A Theory of Dreaming out now from HarperCollins; 416 pages
Content Warning: Depression, attempted suicide, incest, sexual assault, alcoholism, foul language, violence
About the Author: “Ava Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Study in Drowning, A Theory of Dreaming, Lady Macbeth, Juniper & Thorn, and The Wolf and the Woodsman. Her books have been published in over fourteen territories. She lives in the New York area” (Bio from publisher’s website).
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Effy and Preston are back at school after defeating the Fairy King at Hiraeth, but their battle is not yet over. Their thesis on Angharad is not welcomed with open arms, and neither is Effy at the literature college. It seems as if everyone is waiting for her to fail. Without her stories of magic and the Fairy King, Effy has nowhere to escape to. Preston is hearing bells that no one else can, and dreaming of a palace under the sea where he is king. However, these visions are creating a building rage inside of him. In the backdrop, the war between Llyr and Argant is escalating. Effy and Preston will have to face the growing problems in their world and within themselves, or lose themselves to their dreams.
I am unsure how to feel about A Theory of Dreaming. Reid’s prose is truly beautiful, there is no denying that. I enjoyed the mysterious, whimsical magic of this world in both A Study in Drowning and this sequel as well. However, I have mixed feelings about the direction Reid took with her characters and Effy and Preston’s relationship. Reading both their points of views was frustrating because there was no communication between them. The relationship that was built on working together and trusting each other in the first book devolved into keeping secrets and hiding their emotions in this book. They almost felt like different characters, especially Preston. I understand that the dream world was supposed to be slowly affecting him, but it felt like he was suddenly angry, extremely overprotective, and secretive. I did not like the way he started to think about and treat Effy either. In my opinion, he started to change from endearingly caring to almost obsessively fixated on her safety, neglecting her true needs in the process. Effy also seemed to regress as a character. I know that trauma can affect people in these ways, and I thought that Reid did a great job at portraying mental health issues, but I also felt that Reid had undone all the character development Effy went through in the first book. The girl who was once a fighter became a shell, content to waste away until her boyfriend conquered his demons and could finally take on hers too. While there were interesting aspects to this story, I think A Study in Drowning was better left as a standalone.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Sam Yanis, Pine Reads Review Lead Writer