A Dance of Lies is the enchanting debut from Brittney Arena. Vasalie is a dancer who has lost much of her skills after a long imprisonment. When she is freed, she enters a deal for her life that relies on her ability to dance and infiltrate a court. Vasalie must obey her cruel king’s commands, until she starts to question whether he is truly the protector she always thought he was. Glittering court dances, whispered conversations, and buried secrets come to life in A Dance of Lies. 

One of my favorite things about A Dance of Lies was the disability rep that comes from Vasalie having to deal with the aftereffects of her imprisonment, which are similar to the author’s experience with chronic illness. This seemed realistic and thoughtfully done. I also loved the beautifully described dance sequences. I enjoyed how Vasalie thought creatively about how to improvise for moves she could no longer physically do. There are many great side characters, though I did have some trouble deciding which couple I was going to ship! I’m looking forward to seeing how the story continues in the sequel after that ending. 

Readers who love court politics, slow-burn romance, and disability rep in fantasy will want to read A Dance of Lies. 

Thank you to Brittney Arena, Del Rey, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.