The Sleepless is a fast paced, romantasy about a guardian of the forest and a member of the sleepless. The sleepless are a group of beings that are human by day, but are inhabited by an evil spirit by night. Elver, the forest guardian, has skin that is poisonous to the touch. Here’s the catch: Altair, the sleepless, can touch Elver because he’s part evil spirit. When the two are forced to work together, a fantastical story emerges brimming with romance and tricky quests.
The concept of the sleepless is very interesting to me, and it was actually one of the main reasons why I requested this book. The magic system with the gods and Elver’s poisonous skin is another unique aspect of this book. I have very conflicting feelings when it comes to this book because on one hand, I really enjoyed the plot and the idea of it, but the execution that I was looking for wasn’t there. I couldn’t really connect to the characters, especially Altair, and once again, I’m wondering if I’m the odd one out because I like the “villain” better. I never really felt fully invested until the last sentence.

Features-
- Unique magic system
- YA
- Romance/fantasy
- Multiple POVs
- 3rd person
- Quests
- Secrets

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing me the opportunity to read this book. I requested this book based on the description alone and I was NOT disappointed. This story is dark and mysterious, epic and unpredictable. There’s magic, mages, mythical gods. It’s a story of living in your comfort zone afraid of unknown things and the journey to bring the unknown to light.The story is filled with fierce gods, long journeys, loveable and unlovable monsters, hope and friendship! All I had to go by was the description of the story and I absolutely loved it. Two boys one girl with the same goal and the fierceness of friendship (and more).

I really liked this book! I thought the magic was really unique and I loved the concept of The Sleepless, as I’ve never read anything like it before. I loved Elver’s relationship with both Altair and Lucien and seeing the differences between the two men. My only gripe with the book was that there was a lot of traveling and although that’s to be expected with a quest, sometimes it was a bit too slow for my taste. Despite that, I really did enjoy it over all and would recommend it for when it comes out!

I enjoyed the character development and world-building in this novel—seeing each deity’s temples, followers, rites, etc was interesting and well thought out. I think the love triangle could have used some work, unless a very young elementary to middle school audience was the target. I was expecting something a little more romantic, but maybe that was just me. Certainly, this novel is propelled by action, and I enjoyed the pace of the plot. But again, the character relations felt a little stunted and hard to become invested in.

This was…. Strange? I don’t even know. This was definitely not what I was expecting, and not in a great way. Love triangles are not my favorite anyway. But this was a love triangle I can barely describe, let alone enjoy. I think maybe I was not the intended audience. Which is weird because I read fantasy 😂 I think maybe the world building lacked descriptions that gave me a good picture and idea of what I was reading about, and when I can’t picture things- I am not able to be as invested.

The book started off really interesting, but as it went on I just couldn’t connect with the characters. I was excited for the concept of the book and how the love triangle was going to unfold between the sleepless. I wanted more back story to the serpent and the sleepless. It was kind of boring TBH. The cover of this book is beautiful and perhaps the second book will tie more ends together. The last line of the book makes me want to read the next one. I want to express my gratitude to Wednesday Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.

Fantasy novels have a special way of sweeping readers off their feet and transporting them into entirely new worlds — places where dragons soar, magic pulses through ancient forests, and heroes rise from the most unlikely places. This book is no exception. Rich in imagination and brimming with heart, it delivers an unforgettable tale that blends high-stakes adventure with deeply personal storytelling.

The world-building is one of the novel’s strongest assets. From the first page, readers are immersed in a universe that feels both vast and intimate.

Admittedly, fantasy is not my genre, but I felt like giving it a shot with this book! This one caught me by surprise with its dark, original world—gods, curses, possession, and a poisoned heroine who literally can’t touch anyone. The setup is unique, with Elver and Artair (plus his alter ego, Lucian) crossing paths on a quest that feels like it’s just scratching the surface of a bigger story.

The world-building is strong and intriguing, especially the way gods use humans more than help them. The characters didn’t fully click for me—Artair stood out, but Elver felt a bit inconsistent. Still, by the end, I was hooked enough to want book two.

If you like morally gray worlds, divine meddling, and slow-burn quests with a twist of romance, this one’s worth a read.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

I fell in love with Jen Williams' writing earlier this year when I read her Winnowing Flame trilogy, so when I saw there was a book of hers up on Netgalley, I immediately requested it. I was honored to be accepted, and pretty much immediately dived in. Right away, I can tell you that this series is targeted for a slightly younger audience, which is not a bad thing! It just feels different.

The Sleepless is about a young girl, Elver, who was sacrificed to a god. Another god then saves her, and turns her into something not-quite-human. Elver lives with the other monsters in a forest, perfectly content to never see another human. Until Artair shows up, and steals one of her monster friends. She goes on a mission to save the monster, and ends up promising to help Artair save his friends from certain death.

There's all sorts of twisty-turny bits in here, but I will say that I missed the deep dives into emotions and memories from the Winnowing Flame trilogy. Maybe we'll get there eventually in this series -- I do hope so. Elver, someone deliberately keeping away from other humans suddenly realizes what she's been missing out on. Both Elver and Ardair had awful things in their history, but we don't really feel them like we should. We get bits and pieces, but I know Williams can give us the hurt. She just held back for some reason.

The world building is extremely interesting, but it is unfortunately kept rather vague. I hope Williams will give us more in the next book, because I'm dying to know how this world is set up and who is actually ruling the world now. I'd also love to learn more about the other gods, and how they became what they are.

Overall, I really enjoyed this, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Four stars.

2.5 rounded to 3 because the concept is really cool, but the book itself just didn’t have the oomf it needed. A lot of it just fell flat. There wasn’t a lot of build up to the bigger moments, they just happened. It felt anticlimactic. I found myself struggling to finish it. My favorite character was the pup.

Thank you NetGalley, St Marten’s Press, and Wednesday’s Books for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Absolutely phenomenal – I’m obsessed!

I stayed up late because I couldn’t put it down!
This book completely swept me away. From the first chapter, I knew I was reading something special. The concept is so original—people who share their bodies with another soul? It’s wild and brilliant, and Jen Williams pulls it off perfectly.

Artair and Lucian’s dynamic is fascinating. The push and pull between them, the tension, the quiet moments of connection—it had me hooked. And then there’s Elver, who’s fierce, mysterious, and adds so much depth to the story. The way their relationships evolve is emotional, sometimes heartbreaking, and just so real.

The world itself is incredible. It’s dark, magical, and full of wonder. I could feel the danger in the forest, smell the smoke in the air, and imagine the eerie beauty of this god-haunted land. Every detail is lush and cinematic. I was right there with them on every step of the journey.

And the pace? Perfect. Action, heart, and twists all woven together with beautiful writing. I genuinely didn’t want it to end.

This is one of those books I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Jen Williams has created something truly magical here. I’m already desperate for the next book—The Sleepless is an absolute must-read.All the stars!!

*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Sleepless is a coming of age adventure that features two misfits. One that is no longer human and another that has two identities. It was a little challenging for me to get into the book at the beginning, so stick with it if you are like me. The book has themes of vengeance, loyalty, and betrayal. Middle school, young adult, and adult readers would enjoy this story. Young readers may also, but I know the elements of gruesomeness and unfairness would have been too upsetting to my own children. The sleepless within the story were an intriguing puzzle and I’m curious if the author will write a sequel that will unveil more of the mystery around other sleepless.

This book was provided to me by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 3.5/5 stars
I was intrigued by the concept of this book but ultimately I don’t think the story reached my high expectations. I felt a lack of development in the characters, setting, and plot. All three of those things were not bad but I think they lacked the depth to truly create a captivating fantasy world. I still finished this book and enjoyed it, but I wasn't running back to my kindle to pick it up. Maybe it was a lack of intensity? The villain of the story has dramatic views and takes extreme actions but there was a lack of intensity of the urgency of the quest and the slow burn love story going on. I’m torn because there was just such a missed opportunity to explore these characters and this world more but at the same time that means that the characters and the world were interesting enough for me to care about. At the end of the day I would not dissuade those interested in reading this book but I probably won’t be recommending it to anyone either.

Thank you NetGalley for an eARC of this book. I quite enjoyed this book! I was not sure if this was a standalone or a series and it is set up to have additional books, but it does end at a good point of the story. The story did leave me interested enough to want to continue the series when the other books come out.

This is a unique story involving gods, possession and curses. Elver is a child of the poisoned serpent which in turn makes her touch poisonous. She lives away from humans and prefers it that way as well. Artair is a monk who has spent most of his life being locked away from people due to his issue of being essentially possessed when he falls asleep. When he falls asleep Lucian emerges.

Artair’s world is flipped upside down by a mage and he is sent on a quest by her which places him across Elver’s path. Elver becomes invested in Artair’s quest and slowly they come to learn their quest may have bigger implications.

The world is interesting, I enjoyed the concept of the various gods and their mages/priests involvement. It also seems like more or a dark world, the gods are not necessarily on the human’s side and tend to use them. There is a little bit of a love triangle which is kind of one but not really. It personally did not bother me and I do not like love triangles. Now I’ll be curious to see how it plays out in other books.

The characters are maybe the weakest point of the book. I did not feel much of a connection to the characters except I felt that Artair was well fleshed out. Elver did not feel very consistent as a character and was not my favorite but I definitely liked her better at the end of the book rather than at the beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I would be interested to see where it is headed in the next book.

I enjoyed reading this book. There was a lot is suspense and intrigue to keep me from putting it down. I liked the magic system between the gods and their mages. While reading it, I appreciate how the author wrote her characters. I was able to feel how different each characters were. I like the relationship between Alatair and Elva, and Altair and Lucian. Sunya was a fun addition too.

The way I need this to be a series. I want more information on this world, I am so intrigued and I feel like the story has just begun.

The comparison to Powerless and Godkiller is something I definitely see, especially Godkiller. So if you liked that book, I would definitely check this one out. I love me a good spooky forest, bring back spooky forests in books!

And I felt like this was a super unique take on monsters and being monstrous. I don't want to give anything away, so I will not be explaining myself on that one. No spoilers allowed! The only hint you get is "evil alter ego." So fun!

I really enjoyed this book and will be keeping an eye out for more books by Jen Williams!

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

This story was written so beautifully that I wanted to take my time reading it. Jen Williams has created an entire world worth knowing, and Elvir was the character I was eager to learn more about. She's a fierce warrior, and she's a person who will do what they can to protect everything she knows and loves with her power of a poisonous touch. I plan to buy a physical copy once it's published for everyone to enjoy. I loved the romance between Elvier and Lucian. I wished the topic was touched more on that aspect.

When I reached the last page on my Kindle, I felt sad that the book was over. Jen, you are an amazing author, and I can't wait to read more from you.

Thank you, Netgalley and Wednesday Books, for allowing me to read this novel.

This book took a little time to pull me in, but once it did, I enjoyed the atmosphere. The descriptions were vivid, and the world felt immersive without being overly complicated. The writing felt somewhat simple at times. Effective in setting the scene, but lacking a bit of depth.

I did appreciate the lore. The magic was interesting, and I liked how everyday things were explained to someone unfamiliar with them. It’s always fun to see the mundane turned into something strange and fascinating from an outsider’s perspective The humor was good, dry in some places and playful in others. But a few times the language felt too modern for the world it built. Words like wonky and unhinged stood out in a way that didn’t quite fit. It felt jarringly out of place. Maybe that works for some readers, but for me, it took away from the otherwise folkloric feel of the story. That said, the God’s names were an unexpected delight. You had the typical names you’d expect like Vilon the Many Limbed or Trilot the Faceless. Then there was John Barleycorn. I’m not sure if that was meant to be as funny as it was, but I genuinely laughed every time he was mentioned.

While I liked the world, I didn’t really connect with the characters. They weren’t especially memorable and followed the familiar blueprint of YA fantasy protagonists. Competent, a little broody, and carrying just enough trauma to fuel the plot but not enough to make them truly complex. The dialogue often felt a bit juvenile, but I do acknowledge the FMC and MMC are pretty young. The romance was also non-existent. But I am assuming book 2 will continue this plot.

Around the 75% mark, my interest started to drift. Maybe it was the pacing, or maybe the novelty wore off, but I found myself less invested as it went on. Still, if you’re looking for a YA fantasy with strong worldbuilding, interesting magic, and a bit of humor, it’s worth picking up. I’d probably read the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for the ARC!

This is such a unique book. Gorgeous, stunning writing and a very unique world combine to create something that is at once breathtaking and a bit unnerving. Every page of this read dripped with something strange and interesting, which at times was a soothing balm and at times made chills race down my neck. Something about the way Jen Williams decided to write and untangle this story seemed on the very cusp of horror at times--this is a world I loved to read about but would hate to be part of. The villain(s) gave me such strong visceral reactions that I felt paralyzed even just reading about them.

I would not recommend this one for people itching for a strong romantic subplot, but rather for any readers craving a book that will stick with them for a long, long time because of the writing, the world, the lore, the magic, and the characters. I can't wait to see what else is in store for us!

P.S. If you played Dragon Age Veilguard and thought that the writers dropped the ball on exploring Lucanis's "two minds one body" reality...this will absolutely scratch that itch.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me access to this amazing eARC.

Elver, a girl whose life got completely turned around and is now the poisoned child of the Queen of Serpents. Made guardian to the forest of Monsters.
Artair, a Monk at a mountain monastery, one of the sleepless.. doomed to share his body with an evil spirit.
Lucian a fractured soul desperate to discover who he truly is and what memories there are to uncover.
Their paths converge and they set out on an adventure filled with excitement, vengeance and curiosity. A discovery of who they are as people and where they fit into the world that they were abruptly thrown into.

I loved this.. 4.75 🌟 IMHO. I have never read anything by Jen Williams but I do have a trilogy by her that I haven't gotten around to reading yet.. but after reading this, I really really want to get to those.
This was a quick, fun read. I loved the characters and how fleshed out they were, how you can tell that they were all completely different.
I appreciated that the fantasy names weren't entirely complicated like some books I've read, they were actually pretty easy to pronounce.
I loved the world building and how completely immersed I was that I actually had trouble falling asleep because I was just constantly thinking about this book.
The world was beautiful and the pacing was great, I was never once bored or annoyed with the characters. I loved them.
My biggest qualm about the book though, was the fact it wasn't long enough lol another thing I noticed which isn't really a big deal in the grand scheme of things was that up until approx. 60% I noticed that Elver doesn't seem to sleep. It's not mentioned. I'm assuming she does, in fact, sleep but the question is when.
It wasn't until a God meddled in her affairs that it was actually mentioned that she fell asleep. They eat but she doesn't sleep? lol regardless, I will definitely buy this when it comes out.. and the books that follow after it.
I'm now completely sad that it is over.
I miss you Elver 😭❤