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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I disliked Illian from the very beginning. Vasalie just wanted to be free. There was many twists that I didn't see coming. Especially the ending. Can't wait for the next book
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This one wasn’t for me. The first third to half of the book was pretty good pacing-wise, but it really dragged the last 1/3 or so. I found my self dreading reading the book at that point. Vaseline (sorry, that’s what my brain kept seeing as her name) kept flip flopping between proud of what she’s accomplished to thinking she was nothing. I got tired of her thinking the exact same thing constantly for the duration of the book. The disability seemed to come and go and there were never repercussions for her overdoing it. Also, where were all the female characters?! Every character Vaseline interacted for more than one or two scenes was male. She had no relationships with any other women in the book. And this is a universe with women in positions of power. The only close female relationship in this book was in the past prior to the start of the novel. I had to force myself to read the last 100 pages.
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Finished Reading:
A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐,75/5
Pages: 442
Format: Hardcover (FairyLoot edition)
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
The First book in a new series
__________
The moment this book landed on my doorstep and I read what it was about, I knew this book would hit home and I would love it.
This book has everything I really love to see in a Fantasy story. It has amazing world building, incredible characters that immediately captivate you, it has politics, schemes and betrayal,... And a sizzling romance happening in between!
We follow Vasalie, who used to be King Illian's Jewel, his prized entertainer, who nobody could touch or look at wrong without receiving his wrath. Vasalie was a dancer, with incredible talent and a vivid imagination and she reveled in the King's attention.
One day, however, she was betrayed by the King himself and said to have murdered one of the King's men.
The story starts, when Vasalie wakes in her cell 2 years later, and is made presentable by the King's staff, before being dragged in front of him.
King Illian has a proposal for her. Dance and entertain in the upcoming Gathering of the Crown's Syndicate, be his spy and at the end of the Gathering, earn her freedom.
She agrees, but soon she finds out, after 2 years of very limited to no movement, in a dark cell, chained by her ankles and wrists, that her body is not familiar to her anymore. Physicians tell her her nerves are permanently damaged, her heart is very weak and she has to slowly start gaining weight again, but her body will never be anymore what it used to be.
She is determined to be free of King Illian though and she trains as much as she can, until she is accepted as one of the entertainers at the Gathering.
From that point onward, her life will change forever...
As a former dancer myself for many years, and having to quit because my body refused to cooperate anymore, this really, REALLY hit hard! Her constant pain, her fainting fits, everything sounded familiar and I felt powerful in her place, how she just did what she could and used any trick up her sleeve to achieve her goal.
This story is gripping, awe-inspiring and gorgeous 🥰
A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
__________
⭐⭐⭐⭐,75/5
Pages: 442
Format: Hardcover (FairyLoot edition)
Genre: Fantasy / Romance
The First book in a new series
__________
The moment this book landed on my doorstep and I read what it was about, I knew this book would hit home and I would love it.
This book has everything I really love to see in a Fantasy story. It has amazing world building, incredible characters that immediately captivate you, it has politics, schemes and betrayal,... And a sizzling romance happening in between!
We follow Vasalie, who used to be King Illian's Jewel, his prized entertainer, who nobody could touch or look at wrong without receiving his wrath. Vasalie was a dancer, with incredible talent and a vivid imagination and she reveled in the King's attention.
One day, however, she was betrayed by the King himself and said to have murdered one of the King's men.
The story starts, when Vasalie wakes in her cell 2 years later, and is made presentable by the King's staff, before being dragged in front of him.
King Illian has a proposal for her. Dance and entertain in the upcoming Gathering of the Crown's Syndicate, be his spy and at the end of the Gathering, earn her freedom.
She agrees, but soon she finds out, after 2 years of very limited to no movement, in a dark cell, chained by her ankles and wrists, that her body is not familiar to her anymore. Physicians tell her her nerves are permanently damaged, her heart is very weak and she has to slowly start gaining weight again, but her body will never be anymore what it used to be.
She is determined to be free of King Illian though and she trains as much as she can, until she is accepted as one of the entertainers at the Gathering.
From that point onward, her life will change forever...
As a former dancer myself for many years, and having to quit because my body refused to cooperate anymore, this really, REALLY hit hard! Her constant pain, her fainting fits, everything sounded familiar and I felt powerful in her place, how she just did what she could and used any trick up her sleeve to achieve her goal.
This story is gripping, awe-inspiring and gorgeous 🥰
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
While this wasn't badly written it just didn't work for me.
I think there are the bones of a good story there, I just found it all a bit of a slog and I suspect if it hadn't been a Fairyloot subscription book I would have DNF'd it pretty early on.
Main character Vasalie didn't come across as a particularly likeable or relatable character. I absolutely get that she's "morally grey" and in a difficult position etc but she was just so woolly. I also didn't really like her attitude to others, the way she described them how she reacted to them.
There was also a serious lack of emotion for me. I never really felt much of anything other than to read faster so I could get it all over with. The romance elements of the story are particularly lacklustre. There was zero spark or chemistry to the extent I was starting to think the romance would be a minor sub plot. Then suddenly things kicked off and it was v much dying for each other with zero run up.
It turns out this is the first in a series rather than the standalone I thought it was. I won't be reading any further.
I think there are the bones of a good story there, I just found it all a bit of a slog and I suspect if it hadn't been a Fairyloot subscription book I would have DNF'd it pretty early on.
Main character Vasalie didn't come across as a particularly likeable or relatable character. I absolutely get that she's "morally grey" and in a difficult position etc but she was just so woolly. I also didn't really like her attitude to others, the way she described them how she reacted to them.
There was also a serious lack of emotion for me. I never really felt much of anything other than to read faster so I could get it all over with. The romance elements of the story are particularly lacklustre. There was zero spark or chemistry to the extent I was starting to think the romance would be a minor sub plot. Then suddenly things kicked off and it was v much dying for each other with zero run up.
It turns out this is the first in a series rather than the standalone I thought it was. I won't be reading any further.
I kept trying to get into this but it was so boring I couldn’t stay focused and I had NO idea what was going on so I decided to DNF. Unfortunately the plot wasn’t interesting enough for me to continue.
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4.5-5⭐️
Okay, I loved this one! It had me completely captivated from beginning to end. It is full of secrets, lies, manipulation, betrayals, scheming, and lots of twists that you don’t see coming! (Okay, I did predict ONE twist/reveal, BUT even that didn’t play out how I had expected it to lol). There are hidden identities, fates and prophecies, court politics, romance, espionage, and suspense! It also is super immersive with beautiful imagery and descriptions that really bring the world and dancing scenes to life.
We have a FMC who was once a King’s prized and pampered dancer before being framed for a murder and thrown in prison for two years. As a result of the treatment received during her imprisonment, she ends up with chronic pain and disability that she has to live with daily. This is particularly a challenge when the King pulls her out of prison to be a dancer at a political summit where she makes a bargain to spy for him to in exchange for her freedom. She is so strong and resilient in overcoming her traumatic past, her wrongful imprisonment, and her resulting disability. She is very resourceful and shows a lot of grit in overcoming her barriers. She is a bit of a morally gray character—there are many moments where she is put in the position of having to betray or hurt others she has come to care for in order to ensure her own survival, even then, she continues to surprise us! It’ll keep you on your toes! When the king’s demands become increasingly dangerous and discordant with her morals, she finds an unlikely ally in his brother.
There is a love triangle (quadrangle? lol)—we have an angsty dance partner full of passion, a charismatic, mysterious, and rakish King who loves to flirt , and another King who is secretive, possessive, and entirely obsessed with her. The story will have you questioning who the main love interest is for a while which is so fun! There is definitely some fun flirting and banter and some steamy chemistry and slow-burn tension.
I think fans of Throne of Glass, particularly the first book, will really enjoy this one as definitely it has some similarities! (Though, this FMC feels very different from Celaena).
I thought the disability/chronic pain representation was done well as far as the internal narrative about it as she adjusts to and has to come to accept and work with her new limitations and overcome barriers. I appreciated her resilience, grit, and resourcefulness! I also loved the beautiful author’s note at the beginning!! (I do feel like the toll on her body and the required recovery between tasks/performances after pushing her body to the limits could’ve perhaps been explored a bit more though).
I thought whole twist with the prophecy towards the end was brilliant. Emotionally devastating in the best way. I’m definitely excited to see where things go in the next book!!
Also, the cover is SOOO gorgeous! 😍
________
The only small (somewhat nitpicky) complaints I had that would make me consider bringing it down from 5⭐️ to 4.5⭐️ were:
-I felt like there were some uncommon word choices (eg. “fettering me in place”, “snarled” hair—like snarled as an adjective rather than a verb, “after the ablutions”) especially in the beginning that felt a little off-putting as far as the writing went (like it just felt like she definitely had a thesaurus handy when she wrote that part lol), but I felt like this got better as it went on and it did not continue to bother me throughout the book.
-I felt like there was opportunity for Illian to have been a bit more of a complex villain—I could see that she tried to add some complexity and have us sympathize with him a little, but then toward the end, she just made him completely unlikable/irredeemable and he just went full villain. I think I would’ve liked to have seen more of a softer side to him… more of a push and pull where you start to think he might be redeemable or question how much we hate him, rather than having him just consistently suck lol. I just feel like that would’ve made his character just a bit more compelling. 🤷♀️
-I wasn’t quite as swept away by the romance as I would’ve liked. It felt like there was an abrupt shift in who I felt like I was supposed to be rooting for a little over halfway through the book. For love triangles, I generally prefer to really be torn between who I want her to choose and have them both be pretty compelling love interests for most of the book, rather than focusing on one then pivoting to the other about halfway through. But that’s just a personal preference with that trope. 🤷♀️
- I don’t really understand why he picked the nickname “minnow”—that was never explained unless I missed something. It’s it because she’s a little fish in big water or something? Or is it a nod to her resilience since minnows are generally considered resilient and adaptable? (My guess is the latter). 🤷♀️
Thank you so much to Del Ray, Random House, NetGalley, and Brittney Arena for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Okay, I loved this one! It had me completely captivated from beginning to end. It is full of secrets, lies, manipulation, betrayals, scheming, and lots of twists that you don’t see coming! (Okay, I did predict ONE twist/reveal, BUT even that didn’t play out how I had expected it to lol). There are hidden identities, fates and prophecies, court politics, romance, espionage, and suspense! It also is super immersive with beautiful imagery and descriptions that really bring the world and dancing scenes to life.
We have a FMC who was once a King’s prized and pampered dancer before being framed for a murder and thrown in prison for two years. As a result of the treatment received during her imprisonment, she ends up with chronic pain and disability that she has to live with daily. This is particularly a challenge when the King pulls her out of prison to be a dancer at a political summit where she makes a bargain to spy for him to in exchange for her freedom. She is so strong and resilient in overcoming her traumatic past, her wrongful imprisonment, and her resulting disability. She is very resourceful and shows a lot of grit in overcoming her barriers. She is a bit of a morally gray character—there are many moments where she is put in the position of having to betray or hurt others she has come to care for in order to ensure her own survival, even then, she continues to surprise us! It’ll keep you on your toes! When the king’s demands become increasingly dangerous and discordant with her morals, she finds an unlikely ally in his brother.
There is a love triangle (quadrangle? lol)—we have an angsty dance partner full of passion, a charismatic, mysterious, and rakish King who loves to flirt , and another King who is secretive, possessive, and entirely obsessed with her. The story will have you questioning who the main love interest is for a while which is so fun! There is definitely some fun flirting and banter and some steamy chemistry and slow-burn tension.
I think fans of Throne of Glass, particularly the first book, will really enjoy this one as definitely it has some similarities! (Though, this FMC feels very different from Celaena).
I thought the disability/chronic pain representation was done well as far as the internal narrative about it as she adjusts to and has to come to accept and work with her new limitations and overcome barriers. I appreciated her resilience, grit, and resourcefulness! I also loved the beautiful author’s note at the beginning!! (I do feel like the toll on her body and the required recovery between tasks/performances after pushing her body to the limits could’ve perhaps been explored a bit more though).
I thought whole twist with the prophecy towards the end was brilliant. Emotionally devastating in the best way. I’m definitely excited to see where things go in the next book!!
Also, the cover is SOOO gorgeous! 😍
________
The only small (somewhat nitpicky) complaints I had that would make me consider bringing it down from 5⭐️ to 4.5⭐️ were:
-I felt like there were some uncommon word choices (eg. “fettering me in place”, “snarled” hair—like snarled as an adjective rather than a verb, “after the ablutions”) especially in the beginning that felt a little off-putting as far as the writing went (like it just felt like she definitely had a thesaurus handy when she wrote that part lol), but I felt like this got better as it went on and it did not continue to bother me throughout the book.
-I felt like there was opportunity for Illian to have been a bit more of a complex villain—I could see that she tried to add some complexity and have us sympathize with him a little, but then toward the end, she just made him completely unlikable/irredeemable and he just went full villain. I think I would’ve liked to have seen more of a softer side to him… more of a push and pull where you start to think he might be redeemable or question how much we hate him, rather than having him just consistently suck lol. I just feel like that would’ve made his character just a bit more compelling. 🤷♀️
-I wasn’t quite as swept away by the romance as I would’ve liked. It felt like there was an abrupt shift in who I felt like I was supposed to be rooting for a little over halfway through the book. For love triangles, I generally prefer to really be torn between who I want her to choose and have them both be pretty compelling love interests for most of the book, rather than focusing on one then pivoting to the other about halfway through. But that’s just a personal preference with that trope. 🤷♀️
- I don’t really understand why he picked the nickname “minnow”—that was never explained unless I missed something. It’s it because she’s a little fish in big water or something? Or is it a nod to her resilience since minnows are generally considered resilient and adaptable? (My guess is the latter). 🤷♀️
Thank you so much to Del Ray, Random House, NetGalley, and Brittney Arena for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes