’s prized dancer, but when he framed her for a murder she did not commit, he locked her away in the dungeons for two years, knowing full well she was innocent. Now he offers her a deal. Spy for him at a royal gathering or be exposed as a murderer. But after years of imprisonment, starvation and abuse, Vasalie is not the same dancer she once was. With her body weakened and pain threatening to consume her, she must regain her strength and prepare for the most dangerous performance of her life.

I liked Vasalie as a character. She was strong, determined and unwilling to be controlled, even when faced with impossible choices. The court politics were filled with tension and deception, keeping me on edge as she navigated the treacherous game Illian was forcing her to play. The dance scenes were beautifully detailed, making them feel almost hypnotic, and the story’s twists kept me guessing throughout. The ending was dark and left me desperate for the next book.

If you love fantasy books with court intrigue, morally grey characters and high stakes, this is one to add to your list. I will be keeping an eye out for book two.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

This book captivated me from the very start. The author did such an amazing job creating intrigue, and wanting to find out more about Vasalie’s past life I was flying through the pages.

The characters had great depth, the world building felt well developed and I loved the mystery surrounding all the characters with little hints before revealing more detail!

I wasn’t too sure if I’d get fed reading about a dancer dancing before I started this book, but it is so well written and truly captivating. And it’s like a dance with its twists and turns that kept me flying through the pages.

I can’t wait for the sequel! I need more Anton!!!

A Dance of Lies is a spellbinding debut that effortlessly blends political intrigue, slow-burn romance, and a fierce fight for freedom—all set against the backdrop of a kingdom teetering on the edge of war. With a protagonist who is as broken as she is unbreakable, Brittney Arena delivers a gripping romantasy that hooks you from page one and refuses to let go.

Vasalie Moran is a former court dancer whose grace once captivated kings—until one of them, King Illian, framed her for murder. After two years in the darkness of his dungeons, Vasalie is offered a brutal bargain: serve as his spy at the month-long royal Gathering or remain imprisoned. What follows is a high-stakes game of deceit, survival, and power, as Vasalie walks a dangerous tightrope between loyalty and betrayal, all while haunted by a past she can’t escape.

Vasalie is a standout heroine—not because she’s invincible, but because she’s vulnerable and real. The trauma she carries, both physical and emotional, is portrayed with sensitivity and nuance. Her pain is ever-present, but so is her strength. Her journey from a shattered prisoner to a woman reclaiming her agency is incredibly moving, and her resilience is a core strength of this novel.

Arena’s writing is fluid and evocative, with moments of lyrical beauty that enhance the intensity of the story. The pacing is tight, the action scenes pulse with tension, and the emotional beats land with impact. Though the world-building leaves a bit to the imagination, the focus on character dynamics, court politics, and moral dilemmas more than makes up for it.

The romantic tension in A Dance of Lies is palpable, with a love triangle that leans more into complexity than cliché. Vasalie’s conflicting feelings are handled believably, and while some readers may find themselves torn between the love interests, it’s her internal struggle and growth that truly drive the romance. One particular character—Anton—is an absolute standout, bringing wit, charm, and depth to every scene he’s in. His charisma and banter provide the perfect counterbalance to the darker elements of the story.

What makes A Dance of Lies shine is its unpredictability. Motives are murky, alliances shift, and no one—not even the reader—is safe from betrayal. The final twist is jaw-dropping and sets the stage for an explosive sequel that I’m already desperate to get my hands on. This is a must-read for readers who crave morally grey characters, political intrigues, and heroines who fight tooth and nail for their freedom. A Dance of Lies is a stunning debut that promises even greater things to come.