I have been looking forward to this novella for a very long time, and I cannot underestimate how much it still blew me away. This is a story of sisters, of the ways that difference and rejection of what is seen as "superior" is punished and seen by small men, and the power of translation and storytelling made literal and carried over to how the magic of the world works, and how one can be saved for what should've been almost certain murder by drowning. You know it's coming because the book expertly weaves its dialogue like babbling brooks between the sisters and through the lens of a story that seems to be reaching out to try and trap the sisters, but instead how they take the control back, and get their happy ending still. Throw in an astonishing narrator, and embellishments by Amal and her sister Dounya in the form of fragments of the referenced folk ballads and playing on the harp and flute between them in the background, and you have an absolutely astounding audiobook that you need to pick up yesterday. Pick this up and enjoy an amazing soundscape.

This is one of the best audiobooks I have listened to in a long time. It created an atmospheric setting that elevated the story which at its core is about the bond of sisters. I love a novella that can do so much in so few pages and Amal El-Mohtar really knocks it out of the park. I look forward to what ever she rights next.

The audiobook of this beautiful novella features harp and flute music recorded by El-Mohtar and her sister--especially appropriate since this is a story about sisters and music! Eleanor and Isabelle live alongside the river Lyss, their singing an integral part of keeping the magic of the willow trees that grow along it alive. But Eleanor's love for one of the fae from nearby Arcadia complicates her determination to never leave her sister--especially when another suitor becomes involved. I loved the concept of magic as "grammar" that is constantly conjugated. Definitely something I would love to see El-Mohtar explore more in the future.

This was such a poetically beautiful novella of sisterly bonds, magical worlds, and love. While a lot of the storyline went over my head, with the Acadia world connection, it was such an interesting listen. The audiobook is fantastic and the narrator did an excellent job expressing this story. Although I do wish it was a smidge longer to explain some more of the 'fever dream vibes', I had a good time with this!

From the co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War comes an enchanting Queer novella inspired by folklore and, surprisingly, driven by music. While there are some books that I greatly enjoyed as audiobooks, The River Has Roots is, in my opinion, best in an audio format. The music, which consists of songs featuring the author, her sister, and the narrator (Gem Carmella), establishes the tone and draws the reader into the ethereal space of fairy tales.

Format aside, Amal El-Mohtar holds their own as a solo author, weaving together the Queer love story and the sisterly bond in ways that are equally compelling. The magic system is unclear, but this novella is a treat, not a meal—and that's okay. I didn't need a history of the world and its kingdoms to feel immersed in the story, and it felt in line with traditional folk/fairytales to avoid the question of "why" something happens in favor of exploring what it means to the people who experience it.

Any fans of the atmospheric, the graceful, and the beautiful will love this quick read, especially if they enjoyed Time War and authors like GennaRose Nethercott.

Many thanks to Tor, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audio ARC!

This was a really fun audiobook. The story was sweet and faster paced than my usual reads but still an adequately weird-fantasy. I don’t know that I would have enjoyed this much as a physical/digital read. There is A LOT of singing, and that is always one of my least favorite things in books(sometimes even when it is a song that I know the melody of it can still be off-putting to me), because it is almost always a made up song, and I am simply not a musician and hear no song in my head by reading some rhyming words. Like a lot of Tor’s shorter length releases, this felt a bit like too much got cut, so I’d love to be immersed entirely in this world in a full-length, or at least a longer length novella, but that is because the world was so strange and exciting. Thank you to Tor & NetGalley for the complimentary audiobook

3 stars for the book, 4 for the audio.
This is a brief magical/fairy tale-ish story of two sisters separated by a river, magical worlds, and of course, a bad guy. The story itself isn't really my genre, but was pleasant enough, with decent plot and atmosphere.
The audio was good; the narrator has a pleasant voice and some flavor of British accent. There are quite a few sound effects throughout: harp music, rushing water, the narrator singing, etc. They add to the interest, but occasionally (when underlaid with the narration) distracted from the reading. They definitely added to the mystical vibes. I think this would be a standout audiobook for fans of the genre and author.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

This was a tough one for me to rate. The story is beautiful but I think it made me come to the realization that I'm more of a story/plot girl and not so much into the wordy, flowery prose. I also wish I had opted for the e-book version, rather than the audio, because all of the added music and background noise was distracting and not enjoyable.

Happy pub day to this lovely little book :)

Okay, I'm rounding this up to five stars because I can't stop thinking about it. Setting aside re-reads, I think this might actually be the best book I read in February.

This is a fairytale-esque novella about two sisters who sing to willow trees and have to deal with unwanted and wanted suitors, and it's about the strength of the bond between the sisters, and about the power of music and community, and it just has excellent vibes. I really shouldn't say more about it because it's so short, but don't go in looking for detailed worldbuilding or character arcs, it's not that kind of story.

This is one of the best audiobooks I've ever listened to and it adds something that could never be replicated by reading with your eyeballs. So, if you're an audiobook reader, this is a must read. It would make an EXCELLENT hybrid read, if you have both hardcover/e-book and access to the audio. The SINGING. Good lord.

[4.5 stars, rounding up for the goosebumps I got while listening]

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.

This is quite different from what I normally choose to read. Reads With Rachel gave such a great review that I had to check it out. What a pleasant surprise! This is lovely. Gem Carmella’s narration is perfect, and her singing in combination with the nature sounds truly makes for an immersive listening experience. I loved spending time inside this world El-Mohtar has created. She’s a talented writer, and I look forward to seeing what she does next!

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

Spellbinding! Amal El-Mohtar’s prose is radiant. I will read anything this author writes.

The audiobook beautifully captures the spirit and essence of the story. I loved the production, and Gem Carmella’s voice is hypnotic.

Read if you enjoy atmospheric, fairytale-like stories with lovely prose.

In the small town of Thistleford the Hawthorn family has long taken care of the land between the River Liss and Faerie. Sisters Esther and Ysabel are the two latest Hawthorns to sing to the trees each night. Their love for one another, and their duty to family and upholding the Hawthorn responsibility to the land, knows no bounds. Esther does not want to settle for the local man whose every interaction makes her feel like a cold fish. Instead she has set her sights on someone from Faerie. Can the sister's bond withstand diverging paths when their lives are on the line?

I, like many people, were completely taken in by Amar El-Mohtar's collaboration with Max Gladstone on "This is How you Lose the Time War" so when I heard about "The River Has Roots" I didn't even need to read what it was about, I just knew I was going to read this.

Actually, I'll say I knew I would listen to this one. Because, in all honestly, the best experience of this book is in its audiobook format. I cannot imagine what it would be to experience this beautiful story without all the sounds and voices lifting everything just that much higher.

I absolutely loved this book. It's such a beautiful rumination on love, and sisterhood, and promises made, and grammar. How twisting words one way or another changes their trajectory entirely.

It's such a quick and easy read / listen. Fully immersive.

Mostly, I have to give El-Mohtar major flowers for how she crafted this story together. The poetry and flow - kind of reminiscent of the River itself , is a wonderful experience. The aforementioned Time War was similarly lavish and this makes me excited for more work from her.

Just go ahead and put this on your TBR list, move it to the top, you won't be disappointed.

"There was a time when grammar was wild—when it shifted shapes and unleashed new forms out of old. Grammar, like gramarye, like grimoire. What is magic but a change in the world? What is conjugation but a transformation into one thing into another? She runs, she ran, she will run again."

happy book birthday to "the river has roots" by Amal El Mohtar!!

i read this book in the span of two hours last night, and i wish i can read more of her writing. i was transfixed by the whimsical imagery, how the author describes nature brimming with enchantment that carries the essence and nostalgia of a classic fairytale.

set in the real world at a small English town that borders close to the faerie world Arcadia, the story follows sisters Esther and Ysabel who share the responsibility of tending and singing to the willows. despite having a unbreakable bond and everlasting love for each other, Esther has to be courted by a powerful suitor, whom she doesn't want to be around with for the rest of her life. instead, Esther falls in love with Rin, an Arcadian, and yearns to live with them even though the Arcadian magic aren't as accepting to mortals. from there, Esther makes a choice that may jeopardize her and Isabel's lives.

i was drawn to the concept of Grammar, the magic system centered on the laws and constructs of language, within the first page. even though el-mohtar's prose pairs well to how the lore of Grammar, it got slightly overindulgent to the point that it loses the cohesiveness of the magic system. but that's just me who wants to know the hard facts of any magic system across any fantasy book.

in regards to the audiobook, i enjoyed the extra elements that went into this production—the soothing river sounds, the elegant harp and flute tunes. it did give me a small fright the first time it was played in the middle of the narration, but i've grown to find it mesmerizing. overall, this is a luminous fairy tale novella surrounding sisterhood and forbidden love.

thank you to Tordotcom for the review copy and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC!!

Mesmerizing. Astounding. Thought provoking. Different. These are the words that come to mind as I reflect on what I just experienced. Because reading Amal El-Mohtar’s new novel THE RIVER HAS ROOTS is not some passive activity, It IS an experience. And it is one that readers are not likely to forget. The story is that powerful.

What is it about? How do I describe the contents? It is a folk tale. It is a myth. It is a legend. It is herstory. It is philosophy. It is eco-fiction. It is fantasy. It is a love story. It is about this world and the next. It is about this life and the next. It is about 2 sisters. It is about family. It is about the past, the present, and the future. It simply is.

I want to be absolutely honest — I do not read a lot of fantasy. I just have not been a dedicated / hardcore fan of the genre. But El-Mohtar now has a dedicated reader. I eagerly await their next book.

Fans of Emily St. John Mandel, Nghi Vo, Lauren Groff, and The Rainfall Market will fall in love with this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC Audio Copy!

First of all I want to say, if you are going to read this book and you have the chance to read the audio version I highly suggest it. The sound effects were so immersive and the singing was haunting and absolutely beautiful. I loved everything about this whimsical world that is nestled fight next to the faerie lands. The prose was just so beautify and soothing. My only complaint is i really wish it had been longer just because I want to stay in the world for as long as possible.

I found myself captived by #TheRiverhasRoots. It is a fairy tale and so much more. It is tale about family, sisterhood, and loyalty. This audiobook was wonderfully rendered and included music from the author and her sister.

I was not able to properly log into my Net Galley app on my phone. It keeps logging me out and then giving me issues when attempting to log back in, and I did not realize I had to listen to this on my phone, and there was not any other options. Unfortunately this isn’t an accessible format to me.

Thank you for the approval, and I appreciate the opportunity to leave honest feedback. This seems like a lovely book.

The River Has Roots is a fairytale novella for fans of Olivie Blake, particularly her collection Januaries. The cover is gorgeous. The prose begins by introducing a river filled with magic called "grammar." Like some other reviewers, I never understood the magic system at play here, but it does feel more clever than deliberately ambiguous. There is a love story between a nonbinary fairy and a human borderland caretaker named Esther. Esther has a very close bond with her younger sister, Ysabel, and much of the emotion in the story comes from their relationship. The Patriarchy makes a brief, but nonetheless vile and appropriately influential appearance.
At first, I did not think I would like this story. The connections between grammar and magic elude me still, but most of the story does not concern itself with the mechanics of the magic, which is helpful. There are fun riddles with instantly gratifying answers and lots of pure-hearted love, which ultimately won me over.
The audiobook is read and at times beautifully sung. I think I would prefer the audiobook even if I had the ebook to read as well.
Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

This is such a strange amazing audiobook maybe one of my favorites of the year. The sounds of the river and the singing makes this book absolutely top notch. The prose is so amazing that I felt like I was in a fairytale and the philosophical ideas gave the book so much depth that I will be thinking about this for sometime. If you have the time to listen I would highly recommend this book.