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

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.

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

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!!!

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.

4⭐️

Firstly, the you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this early. Secondly, opinions on this book are my own. 

I will try and keep this as spoiler free as possible, but there are a few things that I feel could potentially spoil a few plot points, as there are several trigger warnings and moments that I feel are important to know before going into this. AToD is a LARGE fraction darker than ASiD. I know this is dark academia, but I cannot stress this, enough: it’s pretty dark. It took me a few days to get through the book as it was heavy. TW for suicide attempts, racism, sexism/misogyny (these are the main stand out TW’s). With this all being said, Ava Reid delivers a compelling story with vivid descriptions and several beautifully written passages/quotes. I have so many highlighted, she really has a way with prose. I think these two books would make really good movies if they were ever adapted! 

Overall, I liked this and I probably would’ve liked it more if I was in a better head space/wasn’t currently in a  depressive episode. I definitely recommend this book, however, I’m not sure I would recommend to read it right away for someone who is not in the best headspace to read something pretty  heavy.

At the end of A Study in Drowning, Effy's dreams seemed to all have come true--she vanquished the fairy king, co-wrote a paper on the truth about Angharad, her creepy professor was dismissed, became the first woman to be admitted into the literature college, and started a relationship with Preston. But can dreams last?

Effy's admittance into the literature college comes with a slew of problems. Her male peers resent her presence, and their ire draws what her former professor did back into focus. To make matters worse, there's pushback to her discovery about Angharad. Tensions between Llyr and Argant are increasing, and the people of Llyr may not be able to handle the truth about Myrddin. As pressures surmount, Effy begins to question what Preston sees in her and slides into a depressive state.

Meanwhile, Preston is trying to balance protecting Effy with his duties as a TA and legate. His professor pulls Preston into his research on a theory of dreaming, which leads Preston to follow the sound of the bells to an underwater palace where he's king. At first, the palace seems wondrous, but the line between reality and fantasy thins. To make matters more difficult, the war between Llyr and Argant causes trouble for Preston, the only Argantian student at the university. One of the xenophobic aristocratic students in his class keeps goading him. A rage unlike anything Preston's experienced builds inside of him, pushing him further into the dream world.

I loved getting to return to this lush world. A Theory of Dreaming was achingly beautiful. The writing was lyrical and gorgeous and the journeys that Effy and Preston went on broke my heart

but then healed it

. Whereas ASID was a mix of plot and character, ATOD is very much a character-driven story as both of these characters deal with the fallout from the events of ASID. I also loved that we got to see more of Effy and Preston's roommates. They're both such wonderful characters and added a lot to the story. I also liked that this story took place entirely at the university, and falls much more squarely into dark academia. Readers may also appreciate that the war between Llyr and Argant as well as the Sleeper Museum and the mythology around it are both explored more in this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed conclusion to this duology, and definitely teared up at the end. 

CW: As Effy slips further into her depression, she begins to have suicidal thoughts and then attempts it. I didn't find the depiction of her attempt to be graphic (

we're told she uses pills but we don't see the scene, only Preston breaking down a door to find her and a later fuzzier illusion to a bottle

). IMO, it was a thoughtful exploration of depression and how all-encompassing it can be, but I did want to add this flag.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for giving me an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

if they don't love me like preston loves effy, i don't want it!!!!

this was the sequel we needed: what happens to effy and preston when they return to university from hiraeth manor with their controversial thesis? they must face their colleagues, superiors, and the whole of llyr; effy, as the only woman in the literature college, preston as an argantian on the precipice of a full-out argantian-llyrian war.

preston fans rejoice, bc we get a whole lot more of him in this one! dual (3rd person) POV yayayayay!

while i missed some of ASID's etherealness, this one felt more raw and real. there is still much room for magic, but it deals it more as a method of escapism. we also learn more about llyr and argantia both and the fables of the sleepers. nationalism/xenophobia is a large theme in this one and feels quite on par w current times.

there were a few things that i wanted more precisely wrapped up, but overall this felt like the right conclusion to effy and preston's story 💙