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?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Fiction, Historical, Adult, Arthurian, Historical Fantasy

480 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 Before writing In Memoriam, Winn wrote three unpublished novels, worked on screenplays, and taught homeschooled children.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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 💖💖💖

[Roman Clodia · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Nusz]

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

[Amy Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

thys booke slappeth

[Marie]

Yes 🙌

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Stephen the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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.

[nicole · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

thank you SO MUCH to knopf and netgalley for the arc!! i am eternally grateful for the chance to read this book before publication! :")

i don't know if i was ever going to be able to rate this fairly, seeing as i'm truly actually insane about in memoriam. i tried my best to go into worship with an open mind and with the knowledge that it was going to be very different, but i think that even still i had super high expectations about what this book was going to be like. it's a really solid retelling- alice winn can absolutely write, there's no doubt about that- but it just didn't hit in the same way for me! i recognize i'm reviewing with a bias but i'm curious to see how others will react to this book.

let's get into the good stuff first: alice's talents are on full display here with her character work. isode, tristram, brangwayne and palomides jump right of the page and feel so very alive. palomides was my favorite especially... oh my god did i care about that poor guy so much!! in that same way that she makes her characters feel so vibrant, alice has such a knack for taking old history and translating it/recontextualizing it to a modern audience so that it's never boring and never inaccessible. their struggles are timeless, and the whole world of worship was surprisingly funny and surprisingly devastating in equal measure. the last chapter was especially wonderful too. it recontextualized everything to the point that it made me bump up my initial rating and cinched the whole thing for me. i look forward to the many discussions that i think it will prompt when people get to it!

that all being said, my biggest critique of this book is that some aspects of tristram and isode's romance did not really work for me.  and the romance is the basis of this whole thing! i found it hard to buy into the development of their love based on the conditions it started from. the love potion trope is not one of my favorites and even though i think that alice did her best to make it as believable and grounded as possible, i couldn't get behind it. and for a lot of this book i kept wondering when there was going to be something More- something like in memoriam, where i knew exactly why alice wanted to tell this story and had a reason to tell it this way. worship absolutely felt like a passion project but there wasn't as much for me to chew on thematically until i got to the very end part. so it was a fun read but not as engaging as i've seen her write before- and that is the biggest reason for my (harsh, i know) rating.

all in all, this is a pretty solid retelling... granted however by the fact that i have next to no knowledge of its origins. i don't believe that you need to have read the original romances to enjoy this book, but maybe i would have enjoyed it a bit more if i had extra context going in for me to analyze. my last thoughts and the tldr of this all is to say that i'll still eagerly await alice's next novel, but this is not something i can see myself returning to 5+ times and making my whole personality. take that as you will!

[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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Devon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ★

This book will not be for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. Alice Winn, I love you.

In Memoriam is probably my favorite book of all time (depends on the day you ask, but it’s always in the top 3), so to say I was excited about this book would be an understatement. And while this story couldn’t be more different from In Memoriam, which I think has far more mass appeal, it still has a distinct Winn-ness to it that I loved.

There is so much to unpack in this story about love, friendship, fame, power, belonging, fate, glory, morality, and more, but the way this book discussed religion was probably the highlight for me. As someone with OCD who grew up in a high-demand religion, Palomides’ religious scrupulosity was so interesting and something I have rarely seen represented in books, and never in fantasy. The way each of the three main characters had a different relationship to religion was so well done, and it really helped bring parts of the story together for me.

I also loved the miscommunication. Sue me. It reminded me how great it can be when it’s done with a purpose: to show how blind people can be to their own biases and how little they understand each other, even when they’re trying. Not to mention that all great fables hinge on a good amount of miscommunication and the problems that ensue.

I was hit with an unfortunately timed reading slump about halfway through this, and while I do think it has a bit of a lull in the middle, there was never a moment where I wasn’t personally invested in our queer love pentagram.. thing. The way Winn constantly teased the lines of platonic and romantic was fantastic and only made me more invested.

I can’t even talk about the ending because it’s too raw, but it really sealed the deal as a very reread-able book for me. I highlighted so many parts as I read, but I just know I’ll get something new out of it on each reread.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Joules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never read anything like this, and I can't remember the last time I enjoyed anything this much. Hilarious, rollicking, full of humour and heart, this book is drenched in the vividness of Alice Winn's inner world. I didn't want this work to end, I didn't want to leave Winn's vision of Arthuriana or say goodbye to her characters, people from so far away, transported through black ink on a brittle page, but who are nonetheless realer than real. The more I think about the characters and their world, how they were drawn to each other and why, the more I marvel at Winn's ability to articulate emotional truths and create intricate bonds with such adeptness and light, regardless of the time or place. Please please read this book when it comes out in February. I don't care who you are, you'll find something in it.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually what the hell I need to speak to someone immediately oh my one of the best books ever

[alex]

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

[Chelsea Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

*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.”

[Rad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part comedy, part tragedy, told in the style of Arthurian gossip this book was perfect from beginning to end. Even knowing the Tristan and Isolde myth I was totally blindsided by the ending and I appreciated the depth she gave the characters. What is a ethereal princess to some is a spoiled brat to others and the perspective refreshing. Palomides, my sweet, suffering Palomides I wanted to hate him and I just couldn’t. Better luck next time buddy.

My thanks to NetGalley and Knopf for the arc

[Freya Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well crafted, and an inventive blend of the comedic and tragic. Beautiful characterisation and development of relationships - and a thoughtful depiction of sexual assault (in reference to both male and female characters). The novel plays with traditional Arthurian storytelling in very clever ways, in style, in humour and in narrative.
Worship surpasses Winn’s debut novel In Memorian immensely (and I thought In Memoriam was rather good!)

[little_pangolin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't been this profoundly affected by a book in years.

[Cat Wolfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve read Alice Winn’s writing and I’m officially a huge fan.

Worship is a novel set in the Arthurian world, retelling/adapting the story of Tristan and Isolde (Tristram and Isode here) with Palomides, a Saracen knight, as the third protagonist. The novel draws inspiration from medieval romances, such as Le Mort d’Arthur as well as a host of others mentioned in the author’s note. Now, I’ve got to admit everything I know about Arthuriana I’ve learned watching BBC Merlin. Seriously though, I’ve read the poem Gawain and the Green Knight and that’s it. However, this wasn’t an impediment at all, and I enjoyed this deep dive in the Arthurian world and the medieval romance tradition.

The plot centres on the triangle between Isode, an Irish princess; her suitor Palomides, a well-respected but unchristened knight; and Tristram, who’s relatively unknown and hated by Isode for killing her uncle before the story starts. The bones of the traditional tale are there (marriage to King Mark, the love potion) but the novel’s scope includes a lot more than a straightforward love story. The adventures of the three main characters introduce us to a world where honour and worship (the glory and prizes a knight earns when he wins) are of paramount importance. The chivalric code is the law which guides their lives. Religion is a huge theme as is friendship. There are also beasts and tournaments, adventure and glory, love and tragedy, racism and xenophobia, family, power struggles and devotion: a rich tapestry woven seamlessly together.

The characterization was a strong point for me. All three main characters are well-fleshed out, flawed and compelling. I particularly loved Tristram. His sadness and his profound need for love made my heart ache. I also loved how Isode was arrogant and stubborn and a bit unlikeable initially. Many authors fall into the trap of assuming the perfect female character needs to be an angel with maybe one harmless flaw, but I much prefer someone like Isode, who’s a bit of a bitch but also electric on page.

In fact, that’s one of the great things about this book: all the characters come from these mythic origins and they reference fantastical events like fighting a giant or a knight made of fire or they have magic rings or water that turns into blood under certain conditions but they also behave like real people with petty grievances and annoying habits and silly quirks. It makes this world of legends and myth feel real and concrete and lived in.

Finally, I loved the light, humorous tone, the comic touches, the witty sentences. There is a playfulness in the prose throughout, an inventiveness that gives the narrative a meta-textual feel (something that the ending enhances) like lines that reference future events or little asides that include some gossip or address the reader.

In short, I had a great time reading this novel and I’ll definitely return to it. Highly recommended!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Danielle Driscoll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easiest 5 stars I have ever given. This book was so good it captured my interest over heated rivalry fanfiction

In a year that has been filled with reading slump after reading slump, I found myself searching for pockets of time where I could sit down to read Worship. From the moment I started it, this book stayed on my mind.

This book is the lit fic version of The Everlasting. It’s the medieval version of Song of Achilles. It’s got the fealty of A Taste of Gold and Iron, and the wry humor found in The Princess Bride or even Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

I absolutely LOVED and devoured this. Isode and Tristram and Palomides and Brangwayne captured my heart so fully. The way their journeys unfold is stunning.

I’m going to be thinking about this book for a long, long time.

Thank you Knopf and NetGalley for the arc!

[Geneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

All the stars. If Alice Winn writes it, I will read it. First of all, I want to say to all the people saying this book was disappointing because it's not like In Memoriam - DUH! You can easily tell by the synopsis that this is an entirely different type of story... It's an Arthurian tale, so that should probably be the first clue.

Anyway, I adored this book and all of the characters. Worship has all the things... Love, despair, self-loathing, wit, adventure, turmoil, magic, and of course many of the well-known Arthurian names. I was hooked from the beginning and this book made my heart hurt multiple times, but also made me laugh almost as many. Sir Tristam is absolutely a top tier character and I would probably die for him.

I love that Winn took parts from many different Arthurian tales and made them her own. Her writing is a joy to read. I've read multiple Arthur-esqe books, and Worship is definitely my favorite. There were no dull moments and the end had me glued to my Kindle.

The Cover is phenomenal and I will 100% be buying a physical copy when it's released.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

[KrstyCrgr · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

Alice Winn evokes her own Arthurian retelling of Isode and Tristram, and by God, her transcendent writing captivated me. Enter Palomides, Isode's initial suitor, and one has the OG blueprint for a love triangle with all its furtive longing. And it’s done right. Magically, sublimely right. Alice Winn, you little devil, I've been beguiled.

[Anna Holland · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Lauren Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD.

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

Review to come

[layan (hiatus)]

A medieval historical fic set in Ireland? Girl you don’t have to ask me twice