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.

Every aspect of this book is stunning. That’s it, that’s the review. Okay fine you got me I’m jk haha. But forreal, the cover? The title? Gorgeous. It also has interior illustrations, which along the writing style truly make this book feel dreamlike and fairytale-like. When I read This Is How You Lose the Time War, I was 99% sure Amal El-Mohtar would be a favorite author. 99% only because Time War was co-written. After reading The River Has Roots, I’m at 100%. I love her lyrical style of prose, and how both books are brimming with love. This book has romantic love but is mainly about the love between sisters. I loved both sisters and loved reading their story. I don’t want to give too much away since this is a novella and therefore short, but please please pick this up.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar (coming March 4) is lyrical in many senses of the word, beautifully expressive and imaginative, and with songs and poetry playing important parts, not just accentuating but sometimes driving the plot. The prose is luscious and lovely, and it luxuriates in lingual ludi. Maybe my last sentence lapsed into laughability, but I’m a little drunk on words. But that’s totally fair, since the novella takes care to caution readers about the potential pitfalls of exposing oneself to grammar/gramarye; after all, words and magic can be equally transformative, often in unexpected ways.

This novella is El-Mohtar’s debut as a longform solo author, but she’s been winning awards for her poetry and short fiction since at least 2009, and she rocketed to viral stardom in 2019 with the co-authorship with Max Gladstone of This Is How You Lose the Time War. So The River Has Roots has been hotly anticipated by many speculative fiction fans. I am happy to say that it fully lived up to my hopes!

The novella is a retelling of a reasonably well-known fairytale murder ballad, so alert readers may anticipate some of the story beats. There are two sisters, and a suitor, and a warning from beyond via music. But even if a reader has an idea of where the story is going, there are bends in this river of a plot. There are also elements here that aren’t in any versions of the murder ballad that I’ve heard, including more characters who play important roles, and considerable use of wry humor.

Anyway, although the plot is very important as a framework, it’s the wonderful way in which this story is told that makes it both heart-wrenching and heart-warming. I’ve already sung my praise of the language, but it’s not only the descriptions; there is witty verbal fencing between opposing interests (with multiple reasons that people are trying not to let themselves get put under obligations), and although the beginning is lush and languorous, there are also some sharp scenes and impassioned passages. There is grief in this story, but I’ll spoil the plot just enough to say that there’s also a fairly happy ending (because it’s both a murder ballad AND a fairy tale).

There’s also a lot more about magic in this novella than in the original. The girls live on a farm that a river runs through, but it’s also on the edge of the Modal Lands that border Arcadia (basically, Faerieland). The willows from which the family harvests leaves, bark, and wood drink in magic from this border river through their roots, which is why these products (and the farm) are highly prized. Parts of the story do cross the perilous border (unlike many unwary travelers, the story does make it back to terra cognita). And although this novella hugs the border closely enough to stay well within comprehension, I love the hints of how much wilder Arcadia can get the farther you get into it (but I also love that it isn’t fully explained).

Obviously, this novella is a fantasy tale without a hint of a time war or any other science fictional elements. But for any reader who adored TIHYLTTW partly for its amazing use of language and partly for its love story, you’ll find plenty of that in The River Has Roots. I thought it was amazingly good, and I highly recommend it.