3.5 stars ✨

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan audio and Wednesday books for my ARCs💚


The book starts on quite a journey with Elver a poison child of the god of death the rest of her life out in the forest protecting the gods children she has created… till one child is kidnapped and Elver comes face to face with Artair the kidnapper the only human ever to survive her touch… it leads to grand adventures and lots of realizations about each other!

The book has a really unique trope just expect the unexpected and kind of think of the Spider-Man meme when you do read this book sorry to be so vague

Otherwise, I did enjoy it. It did get slow in the middle, but the beginning in the end really had me hooked. I like a book that you go on adventure sometimes the books with only challenges and hardships and one single area get kind of old so I did really enjoy Going to different parts of this world.

I am excited for Book too. I think it’s gonna be 10 times better than Book one because we get a lot of answers and definitely more adventurous side quests!!

If you enjoy monsters myths with YA aspects, you will really like this book !

Elver, a forest guardian, has a deadly touch. Artair, one of the sleepless, shares his body with a demon. He is Artair by day and Lucian by night; at night a dangerous spirit overtakes his body. When their paths cross one night they initiate an unsteady alliance when they discover they must travel together. As they begin their journey, a very complicated and unique love triangle emerges.
This was a truly unique story and a very interesting premise. It was a really strong start but I had to relisten to some middle chapters because I lost focus. I love a good love triangle and I think this was well done. The magic system felt new and unique. The Cub made this story for me, absolutely loved him! The ending had me sitting up and I am interested in seeing how this ends.
I love a dual narration! The narrators were easy to understand, even when changing the speed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC!

This book was the most pleasant surprise! I absolutely loved it. I couldn't put it down! It's a super unique premise that worked so well. "Made by a God, falling for a Monster" is the book's tagline and what pulled me in. Please add this to your fall TBR!

The story has three POVs. First you have Elver. She was an ordinary human girl who was sacrificed to the sea serpents. She was saved from death by a god who replaced her blood with poison. Elver's sworn duty is to protect the wild beings of the forest. Artair is the dashing hero type man. He has lived at a monastery for the last several years. He is willingly locked in his room every night and rejects the freedoms many others have to keep the world safe. He's not a normal human, he is a Sleepless. Lucian is the evil spirit that inhabits Artair's body and takes over when Artair is asleep. Is he really an evil spirit though and why do all three of their journeys have the same destination?

The characters, the world building, the creatures, the gods, and everything else was masterfully done. The story is a bit slow to get into as the world and story establishes itself, but it is well worth it. I am not usually a fan of love triangles, but this one!!! I'm all in on this one. And as others have said in their reviews-- the last line of the book! Ah!!

I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of the audiobook. The narrators were the perfect choice. The voices the male narrator does for all of the characters is fantastic. There is never a doubt of whether Lucian or Artair is narrating. I particularly enjoyed his choice of a voice for the god of trickery. I'm looking forward to listening to other books these two narrate, and PLEASE make sure they narrate the second book too!

I dnfd this. I tried I was so disappointed. I just couldn't get into it. Maybe it just wasn't for me.

This is a gods-and-monsters fantasy with teeth. Elver is instantly compelling: a girl cursed with poisonous skin, guarding a dangerous forest like something out of a half-forgotten fairy tale. You can feel the weight of her loneliness, her bitterness, and that tiny flicker of hope she tries to smother. Her dynamic with Artair—who can actually touch her, crackles from the start, and I found myself rooting for them even while I questioned whether I should.

Because, of course, Artair isn’t exactly a safe bet. He’s cursed too, sharing his body with Lucian, a chaotic, manipulative spirit who doesn’t stay politely in the background. The love triangle here is less "Team A or B" and more "Who’s going to betray who first, and how bad will it hurt when they do?" It’s twisted, intense, and never predictable. I liked that. It didn’t feel like romantic fluff thrown in to spice up a fantasy plot. It was the plot.

The world-building is dark and layered, without pages of info-dumping. You just feel the presence of the gods and monsters everywhere, half legend, half nightmare. The writing is sharp and immersive, but not flowery or overdone. It gets out of its own way and lets the story breathe.

If I had one complaint, it’s that I wanted a bit more emotional payoff at certain key moments. Some revelations hit hard, others felt slightly rushed, but maybe that’s just because I was fully invested and wanted to sit with the weight of those scenes a bit longer.

Overall: The Sleepless is moody, magical, and completely addictive. If you like morally complex characters, curses that go deeper than skin, and high-stakes emotional tension, give this one a go. It left me thinking about sacrifice, identity, and how sometimes your worst enemy might live in your own body.

I really liked the premise of this book, and really enjoyed it overall. Some points were a bit predictable, for example I knew when the girl was about to be thrown into the ravine that we would see that little boy again and that his story was probably sad.

I really liked the idea of the 12 gods all holding grudges and taking it out on their contemporaries human devotees too, that was particularly well done. I also loved how some of the gods actually got involved at the end, I’m hoping that continues in book two which I will definitely pick up.

This was my second time reading the story, and I’m still obsessed with it. A truly twisted love triangle in a tale of revenge, but also of kindness. A world full of politics, magic, and people just trying to survive in it.

I was lucky enough to receive both an eARC and this ALC for this book and I have to say, while I really loved the ebook, I think this audiobook just elevates the whole experience. The narrators are doing an amazing job, with different voices for different characters, and it really felt like they were these characters they were portraying.

I will be posting a review to my socials closer to the publishing day.

Absolutely loved the story. The audio was ok. I wasn’t really meshing well with the narrators. But they did a good job and told the story well

The Sleepless is a YA fantasy book with hint of romance. I found the romance pretty lowkey, this is definitely more fantasy-focused rather than romance-focused. The world is interesting but fairly simple - there are gods and mages that serve the gods, but only a few of the gods/their minions are shown. The concept of the Sleepless, people who are possessed by a spirit when they sleep or fall unconscious, was particularly interesting. While I enjoyed the characters, I do wish they had a bit more depth. There were some interesting conflicts set up between the characters, but I don’t feel like they were explored as much as they could have been. I think this book is definitely approachable for a young adult audience, but I found myself wishing the book just had a bit more to it.

I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by two narrators, a man (who narrates Artair’s and Lucian’s chapters) and a woman (who narrates Elver’s chapters). While I think both of the narrators did a good job, I think I would’ve liked it better if there had only been one. Since there are two narrators that alternate between chapters, all of the characters are voiced by both of the narrators at Ken point or another, but the tone each of the narrators uses is a little different. To me, this made some of the characters come across differently depending on who was narrating a scene. This wasn’t a huge problem, but it was something I noticed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me a copy of the audiobook in exchange for my unbiased review.

I’m not sure how I feel about the narrators right now. I did enjoy the plot of the book, for sure, and it kept me hooked from start to finish. I do like the female narrator, though, because she sounds more like a teenager, which I feel is needed.

I’m not sure of the male narrator, as I’m really unsure how old some of the main characters are, such as Lucien. I think Lucien is meant to be older, like, maybe 20s, but I’m not totally sure.

I did like the twists and turns in this book and felt like the love triangle is perfect. I feel like this would have made a great adult novel as well but that’s just me. I would have loved to see some smut but, again, that’s just me.

I work third shift and listen to audiobooks while I’m out and about to further my books. I listened to this book instead of going to bed so I could find out how the book ended. That should show you how good the book is. lol

As much as I know Lucien is perhaps “evil”, as Artair keeps calling him, I did start feeling bad for Lucien. I also started feeling bad for Elver, even though I didn’t like her at first. I’m not sure what made me dislike her but here we are.

Now, I will say, I haven’t read either “Godkiller” or “Powerless” so I’m not sure how the blurb faces up to those books. If anyone who has read either or both of the books I just mentioned, please comment below because I’d love to discuss them!

Yes, I’d absolutely recommend this book if you’re looking for a good YA fantasy novel with a great love triangle. I was almost sad when I finished the book, which I don’t enjoy, but I know it’s the sign of a great book.

She’s falling for the monster within him, and that’s all you need to know. This book was not what I expected and it was so good. The world-building is beautifully crafted. The mythology and magic are intriguing and truly unique. I loved the romantic buildup and the animal sidekick was so fun. I’m already anticipating a reread of this book.

I also listened to this one on audiobook and the dual narration fit so well with this story.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Artair is one of The Sleepless, a human whose body is inhabited by an evil spirit that takes over when he sleeps. When the monastery where he lives is attacked and his fellow novices are taken by a mage dedicated to the Bloody Claw, Artair is told he can save them by bringing the mage a cub from the monster forest. But when Artair takes the cub, he's pursued by Elver, the guardian of the forest and a spirit dedicated to the Serpent Queen. When Elver realizes Artair is after the same mage who sacrificed her to sea serpents as a child, she decides to team up with him to get her revenge.

I really wanted to love this one just on the premise of a love triangle where both MMCs inhabit a single body. I think there was a lot of potential, but it just felt like it fell flat in some places.

Elver is a 17-year-old girl who was purchased from an orphanage when she was 12, killed in a blood sacrifice to a god, and turned into a spirit by another god. She's lived the last 5 years in a spirit forest, only interacting with humans to scare them off from her new home. Despite this, she seems to know an awful lot about the inner workings of the city she used to live in, including the different temples and how they influence city politics.

While I loved the FMC's interactions with Lucian, and especially how her powers help him to regain his memories, I didn't feel that there was really any chemistry between them or between her and Artair. Of the MCs, Lucian had the most depth, and it was mostly because of the mystery that surrounds him and how he became one of The Sleepless. I actually thought some of the side characters were more interesting than most of the MCs.

I did, however, enjoy following Elver and Artair on a number of side quests to reach their ultimate goal, and the reveal of Lucian's true identity was unexpected and made for some good drama near the end of the story.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Esme Lonsdale and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith. This one isn't done in duet so both had to narrate for each other's characters during their chapters. They were both enjoyable to listen to and did a good job creating unique voices for each character.

Read if you like:
Love triangle
Magical animal companion
Meddling gods
Lost memories
Side quests
YA fantasy
Multi-POV

The Sleepless is the story of two characters who have formed in separate crucibles to become jaded, choiceless pawns in a world of gods, magic, and power grabs.

Artair and Elver team up, despite their animosity, to save the lives of some innocents and grow closer in the process. Artair is immune to Elver's deadly touch, and Elver forms a relationship with the parasitic soul, Lucian, who emerges when Artair is asleep. Elver ends up developing feelings for both men. The story line is a bit of an RPG where each quest waypoint tacks on another task, so its a bit of a never ending journey.

This story ends on a cliffhanger, and I can't wait to read the next installment!

Great audio narration!

I really loved the magic and god system of this novel - really unique compared to other fantasy books I’ve read! The Serpent Queen was a very interesting and complex character, AND I loved the Cub - what a little cutie pie!

This book took a hot minute to pull me into the story and when I was in it, I didn’t have a lot of drive to finish the story or to pick it back up again when I took a break. I’m not sure where the disconnect was for me with this book because there are so many interesting elements to this story. We’ll see if I pick up the second book in this duology when it releases…

Thank you NetGalley for the arc of this book!

I first spotted The Sleepless while browsing a UK bookstore—the cover immediately caught my eye. When I later saw it on NetGalley (before its US release), I thought: perfect! Sadly, this one didn’t fully live up to my expectations, though I can see how others might love it.

This dark fantasy drops us into a world of cults, gods, and curses. It opens with Elver, a 12-year-old girl sold by an orphanage to be sacrificed—yikes. She’s saved by the Serpent Queen, a goddess of monsters, but in return, her blood becomes poisonous. If anyone touches her, they burn—or worse. Shen then becomes the fearsome guardian of a deadly forest, and she is okay with that.

Five years later, we meet Artait, who is a Sleepless; a person who shares their body with an otherworldly beings. Believed to be demons, these “others” are locked away during sleep to prevent chaos. But really, they’re lost souls who’ve wandered into human vessels. He has been living like a monk with other Sleepless.

Artair shares his body with Lucian, a mysterious soul with no memory and a deep urge to escape. Both Artair and Lucian begin to fall for Elver, forming an unusual love triangle—two souls sharing one body, and one girl. They also happen to be immune to Elver’s touch.

My biggest struggle was the audiobook. While Esme Lonsdale did well, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith voicing female characters felt jarring early on. It pulled me out of the story and nearly made me DNF at 30%, but I stuck with it.

The world-building was intriguing (cult politics, monster gods), but the pacing was uneven, and the characters felt emotionally distant. This is definitely for readers who enjoy slow-burn, introspective fantasy with rich atmosphere.

3.5
The sleepless is a YA Fantasy following three characters, Elver a resurrected young woman with a poison touch, Altair a young monk, and Lucien a mysterious individual stuck in Altair’s body that takes control of it while he sleeps. When the evil mother mora takes over the monastery that houses the sleepless, individuals like Altair who house another spirit in their body, he finds himself sent to steal a monster where he runs into elver who wants the young monster returned because it belongs to her god. She eventually reluctantly agrees to help Altair save his friends and the two set off on a quest.

This was an interesting one, I enjoyed the world building and the concept of warring gods. I wish we had gotten a bit more time with Elver building her relationship with Altair and Lucian. Overall a really solid book.

2.75⭐️ Rounded up to 3.

In a fantasy world made up of monsters and humans, The Sleepless had all of the elements to be an incredible story. The beginning started off so strong with a young orphan girl named Elver who is intended to be used as a sacrifice but is saved by the Queen Of Serpents. She swaps her blood with poison turning her from a human orphan to something entirely different. Elver goes on to become a guardian of the monster forest. Artair’s character was also another super cool concept, human by day Sleeper by night.

The world building, magical system, gods and character descriptions were very interesting, I thought the actual writing was good as well. The beginning pace started off fast and strong but I really started to lost my interest towards the middle. I also wish the characters personalities were more three-dimensional. Towards the end of the book I lost interest and was ready to close the book and be done.

I decided to round up my rating because even though I might not be the targeted audience for this book I think that a younger audience will probably enjoy this.

As far as the audio production goes I really enjoyed the soothing voices of the narrators. The audio definitely helped me to move along in the story. I highly recommend the audio.

Ok , so I would said that when i started i was a bit confused of what the books was about as i went in blind. But as it progressed i got more interested. Definitely enjoyed immensely. I love the magical world and how there is humans and gi (monsters) .
The two main characters or I might said 3 to be more real. Are amazing. The dual pov was great and easy to follow. I really enjoyed the whole journey of the book and the ending I need more . Definitely exited for the next book i cant wait.
Now on the audio as this was also an audio arc aside of the digital. Which helped greatly I could switch between both when i need it and well amazing. The narrators did an amazing job and it was so easy to follow . Definitely marvelous. Loved how you can tell Lucian easily for Artair. Overall enjoyed the audio as much as the book as a whole. Will be recommending for sure

I recently listened to The Sleepless by Jen Williams on audiobook and was immediately drawn into the story. The narration was excellent—both narrators did a great job—but I especially enjoyed the richness and depth of the male narrator's baritone voice, which added a powerful atmosphere to the storytelling.

One of the things I really appreciated about this book was how it didn’t start with heavy world-building. Instead, it threw me right into the plot, letting the details of the world unfold naturally through the characters and their experiences. This immersive approach made it feel like I was discovering the world alongside them, which kept me fully engaged from the start.

The characters—Elver, Artair, and Lucien—are all compelling in different ways, and I’m excited to follow their stories further. There’s clearly so much more to learn, especially about the intriguing and mysterious Twelve Gods that shape the world they live in. I can't wait for the next installment to dive deeper into their journeys and the mythology behind this unique world.

Thank you to Jen Williams, Macmillian Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this! Great combination of cozy vibes with a high-stakes plot. This is the second book I've read by Jen Williams. The writing just flows so well and it's very easy to settle into. The audiobook narrators, Esme Lonsdale and Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, were both phenomenal. They added so much more personality to these characters and the various other characters they voiced. Animal companions will always be the way to my heart, but the companion in this is so full of personality that I fell in love instantly. I thought the magic system was unique, interesting, and explained really well. I was particularly interested in the Sleepless and Altair's relationship with Lucian. Speaking of characters... Elver is such a great character and compliments Altaire's personality so well. I'm really interested to see how both characters (and a few others) grow and progress in the next book.