I found this book utterly beautiful. I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author and the publisher.

This is a short book, and often I’m not a fan of this. However with this book it worked. I felt like there was so much quality writing packed in to every page that I didn’t feel like I’d missed out by the book not being longer.

This is such a gorgeous expression of magic and folklore. The world building achieved in this novella is impressive! There’s so much richness to the location created that borders the human world and the magical realm. The integration of elements such as the river, songs and the willows to bridge the gap was beautifully done.

We also explore sisterly bonds, the power behind those cherished relationships. We look at finding companionship in unusual places and how shared values, kindness and compassion matter so much. We see the insidious nature of greed and the danger of callousness.

I was really impressed with this book. Highly recommend.

I really wanted to love this, because it ticks a lot of boxes for my personal preferences. Fae, beautiful writing and a lush fantasy setting should have made this a winner. However unfortunately I really didn't gel with the writing style, which is extremely lyrical and roundabout in it's presentation, to the point that it drove me insane. I just wanted the story to get to the point, especially given for short it is, as I thought too much of the writing was given over to descriptions rather than plot. There's little to no world building and logic, and I think relies far too heavily on vibes alone.

The writing is well done but just not to my taste.

A very solid three and a half for this novella.
A lyrical fairytale is my interpretation of this novella. Two sisters gifted with singing live close to Arcadia or what I could only liken to Faerie . They are devoted siblings and yet very different in so many ways as Esther is feisty and outgoing whereas Ysabel just craves to be well for want of a better word “seen “. Esther has fallen for an Arcadian but sadly a mortal male has ideas of his own when it comes to the sisters and this tale takes a dark course leading to death !
I liked the idea of magic being grammar and of course applaud that the sisters felt so much love for each other. This wasn’t exactly what I expected but definitely held my attention and if you enjoy an old fashioned fairytale than I strongly suspect you will relish this magical story.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar is lyrical, magical and simply beautiful. This short fable transported me , allowing me to be swept away by the beautiful prose as I followed the tale of two sisters living on the edge of Faerie and the tragic consequences of the choices they made. There is a dreamlike quality to the writing that I loved and though the story followed the well travelled path of many traditional fairy tales it did so in a way that felt both charming and original. The relationship between the two sisters is at the heart of this book - 'Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath' and seeing that play out so tragically yet so beautifully made it impossible for me to put the book down. The author uses a magic system based on grammar and cleverly plays with that motif throughout the book, spells are conjugated rather than cast for example.
This is an ethereal, whimsical tale with a darker edge and I loved every word.
I read and reviewed an ARC courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher, all opinions are my own.

This story had the potential to be like a Rebecca Ross book with its use of whimsical rhyming and magical tone, but it falls very short for me. It felt disjointed, and confusing, bouncing between characters and ending very abruptly. The illustrations were cute.

Journey to land village of Thistleford that sits at the boundaries of faerie and where the fates of two sisters, singing in harmony, have a bond strong enough to endure beyond death.

This is how you loose the time war was one of my favourite books of 2024 and I was so excited for this solo novella from Amal El Mohtar and it did not disappoint. It has much of the beautiful and lyrical writing that I loved and a story of two sisters that has shades of traditional dark fairytales and gothic elements. It’s about love, both romantic and sibling love. It’s a little queer, a little gothic, plays with grammar and riddles and is very beautiful. It manages to feel both familiar and yet original. I devoured this in one sitting…it’s short but beautifully constructed and the story of Esther and Ysabel I thought was stunning.

Also - and I was relieved to find out this was the case from the authors blog and not just my imagination - heavily influenced by Hope Mirrlees' Lud-in-the-Mist which I would really recommend as it’s fantastic fantasy story, a adult fairytale written in 1926 before such things were commonplace. It’s wonderful and would be a beautiful companion to this.

I love that the magic system in this story was based on grammar and language. El-Mohtar shapes and plays with language in such interesting and fascinating ways. This story read like a true folktale, full of wonder, emotion and magic.

The book can be described as a wild fever dream, reminiscent of indulging in too much candy, and that’s definitely a good thing. Having never read anything by this author before, I was captivated by the skillful way the story is constructed and the beautiful writing that left me breathless. It truly deserves five stars on its own. I also found the relationship between the sisters to be particularly enjoyable; it felt like a brilliant fairytale, adding even more depth to the tale. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

A folklore-inspired mishmash built on the association between the oft-acknowledged etymological link between 'grammar' and 'glamour'. I've seen this done so often before that I was worried El-Mohtar would be heavy-handed, but she has a deft touch with a theme, her exploration has some lovely touches. The idea of magic being measured in 'grams' was cute; and the use of 'conjugation' to refer to spellcasting, because to conjugate means to change -- verbs, people, the possibilities of the past/present/future of the world -- was inspired. The folktales that were woven together into this story were all familiar to me, but they are less commonly used than the ones that make me groan and roll my eyes at yet another damn fairy-tale retelling; and I've always loved the one about the woman whose body is turned into a harp (which I've only ever seen done before by Juliet Marillier in Wolfskin). Also, my own mother used to sing to me I Gave My Love a Cherry, which is very rarely mentioned elsewhere, so I was thrilled to see it here. It has slightly different words from my mother's version, but the interpretation weaves back into the idea of conjugation beautifully. Overalll, this was an elegant book that also spoke to my own childhood associations with folktales, and my own aesthetic values about fantasy narrative, and so worked particularly well for me.

I thought this was wonderful and whimsical and very much an ode to fairy tales. I loved the foreshadowing with the murder ballads and the way of defining magic by grammar

Oh, this felt like a dream!

I wasn't too sure what to expect with this one considering the length, but it turned out to be a delightful little read that packed in a great sisterly bond, an ethereal setting, magic, and captivating characters. It's giving whimsical cottage-core vibes!

I was also (pleasantly) surprised that it was able to make me feel a little emotional at the end too, with it being less than 200 pages. So that's a good sign!

If you enjoy a flowery prose, and don't mind a magic system not being fully explained then I'm sure you'll get on fine with this.

It really did feel like a dream while reading it and I'm not to sure what else I could compare it too? Maybe The Six Deaths of the Saint by Alix E Harrow!

-Sarah

*Thank you to NetGalley + Quercus Books for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A nice fairy tale novella that was beutifully written. I would love to read more from El-Mohtar. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved every single minute of this book which was a shame in a way as it was so short! The Hawthorn sisters, Ysabel and Esther are tasked with singing to magical willow trees on their family's property in order to bring in new seasons and ensure their prosperity. Where the family lives is on the banks of the river floing from the land of Faerie and certain rules and truths exist that must be adhered to. I don't want to say too much about the story in case of spoiling it but it was magical, had sisterly bonds as a major theme, and was just an excelletn way to spend a couple of hours. Easy 5 out of 5 and I can't wait for more from this author.

Finally a novella with substance! I thoroughly enjoyed the story. A dark fairytale feel, portraying the relationship between two sisters. It was refreshing to read a novella that didn’t feel lacking, and although a full length novel would have been greatly received, it didn’t feel necessary like is so often the case.

It was full of magic, love, and change. It was beautiful.

I wish I enjoyed this more. The plot, characters and the actual story was really well done but the writing was hard to follow, being unnecessarily flowery, to the point where it was difficult to follow along at times. I also have no idea what the concept or meaning of grammar is, despite finishing this a few days ago and still trying to work it out!

I'm glad this was as short as it is.

If you saw the wrong review here, that's on me! :(

I fell in love with El-Mohtar's writing in This is How You Lose the Time War, and was thrilled to receive access to this ARC! The River Has Roots has the makings of a fairytale, a story equal parts eerie and warm, following two sisters and the slightly magical world they inhabit. On every page I wished I could annotate things, which means that a physical copy will be a must-buy so that I can scribble all over it, revisiting the beautiful prose present throughout the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it widely, but especially for fans of Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys, and those who want to wander past the stones.

The River Has Roots is a whimsical, dark fairytale centering on the sisterhood between Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn.

"Two tremendous trees, taller and thicker than any willow you've ever seen, stand on either side of the River Liss, and they bend towards each other like dancers, or lovers, reaching out to clasp each other."

El-Mohtar has had my heart ever since I first read This Is How You Lose the Time War, and she has done it again. As Esther charms Rin with her voice, so El-Mohtar seduces me with her prose. This time in the form of a roughly 100 page dark fairytale that I very much hope will be remembered for years to come. It has staying power in its combination of familiar elements with unique touches.

The atmosphere is not only set with story elements and prose, but is also accompanied by beautiful linocut pictures that fit the vibe perfectly. The unique style of the linoprinting complements the story in such a way that it elevated my whole reading experience.

This novella is a story of transformation, literally and figuratively. While also being an unabashed celebration of sisterly affection. It features word play, riddles and songs which all add a welcome touch of whimsy.

"But Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn had voices that ran together like raindrops on a windowpane. Their voices threaded through each other like the warp and weft of fine cloth, and when the sisters harmonized, the air shimmered with it."

The River Has Roots is the perfect read for fans of dark fairytales. It's reminiscent of Seanan McGuire's Alchemical Journeys and The Up-and-Under series.

The River Has Roots was one of my most anticipated books of 2025 after my love for This Is How You Lose The Time War. This is a three star that contains a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction, but also questions around how everything worked together.

This 100-page novella tells the tale of two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, and their relationship with each other, with romantic partners, and with the world around them. The story told around the sisters I found moving and interesting, as well as beautifully written (which should come as no surprise if you've read El-Mohtar before).

The main reason this story ends up at a 3.25 star is because I found the magic system baffling. The opening spends quite a bit of time explaining the ethereal nature of 'grammar', the word for magic in this world; however, I was expecting the magic system to have a big thematic part in the conclusion of the book, otherwise what was the point of explaining what is essentially just normal magic with all this detail? Instead, the story revolves much more around music and song which provided a jarring feeling of what I was expecting from the story. I understand El-Mohtar loves language in general, but I think the indulgence lost the cohesiveness of magic system and narrative that would have elevated this story to a much higher rating.

I would still recommend this to those who are vibes readers, love beautiful prose that many would consider purple, and fans of fairy-tales.

4.5 Stars

This is a gorgeously written novella! I've only read TIHYLTTW by El-Mohtar so I had pretty high expectations, and they've definitely been met. The writing is lyrical and flowing, and it reads like you're being told a story by a travelling bard. Although short, the amount of depth crammed into the characters, narrative and world is amazing. I'll be picking up anything this author writes from now on tbh!!

4.25/5

I expected nothing less from Amal El-Mohtar, yet I was still astounded by how beautifully this novella was written. It is a book filled to the brim with magic, full of love and family and transformation. It's astoundingly lyrical, and that truly is the word that I think describes it best—it feels like a story that's been sung to you.

We are swept down the River Liss, to the knotted roots of the willow trees, into the town of Thistleford where we discover two sisters of the Hawthorn family. Esther and Ysabel sing to the trees together, they have always held each other's hands across foreign lands, they have a bond of sisterhood that nothing can break. But there is more to Thistleford than just the two of them; there are those that would wrench them apart, and there are things within them that call to the land beyond the willow trees.

It's a short novella so I won't give much more of the plot away, but I adored this story. It reads like a British folk ballad, it's so atmospheric and uniquely magical. It combines language into its magic, each step of grammar becomes its own conjugation and transformation. I adored how well constructed it was; it became songs and riddles; it was tied so intricately to the earth, to the river and to its roots; it was ancient and unknowable yet could be shaped and moulded into something new. In short, it was fascinating. I loved reading this and could read it over and over, as folklore is told and retold, sung and sung anew.

This story only solidified my desire to read anything and everything Amal El-Mohtar ever writes. It is poetry in prose, it is beauty given to the ordinary. I so adore her writing, there is such magic to it.
I don't think this book will be for everyone, but it was most definitely for me!

Thank you Netgalley and Quercus Books for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.