This book was pure poetry in motion. The lyrical way that this is written is nothing short of magic. I loved the characters I thought the two sisters were well written. Rin was a really fun character as well and I liked that they were so good to Esther. There are so many fantastical elements working together in this book, ones that I would have never thought to put together but worked so well. I also will say that I was not expecting to cry at the end but it was so lovely. This is a book that I will add to my list of yearly re reads.

"What is a river but an open throat? What is water but a voice?"

THE RIVER HAS ROOTS by @amalelmohtar is a dizzyingly dreamlike fairytale with a fierce feminist twist. Thank you to the author, @netgalley and the publishers @tordotcompub and @macmillan.audio for the e and audio-ARCs.

Esther and Ysabel Hawthorne are two devoted sisters living in the town of Thistlefoot where they sing ballads to The Professors, the great Willows near the River Liss. Esther, elder of the two, is gregarious and certain, fending off the advances of local slimey misogynist Samuel Pollard while shy, reserved Ysabel finds the idea of any man's attention rewarding. When Esther meets a genderqueer Arcadian shape shifter known as Rin who enchants Esther immediately which sets into motion events beyond their control...

The prose, the descriptions of nature, the ode to grammar in all forms, the Goblin-Market-esque English folklore of the fae and the fully formed characters in this novella made it an absolutely delightful and mesmerizing read. Or I should say, listen, as I went the audio route on this one and am so happy I did - the production is full of sounds to immerse you in the setting of Thistlefoot. The subversive storytelling sealed this one with a deadly kiss for me and I will not soon forget Esther, Ysabel and the River Liss.

I leave you with one more gorgeous excerpt: "But that is the nature of grammar. It is always tense, like an instrument, aching for release, longing to transform present into past into future - is into was into will."

Rating: 5/5
I received the eARC for my honest opinion.

What a fantastic book, beautifully lyrical fairy tale, that is written and illustrated so beautifully in this great novella.

In this book you will meet two sisters who can make beautiful music by singing. They live on the edge of the faerie, but they don’t live in faerie, they have visited there when they were younger and were able to make it out without any issues but one day one of the sisters goes to faerie and not because she would have chosen too. I can’t say too much about this book because it is so short, and I know if I do that, I will spoil something.

All I can say is this is a wonderful book that everyone should read, even if you haven’t gotten into the world of fantasy books this would be a great book to dip your toes into. I loved that you will find LGBTQ rep in this book and the way that the author wrote their representation of this person, they really don’t have a gender, more like they can choose what they show themselves as. I enjoyed all the characters in this book and found that they each had a role in bringing this book to life.

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor for the opportunity to review this book.

I thought the writing and overall prose was beautiful, but the story itself was a bit hard for me to really get into.

brilliant, incredible, amazing! i did not go into this expecting to read a truly gorgeous retelling of a folk murder ballad i am personally obsessed with, but sometimes the world drops unexpected gifts into our laps.

this is a quick and beautiful read that does exactly what i want books to do: it gave me characters to love, made them love each other in life-altering ways, put them through tragedy and loss, and then found ways to bring them satisfaction. it's a neat little package of catharsis, especially if you, like me, really enjoy stories where the strongest and most crucial relationships are not the romantic ones. the Twa Sisters of this retelling, Esther and Ysabel, are devoted; they each want better for the other, though they disagree on what better might be. i fell in love with their surety and their singing! and i was also very charmed by Esther's fae lover Rin, and un-charmed (in good narrative ways) by her pushy human suitor.

and the worldbuilding! so cool! magic in this story is called grammar, and its rules and quirks are all described in linguistic terms, which was very lovely. it has a familiar feel to anyone well-read in European folklore and fairy tales, but puts new spins on things that delighted me.

i would read so much more of this place and these characters, but what we get is such a perfect shiny pearl of a thing!

Here's a most remarkable, lyrical fantasy. The river in question is the river Liss, which flows between small town Thistleford and Faerie. It's also a tale of two very close sisters, gregarious Esther and shy Ysabel Hawthorn. The boundary between Faerie and human lands is where the river meets two great enchanted willows on the Hawthorn family holdings.

As the story opens, Esther has fallen for a magical being, Rin, but doesn't know where this will lead as she won't leave her family, especially her beloved sister. Locally, the insufferable Mr. Pollard courts Esther, wanting to increase his own holdings. Tragedy strikes. How it is all resolved and justice (a harp and a secret song are key) served completes a story that will stay with you long after you turn its last page.

As someone who fell in love with This is How You Lose the Time War, I have been eagerly awaiting for Amal El-Mohtar’s next solo title and it did not disappoint. A beautiful, lyrical fairy tale, The River has Roots is a gorgeous and delightful read (did I cry? Yes.).

The River has Roots has the feel of a classic English or Grimm fairy tale, with the worlds of fae and humans colliding. She packs so much wonderful worldbuilding, emotion, and nostalgia into its short page count. The writing is beautiful and immersive - it evokes sitting outside under a tree on a warm summers day - and the ballad-like storytelling draws you into the magic of the story.

Stories featuring sisters will always be a soft spot for me, and the sibling relationship in The River has Roots is wonderful. Ester and Ysabel’s deep love for each other is the highlight of this book. It was immediately obvious that Mohtar has a sister - she nails the sibling dynamic perfectly. I absolutely loved the way these two interact with each other, how their love for each other pushes the story onward, and how far they’ll go to protect each other.

You’ll love The River has Roots if you’re a fan of portal fantasy, fairy tales, and damn good writing. I don’t know what the finished eBook looks like, but I’d definitely recommend picking up the physical copy. There’s beautiful artwork throughout the book!

One of the most fascinating books I've read this year! I absolutely fell head over heels in love with this unique story and beautiful prose. The writing was so lyrical and had the ability to transport you to a whole new magical world. I found myself not wanting to leave the world created by the author. I would love to revisit it in future novels by the author.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Amal El-Mohtar weaves a tale of family bonds and true love, reinvigorating classic and overtly influential Faerie stories (like Hope Mirrlees's Lud-in-the-Mist and The King of Elfland's Daughter by Lord Dunsany), through the story of Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn. Where magic is language and language is magic, El-Mohtar shows you, as the reader, a peak into an enchanting world. Where sci-fi fans pokes holes in This is How You Lose the Time War for not meeting indefinable expectations, typical fantasy fans may find plenty to poke and prod in this telling--the world is not adequately defined, the characters are not well fleshed out, etc--however, Amal El-Mohtar is writing to and, I imagine, wants you to defy expectations. Much like the grammarians, there is a liberation that comes with having no expectation, no definitions, no guardrails of genre or, for that matter, for grammar.

✨ Review ✨ The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

Thanks to Tordotcom, Macmillan Audio and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

In this fantasy world, sisters Esther & Ysabel sing to the enchanted willows around their home to keep the magical world in balance. When Esther falls in love with a mysterious entity from the land of Faerie, however, she spurns the local suitor seeking to marry her, and the story begins to unravel.

Plot alone cannot convey the beauty of the writing - it’s lyrical and one review compares it to being part murder ballad and part love story, which is a perfect description. I absolutely loved this. I loved how it imbued the water and the trees with a subtle mystical form of magic. I love the weird geography of this - of boundaries you can and cannot cross.

There are gorgeous illustrations in the print copy - perfect for collectors! I admit I was so enchanted with reading this on page, that I didn't even try the audio!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: fantasy novella
Reminds me of: Frozen - part romantic love story, part love story between sisters
Pub Date: Mar 4, 2025

A beautifully told story of the connection of sisters. Full of unique world building and clever wordplay.

The River Has Roots is an enchanting novella reminiscent of fairytales and fables. Though this is a short reading experience, Amal El-Mohtar packs the story full of emotional character relationships. I loved both the romance plotline and the bond between the sisters. The world is mysteriously whimsical with a transformative, language-based magic that immediately captured my attention. The writing is lyrical and vivid with direct-to-reader asides that further enhance the fairytale experience. I found myself absolutely enthralled by this story and I could not put it down.

Another sensationally stunning read by El-Mohtar. Cozy fairytale with romantic and familial love at the center. the narration of the audiobook is gorgeous and intermixed with music which enhances the listening experience. this is everything you want a novella to be. The prose is pure poetry without being inaccessible and overly done. I will read anything El-Mohtar writes!

A sweet, but brief fairy tale. The author's writing is exquisitely crafted and a joy to read. Their world-building is fantastic. I only wish it had been a little longer so I could spend more time there.

A charming and haunting novelette somewhere between fairy tale and parable, about both the limits of loves and its transcendence of barriers, even death. El-Mohtar's prose is melodic and haunting, and this book was a joy to devour in a single sitting.

I honestly had no idea that this was a little novella when I received this! It was an interesting short story involving two sisters and the world of the Fae. Did the writing confuse me at times? Yes. Yes it did. But the writing was also so interestingly done that I really enjoyed the style! This was a nice easy read and I loved the riddles and twists and turns the story took me through.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book had me hooked from its beautiful introduction. Having a degree in linguistics, I loved its talk about language and grammar, conjugation and change. Simply a beautiful novella about the bond between two sisters. I also loved the sapphic nonbinary romance included here.

A magical book about the bond between sisters, this book is full of imagery and poetic prose. The magic system and interesting and i think it allows for some of the contradictory experiences in this book. This book is vibrant and dreamy in a way that I didn't expect from a novella.

Amal El-Mohtar does it again. Gorgeous, lush prose and great setting work. If you love fairy tales, you will enjoy this book. Plus there's music, magic, and sisters. The hardcover comes with lots of illustrations that weren't included in this ARC, Tor clearly went all out. I can't wait to see what she does next.

This book stood out with its unique narrative style, offering a fresh perspective. The characters felt relatable and authentic, making it easy to connect with them. I especially loved the strong bond between the sisters, which added depth to the story. The world was immersive, pulling me in completely, and the enticing plot kept me engaged from start to finish. Overall, it was a great read.