The perfect book. Genuinely, the PERFECT book.

I cried through the ending. Absolutely gorgeous. Lyrical and magical and tragic and lovely. It's delightfully queer. It's poetic.

And the AUDIOBOOK!!!! Just perfect. The singing and the music and background sounds added so much to the telling of the story. It claimed not to be a folk tale but it felt like one. I don't have the words.

The writing was ethereal. Breathtaking. Just perfect. No notes.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for this burst of beauty in the midst of a bad time.

This was the most atmospheric and immersive audiobook I have ever listened to, and is, without a doubt, THE best audiobook production I have ever listened to. I loved how it made me slow down and savor it - I can't remember the last time (if ever) I've kept the speed at x1. Just... Wow. Gorgeous. And paired with reading along with the physical copy, which had it's own artwork and atmosphere to it was just astounding.

What a story, what prose - I'm floundering for words. This blew me away.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC and ALC.

Thank you @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for the gifted book and audiobook! The audiobook production value is stunning with real singing and music to complement the plot.

This was such a lovely change of pace for me. It’s not quite romance, just enough fantasy, but a whole lot of eloquent and immersive writing. I appreciated the dominant theme of sisterhood and its transcendent nature over time, betrayal, and even death. Loved the Queer rep, as always 🫶🏾

I loved the same complexity Amal El-Mohtar brought to the table as they did in This is How You Lose the Time War but in a completely new light.

I’d recommend The River Has Roots to Tolkien fans, advocates for feminist reclamations of common tropes, and anyone looking to try something a little different!

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

A really sweet novella, with really excellent audio book production.
Thanks to @macmillianaudio and @netgallery for the advanced copy.

This novella will be published on March 4th, but I would really recommend the audio version, there is beautiful singing, and lovely, eerie background noise and sound effects that add to this story.

This is basically a fairytale about two sisters, and the fae who live in Arcadia, and magical trees, and wishes and love told with beautiful, sharp prose.

A sweet story, and one I truly enjoyed.

If wistfulness was a book, this would be the one! This audiobook was a whole experience, centering on music, trees, and water. Two sisters live on the edge of Faerie and are in charge of singing to the willows to thank them for their magic. And that's all you really need to know going into this story. This is short and fast and filled with longing and despair, and if you are able to listen to it on audio, you should! It reads like a fairytale, and listening to it felt like I was young, hearing the fable from my mother.

Thanks to MacMillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC!

This was very atmospheric. I really liked that the audio included singing/music in the background to really give the vibes. I felt like the story was well written and felt very old timey. Also very lyrical.

This is my second time reading this author and I fear we are just not the right fit. It was beautifully written, but I honestly do not get it. It was entirely fine and I wasn't wowed. Also, the audiobook production kind of ruined it for me, as there was often singing beneath the words and I couldn't make anything out.

You know when you start reading a book and you know you will just love the whole thing and start thinking about who you want to gift this book to… this had that.

Lyrical, atmospheric, stunning fairytale of two sisters that live near a river and sing to the willows when they get entangled with the Arcadian people who’s magic is rooted in grammar (which is as smart and as lovely as it sounds)

The audiobook had sound effects and it definitely added to the experience and was a great time.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan audio for an alc

5-stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC!

This story will have a chokehold on your attention from page one! I was immediately all-in on the story of Esther and Isabelle and their bond. It felt like listening to a fairytale that was being performed around a campfire in a mythical wood.

I am serious when I say this was the most captivating audiobook I've ever listened to! The narrator, Gem Carmella, was dynamic and their voice fit the story so well. The narration paired with the supplemental sounds of music and nature created a beautiful flow from beginning to end. It was a calming and intriguing experience that I didn't want to reach the end of.

I look forward to reading more titles by Amal El-Mohtar and being transported to the different worlds they write about.

Thank you to both NetGalley and the Publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This fable of a book drops you into a ethereal world that you are immediately lost within, whisked into the river alongside two dedicated sisters whose love for each other powers this short, but mesmerizing book.

Without a doubt, Amal El-Mohtar excels in crating near tangible yearning between characters that makes a reader's heart beat and ache for the experiences on the page. The language in this book is rich and poetic while keeping the reader engaged and concerned for the plot. The book balances character and plot driven elements exceedingly well and the pacing is impeccable.

I both wanted this book to be longer, because of how much I was loving the world and these characters, and also think this book was the perfect length. The restraint the author showed in keeping such a deep idea in novella form feels truly magic.

The author takes a very standard plot, especially the predictable actions of a rejected and jealous male suitor, and completely reinvigorates the outcomes.

I had been highly anticipating this book and at no point was a disappointed. I think this well will be one of my favorite books of the year.

Amal El-Mohtar's book immediately wraps its tale around you in the classical method of ballads or fairy tales. The river is enchanted. Grammar is magic. And in the same way as those old stories, you immediately understand that you don't need to entirely understand. This magic isn't the sort with rules set down in ancient tomes worked out like unpicking stitches from a tapestry. It is the wild magic of nature and the oldest tales. Just allow yourself to be swept along by the river's flow.

And yet, at the same time, El-Mohtar's story gives new depth and context to one of the strangest centuries-old murder ballads in existence: The Two Sisters. I would rather read one more book like this that sings with luscious prose (and literally sings in the audiobook version) than a hundred other forgettable carbon copy novels.

I absolutely adored _This Is How You Lose the Time War_ so when I heard Amal El-Mohtar had a solo book coming out, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. I don’t even think I read the synopsis, because if I knew it had elements of the Twa Sisters murder ballad, I would have been even more feral for this book. The way language and grammar is described and used to create the magic of the world is so, I don’t even have words. The writing is so lush and exquisite, I could not put this down. And the audiobook is truly an experience, with musical accompaniment and the narrator singing. This was so incredible and beautiful and gave me so many feelings. I loved this, simply put, and cannot wait to see what else El-Mohtar will write!

i was lucky enough to receive a physical ARC of this book at NYCC this year and DEVOURED it and loved it. but when a friend posted a review of the audio saying it had MUSIC! and SINGING! i had to know what the audio experience was like. i did not think i could love this book more but the production quality of this audiobook is next level. the way the music is woven in throughout, and the sound effects are so effectively used I was sitting on the banks of the River Liss. Gem Carmella's narration is pitch perfect - she draws you in to this folkloric tale and weaves her own grammarian magic of words. I cried more on this read than i did the first time and i ABSOLUTELY blame Carmella's compelling narration for it. HIGHLY highly recommend the audio version of this book.

Okay Amal, you win, guess I'll read anything you write. This was poetry. I found myself doubling back to re-read sections, I couldn't get enough. Eventually, I'll read this book again and I can't wait to find everything woven through that I didn't notice on my first go around.

I both read and listened to this book. Wow Gem Carmella I could listen to you read a phonebook. The audiobook was produced with music underscoring throughout which I thought was plenty clever attention to detail until I got the finished print version and saw Kathleen Neeley's beautiful prints throughout. Again, wow. These additions to both formats aid in beautifully bolstering this fairytale of a book.

Bonus short story at the end, cannot wait for whatever collection that ends up printed in.

ps. don't skip the acknowledgments

A borderline purple prose novella with sibling relationships, the importance of language and grammar, magical rivers and dimensions and sinister intentions.

Disclaimer: I did read this as a tandem read with a physical arc from the publisher, TorDotCom and an audiobook copy via NetGalley. Thank you so much for the respective arc copies and this is my honest and voluntary review.

I'm not gonna lie. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be smart enough to understand this book when I first started reading it. The prose is extremely lyrical and flowery and is borderlining purple. But once you really get into this novel it is so immersive and captivating that it is an emotional experience that leads you to fully understand it through your feelings. It is a story meant to make you feel. And it accomplishes that.

The audiobook in particular it is extremely well done. It is a cinematic experience that blends typical narration with sung music, nature noises and background tunes. The narrator, Gem Carmella absolutely nails this novel. They make it such an emotional experience through their impeccable storytelling that I could not help with fall in love with them as a narrator. I will be looking for more novels narrated by this person. A short audiobook, coming in at just over three hours makes it a quick and interesting read.

Usually with novellas I feel like something must be sacrificed in order to make the story short and yet still work on at least a few levels. Typically for me that seems to be the world building. But honestly in this novella I don't feel like anything was sacrificed. We got exceptional character development and we got a background story for the world and I did not feel like there was anything I didn't understand or enjoy. The magic system being tied to language and grammar was extremely interesting and I felt it was well explained overall for a novella. To be honest, I would love to see a full length novel within this world and with these characters. I do feel like Agnes was a little bit of a missed opportunity, because she was so interesting and I would love to see more about her in future in installments.

This fantasy novella literally did have it all. From a compelling and interesting worldbuilding and storyline scenario, to a sinister and brooding villain. I enjoyed the multiple metaphorical references related to the storyline and its subjects. I also really enjoyed the sibling relationship as well as the overall love story that was intertwined into this novel. It really was a sweeping fairytale in every aspect of the phrase. I even got misty at the end.

Bravo. Eagerly awaiting more

This book is a love letter to language.

This is How You Lose the Time War is my all time favourite book, so when I saw that Amal was coming out with a re-telling of a 17th century murder ballad, I knew I needed to read this - and I wasn't wrong! If you're here just like me, because of TIHYLTTW, then you'll be so pleased with this book.

The worldbuilding is creative and expansive. The characters are fully formed, with the bond between our two sisters showing their nuanced relationship, vulnerabilities and enduring love. The prose are lyrical and lushly descriptive.

This audiobook is so immersive. You can hear the river running, the songs, music and chanting. It's an entire experience and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves audiobooks.

A big part of this book revolves around language. Language as a currency, language as power, language as magic. Language in this story is also music and riddles that change the way our characters frame a situation.

A few of my favourite quotes
" 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 . . ."
"Ysabel was fascinated by boys and their company while esther found them tedious and enjoyed being alone."
"The first time Esther met Rin, they were a storm"

The only thing I wish we had a little bit more about is there's a narrator who speaks to us, the reader. Telling us the story. I wish there was more from them, or a reveal as to who they were to us and to the story. Perhaps it's like a riddle and I'll uncover it on my second read through.

Read this if you love
- Queer romance 🏳️‍🌈 (n/b + f)
- Vengeance
- Beautiful prose
- Riddles + Wordplay

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this ARC.

This book is best read while under a willow tree, watching the branches bleed.

This is a perfect little book just like El-Mphtar's last book. I loved this book and the audiobook was amazing! I listened to the whole book in one sitting it was that good!

This audiobook was such a pleasant surprise! I absolutely loved the sound effects, they were delightful. I honestly could have stayed in this world for much longer. El-Mohtar's ideas were really unique. I'm a bit sad this wasn't a full novel. If you're picking this up, i'm definitely recommending the audio.

A super cute fairytale about two sisters who run into fae in a forest near their home. overall it's a cute little story, the only thing is the magical system in the story has no explanation just reiterated multiple times. Also the villain of the story is dealt with in one page and i felt there wasn't any closure on that. overall it's a cute magical story.

This was such a good book. It was different than anything I have read in a very long time and I loved every minute of it. I would have loved to have this be a full length novel, cause I wanted to know much more about the characters.
The novella was very well written and it grabbed ahold of me and didn't let go until I was done.
The narration was well done and the lady reading made it easy to listen to.