Once Was Willem

Something that always impresses me in a writer is a willingness to try something different. Sure, the fans just want more of the same, but why not stretch yourself. Mike Carey has done a number of different things: science fiction both near and far future, supernatural detectives, and superheroes, but I don’t think he has done mediaeval fantasy before. Also he’s fond of unusual lead characters. Koli in the Rampart Trilogy has a unique voice, and Topaz, the teenage rabbit girl from the Pandominium Duology is another stand out. All of this comes together in Once Was Willem.

Whilst I don’t think Carey has done mediaeval fantasy before, Once Was Willem bears as much resemblance to traditional epic fantasy as the work of Hieronymus Bosch has to a Pre-Raphaelite painting of Arthurian knights. The closest things I can think of to it are Kate Heartfield’s The Chatelaine (previously published as Armed in Her Fashion) and Cat Valente’s Prester John books. Carey’s work on the Lucifer comic means that he is well versed in Christian mythology, which actually makes him well suited to this sort of narrative.

The book is set in England during The Anarchy, and Carey wins points for referring to Matilda by her proper title of Empress, though he does seem to be more on the side of Stephen. The time period, however, is mainly to allow for a significant degree of lawlessness in the land. The majority of the characters are peasants, and the few Norman lords in the story are swiftly dispatched by a Serbian mercenary captain turned outlaw who fancies himself a castle.

Our lead character was once Willem Turling, but Willem is no more. He died of a fever aged just twelve. His loving parents, who had gone through considerable difficulty trying to produce a child, were distraught. When they hear that a traveling sorcerer is in the area, they gather all of their wealth and beg him to restore their son to life.

Once-Was-Willem, then, is a revenant. He can remember being Willem Turling, but that was once upon a time. He is someone very different now. Naturally the villagers are terrified of this shambling monster, and he ends up living in the wilds where he makes friends with other unnatural beings.

Meanwhile our sorcerer has been busy. The man who calls himself Cain Caradoc is not in the area by accident. He has discovered a source of great magical power in the hill on which Pennick Castle is built, and he is determined to harness that source for himself. Inveigling himself into the service of Maglan Horvath, the bandit lord, he sets about his work, and soon realises that what he needs for his spells is a child or two to sacrifice.

At this point we find ourselves briefly in a parody of The Seven Samurai in which Once-Was-Willem and his monstrous friends help the ungrateful villagers defend themselves against Horvath and his sorcerer. They are a motley crew, including Viking bear-serker, the spirit of the local river, a dead witch, a girl whom Caradoc has sacrificed and the terrible figure of Unsung Jill whose right eye contains a window onto Hell itself.

It is, like so much mediaeval literature, a totally gonzo story. But it works because it is grounded in the characters, and the overriding message which is one of acceptance of difference. The villagers are saved, not by some knight in shining armour, or even a bunch of handsome gunslingers, but by people whom they have driven away and live in fear of. There are shades of the Pied Piper tale here too, but Once-Was-Willem and his friends have no desire to take the village children from their home.

I guess that some people will find the book hard going because of the veneer of mediaeval language that Carey casts over the narrative, and some will be disappointed that there are no handsome knights rescuing maidens, but I thoroughly enjoyed the book and would love to see more work that engages more with the mediaeval world and its preoccupations.

Title: Once Was Willem
By: Mike Carey
Publisher: Orbit
Purchase links:
Amazon UK
Amazon US
Bookshop.org UK
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