I was super excited to receive this ARC and it did not disappoint. A Theory of Dreaming was just as lyrical as ASID.

Plunging into Preston’s dreams was a treat, and trying to unravel what he was thinking and feeling kept me turning the pages. The dual POV in third person was a great choice and allowed us to see more of Effy’s inner workings, as well.

Check your trigger warnings and prepare to be wrapped in the emotional and healing follow-up to A Study in Drowning.

◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡ a theory of dreaming (a study in drowning #2).


ੈ♡˳ final rating: 4.5/5 🌙
i received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. this did not affect my rating, and all opinions expressed below are my own.

this is a love story in its purest form; not only is it about effy and preston and their relationship, but it also a book about the idea of love itself and how passionate it can be. love, in its essence, is a fragile, yet beautiful thing; ava has done it great justice in this world.

a theory of dreaming is more feels than anything—or at least that’s what i got out of it. the pure emotion that is emitted from this story is unlike any other piece of literature i’ve read. their love story is truly a work of art. i could go on and on about it, but i’ll spare you the details. go read this book (and a study in drowning!!) if you want to experience it for yourself. <3

thank you to netgalley and harpercollins for this arc!

So, here’s the deal with A Theory of Dreaming—I didn’t dislike it, but I never fully fell in love with it either. It was one of those books that I kept putting down and forgetting to pick back up, which isn’t exactly the sign of a story that pulls you in. The pacing felt slow, and at times, it seemed like the plot wasn’t really moving forward. It wasn’t bad, just… kind of there.

Effy and Preston are still dealing with the aftermath of A Study in Drowning, which makes sense, but this book felt more like a long epilogue rather than its own distinct story. At 400 pages, it probably would’ve worked better as a novella. Their separate storylines also felt a little disjointed—without chapter headers to clarify who we were following, it sometimes took a moment to figure it out. And Preston’s “dreaming” sequences? Interesting in theory, but they didn’t feel all that connected to the rest of the story.

That said, there’s still plenty to appreciate. The setting is as immersive as ever, and the book deepens some of the themes from the first—Effy’s struggles with self-worth, the challenges of being the only woman in the literature college, and the ongoing conversation about female authorship. Preston’s storyline also adds more depth to the Llyrian-Argantian conflict, which was compelling.

So, while this wasn’t the most gripping read for me, I can see how it would appeal to fans who just want more time in this world. It provides closure to some key storylines, and if you loved A Study in Drowning, it might be worth picking up. For me, though, it landed at a solid three stars.

Once again Ava Reid captures my heart!

I loved returning to this world and these characters and the story telling was *chef’s kiss*

I enjoyed reading this, though scrambled to read the first one as I didn’t think I’d get picked to read this one when I chose it. It has amazing world building and I loved reading Effy and Preston’s story

I appreciated that this book picked up right where A Study in Drowning left off. Despite a year having passed since I read the first book, I was not lost. Enough was explained that I was able to follow the story in this book without having to reference the other. I also enjoyed learning more about the lore and history of Caer-Isel and Argant. The storytelling has a dream-like quality to it, much like the first book. Preston and Effy's love story developed more, and the insecurities both felt were very relatable. I enjoyed this book so much that I read it in 2 days.

A Theory in Dreaming was a great sequel to a Study in Drowning, following Effy and Preston as they go back to school. The dark academia vibes were once again great, and it was very interesting to follow Preston for this story. They ending felt a little rushed but it was still a story worth telling and a great wrap up of the story started in boom one. Thank you netgalley for the ARC!

Ava Reid has such atmospheric writing and I wasn't disappointed with this book! She really just has a gift for storytelling and I can't wait to read more of her books

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.