We chat with author Brittney Arena about To Dance with Death, which is the epic conclusion to the fantasy romance duology that began with A Dance of Lies, and Vasalie must journey to the realms of the dead to restore the memories of her beloved king and stop a mounting war.
Hi, Brittney! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! Thank you for having me. I’m a late 30-something romantic living in North Carolina with my husband of 14 years and two very massive, very hairy pups (despite being a cat person–I know.). I’m a sucker for a devilish slow burn vibrating with tension, yearning, and oh-so much banter.
I’m also chronically ill, neurospicy, and I center my stories around characters like myself who know pain and have to navigate their worlds a little differently because we deserve to live out grand, adventurous, romantic tales.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Growing up, I was always a dreamer. By that I mean I daydreamed school away, made very mediocre grades while coming up with stories in my head all day along. My whole life, I’ve been brimming with tales I developed over months and years. I used to make up sequels to movies that didn’t exist to entertain my siblings.
But never in my wildest dreams did I think I could write a book, let alone write for a living. I thought I had to have a degree or several in literature, publishing, grammar, and who knows what else. It wasn’t until I got very sick in my mid-twenties and had to give up what I thought was my dream career as an art director, when I had absolutely nothing to occupy my time or thoughts, that I decided to try.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
- The one that made you want to become an author: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
To Dance with Death is the second installment in your Edge of Glass duology and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
‘Fall in love again, again’ romantic. (Does that count?)
For readers who haven’t picked up A Dance of Lies, what can they expect?
A Dance of Lies follows Vasalie, who was once the king’s prized dancer—until he threw her in prison for a murder he knows she didn’t commit. Two years later, he pulls her out and offers her a deal: spy for him at a six-week-long royal gathering (aka on his rival brother’s court), and he’ll grant her freedom. But his tasks become vicious and deadly, and she must decide just how far she’s willing to go to earn her freedom.
And for those who have, what’s to come in To Dance with Death?
Torture! Hah. Okay, fun torture, perhaps? There are Hades & Persephone vibes, except it’s a she-saves-him sort of tale. It’s almost like a second chance romance where Vasalie and her love interest were torn apart in book one, over a terrible curse that effectively makes him the worst version of himself – a careless, hedonistic playboy who no longer knows she exists. And he’s ruling the underworld. She goes after him, and he’s drawn to her immediately but doesn’t know why. She makes a bargain with him: she will dance for him if he will allow her to stay. But of course she won’t let him get away with his nonsense, and he refuses to fall in love (or so he tells himself). Tension ensues.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Oh absolutely. To Dance with Death is dual POV, which means we spend time in Anton’s head. While writing book one, I heard his thoughts loud and clear and far too often (it was rather distracting). Finally, I got to put them on paper and explore even more of his past. More so, we get to see Ansa, his capital city, firsthand
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel? How did you overcome them?
Sequels are hard across the board! For me, it was especially difficult given my deadline overlapped with the launch of book one. There was so much excitement, noise, anxiety—it became difficult to tune it all out and focus. I was also going through some especially difficult health challenges at the time. To be very honest with you, I lost my creative spark for a good chunk of the book. My imagination went scarily silent, which has never happened to me before. It wasn’t until I took a step back and stopped trying to please other people (whether it be the voices in my head, readers, my team, etc) and allowed myself to write the self-indulgent, deeply romantic story I wanted that the spark slowly returned. In the end, it was Vasalie and Anton’s interactions in the underworld that reignited my love for the story all over again.
What’s next for you?
I’ve just announced my next duology, and I’m so thrilled! Prince of Night is a villainous romantic fantasy about a chronically ill dreamer and the phantasm she makes a bargain with to take down the cursed god of dreams. It will be published in August 2027 from Kensington US/CA and Bloomsbury UK!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
My most anticipated read at the moment is Lauren Blackwood’s The Queen’s Bodyguard! Some favorites from this year: This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara, The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson, and the final installment of The Hurricane Wars series by Thea Guanzon.
