Review: Once Was Willem by MR Carey
3 March 2025
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, book-blog, Horror, MR Carey, Once Was Willem, reading, Review
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Slow Start but Patience Rewarded
Once Was Willem was, for me, a book that took a little time to get it’s feet under the table, but once it did so it kept me utterly hooked. Such a strange yet enjoyable mediaeval fantasy horror with a truly unique voice. A sort of Frankenstein-Magnificent Seven smash up if you will.
I suppose what you need to know first of all is this is Once Was Willem’s story, which shouldn’t really be a surprise given the title. Once Was Willem is a revenant, brought back to life at the request of his parents by an unscrupulous and conniving wizard. We take a little while to get to this particular aspect of the story but once we meet Cain Caradoc – the evil wizard himself – the narrative really takes off.
OWW is of course reviled by his parents. They hadn’t really given much thought to the fact that they were bringing back to life a body that had been in the ground for almost a year, they didn’t understand that he would no longer be the Willem that they knew and loved, and if Caradoc was aware of the terrible implications, which he was, he certainly wasn’t inclined to share these thoughts but was more interested in his tithe – a sliver of Willem’s soul to feed his thirst for immortality. Willem is chased from the village by your typical angry mob bearing pitchforks and begins to find a new family living remotely in the mountains, a strange cast of characters that I loved. He begins to forget Willem although he at times hankers after his village and friends and family.
I won’t give too much away, this is your basic story of good vs evil but with some very unlikely characters picking up the slack on behalf of the poor downtrodden peasants. It’s very much a story of accepting people and literally not judging them based on appearance alone.
What I really enjoyed about this.
Set some time between the 11th and 12th century Willem tells his tale with an archaic voice that I really enjoyed and is seriously easy to get used to. This isn’t one of those stories that modernises everything including the language or prettifies the people and the landscape. Times were hard. People were oftentimes even harder. Thieves and outlaws live in the forests – temporarily at least! Life was cheap back then. And evil wizards need souls for their dastardly tinkering. So, yes, I enjoyed very much the way Willem tells his story. It’s with a straightforwardness that helps to make some of the slightly more horrible aspects readable. Lets just say I don’t think I’d like to get on the wrong side of an author who can come up with such a despicable way to create a suit or armour – or indeed a puppet without strings. Cringes.
As I said, the start meandered a little and at one point I was curious about where this was going but I’m so glad I continued, my current reading mood is very temperamental so I almost thought of putting this aside – but Carey is an author that I really like and I was so curious to see what was going to happen.
I loved the Magnificent Seven vibe. A group of misfits, coming together to help the underdog – and, essentially, save the world I suppose, because once an evil wizard has access to great power – well, they’re not known for their overwhelming sense of ‘great responsibility’.
I’m being a bit cautious with this review because I don’t want to give away too much so I’ll conclude by saying if you fancy a read that somehow manages to contain magic, folklore, Christian mythology and creative horror whilst bringing together the most unexpected found family ever – then this is the one for you. Dive in and enjoy.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
Can’t Wait Wednesday : Once Was Willem by MR Carey
24 July 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Can't Wait Wedesday, MR Carey, Once Was Willem, Wishful Endings
“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that was originally created by Breaking the Spine. Unfortunately Breaking the Spine are no longer hosting so I’m now linking my posts up to Wishful Endings Can’t Wait Wednesday. Don’t forget to stop over, link up and check out what books everyone else is waiting for. If you want to take part, basically, every Wednesday, we highlight a book that we’re really looking forward to. This week my book is: Once Was Willem by MR Carey. Here’s the cover and description:
From the bestselling 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 . . .
Expected Publication : March 2025
The Fall of Koli (Rampart Trilogy #3) by MR Carey
1 April 2021
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: MR Carey, Rampart Trilogy #3, The Fall of Koli
My Five Word TL:DR Review : A Love Story in Disguise
Okay, that might not be totally correct but you’ll just have to trust me.
The Fall of Koli is the final instalment of the Rampart Trilogy and brings to an end the strangely satisfying, if somewhat bittersweet, adventures of the titular character.
I would just point out that being the third in series it’s quite likely that this review will contain spoilers for prior instalments. Also, I would also mention that this is not a series that you can dive into randomly. The books need to be read in order, not just to give the full weight to the character growth that takes place during the series but also because you need the background story.
The first book of Koli is really an introduction to the world and characters. Koli lives in a small village where each person must play their part in order to survive. The village is effectively run by one family, known as the Ramparts, who are in control of all the ‘old tech’. Each year the newest adults in the village undertake a trial to see if the tech will ‘wake’ for them. This is an exciting and hopeful time for the villagers although to date the ability remains within the one family. The first book is more about the revelations and truths that Koli uncovers that result in him being cast out of the village and see the start of his journey to seek lost London.
The second book breaks into two narratives that follows Koli and his little group of friends (and they are a really great bunch of characters) and also flits back to Koli’s village so that we can see what is happening there since he left. I enjoyed this book more than the first to be honest. I liked the split narrative, I enjoyed seeing more of the world and there were a couple of revelations. The villagers, for example, are starting to become more aware of the duplicity that surrounds them but at the same time still need to remain united in order to survive.
The third book is also a huge revelation. Koli and his group have found what they were looking for, at the same time, they’ve also discovered that the threat to the world might not yet be over.
There’s plenty of action in this instalment and both storylines seem to split in the way they feel. Koli’s storyline almost feels unreal, like we’ve stepped into a strange sci-fi nightmare. Meanwhile the village are facing a total wipe out that brings plenty of action and fighting to the story.
What I really liked about this series is that taken as a whole it’s much more than the sum of its parts. It’s not simply a post apocalyptic book about survival and the depths that people sink to in order to stay alive – although there is obviously still elements of that. This is more a story of hope to be honest. It highlights that there are still people who want to help others and will go to great lengths in order to do so. More than this it has to be the most unlikely love story you’ll ever read – and to be clear, this isn’t a romance in the typical sense of the word – I won’t say more on that. And, on top of this there’s the whole debate going on here about AI – can humans trust artificial intelligence or, perhaps on the flip side, can artificial intelligence trust humans.
I like a book that makes me think and the Fall of Koli certainly achieved that. Plus, all this food for thought is wrapped up in a tense story that highlights the struggles that the characters from both narratives are undertaking to not just survive but to stop a bigger threat. And I really appreciated that both storylines involved a fight to survive. On the face of it the village faced a dire threat with lots of fighting and strategy. Koli and Co seemed to be involved in a much smaller conflict on the face of it and with less dynamism involved in terms of action and war faring, but, in fact their storyline had the potential for much greater impact in the long term and certainly felt more sinister.
In terms of criticisms. Nothing much here except I felt a slight slowing down during the time Koli and his friends spent on board ship (trying not to give anything away here). To be fair, I think that might just be me though – I found myself enjoying the second narrative slightly more which is probably down to all the action. Again, though, there are moments during this part of Koli’s story that really made my jaw drop.
Overall, I think this was a very good conclusion. I’m tempted to say bittersweet but I’m not entirely sure that’s the most appropriate phrase. Having really thought about it I think Carey has given the most unusual, but perhaps strangely fitting, conclusion that you could imagine. (Also, massive spoiler alert: highlight if you want to read this :
The clue really is in the title)
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
The Trials of Koli (Rampart Trilogy#2) by MR Carey
7 December 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: MR Carey, Rampart Trilogy #2, The Trials of Koli
The Trials of Koli is the second in Mr Carey’s Rampart trilogy and was an enjoyable instalment that has left me keen to read the final chapter when it arrives. The first book in the series, The Book of Koli didn’t work out quite as well for me as I’d hoped but this is an author that I really like so I was determined to continue with the series to see which direction the story would take.
I felt that book 2 was much improved by the addition of a new pov narrator and also by the inclusion of some very interesting world building.
Anyway, not to get ahead of myself here, let’s start from the beginning with a brief introduction and obligatory warning that being the second book in series this review may contain spoilers. Also, in my opinion, I do not believe this should be read as a standalone so if you haven’t read the first in series my suggestion is to pick up The Book of Koli first.
So, the story continues almost immediately where book 1 concluded. Koli, Cup and Ursula are making progress travelling across the country, following some sort of signal, in the hopes of reaching London (where they believe they will find new hope). Along the way they meet with a number of distractions, not least of which seems to be a band of hunters who are intent on separating them from their tech. In some respects this is a dog eat dog type of world and the few existing remnants from bygone times are much sought after. Koli and Ursula between them have two very impressive piece of such tech and so it’s no surprise that they find themselves encountering difficult situations from time to time.
Added to this we return to the village where Koli was born, raised and eventually shunned where we follow in the footsteps of Spinner. Spinner recently married into the Ramparts, seriously disappointing Koli at the time who had romantic feelings towards her. We observe her as she is (rather frostily) welcomed into the new family home and then follow her progress from there onwards. I really enjoyed this aspect to the story, the politics of the small village, how the villagers are manipulated and how Spinner, herself a clever young woman, goes through strife before finding a comfortable foothold.
I won’t elaborate further on the plot but let you discover things firsthand. What I will share here instead is the aspects that particularly worked for me.
Firstly, the return to Koli’s village and the inclusion of a fresh and bright POV that continued to deliver a narrative that demonstrates how difficult life is in this new brutal world.
Secondly, observing a little more of the world via Koli’s travels. The group eventually come upon a small fishing village and it’s here that we learn a lot more about some of the key characters, particularly Cup, and also witness the power of this new world and some of the more dangerous aspects, such as Knotweed.
Thirdly, I think, having read quite a number of post apocalyptic style stories there is the inevitable, almost weariness, that comes through witnessing the downward spiral in the way people treat each other, and there were definite elements of that in book 1 and also in this instalment. Group A becomes bigger than Group B and so resorts to brute force to take what it wants and thus become even more powerful and bullying. However, this book quite pleasantly surprised me in that respect by actually offering up a village of people that were kind (mostly) and that whilst struggling to survive, retained some modicum of decency (although there was one particularly twisted individual determined, like a fly in the ointment, to cause trouble).
In terms of criticisms. There is still an element to this that feels very similar to stories that are already out there, but, I thought this became a lot more intriguing when some of the local flora and fauna became more menacing. There is also an element to Koli that prevents me from totally liking him as a character – which seems quite unreasonable in many respect because he certainly isn’t an offensive person. But, I find that I’ve become more attached to some of the others and I thought Cup and Spinner made for very interesting reading. Also, be aware if you’re intending to pick up this series that this is a story being told by Koli who has his very own style of narration that can take a little getting used to at first. This is an aspect however that I thought was well done and a good reflection of how language changes and adapts over the years.
Overall, I enjoyed this one more than I expected, I guess that could be as a result of not over-hyping myself this time around and, given the ending, I’m very curious to read the final instalment.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4 of 5 stars
The Book of Koli (Rampart Trilogy #1) by M.R. Carey
16 April 2020
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: MR Carey, Rampart Trilogy #1, The Book of Koli
The Book of Koli was one of my most anticipated books this year. I’ve read a few books by this author and really enjoy his work so perhaps you can imagine how excited I was to be approved for this particular book.
BoK takes us on one young boy’s strange journey, a first step into adulthood, and a period of great change and no little amount of danger.
We start the story by meeting Koli, who is our narrator, and I will just warn you now that he has his very own way of storytelling that you may find a bit disconcerting at first, but does grow on you (or at least that was my experience).
Koli is a young boy on the cusp of manhood. He lives in one of a few villages, sparsely populated and surrounded by countryside. This is a post apocalyptic story and whilst we don’t discover a great deal of what actually took place to cause such devastation we soon learn that travelling beyond the walls of your own village can be incredibly dangerous. Not only might you meet outcasts (shunned people) but the local flora might also take a fancy to you. Trees that attack and vines that whip up from the ground. The sunshine is now the enemy as it awakens the forest and brings with it a multitude of dangers. But, Koli, his family and friends are very aware of the dangers posed by the forest and know how to survive. Life is simple and people are delegated certain tasks that usually pass down from family to family, for example Koli’s family are woodsmiths who collect and treat timber to make it fit for purpose. The most desirable tasks in the village involve using the few remaining pieces of old ‘tech’ that remain and help to protect everyone – however, in order to attain such a coveted role you must be able to ‘wake’ the tech in the first place, which few can do. If you do manage this task you will become a ‘rampart’ and live a more privileged life as a result.
So we meet Koli as he’s about to face his first trial – his first step on the road to manhood. Still a child at this point, Koli will be given a chance to operate a piece of ‘tech’ of his own choosing. As a child he still has hope that his life can be singularly remarkable and believes that he can achieve anything – of course, he’s soon to learn that these simple hopes and wishes are somewhat naive. At the same time that Koli’s trial looms he is also forming an attachment to a childhood friend known as Spinner but is too nervous to make his feelings known to her. Now, to be honest, I’m not going to elaborate further on the plot because I think you need to discover the story for yourself, suffice to say that Koli’s innocence and naivety are about to set him on a dark path.
I really enjoyed the start of the story, discovering about life in the village and getting to know Koli and his hopes and desires. The tone then gradually starts to change, Koli discovers that not everything is quite as simple as he first suspected and in fact there is unfairness in the world. Darkness and threat start to seep into the tale as he faces the consequences of his actions.
The world building is interesting. I really enjoyed getting to know about life in the village but, as the story is told by Koli, and he only knows so much himself, we learn little of what caused the world to change so dramatically. Similarly with the forest and trees. we discover that they pose a threat to life and that the villagers have to be incredibly careful to keep new growth and seedlings under control but there is little other explanation. I didn’t mind this to be honest and just went with the flow.
The writing may be a bugbear for some readers, although I didn’t find it to be so. Koli isn’t a literary genius to say the least and his narrative is full of grammatical errors, spelling mistakes and colloquialisms but this is his story after all and of course he’s going to tell it in his own style and although that style not be particularly eloquent he does have a certain charm. I couldn’t help wondering how difficult it must be for an author to write in this style, you must continually want to be correcting things – not to mention auto-correct and spell check must be nightmares!
The characters. Well, I liked Koli but in actual fact my two favourites were side characters who become quite pivotal to the story. One is Ursala – a traveller and healer who travels between the villages spreading news and helping with ailments. She has her own forms of protection including a drudge, a piece of tech that the ramparts from Koli’s village would like very much to get their hands on. The other is Monono – such a great addition to the story and very unusual – I loved the way she develops but I won’t say more here, you’ll have to make her acquaintance yourself.
In terms of criticisms. Well, I did have a few issues that held me back a little, not least my own high expectations, and let’s be honest, my concentration is not the best at the moment. I think the first issue I would mention is that the story is a little slow. Koli has his own speed of telling things and although you know that changes are imminent the story does slow down a little (around the 40% mark. The other issue for me was that I probably didn’t enjoy the second half of the story as much as the first. I can’t really go into why that is without giving away spoilers but I think because I’ve read quite a number of post apocalyptic stories over the years there was a certain familiarity to the second half whereas the first half felt very fresh, don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying it was like a.n.other book – just that the territory felt well trodden in some respects. That being said, if you’ve not read many books of this type I think you’ll be bowled over.
Okay, so I didn’t love this quite as much as I’d expected but to be fair I think my head has turned into a turnip at the moment and also I’m a victim of my own impossibly high expectations for this particular author. Basically, I think it’s more a case of ‘it’s me not you’ – MR Carey is an impressive author and one that I will continue to be excited about in the future.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Rating 3.5 of 5 stars
Books and travelling with Lynn 