A Theory of Dreaming

"You haven't come here because you believe in fairytales."
"No," Preston admitted. "I came here because..." Because reality is too much to bear. Because everything else is too fragile, too changeable, too frightening. Because I have no power there.

A study in drowning was one of my favourite books of 2023, and I think this was a good sequel. It had a beautiful atmosphere in the old university and fit book 1 like a puzzle piece.

I loved that this book focused on the consequences. There is national outrage over their slandering of a beloved author, the pair are under scrutiny and they haven’t forgotten that professor Effy was involved with.
After book 1’s focus on women in academic settings and the pressure to be hard in order to survive, show more I was happy to see that this was continued. The events of book 1 were a life changing experience for Effy, but not a magical cure for her struggles. She is now the first woman to be admitted to Literature, and the uncomfortable experience of not being taken seriously is made painfully tangible. The author manages to write a raw reality that directly shares Effy’s discomfort and stress with the reader, and I applaud her for it.

I also liked how there was more focus on Preston’s heritage and how academia supports xenophobia and nationalism. It was mentioned in book 1, but the discomfort of being looked at like a foreign enemy was more present here. I still think it’s not as haunting as Effy’s perspective (I can think of more insidious and biting books about POC in academia) but it was by no means a disservice to those who struggle with it. The author did her utmost to make the reader share the way Preston’s identity is minimized and/or villified, and it worked, even if his enemies were a bit more stereotypical than Effy’s.
It also highlights how there is not one mould for being treated as lesser. Preston is a young man and doesn’t have to deal with Effy’s experiences, but he’s far from being accepted.

I liked the secondary characters as well. Effy’s friends and Preston’s roommate are not fully fleshed out, but definitely loveable, and it was great seeing the two main characters interact with other people.

The plot took a turn towards the high fantasy with the apparent existence of magic. Whereas the previous book stayed within the realm of magical realism, with supernatural elements in the periphery of the story, this one put magic at its centre. It was less to my taste because the magic clashed with the rational academic setting in my opinion.
I preferred the subplots about the war’s impact on culture and the making or breaking power of the press. Those had a sense of urgency and gothic dread that kept me hooked.

The romance was one of my favourite parts, and as someone who generally doesn’t care for romantic subplots, that’s rare.
There are plenty of stories about dislike to love, but few about what it means to stay together, and I love how that was handled here. They both try their best, but Effy is still insecure and anxious and Preston keeps things from her. She feels like she isn’t good enough and shackled him to her, he feels like he wants to shield her from trouble too much. Their mistakes are so rooted in their love for each other that watching them communicate and work together was heartwarming. The imperfections and awkwardness made their relationship very sweet to me. I can see them staying together until old age precisely because they keep making effort for each other. I love them. No notes.

Overall, this book was less cohesive than the first. There was the magic, the publishing of the research from book 1, the press, the war, an arc about how escapism into stories is not endlessly positive, Effy’s sleeping pills and more.
The overarching question was not who can author a story, but the way stories impact the way people think. The literature of this world is intrinsically linked to the national morale, and implicitly shapes how the people of this world think and identify themselves. After authorship in book 1, I think this was a beautiful exploration about the context of stories.
I read an ARC of this book and I highly recommend it. show less

I really liked this novel, but not nearly as much as I loved its predecessor, A Study in Drowning. Set after the events of the previous volume, this book is much more Preston's story, although Effy remains a major part, and many themes carry over between the books. I did like learning more about the Sleepers, something I'd been curious about when it came up previously. I would have loved to learn more about the war itself, as it remains both central to the plot and largely in the background for most of this book. Overall, a good book but also one I'm not entirely certain needed to be written considering how the prior book had ended. That said, if the author keeps writing books set in this world, I'll probably keep reading them.

Series Info/Source: This is the 2nd book in the A Study in Drowning series. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley for review.

Thoughts: I loved the other worldly setting and darkly lyrical writing of the first book in this series "A Study in Drowning". Unfortunately, this book I didn't like at all. "A Theory in Dreaming" has the same beautiful dark lyrical writing style as the first book but lacked everything else I loved about the first book. I ended up setting this aside at 50% of the way in because I found it boring and depressing. Prior to read this, I had also read "Juniper & Thorn" (liked it), and "A Theory in Dreaming" (liked it).

This is supposed to be Preston's book. Effy and Preston are back at school. Effy is struggling show more to keep her head down and fit in while Preston is back to being a student aide and struggling to deal with his professor. The story alternates between the two. Preston starts to enter a dream world and hear bells again and is trying to figure out what that all means.

I found this book depressing. After making progress and gains in her self esteem and self respect, Effy really backslides in this book. Effy spends most of the book trying to hide from her problems and keeping them secret from Preston. She does this either through her use of sleeping pills or by actually hiding. It was sad and depressing to see, especially when she is supposed to be living the life she's dreamed of for so long. Preston is super concerned about Effy's safety, almost oppressively so. Preston is constantly lying by omission to her about what is happening in his life. It ends up being a very toxic relationship that I found sad to read about.

Additionally, nothing is happening. Effy is trying to go to class but keeps her head down after being humiliated the first day. Effy is trying to dodge reports and Preston's worry. It is tedious to read about. Preston keeps accidentally entering a dream world where he hears bells, but he wanders about it multiple times without many revelations. He is also trying to placate his professor with these jaunts and dodge reporters as well. It got very repetitive, and in the end I just found myself wishing I had left these characters where they were at the end of the last book. I couldn't read about the sad situations they had gotten themselves into anymore.

"A Theory in Dreaming" should have stayed a stand alone novel, and this sequel should have never happened. I should also mention Reid's incredibly negative opinion of nearly all men...most of her male characters are downright despicable, and it makes the story feel unbalanced. This is a two-way street; the female characters (Effy in particular) need to demand some respect. I also find it hard to believe that all the female characters are willing to put up with this behavior and that the majority of male characters are this sleazy. Definitely not a world I would want to be forced into and not one I really love reading about either.

My Summary (2/5): Overall I did not enjoy this... in fact I quite disliked it and stopped reading the book about half way through. The directions our characters went is very depressing, and the story is repetitive and boring. This is written in Reid's very beautiful and darkly lyrical writing style, but aside from that there wasn't anything I liked here. In general, I love Reid's lyrical writing style but have struggled some with some of her themes and the pacing of her stories. I don't think she is an author I will seek out in the future. show less

We pick right back up with Effy and Preston, who have returned to their university after escaping a gothic madhouse adventure. The two scholars suffer through harassment from professors, student rivals, substance abuse, and the media's attacks after the pair exposed their highly patriotic nation's most beloved author as a manipulator and fraud.

The pacing was fine, the characters are just as you remember them, and the concept of Preston being plagued by magical underwater dreams that guide him to dismantle the nation's foundation of racism was interesting. The allegorical writing in this book was a bit much, though. Can hardly go a page without references to bells or water or turning to stone. But I'm glad this was his book more than show more Effy's.
The strongest message at the core of this sequel was that there is no happier ending than creating a world that is better for those who follow. The oppressor will do whatever they can to twist the story to make us hate who they want us to hate. The truth and seeking of knowledge is what frees us.

That being said, I found Angharad and the historical woman whose letters Effy reads throughout the story more captivating than the duo at the helm of the book. It feels like Reid should be writing a flowery, romantic period novel, because that style of writing is where she shines. I loved reading the 'quote' snippets at the starts of chapters.

Also, the side characters deserved much better. Lotto was a delight! I didn't even realize until halfway through that Maisie and Rhia were intended to be a couple. Primarily because Maisie is given no character traits at all, which bummed me as I love any bit of sapphic representation. I don't even recall learning what she studies.

All in all, a fine read. I was entertained. If you like the pair, go for it. show less

Once again, Ava Reid has written us an absolutely beautiful, atmospheric novel that has an amazing message. We meet up with Effy and Preston right after the events of "A Study in Drowning". They must navigate the world they've created by their challenging the accepted norms of the Literature College.

In this book, both Effy and Preston are experiencing life-altering events...all alone. Neither confides in the other. Yet, they somehow come through to the other side all the stronger...together. I loved every moment of this book. I definitely love how Ava Reid is able to craft pieces of "literature" and incorporate them into the story.

Excellent reading!

2.5 stars. Like the first book, the writing was perfectly fine, and dark academia/gothic vibes paired with fantastical, almost mythic elements made for quite the atmospheric read. But, again, like the first book, there was some iffy content that I really didn't appreciate. Mainly, the one side character who kept getting drunk and dropping f-bombs everywhere, to the point that I just started skimming over the scene he was in, the main couple frequently sleeping in the same room, or even bed, despite not being married, and one brief spicy scene that I skipped over. I also spent a good chunk of this book confused and struggling to follow the plot, which didn't help either. So all-in-all... yeah. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read, show more just an okay one with some sketchy content. I don't think I'll be reading the companion novella when it comes out later this year, or any further books the author may add to this series. show less

not as enjoyable as the first book but still a good read with a satisfying ending, enjoyed the academic setting as well