Once Was Willem is such a unique book. In turns dark, funny, tragic, and sweet, this story intrigued me, and I really enjoyed it.

In a small village in medieval England, Willem, the young son of a poor couple, dies. Driven to distraction by their grief, his parents make a deal with a mysterious sorcerer to raise their son from the dead; but Willem doesn’t come back the same. Mutilated and changed by his time in the grave, he frightens everyone around him and his village drives him away. Once-Was-Willem flees to find his new place in the world, but the sorcerer who raised him returns with sinister intentions.

This book is a great addition to medieval dark fantasy (a criminally under-utilized genre). It is not a fast-paced story in the beginning, but in a good way; the author took the time to set the tone and give the reader a sense of time and place, which made the story more immersive. Willem and Caradoc, the evil sorcerer, are both well-written and unique characters, and I found myself equally interested in both of their stories. This book also has a great balance between the darker aspects of the story, and a dry humor that caught me off guard and made me laugh a few times. Everyone knows M. R. Carey is one of the current greats in the Sci-Fi genre, but with Once Was Willem, he proves he can write fantasy equally well, and I hope he continues exploring the genre!

I would recommend Once Was Willem to fans of medieval fantasy, as well as fantasy in general; you won’t be disappointed by this story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Orbit for the arc! All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

I really liked this. It's basically a story told by the most NPC party member of a heroic party, weaving bits and pieces of the narrative together until it braids into the final confrontation. It was very fun and though some of the characters weren't as rounded as others, there wasn't a single point where I thought I disliked any of them (except the big bad, of course haha).

The horror here is great. There are are a lot of evil and ambiguously evil things here, but it's treated as the terrible things they are, which I appreciate. Not really moralizing, but damn did I feel great that the villagers felt like crap for burning a child at the stake etc etc.

I think my only suggestion is to get this as an ebook or read where you can access the internet since it does apply some middle english/early modern english words and phrases. Not a LOT, per se, and the ones it does use, it reuses often so you don't have to keep looking things up, but it's nice to just poke the screen for the dictionary lol.

Once-Was-Willem is now my favorite pseudo-gelatinous zombie boy.

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-buy author for me, from his urban fantasy (Daniel Faust) to post-apocalyptic (Rampart) to sci-fi (Pandominion). I gotta ask, Mike, my friend, where the hell do you get the time? How are you so productive?! Teach me your ways!

Poor Once-was-Willem doesn’t come across as your normal zombie. Raised by a grifter sorcerer at the behest of his grieving parents, he comes across more monstrous, horrific, almost animalistic. And he has a maturity and a clarity you’d never expect from a zombie, and certainly not from the child he was. You understand why he separates who he is now from the Willem that came before.

After being rejected by his family and village due to his horrific condition, he flees to live in the forest undisturbed. But when evil threatens the people who shunned him, should he abandon them, or answer the call for aid?

It's a medieval setting and told in archaic style, but once it settles in you get used to it very quickly, and it suits the character. The world is brutal and harsh, and the characters are in turns grotesque, heart warming, and terrifying. The supernatural elements and creatures are balanced against a solidly realistic historical backdrop.

This book showcases a lot of the themes Carey returns to in his books; found family, forgiveness, the strength found in compassion and empathy, looking beneath the surface rather than judging based on appearances. It’s an unexpectedly beautiful story, and I’m excited to have this one on my shelves.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

DNF at 16%

I was fascinated by the blurb for this novel and immensely compelled by the authorial voice that was evident in just those few sentences. However, while I am still enjoying the authorial voice in the novel itself, this is shaping up to be way more horrific than I am looking for at the moment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Once was Willem by M.R. Carey is a book of smaller stories, woven together like pieces of a puzzle, to form an epic adventure full of unique and inspiring characters. The book is written in a way that feels like you are attending a Shakespearean play with a narrator that is both the star and not the star as all the characters play such an important part. The story moves along in a way that keeps you guessing what is going to happen next because you know it is just going to be something fantastical.

It takes a moment to get used to the “hear ye hear ye” style of writing, but once I managed that I was totally sucked in. The chapters, especially in the first half of the book, are very episodic and can almost stand on their own, but around the middle of the book the strands start to weave themselves together and it becomes much harder to put the story down. Overall I found this grim and weird little tale to be full of heart, with humans capable of monstrous behavior, and monsters capable of great humanity.

This book wasn’t what I had expected however I did enjoy the story, despite it being darker than I hoped. The Pandominion series is one of my favorites and is one that I frequently recommend so when I saw that the author had a new book coming out I eagerly awaited an ARC from #netgalley.

Unlike so many recent very popular fantasy books this book did not read like a story you’ve read a thousand times nor was it full of characters in insta-lust while the world is burning around them. Despite first person narration not being my favorite and something I find far less engrossing, I stayed in the story. The characters were compelling in even the short time we spend with them and I would have gladly read another hundred pages about this new “monstrous” found family.

A perfect dark fantasy that kept me in my toes. It was unique and flavourful. I adored the narration and the writing style. It was some wonderfully tight prose with a healthy dose of suspense.

Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey (who also writes as Mike Carey) is excellent. I've read some of Carey's works in comics, but never one of his novels.

While it starts off a little slow, when the story begins to unfold it is riveting. The setting is a medieval village, but I didn't recognize the historic period. (I'm not a historian, so it may just be that I didn't recognize it.) Once-Was-Willem is the protagonist and narrator, and this is the story of how he fought his maker to try to save the people of his village. He is joined by shapeshifters Anna and Kel and elemental spirit Peter (and others, but to name them would give spoilers). This is the first novel I've read by Carey, but it won't be the last.

I didn’t realize that a Dark Medieval Folktale was something I needed in my life, but I am so glad I found this book. I loved everything about it!

Let’s set the scene: 11th century England. A small medieval village filled with townspeople who have succumbed to fear and hatred of that which they do not understand. A dark sorcerer who will stop at nothing to gain power. A boy raised from the dead, now a monster but still kind in heart.

This reads like a legend passed down from generation to generation by traveling bards. It’s a classic tale of good versus evil, but one where the true evil is not that which appears monstrous. Like any good legend, this tale is engaging, horrifying, and hopeful at the same time. I couldn’t put this down.

This is perfect for readers who love dark fairytales or who want an original twist on the classic hero’s journey.

An enchanting medieval fantasy during the 12th century written from the viewpoint of a village boy. It's full of supernatural creatures and an evil wizard obsessed with power. It's a beautifully told story and interesting given that it's first person.

Set in England, roughly eleven hundred years after Christ’s death, a story is recounted about an epic battle in the small village of Cosham. The story is told by one who was once called Willem, but is no longer him but something quite different. A story if magic, evil deeds of man, and monsters who are all not quiet what they appear to be. An unlikely group of hero’s, none of which are human, come together in a battle of good and evil or maybe just right vs wrong. An epic tale that only Once was Willem can tell.

I went into Once Was Willem not quite sure what to expect but trusting that M.R. Carey would deliver an epic dark fantasy that would entertain me. Wow! This book has so much going on but it ties everything together so perfectly. I loved so many of the characters and how they were mostly misunderstood by human kind. Fantastic world building, perfectly flawed characters, and a wonderful plot had me reading late into the night. I was a little sad to see this tale end and I would love to see these unlikely hero’s band together for another story in the future. This is a must read for 2025!

Once Was Willem is dark, unsettling, and completely absorbing. The writing feels like a lost medieval text, rich with folklore and horror but never too dense to follow. It moves slowly at first, weaving history and myth together, before picking up speed in a way that feels inevitable and deeply satisfying.

The characters are outcasts, some human, some not, but all trying to survive in a world that fears them. There’s something raw and aching about the way they cling to each other, carving out a place in the margins. It’s not a cozy story, but there’s warmth in the cracks if you know where to look.

If you love immersive, eerie stories that sit with you long after they’re over, don’t miss this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Orbit for the ARC!

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was easy to read and follow even though it used archaic spelling and old words. This book follows the tale of a boy who dies and the sorcerer who resurrects him.

Young Willam dies from a fever, and what are his parents to do except beg the local sorcerer in the woods to bring him back? And the sorcerer Cain Carodoc does just that, but Willam is not the same. Banished from his home, Once-Was-Willam makes his own family of other outcasts and magical creatures who become the last defense against the sorcerer’s evil plan.

If I had to describe the book in just a few words, this as body horror-fantasy with found family set in 12th century England. Don’t let the found family part fool you– this is definitely not cozy.

Much of the book is told from a sort of omniscient third person narrator, sharing the history of the area and bouncing between different characters, including the villain. It gives us an interesting 360 view of events, though Once-Was-Willam makes up less of the book than I had thought. It’s a winding tale that doesn’t hurry to get to its destination, though the pace really picks up at the end.

I enjoyed the read quite a bit. It’s a dark and clever book.

Once Was Willem is a terrific homage to medieval romance and chronicle. It emphasizes horror and wonder over character development, introducing readers to a version of twelfth-century peasant life filled with witches/warlocks, shapeshifters, and the undead. Although there is an obvious antagonist—a sorcerer seeking immortality—the meat of the book lies in the more complicated and communal relationships between the inhabitants of the village of Cosham and the nearby lords. Thematically, it's a novel about the devastation political power can inflict on everyday people, as well as the difficult but important bonds communities build. It's also a very funny novel at times, reminding me of Carey's earlier fiction (under the name Mike Carey), including his series of Felix Castor novels and his Lucifer and Hellblazer comics. I highly recommend this books for folks interested in fantasy and horror that breaks from the usual conventions of those genres.

Note: I'll be writing a more substantive and substantial review this for the online magazine Strange Horizons.

I am always amazed at how M R Carey makes up so many immersive stories that all seem different from each other. Enjoyed this medieval horror fantasy and yet hungry for his next book. Pick this up!

A fantasy tale told through the twin lenses of folklore and horror, this is fast-moving and compelling--and it's got heart, which is about the highest praise I can give a book. Its stylized prose (which is perhaps not quite as antiquated as it could have been) adds verisimilitude to the idea that this is a memoir, and it's the sort of book that would pair well with Christopher Buehlman's "Between Two Fires." One minor inconsistency would be that (spoilers) the narrator warns us ominously that we will not thank him for the knowledge of Hell that he intends to share with us--but actually it turns out to be quite a hopeful vision of such a realm. It's refreshing and fascinating, but it does make the aforementioned warning appear something of a misdirection. But this didn't affect my enjoyment of the tale in the least, as my rating here attests. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

**Note to the publisher: at the beginning of Chapter XXVII, "Peter's change" is referenced--this should have been "Kel's change."

This was a surprising read in all the best ways! A medieval fantasy/horror with such well crafted and memorable characters. Think of as a twisted fairytale.

We follow a boy who is dead-but-not-dead navigate his new reality and the plot unfolds from there. I agree with others that going in mostly blind is for the best.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Well, goddamn.

You know how sometimes you read something that feels like all of your Special Interests have been plucked right from your skull and placed lovingly on a page for you to marvel over? Once Was Willem ended up being like that for me.

Faerie/folktales and fables? ✔️

Zombies (kinda)? ✔️

Ulfheðinn? ✔️

Biblically accurate angels and nephilim? ✔️✔️✔️

And then another thing at about the halfway point that made me shout "HOLY SHIT, IT'S A [REDACTED]!" that I'm not going to spoil for you bc it made me so fucking happy to realize and I want you to have that realization, too.

The way this story was written is probably not going to be for everyone. I started out keeping track of all the archaic words I had to look up, but eventually gave up and relied on context cues so I wouldn't have to stop reading. But some people are going to LOVE it, and I can't wait to talk to them about it.