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thewritebooks 's review for:
Once Was Willem
by M.R. Carey
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for an eARC in exchange for an honest review
I had this on my TBR for a little while before I received an ARC because I love the medieval era of history so this weird little fantasy book sounded right up my street. And I was partly right! Once-was-Willem is a fascinating character with an unusual style of narration. I loved the characters at the Keep and in the Village, which combined almost felt like reading a play or a farce of some kind. And then it wrapped many plot threads into a kind of moral about protecting children which made it feel almost like a very strange fairy tale.
Unfortunately, my piqued curiosity was never quite satisfied and I would've loved a bit more in terms of plot tension - I never felt particularly pulled along by a high stakes moment, only that I was slowly working my way through a regular-paced unfolding narrative. Not unpleasant, but not riveting either.
I had this on my TBR for a little while before I received an ARC because I love the medieval era of history so this weird little fantasy book sounded right up my street. And I was partly right! Once-was-Willem is a fascinating character with an unusual style of narration. I loved the characters at the Keep and in the Village, which combined almost felt like reading a play or a farce of some kind. And then it wrapped many plot threads into a kind of moral about protecting children which made it feel almost like a very strange fairy tale.
Unfortunately, my piqued curiosity was never quite satisfied and I would've loved a bit more in terms of plot tension - I never felt particularly pulled along by a high stakes moment, only that I was slowly working my way through a regular-paced unfolding narrative. Not unpleasant, but not riveting either.