Netgalley ARC

I loved A Study in Drowning SO much as a standalone. So, I was a bit worried the sequel could not compare. However, I may have loved A Theory of Dreaming even more!

Effy and Preston are such REAL and relatable characters. Their struggle is familiar to many readers: why face reality when you can live in your dreams?

The writing style is lyrical and atmospheric. This book is for the readers that don’t require constant action and can live on vibes, emotion, and character development.

I’ve preordered the Deluxe Limited Edition hardcover to match my copy of A Study in Drowning. I can’t wait to see them together on my bookshelf!

Okay I really struggled with this one. A Study in Drowning is one of my favorite books, and so I was highly anticipating its sequel. However I was disappointed. While the writing was just as magical as ever I truly did struggle with this plot. The characters seem to have severely regressed in development back to where they were at the beginning of the book. Plot lines such as the anger over their expose on the author from the last book were randomly dropped. The magic here seemed to have no real rules. And most importantly the main couple acted the same as the beginning of the first books with miscommunication and secrets leading to fights. I was particularly baffled by the suicide attempt depicted - especially because of the lack of character development afterwards on Effy who seemed to want to die then wake up full of determination to live. Frankly I feel a little betrayed as a huge fan of book one. I still adore Ava Reid but this felt really unneeded.

I loved being back in the world with Effy and Preston. I loved Preston's point of view in this one and his overall journey battling being in the real world vs his dreams. Although there was a certain element missing in this story that I found in A study in Drowning, I still very much enjoyed being in their headspace again, however heartbreaking it was. This story was raw and real, and dealt a lot with Effy and Preston's mental space. I still loved it. I love these characters and how Ava knows them so completely they feel so real. The writing was incredible again, and Ava is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. At times incredibly frustrating, but mostly incredibly captivating, the story wrapped up nicely for me. I will always be thinking about these characters.

Effy and Preston my loves !!! I loved spending more time with my favorite literature students and getting more insight into how they dealt with the aftermath of the last book. Although I wished we delved more into their other relationships (I really loved Lotto and Rhia!!) it was great exploring their dynamic and how they both deal with the repercussions of taking down Myrddin and the prejudices the each endure in this academic world. Both their struggles resonated with me and I just wanted to hug them both. Overall I loved being back in this world and will never say no to reading Ava Reids beautiful words. Big thank you to Harper Collins and Net Galley for the advance reader copy!

My expectations were high, as A Study in Drowning has been one of my favorite books in recent years. And my expectations were met. The writing is lush as ever, with the depictions of mental illness being woven into fairytales so expertly as to be seamless. Somehow, even though this book takes place far from the ocean, it still managed to saturate the pages. (Both books should come pre-waterlogged, in my opinion.) And I love the conclusion that still left enough questions as to be satisfying and not tidy enough as to be stifling.

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A quick, easy read with gorgeous writing, full of tenderness.
However, it was missing many of the elements I enjoyed from the first book; I found this one a bit lacking in comparison-the side characters felt shallow, the literary mystery fragmented, the stakes half-baked. But I enjoyed it nonetheless, and I'll read anything Ava Reid writes!

4.75/5
If you know me, I am a believer of "the right book will find you at the right time" and this duology truly did. Didn't think I'd cry reading this book, but here I am, crying. From now on, this duology will have a special place in my heart and will definitely be one of my comfort read

My heart hurts reading this book seeing how out of place Effy feels now that Angharad is "tainted", add to that the harrassment she now receives as an aftermath from ASID's ending.

Effy and Preston's dynamic in this book reminds me so much of the quote: "I'll take care of you"/ "It's rotten work"/ "Not to me. Not if it's you."

Throughout this book you can see how much Preston wants to help Effy, but if she doesn't want that help, he wouldn't be able to. In this book, we see Preston's struggle just like Effy did in the first book to make sense his "new ability". I wished we get a chapter or two before the epilogue for them to talk about their respective experiences though, because they really really need it.

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

I very much appreciate the closure that this brought to me and it picks up almost right where we left off. I loved getting to see the after effects of the first book as well as witness these two stubborn idiots fall even harder for each other. While dealing with some expected and some unexpected consequences of their previous adventure Effy and Preston look to navigate this new reality both together and separate and it was both heartbreaking and endearing to hear from both of their perspectives. I feel like we got to learn so much more about Preston and a brand new side to Effy that made me love them even more. I can’t wait for more people to get to experience this story!!

I had such a great time with this book! The atmosphere was so rich and immersive, pulling me even deeper into the world first introduced in A Study in Drowning. This time around, the story expands on the university setting and dives even further into its literary history, which I absolutely loved.
One of the highlights for me was the character development. We get to see more of their inner workings, their ambitions, and the conflicts that drive them. It made the story feel even more layered and compelling. The writing itself had a dreamy, almost haunting quality that perfectly matched the book’s themes.
Overall, this was a fantastic follow-up that built beautifully on its predecessor. If you loved A Study in Drowning, this one is definitely worth picking up!

Ava Reid is such an amazing writer. I will forever buy anything she puts out.
This book did not enthrall be as fast as the first one. Preston took more of a lead and I admit, I was not into that. However the dark academic world in this book is so vivid it feels like a real place.

I just read A study in drowning, so jumping into this was easy. I fell in love with Effy and Preston and seeing more of his side was really great. This is the sequel we needed to tie it together.

A Theory of Dreaming is a poignant & beautiful continuation of the story started in A Study in Drowning. I was very nervous starting this book, because I love A Study in Drowning so much; but this sequel more than lives up to the first book, and finishes Effie & Preston's story perfectly. If you enjoyed the first book, you will also enjoy the sequel; and if you are new to this world, please, please, please do yourself a favor and read A Study in Drowning so you can enjoy A Theory of Dreaming when it publishes later this year.

I would recommend this book to readers who love gothic fantasy, dark academia, and heartbreakingly romantic stories.

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

This was such a good book. If you love the first book this will definitely make your day! I couldn’t put it down. There is mystery and Magic and the love story with effy and Preston if just so good! This book just makes this another perfect duology for a cozy read.

Before reading this, I don’t think I ever imagined A Study in Drowning having or needing a sequel. Now that I’ve finished it, I can’t imagine it not having one—A Theory of Dreaming is a stunning novel and a vital counterpart to the first, exploring the cruelties that still abound after Effy and Preston’s “happy ending” and proving that not all stories can be wrapped up neatly after the last page.

For good or bad, A Theory of Dreaming takes us far from the isolated, otherworldly setting and atmosphere of ASID and tends to ground itself in reality. There were definitely moments in the middle portion when the plot started to slow. At the same time, I so appreciate the return to the academic setting, and it was quite realistic and frustrating to read about the hostilities our main characters face, now that they’ve come back to a university rife with misogyny and xenophobia after writing their controversial thesis. This world they’re forced to return to is certainly hateful and flawed, and without the sheen of magic, the ugliness of human nature comes to light.

Effy is already such a beloved character to me, and it was interesting (and heartbreaking) to glimpse a new side of her, as she struggles to cope with her day-to-day life without the ‘escape door’ of Angharad. But I also loved the new attention given to Preston in this—hearing from his point of view, fleshing out his character and backstory, and exploring his fantastical dreams—all while he deals with his skepticism toward magic and a deeply rooted anger he didn’t realize has been simmering inside him for a long time.

Effy and Preston each have very interior and isolating struggles to work through here. But their love—OH MY GOD, their love is everything. I had initially worried that their romance might bore me, since they’re already in an established relationship, but that fear ended up being totally unfounded. They have a love so tender, brought into focus with dozens of sweet little moments. Simple gestures, almost insignificant, all come together to form this beautiful picture of a safe, soft, and gentle relationship despite any insecurities or anxieties that arise in Effy or Preston. My chest physically ached every time they were together.

Ava Reid also has such a way with words, it’s ridiculous. I highlighted about a billion gorgeous lines and turns of phrase in here. Her writing is absolutely immersive and perfectly suited to a story like this.

Overall, this book really worked for me in a multitude of ways, and I’m so grateful it exists, and that there was still more to explore in this world!

I feel like this was everything I was hoping it would be and more! It took me a while to get through the first book, and I wondered if it was just me. However, I feel like it was a prologue to this book, and after reading it, I feel as though the two go together as a whole really well! I found myself rooting for Effy and Preston so much more, and I loved the atmospheric way it was written. Ava Reid truly knows how to make us feel like we're in the story with the character, and I learned that some of the things we don't know are truly for our benefit so we can go through the emotions with the characters and have it pay off in the end. If you stick with it, it will stick with you!

Disappointed, I thought I would enjoy this as much as the first book, only finished it for the characters.

LOOK, if I could separate out the last 20% of this book and give it 4 stars (maybe even 5stars!), I would. But, I'm not gonna lie, the middle 50-70% was really dragging for me.

A Theory of Dreaming continues Effy and Preston's story, picking up a little after ASID ends. We're now seeing them return to school and contend with the public's reaction to the story they broke about Myrrdin. They have new challenges to face at school, with their peers, with their mentors, and quite possibly with their world as a whole.

Now, onto why this book didn't really work for me: I love Effy and Preston - but they were so disconnected throughout most of this book that it was hard to understand how they would end up <spoiler>engaged at the end. I mean, they never really talked about what the other was feeling? And that took me out of their love story a bit.</spoiler>

Again, the middle of this book felt like it dragged on, repeating things until it felt like getting hit over the head with foreshadowing. Despite the focus being on Preston's story, I never felt that his world, the dreaming, or the magic was explained in a way that made sense. What's worse is that I didn't feel any real connection to what he was doing or searching for. It seemed way too convenient that <spoiler>he (and Gosse) would be able to fall into the dream sleep almost IMMEDIATELY. The supposed ritual Master Gosse does was just, what, closing your eyes and thinking about magic? I really tried to suspend my disbelief but please give me something to work with!!!</spoiler> The journey he went on was not enough for me to believe that it was that simple for all to end well.

All that being said, I really loved the discovery part of this book where Effy, Preston, and Rhia all are unlocking certain pieces of the fairytale puzzle - I think Reid does that kind of writing well. But unfortunately it just didn't hit the same as ASID did for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A Theory of Dreaming follows Effy and Preston after the events of ASID and shows how they deal with the aftermath of what they experienced, individually and together.

The writing was beautiful, with stunning poetic prose that had me forgetting I was reading so many times. While ASID was more of a gothic fairytale with its whimsical setting and a constant dreamlike and etheral feel to it, A Theory of Dreaming is much more of a dark academia that almost reads like historical fiction.

It is definitely not an easy read, themes like xenophobia and nationalism are very present in the book. In addition to the mentioned themes it also deals a lot with depression, grief and war.

I really struggled with this series. Available Reid writes beautifully, atmospheric stories but there felt like there was no plot with each page dragging on and on. I could not connect to any characters or become invested in this story.

A Theory of Dreaming takes us back to the fictionalized version of Wales, Llyr, we so came to love in A Study in Drowning. Only this time with a twist. I don't know about you, but I love when the point of view changes in the second book of a series. While still told in third person, this story now zooms in on Preston Héloury, the love interest of Effy Sayre, as he navigates the scrutiny of their highly publicized thesis in addition to the blatant prejudice against his homeland, Argant. Before anyone worries, we still get Effy's POV as she too tackles the new academic world of literature and a life without the Faerie King.


Alrighty, where did we leave off from A Study in Drowning? Effy has been admitted into the literature college at the University of Llyr. She is the first female to be allowed to study literature. Having published a thesis proving that one of Llyr's acclaimed authors Emrys Myrddin did not in fact write his most famous work, Effy and Preston are now receiving unwanted attention from the media. For Effy, the terror is now all in the real world. Without the Faerie King around, she has no demons left to face other than her own and the blatant academic sexism. Her depression is her new foe. Preston, the ultimate "unbeliever", now straddles the veil the between what is real and what is not. Listening to the bells, Preston discovers he is able to "slip" into the world straight from the nation's folklore. There, Preston is king, Effy is safe, and most shockingly, Preston's father is alive.


What follows is a story that makes the reader question what is real and what is not in the same way Preston is. When his folklore world begins seeping into the real one, the lines become terribly blurred. As I read, I kept thinking that if it is so hard for me, the reader, to tell separate the two worlds, it must be impossible for Preston. He'd feel like he's going insane. then you tack on his worries about Effy and bigotry toward his being Argantian, and you have a supremely stressful environment that makes for lots of character growth.


Outside our beloved main characters, we get more of a cast of side characters in book 2. We have Rhia, Effy's roommate who was introduced in book 1, and her girlfriend Maisie, who was also introduced in book 1. We get the privilege of seeing how they are such great friends to Effy as she figures out how to survive herself. Additionally, we get my favorite side character, Lotto. Lotto is Preston's privileged roommate who is a player with a heart of gold and perpetually on the brink of failing out. While Lotto has his flaws like depending too heavily on Preston to help him in his studies, he also has plenty of pros. He is a staunchly loyal friend to Preston and, as a result, Effy.


Honestly, I just read the first half of this story. What I mean by that is I was able to set the book down and not give it another thought. When I crossed that 50% mark, the pace ramped up. The emotional stakes became too high to ignore. The fantasy world bled too much into the real. So much happened that I had to keep reading. By the time I got to 75%, I had to finish. Without spoilers, the last part of this book had me WORRIED and gasping with my hand over my mouth. For that reason alone, people should read it. You'll care because at the pulse of this story is two university students struggling with real life problems and real mental health. We can all recognize at least a bit of ourselves in them.