
A Dance of Lies
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Narrated by:
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Lauren Fortgang
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Brittney Arena
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By:
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Brittney Arena
About this listen
A debut fantasy romance filled with hope after heartbreak, secrets, and betrayal, as a dancer-turned-spy must decide how far she will go to secure her freedom
“Beautifully written, with immersive worldbuilding, a gripping plot, and heart-pounding danger around every turn.”—Kerri Maniscalco, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Throne of Secrets
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.
* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF contianing an illustrated map of The Crown's Syndicate.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2025 Brittney Arena (P)2025 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“A breathtaking debut! A Dance of Lies is beautifully written and filled with intrigue, with an incredible protagonist who is both vulnerable and resilient. It’s romantic, heartrending, and riveting—prepare to be swept away by this captivating fantasy.”—Sue Lynn Tan, USA Today bestselling author of Daughter of the Moon Goddess
“A stunningly elegant story of grit, passion, and determination that will sweep you up with its magic, keep you on your toes with twists, and leave you breathless for more . . . A glittering fantasy debut you don’t want to miss!”—Kalyn Josephson, New York Times bestselling author of This Dark Descent
“Arena’s A Dance of Lies is a mesmerizing debut of intricate plotlines, sizzling romance, and treacherous alliances, deftly choreographed with rich, evocative language into a tale as hauntingly exquisite as one of Vasalie’s dances. A breathtaking new favorite!”—Lyra Selene, #1 Sunday Times Bestselling author of A Feather So Black
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Nina Harrow and Patrick Colson are twelve years old when they are whisked away from the shadows of their disenfranchised mining towns to dazzling Belavere City to discover their magical potential. Those who pass Belavere’s test will become Artisans, wielders of powerful elemental magic. For Nina, the Artisan School symbolizes a dream and an escape from her harsh reality, while Patrick yearns to return to his Craftsman family, whose extraordinary physical strength serves the idium mines keeping the city alive. And then they uncover a devastating truth: Artisans aren’t born, they’re chosen.
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Two POV with nice plot twist
- By Kindle Customer on 07-08-25
By: Stacey McEwan
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The Nightblood Prince: A Good Morning America YA Book Club Pick
- The Nightblood Prince, Book 1
- By: Molly X. Chang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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The night Fei was born, a prophecy was made: she would one day become the Empress of All Empresses. Torn from her family as a child and raised in the palace to one day marry the Crown Prince of the most powerful empire in the land, Fei has only ever known loneliness. When the opportunity arises to seize her own destiny for the first time in her life, Fei sets out to hunt a legendary tiger, knowing it might cost her everything. What she doesn’t expect is to fall under the mercy of Yexue, the beautiful runaway prince from a rival kingdom.
By: Molly X. Chang
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Magic Vessel: Shadow Fae Bound
- By: Sophie Winters
- Narrated by: Beth Nicholls
- Length: 16 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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It was supposed to be an ordinary evening out with my boyfriend, trying to revive the spark in our floundering relationship. But when a witch attacks us out of nowhere and my now ex-boyfriend runs for the hills instead of trying to help, my world is turned upside down.
By: Sophie Winters
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So Lucky
- A Novel
- By: Nicola Griffith
- Narrated by: Nicola Griffith
- Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Mara Tagarelli is, professionally, the head of a multimillion-dollar AIDS foundation; personally, she is a committed martial artist. But her life has turned inside out like a sock. She can’t rely on family, her body is letting her down, and friends and colleagues are turning away - they treat her like a victim. She needs to break that narrative: build her own community, learn new strengths, and fight. But what do you do when you find out that the story you’ve been told, the story you’ve told yourself, is not true?
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Painfully autobiographical... and GOOD
- By Marcos Ibarguen on 07-07-18
By: Nicola Griffith
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The Undead Mr. Tenpenny
- The Cassie Black Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Tammie Painter
- Narrated by: Samantha Desz
- Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Cassie Black works at a funeral home. She's used to all manner of dead bodies. What she's not used to is them waking up. Which they seem to be doing on a disturbingly regular basis lately. Just when Cassie believes she has the problem under control, the recently-deceased Busby Tenpenny insists he's been murdered and claims Cassie might be responsible thanks to a wicked brand of magic she's been exposed to. The only way for Cassie to get her life back to normal is to tame her magic and uncover Mr. Tenpenny's true killer.
By: Tammie Painter
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The Ordeals
- A Novel
- By: Rachel Greenlaw
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
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Twenty-year-old Sophia DeWinter has only known life bound to her cruel uncle, the Collector, thanks to a blood bond he exacted from her as a child. When she learns of Killmarth College, an elite academy for magic wielders outside of the Collector’s control, she knows it is her only chance to finally break free. But to gain entry, she will have to compete against other illusionists, masquiers, botanists, and alchemists in a series of brutal trials that many hopefuls don’t survive—the Ordeals.
By: Rachel Greenlaw
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You Are More than Your Body
- 30+ Evidence-Based Strategies for Living Well with Chronic Illness: By a Clinical Therapist Living with Cerebral Palsy
- By: Jennifer Caspari Phd
- Narrated by: Eleanor Caudill
- Length: 4 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Managing the stresses of everyday life can be exhausting and overwhelming. Dr. Jennifer Caspari knows this struggle well—both through her work as a clinical psychologist and her lived experience as a disabled woman with cerebral palsy. You Are More Than Your Body weaves together clinical expertise, personal stories, and practical, evidence-based tools to help listeners with chronic health conditions better cope with pain, fatigue, depression, and the emotional vulnerability that comes with living in a world not designed for our bodies.
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The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy
- Dearly Beloathed, Book 1
- By: Brigitte Knightley
- Narrated by: Heather Long, Thomas Judd
- Length: 11 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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When Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, falls ill, he realizes he needs the expertise of a very specific healer. As fate would have it, that healer belongs to an enemy faction, the Haelan Order. Aurienne Fairhrim and her fellow Haelan are inundated by sick children suffering from an outbreak of a long-forgotten Pox. Unable to get the funding needed to launch an immunization program, the Haelan Order is desperate for money–so desperate that when Osric breaks into their headquarters to bribe Aurienne to heal him, she is forced to accept.
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The Forgotten Dawn
- An Epic Fantasy Romance (The Shattered Sky Saga, Book 1)
- By: Laura A Blake
- Narrated by: Gabriel Michael, Rylee Kuberra
- Length: 16 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Brida Larrow has no right to be among the Fae Courts, but she’s willing to risk everything to save her dying father. Armed with a forged invitation and a fierce determination, she enters the treacherous Fae Trials, a deadly contest crafted to break even the strongest Fae. One misstep, and the truth of her identity could be her undoing—and cost her the cure she so desperately needs. With enemies around every corner, Brida must rely on her wits and cunning to survive. But when Dainan, the enigmatic Prince of Shadows, takes notice of her, the stakes grow even higher.
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engrossing debut fantasy romance!
- By Reesiecup08 on 07-03-25
By: Laura A Blake
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The Secret of Haven Point
- By: Lisette Auton
- Narrated by: Lisette Auton
- Length: 8 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Washed up as a baby beside a remote lighthouse and raised by a mermaid, Alpha Lux was the first foundling at Haven Point. Now the lighthouse is a ramshackle home for any disabled person who needs somewhere to belong. Looting from passing ships to make a living, they call themselves the Wrecklings, and for the children of Haven Point life is spent adventuring on the wild shore (and getting into trouble with the grown-ups).
By: Lisette Auton
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In the Veins of the Drowning
- The Siren Mage, Book 1
- By: Kalie Cassidy
- Narrated by: Ell Potter
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain concealed beneath her skin. When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save their kingdoms from an even greater monster.
By: Kalie Cassidy
Brittney Arena’s debut novel is a sweeping, emotionally charged fantasy that hits all the right notes. The world-building, character development, and emotional depth all strike a near-perfect balance between scene-setting and reader freedom. The author's descriptions are vivid enough to anchor the reader in the moment but never so drawn out that you’re stuck wading through pages of scenery. It felt cinematic but still left room for the reader's imagination to play.
Vasalie is an incredible main character who is layered, fierce, and vulnerable in all the right ways. She is strong, complex, and unforgettable—I cannot wait to see the journey she takes in this book series.
I listened on Audible and Lauren Fortgang was a fantastic choice for the audiobook—her performance captured the emotional weight and pacing of the story perfectly while bringing Vasalie’s character to life.
And that ending? I have no words 🤯 I need book two immediately and probably 3–5 business days to emotionally recover. This was a stunning debut, and I’m already desperate for the next installment of this series. Brittney Arena is officially on my auto-buy list!
Grabbed my attention from the beginning!
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I couldn’t stop listening!
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The authors descriptions flow through the main character in a way that actually lends itself to the character’s personality. You come to realize Vasalie is very analytical and kind of defines things and talks through things to herself a lot, always reasoning and assessing. I listened via audiobook and there were admittedly a few times it tripped me up because I wouldn’t realize I was hearing internal monologue at first but it never took long to figure it out.
One particular character was very refreshing to read, his personality was exceedingly charming and bucked any opportunity to be dark and brooding which I loved.
I also appreciated that the stakes felt well thought out. I find too often shows and books where characters are faced with hard choices or ultimatums writing often gets lazy or leans on a lack of simple communication. I didn’t find that here at all. I didn’t find myself questioning Vasalie’s logic or shouting “just do/say this” etc. which made it much easier to just enjoy the story and be along for the ride.
Nail biting slow burn
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The story just didn’t pull me in. I got about halfway through, but the pacing was so slow and lacked the kind of tension or stakes that make me want to keep turning the page. I kept waiting for something—anything—to hook me, but it never really came.
The writing wanted to be lyrical and beautiful, but for me, it didn’t quite land. Instead, it felt like it was trying too hard without actually drawing me into the story.
Also… why did I read so much about flour in just half a book? 😳 Like, genuinely. So much flour.
I don’t usually rate books I DNF, but if I had finished, this probably wouldn’t have been more than a two-star read for me. Just not for me, and that’s okay!
DNF Review @ 50%
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