A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena

A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena | A Review

What's Up, Readers!!

Welcome to Quills and Pages! I am back with another amazing read today. A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena. Think on this.....If “Black Swan” waltzed into a Game of Thrones, dressed in espionage and draped in slow-burn betrayal, you’d get something like A Dance of Lies.

BLURB

My protector is gone, revealed to be a monster. But I remind myself that I am not a damsel. I’m no princess bound within a tower.
I am a shadow.
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 six-week 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 that 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 infamous King of the East.
As the rivalry between brothers escalates, with Vasalie caught in the middle, the horrifying 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.

GENRE
Beautiful Poetic Romantasy

THEME AND TONE
Whimsical

LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE
Easy to Read, beautiful

CHARACTERS
Morally Grey

TROPES

☙ Slow-Burn Betrayal

☙ Enemies to Lovers

☙ Multiple Love Interests

☙ Disability rep

☙ Political Intrigue

☙ Beautiful World Building

☙ Emotional Mindspin

☙ She is a dancer and a spy

MY REVIEW
First of all, thank you to Netgalley and the Author for the review copy. I was completely hooked from the very first sentence. I would have read the book in one sitting if it wasn't for my work and life....boring......lol.....to say this story was beautifully written is an understatement......it's been a long time since I really enjoyed a book with zero spice and all angst and emotional mindspin.

I was living in the shoes of Vasalie Moran in this book.....It was trauma-drenched royal drama with a side of forbidden tension......oohhhh!!!! The tension was so good and I was eating it up.....I loved all the characters, even the hateful ones....every character has depth, their own reason for doing depraved things they were doing....the FMC Vasalie Moran....(what a beautiful name tho)..........she is no wallflower. She’s gritty, resourceful, and haunted by more than just her past. Her choices aren’t clean—they’re messy, dark, and stitched together with sheer willpower and sarcasm. I totally stan a heroine who will spy, and lie.

On the whole, it was an amazing first book in the series. I cannot wait for the next book....I hope there is a next book and a series and not a standalone....I would totally read Vasalie's story more.

MY RATING
Overall: ★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Plot: ★★★★★| 5 Stars

Romance: ★★★★★ | 5 Star

Characters:★★★★★ | 5 Stars

Pacing: ★★★★★| 5 stars

Mystery: ★★★★★| 5 star

Banter: ★★★★★| 5 star

Ending: ★★★★★| 5 Stars

Spice Level: 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 | Level 5 stars

Book Cover:★★★★★| 5 Stars

THE BEST PART
☙ The betrayal dynamics and Vasalie's emotions surrounding it
☙ The interest of two kings in Vasalie was the icing on the cake.

☙ he calls her little Minnow 😆

☙ the plot twists....ugh perfection👩‍🍳😙🤌

Best Words

Happy Reading!!

Stalk me!!

Get free books & ARCs – join QP Book Tours!

❤ 🎧☕️🕯️📖 ❤

Plated Prisoner Series | A series review (Spoiler Alert!!!)

Have you ever stumbled upon a series that not only captures your imagination but also challenges the norms of classic narratives? Recently, I had the privilege of delving into the spellbinding world of the Plated Prisoner series, written by Raven Kennedy. If you haven't yet experienced this literary masterpiece, be prepared for a rollercoaster ride of intrigue, deception, and personal growth. Embark with me on a journey through the twists and turns of these books, where the conventional story of King Midas and his golden touch takes an unexpected and captivating turn. A Twist on a Classic Tale The foundation of the Plated Prisoner series rests upon the iconic figure of King Midas and his fabled golden touch. However, Kennedy masterfully introduces a twist; King Midas, rather than possessing the golden touch, is revealed to be a fraud, capitalizing on the real power held by this beautiful character Auren. Auren, with her genuine golden touch, becomes the linchpin of the plot as ...

A Critical Lens on 'Hunting Adeline' by H.D. Carlton: Exploring the Disturbing Themes | A Review

I kept delaying writing the review because I had to remember it and didn't want to do that. This 2nd book of Cat and Mouse duet is the story of a human trafficking survivor. This book is a huge TRIGGER WARNING . Kindly proceed with caution. I even got traumatized after reading it. So to explain the synopsis; Adeline (the main character) got kidnapped at the end of the first book and sold to some people who groomed her for some very rich and powerful clients. Almost half of the book is based on Adeline surviving the worst situations possible for a woman. Adeline had one advantage someone was fervently searching for her, and eventually, Zade managed to rescue her after four agonizing months. The scene when Zade finds her and she just could not believe it. She crumbled to her knees thinking she was hallucinating. After Zade brings her home she struggles so hard to process her trauma. She learns to fight to take control of her life. She gets close to her mother. She hates h...

The Awakening | Zodiac Academy Series written by Caroline Peckham and Suzanne Valenti | A Book Review

Alright, here I am, sharing my thoughts on the first book The Awakening from Zodiac Academy series written by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti . I decided to start reviewing this series as it falls under the 'enemies to lovers ' and 'bullies romance' genres, which are right up my alley. I'm a sucker for this type of book and I am always on the hunt for such books. Someone made a video of this book on TikTok and I was like I had to read it. So, I began reading the book and I fell into a rabbit hole of Magic Academy, hot assholes, and alternative Fae world. It felt like diving into a more mature version of Harry Potter. Needless to say, I absolutely loved this first installment. GENRE Bully Paranormal Romance THEME AND TONE Mystery, Drama, Action LANGUAGE AND WRITING STYLE Easy to Read CHARACTERS Growing and Changing characters TROPES ☙ Bully Romance ☙ Insane Chemistry ☙ Lost Princesses ☙ Multiple Love Interests ☙ Teacher Student Romance ☙ Hate to Hate and ...

Where is Molly by H.D Carlton | A Review

Where is Molly is a stand alone book written by H.D Carlton. It is set in the Universe of Haunting Adeline. The story revolves around Molly...the girl we found in Hunting Adeline. Her diary was founded by Adeline under the floor and us readers always wanted to know if she succeeded in running away from that awful place. Blurb A spinoff of the Cat & Mouse Duet... “Molly Devereaux has been missing for more than two weeks, and police are still searching for the girl who seemed to vanish out of thin air. The world still wants to know... Where's Molly?” In my dreams, I never escaped the Oregon woods. Life after death isn't easy to accept, especially when I still feel like a ghost. Now, I live deep in the mountains of Montana—the paradigm of beauty. But they are also the home of horrors. Horrors that I only unleash at night. When my pigs are allowed to feast. It is strongly recommended to read Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline before reading Where's Molly. Important No...

On Wings of Blood by Briar Boleyn | A Review

What's Up, Readers!! Welcome to Quills and Pages. I just finished On Wings of Blood arc....and now I am here to write the review. the book is written by Briar Boleyn and Thank you to Netgally and the author for this arc. iSo, let's start the review BLURB I didn't sign up for this. A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for torment. I'm Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn't stopped the vampires from deciding I'm worth capturing. Now I'm stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We're just blood in their veins, pawns in their games. But that's not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He's been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we're betrothed. He acts like h...