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Once Was Willem

Coming Soon

Contributors

By M. R. Carey

Formats and Prices

Price

$19.99

Price

$25.99 CAD

From the bestselling author M. R. Carey comes an utterly unique and enchantingly dark epic fantasy fable like no other.

This is the tale of Once Was Willem, who – eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England – rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham.

Pennick for all its beauty was ever a place with a dark reputation. The forests of the Chase were said to be home to nixies and boggarts, and there was a common belief, passed down through many generations, that the castle housed an unquiet ghost of terrible and malign power. These rumours I can attest were all true; indeed they fell short of the truth by a long way . . .

  • “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
  • “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
  • "A thought-provoking and deeply engaging story ... profoundly and doggedly humane."
    C. A. Fletcher on The Book of Koli
  • "Heartfelt, remorseless and painfully human...as fresh as it is terrifying. A jewel."
    Joss Whedon on The Girl With All the Gifts
  • "This is a beautiful book. Gripping, engaging, and absolutely worth the time it takes to burrow yourself into its reality. I can't recommend it highly enough."
    Seanan McGuire on The Book of Koli
  • "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
  • "The cadence and pacing of [Koli's] voice adds a depth and richness to the strange and malevolent world."
    Booklist on The Book of Koli
  • "Carey writes with compassion and fire - strange and surprising and humane."
    Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls on The Boy on the Bridge
  • "A highly imaginative fable."
    Nerd Daily on the Book of Koli

On Sale
Mar 4, 2025
Page Count
496 pages
Publisher
Orbit
ISBN-13
9780316505024

M. R. Carey

About the Author

M. R. Carey has been making up stories for most of his life. His novel The Girl With All the Gifts was a USA Today bestseller and is a major motion picture based on his BAFTA-nominated screenplay. Under the name Mike Carey he has written for both DC and Marvel, including critically acclaimed runs on X-Men and Fantastic Four, Marvel’s flagship superhero titles. His creator-owned books regularly appear in the New York Times bestseller list. He also has several previous novels, two radio plays, and a number of TV and movie screenplays to his credit.

Learn more about this author