This atmospheric fable follows two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, who tend to the willows along the River Liss, between their town and the magical land of Arcadia. When Esther rejects an ambitious suitor from next door, their lives are irrevocably changed - and twined with Arcadia. The River Has Roots is a short (144 pages) read that draws from modern ideas of faeries or elves, like those from Shakespeare or Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter. Fans of Heather Fawcett's Emily Wilde series or Margaret Rogerson's An Enchantment of Ravens will greatly enjoy this folk tale of sisterly devotion and magic.

Thank you @tordotcompub and @macmillan.audio for the ARC & ALC ♡ also, big appreciation for @bookish_boy.mom #buddyreaders

·˚ ༘₊·꒰➳: ̗̀➛ Lyrical love ballad meets enchanted fairytale novella 🎶

This is How You Lose the Time War tickled my inner geek, so I was excited to read Amal’s next story... I found this one easier to comprehend, and even more compact and compressed.

At just shy of 100 pages, this novella takes the shape of a fairytale: there will be an evil villain, a couple of maidens who frolick along the banks of the magical River Lis, and there will be an elusive land of enchanted magic ✨

Like in Time War, I loved the elements of time-fluidity [though not explicitly time travel here; this is more about time passing differently in Arcadia than in the mortal realm]. There be riddles, plays on words, & double entendres which are fun to spot...

There’s really no space for deep world building or redemption arcs or shades of morally grey, but I would have loved to have spent more time with Rin and Agnes. However, for what this was I thought it packed a punch.

・❥・I would recommend for readers who might like a new spin on what feels like a familiar fairytale.

‧₊˚🎧⊹ Audiobook thoughts: it’s a true immersive experience if you read while listening. Gem Carmella has such a lovely, calming voice, evoking the medieval setting perfectly — complete with song and music! ♬•*¨*•.｡ Theater surround sound brings to life the rushing of of the river, the rain storms, and the whistling of the wind — delightful. However, plays on words are easier to miss on audio.

an ethereal and enchanting tale steeped in english folklore, the river has roots centers around a pair of devoted sisters and the enchanted willows they sing to. el-mohtar weaves the enduring love of sisters, a tender love story, and a captivating language-based magic system (and magical river!) into something reminiscent of a classic fairy story in under 150 pages.

i took off .5 stars because it does cross the line from lyrical writing into purple prose on more than one occasion and i needed to go back and reread certain passages as a result. still a lovely, snack-size read that i would recommend to fans of alix e. harrow’s short stories!

There was much of this novella that I loved: the analogy between magic and grammar, the queer romance, the sisterly love, and lyrical prose.

Novellas can be tricky to write and read. It is difficult to tell a complex, layered, yet complete story without plot holes in a short time. Common downfalls in novellas I’ve seen are when the authors, in seeking nuance, introduce too many plot or character elements that cannot be fully developed in the novella, which can result in an unfulfilling story.

El-Mohtar keeps The River Has Roots focused, and produces a complete and satisfying story for the reader.

I look forward to reading the future writings from El-Mohtar.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and it did not disappoint! Dream and lyrical, El-Mohtar hit it out of the park with this one. I will also be seeking out the audiobook to hear the original music the author composed for this !

This is a fairy tale for adults. A tale that is meant for adults, that has elements of magic, and lessons that reveal themselves to you with each reading.

It felt so beautiful, and took something familiar and used words in new ways, the structure of magic in this world was immersive. This was an exploration of our souls not being bound by our form, and that promises made with our heart transcend everything.

It will pull you in, make you furious, and then send you out the other side changed and smiling.

Amal El-Mohtar is releasing an entire book of fairy tales and I cannot wait. This set a high bar.

What a beautiful story. Amal El-Mohtar has a brilliance with words that is unmatched. I loved This is How You Lose Tge time War and the River Has Roots was no different. The prose and the story are pure magic. I look forward to reading more stories by her.

This book has a very lyrical and fairytale esque feel to it. While I loved the writing from the beginning, it took me a while to get into the stories. I wasn’t really hooked by the characters or the plot until about halfway through, but I absolutely loved the second half and the conclusion of the story.

Ultimately this is a story about sisterhood, and how the bond between people who are close to each other can transcend time, and bring two people back together who are separated by death or living in different lands

Comp titles I would give this book are T. Kingfisher’s Thornhedge and Katherine Arden’s The Bear and the Nightingale. Around 20% in I was thinking this had a similar feel to Thornhedge, but as I continues, and the more we learned about the magical world and magical beings in this book, the story started to feel more like The Bear and the Nightingale

I listened to the audio for this book, and I feel like this story was made for audio. Or maybe I just like the music and singing that is added to the audiobook. While I’m not one for full cast audios, tastefully adding music where appropriate in the story is something I appreciate, and it especially works here because music is such an important part of the magic in this world.

I absolutely adored this short novel. I read This Is How You Lose The Time War last year and fell in love with El-Mohtar's beautiful and romantic prose, so I was really looking forward to something Fantasy from this author. This was dark and whimsical and gorgeous. This is my exact brand of Fantasy!!! I am a fan of Rachel Gillig and AB Poranek, and this book fits right alongside their works and I will definitely be using that as a base point when recommending to customers. My only complaint is that I want MORE Esther and Rin. Obsessed with them.. these two had more chemistry than some book couples do in a full length novel, and I applaud the author for that!!!

This is a story of imagery, scenery- the details are in the background. In this novella, the Hawthorns are known for singing to the willows and the forbidden love of the tale of the Professors. It was interesting, the way the author told this historical tale. As if told through the branches of the trees.

As the sisters look to be tied to matrimony, Esther cannot seem to let go of Rin from Arcadia, a mysterious tale described almost like a riddle to solve and descriptions with metaphors and similes to keep the reader intrigued. Esther must decide if the journey to love is worth it. For Esther, the journey feels like its own character, much like the trees and the river. Adding a slight magic to a historical romance concept and this is a mix of fantasy and magical realism.

A short fantasy novel of forbidden love and sisterly bonds. Almost felt like a Disney movie, specifically with the singing. A quick tale, that proves true love can come in and survive any shape. Just a lovely heartfelt endearing story. An amazing amount of world building but keep in mind, the characters can only be so much in such a short amount of time.

A gorgeous fairy tale by one of the authors of the immensely beloved THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR. I adored that the wit, humor, and deep feelings present in El-Mohtar's first book come through even more so in this tale of two sisters, a magical faerie world, and a vengeful scorned suitor. So much of this book is about music and the prose sings in this book. This magical novella is sure to delight fans of T. Kingfisher and Naomi Novik.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC! This book will be released in the US on March 4th, 2025 by Tordotcom.

Full Rating: 4.75 stars rounded up

Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots is a spellbinding novella steeped in the alchemy of language and transformation. At its heart is the River Liss, running north to south, its waters brimming with “grams”—linguistic fragments that can be conjured into magic. Within this world of mutable meaning and shifting forms, sisters Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn care for the willow trees on their family’s land, singing to them in gratitude for their grammar. Esther, sharp-minded and drawn to riddles, is endlessly fascinated by Arcadia—a mystical city beyond a veil—while Ysabel, tender-hearted and poetic, fears the unknown it represents. Their bond is one of deep devotion, even as their perspectives on change threaten to pull them in opposite directions.

El-Mohtar’s prose is exquisite, layered with intricate metaphors that weave seamlessly into the novel’s thematic core. Magic here is not just spoken but conjugated and transformed, illuminating a world where the structure of language dictates the shape of reality itself. The novel’s central tension—between the fixed and the fluid, the named and the nameless—is mirrored in the sisters’ relationship, as well as in Esther’s love for Rin, a nonbinary shape-shifter from Arcadia.

The narrative unfolds with an immersive sense of wonder, carrying readers like the River Liss itself—ever-shifting, never stagnant. The story’s resolution, while poignant, arrives perhaps too swiftly; I found myself wishing for just a little more time in its luminous world. Still, The River Has Roots is a stunning meditation on language, love, and the transformative power of both. El-Mohtar crafts a tale that reshapes itself in the reader’s mind long after the book is closed, much like the grammar that bends the reality of Arcadia.

📖 Read this if you love: Lush, language-driven fantasy, stories of sisterhood and devotion, and folklore-infused worldbuilding.

🔑 Key Themes: Language as Magic, Transformation and Change, Family and Inheritance, The Tension Between Stability and Freedom.

Content / Trigger Warnings: Violence (minor), Murder (minor).

Oh what is stronger than death?
Two sisters singing with one breath.

Amal El-Mohtar you are a poet and a weaver, and everything you write is art in its purest form.
Don't let its size fool you, this novel is more full and dense than most novels. El-Mohtar writes with a purpose, every word carefully selected and oriented, in less than 100 pages she has created a gallery's worth of pieces.
The story of two sisters and a love that is unrelenting.
There is no bond stronger than that of two women.
Sisters, friends, lovers. Romantic, platonic, familial.
And once again Amal El-Mohtar has shown this to me in the most beautiful way possible.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tordotcom for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review.

Stunningly beautiful prose, a magic system rooted in language, the strongest of sister relationships, and a breathtakingly beautiful romance - all wrapped up in less than 150 pages.

This is one you’ll want to re-read again and again, to discover all there is to offer in this novella.

The audio production is out of this world good and the superior way to consume this book. The atmosphere is brought to life with just enough sound effects in all the right places, the songs are sung and accompanied by music and the narrator has the most soothing voice - reminiscent of being told a story by your favorite grandmother.

What’s to love…
- lyrical prose
- family forward story
- queer romance
- non-binary love interest
- quick read that packs a punch
- magical and fairytale vibes
- layered and thought provoking

What’s not to love…
- Honestly? I loved everything about this book and the audio performance made this an out of this world experience.
- That said, if you’re someone who does not enjoy being confused at all or very lyrical writing you may not enjoy this one. Upon my first read I’m still a little unsure how the magic works and there are definitely places the writing leaned very close to purple prose, which can be confusing - this is definitely one I will want to reread, and I imagine gaining more understanding and insight with each iteration.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor (Tordotcom) for sending this book (eARC) for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This was such a unique and beautiful story. The setting and magic system, while rich and complex, is also straightforward and explained eloquently. The use of language and grammar as the basis of the magic was so fascinating. And while, at first, I was worried about how that would play out and what that would mean, I quickly understood and fell into the rhythm of the story. The writing was lyrical and fluid and the story had this fairy tale vibe that was so enchanting and pleasant to read. I loved the sister dynamic and the dilemma that was presented to them due to the promises and love the have for each other. The fantasy elements and world so effortlessly blend with the overall plot and I loved reading about how they interacted.
And the villain of the story and the way the ultimate conflict plays out was harrowing and heartbreaking. And reading the aftermath was tense and emotional without being over the top or unrealistic. The way that the foreshadowing is laid out in the story and how the characters sort of settle in place as the dominoes all fall exactly how they are set up had me physically reacting to events and emotions in the story. And by the end, I loved seeing how everything all came back around.
There is a richness to this story and so much intrigue that is introduced. I almost feel like this was an excellent introduction to this world and magic and that there could easily be more to come. And while this particular story is done, it does hold a sort of folklore air about it that I could easily see be a set up or warning for others in this universe.

4.5

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group and Tordotcom for providing me with a digital review copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.

If you liked This Is How You Lose the Time War, you'll like this standalone by Amal El-Mohtar. It is a beautifully imagined fairy tale about sisters and the power of words. I enjoyed this immensely.

As a linguist and a poet, The River Has Roots was exactly up my alley. Although we're only in March, it's definitely a strong contender for favourite book of the year. It's a whimsical and beautiful fairytale about sisterhood and language and meaning and the transformation of forms. I enjoyed the language used, the embedded verses, and the world building. The narrative style, while uncommon, perfectly suited the purpose of this narrative. I think that everyone can find beauty in this book but I think that it may take some a bit longer to get into it than others, simply given that unique flavour of oddity that comes with Amal's writing.

This is a delightful short story of two sisters whose bond is stronger than anything, even death. Amal El-Mohtar’s solo debut delivers more of the lyrically gorgeous prose I loved from This Is How You Lose The Time War along with a unique, grammar oriented magic system and queer romance. Although I personally struggled with the relative lack of worldbuilding (I know, it’s a novella, I can’t help it ok!) I would absolutely recommend this book to everyone who enjoys quick & enchanting reads.

This is a quick, but gorgeous and moving book. The bond between Esther and Ysabel, the River Liss, the power of love and choices…The River Has Roots is exactly what I needed.

This one went way over my head. No idea what it was about and the writing was really confusing. I think if I could figure out what was going on I may have enjoyed it. It seems like there were a lot of metaphors that I just literally did not understand. The writing was fun and short. I like the idea of the other world Arcadia and wish we spent more time there.