The River Has Roots is an enchanting tale about sisterhood, love, and the magic of language. El-Mohtar’s writing is lyrical with touches of the whimsical. I wish the story was longer and more intricately plotted. I wasn’t ready to put it down.

I’m absolutely enchanted by this book! Set in the magical town of Thistleford, where the Hawthorn family tends to their mystical willows, this story pulled me in right from the start. Amal has such a unique and lyrical way of writing—it feels like stepping into a world I’ve never visited but somehow already know.

The bond between Esther and Ysabel was the heart of the story for me. Their relationship felt so real—full of love, vulnerability, and strength. It’s rare to see such a beautifully nuanced depiction of sisterhood, and it hit me right in the feels. The blend of magic and reality was seamless, making the world feel both grounded and otherworldly.

What I loved most was how the story managed to be so many things at once: a fable, a tragedy, a love story, and a tale of sisterly devotion. The themes of storytelling and boundaries were woven in so thoughtfully, adding a layer of depth that really stayed with me after I turned the last page.

That said, I did find myself wishing for a little more in some places—more time to explore the world or dig deeper into certain characters. But honestly, for such a short book, it’s amazing how much Amal managed to pack in.

This novella felt like a cozy, bittersweet hug—romantic, tender, and utterly magical. It’s the kind of story I’ll be thinking about for a while, and I’m so excited to read more of Amal’s work in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is such a unique book, and it ends up kind of feeling like some old translated fairytale that you find tucked away in a secondhand bookstore that you can’t quite make sense of and yet understand perfectly. It’s a story about sisterhood, and family, and love, and coming back. It’s about tending enchanted trees by a likely magical river and the day-to-day of not very ordinary life. The prose is classic of Amal El-Mohtar and the story lyrical and haunting enough to remember. I almost want to say it goes by too quickly but I think the story is perfectly contained in the bite you get (and the preview of some upcoming short stories made it sweeter). This is a relatively quick read, full of emotion, but I also think it’s something that you can sit with if you want, and something I’m sure I’ll return to in the future to think about two sisters who love each other, and the life they try to make for themselves amongst the willow trees.

4.25 stars!

Amal El-Mohtar, I love your brain. What a tempting taste of such a beautiful world, with lovely characters and a satisfying plot to match!

On the border of Faerie, the Hawthorn sisters live in harmony, literally. The river Liss flows with the lifeblood of magic, called Grammar, and the eldest sister scorns a courting young man for the attentions of a fae. The way I ate this up cannot be sufficiently described. Language magic? Ancient trees? A non-binary fae love interest who meets the MC in the form of a storm? Delicious, give me fourteen of them right now (which we just might get in El-Mohtar's upcoming short story collection).

I was a fan of This Is How You Lose the Time War of course, and this is a very different story but I think I like it for the same reasons. On one hand, the developed prose makes you work a little and pays you back with a lot of beauty but the story and magic involved are quite loose and not meant to be focused on so much. I don't think people looking for a really in-depth fantasy or a romance will particularly enjoy it, but for those just looking for a story I can't recommend it enough. El-Mohtar is definitely going to become an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you to Amal El-Mohtar and Tordotcom for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!

Happy reading!

the bond between sisters, the magic, and the whimsical writing brought together form a flush and elegant novella that will tug at your heartstrings and make you beg for more. the only negative thing i have to say is i never understood the magic system called grammar, though it is repeatedly mentioned. i wish there would have been more time spent on the magic, but otherwise, i fell in love with the lush and flowery prose that dictated this story.
this story will stick with me for a long time. I need a full length novel from amal el-mohtar!!!

This lyrical novella is an ode to sisterhood. Esther and Ysabel live near enchanted lands and a river that flows between the two worlds. When Esther falls in love with the fae, a human suitor sets into motion a sorrowful tale. The El-Mohtar has the same lyrical style she used in THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR, especially when describing magic as grammar. A short story from her upcoming collection is included and it has the same theme of men who try to control a woman under the guise of love.

I complete devoured this! El-Mohtar’s writing is lyrical and emotionally-resonant, and I couldn't put it down. I don't always vibe with more fairy tale-esque fantasy stories, but I was drawn in pretty dramatically, and I wasn't let go until I finished reading it.

I'm one of those sickos who likes when certain things aren't explained to me, but much like certain elements of This Is How You Lose The Time War, I can see how that's gonna really not do it for some people. But I loved it.

It's so exciting seeing El-Mohtar’s solo effort go off without a hitch! I know I'm gonna be recommending this one to a lot of readers in the not-too-distant future.

I've never really been a This Is How You Lose the Time War girl, but I am very happy to say, I am absolutely a The River Has Roots girl. The Cruel Sister is a ballad that I've thought about quite a bit since I first read a different reimagining of the story many many years ago when I was a kid, so I loved this interpretation of it, especially the direction Amal El-Mohtar took with it, as well as the world she built and the linguistic aspect of it. This is a book I will absolutely be preordering a copy of for my shelf.

Beautiful, bittersweet, heart breaking, and perfect.

Readers who expect too much explanation of How Stuff Works will be disappointed. But that lack of explanation is what makes this so beautiful. The unknown and unknowable is what makes the magic.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the digital ARC, and to Tor for providing a physical ARC to my library. I'm going to end up preordering it just to see what these illustrations are!

I really, really enjoyed This Is How You Lose the Time War, so I was immediately intrigued by this. Overall, I liked it, but it's the kind of story that will fall out of my head in a few days because my mind couldn't fully sink into it.

I have to compare it to the experience I had with This Is How You Lose the Time War. To this day, I don't understand the world we were in, but I loved the vibes and I connected so much with the strange characters and their compelling love story.

This time, I didn't understand the world we were in or the magic (though what we do learn about the magic felt very unique and creative), and though I liked the vibes, I didn't emotionally connect with the characters. I appreciated the focus on sisterly love and connection, but it made no big impression on me.

The story ends at 70% and the rest of the book is a different short story, which is a preview to a collection that will be coming up if I remember correctly. So it could be that this is just too short for some readers, like myself, to fully connect, and the author should've taken more time to establish/explore things. But also, I don't think that's their style, and that's okay. You're either with it or you're not. I'm with it, but this time it worked much less effectively than it did in This Is How You Lose the Time War.

Many readers like myself have been eagerly anticipating Amal El-Mohtar's debut solo work, and it does not disappoint. With rich prose and loveable main characters, this book was a treat from start to finish.

This is the first book I have read by Amal El-Mohtar. I do plan on reading How to Lose the Time War very soon but I feel like the author accomplished a decent amount in the small page/word count that this novella provides. While in fantasy setting there is not a lot of world building but there is just enough to get the idea across of what this world contains. We have two sisters who love each other very much. They are best friends. I really love the relationship between Esther and Ysabel. If it wasn’t for the relationship that the author solidified between these two sisters I really don’t think I would have cared as much about the outcome of the book. Up until about 75% through the story I would have told you I thought the writing was fantastic but until I got to that last 25ish percent I really would have told you in the end that I liked the story but that I would have had no emotional attachment at all to the characters.
Overall I enjoyed the writing and I am interested to see more of the upcoming short story collection that is previewed in the back of this book.

I fell in love with this book from the first sentence!

The story unfolds through the perspective of characters rooted in both physical landscapes and metaphorical rivers, struggling with loss and finding solace in the continuity of nature and ancestry.

The River Has Roots is a story that shows the power of storytelling as a means of preserving history, making it a read for fans of poetic fiction.
Her writing immediately hooked me, and made my heart so happy.

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an eARC!

4.5 stars!
This book is SO beautifully written and possesses all the charm and magic of a classic fairytale while retaining its originality. The magic system in this book is unlike any other I've read and the world felt very fleshed out and alive for a short story.
I absolutely loved the relationship between Esther and Ysabel–if you have a sister, you need to read this! It honestly surprised me how quickly I became emotionally invested in each of their individual lives. If you're looking for something short and sweet, yet still emotionally impactful, this is the perfect quick read!

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Abundantly, soaringly magical, light fantasy.

The story of two sisters, whose bond surpasses death.

This story just flows and undulates—like a river, like a melody—it’s completely transportive.

Opening and enfolding you in its embrace, the writing is immersive, warm and welcoming with beautiful descriptions within an enchanting tale. With ethereal and unique characters, a lush setting and a straightforward magic system that doesn’t get bogged down in details, The River Has Roots is a delightful and enjoyable escape.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Tor, and the Author for access to an eARC. All opinions are my own.

Expected Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Maybe Amal El-Mohtar's stories aren't for me...

I thought This Is How You Lose the Time War was okay. I wasn't totally impressed or anything, but I figured I'd give her solo novella a shot. Sadly, I ended up feeling the same way about this novella that I felt about her co-authored novel.

While The River Has Roots definitely has its dark moments (misogyny, rigid, prescriptive roles for women, etc.), it read too cottagecore for me. The aesthetic is definitely pastels, flowy dresses, magical rivers and plants. There's magic based on grammar and grammatical rules. There's a witch type character that's very forest crone with a touch of fairy godmother.

I think this would be a cute graphic novel, but as a novella, it didn't really make me feel anything.

Oddly, I actually liked the purple prose. It was very descriptive and didn't totally put me off. But I'll admit, it was sort of disappointing to realize that half of the novella was just the author showing off her writing chops with overwrought descriptions, and less to do with the actual storytelling.

Oh well.

Thank you to Tordotcom and NetGalley for this arc.

The River Has Roots is a haunting, beautiful fairy tale about the power of sisterly love and the magic of riddles and songs. Esther and Ysabel live on the River Liss and sing daily to the magical willow trees that their family has long tended. Esther is being courted by their unappealing neighbor, but she has a Faerie lover she would much rather wed.

However, as the way fairy tales go, Esther faces a difficult decision regarding the life she knows with her sister and the love she wants in Faerie. The story that unfolds feels like a truly classic tale of the power of love -- and the danger of thwarted desire.

The novella also includes a short story with complementary themes and tones. The downside is that this means that Esther and Ysabel's story is actually much shorter than the page count might lead one to believe. However, John Hollowback's story has so many parallels to the sisters' tale that the reader can hardly feel robbed of a wonderful reading experience.

This was a truly enchanting reading experience. I look forward to reading the short story collection that was teased with John Hollowback's tale. This book is perfect for any reader looking to be swept away into a classic fairy tale setting of magic, love, songs, and revenge.

Exquisite. Amal El-Mohtar has a rare gift for words and storytelling. For such a short book, it had unexpected depth and such lush, imaginative worldbuilding. The length is really my only complaint. I could have read a thousand pages of this and still wanted more.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tor for an eArc of this book! I was so excited to read this quick story, especially due to my intense love for This is How You Lose the Time War, I knew that this would be a delight to read.

I was not prepared for such a tragic ending, as you can likely guess, but that was one of the things that made this story so fantastic. The writing was absolutely gorgeous, and I felt completely immersed in the prose of El-Mohtar; the way she is able to weave together words seems like every writers’ dream. The story was simple, yet complex; it was a tragedy and a love story, a cozy fantasy and a tale of sisterly love. This book tugged hard at my heart strings, and made me think of all the things I would do for my own sister.

The only thing I wish was different in this book was the world building; being less than 150 pages, it seems difficult to properly develop an entire fantasy world. I feel as though I was told things but that these things were never explained, such as what grammar is or the relationship between the two worlds and how they affect one another.

Even though I didn’t completely understand the world, I did enjoy exploring it, and I think this was a solid fantasy story. It’s a quick, straightforward, and fun story while simultaneously having layered undertones and deeply emotional scenes.

I didn’t like the very beginning very much, the way it unfolded like an old classic, so I spent much of the early pages predisposed to disliking it. But while the bones of the story are familiar, Esther and Ysabel were charming and the interweaving of magic and reality was interestingly done. Also loved that Rin wasn’t assigned a gender (for how could one condense a storm into a simple binary) and no one batted an eye, just referred to them as Esther’s Arcadian.

It had a nice layer of whimsy and felt very much like a fairy tale. And there was that same yearning lyricism to it that made me love This is How You Lose the Time War