I absolutely loved this book. The pacing was great, kept me interested, it was about saving a cute little cub which sung to me. I loved that she could talk to the animals.

Thank You to Netgalley and Macmillan Childrens Books for the opportunity to read and arc of this book.
First of all i want to say that i love this cover.
In this book we follow 3 characters, Elver who was saved by the Queen of Serpents(god) as achild and gifted a poison touch, Artair who spends his nights locked in a tower due to the influence of Lucian ("evil" spirit who inhabits Artairs body).
Elver is the protector of the monster forest and when Artair is sent to steal a keltraxia cub under Elvers protection the 3 embark on a quest together.
I really enjoyed this as we get to see a lot of the world this way and we learn a lot about the characters in this way as well which was great. I liked the unusual love triangle between the 3 with Artair and Lucian being in the same body and i also really liked the way Artair/Lucian are written as characters.
The keltraxia cub is just so cute and funny as well.
If there is another book i will definatly read it as i would like to see how the characters grow and where the go to from here.

A non-conventional love triangle where the love interests share a body.

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous forest of monsters. Saved from a sacrificial death by the Queen of Serpents, her skin poisons any human she touches. Artair is one of the Sleepless, cursed so when he falls asleep, an evil spirit takes over his body.
A mage holds his friends hostage and demands he steals a keltraxia cub from the forest. Elver is sent by her god to retrieve the cub.

The world building was really good. 12 gods, different followings, traits, practices.

The cub was definitely the best part of the story because yes Elver can understand the magical creatures and the cub is a snarky, curious ball of mischief.

This is very different to anything Jen has ever written before. It’s still got weird creatures, quirky characters, and found family - however, its tone is different. This is a Young Adult romantasy meaning the prose isn’t as pondering as her other books.

Despite this, I am impressed by how her writing changes to suit the genre and age.

I think I just wanted more. I think this is just because of it being YA and also due to its page length.
I also would have wanted more description as I couldn’t picture anything - especially unfortunate with such curious creatures.

Physical arc gifted by First Ink.

The Sleepless by Jen Williams is an engaging YA fantasy with a compelling premise, strong world-building, and an intriguing magic system. This was my first book by the author, and I was immediately drawn in by how effortlessly immersive the writing was—easy to follow yet rich in atmosphere.

The concept of The Sleepless is one of its biggest strengths. The idea of people harboring two souls—one waking while the other sleeps—is both fascinating and unsettling, creating a constant sense of tension. Artair/Lucien, in particular, is a standout character, as the duality of his existence makes for an emotionally complex and layered protagonist. The dynamic between him, Elver, and Lucien is compelling, though at times it felt slightly underdeveloped. There were moments where their interactions felt natural and engaging, but others where I wanted more depth and emotional weight behind their relationships.

The novel starts off strong, immediately pulling me into its world of gods, magic, and mystery. However, the pacing falters in the middle, slowing down in a way that made it harder to stay fully engaged. Fortunately, it picks back up in the final stretch, delivering a satisfying and well-executed conclusion.

The world-building is another highlight. Williams crafts a vivid setting, from the eerie monastery where The Sleepless are kept to the wild landscapes and bustling cities encountered along the way. Seeing the world through Artair’s innocence and Elver’s hardened perspective added an extra layer of depth, making the setting feel dynamic and lived-in.

While The Sleepless isn’t without its flaws—mainly the uneven pacing and occasionally forced character moments—it’s still a well-crafted and enjoyable fantasy read. The unique premise, engaging writing, and solid execution make it worth picking up, especially for fans of mythology-inspired magic systems and character-driven narratives. A strong 3.75 stars!

This was the first book from Jen Williams that I have read and I was not disappointed.

One of the things I liked the most were the relationship and dynamics between the characters Lucien, Elver and Artair.

The story starts really strong and it hooks you from the very beginning, but it kind of slows down toward the middle and I found it a bit difficult to go back to at points. Luckily the story picks up afterward leaving you with a good feeling in the end.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the writing itself: the descriptions and world builing were beautiful. Overall a really lovely, easy to read YA novel. would 100% recommend.

This was my first book from Jen Williams and I really liked how easy the writing is to understand and follow and found myself devouring this book rather quickly. I absolutely loved the world building that we are introduced to also how everything was plotted out and crafted from start to finish.

The beginning of the book started really strong for me and I found the concept behind the story so intriguing but I will say towards the middle it started to slow down in pace and I found it a little hard to keep me engaged at times. I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationship between Elver, Artair and Lucien and though at certain moments it felt a little forced or underdeveloped I did really enjoy their interactions together.

While there were moments that let it down for me it was still a solid YA Fantasy read with a really unique concept and beautiful worldbuilding.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review this before publication, these are my honest thoughts.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all of its little fantasy elements mixed in with an original but yet familiar mythology and god based magic system.
The world never stumbled! We had so many different locations (a physical quest allows us to see lots of the land) and I love the wild woods and then the busy town and how we see it through Artair’s naivety and Elver’s cynicism.
I love trhe Sleepless – people who have two souls inside them and when one goes to sleep the other wakes up. It is a very Jekyll and Hyde style situation but neither of the souls have any control over it. The Sleepless are kept inside a monastery guarded by archers because their secondary souls are a danger to society. Artair/Lucian was just perfect and honestly I need more double soul love interests in my fantasy reads because why not?

Once again, Jen Williams has created a world and a story and knocked it out of the park for what I expected.

Elver is a young woman who has suffered the worst of humankind's cruelty and comes out of it to find a simple life living in the forest of Monsters. Artair is a young man who has been locked away for the safety of everyone around him, after all when he falls asleep bad things happen. Fate has woven the lives of these two people together, to save a young monster and maybe the world. But does the human world deserve to be saved by those it vilifies?

This is another wonderfully rich fantasy world from the mind of Jen Williams. She has brought it off the page so artfully that it lives in your mind as you cheer her lead characters along their paths. The characters are complex, full, flawed, and sweet and are brought to life in realistic ways. A wonderful step into the young adult arena that many are going to love.

The Sleepless is Jen Williams first tale for an YA audience and after reading and LOVING her previous adult series I couldn't wait to get my hands on this... and it didn't disappoint. Fast paced and full of magic and monsters I couldn't stop turning the page.

Introducing a world full of gods and monsters who roam the world alongside mortals and whose games and arguments often get people caught in the crossfire. The Sleepless follows Elver a guardian of the forest, who was once human, Artair a boy who's freedom was taken away when it was discovered he was one of the sleepless whose body is shared with a evil spirt and Lucian the one who awakes when Artair sleeps. They are complex characters who find themselves constantly questioning what it means to be monstrous. Is one monstrous merely because of what they are, or is it there actions which make them so. I adore Elver, her rage at the world feels real, she's complex and I couldn't stop wanting to find out what would happen next.

The villain felt real, as did their motivations though the actions were wrong you can understand what drove them into the darkness. Overall, the I adored this tale, I loved the gods and the magic system, the world was intricate and well developed and I found myself drawn into the plot in a way that just wouldn't let up.

There are so many wonderful elements to this book; beautiful writing, solid world building, interesting characters and a truly unique magic system.

The world itself is probably the strongest hitter here, it felt immersive and interesting, and I love the idea behind the magic system and the gods in this world

Unfortunately, there were just a few bits that pulled my rating down.

The plot ends up being a little meandering – while I understand the need for the side quests, ultimately, they made the primary goal feel unimportant as there was little sense of urgency or pace around it. It was hard to feel the time crunch for the goal when there were constantly other tasks leading us astray.

My biggest gripe though is the lack of romantic spark. While I enjoyed the characters, it felt like we never got to see them truly connecting. It seemed that we kept getting glimmers of this romance and tension but it was always snatched away too soon, which ultimately meant the romance didn’t feel particularly believable. I wish we had seen more of them connecting and more tension here.

Overall, this was an enjoyable YA Fantasy that was a solid read. It was very obvious to me that the author is a seasoned professional and someone who knows their craft. While this might not have hit the spot for me, it has definitely made me interested to see what else Jen Williams has created.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC

Elver, an orphan, has been bought as a sacrifice to a God. Dropped into a sea of writhing serpents to her death, she is saved by another God and given the gift of life with a unique ability to communicate with the jih (magical creatures). She is also poisonous to anyone through touch so has never felt closeness with humans.

‘Welcome home, poison child.’

Athair is one of The Sleepless and lives within a monastery that keeps him safe behind bars at night. While he sleeps the evil thing possessing him awakens causing chaos.

When their unlikely paths cross, what chaos will reign.

This is another unique World and magic system from one of my favourite authors. Jen Williams has the ability to build characters with complex back stories that you become so attached and addicted to the pages. This is the beginning of an exciting new series and I can’t wait to see where it takes us.

Thank you to Jen Williams and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Alas, this one was not for me! The characters and plot never fully came together for me and I found myself struggling to continue reading. Despite this, I do want to note that the writing was absolutely gorgeous and there's a ton of creativity on display here - I would be interested in reading more from this author in the future. My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance.