A THEORY OF DREAMING

Effy and Preston must find their footing in the new world they have uncovered in this follow-up to 2023’s A Study in Drowning.

After the harrowing events at Hiraeth Manor and the revelation that the famed author Emrys Myrddin wasn’t the true writer of his celebrated works—his wife, Angharad, was—Effy and Preston return to the University of Llyr to resume their studies amid the hostile backlash their discovery has sparked. Effy, having left the architecture program, becomes the first woman student in the university’s literature department, while Preston begins working closely on a mysterious project with Master Gosse, who runs the literature program. As Effy spirals into a deep depression and is plagued by doubts about her worth, Preston’s immersion in his research leads him to have a fragile and increasingly tenuous grasp on reality. Meanwhile, Llyr remains at war with Argant, and Effy and Preston’s findings threaten to unravel the very foundations of long-held national Llyrian beliefs. Fans of Reid will appreciate her signature richly atmospheric worldbuilding, though new readers may find the story’s slow pacing challenging. While the plot accelerates in the final third, much of the novel focuses on the interior lives of Effy and Preston, an approach that, at times, can feel overwrought. The main characters present white, but themes of xenophobia are central to the narrative.

A mostly satisfying sequel.