A Theory of Dreaming was a beautifully eerie conclusion to Effy and Preston’s story, weaving academia, mythology, and quiet longing into a darkly immersive tale. The prose was lush and atmospheric, pulling me into a world where dreams blurred with reality and stories held dangerous power.
Effy’s struggle to define herself outside of myth was heartbreaking and real, while Preston’s descent into his own haunting visions kept me on edge. The tension—both romantic and existential—was exquisitely crafted, and though the pacing lagged in parts, the emotional payoff was well worth it.
A mesmerizing, thought-provoking end to a duology that lingers like a half-remembered dream.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Where book 1 brings a sense of gothic etherealness, A Theory of Dreaming brought true raw emotion. We see more of both of their struggles in real life as they get back to school. The grossly unethical school system working against Effy, the prejudices toward Preston and how they are dealing with those challenges are a BIG theme in the sequel. My heart hurt for especially for Effy though because girl can't catch a break.

Overall I found myself a little less invested in this one but still was able to enjoy myself.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Collins for the arc :)

Book Review: A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Ava Reid once again crafts a mesmerizing and atmospheric tale in A Theory of Dreaming, weaving together folklore, identity, and the blurred lines between dreams and reality. This novel is an enchanting, eerie exploration of storytelling, perception, and the subconscious.

✨ Tropes & Themes:
🌙 Dream vs. Reality
📖 Unreliable Narrator
🕰️ Lush, Gothic Atmosphere
🖋️ Folklore & Mythology
🔍 Secrets & Hidden Truths
💞 Slow-Burn Romance
👁️ Haunting Imagery
💀 Death & Rebirth
🏛️ Academic & Intellectual Exploration
✨ Feminist Undertones

A beautifully crafted, thought-provoking novel that lingers in the mind long after the final page.

A Theory of Dreaming reunites the reader with Effy and Preston as they rejoin their fellow classmates at literature college after their experiences at Hireath and publishing their controversial paper.

This novel digs into the darker aspects of Effy and Preston's psyche and is much more character-focused than A Study in Drowning. The story continues major plotlines such as Effy dealing with her trauma in both the classroom and in her relationships. A heavy focus of the novel is on Preston and his disconnection with reality as he navigates new enemies and being the only Argantian at the college. The motif of female literature/writing is still a dominant plot point, driving some of the decisions and feelings the characters face.

A Theory of Dreaming feels less like a sequel than I expected. Both novels could almost be stand-alones set in the same world. I enjoyed A Study in Drowning for its depth and richness in story-telling and magic, while A Theory of Dreaming made me understand and feel for the characters more. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends and followers!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
# Pages: 416
Publication Date: 07.29.25

“Our belief in a world that is just and perfect gives us strength to survive in a world that is anything but.”

📚 Fantasy
📚 YA
📚 Dark Academia
📚 Reality VS. Dreams
📚 Mental Health Rep
📚 Rivals To Lovers
📚 Found Family
📚 Magic
📚 Gothic

"I am seized by such love, I vow that I must come to ruin now."

"What a ruthless privilege it is, he thought, to love."

**Return to the immersive, lush, and dreamlike world of the instantly bestselling dark academia fantasy A Study in Drowning as the aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology.**

A Study And Drowning by Ava Reid stepped right back into the dark magical world. A perfect continuation! This book focuses more on Preston and the events at the end of the first book. Which was completely needed and a great way of showing more depth to his character. Whilst, maintaining the dreamlike world that goes into even more detail. She continues with developing the characters and continuing the love for them. The author has a talent of creating a unique, dreamy, and yet realistic world that has heavier topics.

In this book our FMC, Effy, does struggle with some mental health struggles. So please be aware of this if certain mental health (self harm) topics do trigger you.

Overall, I enjoyed this read. Reid has such a poetic talent about her. I’m sad to see it come to an end. Quite the emotional and beautiful ending.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for this ARC.

I’m not sure if it’s because I forgot what happened in the first book, but I struggled to get into this book. I found that the alternate formats (newspaper clippings, letters, book excerpts, etc.) were distracting and took away from the story. The world building and lore behind this story was confusing to me, but I liked the romance between Effy and Preston. I also enjoyed the academia setting.

This was such a whimsical, cozy read and a thoroughly needed sequel! I really enjoyed the setting of the story and the furthering of Preston and Effy's relationship. It was just a beautiful, dark academia, and magical book and it was so fun to be back in this world!

TW: drug abuse, attempted suicide

This month I was fortunate to receive an arc of A Theory In Dreaming by Ava Reid, & am happy to share that it's my first 5⭐️ of 2025! This is the sequel to A Study In Drowning & picks up right where the first left off, with Preston & Effy handling the effects of their visit at Hiraeth. While Preston finds it harder to tone out the discrimination he faces as a Argantian, Effy discovers that her problems haven't gone away just because of her growth in the previous book.

This book is clearly meant to focus on Preston, but it's ultimately Effy's story that pushed it over the first one for me. I already loved Effy as a protagonist; I love that she's far from the "perfect victim" & really like how Reid writes her in a way that doesn't shy away from that while also being sympathetic. Effy is quick to emotion &, in this book, begins to convince herself that she's a burden to Preston. The way Effy degrades herself & makes light of her own struggles really struck a chord with me. When pain is internal, it's easy to convince yourself that it's your fault. The book talked a lot about the lies we tell ourselves, & how they prevent us from getting the help we need.

I do want to add that if you hate the miscommunication trope, this may not be for you. Effy & Preston don't act like a healthy couple for most of the book. I liked it regardless, but this did irritate me almost constantly. It's clear they love each other, & that drives the story, but it was frustrating how little they confided in each other about the things that mattered.

I know Reid can be a polarizing author, but you can't deny her prose is STUNNING & the themes here were such a good response to the first book. Trauma can change you forever, but so can the ways you choose to cope with it. This rounds out Preston & Effy's journey perfectly & I highly recommend it.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an eArc in exchange for an honest review!

Beautiful, atmospheric, and jaw droppingly good. I absolutely adore Ava Reid and A Theory in Dreaming was just so exceptional. I’d read it again and again.

A theory of crying and emotional damage this book made me go through.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and here is my honest review.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐️

What to expect:
🧜🏽‍♀️ family betrayal / SA / verbal abusive parent
🧜🏽‍♀️ medication abuse (IMO)


The way I’m so glad I gave this duology a chance and loved every minute of reading it. The story interprets (3rd person) following Preston and his journey of where the bells he keeps hearing are coming from. Meanwhile Effy is going through her own journey of a life without the haunting of the fairy king and being the first woman in the literature

Both characters are constantly being attacked once they come back to college after sharing their controversial thesis about Myrddin and his life work.

Effy is still reliant on her sleeping pills ever since the fairy king was vanquished. She’s becoming more zombie- like everyday not knowing what will come next and how she can’t live on like how she used to. Effy goes through a lot alone in her parts, it seems that she doesn’t want to put a burden on Preston.

Preston is also going through his own battles as he continues dreaming of bells and having to juggle between caring for Effy and being there for her, learning more of the palace beyond and keeping up with his scholarly duties. Preston does feel super bad for leaving Effy most times but he had his hands tied a lot of times with a certain professor.

Songs that reminded me of this book:
* As It Was - Harry styles
* Wake Me Up - Ed Sheeran
* Till Death - Japanese Breakfast
* Angel Baby - Troye Sivan

Thank you for taking the time to read my review!

SPOILERS TURN BACK NOW!


I’m so happy they can live their happily ever after together. I love Preston with my heart and I’m so happy they got married and the ring as a necklace :((

I was so excited for the sequel and while I think this was still good, it just didn't have the smoothness that A Study In Drowning did. I love Ava Reid so there is no such thing as bad writing when it comes to her and the continuation of the world she built was fun and sweeping but it just didn't quite hit the same mark.

Very well written, unique, complex, and interesting story. For me I found the pacing to be quite slow and at times a bit boring or dull. While the excerpts of literature and newspaper clippings were interesting, they didn’t always feel like they added to the story. The plot and goal were a bit loose and I found myself questioning the point. The last 25% really picked up and was interesting but a bit late in the story.

im not going to lie here, when i heard that a study in drowning was going to have a sequel, i was confused as to what it would even be about, as it seemed there wasn't much left to say, but nevertheless i was intrigued. ava reid also mentioned that she hadn't planned on writing a sequel book until everyone begged her to after the ending of the first one, and as much as i hate to say it; it shows.

you couldn't pay me to tell you the major plot of the book as i believe there was none. there were many small plotlines that followed effy and preston as well as other minor characters for sure, but i had no clear sense as to where the story was going at all, which made me slightly bored while reading. if we removed the added parts that just seemed to be added to lengthen the book, this would've been a very solid novella following effy going into the literature department and preston working on a new research project.

staying on theme with my issues, one of the major flows that effy and preston had throughout the book was their lack of communication about whatever difficulties they're facing and the secrets they were keeping from each other, which was not resolved???? the outcome of their lack of communication was barely addressed, but the main issue was not touched upon at all??? each feels like they can't talk to the other one for fear of adding to their burdens, and no discussion or mention of that was brought up at all, on the contrary, by the end, preston is still keeping a secret of his from her. and to that i ask, where is the trust??? i'm not going to say any spoiler, but how do you ask someone that question, without telling them something major that you know they've been having issues dealing without???

another thing that seemed to be tossed out the window is effy's fate at the literature college.... like what happened after all that??? for something so major you'd expect we'd get more information about what then happened to her, and i understand this book is mainly about what happens with preston and his shenanigans, but it is still double pov, and with the entirety of book 1 being about her wanting to get into the literature college, we'd at least get to know more about what happens with her there by the end, and how she resolves the issues she's been having there.

on to the positives, ava reid will never, and i mean never, give you something less than amazing prose. words flow through her veins i swear. she will write the funniest lines followed by the most gut wrenching ones on the same page, she will write a sentence so beautiful that it makes your breath hitch. there is no denying that she knows her way around words. what i will never forgive her for however is the amount of pain she's put effy through this book. effy is my girl, she's so precious to me, and she hasn't had a singular good day in this entire book. 

following the death of the elf king effy feels this emptiness inside of her. sure the elf king was a toll on her life, but he was something familiar and constant in her life that she now feels lost without, and the depression that came with that lost was dealt with so well, my heart was aching for her. with that familiar Weight gone, the discrimination she's been facing in the literature college, and her feeling like a burden to preston, effy had a LOT on her plate.

one other thing that ava reid never misses at giving, are men who are so down bad it's unreal. preston literally falls to his knees in front of effy, describes her as a saint multiple times like a REAL man!! my man is so devoted to her as he should be!! he can't imagine his life without her, feels physical pain at the sight of her... he's perfect that's how all love interests should be!

i could go into more details about other aspects of the book that i've missed, but my hand is getting too tired so im gonna stop now. all in all effy and preston are my babies they're what saved the book for me i love them

Effy defeated the fairy king and earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first ever woman to enroll. It is a dream come true except dreams aren't always what they seem. Those around her are constantly trying to discredit her, waiting for her to fail. After exposing Myrddin's legacy and defeating the fairy king she can no longer escape into the fantasy world and who is she without her stories. Preston is surprised to find he has a rage inside him at the thought on Effy under threat and he begins to dream of a place under the sea where he is the king but then the dreams start to follow him when he is awake also.

I think this was a good continuation of the first both and I adore Ava Reid's writing style. It is the perfect mix of fantasy, magic and realism. I loved that this book still focused on what it is like for Effy to be the first woman at the literature college and how that makes her feel. I also enjoyed getting to see more of Preston in this book and him struggle with sticking to his beliefs and learning more about magic.

When I saw this book was coming out I was surprised because I assumed that A Study in Drowning was going to just be a standalone, but I am very happy that this book came out! I thought that this was a very good sequel. I still loved Effy and Preston and I loved returning to their world. I really enjoyed this book!

A Theory of Dreaming is the perfect companion to A Study in Drowning, like a dream that lingers just as you wake. The world Reid has woven is wonderfully ethereal, drawing you in like a fog, soft yet all-encompassing. There are moments when the story stretches, like a sleepy yawn in the middle of the night, but even in those quieter moments, it still manages to enchant.

The story picks up right where we left off, with Effy and Preston grappling with the aftermath of toppling the Fairy King. Effy, finally free from the chains of her nightmares, is faced with the daunting task of completing her thesis. But with the university watching, waiting for her to fail, will she rise to the occasion? For lovers of dark academia laced with mystery and simmering tension, this book is the perfect ending to a hauntingly beautiful journey.

What a delightful continuation! As in the first book, Reid brings us a world that’s as beguiling as it is unsettling, where each page feels like a whisper in the dark. The themes—of unjust wars, nationalism, and the haunting silences that surround women and immigrants—are timely and profound. I found myself unable to tear away from its pages (which seems to be the case with all of Reid’s work). I’ll miss wandering through Effy and Preston’s world, but I’m so glad to have walked through it once more. On a craft level, Reid's characterizations, pacing, and world-building are as entrancing as ever.

Thank you, harper, collins and netgalley for the opportunity to read the arc

I could not wait to dive back into this world. Effie and preston are such amazing characters.I fell in love with them.During a study of drowning and this one did not disappoint the way their characters bond and have such a spark between them I ate this book up and I just needed more.I want more.

I was not convinced that A Study in Drowning needed a sequel, and I finished this book feeling the same. ATOD was beautifully written, Ava Reid is the queen of purple prose, and tackled darker topics like mental health gracefully. However the pacing fell flat in the middle and I found myself forcing myself to keep reading. The romance fell flat and there was a big disconnect between Effy and Preston. I still enjoyed the book, but not as much as I expected to.

“Our belief in a world that is just and perfect gives us strength to survive in a world that is anything but.”

Yes, it’s true I really liked A Study in Drowning and yes, I may also be a bit biased because my name is also Effy and I related to her so much. However, this book focused more on Preston following the events at the end of ASID, so I can truthfully say I am not biased at all when I say this is truly an amazing and beautiful book.

I know sequels are usually a hit or miss, but this book truly exceeded all of my expectations. This book was so beautifully written that I would really consider it a brilliant literary work.

Now, one of the things I believe makes this book so emotional is that it deals with many topics that the world is currently struggling with. It’s too relatable in today’s world. We see women being blamed, as usual, for men’s actions. We see immigrants being belittled. We see the consequences of war. And we also see how deeply depression and anxiety can affect someone.

In this book, Preston is trying to escape reality, a reality that is nothing but pain. And let’s be real, how many of us would want to escape reality too? There could even be an association from Preston escaping reality to go to the palace to many readers escaping the realities of life by picking up a book. It shows us how escaping reality can become sort of a coping mechanism, but we could never truly live and shelter ourselves in those dreams.

This is a story about grief, about being aware that life can be too painful sometimes, but also a reminder that as much as we want to shelter ourselves in dreams, we must remember to live.

I loved this one even more than a study in drowning. Preston is such a perfect book boyfriend and I am beyind grateful that we got a lot more of him! Effy and Preston are so beautiful a couple and the magic is fun!