"Gird yourself," cautions the narrator of the whimsical dark fantasy novel Once Was Willem by M.R. Carey (The Book of Koli; The Girl with All the Gifts). The advice is warranted; this rollicking adventure through medieval England features shape-shifters, ghosts, and one undead boy brave enough to stand against an immeasurably evil sorcerer.
Once-Was-Willem is born--the first time--in the English village of Cosham "eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ," following a tumultuous period that sees local nobility replaced by bandits. Willem dies of a fever at age 12, and his heartbroken parents bargain with the mage Caradoc to bring him back. However, "the manner of my going away and coming back bent all things out of true," Once-Was-Willem says. His decomposed body re-forms into a monstrosity, and his parents reject him. He removes to the forest and befriends a werebear, a chimera, and a river sprite. Meanwhile, Caradoc seeks immortality, and he requires innocent lives to access an immense source of power he discovers beneath a nearby castle. The village of Cosham needs heroes, and Once-Was-Willem and his friends may be just the creatures for the job.
Omniscient first-person narrator Once-Was-Willem follows multiple plot threads seamlessly in this medieval Frankenstein story that explores themes of division, hostility, and healing. Carey writes in a voice that feels period-appropriate yet loses none of the intensity of the action and battle scenes. Brilliant character work and a world built on folk tales drawn from the Old Testament make this engrossing fantasy novel a memorable achievement. --Jaclyn Fulwood, blogger at Infinite Reads