“Dying is a sorry thing, I thought, but it was worth going through death to come finally to this. Nothing I had lost could be half so dear or half so sweet as what I had found.

And so I might have lived to this day, and known no sorrow deserving of the name. But humankind was not done with me yet.

Great sorrow, great travail, great loss and perturbation were in store, for me and all of us. There is a saying: call no man fortunate until he is dead.

Wait a little longer, is all I would say.”

When Willem Turling was twelve years old he died from a fever. Wrapped in grief his parents made a bargain with Cain Caradoc, a powerful sorcerer, to resurrect him. But Willem came back a misshapen monster. Shunned and banished by his parents and the villagers of Cosham, Willem seeked refuge in Pennick woods where it was believed other monsters reside. He was done with humans and his once human existence but eventually they drew him back. As Caradoc sets his sights on taking the children of Cosham, the villagers, having no other means to defend against him, turn to Willem to save them all. Willem must gather his outcast friends and these monsters must fight for those who have rejected them. 

Once was Willem by M. R. Carey is a dark tale of necromancy, nightmarish monsters with surprising heart and a fable that teaches of tolerance and understanding. 

Usually I’m immediately drawn into a book because I quickly become attached to the characters or I become intrigued by the magic system or worldbuilding and all of this compels me to read on. However, in this case it was initially because I completely fell in love with Carey’s atmospheric, medieval-ish prose. Although this was a dark fantasy and very macabre at times there was a comforting feel to it, a cosiness. Carey uses old English language and syntax throughout which I think will divide a lot of readers, but for me it really helped to immerse me into the historical period. Each chapter felt like a short story on its own—as we are introduced to new characters their backstory is told in great detail and so we get a clear understanding of what had happened to them and then cleverly see their connection to the overall plot unfold. I was even impressed by the title of each chapter which gave a tantalisingly brief clue as to what was about to come. 

“My reknitted flesh is all of a piece.

I cannot be wounded to the heart for all of me is heart. All of me is liver, lights and lungs. And by the same token all of me is mind.

I think with the whole of my being, which is a powerful thing.”

I then fell for our main protagonist, Willem Turling, who very much reminded me of the unnamed ‘monster’ created by Dr Viktor Frankenstein in Mary Shelley’s novel. Both characters are despised and banished by the townsfolk for their grotesque appearance and unholy nature, both begin to question their existence and what exactly they are. Though Willem has enhanced physical strength and is able to heal from any wound, there’s a fragility in his loneliness. Through Willem’s first person narration we discover that he exists with the memories of his former life, his childhood that was filled with warmth and love, yet having now in his death the comprehension of an adult he understands that he will never be able to be Willem again. What makes Willem such a sympathetic and likeable character is that he understands people’s fears, he understands how his appearance and nature is perceived and so he doesn’t blame anyone for their fears and does all he can to ease them by staying away. Despite the loneliness I’m glad that Carey made it so Willem is not always alone, as he makes his new home in the Pennick woods he meets others who live as outcasts too.

Carey incorporates many mystical figures such as the Norse ulfeðnar—skin changers—Anna and Kel. We then meet the water spirit, Peter Floodfoot, Morjune the witch, Betheli a spirit with a powerful imagination and the terrifying Unsung Jill. What I loved about each of these characters who aid Willem is that Carey cleverly creates them to twist the kind of folklore tales we’re more commonly used to where brave knights save a village from the monsters, and instead gives us the monsters saving the village from a bigger evil. That does not mean that they are all gentle beings or that they do not resent humans, but their love for Willem and him bringing them together surpasses their hatred and therefore, if anything, they fight for each other. Even with their strength they are outnumbered and contending with Cain Caradoc, a power hungry sorcerer with great magic of his own, Kel, Anna, Willem, Morjune and the others fight with all they have, creating scenes of utter carnage and mayhem. I loved seeing how each character uses their abilities to defend the people of Cosham and how the villagers in turn find a way to tolerate and work with them in a shared goal. Coupled with this battle Carey also incorporates myths surrounding the creation of the world which I found surreal but also thought provoking. It worked to show that this isn’t just a fight with magical monsters and folklorist figures, on a much deeper level this is the exploration of our existence and the dangers of one person having too much power. 

Once Was Willem is a moving, hopeful yet also grisly Medieval tale which I easily devoured. Carey’s novel beautifully reads like a classic but with a clever twist. 

“I am all things and nothing, a fountain that runs with shapes instead of water. I am the memory of all flesh that was and all that will be. And am I not beautiful?”

Review copy provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—thank you for the copy! 

Once Was Willem is available now – you can order your copy HERE!