Book Review: A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid

With the story of the Fairy King and Hiraeth Manor now come to a close, Effy is free of nightmares and able to pen a new thesis with Preston about the beloved national fairy tale Angharad. In the weeks since, Effy has finally earned her spot at the literature college, becoming the first woman in history to enrol, and is determined to share the truth about everything she has discovered. But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true, and soon the entire university, and the whole of Llyr, is waiting for her to fail.

For Preston, the aftermath of everything that he and Effy went through has left him feeling unsettled, and he’s surprised to discover a newfound rage simmering inside him too. With Effy under threat and the sound of bells constantly ringing in his ears, Preston begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king. When these visions begin to follow him in life, Preston is once again left questioning what’s real and what’s not. With the tension between Llyr and Argant rising and the threat of war screaming louder than ever, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire. But with Effy losing her dreams, and Preston losing himself in his, can dreams ever really be considered just dreams?

She wondered if her mind were playing tricks on her, making old memories feel new again, muddling reality once more. It was almost a comfort, to recede into an unreal world.”

Rarely before has a sequel ever felt so entirely necessary. In no time at all, Ava Reid quickly establishes why we have returned to this world and these characters, continuing Effy and Preston’s story so effortlessly that it’s almost difficult to believe that this next chapter wasn’t a foregone conclusion from the start. Here, Effy and Preston must deal with the fallout of the first novel, returning home to face their professors, fellow students and, later, the whole of Llyr, none of whom are overly pleased about this challenge to one of their beloved writers and national stories. The challenges don’t stop there either; as the only woman in the literature college, Effy is forced to endure the disdain of her fellow students who dismiss, leer at and torment her, while Preston, too, faces his share of discrimination as an Argantian in Llyr at a time when the two countries are on the brink of war.

 While the first novel was heavy on fantasy, with the majority of the story taking place in a secluded, removed space, A Theory of Dreaming quickly brings us back to the reality waiting for these characters on the other side. Effy struggles to find her place in a world without magic that has set out to belittle and undermine her at every turn. Preston, too, is left feeling more out of control than ever, forced to weigh up the distinction between fantasy and reality all while desperately trying to keep Effy safe and navigate the world as a so-called ‘enemy’ of Llyr. It’s no wonder that both Effy and Preston’s mental health is affected deeply, and it leaves their relationship struggling to cope with the growing distance between them as each faces some very internal, personal battles.

 Thankfully, A Theory of Dreaming gives us both Effy and Preston’s perspectives throughout, so this emotional distance doesn’t extend into the narrative, while the inclusion of excerpts of poetry, criticism, journal entries, newspaper articles and more allow us to delve deeper into this world’s rich mythology too. It all works together to craft a multi-layered storyline that forces the characters and the readers to question the very stories that we’re being told, as well as those who are doing the telling. As Effy and Preston each seek to protect the other from yet more hardships, they turn to their studies, their childhood fairytales and their fantasies as they seek to make sense of their experiences and reality.

We do lose a little of the depth of the first novel’s fantasy elements here, and after a slower start and steady middle, this novel does rush to wrap everything up in the final chapters. Reid continues to treat us to some dreamy landscapes and experiences, but this novel feels infinitely more rooted in reality, which only serves to reinforce its wider discussion of the interplay of fantasy, reality and escapism.

Once again, Reid has created a story that’s deeply immersive, wonderfully written and endlessly readable from start to finish. A Theory of Dreaming may have swapped out some of the more gothic, fantasy elements found in A Study in Drowning for something a little more raw and real, but the story is no less compelling for it. We get all of the magic, romance and mystery that we fell for in the first novel, plus a deeper exploration of this world, these characters and their love story, and there’s no doubt that A Theory of Dreaming offers up the satisfying conclusion to Effy and Preston’s story that we didn’t know we needed.

★★★★

A Theory of Dreaming is published by Del Rey on 5 August 2025