Once Was Willem
From the international bestselling author of The Girl with All the Gifts comes a wildly original and enthrallingly dark medieval fantasy unlike anything you've read before – a fable of twisted folklore, macabre magic, and the strangest of found families.
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.
M.R. Carey
M.R. Carey has a knack for blending the uncanny with the deeply human, crafting stories that haunt, resonate, and provoke thought long after the last page is turned. A master of tension and emotional complexity, Carey’s works often explore the fragility of humanity, the consequences of survival, and the resilience of the spirit in the face of overwhelming odds.
Best known for The Girl with All the Gifts, Carey redefined the post-apocalyptic genre, creating a chilling yet moving tale of a young girl who holds the key to humanity’s future in a world ravaged by a devastating fungal infection. With a premise that blends horror, science fiction, and the profound innocence of childhood, the book resonated deeply with readers and critics alike, leading to a film adaptation and securing Carey’s place in the literary spotlight.
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