Member Reviews

It felt so good to be back in the world of ASID. I was expecting more magic, dreams, and folklore, but was confronted with the harsh truths of their realities and their own reasons to escape through dreams and sleep. I expected Effy to be the main source of magic, but it was Preston's turn to be faced with a new alluring dreamscape reality. You get a lot more detail and world building with the political climate unfolding around them, as well as a taste of what female scholars and writers face in their academic world.

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Ava Reid continue this story with her beautiful prose. The first half of this book had me in it's grasp but unfortunately lost me at about 50% through. I was satisfied with the ending. I felt like both our main characters were not acting like themselves and it felt disingenuous. I very much enjoyed A Study of Drowning and will continue to read works by this author.

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Sequels are always hit-or-miss for me. I'm sad to report that A Theory of Dreaming didn't make the same impression its predecessor did. Writing this review is giving me flashbacks to when I finished Foul Lady Fortune, another series whose first book I raved about endlessly. My thoughts are exactly the same. In short, the first book was better.

The elements that I loved most about A Study In Drowning were absent in the sequel. I didn't fully realize the magnetic pull of the Fairy King until I read a story without him.

As a whole, this book is more about character development than adventure. Reid takes the time to delve into the effects of the political conflict on Preston and Effy's mental health. (I want to clarify that there is nothing wrong with concentrating on character development. In fact, I think that it makes sense to focus on who exactly are Preston and Effy considering that this is the sequel. However, character-driven books aren't my preference so this wasn't an immediate favorite for me.)

While I sorely missed the mystery surround Hiraeth Manor, I am such a fan of the mental health representation, mainly the fact that Effy's mental health didn't magically improve following A Study In Drowning's happy ending. Love doesn't cure all and I am so pleased to see that depicted in YA literature.

Even though I didn't love A Theory of Dreaming as much, I don't regret having read this. I am satisfied having seen Effy and Preston's stories through. They remain two of my favorite fictional characters.

Bottom line: I remain blown away by Reid's writing.

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3.5/5 stars
Recommended if you like: dark academia, Gothic vibes, fairytales, stories

This review has been posted to Goodreads as of 1/21 and will be posted to my review blog on 3/27 and to Instagram on 3/14.

TW: depression, suicide attempt
Well that wasn't horribly depressing or anything. If you're someone who struggles with their mental health, I would definitely recommend reading both TWs prior to reading this book. I read and liked Study well enough and so was expecting some level of mental health themes in this book, but was caught completely unaware at the depth of what this book discussed. And honestly? It did put me in a funk for a couple of days after reading.

This is one of those situations where a standalone should have been left as a standalone. There were definitely still questions at the end of A Study in Drowning, but overall I think the story was neatly tied up and didn't necessarily need an addition. At the end of Study, Effy and Preston discovered the truth about Angharad and are writing a paper on the subject revealing all they know and on top of that they've vanquished some enemies and have gotten together. Whatever I felt about it when reading the book initially, I have to say that that's a pretty solid ending.

But then this book comes along and opens up a whole can of worms about what it's like for them once they get back to the university and the aftermath of their paper (which, from what I can tell, hasn't even been published yet?!). The plot of this book simply did not exist in my opinion. One of my issues with Study was that it moved pretty slowly, but I really loved the mystery author concept and was invested in finding the truth. In this book, Preston seems to be running around with his advisor trying to figure stuff out about magic, despite his not believing in it, while Effy suffers through misogyny and smear campaigns. Book 1 had the emotional payoff of the characters discovering/overcoming something, but this book lacks that payoff and even when the characters overcame something, it didn't really pack a punch.

This book had the potential to be super interesting. The war with Argant is still going on, but morale is down with the news about Angharad. As a result, both the university and the country begin campaigning pretty hard for a 'national story' and to boost what is, essentially, nationalism. I think this is a super interesting setup and there are so many directions this book could have gone in with those themes. Alas, these elements were largely brushed aside in favor of what Effy and Preston were doing, which was a whole lot of nothing. Preston in particular, I think, had a good setup for this since he's half-Argantian and half-Llyrian and in fact we do start to see him exploring these themes toward the end of the book. I just really think the ball got dropped in regard to the most interesting part of the story. I would have loved to see Preston exploring literary heroes and 'national stories' and what that means considering what he discovered in Study and what he discovered here. But his literary discoveries here really take a backburner, which I think is a shame.

Since this is meant to be 'Preston's story,' I'll start with him. As mentioned, I think there was a really nice setup there for him to explore interesting literary concepts and their applications in the story's world. However, instead of doing this, he spent most of his time with his advisor working out the magic of 'dreaming' (hence the title). His advisor is interested in the Sleepers and the magical state they seem to be stuck in, and that (for some reason) is the direction their research goes. This direction does actually have the potential to be interesting as well considering Preston doesn't believe in magic but also is the one who heard the bells at the end of Study. But honestly I didn't find his research and activities in this area all that interesting. Like I mention above, there's little emotional payoff from his discoveries and so I found it difficult to invest. There was little pressure on Preston to change and frankly he doesn't really change that much, so it was hard to feel engaged.

Effy has a lot of changes going on in her life, such as now being the first female literary student at the college. This is her dream, though she knows it'll come with challenges, and she's determined to go into it confident and prove herself. Unfortunately, she faces much of the same problems she did in the architecture school, made even worse by the media's interest in her and a smear campaign against her. I really wish we could've seen that confidence carry through to more of the book, unfortunately, in the face of everything, Effy does lose confidence pretty quickly. Something that I did think was interesting was how Effy dealt with the loss of the Fairy King. While there were bad things associated with him, he was also a lifeline for Effy when things got rough. With that magic gone, she really struggled with grounding herself, or escaping, when things got tough. Unfortunately, Effy begins spiraling into a depression pretty early on in this book so, like with Preston, we don't really get to explore this concept as much as I would have liked. I did think Effy was going to have something else going on with Lord Ardor's poetry. Again though, while there was something there that was interesting, and really could have turned into an interesting discussion on literature and labor and who gets the credit, Reid again chooses turn away from this and let it kind of float away.

A lot of Effy's story in this book deals with her depression. She becomes very, very depressed as a result of the things mentioned above, and thus exhibits a lot of the classic signs and symptoms of major depressive disorder. Her friend Rhia seems concerned, and so does Preston...but somehow Preston magically fails to notice when she stops going to class for weeks on end despite knowing she's struggling. How exactly does that work? 'Sorry honey, I thought you were pillows under the blanket, I didn't realize you were still in bed?' Or was it more, he got wrapped up with his advisor and didn't see her for weeks on end? Like...what was the deal with that.

The ending of this book was not nearly as satisfying as the ending of Study and overall I think the lack of emotional follow-through for the discoveries in this book combined with the fact Reid introduced but didn't follow up on interesting plot points in favor of boring ones leads me to rating this book lower than A Study in Drowning, which I already had mixed feelings on.

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Wow! This was such a great sequel! Effy and Preston's love is just beautiful and I was so glad to be back in that world. I can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy when this comes out! It's currently planned to come out Aug 5th and there will be a matching deluxe edition to the first one!!! So excited! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for my digital ARC!!!

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A hauntingly tragic descent into the comfort of dreams offers opportunity beyond compare but is it peace or madness that will find you if you overstay your welcome?

Returning to the world of looming war and acedemia Preston and Eddy return to school with hungry eyes eager to disprove their thesis when a new study threatens to unlock the secret of the bells ringing in Preston’s ears but it may cost him all that he loves most.

When I read the first book it felt as though you were stepping into the sea soaked rot of a once beloved fairytale now standing as a reminder for what can be taken from you and here with book two it felt like what happens when depression and self doubt burrow deep in the psyche threatening to keep you chained to those fears.

Both Preston and Effy are not without their doubts and anxieties and while stronger together it was sad to see how you could drift while being in the same room. This felt more like Preston’s journey for me though both suffer great losses and take hits in their self worth I think him having to understand who he is at his core when faced with opposition and the ease of disappearing into nothing can be tempting even to those with the best intentions. And Effy my sweetest darling I adore her softness but man do I wish to see her break some noses (she does not).

The only thing I wish came from this and maybe it’s because I felt such a strong connection to the literary mystery side of the first book is that we tease so much of it here with Effy’s new obsession and due to other events it sort of fades away just when I was expecting a horrid secret to be revealed which was a bit anticlimactic.

I enjoy these books in a way that rings close to how I feel for Erin A Craig in that kind of ghostly beckoning to follow when you know you must not but find yourself following anyway.

**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**

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This duology is just special. I was a little skeptical going in because truly, I do not find myself enjoying “dark academia” books HOWEVER… i ate this one up. This story is so magical and I love Preston and Effy so much.

This truly is a book that makes you feel whimsical and I cannot recommend it enough

Lotto DID steal the show for me though :)

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A theory of Dreaming is a beautifully written book. This book was more character focused than ASID with the focus on Preston. Although it was really nice to read a book that was from his pov I felt like there was basically no interaction between him and Effy that would suggest their relationship growing. There were so much secret keeping between the two of them... I loved that this book had more of the dark academia vibes than the first one. Overall enjoyed this book and the ending to this duology.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this eARC.

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I had such high expectations for this book and that was my fault. This was a good sequel but I feel like it was lacking the spark the first one had.

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A Theory of Dreaming picks up where A Study in Drowning left off. The Fairy King has been defeated and Effy and Preston have returned to the university to find themselves dealing with new challenges.

The writing style of A Theory of Dreaming follows the same dark academia vibes found in A Study in Drowning. If you loved A Study in Drowning, I think you’d enjoy this one as well. If you moderately enjoyed A Study in Drowning, this could be hit or miss for you.

This book moved at a slower pace. The characters are distant with each other as they deal with the trauma resulting from the first book. It also felt like I was struggling to find the plot. For those reasons I dnf’d this book. I may try reading this again in the future so probably a soft dnf.

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This is the continuation of A Study in Drowning. If you have not read the first book, proceed with caution!

This book continues the story of Effy and Preston after they have returned to University after the events of the first novel. This book focuses more on the development of their relationship, and overall focuses more on Preston than the first novel.

Overall I enjoyed this book. At first I wasn’t completely sure if I would because the first novel ties things up relatively well. When Reid announced the sequel I was taken by surprise. I think the important thing to note here is that if you liked the first book, you will like this one. If you did not like the first book, I would not recommend you read this one.

As with the first novel, the atmosphere is stunning. The world that these novels are set in is beautiful and rich with its own folklore. The characters can get a bit frustrating (as in the first book) but I did enjoy getting to know Preston a bit more.

Did I enjoy this? Yes. Do I think it is a necessary read to enhance the enjoyment of the first novel? No.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

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“Whatever faults I might have—and I have plenty—just know that I think of you, always. My mind is never empty of you. Not in waking; not even in dreaming.”


I did not think I would be left loving these characters even more than when I turned the last page in A Study in Drowning, but Ava Reid did it, she broke my heart and mended it all over again with her ethereal and emotionally charged writing yet again.

In a Theory of Dreaming we follow Preston and Effy back to their academy to continue their studies; where they must deal with the publics reactions to their controversial article; Effy’s new standing as a the only female in the literary college; and the growing tensions of a country on a brink of war. And even though we get more of Effy, this was very much Preston’s book.

As a fan of Preston, I must admit, I was losing my marbles at the way we get dive deeper into his character. We get to read more about his feelings and mental well-being, but also, about the way this man loves Effy; that alone was a real treat.

I really loved Ava Reid’s descriptive and ethereal writing and how it felt like an exhalation on a cold winter day. Ava dives deeper into the feelings of her characters in a such a raw and vulnerable way that had me wanting to protect Effy and Preston against the cruelty and unjustness of their world— So be ready to go through all the emotions.

Would HIGHLY recommend to anyone who read and enjoyed A Study in Drowning.

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Ava Reid has done it again! This was a beautiful follow-up to ASID and it felt so good to be back in Llyr with Preston and Effy.

I felt like this book was much more raw and emotional compared to ASID, but I absolutely loved that! Preston was a character I fell in love with from the very start and getting more of his POV in this book was everything. Seeing his struggle between dreams and reality really puts into perspective that we all are chasing the same thing - peace. But nothing is truly perfect.

Effy is the character that I wanted to grab by the shoulders and hug throughout the entire book. She is such a beautiful character and watching her struggle with mental health was so heartbreaking, but something that really struck me as the reader.

If you loved ASID, I think you will fully enjoy this wonderful sequel to Preston and Effy’s story. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this eARC.

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When the world feels like too much. Sink beneath the sea. You will find darkness and beautiful sleep.

ATID was magic. Once again Ava wrote beautifully and painfully as the feeling were all to real.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

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4.5/5 stars!

Well this book was really made for me because I LOVED A Study in Drowning and after finishing it I literally thought "I wish I got more of a Preston story". And here it is! I really love the style of Ava's writing, and her books are so atmospheric and beautiful. I really loved this one just as much as the first!

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A Theory of Dreaming was another wonderful example of Ava Reid's atmospheric and haunting writing. It was a dreamy, trauma-filled novel that left me questioning everything and looking for connections everywhere. I feel that it was a wonderful follow up and ending to the story that began with A Study in Drowning. I love that we got to see so much from Preston's point of view, and the way he navigates the world, his trauma, and his feelings. He is a wonderful character who has swiftly become one of my all time favorites. Thank you to the publisher for sending me and eARC.

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Very sad to report that, as much as I loved A Study in Drowning, the sequel did not deliver. We still have Ava Reid's gorgeous, gothic, atmospheric writing which deserves a star on its own, but a plot was nowhere to be found. Truly had to force myself to slog through this.

Going forward, I will be recommending A Study in Drowning to everyone as a standalone. Unfortunately, it should have stayed that way.

Many thanks to the author, Netgalley, and HarperCollins for this eARC!

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I actually didn't read ASID until my ARC request for ATOD was approved, but I fell in love with it. Though, ASID's ending felt so satisfying, I was a bit worried when I started ATOD. My worry wasn't misplaced. This felt aimless, meandering through 300 pages of an expanded world that made less and less sense the more it was explained. While I enjoyed Preston's development, this book felt like a character assassination of Effy. Her entire arc in ASID was about her finding her agency and self-confidence and fighting for what she deserved, and she almost immediately fell into a depressive, self-flaggellating pit in ATOD. I was honestly getting annoyed with every chapter from her POV. Her arc in ATOD served nothing, not even herself, not even Preston.

More than the boring parts or character assassination, the nonsensical politics of ATOD bothered me the most. In ASID, the politics of her world-building were only teased and referenced when necessary for the characters or circumstances and it was all shallow enough that nothing was trying to be done. But just like Fable, I don't think Ava Reid has a mind for politics, much less geopolitics. The world-building runs in circles, suggesting Llyr and Argant were once one country and culture, but that they're at war now because "they've always been at war." The belief in the Sleepers is regarded as Southern superstition and hillbillyish, but every soldier in the Llyrian military is fighting under those beliefs and immediately folds when the authenticity of that religion is called into question. Even worse, political actions happen just for plot reasons. Those plot reasons seem to be "to make Effy and Preston look like the bad guys." Then, the end is wrapped up into a nice little bow with a ceasefire and the suggestion of eternal peace in the future. Maybe Reid should just stick to the folklore and gothicism she's really good at.

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Nobody does atmosphere quite like Ava Reid. I enjoyed A Theory of Dreaming overall, but there were definitely parts that I thought were a slog. However, for the vibes alone and how the story unravels, I think this is a worthwhile read. If you enjoyed A Study in Drowning I think this is a solid follow up. I loved the first book and I thought this was okay. Perhaps not a necessary continuation of the story, but I did like the depth that it added to the world overall.

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This book is a beautiful sequel to A Study in Drowning. Honestly, I may like this one more than the first - which I also rated 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. This is definitely in my top favorite books now.

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