M.R. Carey the writer behind the million-copy bestseller The Girl with All the Gifts and comic runs like Lucifer and X-Men, delivers an interesting and original tale in Once Was Willem. Published in March 2025, this is a standalone medieval horror fantasy which transports us to 12th-century England, showcasing a sort of anti-fairy tale of twisted folklore, macabre magic, and a found family of misfits. Once Was Willem showcases Carey’s knack for blending visceral traditional horror trope with profound humanity.

Set in the village of Cosham within the fiefdom of Pennick, the story follows Willem Turling, a farmer’s son who died at twelve from illness. His grieving parents, Jon and Margaret, turn to Cain Caradoc, a sorcerer promising resurrection. But Caradoc’s ritual, fueled by dark motives and a piece of Willem’s soul, goes awry, birthing a monstrous creature the Once Was Willem of the title. As Caradoc’s plans unfold, Willem joins a band of supernatural misfits to protect Cosham’s children, leading to a climactic battle against a necromantic evil.

The plot hurls along and blends something from the Grimms with the ridiculousness but face paced urgency of a Magnificent Seven-style showdown. Carey’s background in comics feel like they play a part through the vivid, almost cinematic scenes.. Unlike the post-apocalyptic sprawl of The Girl with All the Gifts, Once Was Willem feels more tightly focused to a single village’s fate. Willem delves into medieval superstition and it’s difficult not to compare Willem’s first-person narration to Frankenstein, both books share morally complicated characters but in the end make the ‘monsters’ seem profoundly human.

Carey’s experience, honed on character-driven properties like Hellblazer, inform Willem’s own introspective depth and the ensemble cast’s distinct voices, from a shapeshifting warrior to a ghostly ally. In some ways the band of misfits against evil magic reminded me a little of Charles Stross’s new Management books – very different in setting but the band of misfits winning over the odds is always an enjoyable trope.

Carey’s visual storytelling, one assumes from Carey’s comic book writing helps to elevate the novel’s imagery, because of this there are times the writing seems a little dense and this may deter casual readers. Compared to The Girl’s accessible thriller pace, Willem may require the reader to work a little harder but that’s not a bad thing.

I think some may think Once Was Willem lacks The Girl with All the Gifts’s genre-redefining credentials but I think we can say it matches its emotional depth. This book is perfect for readers craving dark fantasy with heart, and if you’re willing to put in the time it’s an adventure you’ll enjoy!

Masterpiece of folklore, myth and historical fantasy
—
Do you remember when there was a trend amongst movie studios to create universes where every film interconnected, alongside popcorn buckets, crop tops and cosmetics? And Universal Studios leaned into its back catalogue of monster movies, trying to create the Avengers of Frankenstein’s Monster, the Invisible Man, Dracula, and so on? It wasn’t pretty.

Instead, I present for your delectation the genre busting masterpiece that is Carey’s latest, a book that includes historical fiction, folk horror, folklore and Enochian ur-text in one, in an action adventure that has ‘film franchise’ written all over it, with an Oscar-worthy turn for whoever takes on the titular role. In the 1100s, Willem is a beloved child but is taken away too soon. His distraught parents make a bargain with a wizard to bring their son back to life, but they don’t make any specifications for how he returns, and the misshapen monster that lands on their doorstep is not what they want. Meanwhile, a brigand takes over the nearby keep and the late baron’s fealties, as well as attracting a certain dark wizard to the keep’s secret powers.

Monster, wizard, brigands, village folk, other assorted monsters, ghosts, spirits: Carey juggles the comprehensive but well-defined cast, with star turns for Willem as both human yet monster, as well as his companions drawn from Northern European folklore, English myth and Biblical sources. How he came up with such a new take on the zombie mythos, as well as his superb takes on other cryptids, I don’t know, but I cannot wait to read this again.

When a nasty brigand takes revenge on a baron, he also takes his castle and title. This is perfect for the local warlock, who knows there is some hellish power under the castle keep, that is going to be what he needs for the immortality he seeks. One of his latest jobs has been to bring back to life a humble lad lost to fever, although when he resurrects Willem it's with a blunt weapon of a spell, that has turned the festering porridge of the corpse into the most sloppy, ungainly, untrue semblance of a human figure. But that won't be the only times their paths cross, as the wizard demands more power out of everyone's life, and the character formally known as Willem is one of the only few defences against that happening.

What is most distinctive about this book is of course the style, that takes us back into the olden days – this is set in the twelfth century, and refers to King Stephen's spat with Matilda as background detail. The style, while being incredibly readable, bears some archaic approach to language, partly by just the subtle use of what now are redundant words, as in the line "Cain Caradoc did not immediately make answer". You would easily imagine the author scouring ye olde dictionaries to know whether 'answer' was a verb yet then, or not, and that all the terms and words used were authentic to the times. Until you found him mentioning "potholes", at least.

Still, for all the logic of the language (someone worries about going "heels-over-head" and not the cockamamie way we have it today), there is a rampant illogicality to the story. I liked the way Willem turns into something really plainly bad as an approximation of human, like some shoddy AI being ordered to improve and refine, but getting it worse each and every pass. But the way he bumps into changelings that are more along the line of werewolves, the way the villagers fear witchcraft just as they would continue to do for centuries to come – this all feels like a mish-mash of historical mythical creatures, and genre elements from across the ages.

The counter to that is that uncommon things are being done here. When did you actually last read of a wizard having to be bested – whether that was at the hands of a weird zombie semi-feral boy or otherwise? When did some Frankensteinian creation last come to be the hero, and when did they switch from a wordless quadruped to the character who so eloquently narrates these pages, like a Kaspar Hauser allowed to live?

Yes, there is a bit of a Euro-pudding feel to this, with things one step from being a golem being created, even though it's happily set in the Trent valley, Nottinghamshire-wise. Think Pendle, think Eyam, but with a lot more hunting woodland than nowadays. Think these characters bumping into Robin Hood. All in all, however – perhaps think just three and a half stars; this wasn't as enjoyable as I know the author can be, and despite its memorable approach and distinction, it felt to me like a draught away from the je ne sais quoi that would really have lifted it.

I had this on my TBR for a little while before I received an ARC because I love the medieval era of history so this weird little fantasy book sounded right up my street. And I was partly right! Once-was-Willem is a fascinating character with an unusual style of narration. I loved the characters at the Keep and in the Village, which combined almost felt like reading a play or a farce of some kind. And then it wrapped many plot threads into a kind of moral about protecting children which made it feel almost like a very strange fairy tale.
Unfortunately, my piqued curiosity was never quite satisfied and I would've loved a bit more in terms of plot tension - I never felt particularly pulled along by a high stakes moment, only that I was slowly working my way through a regular-paced unfolding narrative. Not unpleasant, but not riveting either.

This was so good – a dark fairytale with a very historical writing style that suited it, and slightly out of sequence storytelling. There’s direct-to-reader style of narration and some truly horrific events that I did not see coming. I did not expect this to go as dark as it does, or make me tear up in some sections. I think this was just long enough, and I sped through it despite the more archaic writing. This is very different to what I’ve read before from this author, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

One of the things I really enjoy about a New Year (yes, I know it's March now, bear with me) is the prospect of new books from favourite authors. Many authors publish a book a year, or every other year, and these are previewed a few months ahead, so it's easy to follow the rhythm of the calendar and accumulate a forward look of what's coming. This is laudable behaviour, what in a business context is called "horizon scanning". It's easy to convince yourself that you are being bold, a veritable explorer, searching the horizon with a telescope and alert to future trends.

The reality of course can be slightly different - a deluge of upcoming books you want to read but will never have time to. Perhaps this will change in coming years when there are no authors left, and AIs, or as George Orwell called them, the "novel-writing machines", churn out reworked slop to keep the readers happy and stop anyone thinking. Then I will throw away my catalogues, settle down in my corner, and spend the rest of my life catching up, as there will be nothing new to miss.

We are not there yet. But happily there is already a better way out of this dilemma because we have MR Carey, and other authors, whose coming books one obviously has to read and there's an end to it. I have been watching this one coming, and eagerly waiting to start it and can now report that it every bit as good as I had wished.

A historical fantasy set in the 12th century English Midlands, Once Was Willem takes us to a world of knights, barons, and kings in a time of civil war. Or actually, it doesn't, quite because most of the KB&Ks are kept offpage while the action focuses on villagers, children, outlaws and fugitive magicians.

Oh, and monsters.

I approve of this, on the basis that the KB&Ks get too much attention given they basically have their holdings by theft and murder, and deserve taking down a peg or three. History is much, much more interesting seen from "below" (or, as one may equally say, when seen clearly). So in Once Was Willem, the lawlessness of the times is due to the quarrels of the KB&Ks, but the people who have to deal are... the people. And they have no choice by to deal, and precious few resources to use for that yet they SUCCEED. How to we know they succeed? It's simple. You and me are here today, so our ancestors managed the difficult trick of staying alive and keeping things on the road (In the particular context and setting of this story, that is true for values of "you and me" that mainly includes European descended people because that's where the book is set, but I think the point is absolutely general - our ancestors survived, and kept things going. Perhaps in appalling circumstances, but still they did, or none of us would be here).

Of course this book is fantasy, and the people in it didn't exist so didn't, literally, survive. And it being fantasy they had resources that don't exist "for real". But I don't think that diminishes the validity of a story that focusses, like this, on ordinary people.

Nor does the fact that, as is true in Once Was Willem, they ordinary people do many appalling things. The Willem of this story is a boy, outcast from his family for reasons I won't spoil, who has to take refuge in the woods alongside monsters. There he finds a more welcoming and accepting family than in his village of Cosham, which habitually chases out the weird kids and burns the witches. Nevertheless, it's those outcasts and weirdos who come to the village's rescue when a local upstart lordling (he was of late an outlaw and robber himself, see my point above) demands Cosham hand over all its children. Shades of "Seven Samurai/ The Magnificent Seven" here when the mysterious creatures from the woods come together to defend the kids (not, really, the village.

The story is cleverly told from Willem's point of view, with an appropriately limited (but gradually expanding) understanding of events and the wider context. That did slightly recall Koli's perspective in Carey's Rampart trilogy, (also excellent). There is a split perspective so that events are narrated both as they happen and in hindsight, Willem having come on pretty extensive knowledge afterwards so he's able to report action and conversations in the right places without having to be there. While this, obviously, sends an enormous signal about the book (Willem survives!) that's hardly unexpected and Carey is masterful in pulling the rug from under our feet when we think we know how that happens, what it means and what Willem will have to go through to ensure victory.

Willem, and his friends. All of them are very real characters, hurt in their various ways and needing to develop the ability to trust before they can move forward. None completely understand what is going on or what is at state and they need to find ways to see each other as allies and friends, not as the dangerous creatures they're rumoured to be.

Their opponent, Cair Caradoc, the magician, is as villainous and self-seeking as a storybook wizard should be, magic being something that can easily be accommodated to this slightly liminal, chaotic part of England. His power is great, his deeds vile and his ambition deadly. A magnificent creation.

All in all this is a terrific, absorbing fantasy with a story that simply romps along. Rooted in a recognisable time and place it's able to surprise because it's told from a genuinely distinctive point of view. It isn't, nor does it mean, to be, word for word historically accurate (the early mention of potatoes signals that) but at the same time it is accurate in that it speaks up for and focusses on the fate and actions of the common people, who are, after all, the people who actually did the history (because they had little choice if they, and their children, were to survive).

Strongly recommended.

M.R. Carey's Once Was Willem is a fantastic book that mixes medieval folklore, mythology and the supernatural with his version of Kurosawa's Seven Samurai.

Set in the 12th century, Willem dies only to be resurrected by an evil sorcerer at the behest of his mother and father. Now a resurrected 'monster' who is shunned by his family and village, Willem and a group of supernatural beings and mythological creatures might be the only hope in saving the land from the Sorcerer.

This is an excellent standalone fantasy.

Once Was Willem is a delightfully unique and enchanting book that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Going by some of the place names and clues in the book, the story mostly takes place in and around what is now Stoke-On-Trent in Staffordshire, England. The year is 1152, a period those with an interest in history will know as the Anarchy; when control of the country was fractured, with general lawlessness, banditry and power grabs commonplace.

It is a time period perfect for this tale, in which we can believe in undocumented goings on and scattered villages fending for themselves.

This is one of those books for which a review that regurgitates too much of the plot risks tarnishing the experience for the reader. The bones though, are that Willem Turing has sadly passed away and his parents are distraught. Loving their son more than anything, they approach a man rumoured to be a sorcerer to ask for help. In exchange for a small tithing of the dead boy’s soul, he agrees to bring the boy back to life. However, having been in the ground for a year, it’s not quite as straightforward as that.

The way the author writes about the situation showed me from the start he has the ability to make you feel emotion and there is plenty of it running throughout the book. I wasn’t really expecting to feel so saddened, angry or hopeful as I did within these pages and this gives the book a welcome layer of depth I wasn’t expecting. Although told from Once Was Willem‘s perspective as an account of events, we are treated to an authentic historical fiction with due care and attention paid to the setting, with the addition of magic and fantasy elements. The actual writing style itself is brilliant, written in the archaic style you might encounter reading translations of King Arthur or a slightly adjusted Canterbury Tales. It really adds to the feeling of a real story or piece of folklore from the time, as do the chapter titles which take the form of those old texts, where the happenings of the chapter are outlined in each title.

I love when an author tries something new in fantasy and gives us a book to read that was obviously a passion project for them. The combination of historical fiction, with dark fairy story and folklore elements, told in a unique but very readable style is really refreshing.

Content wise, it’s not merely a historical fiction with some magic thrown in – this book is very heavy on the magic, monsters and spells. It is very much a fantasy in that respect and the combination of a very real to life setting with completely fantastical elements works really well. In some respects, it transported me back to those wonderful years discovering fantasy stories as a young person. Afterall, this book features ghosts, a sorcerer, undead, shapeshifters, a witch and much more. Those expecting a light journey though need prior warning; this story is dark.

We witness this darkness through the superstitions of the people at the time, with some interesting events being quite thought provoking. Predominately though, the darkness comes through Cain Caradoc. He’s the sorcerer and the primary antagonist and the most self-serving, conscience-less POS you will find.

This is a man who has no empathy or regard for men, women, children and animals or the pain and suffering he is happy to put them through in his quest for immortality. In a world in which morally grey characters are popular, the villain really is as dark as you can get. Of course, this will work for some readers and not others – for me it was required for me to really hate him. Redeeming features and me feeling empathy towards him would have ruined the impact and the strong desire to see him vanquished. Likewise, although the villagers of Cosham are painted as quite self serving (and probably therefore realistic) the six supernatural friends/accomplices that Willem makes through the book really make a team that you want to succeed, both individually and as a combined group.

There are some lighter moments too, with the overall sum of everything combined feeling like the perfect mix. The narrative voice and the distinct personality of this book in itself makes the book feel magic and I will be heartily recommending it to readers who’d like to experience something exciting, adventurous, emotive, authentic and unique.

Guaranteed to be one of the best fantasy books of 2025.

I highly enjoyed this book!

Once was Willem is a dark Fantasy set in Medieval times with some horror elements. Willem, or who once was Willem, is essentially what can be described for lack of a better term, a Zombie and I adored everything about him. He is a lonely and tragic figure, full of empathy is supremely likable. I was really invested in his story throughout, as well as those of his party that are also considered monsters as they work to save villagers who hate them.

The writing is clever, with old English words scattered throughout. The pacing and plot were good with good worldbuilding. The standout thing about this book for me were the characters. I adored all of out band of 'monsters'. It is a highly character driven book and all of them feel well fleshed out and real. I was invested in each and every one of them.

The only character I felt was perhaps a little lacking was the villain. He was a villainous villain indeed but i felt he lacked depth and a tad one dimensional. This however may be a personal preference and I am sure that there will be readers who enjoy the evil wizard for the sake of evil trope. I would also caution those who are triggered by child death that there is child sacrifice in this story.

Overall, this was a wonderfully written and enjoyable Dark Fantasy that I would highly recommend to those who enjoy this genre.

Thank you to littlebrownbooks and Netgalley for the Arc. All opinions are my own and I am leaving them voluntarily

Once Was Willem is a marvelous dark medieval fantasy novel, written by M.R. Carey, and published by Orbit Books. A bizarrely unique story with a cast of supernatural beings which teachs about tolerance and understanding, reinforcing the ideas that there's more behind the appearance, twisting the folklore while delivering a prose that mimics the medieval style of writing.

Willem Turling died when he was 12 years old; moved by grief, his parents made a bargain with Cain Caradoc, a powerful and ambitious sorcerer, to resurrect him. However, when they see Willem coming back as a misshapen monster, he's shunned and banished from the village of Cosham, taking refuge in the Pennick woods, where more monsters reside; in parallel, we see how the ascend of Cain Caradoc to power and his crave for accessing to power will put in danger the village of Cosham, demanding their children. As destiny has a twisted way to act, they will be forced to ask Willem for help, as they don't have other ways to defend themselves; and Willem will gather and convince his friends, monsters that were rejected by the villagers, to fight for the people of Cosham.

Carey decides to weave in parallel three stories (Willem, Cain Caradoc and Cosham) which eventually bring us to a common point, as they are intertwined. Willem himself is an excellent example of a deep and complete characterization; rejected because of his appearance, through his voice we can guess a complex character, a monster who still has the memories of his past life as Willem, but understands that he will never be Willem again. As reader, it is impossible to not develop sympathy for it, especially as he's self-conscious of his appearance and doesn't put his grievances on the people; lonely, but thankfully, that doesn't happen for much time as he finds more like him in the Pennick woods.
With the rest of the outcasts that live in the Pennick forest, Carey touches a bit of various folklores, but always giving its own twist to each one, giving them of a personality and exploring their own grievances; and the style of writing makes the perfect vehicle to deliver it, making of each chapter a sort of short story that adds to the bigger tale.

In a particularly immersive style, the writing tries to mimic medieval storytelling structures, including things such as the title of the chapters and the construction of many sentences; I was quite intrigued by the small part of the world where Once Was Willem is set (even if at some point, the creation myths are touched), almost making you live the story. Despite being a dark fantasy story, Carey makes an excellent case for hope and found family in this story, about how appearances are deceiving and the real monsters sometimes wear human skins.

Once Was Willem is an excellent dark medieval fantasy novel, a standalone story perfect if you are looking for something that feels classic but fresh at the same time; M.R. Carey has managed to write something special with this book. A candidate to be one of my fav reads of 2025!

This was definitely an interesting read; I really liked the medieval, fantasy and horror elements weaven throughout.
I'll admit, I found it hard to get into this one initially, but once it got going, boy did it get going.
I really like the characters and the relationships built throughout this book.
Overall, this was a fun read

⭐️ 5 Stars ⭐️

M.R. Carey's Once Was Willem is a masterful blend of dark fantasy and medieval folklore that captivated me from the first page to the last. Set in 12th-century England, the novel introduces us to Willem, a boy cast out from his village after undergoing a monstrous transformation. His journey from ostracised youth to beguiled monster to unexpected hero takes him from high mountaintops to the depths of hell. In the end, he and his seven companions must save the children of those who despise them, challenging the people of Chosham’s understanding of humanity and humility.

As a long-time fan of Carey’s work, I always look forward to how his narrative style evolves with each new novel. His prose is both lyrical and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a world where magic and reality intertwine seamlessly. The richly atmospheric setting immerses readers in a time where superstition reigns. Once Was Willem's dry, biting humour brings levity to its historical documentation and lightness to the more harrowing passages.

Overall, Once Was Willem is a spellbinding novel that combines dark fantasy elements with profound human themes. M.R. Carey has crafted a timeless story that resonates on multiple levels, making it a must-read for fans of the genre and literature enthusiasts alike. I wholeheartedly recommend this book and look forward to revisiting its richly woven world in the future.

You should read this book if you like:
+ Moral Stories 📖
+ Interesting Writing Styles 🖋
+ Empathetic, Unique Protagonists 👦

I received an advance review copy for free via NetGalley. I am leaving this review voluntarily 📚

A medieval zombie book with just a touch of Frankenstein. Once-Was-Willem is the creature Willem becomes after a sorcerer raises him from the dead. When he climbs out of his grave and the village runs from him in fear, Once-Was-Willem retreats to the woods in search of belonging.

It’s a book about fear and being feared, what it means to be different, and what truly makes someone a villain. It is a wholly unique dark fantasy that plays on folklore and medieval storytelling to bring about something truly magical.

We tend to think history as factual and focused on the real but go further back the borders between history, folklore and myth get blurry. It’s not unusual to hear people consult ‘Cunning Folk’ for using magical powers to assist them find items or even fall in love or kill. There are times when magic sits unusually comfortable with religion and there are lots of little pieces of unexplained folklore about an area from visits from the devil to acts of various witches and magicians. Now MR Carey in their excellent historical fantasy novel Once Was Willem has taken us to the U.K. in the early 11th century and a small village is about to be a battle between villagers, an evil wizard and a group of ruthless mercenaries and only the local monsters may be the only way to save them.

King Stephen is at war with the Empress Mathilda in the early 1100s but for the village of Cosham that is far too distant one worried about. Instead they are more worried how the local Baron has just been deposed led by the forest rogue known as Maglan Horvath and his skilled band of mercenaries. Adapting quickly (some would say ruthlessly but also very practically) to the new Boss taxes start to be paid again and a quiet life beckons but a farming family named the Turlings will help change this. Their very young son Willem is suddenly very ill and passes away. Desperate with grief they find a wizard working the area named Cain Caradoc who agrees for a piece of Willem’s soul he will resurrect the boy. But after a year what comes from the ground isn’t recognisably Willem however much it says it is and the boy/monster is thrown out of Cosham. But Cain Caradoc has his own agenda for appearing in this area and seeks a greater power and that carries a very high price. The hated creature now known as Once-Was-Willem may be Cosham’s only hope.

So this is a beautiful piece of historical fantasy with a unique storytelling framework and hugely unique lead character. Willem tells us very quickly he is has come back from the dead and that quickly pulls your attention. Before we think the usual vampire or zombie fear not we are in much weirder unique territory here. The young child that was Willem is via a sorcerer’s deal brought back as sonething very different - he looks no longer human, he has strength and an ability to resist wounds and he has a different personality and knowledges. Willem is an engaging narrator with a sense of humour but also an observer perspective as he tells us his story and as he is now inhuman his reactions to us and how his family and village cast him out is less tormented and more sad. But at the same time Willem finds the wider world of the forests and mountains is more for him and there are more magical beings sound than anyone expects.

What we have them is a fascinating set of chapters that each act almost as a short story all told in Willem’s unique dialect. It’s a mosaic novel of local history, magical encounters from witches to sorest sorcerers. What I loved is how each stands on its own two feet as an interesting story but it evolving in links between key characters and events. This is worldbuilding in the sense we get to know all the key players from our new mercenary baron, his sorcerer The deliciously ruthless and evil Cain Caradoc and then key villagers plus the interesting characters Willem brings from the more supernatural side.

What Carey does well is slowly introduce us to the way people think here. Villagers we see aren’t entirely upset by a change in Barons - that’s the kind of things nobles do and they always cut taxes to be paid, we get the beliefs of the time Christianity is something people do but we have magic accepted, witches feared and it’s all deliciously complex. We like and can feel ashamed of people at the same time - these are truly human characters that aren’t simple yokels with pitchforks. They have ups and downs with changes in leadership offering wealth, threats of violence and as the main plot they suddenly haven’t learn how to take on much more bigger powers. Fortunately there are some they too can rely on.

In the first half of the book we start to be introduced to the non-human characters some we meet as are or like Willem we meet their origin stories. What I loved about this group of chatters is here there isn’t intricate explanations magic is real, it acts weird and that can cover shape-changing, ghosts, witches and then things like Willem that we’ve never seen before. In opposition is the equally smart and very powerful Caradoc who has his own agenda and will stop at nothing for his own gains. Caradoc is a villain who we see is full of guile and therefore feels like he can beat our not quite heroes. The level of evil he can do is pretty impressive and no one is safe he will do whatever he needs to get his goal.

This means the latter half all the plots come together in really infesting ways. In some despite the 12th century setting it resembles a western (you may want to count the number of key characters at some Point) but it also has a much weirder and magical backstory of the powers actually behind the world, magic and life and again that’s something we have to just accept. It’s got that sense again of this is the real weird world and we have to learn how it works without too much exposition. That for me is fun as the reader has to get involved in interesting things but the overall sense is we are in world you don’t see often in fantasy and there are hints we could come back to this if Carey wishes (I hope so!).

Once Was Willem is perfect for those who enjoy fantasy with a taste of the weird and the unpredictable. Huge fun, very inventive and also links to the old tales in lots of new ways. I thoroughly enjoyed it and strongly recommend it!

Beautiful. Haunting. Dark fantasy at its best. What MR Carey has achieved here is sublime. Once Was Willem will live long in my memory.

https://lynns-books.com/2025/03/03/review-once-was-willem-by-mr-carey/
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Slow Start but Patience Rewarded

Once Was Willem was, for me, a book that took a little time to get it’s feet under the table, but once it did so it kept me utterly hooked. Such a strange yet enjoyable mediaeval fantasy horror with a truly unique voice. A sort of Frankenstein-Magnificent Seven smash up if you will.

I suppose what you need to know first of all is this is Once Was Willem’s story, which shouldn’t really be a surprise given the title. Once Was Willem is a revenant, brought back to life at the request of his parents by an unscrupulous and conniving wizard. We take a little while to get to this particular aspect of the story but once we meet Cain Caradoc – the evil wizard himself – the narrative really takes off.

OWW is of course reviled by his parents. They hadn’t really given much thought to the fact that they were bringing back to life a body that had been in the ground for almost a year, they didn’t understand that he would no longer be the Willem that they knew and loved, and if Caradoc was aware of the terrible implications, which he was, he certainly wasn’t inclined to share these thoughts but was more interested in his tithe – a sliver of Willem’s soul to feed his thirst for immortality. Willem is chased from the village by your typical angry mob bearing pitchforks and begins to find a new family living remotely in the mountains, a strange cast of characters that I loved. He begins to forget Willem although he at times hankers after his village and friends and family.

I won’t give too much away, this is your basic story of good vs evil but with some very unlikely characters picking up the slack on behalf of the poor downtrodden peasants. It’s very much a story of accepting people and literally not judging them based on appearance alone.

What I really enjoyed about this.

Set some time between the 11th and 12th century Willem tells his tale with an archaic voice that I really enjoyed and is seriously easy to get used to. This isn’t one of those stories that modernises everything including the language or prettifies the people and the landscape. Times were hard. People were oftentimes even harder. Thieves and outlaws live in the forests – temporarily at least! Life was cheap back then. And evil wizards need souls for their dastardly tinkering. So, yes, I enjoyed very much the way Willem tells his story. It’s with a straightforwardness that helps to make some of the slightly more horrible aspects readable. Lets just say I don’t think I’d like to get on the wrong side of an author who can come up with such a despicable way to create a suit or armour – or indeed a puppet without strings. Cringes.

As I said, the start meandered a little and at one point I was curious about where this was going but I’m so glad I continued, my current reading mood is very temperamental so I almost thought of putting this aside – but Carey is an author that I really like and I was so curious to see what was going to happen.

I loved the Magnificent Seven vibe. A group of misfits, coming together to help the underdog – and, essentially, save the world I suppose, because once an evil wizard has access to great power – well, they’re not known for their overwhelming sense of ‘great responsibility’.

I’m being a bit cautious with this review because I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll conclude by saying if you fancy a read that somehow manages to contain magic, folklore, Christian mythology and creative horror whilst bringing together the most unexpected found family ever – then this is the one for you. Dive in and enjoy.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4 of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!

I was drawn in by the premise; who doesn't love it when a character dies and comes back messed up? But this is only one small part of a much larger story.

The page count is relatively small, but this book manages to fit in so many different perspectives and stories that it feels incredibly dense and sweeping. Not to say that it's "dense"; the narrative is written in a flow-y, rambly, darkly humorous way that made it feel very easy to read.

The plot is pretty classic-fantasy: there's a power-hungry wizard, and a ragtag band of misfits who have to stop him. But what makes this book different is that our heroes really are outcasts—monsters and witches shunned from society. Aside from the evil sorcerer, a large source of conflict comes from the very villagers our heroes are trying to defend. The heroes have to decide if it is even worth it, protecting people who are bigoted and cruel and not even grateful for their help. I don't think this is something that gets explored fully; after all, they have bigger, eviler problems to solve. But the story definitely gives the reader some food for thought.

Of the main cast, I especially appreciate Betheli. As a sickly, bedridden girl, it would have been very easy to reduce her to a damsel in distress, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of agency she has, as well as her tenacity and quick thinking.

I have to talk about the sorcerer. He named himself Cain. He extends his life using the souls of children. (He could use the souls of adults but he deliberately chooses to use children. ) He Uzumaki-ed a guy by accident, and then on purpose. He is dramatic and power-hungry and vain, and not to mention incredibly evil, to the point of being comical. I didn't realise how much I had been craving a proper straight-up evil wizard, and here he is. With no tragic backstory, and definitely no morals. I love him.

The story also gets pretty weird towards the end. Not spoilers, of course, but I enjoyed how the weirdness gives us a look beyond the, until then, rather small scope of the setting.

ONCE WAS WILLEM is a dark historical fantasy about power and well researched.

This book is set at the very end of the Anarchy, the civil war between cousins for England's throne. I am deeply interested in this period (and if I were able to ask questions of the author, I'd ask why this year given there are 18 years of varying levels of conflict to chose from!) and it was fascinating to see someone use it as a backdrop that felt well researched.

I particularly loved how the book is paying homage to the language of the time, Middle English. There are vernacular words scattered throughout, with enough context that you can pick it up even if you don't have any knowledge of the language. Similarly, "goodbye" is replaced with its predecessor "god bye ye". It's a really nice touch to anchor the story in the time period.

For all that this story is titled after the main character, the book spends as much time (if not more) following others, keeping tabs on all the various players. It's first person with Once-Was-Willem, but third when he's recounting what the others are doing. This helps the book feel large in scope for all that it concerns a small barony far from the centres of power. (Except they've stumbled on the secrets of the world!)

The ending definitely feels like it has dived into the depths of strange beliefs from the medieval period - or at least, ideas that seem strange to us today. I'm sure there are a bunch of original ideas in there among details from apocrypha and other sources. It all fits into the book's use of magic of creation and warping.

Finally, something fresh. Once Was Willem is part medieval horror, part dark fairy tale, part found-family adventure.

Our narrator, Willem, was once a regular 12-year-old boy. Then he died. His grieving parents let a sorcerer bring their dead son back to life. Since Willem has been in the ground for a while, what rises from the grave is… not ideal. He’s stronger, uglier, and-despite still having his memories-not exactly welcome back at the dinner table. His parents panic, the village does what angry mobs do best, and Willem, now Once-Was-Willem, finds himself on the run.

Banished from the only home he’s ever known, Willem finds a new life in the deep woods, where he befriends a group of monsters who, like him, have been cast out. Meanwhile, the sorcerer, Cain Caradoc, is busy setting up shop in a fortress built on the bones of a sleeping angel and preparing a mass sacrifice of children to fuel his quest for godhood. Eventually, the terrified villagers realize that only “monsters” they ran off can save them. Oops.

This book is dark, and it has some truly stomach-churning moments, but it never feels dreary. It’s sharp, self-aware, and laced with a dry, biting humor that makes even the bleakest parts go down easy. Willem himself is an excellent protagonist/narrator: a lonely, tragic figure with a surprising amount of warmth. You want him to find belonging. You want him to win. And when the time comes to face Caradoc, you really want him to rip that smug sorcerer apart.

If you like your fantasy a little twisted, your heroes a little ugly, and your villains really vile, Once Was Willem is absolutely worth your time.

M. R. Carey’s Once Was Willem is absolutely fantastic and the best book I’ve read so far in 2025.

Set in England in 1105, it blends historical fiction, horror, and fantasy with a unique writing style that captures the era perfectly. The characters are unforgettable: Once Was Willem, a zombie with a surprising depth; Cain Caradoc, a villain you love to hate; and the rest of the seven all had a place in my heart. The horror is chilling, the fantasy imaginative, and the historical setting richly detailed. I think fans of the type of reflective storytelling you see in The Kingkiller Chronicle or The First Binding will love this. Highly recommended!