This novella was lovely but not amazing. I liked the relationship between the sisters and really enjoyed the faerie connection. And who doesn't love a story when the characters are willing to sacrifice so much for love.

What I didn't love - - the magic built on grammar. Maybe I'm not imaginative enough but I found it difficult to follow and not enjoyable to read.

Overall, the author did a nice job of building a world and story within the walls of a novella.

This was an audio version, and I did find the narration beautiful.

Thank you to NetGalley for this copy.

God, what a beautiful book. The narrator was wonderful. The music was haunting! The writing was poetic. These are the kinds of books I love to eat.

The River Has Roots is a whimsical experience. If you love stories that feel like fairy and folk tales. That transport you and give you that nostalgic feel while being unique, this is for you. There's elements you can recognize and El-Mohtar breathes new life. It's a world of musical magic and I love the idea of grammar and magic - how it shapes the world. The world building and premise are enchanting. But what I loved even more is the audiobook production with the sound effects and music. If you love audiobooks, then this is a must. I had heard about the effects and knew I wanted to listen to this one! And I am not disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this Audio Arc.

This book is so beautiful and gives classic fairy tale vibes throughout. It was a great audio production and it really gave a great atmospheric vibe. I would really recommend the audiobook for audiobook beginners and really anyone!

Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots is a beautiful, intimate collection that blends memory, myth, and nature. Her poems feel both grounded and dreamlike, exploring identity and belonging with lyrical precision. It’s a slim book, but every line resonates. Thoughtful, moving, and worth revisiting.

This is a book especially suited to audio. The narrator does an excellent job bringing the music to life, and the musical/sound effects added layers to an already deeply resonant story.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a free advanced reader’s copy. I received this copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was gorgeous and lyrical and folky and magical like a fairytale. It felt like the brother’s Grimm, a bit dark and shadowy, but still it was light and lovely like any good Disney fairytale with staying power. I reached a point where I didn’t want to pick it back up because I was so scared of it ending, and the end was close because I was about halfway through.

The audiobook did SO much work too, despite the fact that the work itself is already so lovely! The mixing was ethereal, and our narrator (Gem Carmella) made you feel like you were listening to a story told in a tavern by lamp light, hugging ale and absolutely hypnotized by the tales of fantastical lands far away and close all at once.

The easiest five stars I’ve ever given this year! I can’t recommend this enough for a short yet decadent feast; El-Mohtar does it again!

I’m looking forward to the short story collection coming out next year.

An interesting and enchanting story. The addition of the singing, music, and sound effects in the audiobook was a nice touch after the initial surprise. A story of magic, sisterly (binding) love, and the play on words weaves you through a world of many layers and nuances.

I thought that the narrator did such an amazing job of keeping me entertained and engaged during the entire book! I can’t wait for this to be published so people can start talking about this awesome book!

Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots is a spellbinding novella that intertwines fairy tale wonder with the emotional gravity of familial love. Centered on sisters Ysabel and Esther Hawthorn, the story unfolds in the dreamy village of Thistleford, where the willow-lined River Liss borders a shimmering Faeryland. El-Mohtar’s prose is lush and lyrical, infused with folklore and magic, creating a world where the boundaries between humans and faes blur. Love in many forms pulses through the narrative—between sisters, humans, and non-binary fae beings who shift fluidly between states of being—rendering this brief tale emotionally expansive and profoundly affecting.

The audiobook edition, narrated by Gem Carmella, deepens the enchantment. Her soothing voice is complemented by soft music, song, and ambient sound effects that enhance the dreamlike atmosphere without overpowering it. The result is a rich sensory experience that draws the listener entirely into El-Mohtar’s world. Despite its modest length, The River Has Roots carries remarkable emotional weight, offering a story of sisterhood, transformation, and love that endures beyond death. It’s a gentle, haunting, and wholly captivating journey—perfect for those who long for magic wrapped in intimacy.

Everything about this audiobook was absolute perfection. I love that it's been a trend recently that audiobooks are stepping up the production, and this book is exactly the product of that. It was BEAUTIFUL to listening to, top to bottom - plus the story itself was amazing. I will be yelling about this boook from the rooftops for the rest of time, I think!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

This was a weird and beautiful book. It took me a minute to get into it, but once I was there I was all the way there.

I don’t know exactly what to say about it, so I’ll leave it here. If you liked This Is How You Lose the Time War, you will like this one, too! Very same vibes.

A really intriguing premise and an innovative idea! The writing was also excellent. I did not finish in time but I thoroughly enjoyed what I did read! Really looking forward to finishing this.

This was a beautiful story. The singing was such a lovely addition. The magic and sisterly love and the play on words was so lovely. It’s such a short story but one that will definitely stay with me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

A short and cozy fantasy read. The writing in this one is very lyrical, so if you love that in a fantasy you’ll love this one! I really enjoyed the audiobook and getting to hear the singing throughout this book! I wish this one was a little longer too! Overall, a quick and beautiful fantasy read.

this is a book i really enjoyed, enough to where i will probably reread it because i think there is even more to the writing/story that would benefit from multiple reads (this is a compliment). i fell in love with amal el-mohtar’s writing in “this is how you lose the time war” so i was glad to pick this one up for their solo debut! their prose is rich as ever, and their penchant for sapphic characters is of course wonderful. the sister relationship is truly the standout in this book, as well as the mysterious magical elements.

this as an audio experience was MARVELLOUS, especially including the original songs sung through and the accompanying instrumentation. when i rec this book, i will rec picking up the audio for an immersive experience for sure!

This book surprised me in the best way. It’s a beautiful tale of two sisters, whose singing is not only wonderful but extremely special. They also have a bond like no other and even through their differences they maintain that at their core.

The narration is so beautiful. I really loved the background sounds and the music. I’ve heard graphic audio books before but not ones with actual songs and it was a truly immersive experience. Gem Carmella does a wonderful job at narrating the story and the songs come to life with her voice. It is a little bit hard to distinguish which sister is speaking in the beginning, but you get used to it.

As far as the story goes, it’s simply beautiful. There is a bit of a love story, but the best part of the story is the love between the sisters. I did find it a little hard to follow without the book, as there is also a narrator in the story apart from the sisters and the other characters and there is some breaks in the story to explain things which caught me a bit off guard, but nothing I could get over. I loved the fantasy aspect of it and the originality of it. It was short, but that didn’t make it any more impactful and it did not feel rushed. Be ready to cry as the story unfolds because it will truly capture you. Lastly for a hopeless romantic as me the romance was cute but the sisters bond tugged at everyone of my heart strings.

Thank you to Amal El-Mohtar for a beautiful story & Macmillan Audio for letting me review.

I didn't realize how short this would be. I enjoyed listening to it, but I didn't find it super memorable.

At first, I was entranced by the writing itself. The words were lovely, and full of metaphor… but also kind of lofty and vague-seeming sometimes. I couldn’t tell if it was groundbreaking or pretentious! But, it was also the beginning… background, exposition. So, I rode it out.

And of course, as I dove in a little more it became obvious that this is a fairy tale. So, the little oddities of the world are completely acceptable.

Our main characters are sisters, Esther and Ysabel, who sing to the willows on their property. But nearby, if they follow the river, they could get lost in another world, where time moves differently. There is also an in-between area, where they can meet up with others from the other side.

Within this framework, Esther falls in love with a faerie folk called Rin. Rin can appear in different forms, even being a crow in one part. (The pronoun “they” is most used for Rin, at least in the beginning.) The sisters’ neighbor, however, has intentions of marrying Esther so that he can combine the families’ lands and double their willow wood output.

I should interject here that music plays a big part of this story. As we already know, the sisters are singers from birth. While they harmonize together on some songs, one really has a love of murder ballads… which is what this story becomes. Forbidden love, and then murder. And then, because they live in a world where magic exists… can the murdered sister still reach out and let the other know who did it?

The narrator of the audiobook, Gem Carmella, was perfect in this respect. Her lilting accent set a great fairytale vibe, but more importantly, she can sing!