I hate to admit that I was disappointed by this, as I have been a huge fan of Ava Reid’s previous books. By the time we hit the midway point, it still felt like nothing had happened in the plot, and I feel like I spent the entire book begging Effy and Preston to just talk to each other. Reid’s prose is wonderful as always, though.

If I could give this ten stars, I would in a heartbeat. What a beautiful follow up to A Study in Drowning. When I picked up the first book I knew immediately I would love it and was so happy to be back in this world with Effy and Preston, it truly felt like going home. Ava really knocked it out of the park with this one. I was a little concerned because the first one was so perfect, how could it possibly be topped? But she pulled it off and then some. The writing is so stunning and the world she created is so immersive you truly feel like you’re there in this beautiful, twisted, dark academic world. Thank you so much for taking us back into this place. These will forever live with me and on my book shelf.

If you are a huge fan of the first installment you will love this. It truly felt like a love letter to Effy and Preston. Plot wise I wouldn’t say too much happened and most of the focus on the story was the relationship between the two characters. This was a cute ending though and I’m glad we got to spend more time with these characters. Like always, Ava Reid has amazing writing.

This book is easily a five star read for me. I could not put it down. I love how Ava Reid connected everything together and I love how she brought us deeper into this world with the events of this book. Effy and Preston’s relationship are to die for! I loved Ava Reid’s use of imagery and foreshadowing😩 overall, this book is an amazing conclusion to this duology!

4.5 stars

I was so excited but also so dreading reading this book, just because A Study in Drowning was possibly my favorite book of last year. I absolutely adored Effy and Preston and was so excited to return to their world and see how their relationship develops. However, I have been burned by sequels before and it would have just broken my heart if this one did the same. While I can admit that this book was maybe unnecessary to the overall story, I was definitely glad I was able to return to this world. Reid is an amazing writer and she proves it once again in this book. The prose is beautiful, the atmosphere and world she creates is so vivid, and the characters are so complex. I enjoyed how we saw much more of Preston’s motivations and was able to see why he is the way he is. We also see how complicated healing can be and how Effy struggles so hard with it, even when she has so much support from her friends. It was also very interesting to see how much Reid was connecting this world’s political struggles to our (specifically the USA’s) real life struggles. Sometimes I think she hit the nail on the head a little too much, but I do enjoy seeing real life struggles in fantasy books because it gives me hope that if these characters can figure out how to fight against their oppressors, than maybe we can too.

However, as I mentioned before, this book was completely unnecessary. There were threads of a bigger plot, but ultimately it turned into nothing. This book was really just about Effy and Preston dealing with the personal aftermath of the first book and there really wasn’t much of a story or plot. It was very interesting seeing the politics of the this world and its complicated history, but it was kind of just surface-level and I really wish we got more of it. This could have easily been a very fleshed out, complicated story, if Reid had just made this book just a little longer, or made the ending more open. Instead she decided to tie it up into almost too neat of a bow. As it stands now, this seems like a complete series, but that’s also what I thought after reading A Study in Drowning, so who knows. If she’s not continuing this story, I don’t know why she just didn’t make this a little novella.

Overall, if you enjoyed A Study in Drowning, this is definitely a must read and of course Reid knocks it out of the park with her writing, but if you’re looking for a complete fantastical adventure like the first one, you might be a bit underwhelmed.

I’m one hundred percent convinced that Ava Reid can’t write a bad book. Every single time I pick of up one of her novels I’m immediately immersed in the world. A Study In Drowning was one of my fave books of the year and I was so ecstatic to be back in this world with these characters.

A Theory of Dreaming picks up beautifully where A Study in Drowning left off, diving straight into Effy and Preston’s journey after submitting their paper. The revelation that Preston heard the bells that even Effy couldn’t sets the stage for a story that blurs the lines between reality and dreaming, amidst the backdrop of the war between Lyr and Argant.

Back at university, Effy navigates the isolating challenges of being the only female in her literature program, while Preston wrestles with his unraveling reality. Ava Reid’s prose shines here, weaving poetry seamlessly into the narrative and crafting a world rich with depth, conflict, and beauty. The war-torn atmosphere and the character arcs are masterfully handled, pulling me in completely.

However, some of the tension between Effy and Preston felt frustratingly avoidable. So much of their conflict could have been resolved with an honest conversation, which had me practically banging my head against my Kindle at times! I also feel the book would have benefited from a content warning for themes of substance abuse and a suicide attempt. While these themes were handled thoughtfully, they could take readers by surprise without proper preparation.

Despite these issues, the story captivated me, and I’m so glad Effy and Preston were able to find their hard-won happy ending. Ava Reid has truly proven her skill in crafting profound, poetic, and deeply emotional tales, and I hope Effy and Preston’s happiness continues to grow in their shared reality.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins publishing for allowing me to arc read this story!

When I finished ASID, I didn’t really love it — but I couldn’t get the book out of my head. For months I kept thinking about the settings and the characters.

So when I saw that there was a sequel, I was excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, this just didn’t grip me and it was missing some of that indescribable magic that left such an impression on me after book one.

Maybe, like book one, I’ll sit on this for a while and decide I liked it more than I initially thought. Maybe I won’t.

That being said, if you loved ASID, I think you’re going to be really happy with this.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc

I think I've found one of my new favorite authors.
From the second I picked up the first book I was invested in Effy and Preston and their journey. That has just continued into A Theory of Dreaming. The first book absolutely could have been a standalone but the way Ava Reid furthered their story in A Theory of Dreaming was amazing and made me so happy when I realized I got to follow these characters on another journey of investigating past authors and their works. I loved the ending and how even when they were hiding things from each other thinking it was best for the other, they still got through everything together.

ad much as I think a asid could have been a standalone, this sequel was as perfect as it could be. Lyrical and beautifully atmospheric- I always love comings back to this world

Thanks to HarperTeen for an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!

DNF’d at 52%! I was trying to give this book the benefit of the doubt, but I just couldn’t keep reading and hope for better. I was surprised by this book’s existence. *A Study in Drowning* was supposed to be a standalone, but I guess there was enough demand and content to write more.

In order for me to best explain why I did not finished reading, I will talk spoilers on *A Study in Drowning*, so please do not read this review any further if you have not read the first book yet. If you don’t care, then read on.

This book starts off right from where we left off in book 1 with Effy being a student at the literature college instead of architecture and going through college life with her boyfriend, Preston. Now that Effy has defeated the Fairy King and co-authored a thesis with Preston on Myrddin’s legacy, she has struggled with imposter syndrome at the literature college, putting a Llyrian icon into questionable integrity, and having no alternative to escape. Not gonna lie, I could not fully care about her struggles since I was more worried and interested in the war between Llyr and Argant. *A Theory of Dreaming* is more Preston’s story than Effy’s, which was what intrigued me the most about this sequel. Preston is dealing with xenophobia due to being Argantian and entering an underwater palace through his dreams as he becomes a believer in magic.

I wanted an explanation since *A Study in Drowning* on the reason for this war between Llyr and Argant and never received an answer. I should not have to hope for such an explanation when this war is clearly influencing Effy and Preston’s decisions on their coping mechanisms and the university’s attacks on anyone not following Llyr traditions. I cannot care about these emotional journeys when the source of their strife does not give me any context. Also, Effy and Preston refused to talk to each other about what they are going through. I could understand some forms of miscommunication between young couples, but I cannot get past not talking to your partner about how you are feeling. This type of miscommunication just adds to the page length at this point.

Overall, I was curious to see if this sequel was even necessary in the first place. My verdict at around halfway through: not really.

Content Warnings (so far): xenophobia, sexual assault (past), drug abuse, sexism, misogyny, death of parent (past, mentioned), grief (minor) war (minor)

Wait because I devoured this book!!! This was mostly a continuation from the first with more backstory & character development but I loved every second of this!!

Def would recommend this series to anyone who loves fantasy!!

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins for allowing me to read & give my honest opinion!!

Thank you to HarperCollins for the arc!

3.5

In this book, Preston really stands out showing depth and vulnerability that is refreshing. Effy however, feels stuck and is caught in repetitive trauma processing that does not add much to her character. Themes like women’s work being stolen and Preston’s struggles with prejudice are interesting but do not go anywhere new or deeper (which is a shame, and was expecting more)

The first 70% of the book feels aimless like it is lost in its own dream world. I kept waiting for the plot to pick up, but it took far too long. By the time things finally happen in the last 30% the conclusion was tiring rather than satisfying

I have always and is a fan of Ava Reid's writing which is absolutely beautiful but even gorgeous prose cannot make up for a story that feels unsure of its purpose. Will I keep reading Ava Reid’s books? Definitely, she is an incredible writer.

I was really hopeful that this story would be fun and exciting based on the ending of the first book in this series, but the plot seemed to go nowhere and I found myself continually annoyed with Effy and Preston’s relationship.

A Theory of Dreaming - Ava Reid
Rating: 3.75⭐️
Spice: Suggestive dialogue but no descriptive language or scenes
Tropes/Genres : YA fantasy, found family, dark academia, magic realism, gothic
Book releases: August 5th 2025

I first want to thank the publisher/author/and NetGalley for the ARC!
I read the first book A Study in Drowning almost 2 years ago and I LOVE how quickly we just right back into the magic of this world! If you love Dark academia with magic realism this Duology will be right up your alley!
In this book we get so much more from Preston and I absolutely loved every single second of it! His character development between these two books is incredible ❤️ I also love how dark and gothic Ava writes this while it still feeling so fluffy and romantic 🥰

As someone who ADORED A Study in Drowning and rated it 5 stars, no one is more surprised than me that I didn't enjoy the sequel as much. If I'm being more technical, this might be a 3.5-3.8 stars. I love Ava Reid's writing, and it is as luscious and exquisite as ever. However, the events that take place are simply anticlimactic. Maybe my hopes and expectations were too high, because after finishing this I just felt like something was lacking. I didn't feel as moved by Effy's character. There were SO many times where she stated she felt like a burden, and while that is relatable, I wanted much more character growth for her. The strongest aspect of this story is the love between her and Preston. I'll always be a fan of their relationship and I'm happy with how things progressed with them. As for the plot, I wish more happened. It all felt very underwhelming. I wanted more from this, but this will not deter me from future books by Reid. She will always be a favorite of mine. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the advanced copy of this book!

A Study in Drowning is one of my favorite books of Ava's and of all time, so I was thrilled when a sequel to it was announced. The first book can still absolutely be read as a standalone, which I do appreciate, but I enjoyed getting to have an adventure with Effy and Preston again. While the first book was more fairytale based, A Theory of Dreaming leans heavily into magical realism. Effy and Preston are dealing with the fallout of book one while going back to school. Both are dealing with their own struggles and only confide in each other so much. Effy's struggles feel very relatable and I think will resonate with a lot of readers. Preston's journey continues with the mysterious bells that feels similar in vibes to Piranesi.

I still prefer book one, but this was a wonderful return to Effy and Preston.

So disappointed. That whole book just felt entirely unnecessary. A novel of pretty words and little plot.
Preston and Effy seemed like entirely different people, and their relationship didn't feel loving. I mean, their total lack of communication?
A lot of repetitive phrases, sometimes whole paragraphs of text restated. This sequel took all of the subtlety of ASID and threw it out the window.

I hate it here so I will go to secret gardens in my mind...

This was a sequel that I didn't think we'd get, nor did I originally think was necessary but I am so thrilled we have. If A Study in Drowning spoke to something in your soul, if Effy in some parts feels like looking in a mirror, and you know that wounds don't just disappear because the big battle is won, I think you should continue this story with some caution that it is heavy. Put down your bows and sheath your swords because there's still strength in your softness.

Effy & Preston return to the University with the secrets they have uncovered and questions about the legitimacy of everything they've been taught but neither comes back from Hiraeth Manor without ghosts. While both characters get POVs, this is definitely Preston's story and somewhere about halfway in Effy does start to kind of fade into the background. Even so, Effy continued to have a profound hold on me. The very accurate depiction of self-loathing, depression, of feeling like a burden and failure, and eventually...the wish to simply exist in dreams to escape reality until the call of not wanting to be anywhere at all becomes too loud to ignore...
Who do you blame for your demons when the monster lurking in the dark has been defeated? How do you keep your head up and fight for your place to belong when you are so very tired.

Preston struggles with identity, especially as the war ramps up. This time, he's the one who thinks he's losing his marbles and doesn't want to burden Effy with more worries. If you're expecting people with cracks in their foundation to come together as their best selves, you won't find that in AToD but maybe it's more realistic this way. Neither of them handles things in their relationship or in their academic life well. They keep things from each other. Neither feels worthy of the other...This book is full of heavy sorrow.

Back in the city as the war is unfolding, you find people clinging desperately to tales of magic and lore. Nationalism built on Fairy tales and tradition and looking to the past instead of progress ahead. How does the story get to benefit the narrative of the one that tells it? Who gets to separate fact from fiction?

I found it interesting that in this world it was the school of arts that held such esteem, the ministry of culture that had such power. What are the arts and humanities without science and what are the sciences without arts and humanities? What do you have faith in when the curtain is pulled to reveal the false magician?

This felt like a story that while not completely necessary to complement ASiD, it was something Ava needed to tell, especially in our current state of the world. Some things could have been fleshed out more, especially at the university, the war, and sometimes with Effy. Our characters while together, felt so far apart but that seemed intentional. There were some new characters (Lotto! 💜) and we got to see more of some we had already met. Some parts might feel repetitive but is it so hard to believe that history hasn't repeated itself?

The writing was as beautiful as I would expect from Reid and the atmosphere was lush and immersive. There were so many quotes I just needed to screenshot and highlight to keep with me. Effy and Preston forever!

If you're currently lost in escaping to your dreams and struggling with the call of the void, I would go into this with some caution, okay? Take care of yourself! You are worthy and loved!

Big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC. A Theory of Dreaming is out August 5th, 2025!

I love these characters and this world. I am so happy to be back with them all. I think a lot of people felt the political portion was underdeveloped and confusing in the first book. Based on the forward, this book set to remedy that but I personally found it just as if not more confusing than it was in book one since it was a bigger element of this book with no more explanation than the first book. That said, if you liked the first one and want more Preston, you’ll love this one.

Romance: 5💕 incredible. I adore Effy and Preston's love story.

Spice: 1🫑/🌶️ not sure if it would qualify as closed door.