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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
“But scars are powerful things, because they show your resilience. So rise from your ashes, my dear. Do not crumble alongside them.”
What to expect:
- Disability rep
- Dancer turned spy
- Hidden Identities
- Love triangle
- Court Intrigue & Rival Kingdoms
- Prophecies & Fates
“I not only accept myself as I am now, but I’m proud of it. I’m proud of surviving, of persisting, despite my pain.”
Vasalie, a dancer formerly known as "The King's Jewel", is released after being held in the dungeons for two years after being falsely accused of murder.
King Illian, ruler over Western Midrian, makes a deal with her: spy for him at The Gathering (a six week annual event where leaders of all the nations of Midrian join together). She is to do what he tells her and in exchange he'll grant her one wish: her freedom.
Vowing never to be imprisoned again, Vasalie has no choice but to accept.. Not fully knowing the extent to how Illian will use her. To enter the Gathering, she will need to perform again, but after two years of captivity and isolation, her body is not what it used to be - it has deteriorated greatly and so has her mind.
Vasalie doesn't let this stop her. She proves just how smart and resourceful she is; how quickly she's able to think on her feet. She can no longer dance the way she used to; her body does not move the way it once did and so she comes up with ways to use the stage and "special effects" to distract the audience during her performances. But she also has to convince Copelan, the Master of Revels, that she's worth being part of the performers...
“I am not a thing to be used.”
The more Illian asks Vasalie to do, the more we see how she is torn between wanting to do what is right vs what is right for herself. From spying to poisoning, we can't help but wonder what is Illian's end game.. and just how far will Vas go to secure her freedom.
We see just how long the political games have been at play for as we learn more about Illain and the other rulers. Anton, The King who reigns over Eastern Midrian, immediately catches your attention. There's more to him than meets the eye. He's said to have evaded death itself which immediately creates intrigue.
Vasalie is caught between what she needs to do, navigating her growing feelings, balancing her need for revenge... and what happens when someone unexpectedly shows up from her past.
Prophecies come into play and so do the Fates, creating a richer story than just politics and romance.
“May every deed you have bestowed upon others be returned to you tenfold.”
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Complicated
4.3 stars
"It seems I cannot exist in either: the light or the dark."
🩰👑
This was such a delightful read and experience going into this world that Brittney Arena created.
I had so much of fun reading it, everything was written so eloquently with vivid descriptions penned down beautifully.
I'd surely love to experience these fictional places or see them in real life with how stunningly they were depicted as well as Vasalie's intricate dances. I love dance and the way Vasalie brings it to life was enjoyable to read about.
The fmc of this story is absolutely strong, determined and doesn't back down which was admirable. I liked that we had 3 different suitors for Vasalie and we got to learn about each one until we fully discovered the man that was destined for her. He's a total sweetheart! The chemistry between them was sizzling. I love the chronic illness representation
Also to be noted that A Dance Of Lies is packed with wide diversity, different ethnicities between the Crowns which I appreciated having other underrepresented races being shown, such as Queen Sadira from Razam & Sultans from Kasim.
I speculated certain aspects correctly and it was cool seeing them be revealed as so. The author does a good job alluding to these twists.
I'm quite eager for book 2 and I love that it'll be a duology only, so everything will get wrapped up in the next one which is gonna be a blast as well!. Towards the last bits of the book, everything just gets kicked up a notch and has you locked in, reading to find out what's transpiring.
As for the cover of this book, it's so pretty and falls under one of my favorite book covers!
For the author's debut she really knocked this one out of the park and I'm ready to see what else she'll bring to the party 💖
This book has love,drama,betrayal, secrets,tension, sparks, angst and determination in heaps so if you're looking for those vibes I highly recommend picking this book up!.
• Thanks JBP for the readalong box & book. All opinions are my own! •
"It seems I cannot exist in either: the light or the dark."
🩰👑
This was such a delightful read and experience going into this world that Brittney Arena created.
I had so much of fun reading it, everything was written so eloquently with vivid descriptions penned down beautifully.
I'd surely love to experience these fictional places or see them in real life with how stunningly they were depicted as well as Vasalie's intricate dances. I love dance and the way Vasalie brings it to life was enjoyable to read about.
The fmc of this story is absolutely strong, determined and doesn't back down which was admirable. I liked that we had 3 different suitors for Vasalie and we got to learn about each one until we fully discovered the man that was destined for her. He's a total sweetheart! The chemistry between them was sizzling. I love the chronic illness representation
Also to be noted that A Dance Of Lies is packed with wide diversity, different ethnicities between the Crowns which I appreciated having other underrepresented races being shown, such as Queen Sadira from Razam & Sultans from Kasim.
I speculated certain aspects correctly and it was cool seeing them be revealed as so. The author does a good job alluding to these twists.
I'm quite eager for book 2 and I love that it'll be a duology only, so everything will get wrapped up in the next one which is gonna be a blast as well!. Towards the last bits of the book, everything just gets kicked up a notch and has you locked in, reading to find out what's transpiring.
As for the cover of this book, it's so pretty and falls under one of my favorite book covers!
For the author's debut she really knocked this one out of the park and I'm ready to see what else she'll bring to the party 💖
This book has love,drama,betrayal, secrets,tension, sparks, angst and determination in heaps so if you're looking for those vibes I highly recommend picking this book up!.
• Thanks JBP for the readalong box & book. All opinions are my own! •
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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
I NEED book two immediately.
I was hooked early on but the ending I devoured.
I loved a story where the FMC picks herself up from the trenches and becomes a badass. I'm excited to see her continue that in the next book. Also, I love a story with a smart mouthed MMC; the banter was top tier. The love triangle/slow burned we had to endure and the yearning still to come, chefs kiss. The politics were a main part of the plot and the addition of the Fates brought another intriguing layer. Some justice was served but I cannot wait to see others brought down. I do admit, for me, some parts were a little slow and some parts were a little repetitive.
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes