An Archive of Romance

A Study in Drowning

by Ava Reid

The enchanting world of A Study in Drowning comes to life through letters, poems, art, and more in this beautifully illustrated full-color novella from #1 New York Times bestselling author Ava Reid, featuring over forty illustrations, expanded and new text, stunning endpapers, and romantic rose gold foil for a jaw-dropping addition to the beloved dark academia series.

“I will love you to ruination,” the Fairy King said, brushing a strand of golden hair from my cheek.

“Yours or mine?” I asked.

The Fairy King did not answer.

Effy and Preston have been torn apart by the wars of men, the power of words, and the specter of magic—but it was through stories that they found each other. Relive Effy and Preston’s love story through their own pens in this immersive collection of mementos, illustrations, maps, blueprints, diary entries, and more. Read Angharad with Effy's annotations; sneak excerpts of Preston's diary; see the architectural sketches that brought Effy to Hiraeth; get your own ticket to Saltney; and experience the never-before-seen epilogue to Effy and Preston’s romance.

A perfect gift for fans of A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming and anyone who wants to embark on their own dark academia journey, this gorgeously illustrated novella collects ephemera from Effy and Preston as they remember the romance and prepare for a new chapter in their lives—together.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Dark Academia, Young Adult, Romantasy, Novella, Gothic

240 pages, Hardcover

First published December 16, 2025

About the author

Ava Reid is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of gothic fantasies, including A Study in Drowning, Juniper & Thorn, and Lady Macbeth. She lives in California.

Reviews

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to start with An Archive of Romance. Reading this novella felt like being handed a treasure chest filled with all the pieces of Effy and Preston’s love story that I always wished I could hold in my hands. Letters, poems, sketches, diary entries—every single page felt like opening a window into their private world, and I couldn’t stop lingering over every detail.

What made this such a powerful experience for me wasn’t just Ava Reid’s words (though they’re as haunting and lyrical as ever), but the way the art and text come together to create something alive. Each illustration is stunning—truly a masterpiece. It’s rare that I pause just to stare at a page, but this book made me stop, breathe, and let myself be transported back into that darkly magical universe.

And oh, Effy and Preston. Their story has always tugged at my heart, but seeing their love unfold here—the tenderness, the vulnerability, the survival, the way they still choose each other—was a gift.

As someone who devoured A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming, finally getting to read the long-hinted love story of Effy and Preston excited me beyond words.

A very huge thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for sharing this remarkable and very heartfelt novella's digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts that I highly appreciated. Every illustration felt like a work of art that swept me deeper into Effy and Preston’s world. As one of the biggest fans of A Study in Drowning, I can’t describe how lucky I felt to read the love story I had been so intrigued about from the very beginning

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[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 4 out of 5]

But I did feel magic then - if magic means something that I can't explain, that I can't put into words. Only I didn't feel it when looking at the sea. I felt it when looking at her.

This was a delightful little button on the end of effy & preston’s story. a collection of journal entries, articles, letters, stories, artwork, and even a final epilogue from the duo logo in no particular order. it really enriches the world and gives a little extra something for the readers who wanted more insight to these famous fables.

this comes out at a perfect time going into winter, as llyr is becoming more snow covered than rained on.

preston lovers, you are going to eat his parts uppppp!

an honest arc review 🤎

[✮demi✮]

GIMME GIMME GIMME
TAKE ALL OF MY ORGANS I DON'T CARE I JUST WANT THIS AND A THEORY IN DREAMING PLEASE AVA REID IM BEGGING YOU

[Val~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks so much to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC, to be published on December 9th, 2026.

This is a lovely compendium to complete your collection. The artwork is stunning! The perfect trifecta for A Study in Drowning. Loved it!

[Bon · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5!

This is the perfect finishing bow to wrap up the Study in Drowning series! The artwork is beautiful, detailed, and the layout is quite fun as well. Gathering all the different in-world texts and quotes and journal entries, An Archive of Romance fleshes out bits and pieces of things mentioned in the other novels and puts them all together in an visually entertaining and heartwarming little novella. It really is a lot of fun.

Oh, and it's very cute. If you love Preston and Effy, you'll be ecstatic. For casual fans, or those who didn't click with the other two novels, this definitely isn't for you. But I loved it!

[Faiza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most perfect, wholesome, beautiful novella. A collection of works referenced in ASID and ATOD (often with annotations from Effy and/or Preston), snippets from their journals, little trinkets and sketches mentioned throughout both books, and then the last part is an adorable extended epilogue. So heartwarming - absolutely adored this.

Thank you Harper Collins for the eARC!

[zahra]

i need this more than air cause look at this STUNNING COVER i'm so excited

[Rina | Worldsbetweenpages · Rating 5 out of 5]

„In some ways it had been easier to yearn for the impossible.
But maybe now she was safe enough - brave enough - to want the ordinary.“

This is the most stunning illustrated novella and it’s perfect for everyone who enjoys the A Study in Drowning duology! You get so many snippets and insights into Effy and Preston‘s story; maps, newspaper articles, diary entries, illustrated character art and so much more.
At the end you get a lovely little story about their wedding.
I absolutely loved it!

[Aya ☕︎]

Okay I have the book but I don't know how to review cuz guess what.. 🥁🥁🥁 it's a graphic novella you guys 🙃
Thanks HarperCollins & Netgalley for the eARC 🤎🤎

[veerali · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you, netgalley, and harper collins for the e-arc! all thoughts are my own!

i was genuinely surprised by how much i enjoyed this book, especially after finding the previous two, a study in drowning and a theory in dreaming, to be disappointing. as a huge sucker for dark academia, i was hoping for something more, and this novella truly delivered.

one of the standout features of this installment was the absolutely beautiful illustrations. they were so well done and really added to the atmosphere of the story. it also provided a satisfying conclusion, which was a welcome change. i personally appreciated the inclusion of many letters and poems exchanged between effy and preston. reading their talks felt intimate and beautifully captured their connection.

while the previous books didn't quite hit the mark for me, this novella managed to turn things around. it felt like a fitting end to their story and offered a more amazing and emotional experience.

[Kalena ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⋆.˚✮ 5 stars ✮˚.⋆

[lorenzodulac · Rating 4 out of 5]

So beautifully illustrated.
It’s essentially Preston’s journal? There are diary entries, newspaper articles, snippets from Angharad, poems and random sketches and drawings. And it all makes sense when you reach the ending, there’s 10 regular chapters on the preparations for their wedding. And the wedding itself!
Maybe it’s because it’s such a gorgeous book, with all the details and drawings, but I think I preferred this one over both the two other novels.

[Liv {Semi ia⋅˚୨୧}]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚Pre Read 🕯️

AHHHHHHH THIS COVER?!? To die for 🤭 I squealed when I saw this was half off 😋 target for the win! The artwork and poems in here better be good 😁🤞 I’m counting on 5 stars!!

[talia ♡]

this just saved my life

[angie]

this is because of me, btw (delusion) (i had a brief conversation w ava reid about an angharad novella a year ago)

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is gorgeous and I’m sure it will be even more stunning in book form! It’s full of beautiful sketches, character art, journal entries, excerpts from Angharad and other works mentioned in the series, and more. I absolutely loved reading Preston’s journal entries about Effy and revisiting the moments when they fell in love.

The new material at the end with POVs from Effy and Preston leading up to their wedding was so sweet and heartwarming. I would definitely recommend this to fans of the series and I’m looking forward to flipping through the physical copy!

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[aila ✧.*]

my only complaint with a study in drowning was i couldn’t read angharad TAKE ALL MY MONEY AVA. BETTER YET WRITE THE WHOLE BOOK

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

What was the point of any of this.

[synzz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!

An Archive of Romance is a collection of letters, poems, annotations, mementos, illustrations and diary entries all related to the original duology (A Study in Drowning & A Theory of Dreaming). It also contains an extended epilogue following Effy and Preston after the events of the second book. 🤍🤍🤍

I absolutely loved seeing this story come to life with the many references, texts and beautiful visuals included in this novella. 🥹
I honestly didn't think I could get even more immersed in this beautiful and magical tale, but reading this novella truly made me feel like I was a part of that world, browsing through historic works, reading Angharad together with Effy and Preston, leaving annotations in the margins of this book within a book, and experiencing A Study in Drowning all over again, except this time it almost felt like I was there with them. 🥹🥹🥹

I can tell that a lot of care and love went into the making of An Archive of Romance. 🤍🤍 It really was everything I hoped it would be, I loved every single page. The epilogue made me SOB!! 😭😭
If I could give this 6 stars I would 🤍

I missed these characters dearly and will continue to miss them until the end of time, I wish I could just crawl into this wonderful work of art and never ever come out again. 😔🫶🏼

[Rebekah McCallie Winter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored A Study in Drowning and A Theory in Dreaming, and Ava Reid is one of my favorite authors of all time. I love the idea of additional information on this world, these characters, and their love. The notes and articles are so cool and such a fun touch. The poems are lovely. Getting addition insight into Preston at Hireath? Loved it. Diary entries always feel so personal. And the epilogue? My heart. This series is everything.

[Vincent Villegas Rangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

When An Archive of Romance was first teased, I thought that it was going to be the full-length Angharad. So a companion novella instead was a bit of a disappointment, but I will, of course, read anything Ava Reid writes. This is a weird book to rate because it really isn’t a book, just a collection of bonus material that probably would have been better suited to inclusion in special editions. I did love Reid’s poetry and the extra snippets from Angharad, and the art was of course gorgeous. There’s more of a cohesive theme than I thought there might be (The politics of literary interpretations etc), but even that can’t quite keep this from feeling like a cash grab.

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ★— After finishing the finale of her duology, which gave the story a fitting end, it is such a treat to dive back into the interesting and intricate world Ava Reid has built through this novella!

The artwork and maps included here are gorgeous and I really enjoyed delving deeper into the poetry, stories, and characters that played a part in A Study in Drowning.

That said, this is not a traditional book. It is more of a supplementary piece filled with extra content. It features a variety of elements such as diary entries, illustrations, photographs, artwork, biographies, and more. These additions make the world feel richer and more lived-in while also giving greater insight into its inner workings and background.

The novella also includes an epilogue to A Study in Drowning as well as some very sweet content related to the ending of A Theory of Dreaming.

I highly recommend this to anyone who cannot get enough of the series and enjoys Ava Reid’s world-building and lyrical prose in general!

________________________________________________

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Mary Argetsvell · Rating 4 out of 5]

The quality of the sketches, excerpts from journals and academic papers, newspaper clippings, and the epilogue at the end left me pleasantly surprised and excited to see this in print when it's released. I enjoyed journeying back through Effy and Preston's journey across A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming and getting the chance to see inside their heads some more and study the materials they interact with across the books.

One thing to keep in mind if you're interested in this novella is that it is best read after the other two books as it contains spoilers and I can't imagine it being easy to follow without the background from the duology. Even with that in mind, it was important to keep an eye on the headings of various pages. We would sometimes shift from one poem to another, or from one scholarly essay to another, at the turn of a page with little preamble or indication beyond slight differences in the yellowing of the paper it was printed on.

Overall, this was highly enjoyable and almost gave the feel of an overly impressive Pinterest board made by the characters for the first two thirds with the final portion being their epilogue. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read An Archive of Romance in exchange for an honest review.

[Lauren Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava Reid be like: I’m going to write this cute little companion novella with pictures that goes along with my other two novels in the series and I’m still going to sound smarter than 99.9 percent of the population.

[Hajar]

واقعا خوشگله

[Mukireads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh another masterpiece, another ode to love by Ava Reid.

The problem with being a fan of Ava Reid’s and reading most of their books is that one starts running out of words to express how their books makes them feel.

Ava Reid’s talent lies not only in their wonderful writing but also in their capacity to tell very intimate stories that feel very universal; the part of me that feels like Effy feels so seen, so cared for, so loved in Ava Reid’s writing. An Archive of Romance is a celebration of love, Effy and Preston’s love, but it is also in my opinion a celebration of Ava Reid’s love for all her characters and literature.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the the ARC!

[hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella is beautiful and I can't wait to see it in person when it releases! If you love A Study in Drowning & A Theory of Dreaming you'll love this.. it's definitely for fans of these two stories. This feels like a special collectible with poems, journal entries, passages with annotations, letters & more from things mentioned in ASID and ATOD. My favorite parts were the journal entries and the ending epilogue! I was so happy to be back with Preston & Effy for a little again 🥹 Thank you so much HarperCollins for the arc.

[Arkasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

It always felt good to return to the world of A Study in Drowning, especially so close after finishing A Theory of Dreaming. An Archive of Romance provided documentation of Effy and Preston’s journey through events of the duology, complete with snippets of the in-world literary canons. The contents of this book were complementary to the novels, at times they could be superfluous, but mostly they enriched the worldbuilding and it was a satisfying experience for me to see how the in-world literature works thematically echo each other. The third part of this book included a new, very short story which I found very endearing.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely presentation, but an underwhelming read. This companion novella does have some truly beautiful illustrations and a few interesting snippets such as a look at the week leading up to Effy and Preston's wedding. Unfortunately, the majority of the book is just the same excerpts from the previous two books republished, and I was expecting more of the "expanded and new text" advertised.