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!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books for this ARC!

5 FREAKING STARS!!!

Ugh I have come to the conclusion that I fall in love with anything Ava writes. A Study in Drowning was a favorite book of the year for me, and I was so excited to dive back into this world. I did NOT expect this read to be so emotional, but it was. I have come to love the characters, and their character development was amazing. Preston is top tier book boyfriend material. He was so sweet in some scenes that it made me ache. He would literally do anything for Effy and I loved that for them. Effy's character might just be a favorite of mine. How she wanted to escape from the real-world issues at hand, oh how relative that is to now. I sobbed for her in this one. I sobbed at the ending too.

This is a 10/10 for me.

I loved A Study in Drowning and was so pleased to dive back into Ava Reid’s absorbing, atmospheric writing in A Theory of Dreaming. This book focuses on both Preston and Effy, though unlike the first book, we get a lot more time with Preston. The pacing is on the slower side, and I felt like the plot lacked real depth. That said, we get more romance and less tension (if you’re looking forward to that), and some exploration into mental health. If you enjoyed the first book and loved the characters, think you’ll enjoy this follow up.

I love this series! Preston grows so much in this book and it’s so awesome to see more from his perspective. They both have stuff they need to learn and get through and they just need to lean on each other and trust each other. sigh they’re so sweet together i love the way they’re written and their love is so pure and so well written.

This was the sequel we needed to a Study in Drowning! Ava Reid’s writing has this ability to transport you to new realms and this story was no exception.

I loved getting a glimpse into life back at university after Effy and Preston’s time in Hiraeth Manor. It wasn’t just a walk off into the sunset, they each had to face their own challenges and we really get to see their characters develop as they try to over come these obstacles. Effy is now the only woman now emitted to the literature collage while also dealing with the loss of the Fairy King and her ability to lose herself in fairy tales. And Preston is dealing with the prejudice of being the only Argentina student during the Argentina / Ilyrian war. Oh and they also have to deal with facing their fellow students and colleagues after basically blowing a huge hole into some core Ilyrian beliefs. Effy and Preston are both dealing with a lot in this sequel and I love that it feels very raw as we watch them navigate this new world.

We are also introduced to some extended world building of both the Argentina and Ilyrian customs and beliefs. Which I find really helped emerse myself into the story. Ava Reid’s world building is top notch and I loved that we got to explore the Argentina / Ilyrian conflict deeper in this second novel.

Overall this was the perfect sequel to A Study in Drowning and I am so glad we got to see more of Effy and Preston’s story!

Thank you to Netgalley Harper Collins Children’s Books (Harper Collins) and Ava Reid for for sending me a copy of this book to review. All thoughts are my own.*

I have to say I think that I overhyped this in my mind, I absolutely adored adored adored A Study in Drowning and I was really hoping this was going to be just as excellent and it was good...but it didn't blow my mind.

The most wonderful parts of SID just were not here in the sequel. The setting was not the same, the dreaming architecture and the falling apart buildings and sinking cities just weren't here either. Because of that I was a little disappointed and confused as where this sequel was headed.

It did pick up right after the first book ended, and we get to see the repercussions of what happened after their research in SID, but this then took a dark turn, I enjoyed getting to learn about the other sleepers and get more of a focus on Preston, but I was not entirely expecting this to go where it did, I know Effy was struggling but the attempted suicide was just not something I wanted, the marriage proposal, while sweet, seemed to come from left field as well. There were no main other side characters in the first book and we get them here, which is nice, but also strange to introduce an entire new cast of characters in an already established story. I'm not sure I understand the inclusion of some of these topics as well, the school made sense but we follow Preston getting into a fight, the war that ends almost as abruptly as it starts, and some weird relationship between Preston and his teacher which I still have questions about.

As much as I love these characters, and this world, I think that SID should have been kept a standalone, this felt as though it didn't need to be written.

Ava's writing will never fail me and despite my other qualms with this book, her writing is phenomenal and I love being inside her mind anytime.

Not too sure how I feel in all honesty. I'm so glad I got to read this because I've been dying too and I cherished the first one so much. But this really felt like an entirely different book series and was missing a lot of the magic from the first one.

Oh this was absolutely stunning!! This sequel was everything i needed.
A study in drowning left me with so many questions and i needed to know the answers. thankfully this gorgeous sequel answered every single question i had!
Effy is such a deep and complex character and i relate so much to her especially her want for escapism and her not wanting to feel pain anymore. I really liked how mental health and the struggles people go through was portrayed in this book! it was very accurate and even made it feel less lonely when going through these things.
Preston is such a sweetie pie, I love him! The things he says in this book will stay with me forever. I loved the romance and the devotion our characters had for each other it was beautiful.

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

I really enjoyed this series by Ava Reid. It is a touch of romantasy with solid characters and an academic setting. The covers are also to die for. I recommend for people wanting to get into fantasy.

Thank you SO much for this ARC!!! Deeply honored for receiving and being able to review this one!

Wow, what a ride! Effy and Preston are back, facing even darker challenges. Effy, now the first woman at the literature college, is grappling with the weight of her past and the pressure to succeed. Preston's internal struggles and his connection to a mysterious dream world add a whole new layer to the story. The book delves deep into themes of identity, trauma, and the blurred lines between dreams and reality. Ava Reid's writing is as atmospheric and haunting as ever, pulling you into a world that's both beautiful and unsettling. While some readers felt the sequel didn't quite match the first book's impact, I found it to be a compelling continuation that kept me hooked. If you're into dark academia, complex characters, and a touch of the surreal, this one's for you.

My one complaint about A Study In Drowning was that I needed MORE so when this book was announced I freaked out. It's so incredibly lush and atmospheric. I love being back in this world and with these characters. I cried, I laughed, I screamed. I love love love this book so much.

A Theory of Dreaming is darker than A Study in Drowning, shifting the focus more toward Preston. His journey—from skepticism to belief. Especially as he struggles with his Argantian identity and everything that comes with it. Effy continues to fight for her place and deal with the emotional fallout from book one.

Ava Reid’s signature gothic atmosphere is still here, mixing folklore and dark academia in a way that feels both eerie and timeless. While this sequel has a different tone, it’s a worthy continuation of Effy and Preston’s story—delivering an emotionally resonant and thought-provoking read

This is just as strong as A Study of Drowning, its predecessor. Ava Reid’s prose remains as beautiful as ever.

Be forewarned that it does delve heavily into depression.

The book can sway toward being heavy-handed with it themes, and the indistinct time period can rankle (there are fighter jets and hospital machines, but only landlines and no computers?), but that’s not new to this duology. Fans of Rebecca Ross’s Letters of Enchantment, or A Study of Drowning, will enjoy this.

This was a fun sequel to a study in drowning! I loved getting to see effy and Preston come together again to take on the academic world as a team.

There was mystery and suspense, and love and poetry. The writing was so beautifully done, and I loved the atmospheric style of descriptions. This duology is so haunting in the best way possible.

I do wish some more things were wrapped up more neatly in the ending, but overall I enjoyed the experience with this one.

The sequel I didn't know I needed!

This book picks up immediately after the events of A Study in Drowning. With their findings published, Effy and Preston have to deal with the fallout of accusing one of Llyr's beloved sleepers of being a fraud at a time when the war between Llyr and Argant is reaching a boiling point. While Effy grapples with her new course load and being the only woman in the literature college, Preston is dragged into a dangerous research project by his advisor, Master Goose, and targeted by his peers for being Argantian. As Preston's dreams slowly overtake his reality, Effy seeks the comfort of dreamless sleep. In order to overcome their personal demons they'll have to learn how to exist in a world that isn't always welcoming.

I was so curious what this world was going to look like without the chilling backdrop of Hiraeth, but I am happy to report that I loved being back on campus just as much as the sinking manor. This story was slower paced than I typically go for, but I love Effy and Preston, as well as Reid's beautifully lyrical writing, so much that I was content to follow their personal journeys in this book. I did throughly enjoy learning more lore about their world though. I was fascinated by the sleepers in the first book and I was so glad that the author expanded on them in this one. I also appreciated that we delved deeper into the exploration of women's rights, xenophobia, and, of course, what it means to love someone. The love between Effy and Preston is so poetic it makes my heart ache.

I will say that I wasn't prepared for how sad and dark this book was compared to A Study in Drowning. If we were going to liken them to Taylor Swift albums I would say A Study in Drowning is more Folklore- Illicit Affair, Mad Woman, "stolen lullabies"- and A Theory of Dreaming is more The Tortured Poet's Department- I Hate it Here, Down Bad, "how much tragedy"- which isn't a bad thing, I was just expecting something gothic and suspenseful and instead got something with more dark academia, introspective vibes.

Overall, I think this is a beautiful companion to A Study in Drowning. Reid has created such a unique world, abundant with rich detail and history, it was truly a joy to revisit it. At it's core, A Theory of Dreaming is an exploration into magic, escapism, and what we're willing to give up to save the people we love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Collins, for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have decided that I need to dnf this book. I’ve been having a really hard time paying attention to it when I’m reading, and most of the time I don’t really have any desire to pick it up to start reading.

I just don’t really think this book needs to exist. I’m not the biggest fan of A Study in Drowning, but I definitely still had fun reading it, and it had a perfectly fine conclusion.

Another issue I have with this book is that I can’t stand Preston. I don’t remember if I liked him in A Study in Drowning, but in this one he was insufferable. I’m all for a man who loves his woman, but he felt almost too into Effy with the way he would talk about her.

If you are a huge fan of A Study in Drowning, and Ava Reid, I’m sure you would love this book. It’s just not for me.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

3 Stars

"My mind is never empty if you. Not in waking; not even in dreaming."

I want to start this review off by saying I absolutely love Ava Reid’s writing. I haven’t been disappointed by her writing style yet. A Theory of Dreaming was a complicated read for me. I loved the characters and how much Preston cared for Effy. But the plot felt like a mess to me. It was hard to follow and I had a really hard time staying engaged with the plot. Unfortunately this didn’t hit as well as A Study in Drowning and lost some of the spark.

Sometimes a sequel is not better than the first in a duology...not in this case. I felt like the story continued and loved reading about these characters again! I loved watching Preston and Effy's love continue after everything that happened in A Study In Drowning, and how they have their own dreams and struggles, but are there for each other. Seeing that Effy is the only woman to enroll in college was made a little tougher to swallow with present day, real world struggles not far behind. Fantasy books are hitting different these days. Reid absolutely hit this one out of the park, and it is made even better that I didn't know it was coming!

I’m not joking when I say I started this book the SECOND it landed on my kindle. A Study in Drowning was my top read of 2023 and I just couldn’t wait to be back with Effy and Preston. Ava Reid’s writing remains incredibly lush and evocative and I was instantly transported back to the windswept coast and salt eaten buildings of Llyr and the university. While ASID was primarily Effy’s story, I’d argue the sequel is more Preston’s story to tell as he battles enemies both outside and within his own mind, and the true cost of loving someone through thick and thin. I adored the “story within a story” format of both Antonia’s letters and the sleeping gods. The world was just as atmospheric and ephemeral while feeling more grounded than its predecessor; more raw. I loved seeing Effy and Preston’s relationship settle and shift amongst the cracks as they carved out what love looks like for people still very much on the move. The exploration into xenophobia with Preston being Argantian had the usual bell of timeliness as with much of Ava’s writing. Overall, I knew this would be a five star read the second I saw it was announced, and was completely unsurprised to find every one of my expectations absolutely more than met.