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.
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.
An Archive of Romance will be released on December 9, 2025.
I loved A Study in Drowning and A Theory of Dreaming, and this installment reads exactly how I hoped it would: like a scrapbook Effie and Preston might have put together, or simply a bound-up version of what might be lying on their desks. Separated into three sections—two containing documents from the books of the duology, and another containing a short story that takes place afterward—it very much feels like an archive that sits perfectly alongside the previous books, and I enjoyed every moment of it.
I read an e-ARC, and I have a feeling the finished book for this one is going to be absolutely gorgeous; I already felt like I was paging through a scrapbook of Effie and Preston’s collected recollections, and I just know that it’s going to be an even more beautiful finished product. I also loved seeing Effie’s drawings. I’m always a fan of illustrations in books, and these ones truly felt like a peek into Effie’s mind at different points during the duology. Possibly the highlight of this volume for me, though, was the excerpts from Angharad, which were every bit as beautiful and immersive as I guessed from the scraps throughout the duology. While I know it’s unlikely, I would love to see Ava Reid’s take on the entire story of Angharad out in the world one day.
Highly recommended!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
