Worship

by Alice Winn

Irish princess Isode is certain she will marry a king worthy of her, and she believes that king might just be Sir Palomides – if only he would convert to Christianity. Her plans, however, are shattered when a mysterious knight named Tristram defeats her beloved in a tournament. Solitary, handsome, and fast becoming the best knight of all, Tristram has no interest in marrying Isode. He only wanted to win approval – worship – from his idol, Palomides, and a seat with the knights of the Round Table. But after the tournament, Tristram and Isode’s fates are tied – whether they like it or not.

As civil war brews in Camelot, Isode tries to regain control of her once glittering future. Amid turmoil and magic, Tristram and Isode set off on a perilous voyage and begin to see each other in a new light. What if their future holds more than either of them could ever imagine?

Dazzlingly inventive and endlessly surprising, WORSHIP is a stunning novel about faith and love in the face of uncertainty – of how far we might go, and what we’re willing to lose, for the ones we love.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Adult, LGBT, Historical Fantasy

432 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 23, 2027

About the author

Alice Mary Felicity Winn is an Irish and American novelist and screenwriter, born in France and educated in England. Early life and education Winn was born and raised in Paris, the daughter of Irish and American parents. She holds Irish citizenship. She has dyslexia and did not learn to read until she was nine years old. Winn was educated at Marlborough College in England. She graduated with a degree in English literature from St Peter's College, Oxford. She has described having a "tenuous grasp" of her identity. After graduating, Winn set a goal of writing "a novel a year until I wrote one that was good." Before writing In Memoriam, Winn wrote three unpublished novels, worked on screenplays, and taught homeschooled children. In 2019, Winn started writing In Memoriam after reading student newspapers published 1913–1919 from her alma mater, Marlborough College. The protagonists, Gaunt and Ellwood, were inspired by her readings of and about Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon, respectively. She won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize in 2023 for her novel In Memoriam.

Reviews

[liz]

It’s going to take me a while to come up with the proper words to encompass all that this novel was. My soul was so invested in every single moment of this story I felt physically ill at times, my heart aching.

The title Worship could not be more perfect to epitomize all that we watch unfold in the arcs of our characters and every decision that drives them. What does it mean for someone to have worship? Is it fame and glory? Ethical honor? Christianity & piety? Love and devotion? Each character goes on a journey to uncover what matters the most. Readers will be left wondering - are you happy with the things you chose to take precedence in your life? Did you do it right?

How Alice Winn is able to so thoroughly take the history and legends that we know and create such dimensional characters that make them so truly humanly flawed, relatable and vulnerable is nothing short of a masterpiece. I felt like I lived 100 lifetimes reading this.

The YEARN. My heart was pulled over all over the place between Isode and her FOUR love interests. (Bisexuals make some noise!). Romantic in the most devastating of ways.
But of course, it is also nothing short of a tragedy. Gory. Raw. Emotional. Violent.
But surprisingly so, and a complete tone shift from Winn’s previous work, it is also so charming, funny, comical and larger-than-life.
I highlighted quite a bit of quotes. I’m floored.

I was curious how, on Earth, she would possibly wrap everything up and the ending stole the literal breath clean out of my lungs. I immediately went back and started rereading the introduction again and my heart shattered in a whole new light. The more I sit with it the more devastated I become.

I do think fans of Winn’s previous work might have conflicting feelings regarding this, but as someone who loves folklore, mythology, and fantasy and only loosely knows of Arthurian legends; this was everything to me. A sensational author note: “because I was not trying to depict a historically accurate moment in time: I was trying to create the version of Arthuriana that I like best.” And guess what? If nobody gets it, I got it. I felt it with my entire being.

Fans of Madeline Miller and Alix. E Harrow would love this.

Thank you to the angelic employee of Alfred A. Knopf and NetGalley for blessing me with this eARC. Let me go preorder my entire friend group this story.

[Margo Laurie]

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC 💖💖💖

[Nusz]

Will this book become my whole personality just like in memorium did? Yes, yes I think it will

[Roman Clodia]

Well, this could hardly be more different from Winn's debut, In Memoriam: where that was written in a realist style, this is modelled on medieval romance, with Le Morte D'Arthur, Chrétien de Troyes, Gottfried von Strassburg, Béroul and Wolfram von Eschenbach all name-checked, amongst others, as sources and inspiration in the afterword; where Memoriam was an intimate exploration of love and desire between two young men, this is a modern retelling of the Arthurian tales, especially the romance of Tristan and Isolde, here given as Tristram and Isode, triangulated with Palomides, and the tone has a similar mythic detachment: events happen in a kind of destined way (the poisoned goblet, the secret love, the intersection with the fall of Camelot) replete with fate, magic and and foretold tragedy. There's that kind of fairytale aura where terrible things happen but the violence feels almost cartoonish, with swords broken in people's heads, 'Isode tried to sew his brain back together' - very different from the physical and psychological carnage of WW1 in Memoriam.

Winn is quite self-aware and playfully conscious of her belatedness in relation to this long-established material which is itself full of alternatives and variations, and she allows her characters to make their awareness of the various traditions known through asides and re-wordings: the 'worship' of the title, for example, is a modern elucidation of the chivalric 'honour' that underpinned the medieval courtly romance, with an especial interest here in how it centralised relationships between men; and there is a kind of running commentary that explores the meeting of modern and medieval: '(And, in fact, they were wrong. Palomides was Egyptian. But to the writers of the romances, all heathen countries were the same.)'

This sense of literary reception and intertextuality is made ever more clear as we reach the end: the Great Beast draws explicit attention to all the previous literary lives of Isode and asks her whether this version we've just read is the one she's happy with or whether she wants to go back to the beginning, re-live her life again and choose a different path through all her precedents: 'And so they went back and tried again.'

This reminded me somewhat of Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh without being as rambunctious and iconoclastic as that book: maybe think of Chaucer's The Knight's Tale via Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida, brought up to date via a 21st century consciousness.

Many thanks to Penguin for an ARC via NetGalley

[Marie]

Yes 🙌

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading)]

If you, like me, desperately needed this book because you loved In Memoriam too much and didn't even bother to check what Worship was about beforehand I would advise you to not do that. Worship is nothing like In Memoriam, and to me that wasn't a good thing.
We follow Isode, Palomides and Tristram, their lives are entwined and they keep coming back to each other. I'm not very knowledgeable about Arthurian mythology, most of the things I know I picked up from other books, Legendborn probably gave me most of it. While I wouldn't say it's necessary to know any of it I will say I think it would improve the reading experience, because if like me you have no wish no know about it that can become dull quickly.
Alice Winn’s writing is still great, the style is easy to read while still not being too simplistic. I don't feel like I connected to these characters nowhere near how I connected to the In Memoriam characters, and the same can be said about the story itself, I just wasn't as engaged with it.
I think it bears saying I am not a fan of historical fiction normally, In Memoriam was a brilliant exception, and I thought Winn could replicate it so that's why I decided to step out of my comfort zone to try Worship, unfortunately that didn't happen.
If you like Arthurian stories, historical fiction and grand adventures you will perhaps like this, but that's just not me.

Thank you Netgalley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Amy Moss]

thys booke slappeth

[Stephen the Bookworm]

"You'll never win worship if you slaughter everyone who challenges you, "said Palomides
"He had won worship, technically, but it was not the meaningful kind. Not kind the kind of worship Palomides had,where he was loved."

Worship: honour and fame- the measure of respect a knight holds in society.

Following the incredible 2023 'In Memoriam ', Alice Winn returns with a 180 degree turn of a novel; a dive into the world of Arthurian Legends and the story of Isolde and Tristan based upon events from a 15th century book- Le Morte D'Arthur

A love story or should that be a love triangle as Isolde is torn between the loyal Palomides ( who has not been christened but has stood by her side but is disgraced in battle) and the man who killed her uncle Marholt- Tristan ( the man who removes the worship from Palomides) and the love and need for respect between the two men.

This is a tale of knights and maidens; of magic and mysticism; of names you know well from the stories of The Round table- Lancelot, Galahad, Gawain; of swords and fights and blood and guts galore; of loyalty, survival and betrayal.

The sensitivity and melancholic subtlety of a moving love story within ' In Memoriam' is stripped away for something very different- raw, direct and with a contemporary twist.
Not being somebody who watched Game of Thrones or usually reads 'fantasy/legend' based tales, this was a book that didn't grip as I hoped but I know it will for many.

The ceaseless killing which seemed to be the norm left me feeling desensitised which is never a good thing as none of the principal characters seemed to display enough emotional response- perhaps that was the recognised behaviour within these legends. Often the dialogue was contemporary in style which seemed at odds with the setting and events .

There is no denying the originality and the volte face of Alice Winn as she creates a whole different style of writing (which must liberating for an author) and goes from a factually linked novel to fantasy based but by the end of the book I wasn't sure I cared for Isolde or Tristan and poor Palomides went through so much for so little.

3.5 out 5 - rounded to 4 stars for the sheer curious originality

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the advance copy for an honest and unbiased review.

[maria cho]

WDYM NEW ALICE WINN BOOK??? i need this rn because i still haven't recovered from in memoriam (i doubt i ever will)

[megs]

I knew immediately I would adore this book. It is funny, emotional, heartfelt, heart-breaking. I laughed, I cried, and I can't wait to reread this one.
A beautiful story of love and of friendship, with magic, adventures, battles, and beasts. I did not want it end.
The characters were so well-written - they were complex and imperfect, but still you are rooting for them despite the impending disaster you know is going to happen from page one.
I'll be thinking about this novel for a while, and will be recommending it to everyone.

[Magdalena (magdal21)]

Worship bears little resemblance to Alice Winn’s debut, In Memoriam, and there’s certainly no guarantee that loving the first will make you love her sophomore novel, or vice versa. They’re very different books. Still, I think they reveal a consistent interest of hers. It was precisely those chivalric stories about knights in shining armor that fascinated young men eager to fight in the First World War. Exploring one of these ideas naturally led her back to the other.

But moving to the point, I did like this book. It didn’t completely steal my heart, but objectively, I think it’s a very well done reinterpretation of the Tristan and Isolde story, clearly well researched and written with a lot of heart. I liked that, despite its modern and accessible prose, it still captures the spirit of chivalric romance and Arthurian legend. At the same time, the novel does a really good job of subverting what we expect from such iconic characters as Tristan and Isolde. Alice Winn moves away from the one dimensional archetypes of perfect knights and ladies, instead making her characters much more complex and human. That makes it easier to become genuinely invested in their journeys, even though we know from the very beginning just how tragic and doomed this story is.

The dynamic between Tristram, Isolde, and Palomides was so deliciously love hate that it deserves a whole separate review. There’s so much tension, resentment, affection, and complicated loyalty between the three of them, and I loved how messy and unpredictable their relationships could be.

Of the three main characters, I was most impressed by Isolde, mainly because she was so different from how I’d always imagined her. The same could be said for Tristram to be honest. He’s such a wonderfully conflicted character! I’d never really considered that either of them could be portrayed as flawed and not necessarily likeable or noble, so I really liked Winn moving away from the traditional image of them as idealized protagonists.

As I mentioned, the book’s really well written. It’s engaging, occasionally funny, and easy to get through. I also really liked the balance between the more serious, tragic elements and the lighter, more humorous moments. I flew through it and was hooked from the very beginning.

I also thought the ending worked really well. Without giving anything away, I’ll just say that it felt very fitting given that we’re dealing with a legendary story. And legends, after all, don’t really have just one version.

Overall, I don’t think this’ll be a book for everyone, and it won’t appeal to all fans of Alice Winn’s previous work either. But for anyone longing for classic Arthurian legends with a more modern and relatable feel, I think it’ll be a real treat. I’d give it 4/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[tegan]

well that was insane. considered dnfing at the 100 page mark and then the rest was so stupendous. the word worship means So much here. byatt’s possession came to mind while reading - i love when an author takes a single theme and wrings it dry. my favorite of those angles has to be the wanting power over people by being stronger or better than them but realizing actually you have power because they give it to you. echoing other readers to say that the ending really cracked my head open in a fun way and i went straight back to the beginning. these characters are all so real and dear!!!! palomides you would’ve loved being diagnosed with ocd and i can’t even get INTO my thoughts and feelings towards tristram.

[alex]

HOLY SHIT nobody told me this was happening. i need this like water bitch

[Chelsea Knowles]

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*

Worship is a retelling of the myth of Tristan and Isode. In this book, Isode is an Irish princess who thinks she will marry Sir Palomides. In order for her to marry him, he must convert to Christianity but he refuses to until he has fought in seven noble battles. He has fought six noble battles but before he fights the seventh one, he is defeated by a knight in a tournament. The knight is named Tristram and he wanted to win worship from Sir Palomides who is his idol but he ends up becoming tied to Isode. Isode is set to marry King Mark of Cornwall and Tristam ends up taking her to him. Civil war brews in Camelot and with relationships fracturing, Isode tries to regain control of her future alongside Tristam as it seems her future is inexplicably intertwined with Tristam’s.

I’m not quite sure how to articulate my feelings about this book. The writing feels quite cold and at the start I felt quite removed from the story. It took me a while to get properly into this but once I did, I was so into this. I really love this book and this story just means so much to me. I didn’t know anything about the myth so this was a completely fresh story for me. I loved Isode as a character, she is complex and I like how she views the world and the circumstances she is in. Isode is religious and I like how she understands her faith. It was interesting to see how her faith changed as the story went on and as she did more objectively bad things to other people. Sir Palomides is an interesting character and his background is also complex in regard to his faith. His whole story is about his faith and if he will convert to Christianity after coming from a Muslim background. I loved Tristam and understood him as a character completely. He is a good knight and his character is all about following the code. He tries to do what is right but his actions aren’t always seen as right by other people.

I loved the romance in this book and felt it in my whole body. This book is something that you just have to experience. I would recommend this for fans of The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden and Innamorata by Ava Reid. Worship does have some fantasy elements and with it being based on a myth, there is no proof any of these characters existed in real life but it feels more historical than anything. I loved the historical setting and what this had to say about being a knight. I loved seeing the Knights of the Round Table like Lancelot and I just had such a good time reading this. I’m giving this 5 stars and I will be recommending this to everyone.

Favourite quote:
“Sir Palomides has never murdered anyone. Only bad knights murder,” she said. “Ah. Yes,” said Dinadan, as if Isode had said something clever. “That’s the crux of it. If Sir Marhalt, who was a good knight, killed someone—that was not murder. But if Sir Marhalt, who you loved, is killed—he has been murdered. You see the problem?” “No,” said Isode flatly. “When your loved ones are killed, it always feels like murder,” said Dinadan. “Regardless of the code.”

[Mac]

An Alice Winn book leaving me speechless? It’s more likely than you think. I can’t begin to capture all my thoughts here (especially since I’m still working through them and imagine I will be for a while!) but I will say that I’ve never experienced a book like this. I imagine it emulates chivalric romances, but having never read those, nor being familiar with Arthurian legend, this was a completely unique experience for me. Despite my unfamiliarity, Winn still managed to create an endlessly fascinating story concerned with love, power, devotion, and obsession under Christianity, monarchy, chivalry, patriarchy, racism, and xenophobia. Winn plays with the idea of the legends themselves. It’s gripping, mystical, stomach-turning, funny, strange, and moving. From the very beginning, the atmosphere is set so that it always feels like a cord stretched tight, just waiting to snap. This will absolutely need a reread.

Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Katharine George]

Review of ARC, thanks to Knopf/NetGalley

4.5 - I love Alice Winn, and I suspect many readers will pick up Worship after falling for In Memoriam. But readers beware - this is a very different book. I don’t think historical folklore is an official category, but that's where I'd shelve it. I honestly can't believe the same person wrote both books - her range is so wide. But if you’re looking for the beautiful vivid writing and devastating feeling that her last book gave us, this is not it.

Worship is irreverent yet deep, charming, and full of yearning and love. Alice Winn has a gift for character arcs, and I was invested in every single one. If you enjoy a historical fokelore, you’ll fall in love with worship

[S]

A funny, delightful, devastating vision of Arthuriana that manages to capture the soap-opera drama, the bizarre and fantastical, and the genuinely affecting humanity of the best legends. I feel sick to my stomach.

[Anna Holland]

Totally different from Winn’s debut, In Memoriam but good nonetheless. Kind of a wild ride but well done.

[Lauren Steele]

OH MY GOD.

Best book I've read this year... Best book I've read...ever?

Review to come

[Miranda]

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD I’m actually going to be freaking out until the pub date.

[Petra Petrella]

As a longtime chivalry romances nerd, I was prepared to appreciate this book.

As a coming-of-age/new adult lover, I did not expect how good Tristam and Isode's story could be a very very good enemies-to-sortofunwillingf*ckbuddies-to lovers ( + a magical potion that makes people horny , pwp fanfics-like) romance book with two very well characterized protagonists. Round figures, relatable, very human, with light and darkness.

In reality, it's such a choral story! There are so memorable and unique characters, and their relationships! The very believable almost sapphic between Isode and B., her servant. The utter respect between Tristam and Palomides (P. is tecnically the 3rd protagonist but let's be honest, Tristam stole the show). And many others of course.

Other things I liked: the language is modern enough to let the story flow but still has some medievalish nuances; the knight code mentioned continuously and people acting accordingly. How chapters were split and built.

I gave 4 stars because the 2nd half felt a bit too long, but I would have given 5 because I really liked this experiment.

I am only concerned about how this book will be marketed. It's an universal story told in a quite niche-y manner that can be quite divisive. The average romance book lover tends to read regency, and medieval settings are, for some reason, not very popular.

Not a book for many, but those who are the target audience, will definitely love it and recommend it to likeminded peers.

***

I have big big angsty hopes for this one! Thank you for approving this, NetGalley!

[Jemma K]

Spoiler free section

God what a complicated mess of compelling dynamics. All three of the primary characters are so vibrant and every pairing of the main three interact in really interesting ways. I also really love how over the three conflicting POVs, none of the narrators agree on their opinions of other people, which fleshed out even the minor characters very well.

Personally I did not find the core romance as compelling as the other dynamics, and did find myself getting frustrated with Isode and Tristram fairly often. But I also got the sense that this was not a Grand Romance and the story was critiquing them with me, so it didn’t rankle that much.

This book also did a great job working in lots of fun little nods to other Arthurian legends (We don’t talk about the Green Knight). All of the minor characters felt very fleshed out with a good sense of their stories and flaws even with very little time on the page, which is very impressive. Similarly, Alice Winn does such a good job relishing in values dissonance with her historical eras. The way that Good Knights and Bad Knights don’t at all match up with how we think of morality really helps develop the sense of the world and how it works.


SPOILERS

Isode and her arc

So the thing with Isode is that I understood her but didn’t like her all that much, mostly because her treatment of Brangwayne was so egregious. She did grow and realize why what happened was fucked up and the extent, but it’s still hard to read. That being said, I think she’s a fantastically compelling depiction of a fairly unlikeable character, and I totally see why others would like her a a lot more. But her draw isn’t dependent on her likability, which is always impressive. And the scene immediately after her assault where she comes to term with the feeling of knowing terrible things happen but assuming they could never happen to her. I think that’s a feeling many of us are probably familiar with, it’s a pretty common logical fallacy we tell ourselves to sleep at night. Sexual assault as a point of character development is…tricky, generally, but I do think it’s well execute here.

Palomides My Beloved

Oh my sweet sad stressed undiagnosed OCD king. This poor guy. He compels me so. A fascinating depiction of forced religious conversion in this period, especially when someone doesn’t know which to believe so keeps trying to appease both aspects of god out of fear of Hell. Every time he showed up I was delighted.

Tristram is here

He’s fine I’m just much less compelled by him since we spend way more time with him and Isolde, which is an interesting dynamic but I was way more interested in the other ones so.

The Love Potion of It All

Fundamentally, the original story does not translate as a romance to the modern era because of the lack of agency the characters have. I do think Winn does a great job walking the line of forced proximity as a catalyst for the romance and the horror of the situation. Also the love potion works as a really great tool for highlighting the characters behavior under pressure and how they treat other characters, which did a great job driving non-romance elements of the plot.

a note about sexual violence

There is both the threat of sexual violence throughout this book and on-page sexual assault. It is not gratuitous and it does contribute to the plot, characterization, and worldbuilding, but it is graphic. If this is a topic that you do not wish to engage with, read with caution. This is definitely not a book About rape, but a book in a world where rape and sexual assault are commonplace.

The cycle

Personally, I loved the ending, though I do think it will be a bit contentious. I loved the looming sense that this story is off somehow, that all the supernatural entities are tired with telling this story over and over again. Also, choosing to re-do the story and suffer again is SO in line with Palomides specifically. If you give the man with OCD a time loop switch you are going to be in the time loop for a while. It’s also such an interesting way of reconciling the cyclical nature of Arthurian and all the different variations of the story.

All in all, 4.5/5 stars from me. Honestly nothing really to deduct but it did not make me as insane as the author’s previous 5 star work. Excellent nonetheless! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[alis]

*Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.*

I am only minimally knowledgeable on arthurian legend, so as with every retelling I read, I did try to familiarize myself with the Tristan and Isolde story before getting into this. Still, I had never read anything by Alice Winn, so I was really unsure of the direction this story was going to take… And all that to say nothing could have prepared me for the rollercoaster of emotions I was just put through.

Our story revolves around 4 central characters: Isode, a snooty healer princess, Branwayne, her servant and best friend, Tristram, a quiet yet extraordinary knight, and Palomides, a noble knight who seeks only to be christened. At least, that’s what we get from first impressions, because the journey each character goes through and how they touch each other’s lives is so impactful I shed tears for every single one of them!! And that’s really saying something considering I swore I hated half the cast at some point too.

I think it speaks for itself that these characters could make me so angry some moments, make me feel conflicted, and then love them so much in others. For how absurdist this story is (and it is very much so), the characters feel so real and that’s necessary for making the story feel a little more grounded.

But if you were to ask me what my favorite thing about this novel was, it’s easy. Tristram and Palomides and the way their relationship changes—it’s nothing short of beautiful. the dichotomy between them and their goals, their way of viewing knighthood and learning to navigate their lives with the past forever haunting them, it’s so fun to read about. Tristram, with a boy-ish outlook on life, and Palomides, an idol to him, and yet they both have so much to learn from each other.

(There’s a scene in particular with these two, one in the rain, that I need ingrained in my memory. The way Alice Winn writes and builds tension is so good.)

*However*, for as much as I love about the story, there is a big section I felt was difficult to get through. The journey to Cornwall and settling in to the castle was such a slog, and when I wasn’t bored i was just frustrated at the characters and their poor decision-making. In normal reading circumstances I might’ve even dnfed, but in the end I’m glad it wasn’t an option. The second half of the novel is so good I stopped caring too much about it, honestly.

Unfortunately, I’m not too crazy about the ending either. I love the concept a lot but I felt it was a little fast? and that we needed to sit with some of the character decisions a bit longer. So while I don’t dislike it, I’m also not fully satisfied. It’s a strange feeling to have about a story I ended up loving a lot, but it’s an ending I have to sit with for a while. Maybe I’ll love it more on a re-read.

Overall, I think I’d recommend this to anyone who loves strangeness, magic and unconventional stories with complex characters. This isn’t a 1:1 retelling, more-so a story inspired by arthurian legend and lore, which means it’s fantastical and a little silly at times (and yet anything but lighthearted). I highly recommend anyone planning to read to look into the stories at least briefly, as it really added to the experience!

I’m super excited to pick up my own physical copy of *Worship* when it releases and check out more of the author’s work. Alice Winn, you have earned yourself a new fan.

[Kate]

[Bookseller proof, thanks PRH] (4,5, may bump it to 5 if I'm feeling nice soon).

Hooray! An modern Arthurian retelling book which is good and interesting!

Since this isn't out until Feburary 2027 I'm not going to sling around too many spoilers, but what a good read. I read almost all of this in one Sunday. It's almost helical, which is so suitable for an Arthurian retelling; how often do we return to slightly different versions of the same narrative when we're studying Arthuriana? A lot! It occasionally fumbles it slightly, but not badly. I also don't know how it's going to read to people who are less familiar with Arthuriana? I've read the Morte and a lot of misc medieval romances, so I can get away with being like 'yeah yeah, the gore-streaked ghost of Queen Guinevere's mother, we've all seen it' except we have Not all seen it, so I don't know how characters, dynamics, etc will appear if you go into this totally blind. There are a lot of asides of 'yeah this happens but don't worry about it', which are amusing but might stack up a bit. Not that it would be incoherent, but perhaps your perception would change? Nonetheless Winn really dives headfirst into it, she just thinks about so much of it. I especially liked her choice to have Arthur be almost totally voiceless, that's got a whole lot of weight around it.

This is going to be pushed as historical fiction in the way that so much Arthurian fiction is when it is suitably high-brow and literary, I will not be able to wrangle it away from the fiction tables, but I'm banging the gavel now; fantasy book #tome. You can't have Launval and his weird faerie wife, the Questing Beast, that ending, moving castles, Morgan, magic rings, giants, dubious historical geography, and then be like yeah this is historical fiction. What history lad.

I also think this is an example of what is interesting about former fanfic writers becoming novelists, when they're not just filing serial numbers. Winn is a lot freer with structure and tone, and jumps between timelines and perspectives, and I really recognise that, as well as a lot of other choices like being very aggressively in media res, snippet-y style scenes, etc. I don't think it's a bad thing by any means but it's interesting to see how it manifests itself and how it compares to other ex-fanfic writers in SFF (Muir, Novik, etc.)

I do think there was a tiny bit too much time spent on Tristram and Isolde when actually, Palomides is the heart of this book, and for me had the more compelling character journey; the long swathe in the middle without him starts to feel tiresome without the balance of his narrative. The first swathe of his perspective is a real hit.

I also think some people will find its habit of semi-frequently undercutting its sincerity with flippancy and its archaisms with modernisms jarring, but I didn't mind it for the most part. This is a book that's very concerned with examining all the ways that Arthuriana has been realised and kind of making them into a very dense perpetual stew, picking out bits here and there, and that includes our ideas of it today and how modern novelists might interpret it. Also, I found a lot of it amusing. Idk I might change the rating a bit later on, but I did really enjoy this.

[Josie]

i adore Alice Winn's work. i never shut up about In Memoriam, but for once, i do not want to talk about that book past this sentence, because Worship is a completely different beast and deserves its own space because holy smokes, what a uniquely phenomenal read.

this was such a tender ode to Arthurian legend. everything about it - the settings, the characters, their relationships - was thoroughly researched and put onto these pages in the most loving way. the care and respect for the numerous origins of this book's content was obvious in each beautifully written word, and i just loved loved loved Winn's spin on the story of the characters of Camelot (i too like this version best).

i want to take a moment and admire the range of relationships in this novel: platonic, not-so-platonic, and definitely-not-platonic. each type held the same amount of weight, in which i mean that friendships felt just as heavy and full of love as the romantic ones. i'm sick over Palomides and Tristram and over Isode and Brangwayne and over literally any combination of the four and then of course the many other characters too. and then there's their emotions, how they grow and change and learn as people... my heart!!!!!! it cannot stand this pain any longer!!!

and the ENDING!!! it was such a blur and a whiplash of emotions, but the way everything tied together was perfect. things just make sense at the end as well, such as a certain character's actions, another's feelings, cryptic warnings, so on and so forth. i don't often want to reread a book immediately after i finish it but i think i'll be sitting back down with this one asap.

(final comment before i accidentally write an essay) i love the title and how it is a strong feature of the book. worship in this novel has various definitions: it means love, it means friendship, it means glory and honor and faith and righteousness and strength. it is not one dimensional, and that is something our protagonists slowly discover as their story progresses.

5/5 stars. i absolutely loved this and it for sure will be in my top five for the year.

just a psa for some readers - this truly isn't anything like In Memoriam. it's completely different and i think going into this book with hopes that it will be similar to Winn's debut novel may let you down, so i beg you to release any expectations and just embrace this stunning adventure as it is. it is so truly worth every bit of time you take reading it.

A deepest & most appreciative thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Knopf, for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[B K178]

I approached *Worship* with high expectations, especially since *In Memoriam* is one of my favorite novels, so I was eager—and perhaps a bit critical—to see how Alice Winn's follow-up would compare. Fortunately, I enjoyed *Worship*, even if it didn’t resonate with me quite as strongly as her previous work.

This novel is quite different from *In Memoriam*, though some connecting threads are evident. Both depict young men trying to fulfill societal duties—whether through war or knighthood—and explore what it means to be a man. They also feature men who love and respect each other despite different backgrounds and beliefs. In both stories, moments of happiness coexist with the realities, demands, and sacrifices of their relationships and roles.

While *In Memoriam* is grounded in the harsh realities of war, *Worship* delves more into the fantastical realm of Arthurian legend. Winn reimagines these stories instead of simply retelling them, weaving adventure, ambition, friendship, romance, religion, rivalry, and many unexpected twists. Romantic feelings, appreciation, and love play a significant role—through Isolde and Brangwayne, Isolde and Tristram, Tristram and Palomides, and the complex dynamics among them. But it is not your straightforward romance. It has a longing, dreamy vibe.

I did have some reservations. The story didn't move me as deeply as *In Memoriam*, partly because I felt the shift to a more fantastical, adventure-oriented tone. My strong affection for Winn's earlier novel likely influenced my expectations, making it harder for *Worship* to fully satisfy me. Still, I found it a creative and engaging reinterpretation of the Arthurian legend, with many thought-provoking moments beneath the adventure.

**Content note:** The novel depicts violence and explores themes of consent. Though no graphic depictions of SA are included.

Overall, I enjoyed *Worship*. It isn't *In Memoriam*—nor does it aim to be—and that’s okay. Instead, it offers a more fantastical, playful, and adventure-filled story about love, devotion, friendship, ambition, and the sacrifices we make for the people and ideals we worship. Thanks to Knopf and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

[Kate (k8tsreads)]

3.5 stars rounded up. Worship was one of my most anticipated novels of 2027 considering how much I loved In Memoriam. And after finishing it, my conclusion is that Alice Winn is truly a talent to watch. But my second conclusion is that this book is not In Memoriam.

And maybe that's a good thing! Alice Winn really proves with this novel that she has range. This book is quirky, funny at times, and creatively written. I love how she chose to use old English in very purposeful ways and how she poked fun at the codes of chivalry. If you're familiar with the tales of the Round Table, this book might have been even better. I found myself getting a bit lost in the cast of characters, although Winn does tend to give you backstory or tell you when backstory is there but not important. Yet it was still a bit overwhelming, and there were so many people involved that none of them felt particularly distinct.

At the end of the day, I think this book had a very strong voice and style, but it just wasn't one that I typically prefer. I was perhaps expecting more of a historical fiction vibe, but this was really not that at all. I'd liken it more to Monty Python or something along those lines. I could appreciate it for its commitment to the vibe, but I never felt very attached to the characters or to the plot as a whole. Time moves quickly at different points, and the people often feel detached. I definitely had the sense while reading that I was taking in a very small part of a much larger story, which was cool, but also a bit confusing. And my biggest disappointment was the romance. After the bittersweet beauty of In Memoriam, I was really hoping the romance in this book would shine. But ultimately, I never felt particularly invested or attached to our three leads.

I'll continue to pick up Alice Winn's books in the future because I really did think this was a well-constructed book. It just wasn't for me! And I would encourage readers to separate their expectations from In Memoriam. Not because this book is worse, but just because it's different.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC!

[potatoship]

Patiently waiting for my Tarquin the pervert spin off.

This book couldn't be more different than In Memoriam and I am very obsessed with what Alice Winn was able to do here. This might be one of the rare times where I can't begin to sum up a book. I can't think of any comps that do it justice. Worship succeeds in feeling like an Arthurian tale that was retold for a modern audience that was then retold to be an Arthurian legend. It feels so utterly rooted in its source material that it's impossible to forget its origins.

And despite these characters feeling like they were straight from a 12th century tale of chivalry, I ended up caring about them. Not at first, mind you. Throughout the first half, Brangwayne felt like the heart of the novel while other characters were fulfilling their 'role'. She was the one who broke the mould and felt the most real. She carried the heart of the story with Isolde and I loved their chapters. By the second half, Palomides adopted that role with Tristram and Isolde following suit. Being very vague about this: the aspects that felt the most real were the things that existed beyond the constructs of this world. By the end, the characters and relationships all felt very complex - like we were just getting to know them - while still being a product of an Arthurian tale.

Which brings me to the relationships. Oh, I thought this was going to be a fairly standard love triangle, maybe with a dash of homoerotic yearning, and I was very wrong on that account. The way sex and romance are handled had me highlighting way too much. The way heterosexual experiences were described in contrast to the unspoken bonds between characters? Chefs kiss. I could probably write an essay about the queerness and queer subtext, but suffice to say that I loved it.

This was such a unique reading experience, I can already tell I'll be rereading it soon.

(One final pitch: were you a history nerd in your teens? Are you a bisexual? If so, this book may be for you.)

A massive thank you to Penguin, Viking, and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

[chamelodius]

Like a few others here, I saw this book pop up on NetGalley with Alice Winn's name on it and hit that request button without even glancing at the description first. Fortunately, it worked out in my favor because I loved this one. As a few others have mentioned, this book is incredibly different than In Memoriam, in both tone and content, although it shares its rich characters and love stories that are far from simple. I was into Arthurian legend as a kid, but I haven't engaged with it in quite a few years, and I'm not sure I was ever that familiar with Tristram and Isode (except for the Prelude and Liebstod from the Wagner opera). So this was a mostly new story to me with a few familiar faces here and there.

There is an almost absurdist tone to some of this, but I would not call it light, especially as it progresses. It deals with some very heavy topics, though it's less "horrors of war" and more "horrors of being a woman in the middle ages". The main characters are complex and multifaceted, capable of awful deeds and shining moments of goodness. Their relationships are a snarled mess in a way that makes your chest ache, because there is no one right answer for these people. The love and emotions that ebbs and flows between them is so enthralling. I also loved how Winn depicted so many different kinds of love, a full spectrum of feelings and emotion, and all of it had equal weight. Although by the end, "We had fellowship" definitely started sounding like euphemism lol. I also adored its treatment of grief and guilt, belonging and family, how you can love someone so much you end up hurting them, and how much growth the characters go through.

And the END. I was enjoying it a lot but those last few pages took this book all the way to 5 stars for me. Just a brilliant ending that made all of the cryptic bits make utter sense and also gave an incredible sense of hope that I was not expecting.

My massive thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Lauren]

"Palomides had had this feeling before, many times--the feeling that nowhere on earth belonged to him. Sometimes he was able to forget, but people always reminded him eventually."

It seems inevitable that Alice Winn will ultimately be compared to her stunning debut, and I appreciate that she has gone a completely different route for book two. One thing that remains is the tour de force of her writing. If there is anything I can guarantee, is that she knows how to absolutely gut punch the air from your weeping lungs.

I'm not going to lie, I did find it hard to find my groove and I didn't fully get into it until about 20% in. The Arthurian legend basis for the storyline of Palomides, Isode, and Tristram was one thing, but the additional side legends scattered throughout detracted from the narrative because they were usually so silly (like, why do I care that Gawain and Segwaryd found a strange stone that summoned a thunderstorm and a secret city if river water was poured onto it?). I felt it diminished the plot and, overall, failed to serve their purpose, be it as a means to lighten the tone or to further develop it. That aside, it was an utterly captivating book, and without spoilers, I did appreciate the ending rather than the inescapable one that the medieval tragedy of Isolde and Tristan guarantees, even if it wasn't as satisfying as hoped.

And then we have the deliciously complex and dimensional array of characters. I just wanted to pull poor darling Tristram into a hug!!!! My heart broke into 100 different pieces about 100 different times. "Somehow Tristram was always on the wrong side of good people." And not just for him, but for how rich all of their inner turmoil was and how well the intricacies of human nature were described. It is stunningly well written and exceptionally well researched and well worth the wait between books imo. There will be hundreds of wonderful sections of prose to quote. LOVED!!