A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid

Here is a summary with spoilers for A Theory of Dreaming by Ava Reid

Effy Sayre and Preston Heloury have defeated the fae king and learned a lot about one of their favorite authors. Now, the two are back at school. Effy is the first female to join the all-male school, causing her some anxiety as to what is going to be expected of her. Preston, meanwhile, is going to be a teacher’s assistant, giving him a lot of opportunities for some one on one.

However, upon arrival and during their first day, their previous work that they wrote about the fae king has been published, and the two were not ready to publish. Now all of the students, and some of the teachers, start to glare and look at the two of them.

Effy struggles making friends and keeping up in her classes, as she started mid-semester. Preston has lost respect from his peers, and none of them will take him seriously. But he does get some time to study in dreams. To his surprise, he meets his father there in his dreams.

The two seem to grow further apart, mostly because Preston feels like an outlier thanks to his home country (Argant). They are still at war with the country of Llyra. He doesn’t want to be a stain on Effy’s life, so he tries to distance himself. However, he still loves her, so much so that he tells his mom about her, which results in his mother sending an old engagement ring to him. Preston continues to practice his dreaming, and still always sees his father.

Effy, meanwhile, has found an old journal from another woman who tried to attend the school. She gets entranced by the journal, and the more she learns, the more she realizes how things are wrong with the school and, in turn, the war.

Preston and Effy go on a date, because Preston doesn’t want to lose her. They have a real conversation, and they feel good about it. But the mood is ruined when someone comes up to Preston and says he is a spy, and how Effy deserves someone not from Argant. The man takes things further, and it ends with Preston punching him.

Effy fully agrees with what Preston did, but she just starts to drift away from him again because of the journal. Preston thinks it is because she doesn’t love him anymore. However, soon Effy’s roommate tells him he needs to come see her. When he does, Effy is not doing great. He tries to help, and gets her to class (though it was a class Effy had to leave thanks to a professor being mean to her). Preston finds out she is feeling this way because she hasn’t had her medication. Preston gets it all figured out for her.

Preston thinks things are going well, but then he finds Effy passed out, seemingly having overdosed on her drugs. He gets her to a hospital, but it all looks bad. For days, Preston sits with Effy, with no sign of her waking up. Preston has to leave for a time to go to a hearing from his outburst/fight. Luckily, Preston’s professor vouches for him, and all charges are released, even though it angers many of the Llyrians.

Desperate that Effy is leaving him, Preston decides to go looking for her in his dreams. He finds a sick Effy, and brings her back and tells her to fight. When Preston wakes up, so does Effy.

Once Effy is healed, she decides to talk to the council at school. What she found in the journal shows a lot of evidence that the war is the Llyrians’ fault and that they need to back out. There can be potential peace with the Argants. There is a lot of fighting about it, but eventually the council agrees, and papers are drawn up for a potential ceasefire.

Effy and Preston, now closer than ever, are happy and excited to continue their academic studies. Preston ends up using the engagement ring and proposes to Effy. She agrees, and the two live their lives together happily.