Once was Willem

Rating: 3.75

A brilliant and quirky tale set in Medieval England. Following our narrator Once-Was-Willem, a former 12 year old brought back from the dead by a Wizard.

It took a few chapters to get into the swing of the story due to the medieval words used, but I am so glad that I did as I got to enjoy a tale which was full of heart and action.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC!

I have reviewed this title for online book sales and recommendation site LoveReading.co.uk. I’ve chosen it as both a LoveReading Star Book and Liz Pivk of the Month. Please see the link to the full review.

Enjoyed the setting and Willem (once was) as a character. Wasn't as dark medieval as expected and the writing style wasn't quite to my usual liking, but was still enjoyable and charming with solid world building and interesting lore.

If you liked Between Two Fires and want more of the same, this is a very good place to start.

Love books by the author, I’ve read them all . This again kept me enthralled from the beginning. This author has the ability to bring his words to life in my mind, I could picture the characters, their surroundings and the life they lead. The story was enchanting, compelling and full of surprises. A definite buy for anyone who loves not only a historical story but one that is woven with magic and friendship.

Once Was Willem is a dark, atmospheric fairy tale that cleverly combines elements of medieval horror, fantasy, and classic adventure literature. M.R. Carey demonstrates his talent for unusual perspectives, impressive characters, and profound themes. Fun fact: He also wrote the Hellblazer comics, on which the Constantine movie was based ;)

At the center of the story is Willem, a twelve-year-old boy who is brought back to life after his death by a shady wizard - but not as the person he once was. His appearance is monstrous, and his return is met with fear and rejection. Rejected by his village, the boy, now known as "Once-Was-Willem,” flees to the forest, where he finds a community of other outcast creatures. Together, they later face the decision to save the village that once rejected them - because the power-hungry wizard Cain Caradoc is pursuing sinister plans and will not even shy away from child murder.
The plot draws on familiar motifs such as Frankenstein and The Magnificent Seven, but Carey's original style keeps it fresh and compelling. Particularly noteworthy are the themes of exclusion, compassion, the question of humanity, and the strength of found family - all embedded in a brutal, medieval setting with supernatural elements.

Carey's language is archaic and unusual in places, which adds to the authenticity and which I personally liked very much. English is not my native language, so I had to look up a few words, but this gives the author's prose a deep, fascinating vibe. The narrative style occasionally jumps between perspectives and scenes, which sometimes pulled me out of the mood, even though the plot gains significantly in pace and drama towards the end.

Willem as a narrator is convincing in his depth, tragedy, and quiet warmth, which makes him seem more human than many of the villagers despite his monstrosity. The contrast between external horror and internal compassion runs like a thread through the entire book.

TL;DR:
Once Was Willem is a cleverly constructed, dark fantasy novel that reinterprets classic themes and is emotionally and narratively compelling. Despite a few slow passages in the middle and older language, this is an impressive work about humanity, forgiveness, and courage. Anyone who loves dark fairy tales with depth and unconventional heroes will find what they are looking for here.

Look, if a dark medieval fantasy version of Seven Samurai featuring the undead, shape changers and evil wizards set in a small medieval village in England isn’t for you then we can never be friends, okay?

3.5 ⭐

I really enjoyed this one.
Though at times it felt a bit like a collection of short stories (which I'm not a huge fan of). However, it's Carey, and his writing I do like.
We started with Willem, and then as we go through, we assemble a cast of weird and wonderful characters.
Great fun.
I enjoyed the setting and the language used, giving a good sense of time and place.
Carey seems to master every genre he tries writing!

This is a beautiful yet horrifying read. The language flows so lyrically with elements of old English that fuse into a dark fairy tale.

As well as a fight for good, you can't help but ponder the themes of family, found-family and monsters contained in the story. What is a monster? Well, Cain comes close!

Our band of heroes fight evil, protect eachother and save innocent lives from soldiers, evil and a wizard. Are they monsters?

I was reminded of The Sleepless which also looked at a theme of what makes a monster: appearance or actions.

Really enjoyed this one! It was different, unusual, and delightfully bizarre in all the right ways. The story had a unique atmosphere and a quirky charm that kept me hooked. M.R. Carey has a real knack for creating something that feels totally original while still being really readable. Definitely a standout.

This was… bizarrely unique.

1152AD England - exect monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men.

We have a Frankenstein type monster, bear-men, water spirits, witches, journeys to hell, weirdly visual action scenes, and a softer protagonist at the heart of it, there by circumstance or fate?

<b>“I’m Willem,” I said, but then I bethought me. “At least, I was, once. Now I suppose I’m something different.”</b>

This is an account narrated by Once-Was-Willem who was resurrected by a greedy sorcerer, but as a monster, shunned by his village.
He also reflects on the ongoing of the sorcerer who finds a great source of power and is desperate to make it his own through nefarious means. Child sacrifice, possession, killing, stealing souls, etc.

<b>For once I let my anger show. “It’s idleness to look outside the present moment? How else are we to understand it then?”
</b>
This is mostly a reflection on humanity - similar to Frankenstein’s own monster discovering that the real monsters aren’t really those who appear the most human.

The writing style reflected the period at times and I did have to use my dictionary, but this was more for slang terms. I think this really added to the tone.

The first 40% I was intrigued by the storyline and distinct writing style. However, the plot felt similar to a lot of other books I have read.
As I continued reading, I realised I didn’t like the jumping between scenes and characters even though this is supposed to be an account from Willem. It made me feel removed and distanced from the characters.

An entertaining medieval nefarious fantasy that I finished in less than 2 hours.

Arc gifted by Orbit.