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.

The River has Roots is a riveting novella about sisterhood, love and magic. The way magic worked was very captivating and unique.
I absolutely loved it! The writing style was gorgeous and an absolute delight to read. My only critique is that I wish this novella was a bit longer. I would have loved to dive a little deeper into the world. And I think the conclusion of the story could have benefitted from a bit more space.
Overall, I loved this and I highly recommend it if you're in the mood for a whimsical, emotional fantasy novella.

A lyrical and whimsical fairytale following two sisters and their lives adjacent to the faerie world. They sing morning and evening to two local willow trees, and the eldest sister is fielding off the advances of a local man while she enters a romance with a fae.

A book for people who love fairytales, the "use clever language around the fae" concept, sisterly bonds, and just really beautiful language.

Wish I had been able to read this in one sitting (started it late in the evening and got sleeby), it's barely 100 pages, it felt very immersive and definitely would have felt even more emotional.

The story has this concept of "grammar" as magic, (or sort of fae logic?), I'm not sure it fully worked for me purely because I couldn't get my head around it. A great concept though and maybe on a reread it will click more!

I can't wait to see a physical copy because there's clearly some really cool illustrations on a lot of the pages that my kindle was messing up the format of. Looks like it will be an absolutely gorgeous book though!

If you like short fairy tales/folk tales then I think this could be a good recommendation for you. Unfortunately, I don't tend to like those types of story, added to just how short this was (a lot of illustrations, beautiful, but used a fair bit of the page) left it feeling a bit underdeveloped. The writing was lovely, quite poetic with the grammar metaphors, but unfortunately just not for me.

La verdad es que había mucha expectación con la novela de Amal El-Mohtar en solitario, tras el espectacular éxito de ventas de This is How You Lose the Time War, gracias a Bigolas Dickolas y su celebérrimo tweet. Afortunadamente, The River Has Roots ha cumplido con lo esperado.


Esta novela corta vuelve a las raíces del folklore con un relato sobre las hadas y las personas que viven en las fronteras, centrándose en la relación entre dos hermanas que siguen con la tradición secular de cantarles a los sauces del río encantado que pasa por sus tierras.

Amal El-Mohtar juega muchísimo con el lenguaje, con acertijos y dobles sentidos. El traductor que se encargue de volcarlo al español, si es que tenemos la suerte de verlo en nuestro idioma, va a sudar sangre. La prosa de la autora siempre ha sido preciosista, aunque sin llegar a ser recargada, lo que convierte la lectura es un placer algo exigente.

El tono de ensueño de esta literatura fronteriza está muy conseguido también con ese aire místico y nebuloso que envuelve todas las interacciones con el mundo feérico, que parece estar cerca pero que continúa muy lejano de nuestra capacidad de comprensión. Es cierto que la escasa longitud de la publicación contribuye también a que no quede todo meridianamente claro, buscando un toque difuso como de acuarela muy aguada. El sistema mágico queda convenientemente ofuscado para que no se pueda definir con unas reglas estrictas, lo que le da manga ancha a la autora para su aplicación ad hoc.

Lo que más te marca durante la lectura es la representación del férreo amor fraternal entre Ysabel y Esther, capaz de superar todos los obstáculos. También el no conformismo con lo que te ofrezca el mundo, la búsqueda de algo mejor. Si bien es cierto que el final parece un poco precipitado, en general la lectura de The River Has Roots me ha gustado mucho.

The River has Roots is a novella that follows two sisters. The Hawthorn family lives in the small town of Thistleford on the edge of Faerie. There the sisters, Esther and Ysabel tend and harvest the enchanted willows. Esther and Ysabel adore each other but Esther ends up rejecting a suitor which puts both sister’s lives at risk.

This was written really well. This author has a real talent for writing lyrical stories. I appreciated this for what it was and had a pleasant time reading it. I could really feel the sisters bond even in this short novella. I would recommend this for fans of this authors previous novella and for fans of lyrical writing.

This was such a beautiful short story told in a very poetic style of writing. So unusual and different from anything else I’ve read. Really well done!

My thanks to Quercus Books and Net Galley for a free eARC of "The River Has Roots" by Amal El-Mohtar.
A charming tale of a human land near the Faerie country.
Two sisters that love to sing and how there is magic in their songs and what role that magic plays.
There was one component that managed to take me out of the story evey time it was mentioned: grammar.
Grammar is a type of magic in this land, but it felt that was a forced concept. It did not make any sense to me and it violently contrasted with the whimsy atmosphere.
Recommended for fans of Cosy Fantasy and Farytales.

Amal El-Mohtar's writing is as beautiful as ever and I'd highly recommend this to people who love themes of fae and translation with a fairytale-esque style. However, it didn't do much for me and I didn't have much to say about it by way of critic.

Thanks so much to Quercus and netgalley for this e-arc.

4.5 stars

Amal El-Mohtar’s The River Has Roots is a stunning poetic novella that weaves magic, love, and sisterhood into an unforgettable tale. Set in the enchanting town of Thistleford, where the human world and Faerie collide, it follows Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn, sisters devoted to the care of mystical willows that anchor an ancient compact. Their bond is tested when love and tradition collide.

The characters are richly drawn, with Esther and Ysabel's relationship at the heart of the narrative, illustrating the unbreakable bond between siblings. Their journey through the trials of love and duty is both unique and universal, resonating with anyone who has ever grappled with the balance of personal desires and familial obligations

El-Mohtar’s writing is breathtaking—every sentence feels like a spell, pulling you deeper into a world where the line between the ordinary and the magical is beautifully blurred. Her portrayal of Thistleford is vivid and enchanting, inviting readers to lose themselves in its lush, magical landscape.

The themes of familial love, sacrifice, and the power of song are explored with emotional depth and complexity, making this story both heartfelt and haunting.

The novella is very concise making every word and scene even more poignant. However, I would have loved for it to be a bit longer to fully explore the magic system and the world’s lore.

A beautifully written fairy tale about sisterhood and transformation told in a wonderfully folkloric storyteller's voice. Loved the language and magic parallels, loved (and felt) the deep bond between Ysabel and Esther, loved the descriptions of Rin and Arcadia and loved the poetry and songs woven jnto the story. A magical short read.

P.S. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC in return for an honest review.

A dreamy retelling that reminded me a bit of Stardust at first glance, though on deeper reading that comparison is purely superficial. This is a story very much about women, and women’s voices, and the cost of magic and how it changes you. I found it very lyrical, heartbreaking in places, though sometimes a bit too high concept to really convey the emotions of the moment.

All in all, an enjoyable read, and over far too quickly.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Amal El-Mohtar is such an incredible novelist and I think I will always feel drawn to their works and writing style, so I was VERY excited for this!

This was a beautiful story following the magic of sisterhood, nature and time. I loved so much of this ~ it felt at once, so incredibly unique whilst carrying that nostalgic feel of fairytale and myth. I adored reading from these characters and there was such eloquence in the way Amal El-Mohtar used concepts of time, nature and instruments to serve the plot. If it wasn't for the slight rush of the ending, this would've been a much higher rating... I so badly wish that this book was expanded to a full length novel (I fear it would've become a favourite)

I wished this was longer! I could stay in this world with the sisters forever.

The River Has Roots is a magical novella about the bond of two sisters as they age and change and take care of their willow trees on the edge of the edge of Arcadia. As one falls in love, one wishes things would not change.

The writing style, while jarring at first, is quickly spellbinding. You’ll find yourself floating on it as the novella runs across the page.

I just loved it, and I’ll be thinking about the riddles every time I sing.

*Note to the editors - the file was slightly corrupted on kindle due to the large images. It was difficult to read as they broke across multiple pages. Not all of them, the linocuts were fine.

a beautifully poetic and slightly bittersweet novella about the unbreakable bond between sisters. I loved it a lot!

I would have loved to know more about the grammar-magic! Though what was there was certainly enough to be fascinating. And the fey realm - though the sort of incomprehensible nature of it does add to the story, and the succinct narrative works pretty well for it, I think.

I don't know how I feel about this book. I like the story of the two sisters, and Rin and even the miserable influence of Samuel Pollard, but the style of the writing made this book difficult to read, and made it difficult to understand what was going on without re-reading every package. This felt like an exercise in flowery writing more than anything. It may be for others, but it wasn't really for me.