The Sleepless

by Jen Williams Narrated by Esme Lonsdale, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Overview

Godkiller meets Powerless in this epic gods-and-monsters romantic fantasy from British Fantasy Award-winning author Jen Williams.

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.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

'"In this duology opener, award-winner Williams’ rich worldbuilding supports an action-packed fantasy that features original character dynamics and a thoughtful exploration of themes of invisible prisons, lost identity, and belonging... A complex and riveting tapestry." - Kirkus (starred review)

"[A] compulsively readable and original YA fantasy." - The Guardian

"The Sleepless is a fresh, vibrant, uniquely compelling read filled with fascinating characters in a beautifully intricate world that I couldn't get enough of. I could not put it down." - Abigail Owen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Games Gods Play

Kirkus Reviews

★ 2025-06-13
Three lives unexpectedly collide when ruthless gods set them on a course to complete dangerous missions.

Brown-eyed, dark-haired Artair is one of the Sleepless, a monk whose body is occupied by the Other nightly. Black-haired Lucian Prideson, who has skin “the color of cream,” awakens in Artair’s body while the monk sleeps, but his own past remains a mystery. Unsure who he is or why his soul occupies another’s body, Lucian begins to sense a change coming, one that could release him from his captivity. When a mage to the Bloody Claw, a violent god, demands that Artair retrieve a monster from the Jih Forest, which is located in a land controlled by the Queen of Serpents, the monk is forced out of the safety of the monastery and into a world of monsters, both human and otherwise. Elver, a human orphan sacrificed to the Bloody Claw, has been transformed into a monster with poisonous skin by the Queen of Serpents and made to guard the Jih Forest. Ordered to rescue the jih monster that Artair has abducted, Elver, who’s “alarmingly pale,” with white hair and yellow eyes, must leave her familiar forest and reluctantly reacquaint herself with humans. Elver, Artair, and Lucian navigate complicated relationships as their paths entwine. In this duology opener, award-winner Williams’ rich worldbuilding supports an action-packed fantasy that features original character dynamics and a thoughtful exploration of themes of invisible prisons, lost identity, and belonging.

A complex and riveting tapestry.(Fantasy. 14-18)

Product Details

BN ID:	2940193582281
Publisher:	Macmillan Audio
Publication date:	09/30/2025
Edition description:	Unabridged

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