Huge thank you to the author, Netgalley, and HarperCollins for this eARC!

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year! As soon as it was announced, I had preordered it and couldn't wait to read it. I was lucky enough to get an eARC and started immediately!

Although I didn't love this one as much as ASID, it was still very enjoyable. ATID was missing some of the magic and ethereal vibes that ASID had. I wanted there to be more development on the connection between the two MCs and the entire storyline felt like it was lacking.

I am glad I read this one but for comfort reads, I think I'll be sticking with ASID over ATID. Good second book, just not great.

4.5 ⭐️
“This world isn’t safe. No one can survive reality. We have to find our solace in dreams.”

Wow. I wasn’t sure A Study in Drowning needed a sequel, but A Theory of Dreaming completely proved me wrong. Ava Reid builds on the original with a haunting, immersive continuation that blends dreamlike fantasy with raw themes of depression, political unrest, and the relentless search for truth.

Reuniting with Effie and Preston as they navigate the emotional and political aftermath of their discovery felt both intimate and epic. I loved being pulled further into their world and exploring how their relationship evolved under the weight of everything they were dealing with.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As much as it pains me to say, I just didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as the first.

I was so excited to dive back into this world and even more excited when I saw that this book would have more of a focus on Preston. However, ATOD felt like it had no plot and didn't really add anything to the story or characters from ASID. Every time I thought something important was happening or the plot was starting to take off, it just...didn't.

The focus of this book seems to be on the characters and how they change/grow after the events of ASID, but both Effy and Preston are just wholly unlikeable in this book. Effy's character is so passive and she experiences no growth or development to the point where side characters like Rhia and Lotto are 100x more interesting than her. Preston's whole "dreaming" storyline took up most of the book but felt like it really didn't have any significance to the story by the end. Preston also just feels like a completely different person in this book and not in a "my experiences changed me" sort of way.

The one saving grace of this book was Ava Reid's incredible gothic, folklore-rich, dreamy writing and storytelling style that captivated me in book one and continued in ATOD.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Ava Reid for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Ava Reid has a talent for crafting atmospheric and magical tales, and I was so eager to jump back into the dark academia world created in A Study in Drowning.

This was a great sequel that did a wonderful job wrapping up Preston and Effy’s story. This book focused on the challenges they faced once the returned to school after writing their controversial thesis. We got a lot more from Preston in this book, which I 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱. And let me just say, if it’s not a love like Preston’s and Effy’s, I don’t want it!

If you haven’t read A Study in Drowning yet, pick it up before this sequel comes out on July 29, 2025! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was content with A Study in Drowning as a standalone, but I'm not mad that Ava Reid gave us a sequel. Once again, she delves into some heavy issues and her writing is so evocative, you can feel the weight of the oppressive forces, internal and external, that Effy and Preston are facing. It ends on a hopeful, but bittersweet note that I appreciated.

Ultimately I really enjoyed this book. It was a little hard to get into it in the beginning but picked up quickly. I really enjoyed getting to know more about Preston. Overall, though this one hit some darker topics, I appreciated the relatability of it.

3.5 rounded up. I enjoyed this series and this sequel to the first book. It has dark academia vibes sprinkled in with magic. I think my favorite message throughout the book is that it’s ok to ask for/need help. Effy and Preston are pretty reluctant to really tell each other what they need and think they can deal with their problems on their own, but by the end come to realize that they really need each other, and that’s ok. It doesn’t make you less of a person, and I feel like I resonated with their struggles. I enjoyed the continuation from the first story and that we get to learn more about Preston and his POV.

I do think they spent more time apart in the sequel and I would have loved them together more, but overall I really enjoyed this story and the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins Children’s Books for the ARC!

Thank you so much to HarperCollins for the review copy. All opinions below are my own!

I am a certified stan of A Study in Drowning so when I learned that we were getting A Theory of Dreaming I was over the moon. AToD definitely went in a different direction than I think I was anticipating but I really enjoyed it. It was more focused on the academic side of things than the romance between Preston and Effy but I like how it built upon the themes of ASiD while also doing more exploration of grief of both how the world sees us and the loss of something that should technically be a good thing but also was what kept us moored.

But, I will say that this is going to be divisive even within the fandom because on its face I think there could be a sense that this feels slightly disjointed. Though I don’t personally agree, I do foresee that coming.

Effy is having a hard time in AToD, ultimately she got what she thought she wanted - entry into the literature college and to vanquish the Fairy King. But, history repeats itself and sometimes you’re not able to shed what has been done to you (as we see in a scene with her new advisor having another student in the room) and what previously moored you, though it was bad for you, is gone and you miss it because now you have to reform the basis of your entire understanding of yourself and the world around you. Effy is navigating this feeling that she’s not strong and a burden because that’s what she was told her whole life and though she thought she vanquished what plagued her, it didn’t fix everything. I like how Ava Reid explores the messiness of finding yourself in times where it “shouldn’t” be so hard and the inability to see beyond thinking you’re a burden on those around you. At first glance this can feel like Effy backsliding but I think it’s Effy having to redefine herself and feeling left out at sea - she also no longer feels as though she can truly turn to the one thing that gave her solace throughout her whole life.

We also see Preston figuring himself out. We see how he doesn’t understand where to put himself. He’s the outsider, the traitor, the unbending one. He’s also trying to understand himself in a place where his sense of self is changing - he is now the one who is plagued by a magical element that goes against all of his sensibilities while also feeling alone in this. He is working to better understand his own “truths” when it is all being turned upside down all with a backdrop of a war that puts him further outside. Similar to Effy he feels so adrift and he doesn’t want to burden the ones he loves, he wants to be the strong one though he’s also falling apart. It is heartbreaking to watch him and Effy fall apart and navigate their world foundations being rocked simultaneously while trying to save each other from the turmoil.

I also appreciate that we see them come back together and understand that this isn’t going to be cut and dry. Effy at the end reminisces on how it will be a forever struggle to hang onto that internal strength and not be taken by the wake of life.

We also see an interesting exploration of class through Preston, Southey, and even Lotto. I wish though we had gotten a little more of Lotto and even his father - they were an unexpected but lovely addition to the cast. The way too that Lotto is a counter to Southey and the ways that one can engage with their privilege. Does it make you someone who stays staunchly within the confines of the past or does it allow you to live in a way that embraces others. We see a bit of this too with Rhia and her father. The class conversation is subtle but even in the literary heroes woven into their world we see how it comes to play and what it has meant for those deemed as outsiders and how women were obscured from view as well.

The visuals of the water and waves being woven throughout the novel was interesting. I also like that we had this consistent string tying together the literature that holds together their society. And the way that women are so discounted and lost to history because of the men who controlled their lives and their names. The reclamation of another woman’s work and the efforts at the end was a nice bookend to the two stories. I also love that we see the incremental progress and hope that’s to come at the end of this. Ava Reid did a good job in showing that though an evil may have been vanquished and a truth uncovered, the world doesn’t immediately change form solely because of this, change takes time and even then it can move backwards before it moves forward.

I truly enjoyed this novel. I love it as a companion to A Study in Drowning, but I think it also deserves its space as its own. This along with A Study in Drowning is one that I know I’ll hold close. I think Ava Reid is a stunning writer and I can’t wait to keep reading more of their work.

So sad to say this fell super flat for me!!!! I reread A Study in Drowning to prepare and was reminded of how much I loved Effy's quiet strength and the lush writing. The writinga and Effy were still great here, but the plot felt contrived in a way, with important characters popping up partway through as if we were supposed to know them all along.

Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for the preview. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

Once again, Reid has blessed us with an achingly beautiful book. A Theory of Dreaming is rawer and more heartbreaking than A Study in Drowning though. Effy and Preston have to deal with so much prejudice and abuse once they return to university. Their love still shines through at the end, and it was so so emotional.

The treatment the two face is infuriating, frustrating, and disheartening. And it eats at them; Preston retreats into his underwater dreamworld, and Effy retreats into sleep. But in her waking hours, she once again discovers another author who has been hidden and abused by her father. And Preston discovers more secrets about the myths underpinning the very country of Llyr. Watching them both drown in the real world and having to fight their way to the surface was heart-wrenching.

This is not an easy book. It's hard, it's emotional, it's almost suffocating. I urge you, the reader, to be kind and careful with yourself, especially if you are struggling. But the end is very healing. And as always, Reid's prose is just so beautiful and evocative. I think if you loved Study, you'll love Theory. Especially since we get so much more Preston!

Processing my thoughts a little but it was brilliant, romantic, and—although Preston might roll his eyes—magical. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley, Ava Reid, and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Now please excuse me as I weep to death.

I read A Study In Drowning and loved it! I thought it was so magical in such a unique Ava Reid way. It reminded me of Jim Hensons Labyrinth and the Goblin King. "You have no power over me!" I was incredibly curious how A Theory of Dreaming would unfold after we had said bye to the Fairy King. I was not sure what to expect but shouldn't have been surprised by the direction Ava Reid decided to go. A Theory of Dreaming took a realistic look into the lives of Effy and Preston after they had written on their discovery. Ava Reid effectively commentates on xenophobia, misogyny, elitism, and capitalism that plagues academia and on the world it operates in. While we all wanted Effy and Preston to live happily ever after, it just wasn't realistic. The real world, even within this fictitious one, is messy and cruel. Mental illness, hate, and othering permeate every moment even when you reveal truth to the world. This book teaches young people so many realistic themes about learning to live in the real world rather than the one of their dreams. I find that the publication of this work could not come at a better time as we watch atrocities of xenophobia, othering, and nationalism ruin the peace of so many. Like the history of Llyr most of human history has used stories to justify hatred, take classical epics as example. Ava Reid sheds light on such deep and poignant aspects of the real world within her fictional ones. Othering is dangerous and even together we may still be stuck in the abyss of loneliness.

I was so surprised and thrilled honestly when I found out that there was going to be a sequel to A Study In Drowning. I really didn't expect one and hadn't heard anything about it until I saw the ARC on NetGalley. My excitement quickly changed while reading it. It dragged so much for me and I was so unsatisfied with this sequel to the point I wish ASID was just a stand alone and I will forever recommend it as such. This book was unnecessary IMO. It felt like the filler book in the middle of a trilogy or a long series when the writer is trying to make it longer than it should be. Ava Reid is such a talented writer and she has such magical prose in all of her books, including this one. I just feel like nothing much happened and what did could have been resolved A LOT sooner. I still love Reid and will always read her books. I'm just in my feels because I didn't like this one, but that's ok. I know plenty of people will love it and I am super happy for them.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book on NetGalley. My review is honest, unbiased, and completely my own.

I am torn as I write this review, as the author should get major bonus points for creating an artistic, atmospheric work of literature. However, I just found this story to be depressing and sad and didn't really enjoy it for that reason.

Other items that really bothered me: a smattering of profanity (not a ton, but I find that very distracting in a story), unhealthy use of medication (Effy is to take just one pill to help her sleep, but takes two instead), and Preston has a sort of controlling, fearful love for Effy that I find disturbing as well.

I received an earc from netgalley, all opinions are my own.

If you loved A Study in Drowning, then you'll definitely eat this one up.

It's a great follow up to a hugely popular novel. It tells the story of Preston, which is equally as breath-taking and beautifully written as Effy's story. It's engaging and thought-provoking. There are moments where I could truly relate to the characters and what they were feeling. This is the best kind of writing.

I did wish for more of a dual timeline (I loved Effy's POV so much in book1) and I felt like I craved that. I also do think there are some dark and heavy moments in this book which readers should be careful of if they have triggers.

I found the writing to still be so eloquent and beautiful and felt fully engaged throughout from the author's prose and pacing.

Truly a great story.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the eARC of this book!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A Theory in Dreaming was not immune from your typical sequel hangups, but I’m so Reid-pilled and feel so emphatically for the characters I overlooked it; this is your warning. We rejoin Effy and Preston in the fallout of their academic discovery, Effy struggling to sustain her place as the only woman in the school’s literature college and Preston losing reality as the bells of an underwater kingdom beckon him into dreams.

[Spoilers for Theme / no direct Plot Spoilers]

What resonated with me: Reid’s commentary on academia and nation-building, on the impact of stories in reifying nationalism and xenophobia as a tool of war. There’s pretty hard-hitting quotes: “If the soul of a nation requires an enemy, then it has no right to exist at all.” “We’re supposed to believe that the war [...] is some ancient blood feud [...] But the truth is more mundane than that. It’s about wealth and territory and all the other ordinary, worldly things that don’t fit neatly into a fairy tale.” And then there is timely commentary on how governments censor rightful academic inquiry/dissent to sustain hegemony. Then there’s the value of academia: that the power to define ourselves and a just reality comes from the relentless pursuit of truth, even if it challenges the foundation of our beliefs. It’s a message both resonant and powerful, especially for its intended YA readers.

The story has its weaknesses, some plot threads left to dangle or wonder their relevancy to the story as a whole. The underwater palace/dreams premise for Preston felt lacking and detached from the menacing atmosphere of a Study in Drowning. That said, I think Reid’s character work is stronger here and ultimately benefited from the elaboration of side characters not fully realized in ASID.

All this to say, I still enjoyed and think the sequel worth reading if you were a fan of the first.

This is very much a vibes book, and a sad vibes book at that, and won't necessarily appeal to all fans of ASID. The plot, such as it is, revolves around the backlash of Effy and Preston's actions at the end of ASID, and while it's romantic, it's also kinda depressing. I appreciate Reid's very realistic take on depression and particularly depression while being loved/in love, but I think this'll be a bit more of a polarizing read.

This is a beautiful sequel to A Study in Drowning. The duology is exquisitely atmospheric, lush and magical and yet also feels pulled out of a time long ago. These stories are nostalgic in the way The Secret Garden and Narnia are. I am there, surrounded by sights, sounds, smells, textures, tastes and the chill of winter. If you enjoy immersive reads with a touch of magic, like Divine Rivals or One Dark Window, you should give A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming a read.

A Theory of Dreaming is a haunting, cerebral follow-up that trades some of ASID’s ethereal, romantic magic for something rawer, more grounded—and, in many ways, more resonant. While the magic remains, it's now a metaphor for escapism, identity, and power.

This is Preston’s book, and what a journey it is. His slow unraveling—driven by dreams, grief, and rage—felt layered and deeply human. We also get to see Effy grapple with what it means to exist without the safety of her dreams or the comfort of her stories. Their relationship in this installment felt richer, more complicated, and ultimately more real. I loved getting to know Preston in a deeper way.

There is still rich academic worldbuilding and atmospheric prose, with added lore about the Sleepers, Argantian myth, and the power of literature itself. Ava Reid continues to impress with her signature epigraphs and intertextual style.

Themes of nationalism, xenophobia, and mental health are handled with nuance. The book asks bold questions about who controls stories—and what happens when belief becomes weaponized. Despite the slower pacing and a plot that sometimes takes a backseat to introspection, I was emotionally invested throughout.

A worthy, layered conclusion to Preston and Effy’s story.

Huge thank you to HarperCollins Children's Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was really good !
I love this world, and was excited to see it continue.
My only comment is that the story was a bit confusing to understand. It might just have been me. I was a little confused about the war, and overall what was really going on with Preston's dreams/other world. I believe that was just me and hopefully those questions can be answered by the author later on.
I love this series and world !