I'm not crying, you're crying. The River Has Roots is a moving testament to the bonds of sisterhood. The writing is magical, sharp, and tender. Undoubtedly, this was one of the most stunningly narrated short stories I've ever encountered. I will be on the lookout for other works narrated by Gem Carmella. I would absolutely recommend this, specifically as an audiobook. As a 1.25-1.5x reader, this was the rare exception where I wanted to savor each word at 1x speed.

Although I really enjoyed this story, I also had a bit of a hard time connecting with it.
The epilogue was hard for me to understand with the background music under it.
And the story was beautifully written but some things where hard to grasp (mostly the parts about grammar) it might be easier to fully understand it when you read it instead of listening to it.
But the songs and music after the epilogue really added to the story.

Amal El-Mohtar's writing style in this is so beautiful. The audiobook for this was well done, they incorporated a lot of sound effects and singing to go along with it. This is a fairy tale about two sisters who love each other more than anything, and I found myself tearing up a few times through the story. I also love magic systems that are based on language. As I usually am after reading El-Mohtar's work, I'm a little confused and also have little fuzzies inside me.

This book is fascinating, haunting, and beautiful. It's also too short, just touching on a magic system, romance, and sister relationship without truly developing any of it. I was entertained and had fun with this book, but I left it with a feeling that it needed more for its ambitious scope.

THE AUDIOBOOK: I didn't like this audiobook. This is a very personal opinion, but I really dislike sounds effects and background music in an audiobook. It distracts me, and makes it difficult to follow the words of the story. Though I did appreciate when the narrators sang the lyrics in the book, the audiobook generally took it too far by having background noise at the same time as the prose.

Thanks to Netgalley and MacMillan for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! (this is me running around in circles yelling about how much I loved this book)

This book was not what I was expecting but everything I needed and the audiobook made it even better. I am not one who usually enjoys background sounds in my audiobooks, but this was perfectly done to add ambiance and life to this narration.

This feels like a fairytale, but without the formula or moral or traditionally happy ever after that usually accompanies this genre. AND I LOVED IT.

This is a story about sisters loving each other fiercely and demanding the best of and for each other. It made me want to go hug my sister so tightly and maybe go on an adventure.

I will say that the story has a more defined and linear plot than 'Time War,' but it does still have the flowery writing style of that book, so if you didn't like it there you might want to try a sample before committing to the whole book.

I felt like this would have been better as a short story felt like we were forcing the story to drag on longer to hit a page number. I think it would have been better shorter.

Amal El-Mohtar's ability to write a heartbreaking love story is unmatched. This was the perfect fairytale, short and sweet and oh so wonderful. I will always be a sucker for a sister story.
The audiobook is top tier. The sound effects with the music was everything. The River Has Roots needs to be read with audio.

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I believe I am in the vast minority reading The River Has Roots, as I have not read any other books by Amal El-Mohtar. Listening to this has certainly made me more excited to read This is How We Lose the Time War.

The River Has Roots is a lyrical novella that reads very much like a folktale. The book opens with long and flowing prose that have very little to do with the story but set the tone for the remainder of the book. The book follows two sisters who live on the border of Faerie. While the book is a bit of a love story, it is really a book about sisterhood.

I found myself mesmerized by the writing in this book. I'm sure it will not be for everyone, but the way the words flowed and meandered held my attention even when not much was happening. I am impressed by the world-building packed in such a small novella. My only criticism of the book is that there is a critical decision point for one of the female MCs that is the only tension in the story, forcing her to choose between one path or another. I felt like the ending reversed this decision point, leaving the ending very anti-climactic.

I highly recommend folks try out the audiobook for this one. The narration is great, and the added sound effects and songs really bring the story to life. So much of this book revolves around singing and music, and the production of this audiobook fits the story perfectly. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to this book.

Folks who enjoy folktale retellings and cottagecore vibes will enjoy this book.

This was fine! Absolutely beautiful writing, but an okay story that I felt like I had heard before. If you're here for the prose, you'll love it. If you're here for the story like me, well, meh. There was beautiful music and singing, which made for a great audio experience. There were also sound effects, like water running. This was very beautiful to listen to, but as someone who listens at *at least* 1.5x speed, I got a bit confused thinking something was wrong with my headphones.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
Stunning, no notes.

The writing and story are so lyrical and unique. I love the interpretation of grammar as magic and the way the story alludes to traditional fairy tale linguistic patterns while still being unique and distinctive. The story itself is beautiful and a lovely adaptation of a traditional folktale/story.

The audiobook is beautiful - the narrator's performance is great and I loved their different voices (especially for Agnes). I also love the song bits and was literally constantly hoping for more singing. The subtle background sounds like water rushing or murmuring song are also just enough to add ambience without being distracting.

Highly recommend.

Normally I only read an audiobook over a print or ebook copy for the sake of convenience, but this is one of those rare cases where I will wholeheartedly endorse the audiobook as the SUPERIOR experience. Amal El-Mohtar and her sister created ethereal, original music that immerses you completely in the world of the story. The narrator, Gem Carmella, also contributed her warm vocals to the performance; I'm not saying the narrator must sing when the characters in the story do, but her voice was a perfect embodiment of the sisters and their enchanting songs.

The story itself was a lush fairy tale, exactly like the kind a mother might tell her children that has been passed down for generations. I was so swept up in the world of Thistleford, Arcadia, and the river Liss that I couldn't bring myself to examine it with a critical eye. The set dressing of the magic (grammar, conjugation, etc) was fascinating but never took up too much attention as to distract from the story. I normally love magic systems and enjoy getting into the nitty gritty details of its rules and inner workings, but I can enjoy a soft magic like this if it doesn't ask me to look at it too closely. The River Has Roots succeeds in this regard; whenever grammar is mentioned, the narrative only gives you enough to get the *gist* of it, so you can understand what is going on without needing to ask why or how it works that way. El-Mohtar deftly walks the tightrope of giving enough info the follow along, never so much that you are distracted into interrogating further nor so little that you cannot grasp its effects on the story and world.

I feel like this is one of those stories where the less you know about plot and characters the better your experience, so I won't explain it. If you, like me, took an interest in this work because you enjoyed This Is How You Lose the Time War then do not fret, because this book proves without a doubt that Amal El-Mohtar can deliver outstanding writing solo as well. Cannot recommend enough.

Usually, I hate singing in audiobooks, but this is the first one I enjoyed. The music and sound effects were also positives to my audiobook reading experience. When I recommend this book, I'll recommend the audio specifically.

The prose is beautiful, the magic system of verse/lyrics/riddles was interesting, and the world was unique. The relationship between the two sisters was one I rooted for. That being said, something felt like ti was missing for me. I was stoked about the solo debut, but I think I was expecting something a little closer to This is How You Lose the Time War, which is my fault for the preconcieved expectations.

“The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar transports listeners to a realm of wonder and folklore. The timeless fable weaves magic and enchantment, leaving an indelible impression. This audiobook was an exceptional listening experience. Captivating singing, nature sounds, and musical accompaniment created an immersive atmosphere.

This felt like I was listening to an old lady tell a story her grandma from Ireland told her, one that had been passed down for generations to warn women of the dangers of settling for men who won't move the earth for them, who only want them as a means to an end. The audiobook with background music and sounds was a particularly wonderful way to experience this book and I highly recommend it, in fact it feels like an oral history kind of story. Not the western literature that should be a book, but a story that should be told, not read. Amal El-Mohtar has the most lyrical and poetic prose and I adore it, Amal is my modern Shakespeare and I will continue to read everything she publishes.

Beautiful, whimsical and dark in the way that only fae stories can be. The solo debut from Amal El-Moher in no way disappoints. A lyrically written novella which mirrors the murder ballad premise it bases itself on.

BOOK REVIEW: “The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar

If you follow the river Liss, one will find themselves among fairies. This book follows the story of two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, who cannot be separated even in death. When one sister rejects the proposal from an arrogant suitor, the girls’ lives are suddenly at risk.

Although I am generally a fan of books of prose, this just didn’t hit it for me. It was very flowery and somewhat wordy. It seemed to take so long to get to the point. At the end of the book I sat there wondering what in the world I just read. I’m not even sure what the plot was?

I listened to this as an audio book and I found the narrator very difficult to listen to. She had a very strong accent, and in between chapters were bouts of thunderstorms and rain sounds. Overall, it just wasn’t for me.

I rate this book as two stars. ⭐️⭐️ I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion.

Gorgeous, lyrical, full of noble people and family bonds...and so close to being five stars.

If you read this book in any form, please make it the audiobook. The songs are sung, there's environmental noise, and perfect voice acting.

For such a short book, it really packs a punch and scratches that folktale itch. I was just recently looking into how western magic systems always require everything be rules and order and control, and The River Has Roots is the opposite of that–which I loved.

It's also legitimately the first I've ever enjoyed a story about sisters. They're both very endearing, and their bond was so strong I couldn't help but root for them. Yes this is a romance, but the sisterly bond was the star of the show.

The only thing that holds me back from singing its praises and giving it five stars is the ending. My full review on Storygraph has a spoiler tag with explanations,

Wowowowowow. I LOVED this. This novella was such a beautiful experience. The audiobook is just under 4 hours and it’s something I’d listen to again.

The vibes: folktale/love story/bond of two sisters/music. If you aren’t into pretty vibes and prose, maybe not for you- this isn’t a book for picking apart the plot and magic system- it’s poetry. The rain sounds and narration at the start made me take an involuntary deep breath as I closed my eyes. It felt like someone was telling me a story around a campfire. I loved the sisterly bond between Esther and Ysabel, and how the character Rin was the embodiment of fluidity. There’s so much clever wordplay- I imagine I didn’t catch all of it via audio, so I’m definitely picking up a hard copy. I still think audio is the way to go. The extra sound effects and music performed by the author and her sister 🤯 were a soothing balm for my brain. So grab some headphones and listen to this tale.

I was really excited to see Amal El-Mohtar's solo debut on NetGalley because I loved This Is How You Lose the Time War so much. The audiobook is a beautiful experience including music and songs performed by the author and her sister, making for an emotional background in a story about the love of two sisters. It's clear El-Mohtar is a poet, and she tried to pack a LOT into a novella. I half wish this were full-length, fleshing out the magic system a bit more, getting to know characters better...but I also kinda think I would have said it could be much shorter if it were. A beautiful book all the same.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

This was an excellent book but possibly the worst audiobook I have ever encountered.

I really enjoyed This is How You Lose the Time War (I read it when it came out, years before Bigolas Dickolas) so I was excited when I heard that Amal El-Mohtar had her first solo book coming out. I didn’t get an eARC from the publisher but I did get an audio ARC. I love audiobooks - I’ve had an audible membership since before Amazon bought them - and I listen to audiobooks all the time. I almost never listen to music. I want to listen to a book. What I don’t want is to listen to music when I’m trying to focus on a story. What I want even less is to listen to running water when I’m listening to an audiobook. Do you get where I’m going here?

This is a delightful, if slight, story. (The hardcover is less than 150 pages - I’m read longer novellas so I don’t know why it’s being advertised as a novel). It’s a tale of 2 sisters in a fantasy realm where people can cross over to sort of a fae realm but the villian ( a needy incel) is sadly much more based in reality.

I enjoyed the sisters and their story. But the audiobook production was atrocious! You could barely hear the narrator some times due to the music or the running water sounds. They were just dreadful. And the producers obviously didn’t think about what listening at higher speeds would do to their sound effects. Like many people, I listen to audiobooks at around 2X speed. I find many narrators are too slow and this way I can enjoy more books. But at an increased speed, the sound effects and the singing, and the music were just intolerable.

Do yourself a favor, get this book in hardcover or e-book formats. It was an excellent story and I will happily read anything else this author writes. Don’t get the audiobook.