Once Was Willem

""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) ""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 ""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 ""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 highly imaginative fable.""--Nerd Daily on the Book of Koli ""A master storyteller."" --io9 on Infinity Gate ""A thought-provoking and deeply engaging story ... profoundly and doggedly humane.""--C. A. Fletcher on The Book of Koli ""An immense achievement, an impeccably crafted book without a single word out of place.""--The New York Times on Infinity Gate ""Carey writes with compassion and fire - strange and surprising and humane."" --Lauren Beukes, author of The Shining Girls on The Boy on the Bridge ""Heartfelt, remorseless and painfully human...as fresh as it is terrifying. A jewel.""--Joss Whedon on The Girl With All the Gifts ""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 ""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