Review: The Sleepless by Jen Williams

I received this book via the publisher Wednesday Books. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

The Sleepless by Jen Williams
Series: Sleepless Duology #1
Published by Wednesday Books on 2025-09-30
Age Range: 13+
Length: 336 pages
Reviewing eARC from the publisher Wednesday Books
Rating:
Reading Challenges: #NGEW2025, 2025 New Release Challenge

Godkiller meets Powerless in this epic gods-and-monsters romantic fantasy from British Fantasy Award-winning author Jen Williams. DELUXE EDITION - featuring beautiful sprayed edges and a custom foil case stamp. Order your copy while supplies last!

Welcome to a world where gods and monsters roam the earth . . .

Elver is the guardian of the wild and dangerous monster forest. Saved from the brink of death by a god, her skin will poison anyone she touches.

Artair is on a mission - one that takes him face-to-face with Elver at her most ruthless. But her defenses are useless when she discovers he's the only human impervious to her deadly gift. For Artair isn't human: he's one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit.

Lucian inhabits their body while Artair sleeps, and he is hell-bent on manipulating Elver for his dark purposes. But Elver is harbouring secrets too, and she has her own reasons for feigning an alliance with these two souls.

Caught in the crossfire of gods, monsters, and a dangerous magic they can barely understand, it is only a matter of time before the paths the three of them choose to take will set alight the very foundations of their world.

With a love triangle like you’ve never seen it, incredible world-building, brilliant writing, and a dangerous quest, The Sleepless will have you spellbound.

The Sleepless by Jen Williams is the first book in a YA romantic fantasy duology featuring a dangerous quest and two unlikely heroes. The story quickly grabbed my attention as we meet Elver, a young orphan who has been selected for a sacrifice to one of the twelve gods. But the sacrifice is saved, and a story unlike any I’ve read before begins.

Elver is one of our main characters. At a young age, she was sacrificed to the Bloody Claw in an effort to rid the city of serpents. However, she was saved by the Queen of Serpents who changed her into a jih and guardian of her monsters. Irrevocably changed, Elver’s touch is now poison. She’s lived in the jih forest ever since, content to know and protect the jih spirits who live there. Until one day, a human crosses into the forest and abducts a kit from his mother. Reentering the human world, Elver is on a mission to return the kit to its mother and kill the human dumb enough to take it.

Then enters Artair. He is one of the Sleepless, cursed to share his body with an evil spirit. When he falls asleep at night, his body remains awake and the spirit, known as Lucian, controls him. Because of his condition, Artair lives with monks, devoted to others like him. He spends his days working and his nights in solitude until the mistress of the Bloody Claw takes everyone away, leaving a message for him. If he will capture a specific monster from the jih forest and bring it to her, she will release the ones she took. This brings him into Elver’s crosshairs and starts their quest.

As the story unfolds, Elver and Artair begrudgingly work together, finding that their goals are common. For Elver, she can have revenge on the woman who sacrificed her, and Artair can get the monks back. However, as they cross through their country, it becomes increasingly clear that the two have more in common than they realize, especially once Elver meets Lucian, Artair’s evil other half. The world-building here is phenomenal. I loved the intricate system of gods and monsters, how they are both worshipped and feared.

Overall, I enjoyed The Sleepless. The plot really drives the story, which is full of action and danger. Elver, Artair, and Lucian’s relationship is complex and woven in a way that will keep you guessing right to the very end. Highly recommend it for fans of epic fantasy.

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