"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.

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!

This was such a good read! I love how Ava writes and transports you to this world. This was exactly what I wanted after finishing A Study in Drowning. I loved learning more about Preston, and his backstory. Effy's struggles upon returning to school was so heartbreaking but wow so relatable. The fantasy woven throughout and the symbolism of the stories was my favorite part. Such a beautiful, thought provoking story I will be thinking about for a long time. I can't wait to read more from Ava. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced reader copy!

i cannot begin to tell you how excited i was to receive this and to have the book be so perfectly and exquisitely done only made me getting it early SO much sweeter. getting to see more of preston and effy’s relationship was soooo nice (mostly because i am obsessed with preston). i think the underlying theme to the book is that love really truly conquers all and it’s seen intertwined with everything that goes on from start to finish. there’s also so much that reflects how the world is now from daily challenges to racism to unethical politics and ava reid does NOT hold back from the ugliness of it (rightfully so). adored this book from start to end from the characters, new and old, to the magic to romance. may everyone find a preston for themselves 🤞🏻🙂‍↕️

This is a sequel to A Study in Drowning, although, honestly that book could have been left as a stand alone. This gives more of Preston's story and we see him travel down a dark path and make decisions about what type of person he will ultimately become. I think that this is a NA book instead of a YA simply because of the darker, heavier themes including SA between a father and a daughter. These topics can be difficult to deal with. But then again - this is a dark, gothic novel and such themes are expected in some detail.

I did find this book to be confusing at times but overall it is an enjoyable read much like the first book. I like Reid's style of writing and enjoyed this series and the characters.