Beautiful and magical beyond compare, El-Mohtar weaves a story that is a song that is a truth. A ballad well known and recognised, El-Mohtar crafts her story to seem both ancient and fresh all at once, like Faery itself.

Sisters Esther and Ysabel have always lived and sung together by their willows and the river that runs into the other realm, with no thought of parting; but when Esther rejects a mortal suitor for a lover from the realms beyond the ones we know, a strange fate is set in train…

Full of the richness of music, of sisterhood, of magic and romance, and of the legends we know in under 150 pages, this is a gorgeous illustrated novella you cannot afford to miss.

This was a lot shorter than I expected, especially because there's a short story at the end from the author's upcoming collection. However, this was beautifully written and slightly easier to grasp than the prose in This is How You Lose the Time War if you found that a bit much! I loved the sisters and their relationship, and the fairytale like story in this.

This felt like a fairytale for adults and sisters. I felt tangled in this world of curious magic and sisterly bonds, I only wish it was longer.

In this book, we follow sisters Esther and Ysabel who live on the border with Faerie (here referred to as Arcadia) where they tend and harvest the enchanted willows.

This short leave has a ethereal dreamlike quality to it. It blends fairy tale and folk tale and contains many riddles and songs. I found the magical system slightly hard to understand, but the story flowed regardless.

A recommended read for fans of fairytale retellings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was beautiful – I loved the literal grammar magic system and the idea of conjugation – it’s such a unique way of looking at quite natural magic, even if the fact that it comes from the fay is more well-known. The way it affects the world and the landscape, and how regular folk work with it, the singing to the trees, I liked it all. The bond between the sisters and the writing was engaging. My only gripe would be the length – I wanted more of this world, but also think it could have been even better with just a little bit more time spent with it, especially around the resolution.

Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn live in the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie. Like their ancestors, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None are more devoted than them, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees. However, when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favour of a lover from the land of Faerie, the impact on her is profound, as well as on Ysabel.
Without revealing too much, what captivated me about this story was its ability to reveal the magical nature at its heart. The ability of Amal el-Mohtar to weave the story in such beautiful prose was amazing. There is truly magic at play in this story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having recently read Susanna Clarke’s short tale The Wood at Midwinter, which is a woodcut illustrated fairytale, it was interesting to pick up The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, which is a mixture of fae fantasy and folk tale similarly brief and with arresting woodcut imagery.
It borrows elements from Grimm’s The Singing Bone and riffs on other familiar folk tales, creating a memorable and unique story all of its own. I especially liked the substitution of glamour for grammar, where it is words that are magical and cause faerie transformation.

I can’t wait for her collection of short stories coming soon.

This was simultaneously very sweet and very biting.

It's a delight to read, and it will have you clutching at whatever you're sitting or lying on whilst doing so.

It's set kind of-ish in our world and also in Arcadia, which might be Faerie. It's about sisters and love of all kinds, loyalty and spite, riddles and justice and fidelity and rivers.

The River Liss is a character, and I love them.

The willows are characters, too, in a more understated way. I'm Australian so willows don't play a huge role in my botanical experience - but I've read enough European folklore to understand why they feature here.

This novella is completely captivating, like everything El-Mohtar writes, and I want to gently throw it at everyone so they read it and get to enjoy it with me.

There's a lot of beauty in this book: a gorgeous cover, lovely illustrations, excellent storytelling.
A short story featuring fairies, sister relationships. A well plotted and compelling short story i loved
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A very quick read fills with faeries and danger. I loved the sisterhood bond and mysterious magic surrounding the family, it was written beautifully and was easy to understand- though far magic usually is tricky. I don't want to spoil anything as I worry that no matter what I write it will spoil something for someone, so l'll just say go ahead and read this beautiful novel.
My rating: 4.25

I really enjoyed this book. It was short and fantastical and I really loved the writing style and how beautiful the world building was. It was full of some beautiful illustrations and I had a really fun time reading this one. It was a fairytale full of fairies and magic and enchanted places and I’d recommend it to anyone!

A beautiful dark romantic fairy tale. Lovely prose, making the world and the relationships just sing. It brims with magic, whimsy, the deep bond between two sisters and the love (and loves) that endure through trials.

More please!

A delightful and whimsical folktale about the bonds of sisterhood and power of song. This is a beautifully written novella, with careful and lyrical prose that feels quite wistful and nostalgic without veering too hard into flowery and purple. Stylistically, it won't be to everyone's tastes, but I enjoyed it immensely. As though it were a children's story I had long forgotten.

I do wish that we got to see more of this world. The magic system is so unique and interesting, but maybe too ambitious for a novella. I was desperate to learn more, but unfortunately left wanting.

Though it's hardly a searing critique to say you wish there more of something, and I do absolutely highly recommend giving this a read. Allow the words to become stories and the stories to become dreams. You won't regret it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for review.

The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar is out March 4th! Thanks to Netgalley and @quercusbooks for the eARC.

The River Has Roots is an experience. I think with novellas you have more space to be experimental and in this novella Amal El-Mohtar does that through magic. The magic system is based on and called grammar. It's a concept that is hard to grasp at times but plays into the atmosphere I associate with fairy tales and with faerie in particular. The prose is part of the magic and so it's poetic and playful and sometimes weird.

We follow two sisters with a deep bond who live on the edge of faerie. They care for and sing to the enchanted willows on their land. Ester has two suitors, an unwanted one from their town and a mysterious one from Faerie who she loves. She ends up torn between the love for her sister Ysabel and home - and being she is in love with.

I loved the bond between the two sisters and how their different personalities are explored. The dynamic between Ester and her faerie love was also really intriguing. It's not the first version of this fairy tale I've read but I liked that it focused less on the sisterly jealousy and gore and more on the whimsy and strangeness. It made the strangeness of the original tale feel more magical and fit the the vibes of the story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 stars)

This was such a beautiful read, it had such a perfect fairy tale vibes. It was such a magical read overall.

The river has roots feels like a proper fairytale. It's a story of two sisters and their bond. It's a story about different types of love and how much they can overcome.

If you miss a little magic and whimsy in your life, and allow yourself to be enveloped in this story and follow it's flow, you'll be taken on a beautiful adventure.

It's a perfect story if you're looking for a cozy afternoon of getting lost in a story, it's a short read that packs a punch and honestly it made me tear up more than once.

Thank you NetGalley and Quercus Books for this eCopy to review

I recently read The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, it is an ethereal, dream-like fairy tale cantering on the bond between two sisters, Esther and Ysabel, who live in the small town of Thistleford on the edge of Faerie. The story is filled with magic, fairies, mystical rivers, and enchanted lands, making it a captivating read.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most was the beautifully crafted prose, it added to the enchanting atmosphere of the story. The bond between the sisters was heart warming and well-developed, and their devotion to each other was truly touching.

However, I did find the magic system, referred to as "grammar," a bit confusing. It was mentioned repeatedly but never fully explained, leaving me somewhat puzzled about how it all worked. Additionally, the ending felt rushed, with the climax and resolution happening in just a few pages. Despite these minor issues, the story was still engaging and left me feeling emotional, especially with the touching conclusion.

Overall, The River Has Roots is a beautifully written tale that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys fantasy and stories about strong sibling bonds.

Whimsical, unique and utterly beautiful. An unforgettable setting, an unbreakable sisterly bond and whimsical writing. A true fairytale. It's not often I want more from a story but El-Mohtar did a wonderful job at luring me in and now I want to stay.

Thank you to the Author, Netgalley and Quercus Books for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this novella.

Thank you to Netgalley and Quercus Books for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The River Has Roots is a thoroughly enchanting book! Magic laced through every page, it keeps you hooked from its first words to its last.

I cannot recommend this gorgeous story enough!

A murder ballad that is as sharp and folkloric as it is devastating.

The River Has Roots pulls inspiration from and mimics the plot points of traditional murder ballads inevitably making it a short and concise novella. I flew through it in one sitting but El-Mohtar’s grammar is as sharp as a needle and her words pierce to the heart of the story to heart-breaking effect. Even as short as it is, I was in tears by the end, and cannot wait to read it over and over for years to come.

Similar to This Is How You Lose the Time War in the novella’s sense of poetry and romance but with a fairytale setting. This was a twinkling gem of a solo debut and cements El-Mohtar as an author I will continuously read from.