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The River Has Roots
- Author
- Amal El-Mohtar
- Narrator
- Gem Carmella
- Publisher
- Quercus
- Publish Date
- 4 March 2025
- Run Time
- 3 hours 53 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Rating
- 4.6 (5 reviews)
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What to expect
* * * WINNER of the Nebula Award for BEST NOVELLA * * *
* * * WINNER of the Locus Award for BEST NOVELLA * * *
* * * Longlisted by the British Science Fiction Association for BEST SHORTER FICTION * * *
Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.
'Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.'
In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.
There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family's latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.
But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters' bond but also their lives will be at risk...
The River Has Roots is the hugely acclaimed solo debut of the New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar.
Features beautiful interior illustrations.
Critics Review
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Half delicious murder ballad, half beguiling love story, Amal El-Mohtar transports us to Faerieland so seamlessly it seems as though she just stepped out of it
Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of The Cruel Prince
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When it comes to storytelling, Amal El-Mohtar is like one of the grammarians of Thistleford, a magician capable of deftly transforming the familiar into the unfamiliar and the numinous into the humane. The River Has Roots is an utterly enchanting tale of love and longing, language and song, and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood
Fonda Lee, author of the Green Bone Saga
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Gorgeous and glorious! Every sentence sings! Amal El-Mohtar weaves a lovely and poignant fairy tale that will linger in your heart
Sarah Beth Durst, New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop
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This book is lyrical, elegant, and above all, kind. I devoured it in one sitting. This story feels like the smell of rain. This is a fairy tale wrapped in brilliant language. An absolute must-read. Amal El-Mohtar is quite simply one of the best writers on the scene in ages
T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author of A Sorceress Comes To Call
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The River Has Roots is the perfect fable: both bright and brutal, very old and brand new. It's a story that outlasts itself, lingering like a song; I adored it
Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
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Amal El-Mohtar's genius fairytale reflects a truth we can never forget: words carry enormous power. The River Has Roots is truly exquisite
Zoraida Córdova, USA Today bestselling author of The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
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The River Has Roots is a beautiful, musical, and loving story, perfectly rendered in El-Mohtar's beautiful, musical, and loving prose. This novella has all the dark comforts of an old tale and all the light vigors of a new classic, and will inspire you to raise your voice in song with those you love
Emma Törzs, author of Ink Blood Sister Scribe
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A powerful, gorgeous little story of sisterly love, the power of words, and revenge as a dish best served in verse
SFX (five stars)
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A pitch-perfect story of love and sacrifice, yearning and discovery, like a classic folk tale, but freshly minted
The Guardian
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A rich and evocative story that's one part fairy tale, one part murder ballad, and one part ode to the magical power of language itself
Paste
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One consequence of the spell that El-Mohtar weaves is that the reader is taken out of the mundane everyday world of seconds, minutes and hours. There are sentences and paragraphs here, not to
mention the riddles, which induce reverie and contemplation such that one loses track of the passage of time . . . All in all, this is a book to savour and wonder at.ParSec
User Reviews
Book 4.6
Narration 4.6
-
4.0 3.0
The narrator did a very good job but the added sound-effects, music, and singing were incredibly distracting and obnoxious. Definitely spoiled the enjoyment hugely.
CMP 2026-07-28 -
5.0 5.0
This book was so lyrical and enchanting. It felt like listening to someone tell an old folk tale. The sound effects made it so immersive. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Highly recommend!
inez.mcc 2026-03-24 -
5.0 5.0
This was absolutely magical, and the audiobook really added to it with the music. Could not recommend it enough.
execlinca 2026-01-23
Details
- Author
- Amal El-Mohtar
- Narrator
- Gem Carmella
- Duration
- 3 hours 53 minutes
- Release Date
- 4 March 2025
- ISBN
- 9781529443387
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Quercus
- Genre
- Fantasy, Romance, Fairy and Folk tales / Fairy tale retellings
- Rating
- 4.6(5 reviews)
- Narration
- 4.6(5 reviews)
Synopsis
* * * WINNER of the Hugo Award for BEST NOVELLA * * ** * * WINNER of the Nebula Award for BEST NOVELLA * * ** * * WINNER of the Locus Award for BEST NOVELLA * * * * * * Longlisted by the British Science Fiction Association for BEST SHORTER FICTION * * *Follow the river Liss to the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, and meet two sisters who cannot be separated, even in death.'Oh what is stronger than a death? Two sisters singing with one breath.'In the small town of Thistleford, on the edge of Faerie, dwells the mysterious Hawthorn family.There, they tend and harvest the enchanted willows and honour an ancient compact to sing to them in thanks for their magic. None more devotedly than the family's latest daughters, Esther and Ysabel, who cherish each other as much as they cherish the ancient trees.But when Esther rejects a forceful suitor in favor of a lover from the land of Faerie, not only the sisters' bond but also their lives will be at risk...The River Has Roots is the hugely acclaimed solo debut of the New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar.Features beautiful interior illustrations.
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