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  • Published: 5 August 2025
  • ISBN: 9781804953822
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 416
Categories:

A Theory of Dreaming





From Sunday Times bestselling author, dive back into this lush and dreamlike world of Ava Reid's dark academic masterpiece A Study in Drowning in this stunning sequel and conclusion.

The aftermath of their first discovery pulls Effy and Preston on a final adventure and brings their haunting love story to its end in this stunning sequel and final book in the duology.

RETURN TO THE DREAMLIKE WORLD OF THE INSTANTLY BESTSELLING DARK ACADEMIA FANTASY A STUDY IN DROWNING
_________

All stories come to an end.

'An academic treat, gowned in gothic darkness' Daily Mail
Reid is a singular, extraordinary talent' Sasha Peyton Smith, The Rose Bargian
'We've been counting down the days until we can find ourselves reunited with Effy and Preston' Cosmopolitan


Effy learned that when she defeated the Fairy King. Even though she may never know exactly what happened at Hiraeth, she is free of her nightmares and is able to pen a thesis with Preston on the beloved national fairytale Angharad. She has finally earned a spot at the literature college, making her the first woman in history to enroll.

But some dreams are dangerous, especially when they come true. The entire university - and soon the entire nation - is waiting for her to fail. With the Fairy King defeated and Myrddin's legacy exposed, Effy can no longer escape into fantasy. Who is she without her stories?

With Effy under threat, Preston is surprised to discover a rage simmering inside him, ringing in his ears like bells. He begins to dream of a palace under the sea, a world where he is king - visions that start to follow him even in waking.

As the war between Llyr and Argant explodes, Effy and Preston find themselves caught in the crossfire: Effy losing her dreams and Preston losing himself in his.

Are dreams ever truly just dreams?

  • Published: 5 August 2025
  • ISBN: 9781804953822
  • Imprint: Penguin
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 416
Categories:

About the author

Ava Reid

Ava Reid was born in Manhattan and raised right across the Hudson River in Hoboken, but currently lives in Palo Alto, where the weather is too sunny and the people are too friendly. She has a degree in political science from Barnard College, focusing on religion and ethnonationalism.

Also by Ava Reid

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Praise for A Theory of Dreaming

PRAISE FOR THE DUOLOGY

:

An academic treat, gowned in gothic darkness

Daily Mail

A deftly woven mystery, brimming with lyrical writing and compelling characters who will steal your heart.

Rebecca Ross, bestselling author of Divine Rivals

Rarely before has a sequel ever felt so entirely necessary . . . A true dark academia fairy tale, combining magic, mystery and mythology with literature, politics and intertextuality to craft a haunting story of authorship, identity and love.

CultureFly

We've been counting down the days ever since until we can find ourselves reunited with Effy and Preston

Cosmopolitan

A love letter to stories – and to everyone silenced or forgotten in their retelling.

Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

Achingly atmospheric and beautifully sharp, A Study in Drowning will draw you in from the first page.

Rory Power, New York Times bestselling author of Wilder Girls

This is one of those books that makes you remember why we read in the first place. A Study in Drowning takes dark academia to magical new heights. Reid is a singular, extraordinary talent.

Sasha Peyton Smith, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Rose Bargian

Spellibinding . . . gothic fae lore meets dark academia

United by Pop

Atmospheric and evocative, Ava Reid’s A Study in Drowning is her best yet

Paste

Lyrical, moving, and sensitive, A Study in Drowning is a magically romantic tale, filled with writing that will sweep you into a whimsical and gothic world. I’ll recommend this beautiful and thoughtful book over and over again.

Isabel Ibañez, author of, What the River Knows

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