This was a good sequel to complete a duology of A Study in Drowning. Much like other sequels, it felt lacking in comparison to the original. I think I had my expectations set too high based on my experience of the first book. I did still enjoy this book and its lyrical writing. There are some triggering topics in this book, but it deals with those issues well. I still recommend this book if you enjoyed the first and want a conclusion to the story.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

An Acceptable Finale

I’ll admit I struggle to fully immerse myself in Ava Reid’s novels. While her writing is undeniably beautiful, it tends to feel a bit too wordy for my taste. Much like the first book in the series, the pacing can be slow, especially in the early chapters, but the book rewards patient (a reading skill I may lack) readers with a deeply atmospheric and intellectually engaging experience. The slow build up allows for a sense of tension to mount gradually, and when the revelations do come, they carry significant weight.

The story’s mood is consistently tense and evocative, drawing readers into a haunting atmosphere where magic and reality blur. Reid’s writing is richly (if not overly) descriptive, often creating a sense of unease and wonder that permeates the narrative.
The prose is poetic and rich with emotion, and the novel’s blending of magic, mystery, and psychological depth makes it an exciting reading experience.

It’s not a book for everyone, as its deliberate pacing and layered storytelling require attention and patience, but for those who are willing to dive into its depths, it offers a rewarding and immersive journey.

I’m not sure I’m a big fan of academic novels, but I wanted to finish the series. The tone and vocabulary can make the story feel slow at times, though I don’t hold that against the author—it’s just a matter of personal preference.

I fell in love with these characters in the first book and couldn’t imagine it could get any better but Ava Reid proved me wrong!
I’ve been a long time supporter of Ava Reid; she has the type of compelling writing that makes you want to keep turning the page even if it is 3am and I have work at 8.
As someone who is honestly over fae books this biology brings something new and fresh to the genre. She made me fall in love again with fantasy ya books.

This sequel gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “mind palace.”

I really enjoyed the vibes of the world. Its dark academia setting is superb despite there being not a ton of academia here. I really would have loved more class time! We get the true shining stars of this book (diary entries and excerpts from the poem “The Garden in Stone”) in small doses. But I ate those crumbs up and couldn’t wait for more!

This was mainly about Effy and Preston, having experienced so much in ASID and then returning to an unchanged and unforgiving reality. And when reality is not so pleasant, why not escape to your mind palace? What could go wrong?

I loved Effy and Preston in ASID so it was painful to watch the deterioration of their lives, but more than that it was incredibly slow to read. At times it was dull in its repetitiveness. The amount of times Effy takes her pill/thinks about taking her pill and Preston thinks about how much he wants to protect Effy/feels intense anger was almost too much. But I don’t mind slow within reason.

Not much happens for the first two-thirds of the book so I found myself trusting in Ava Reid that the slow pace was going to make that pay off in the end even more satisfying a la big reveal. And I would say conceptually it was, I really liked the overall message. But it ends so fast with a pretty bow on top that it felt maybe a bit too tidy.

Ultimately, I love how much Preston loves Effy and I could read that all day long. I love atmosphere and the interspersing of magic and fairy tales.

Thank you HarperCollins, NetGalley and Ava Reid for a copy of this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely devoured A Study in Drowning. As this was a continuation of Preston and Effy’s story, I jumped at the chance to read this. And, I can say I enjoyed this. The world that Ava writes is truly incredible and you feel like you are sitting right there in the room with these characters. But overall I felt unsure that this needed to be a duet. I’m still holding out for another standalone in this world.

♾️/ 5 Stars | “If there is one great virtue of girlhood, it is the insulation of dreams.” & “What a ruthless privilege it is, he thought, to love.”

PLEASE check the triggers on this one. I included at the end!

What I liked: I fear I may never recover from this one, folks. This is a breathtaking, and slump inducing story about grief, loving someone through hard ship, living through incredibly difficult situations, the pain and grief of love in romantic partnerships, and being viciously unwelcome due to race, nationality, or gender. It focused more on Preston’s story and brought us some fun new characters that you will absolutely LOVE. While I very much enjoyed book 1, I don’t think I felt the overwhelming, life-changing sentiments that some of my fellow readers experienced. THIS BOOK, HOWEVER, is so near and dear to me. It is a precious story that has both broken me and healed little tears in my life. The idea of love being a ruthless privilege, of girlhood being insulating and womanhood leaving you bare…I shall never recover.

What I didn’t like: This was much more academic in setting than book one, and while that wasn’t bad per say, I think it took away some of the magical setting that was in book 1.

Triggers: Mental illness, suicide attempt, xenophobia, drug abuse, sexism, sexual assault, sexual harassment

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Children's Books, for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Date to be published: August 05, 2025

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Trigger Warnings:

- Suicidal Ideation
- Suicide Attempt

A Theory of Dreaming is just as painstakingly beautiful as A Study in Drowning. A Theory of Dreaming is very character-driven, focusing on Preston while being in the third person. We return to the whimsical world after defeating the Fairy King, where war is slowly but surely looming over the town of Llyr. Everything is not as it seems and the veil between dreams and reality is slowly but surely thinning. Tensions are running high between Llyr and Argant, the age to be drafted is lowered. What happens when the town of Llyr has to face a hard truth? One that they can't quite believe with a war quickly racing overhead?

Preston is a character I absolutely fell in love with in ASID. The way he is written bleeds through well throughout the pages of A Theory of Dreaming as well. Preston is being tugged between Reality and his dreams, the line between them thinning the more he lets himself disappear into them. It starts to become one. At first, it is wonderful, a beautiful thing that must be cherished. But all good things surely must come to an end, right?

Effy is someone I wanted to hug the biggest in this book. At one point, there's a certain scene where I put my phone down and just closed the Kindle app for a moment. It wasn't necessarily graphic in any way, it just caught me off guard. If you're sensitive to Suicide Attempts, I would perhaps skip over this particular scene. Watching her downfall was heartbreaking because we, the reader could see the slow progression that suddenly snowballed. Yet, we couldn't do anything but watch as her friends missed the signs.

While I loved reading this, I have to say the former book, A Study in Drowning blows it out of the water. I fell in love with that book and the message that was hidden between the pages. I am grateful I got this arc because it is beautiful and holds a hidden message. Getting to dive into this story again, to see the aftermath of the fall of the Fairy King was beautiful. I am happy that Ava Reid decided to turn this into a duology rather than a stand-alone.

If you loved A Study in Drowning, I think you would fall in love with A Theory of Dreaming as well.

Once again, I want to give a massive thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for this eArc!

A Theory of Dreaming by @avasreid is a breathtaking, spellbinding masterpiece that lingers long after the final page. This sequel elevates the world of A Study in Drowning, weaving a story that is both achingly tender and deeply haunting. With prose that reads like poetry, Reid pulls readers into a realm where reality and dreams blur, love battles despair, and resilience shines through the darkest moments.

Picking up where A Study in Drowning left off, this sequel plunges deeper into Effy’s fractured world as she confronts the haunting truths of the Sleepers and the mysteries that linger within her own mind. As she and Preston race against time to uncover the secrets of their intertwined fates, they must navigate treacherous waters—both literal and emotional. The stakes are higher, the danger more visceral, and the revelations utterly soul-stirring.

At its heart, this book is a celebration of belief—in oneself, in love, and in the power of stories to heal. Reid’s lyrical writing stuns, with lines like: “Young unbeliever, your mind as sharp as steel; it is for you and only you that the great bells peal.”

Effy and Preston’s journey is raw, unflinchingly human, and utterly unforgettable. Every sentence is a spell, every chapter a dream. If you’re searching for a book that will shatter you and put you back together, A Theory of Dreaming is it. An absolute triumph—five stars are not enough.

A Study In Drowning, left off in a very satisfying way -- while the last lines of ASID left an open interpretation, it was wonderfully memorable, and left a smile on my face.
I was quite surprised to hear that a follow up was coming and jumped as fast as I could to get my hands on the arc as I so thoroughly enjoyed Reids vivid world and the blurred lines she created between reality and fantasy in the first of the series.

Quickly diving in, excited to revisit Effy and Preston alongside the world that had vastly changed due to their experiences in A Study of Drowning. Reid did not disappoint with her beautiful descriptions of the world and her unique way of making the weight of environment feel heavy and dewy on your skin.

Experiencing Prestons' POV as he experienced his journey walking the blurry and deep lines of reality was a beautiful and created a unique perspective that builds a palpable tension as he explores his dream world. The weight and struggles of being the only student from a Waring nation coat his descent into his fantasy dream kingdom. His relationship with Effy so wonderfully tangled in both realities, had a natural and authentic vulnerability to it.

Effy, fulfilled her dream by being admitted into the Literary college -- however, the push back and prejudice toward her weighs deeply. To add in the tensions of war and the complexities of her relationship with Preston she begins to fall into a depression. (with a trigger for attempted suicide)
Effy, has a heavy sense of relatability to her character, one of being a smart, thoughtful, and talented woman; yet, her very existence highlights prejudices that women have faced throughout history in a patriarchal society.

Personally, while I welcomed our trip back into this intriguing and atmospheric world... I cannot help but wonder if it was needed to have a continuation of Preston and Effys' stories. ASID felt complete and satisfying in every way. While the writing and some storylines were so rich and enjoyable in this followup, I cannot help but have thoughts that there are so many other stories to be told in this world Reid created.
Was ATOD enjoyable and beautiful? yes. Would I recommend the duology? also yes. Would I say that I have hopes for perhaps a standalone story set in this world to come into existence (Like Anngharads or the sleepers stories woven together) ?? For sure.
3.75 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Author for the opportunity to read and review this Arc.

Review will be shared publicly to my GoodReads, IG and Amazon closer to release date

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this early copy!

This book was good but nowhere near the first book. There were so many parts where I wanted to give up and stop reading. Effy was so-called supposed to be a strong female lead but ended up crying over a bottle of medicine?!? She really got on my nerves in this book and I feel like she couldn't capture her full story in this one. The whole romance side plot was also boring and too much for the book. It was always focused on Preston and Effy but never the side relationships (Preston and his advisor, Preston and his family, Effy and her mother) that could have made the story more meaningful for me.

Overall not what I was expecting for this book since I really enjoyed the first one.

At the end of A Study in Drowning, Effy's dreams seemed to all have come true--she vanquished the fairy king, co-wrote a paper on the truth about Angharad, her creepy professor was dismissed, became the first woman to be admitted into the literature college, and started a relationship with Preston. But can dreams last?

Effy's admittance into the literature college comes with a slew of problems. Her male peers resent her presence, and their ire draws what her former professor did back into focus. To make matters worse, there's pushback to her discovery about Angharad. Tensions between Llyr and Argant are increasing, and the people of Llyr may not be able to handle the truth about Myrddin. As pressures surmount, Effy begins to question what Preston sees in her and slides into a depressive state.

Meanwhile, Preston is trying to balance protecting Effy with his duties as a TA and legate. His professor pulls Preston into his research on a theory of dreaming, which leads Preston to follow the sound of the bells to an underwater palace where he's king. At first, the palace seems wondrous, but the line between reality and fantasy thins. To make matters more difficult, the war between Llyr and Argant causes trouble for Preston, the only Argantian student at the university. One of the xenophobic aristocratic students in his class keeps goading him. A rage unlike anything Preston's experienced builds inside of him, pushing him further into the dream world.

I loved getting to return to this lush world. A Theory of Dreaming was achingly beautiful. The writing was lyrical and gorgeous and the story definitely made me cry at parts. Whereas ASID was a mix of plot and character, ATOD is very much a character-driven story as both of these characters deal with the fallout from the events of ASID. I also loved that we got to see more of Effy and Preston's roommates. They're both such wonderful characters and added a lot to the story. I also liked that this story took place entirely at the university, and falls much more squarely into dark academia. Readers may also appreciate that the war between Llyr and Argant as well as the Sleeper Museum and the mythology around it are both explored more in this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed conclusion to this duology, and definitely teared up at the end.

CW: As Effy slips further into her depression, she begins to have suicidal thoughts and then attempts it. I didn't find the depiction of her attempt to be graphic. IMO, it was a thoughtful exploration of depression and how all-encompassing it can be, but I did want to add this flag.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

A beautiful follow up to A Study of Drowning. I loved that we got to see a lot more of Preston with the dual 3rd person POV. Both Effy and Preston are facing hardships after returning to school. Effy seeks solace in her dreams in an attempt to escape her struggles. Preston is working on a secret project with his professor that is also testing the boundaries of what's real.

All in all, this was a wonderful story and a great conclusion to the first book.

The sequel to A Study in Drowning was superb, but this author brings nothing less with all of her work. The world in this book is explained in such immersive and stunning detail, just like in the previous installment. Effy and Preston return to the academy, and face respective challenges there as a continuation from the first book. Those two also get a wrap up of their romance, and all that goes down while a war breaks out. This author just keeps bringing the fantastic worlds with mythology mixed in, well-fleshed out characters, and excellent and propulsive writing.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books/HarperCollins for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading A Study in Drowning, I was curious as to what this book would include, as its predecessor left off on a great, tidy endnote. However, I was disappointed and ultimately confused at the decisions made in this book. There were a few outstanding plot points in the previous book, such as the issues with Preston being Argantian and Effy being a woman, and although those were continuous issues in this book, those important issues were never really addressed. The plot was extremely flimsy and difficult to understand, and the prose was so purple that it took the reader out of the storyline and needed to be cut way down. Instead of creating a solid plot and using the book to dive into these issues, it seems like everything was neatly wrapped up in the last chapter without an explanation. The war magically resolved, the authorship claims were proven (after barely being acknowledged throughout the book), there were no consequences for any of the characters’ actions, and Effy’s thesis, depression, and status as the first woman in the literature college were left as big question marks. It seemed like this book was only created because of the reception of the first book, but it had so much potential and failed to address lingering questions. Overall, it was a difficult and disappointing read, Especially with the way that it handled depression and a suicide attempt by the main female character.

Overall Score: 5/5⭐️
Plot: 5/5
Character Development: 5/5
Ease of Reading: 5/5
Overall Enjoyment: 5/5

Ava Reid has done it again, and is that really a surprise? I simply was unable to put this book down. As a new mom, I thought it would be hard to find time to read but having the kindle app made it so I could devour this book during her feeding times. I am just so obsessed with this world and the characters within it.
A Theory in Dreaming starts off shortly after the events of A Study in Drowning with Effy and Preston having returned to university. Facing the fallout of their actions, we are blessed with third person dual POV so we are able to see the inner workings of not just Effy’s mind, but Preston’s as well. While I will say I was a bit frustrated with the secrets Effy and Preston keep from one another (although done in good faith), I was enraptured by Reid’s ability to demonstrates how easily anxiety and depression can come about. Mental health plays such a large role in this book and it was both devastating and refreshing to read.
Just as A Study in Drowning blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, A Theory in Dreaming makes you wonder at what is the truth and what is imagination. This beautiful second installment had me captivated from page one and I loved delving deeper into the histories of both Llyr and Argant and discovering the hidden truths in them. This was a beautiful end to Effy and Preston’s story and I know this a duology I will read time and time again.

I loved the first book in this duology because I recognized myself in Effy, in her story. But this book took it further, Ava Reid took the crumbling bits of our reality, the way capitalism faith and power have converged into this seemingly inevitable force and rewrote our history, and she built a fairytale. A fairytale that is the very reason I love fairytales, it is far easier for us to admit the fault when we see it in fantasy rather than when we find it in reality. While this book is fantasy, I could write an entire paper on how it is also a beautiful observation of a place most people find themselves in life, facing the crumbling bits of reality that surround us and having to decide how to make our dent.

As soon as I got this ARC I ran to read it! I loved the first book so I was so excited to see how the story continued in this book!
I loved the storyline and how we got to see more of the world!
I also loved getting more of Effy and Preston! I love their relationship!
I wish we got to see a bit more of the strength we saw in Effy in the first book but I still loved her character!
Overall I think this was a great sequel to a study in drowning!

4.5/5
Overall I just have to say I was not expecting to get this ARC. I was sure a lot of people would be requesting it and I wouldn’t get it. But somehow I did! It felt illegal to me how early I got to read this! But anyway I really loved it. The almost chilling atmosphere as I was reading felt like there was this dark figure looming in the backround. God I love dark acadmeia. Ried did a fantastic job once again of tackling heavy subjects, especially certain traumas. I felt like I was right next to the characters, experiencing everything with them. The third person prose didn’t feel disconnected as it sometimes does. As a writer myself, I understand that third person can be used to get a different angle on the story.
And it was expertly done! Preston and Effy’s story both now interwoven together (as this book primarily follows Preston and his struggles) is one of the best I’ve read in a long time! I love a good story when two broken people try everything they possibly can to learn to love and love each other despite their pasts. And it’s absolutely beautiful! I don’t want to say too much about the plot to avoid spoilers since with ARC’s especially I’d hate to be the one to spoil it.
In conclusion, I’d like to thank whoever designed the cover for “A Study in Drowning” because I saw it at the library and I had to take it home with me. (I now own two copies of it!)

I loved A Study in Drowning, I honestly will read anything Ava Reid writes and I have. I would love to sit with her one day and pick her brain on how it works and how she comes up with such compelling stories. As always her writing never misses, it as atmospheric as always and the prose is so beautiful. A Theory of Dreaming is a continuation of the aftermath of what happens in the end of A Study in Drowning. We get more Preston in this! which was my only complaint from ASID because I absolutely loved his character and I fell in love with him all over again. Effy as always is wonderful and we get to see more of both of them together and their love grow for each other as they are also struggling with their individual issues. So good!

A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid is the kind of sequel that not only lives up to its predecessor but deepens and expands everything that made A Study in Drowning so unforgettable. This book is pure magic—lush, eerie, and unsettling in all the ways that make you wonder whether you’re still awake. And yes, the cover and sprayed edges are chef’s kiss. I’d frame it if I could. But even beyond the aesthetics, this story is something special.

Effy and Preston’s journey picks up with the weight of history pressing down on them—both personal and cultural. Effy has finally clawed her way into the literature college, becoming the first woman to do so, but of course, instead of respect, she’s met with thinly veiled condescension and a crowd of people just waiting for her to fall apart. Effy is no longer haunted by the Fairy King, but Reid is too smart to make that a happy ending. Instead, she asks the tougher question: who is Effy when she can no longer lose herself in stories? Watching Effy navigate the "real" world is painful in the best, most cathartic way—it’s a reminder that surviving your trauma doesn’t mean you stop carrying its weight.

Then there’s Preston. If the first book was Effy’s reckoning, this one belongs to Preston. His arc takes a sharp, fascinating turn as his dreams begin to unravel into something darker, calling him toward the impossible and seductive idea of power. The palace under the sea is one of the most haunting settings Reid has conjured—it practically drips off the page with its eerie beauty and creeping dread. Watching Preston lose his steady, logical grip on reality was both heartbreaking and thrilling. It’s rare to see a character so thoroughly destabilized by his own emotions, especially when they’re tangled up in protection and love.

The pacing is dreamlike—fluid and immersive, occasionally fragmented like a half-remembered vision. The romance between Effy and Preston feels more fragile here, like something precious and human in the middle of a storm they can’t control. There’s no grand melodrama between them, just quiet moments of trust and tenderness that make the looming tragedy hit even harder.

And then there’s the war between Llyr and Argant, threading through everything like a ticking clock. Reid doesn’t just use it as background noise—it’s a visceral reminder that personal stories don’t exist in a vacuum. Effy and Preston are caught in the middle of something bigger than themselves, and that push and pull between personal dreams and national nightmares adds so much depth to the story’s stakes.

If I had one minor gripe, it’s that a few of the supporting characters felt more like symbols than fully realized people—but honestly, this story is so much about the blurring of dreams and reality that it almost felt intentional. Reid's writing is as lyrical and devastating as ever, painting a world that feels both ancient and heartbreakingly immediate.

4.5 stars because it’s not just a sequel—it’s a reckoning. The ending isn’t neat or easy, but it’s the right kind of haunting, the kind that stays with you long after you’ve closed the book. I’ll definitely be buying a physical copy to keep next to the first one—if only to remind myself that some stories deserve to be told and retold, even if they hurt.