After my deep love of A Study in Drowning, I had to read this sequel. A Theory of Dreaming is a sequel with heartrending emotions of loss, and the sharp edges of nationalism. Keep reading this book review of A Theory of Dreaming for my full thoughts.
Summary
All stories come to an end.
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 fairy tale 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?
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This is one of my most anticipated sequels of the year! Beginning with a story about academia, the struggles for Effy and Preston are far from over. We’d like to think if we proved that a man yet again stole work from a woman, the world would believe us. That they’d see the error of their ways, but that’s of course neither our world of theirs. Their academic achievement comes not only under great scrutiny and disdain, but also others seek to question their presence at the university for being an “Outsider” and a girl. A Theory of Dreaming begins with rage. The unfairness of their treatment for disrupting a system that was so unfair, yet no one cared.
But it also begins with grief. Preston still grieves the loss of his father and both of them are navigating what it means to be in love. It’s not just about the spark of love, but also the insecurities and the challenges. Do we trust that someone will truly want us scars, fears, and all? How much of our burdens, our weight, do we put on them without guilt? We can try to wrap someone we love up in bubble wrap, but it becomes smothering quickly. I appreciated the ways Reid explores the discrimination against Preston for his Argantan roots. A Theory of Dreaming explores how nations, heroes, and enemies are created.
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When all our words are created, our stories become creation myths. And from these creation myths spring forth enemies, acts of heroism, and morality. But it’s only the ones we created for the narrative of ourselves. However, I think this larger conflict could use a book three – cough, cough – because it’s a theme that has so much weight and depth and doesn’t get enough time here. Similarly to how the ending of A Study in Drowning doesn’t quite tell the whole picture, A Theory of Dreaming also requires more to fully give it the depth it deserves.
Overall,
Other than that, I really enjoyed A Theory of Dreaming and my favorite element has to be Preston and Effy’s relationship development. We love to see a couple have to navigate being together. Find A Theory of Dreaming on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.