I absolutely loved The River Has Roots in audiobook form—it’s truly something special. Amal El-Mohtar’s lyrical prose is already breathtaking, but hearing it performed with such emotion made the story even more powerful. The narration is stunning, drawing me in completely, and the addition of original music by the author makes the experience even more magical. The music flows seamlessly with the story, adding an extra layer of depth and emotion that lingers long after listening. This audiobook isn’t just a story—it’s an experience, and I can’t recommend it enough!

I listened to The River Has Roots audiobook yesterday and loved it so much that I actually stayed up late to listen to it a second time.

The River Has Roots is a haunting and beautiful story about two sisters, Esther and Ysabelle Hawthorne, and the enduring love between them that is stronger even than death.

I won't go into too much detail about the story here because I went in without any context and loved it all the more for the rich world and vibrant characters that El-Mohtar manages to construct in the limited space of this novella.

The audiobook features several beautiful songs sung by the narrator @gem_carmella, whose performance is absolutely incredible!

Additionally, the author and her sister recorded the most enchanting harp and flute music, along with vocals, which add the loveliest quality to the audiobook.

This is the kind of immersive audiobook that’s clearly a labor of love, and I’ll likely listen to it again this week.

Thank you to NetGalley and Amal El-Mohtar for this ARC!

While I really enjoyed the magic system and the beautiful writing, it felt too short for me to believe some of the characters’ motivations. If more time was given to develop the relationships between the families, Pollard’s actions would have been more understandable (though no less immoral). If more time was dedicated to the building of the relationship between Rin and Esther, their seemingly strong connection would have been more believable. I loved grammar as the basis for the magic system and with a longer book, we would have been able to see more of its role in this universe and how the Professors fit into everything. Ultimately, I still enjoyed the novel because of the lyrical writing, but it feels more like the preamble to a large fantastical universe than a standalone book.

The audiobook is a trip! There are TONS of sound effects as the story is being told. From singing to water running and even guitar, this novella was a unique blend of story and musical elements.

As far as the story itself, it’s very flowery and atmospheric but lacks depth and engagement. I found myself wandering off as the story hits a little more bland than the narrator and sound effects. I’d say it was a fun auditory experience without the enjoyment of a good story experience.

Many thanks to McMillan Audio and Netgally for an advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a delight. In this novella, El Mohtar is able to conjure magic, mysterious auras, and an atmospheric setting that virtually comes alive. A tale of two sisters with voices that complement each other beautifully, heigten their families magic and link to the willows, and strengthens a bond that is beautiful.

The narration and original songs and musical.pieces that accompany this production are spectacular and elevate the reading experience exponentially.

The river has roots

Thank you Tordotcom for the physical ARC and NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC.

This was a lyrical fairytale novella about the a sister’s bond as it stretches across realms. It has mysterious fae-beings, magically conductive trees, and a hit of romance.

I came into this book blind to Mohtar’s writing and this story (learned after the fact that it’s a retelling of The Two Sisters ballad). Mohtar’s writing style was descriptive and adept to storytelling. (For those that don’t like overtly purple prose, this one may not be for you.) While I think the logistics of the grammar magic system went over my head, it’s concept was intriguing and one I would love to learn more of. For the length, I felt like we got to know our main characters, Esther and Ysabella well enough.

The ARC format was lovely with graphics of the willows and grass bordering the text in the margins. I’m looking forward to also seeing the additional artwork slated for the pages directly before each chapter heading in the finished copy.

I highly recommend the audiobook as Gem Carmella’s voice is perfectly matched for this project. Carmella’s soothing tone reads as an old story being told you. In addition, Mohtar and her sister contribute the instrument and vocals respectively for the song portions. The river sound elements felt adequently placed and don’t overpower the narration audio. All together, it was an immersive experience.

This was a gorgeously written novella! The world-building was unique and interesting, but a bit confusing and not throughly explained. The story captured the love of two sisters and sacrifices they will make for each other.

This audiobook is a quick listen at under 4 hours, and narrated by Gem Carmella. The narrator’s voice really immerses you in this beautiful prose and world. I would highly recommend the audiobook for the added sound effects as well as singing from the characters.

Thank you to Tordotcom Publishing & Macmillan Audio for providing me with copies of this book and audiobook. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this beautiful audiobook for review. This was a wonderful lyrical fairytale that was just made even more more on audiobook as parts of the books were sung so well that added to the magical world.

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.