Once Was Willem, M. R. Carey
Once Was Willem, M. R. Carey
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

Once Was Willem

Author: M. R. Carey

Narrator: Joe Jameson

Unabridged: 10 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Orbit

Published: 03/04/2025


Synopsis

Presenting an enthrallingly dark medieval fantasy – a fable of twisted folklore, macabre magic and the strangest of found families –  from M. R. Carey, author of the million-copy bestseller, The Girl With All the Gifts.

Eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England, I, Once Was Willem, rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham. The words enclosed herein are true.
 
I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends above. By the time you come to the end of this account you will know the truth of your own life and death, the path laid out for your immortal soul, your origin and your inevitable end.
 
You will not thank me.
 

About M. R. Carey

M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts has sold over a million copies and became a major motion picture, based on his own BAFTA Award-nominated screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on Lucifer, Hellblazer and X-Men. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times bestseller list. He also has several previous novels including the Felix Castor series (written as Mike Carey), two radio plays and a number of TV and movie screenplays to his credit.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) on April 06, 2025

2.5 Stars I love the idea of medieval fantasy horror. However whenever I get the rare opportunity to read it, I realize it's not for me. This one just felt like a strange mashup of the genres which (from my perspective) didn't fully work on the page. I wanted to love this one but I didn't. Disclaimer......more

Goodreads review by Lukasz on March 08, 2025

4.5/5 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......more

Goodreads review by Books_the_Magical_Fruit (Kerry) on March 03, 2025

A beautiful, beautiful tale. It took me a couple of chapters to get into this, but then the story got better and better and better. It’s simply brilliant. There is such a wide variety of characters that you’re sure to find someone to like. There are themes of found family and heroism in the face of......more

Goodreads review by Will on January 14, 2025

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced review copy! I’ve been a huge fan of Carey’s for some time now and he definitely does not disappoint here. Once-was-Willem is a medieval fantasy set in 12th century England featuring a cast of supernatural beings who come together to defeat an evil sorcerer threat......more

Goodreads review by Lorelei on February 13, 2025

What’s your favorite zombie book? You don’t often get a story from the zombie’s POV – I can only think of maybe 4, and one was by this same author. If you’ve read The Girl With All the Gifts, you know what a powerhouse M.R. Carey is when it comes to storytelling. At this point he’s become an auto-bu......more


Quotes

“In Once Was Willem, M. R. Carey’s gorgeous prose weaves a fable full of dread and wonder, a deeply intelligent and emotionally gripping story boasting one of the nastiest sorcerers you’ll ever meet, and a narrator as inwardly gentle as he is outwardly monstrous. A masterpiece of medieval dark fiction. I love this book. Highest recommendation.” 
 —Christopher Buehlman, author of The Blacktongue Thief

"Carey crafts an empathetic portrait of a medieval monster as a young man in this
revelatory dark fantasy... Wit and compassion, building to a wonderfully satisfying climax.
Powerful, captivating, and occasionally stomach-churning, this quintessential tale of good
and evil is sure to win fans."
 —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

“An immense achievement, an impeccably crafted book without a single word out of place.”—The New York Times on Infinity Gate

"A wild fever dream of a novel – complicated, monstrous, and beautiful."—Seanan McGuire, Hugo Award-winning author

"It's been a long time since a book has reached out and just entirely enveloped me in its world the way Once Was Willem did. Astounding, and I loved every moment of it – it had me absolutely rapt."—RJ Barker, author of The Bone Ships

"It's so absurdly fun and readable, you nearly miss the incredible use of language and lore. Lovable grotesques and ghastly villains populate a compelling folk-tale. Absolutely wonderful."—Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Sword Unbound

"A delicious blend of horror, fantasy and historical fiction, Once Was Willem gave me exactly what I crave most as a reader - the unexpected. That, and a main character I would fight to the undeath for. A unique and brilliant book"—Jen Williams, British Fantasy Award-winning author of The Ninth Rain

"An incredible masterwork of medieval fantasy-horror, dark and twisted and burning bright with humanity. Once Was Willem is packed with magic, folklore, superstitious fear, and horrors that bring hope.” —Cameron Johnston, author of the Maleficent Seven

"A master storyteller." —io9 on Infinity Gate

"M.R. Carey hefts astonishing storytelling power with plainspoken language, heartbreaking choices, and sincerity like an arrow to the heart." —Locus on The Book of Koli