It took me about 20% to get fully invested into this story, also because the main characters don't meet for a while. But once I did get hooked, I was really enjoying it. I loved the audio format with the two different narrators!! plus the cute baby cub! I will say some of it got a little confusing and maybe I missed something or something trying to multitask. But overall, I really enjoyed this audiobook! I am curious to see where it goes and will probably need to reread it via Kindle next time.

Solid 4 star book. I think for me it didn’t seem too YA (thank goodness). Really I wanted more at the end. Since this is a duology I can’t wait for book 2!

Also the audiobook was great. Esme Lonsdale and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith (who also does the Rivers of London books, which are great) are amazing in narrating this book.

While I enjoyed this book and it's unique love triangle, I just didn't find it very memorable. It's been a few weeks since I finished the audio (great narration) while I was on vacation, and I'mnot able to remembera whole lot. That's not to say I didn't thoroughly enjoy the listen though. Fan's of YA fantasy will enjoy this. The main characters are well-developed, and the story is cohesive. I was sometimes confused about the magic system and "monsters" in the book, but since this is part of a series, I think these will be explored and explained more thoroughly in the next book. I found myself rooting for the "bad guy." Overall, I would definitely continue with this story, but would hope that book two comes with a little refresher.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Net Galley for an ARC of this story. I liked The Sleepless. I think the supporting characters were interesting and I'd like to learn more about them. It is an epic adventure with a twisty romance. The world building was vivid. The Sleepless moved at a swift pace and kept my interest. I would like to read more in this world.

I really enjoyed Sleepless — the premise is fascinating, and the story hooked me right from the start. While the book doesn’t feel completely self-contained and leaves several threads unresolved, I see that as a positive because it hints at more to come. The world and characters are intriguing enough that I’m eager to continue with the series if future installments are released. I’d definitely read more from Jen Williams.

Thank you St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Sleepless. The mixture of environmental rights, religious trauma, cult-like structures, and a society that is hanging on by a thread was so well done. The main characters were relatable and you can sympathize with them, even if you don't agree with their actions. I liked that Williams wasn't afraid to push the boundaries of what the characters were going to do, but at the same time, gave them strong moral lines that they can't cross (the circus, for example). I think this book should be on any fantasy lover's TBR for 2025.

This was an okay listen. While the premise sounded interesting I found that the story didn't really Holden my attention. The narration was good.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me an audio-ARC of the Sleepless in exchange for review.

3.5 stars

This was a fun very standard fantasy book. It still held my interest even though there are many out there with a similar vibe. Though this did have some new aspects you don’t often see that were super interesting.

I loved the Artair/Lucian day night switch. I deeply hope that’s more explored in book two!! Anytime Lucian was involved I was dialed in because he’s the most interesting and my favorite character aside from a cutie lil cub in a bag.

There’s so much left in the air and I wish I could immediately jump into book 2!

Elver is a great FMC (we love a woman with a tragic backstory). The plot I feel was overall standard but the characters are really what shines in this book and does make up for that.

The narrators are also amazing. I love spending my time listening to accents and both were great and very compelling, a lot of emotion and heart was put into this audiobook!

Thank you! I’ll definitely keep this on my list so I can see how it concludes when book 2 is released.

Well, I’m just finding myself disappointed with this.

The Sleepless has such a great set up and magic system but unfortunately I found myself really bored by the actual book and plot. There wasn’t a lot of pay off at the end to make the slowness of the rest of the book worth it.

These characters had the potential to be amazing; a twice dead girl, a boy who becomes a demon when he sleeps?!? Cmon! I think this suffers from every single character being the same type of serious and brooding.

2.25 Thank you #macaudio2025, Jen Williams and Netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this ALC.
I wanted to badly to love this book, the concept sounded so interesting and unique and the cover was absolutely stunning but truth be told, the characters felt barely two-dimensional, the banter wasn't there, and the narration tried to do a bit too much for me. It felt almost over-acted/over-performed which is typically not the impression I get from Macmillan Audio productions. For me, this one was a miss.

The magic and world building was pretty good and the two-souls-one-body I loved and was something different. The story was also unique but unfortunately I was never hooked. There were parts I really enjoyed and then other parts just dragged. The narrators weren’t bad, but also wasn’t top notch. Even though it wasn’t completely amazed, I’ll be reading book two because I need to know what happens, cus that ending 👌🏽. I think it’s going to be better than book one.

Love triangle
Enemies to lovers
Slow burn
Magic
Monsters

Side note. I ended up borrowing the physical and audio copy and was doing both at the same time, but the beginning part of the book didn’t match up to the audio. So if I wasn’t reading it, I probably would’ve missed a lot. Not sure if the download didn’t work right or not..
Thank you NetGalley

DNF @ 12%

I unfortunately did not connect with this book. I was interested in the concept of two beings in one body, the romance, and the magic, but found the story unable to hold my interest.

From what I did read/listen to I did find the world building and magic really interesting so I would recommend this to readers that enjoy YA fantasy with an intriguing world!

I also do think that the voices for the narration were enjoyable!

YA romantasy that wants to be in conversation with Godkiller, but gets pulled back too much by its own adherence to general YA tropes. There are a number of things it does well, namely generally fun worldbuilding and an interesting setup in having Artair and Lucian share a body and the mystery behind that. The rest is fairly standard - not bad by any means, but not enough to make it stand out for me. I think if you're in the mood for a YA road trip quest romantasy, this will be right up your alley. For me, a lot of what I found standard and predictable might be comforting and familiar tropes mixed with the interesting worldbuilding for another reader.

The twists were a big shrug to me (and I will say that the voice Holdbrook-Smith chooses for some of the characters in the climactic scene made it difficult to understand, to the point I picked up the ebook version at times), but I did think this was a more interesting way to do a YA love triangle, with some interesting implications for what might happen in the next book.

3.5⭐️

I was lucky enough to receive the alc and arc for this book. I love immersive reading, especially with a fantasy book. I did enjoy the sleepless however I was struggling to get into it I'm a big mood reader so I think that was my problem.
With that being said I will say the narrators did a good job! And I enjoyed the author's writing style I will definitely have to read more from her.

Would recommend to anyone that loves God's, monsters and a love triangle different from all the others!

** Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this ALC And ARC**

Twisty, turny, and a different take on a love triangle

The premise of the book is very interesting and is what reeled me in. A guardian of a monster forest and a cursed man who shares his body with an evil spirit?!! Uhh yes please!

Unfortunately, I didn’t fall in love with the story or the characters the way I had hoped, and at times I struggled to stay engaged 😣. There were parts that definitely grabbed my attention though. Elver and Lucian had an interesting dynamic, and Artair’s regard for Lucian was definitely on brand for someone in his situation. I mean imagine going to sleep only for someone else to take over. Someone who you’re to make sure never gets out 😬

I think the narrator’s did a good job, it’s just the story didn’t connect with me

If you like YA books with a twisty storyline, quests, Gods, and monsters, you may enjoy the The Sleepless

This one was interesting because it was different than most fantasy books I've read. I enjoyed the plot and was intrigued by the strange love triangle, but unfortunately, found myself often bored and distracted. When the storytelling did grab my attention, it held it firmly, but then it would become dull again. I wasn't really fully invested in any of the characters enough to be fully invested in the story. While I found the story, as a whole, entertaining, it wasn't enough for me to read the second book.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an early copy of this audiobook! All opinions are my own!

I was not ready for how much I loved this book, but it was such a delightful read! I think it was the worldbuilding that caught me to begin with, but then I fell in love with the characters and their journeys and the rest was history!

I absolutely adore the two-souls-one-body piece of this story and the way that it was executed. It was leveraged for maximum development for all characters involved, and even though a couple of things were predictable, it was still enjoyable and made the everything so much more meaningful. And the way it factors into the romance....chef's kiss!

There was so much depth to this story as well, and I loved diving into that along with the worldbuilding. From the truth of the villainy to the wonders of the gods, this was a colorful read from start to finish!

This was a really strong start to this story, and I cannot wait to see what comes next! You won't want to miss out!

I really enjoyed the book itself. The magic system and worldbuilding is fantastic and I really got invested in the characters' journeys. Lucian was definitely my favorite. The love triangle was definitely unique and I absolutely loved it. I'm so hoping there will be a second book because the ending definitely left me wanting to know what happens next.

The narration, however, was a mixed bag. The narrator for Elver's POV was great, no issues there. But the narrator for Artair/Lucian was not my favorite. He did a fine job of putting enough variation in his voice to differentiate between Artair and Lucian... I just personally did not like his narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio | Macmillan Young Listeners, & Jen Williams for an advanced reader copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early.

I’ll be fully transparent and admit that this book was not on my radar until I saw the audiobook on NetGalley. I had a feeling it was going to be a book that I preferred to listen to. Well…

I started with the audiobook and actually ended up finishing with the ebook. I was not a big fan of the narrator changes mid chapter. The narration is not first person so I didn’t really see the need to do that. I also didn’t love the male narrator’s voice. I thought he sounded too old for YA characters and while it wasn’t first person, I still felt like his voice didn’t really fit with the other narrator. I enjoyed her voice a lot and felt she fit the age of the character well.

As for the actual story, it was very interesting and had some great twists and turns. The love triangle was different than anything I had seen before as well.

I would definitely read the sequel because I really want to know what’s going to happen to everyone and this book left me wanting more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was so eager to be approved for this ALC and it hasn't disappointed! I love the narration and the story is amazing.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for the ALC