In a word: gorgeous. A Theory of Dreaming is a romance, and yet far more than that; it is a war story, but without dramatic battles or conflicts; it’s about the remaking of a country, but no revolution is ever staged. As a reader who’s long wished for more character-driven high fantasy books whose driving force is personal stakes over apocalyptic consequences, this book was a gentle breath of air featuring characters and a setting I’d already fallen in love with. This incredibly rich, nuanced, and thoughtful story that delves into the story of after and the story of now, allowing Effy and Preston’s characters to truly flower. Reid’s writing is, as always, beautiful, and her ability to effortlessly weave together dreams, belief, mental health, and strong relationships in this book was truly amazing.

I wasn't sure if a sequel could possibly replicate A Study in Drowning's magic in a way that felt anything other than contrived. Ava Reid, however, is a far too skilled writer than that. A Theory of Dreaming is very different from the first book, but that's as it should be; while still straddling the real and unknown, this book anchors itself more in the present, focusing on the aftermath and consequences of earlier events. It also places its focus on Preston rather than Effy, though it largely splits page time between their points of view, and Preston's very different voice and background shines through.

My only real complaint with this book was not truly the content of the book itself, but with the lack of content warnings. This book is incredibly focused on misogyny, xenophobia, mental health, and grief, and contains an on-page suicide attempt. If any of these topics are even remotely triggering to you, please scroll to the end of this review, where I've done my best to detail all of these to ensure safe reading.

Misogyny/toxic masculinity: Characters consistently discount Effy’s abilities and are actively sexist to her throughout. References are made to a teacher who sexually harassed her. Effy is repeatedly objectified; two male characters get into a fight and it is blamed on her clothing. One of the characters in this scene verbally harasses Effy. While all of these are challenged, arguably more concerning are Preston’s actions: he consistently presents himself as Effy’s protector and gets into a fight to ostensibly protect her. This toxic masculinity goes unchallenged and is largely portrayed as a positive manifestation of his love for her.

Xenophobia: Preston is consistently insulted, derided, and targeted on account of being from Argant.

Mental health/grief: This book focuses largely on Preston’s grief for his father’s earlier death, and dealing with how that grief influences his relationship with Effy. He exhibits significant and unchallenged toxic masculinity. Effy’s mental health experiences a steady decline throughout the novel, and she displays symptoms of what I took to be depression.

Suicide: Effy attempts suicide (chapter 26) by intentionally consuming too many sleeping pills, after a steady decline in her mental health throughout the book. While the reader is not in Effy’s head directly preceding this, we see its physical and emotional effects on Preston and her friends when they find her and are spared no detail. The rest of the book is focused on the aftermath of this for Effy and her friends, emotionally and physically. Effy makes a full physical recovery and her mental health has improved by the end of the book, but she is ultimately left understanding she needs to take better care of her mental health in the future.

"What a ruthless privilege it is, he thought, to love."
Love this one!! The dark academia elements came back in full blast, the setting is incredible and beautiful!
The dark academia vibe in the middle of winter?? Yes please!!!
Preston and Effy have carved a special place in my heart (and dreams) as they each faced incredible challenges in A Theory of Dreaming. Man, it got rough in there, but Reid approached the darker themes with elegance and highlighted the importance of the topics. I loved getting to hear more of Preston's experience, and like Effy's story last book— we get to see him have quite a few breakthroughs.
This was a great way to wrap up this story!!

📖 The Premise:

A Theory in Dreaming follows Preston and Effy as they deal with the repercussions and unintended consequences of their hard-won victories in A Study in Drowning.

As Effy attempts to cope without the safety and comfort of her fantasies, Preston turns to magical dreaming as a refuge.

While grappling with their turbulent emotions, Effy and Preston also conduct two separate investigations that lead them to once more question the truth behind the legacies of Llyr's literary heroes.

What I Liked:

✨ Ava Reid always writes characters that capture my heart and Effy, Rhia, Maisie, Preston, and Lotto are no exception to this rule! The romance, the friendships, and the found family are very well-written!

✨ The literary investigations are very interesting to both follow and try to piece together for yourself when reading! Dark academia for the win!

✨ This book feels exceptionally relevant to the modern-day political environment, especially when discussing the dangers of rewriting history and nationalist propaganda.

Thank you to the publisher for sharing an ARC with me!

I didn't realize how much I needed "A Theory of Dreaming" until I started reading it - it is a noteworthy sequel that successfully expands on the narrative established in its predecessor."A Study in Drowning" was one of my top-rated books from last year. Still, I was a bit skeptical about this sequel. I didn't want it to feel like the author was just stretching out the story for the sake of it. Luckily, that wasn't the case, and I ended up really enjoying it. It felt nice to dive back into the world and become reacquainted with beloved characters.

Thank you to #NetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Unfortunately, I could not get into this book. I found it to be incredibly dull, hard to follow at times, and had no desire/felt no urgency to pick it up once I had started. I loved A Study in Drowning (ASID), so it makes me incredibly sad that this book was not for me.

I don’t think ASID needed a sequel and it really could have stood as a standalone. I felt like all of the character development that happened for Effy in book one just didn’t carry through to this book, and it almost felt as though she had regressed as a character. I didn’t find that I felt as invested in her and Preston’s relationship either, and Preston’s POV did not interest me.

It also felt as though nothing really happened for much of the book, and it took the plot too long to pick up.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. After loving A Study in Drowning, I was so excited to read this one, but it just didn’t have the same effect on me. I felt like the characters were a lot different from where they left off in the last book and there was a lot of confusing language that just left me not wanting to pick up the book.

Preston is a MMC we can all swoon over-the glasses, his undying devotion! I loved meeting these two characters back at the university setting. Ava’s prose reallllllly shines in the literary interludes in this book. They feel so real it makes me wonder if she’s a reincarnation of an 18th century poet. There are echoes of Coleridge “kubla khan.” (If I’m not mistaken) i found myself so angry for Preston and Effy in their clashes with their peers, and genuinely invested in their academic discoveries!

A Theory of Dreaming answers the question of what happens in the happily-ever-after. And while we probably did not need this sequel, it is definitely welcomed. Told in dual POVs, this book is an exploration of how Effy and Preston navigate and process the events and consequences of the last book. Preston's journey in this book is the investigation of magic, particularly how it shows up in dreams. On the complete opposite hand, Effy's journey examines how trauma affects someone. Reid's evocative writing invites the reader to feel and see the depths of Effy's pain. While some may feel frustration with Effy and Preston's relationship, I think Reid does an excellent job of portraying a realistic relationship that has been burned by trauma. The character work in this book is its main strength. But it is a dark examination of human emotions, so please check trigger warnings.

Another strength of the novel is the writing. As always, Reid's writing is evocative and atmospheric, and thus, she paints a vivid image of their world. No longer are we limited to a crumbling house by the sea, we see their school and how the school interacts with the rest of the country. I do wish that we could have seen more of their country, but I do understand that this is a character-driven novel, and thus, their world is limited to their experiences.

Because this book is character-driven, there is not much semblance of a plot until the second half of the book. And then suddenly, this book tries to do too much. First, there is the academic component where Effy researches and discovers the secrets of a famous poet, while Preston studies the power and magic of dreaming. Their research was probably my favorite element of the book. Second, the book tries to make statements about various subjects like war, sexism, mental illness, prejudices, school politics, nationalism, and propaganda. However, because there are too many topics being discussed, it doesn't explore any of those complex issues on a deeper level. When the plot does appear, it feels like the plot exists just to connect the research with the events happening in the book. In the end, the book felt like a mishmash of ideas. And yet, I think these ideas will stick with readers for a while.

I read A Study of Drowning and when I heard there was a sequel, I was excited. I expected it to continue as dreamy and gothic with tales being told. I was sadly disappointed with this second book. I loved that we learned more about Preston and how much he loves Effy. I missed Effy in this book, I felt like she could have so much potential and show the rest of the college how good she is. She is so intelligent and found an interesting topic that just appeared for her while she is struggling in her class, but never picked it up on her own? I was hoping for it to change midway in the story and then it didn't. I felt parts were missing throughout and wished they were each there for each other.

Writing a review for this one is tough. I really liked ASID and respect Ava as an author but I will also be honest. I recieved an ARC of this book I was very excited about. I just could not get into this story. I wanted to dnf it many times, and ended up doing so a little over 50% in. I dont feel like ASID needed a sequel and that’s shown by how slow and repetitive this is. Nothing really happens. When it does starts to pick up it’s then dragged out with a lot of unnecessary filler in between.. Effy goes to class. Nothing happens. Effy goes to sleep. This is repeated. I understand building up to the story but half of it was not necessary in my opinion. Even her relationship with Preston didn’t feel the same. They didn’t have chemistry. It felt a bit uncomfortable. When he’d finally see her she would immediately go to sleep.

Also if I had to read that he smells like tweed and cigarettes one more time..

Take my review lightly though since I did not finish the book I cannot say how the other half goes. Maybe it got much better! I just don’t want to make myself finish a book I’m not enjoying. So for me, it was not worth the read.

I hope a lot more people love this book. For me personally I’m going to pretend the first one was a standalone. I will think of Preston and Effy like that 🤍

"A Theory of Dreaming" by Ava Reid explores the enigmatic nature of dreams with a poetic touch. While Reid's ambitious narrative captures the surreal beauty of the dream world, the plot struggles with clarity and pacing. The blend of dreamlike symbolism and reality is fascinating but often leaves the reader wanting more focus and character development. An intriguing read that stumbles in delivering a cohesive experience.

A Theory of Dreaming picks up after A Study in Drowning left off, giving us both Effy and Preston’s POVs. Effy is struggling to moving on without escape of the Fairy King & stories she relied on in ASID while maneuvering her new life as the first female student in the literature college. Preston is also struggling with his new reality post-ASID and is on a journey to unravel the mystery of the bells only he can hear.

I will be honest. I found this follow up to A Study In Drowning difficult to continue caring about Effy and Preston’s journey. It took until around 65% for me to start feeling invested in the story. Ava Reid writes beautifully and I will continue to read her work, but this story just wasn’t for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Before I started I was a bit apprehensive as it didn’t feel the story needed a sequel but found this very enjoyable and read it in a single sitting!

The story begins shortly after the events of a study in drowning with Effy and Preston returning to school and the aftermath of exposing Myrddin as a fraud. Reid’s writing is beautiful but we lost the atmospheric tone to her story telling until we start to unravel the “dreams”. While we got glimpses of an otherworldly underwater setting it did not provide the same captivating feel of Hiraeth Manor. The pacing was slow at times but I found it flowed with the tone of the texts sprinkled throughout used to unravel the truths of the past and the power of propagandizing for benefit. These writings provided the dark academia feel as they were cryptic and posed grander questions regarding one’s beliefs and the effects of those beliefs as well as depicting the strain on one’s mental health when put in situations beyond your control.

Something I really enjoyed was the switch to Preston’s POV giving us more insight into him as a character. While I still question how the premise aided in continuing the plot of a study in drowning I did find it to expand on the world and history of both Llyrian and Argantian lore. With the shift in POV however we did lose some understanding of the struggles Effy was facing and the inner turmoil she would have been experiencing while facing some rather dark topics. For this reason I think a dual POV may have suited better to tackle the topics of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicide. Every character within the story lent to idea and portrayal of the many stressors that can affect our mental health and the importance of a strong support system. It also showcases the courage it takes to understand you are not broken but rather healing by choosing to keep fighting.

“Here the darkness, there the light,
Here the lady and her knight.
As petals scatter out to sea,
Their tale folds into eternity.”

i absolutely adore ava reid's writing , and this story was no exception. the world feels so rich and vibrant, and i really didn't want to put this one down. i read it all the way through in such a short time and i found myself wishing for more! truly a magical reading experience, and one that i will treasure for a long time to come.

So... I'm going to be honest, I accidentally posted my Fable for the End of the World review here by mistake LOL. I don't know what happened but I haven't read A Theory in Dreaming yet. When I do, I'll comeback and update this! Please don't hate me HarperCollins, I love y'all (insert heart emoji here.)

Thank you to HarperCollins and Epic Reads for providing me with an early copy of this book before its official release.

Preston and Effy have such a relatable love.
A theory in dreaming quickly whisked me into its pages and spit me out on the other side. The plot is so well written it would be difficult to not become completely immersed within it.

a solid continuation of the original story. nothing notable but was enjoyable. there were times when i lost interest but it was still able to pull me back in for me to continue reading.

Thank you Ava for writing this beautiful sequel, I absolutely adored every moment reading more. A Study in Drowning was one of my top reads in 2023. This sequel ripped my heart out and put it back together I couldn’t have asked for any other ending to this duology. I loved the dual povs throughout the book, being able to hear from both Effy and Preston brought so much emotion from both of them.

Thank you HarperCollins for providing me this arc for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I was skeptical about this book in the beginning because while "A Study in Drowning" was one of my favorite reads for the year, it felt complete to me and I wasn't sure how the story would continue. That being said, I loved this story! We got to know the characters that I loved even better, we saw more of their flaws, and how they overcame challenges. While I really enjoyed this book, I did not feel the connection to it that I did to "A Study in Drowning" which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the ARC copy!

I missed Effy and Preston so much I’m happy they’re back! I was totally okay with ASID having a bit of an open ending but it’s so interesting to be diving back into the world and the aftermath of ASID with the political tension heightened in the sequel.

Effy and Preston are so sweet as a couple it makes me melt! I do really love spending so much time in Preston’s POV and getting more background about his character.

Where ASID felt atmospheric and fantastical this is more emotional and raw. Effy and Preston, while dealing with the fallout from ASID, are also battling their own deeper and darker emotions both as a couple and independently. This was a great sequel that I juxtaposed fairytale and reality in a necessary and startling way. I loved it and bid this story a content goodbye