Once Was Willem Audiobook By M. R. Carey cover art

Once Was Willem

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Once Was Willem

By: M. R. Carey
Narrated by: Joe Jameson
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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.

©2025 M. R. Carey (P)2025 Orbit Action & Adventure Fantasy Historical

Critic reviews

"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)

“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

"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
Creative Storytelling • Unexpected Narrative • Beautiful Writing • Enthralling Plot • Outstanding Performance
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Loved it all! Highly recommend this story, you won’t be disappointed. Looking forward to the sequel!

Outstanding story and performance!

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I never checked what this was about before starting it. What a fun read. Just as good as The girl with all the gifts!

Great read

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Such a wonderful story, and performed beautifully! Mr Carey never disappoints and this is no exception! This one is so different tonally from his recent Pandominian series, but has all that classic Carey charm and wit. Don’t hesitate!

Another masterpiece from M.R. Carey

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A bunch of disparate heroes, the boys and girls getting the gang together, just a good old time

A classic tale

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This showed up on my list - one of my favorite authors, an unusual story, and my son shares the name of the title character. Well, just Willem. I found the narration brilliant, the story unexpected, and the characters well developed. Absolutely a well written book performed/read well. Thank you Mr’s Carey and Jameson.

A stunning surprise!

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This story and the narration was completely enthralling. I was carried from chapter to chapter eager to find out what happened next.

I loved the first person perspective of Once-Was-Willem.

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I loved the narration. I love the character characters. The story was old and beautiful.

The story. The writing and the narration. Created a dream that I will likely dream again.

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This is a superb book, full of heart and action and epic doings. Carey is a wonderful wordsmith.

So good!!!

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I loved the story; but the voices were a little weird especially the sorcerer. great storyline

great story

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Carey is at his best with this book! He's always been amazing at creative, dark, and simultaneously human stories (dont miss Girl with All the Gifts, Boy on the Bridge, and The Rampart Trilogy) but he's never gone this hard with the fantastical. I was dubious at first but this kept me glued to the very end. Love love love!

Dark, Magical, and Full of Heart

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