In “The River Has Roots,” Amal El-Mohtar crafts a mesmerizing tale where enchantment isn’t merely an abstract concept but a tangible force that flows through the world like water through a riverbed. This slim novella—just under 100 pages—delivers an impact disproportionate to its size, weaving together folklore, sisterhood, love, and betrayal into a tapestry as intricate as the willows that line the banks of the River Liss.
El-Mohtar, who previously co-authored the critically acclaimed epistolary novella “This Is How You Lose the Time War” with Max Gladstone, demonstrates her singular voice in this solo venture. Her prose sings with the same poetic sensibility that made her previous work so distinctive, but here she applies that lyrical quality to a narrative deeply rooted in folk ballads and fairy tales.
A Story Within Stories
Set in the small town of Thistleford on the border of our world and Faerie (or Arcadia, as it’s sometimes called), “The River Has Roots” follows sisters Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn. The Hawthorn family has long tended the enchanted willows that line the River Liss, singing to them in an ancient tradition that honors the trees’ ability to translate the wild grammar of Arcadia into forms more accessible to the mortal world.
The sisters share an uncommonly close bond, their voices intertwining in perfect harmony. As the narrative unfolds, we learn that Esther is torn between two potential suitors: the pompous, calculating Samuel Pollard, who covets her family’s land, and the mysterious Arcadian known only as Rin, whose otherworldly nature both fascinates and challenges her.
When Esther chooses Rin, Pollard’s jealousy takes a deadly turn, leading to her murder. But in this world where grammar is magic and transformation is possible, death isn’t necessarily the end. Through Rin’s intervention, Esther is transformed into a magical harp that can still speak and sing, allowing her to return to her sister and reveal her murderer.
Strengths That Sing
El-Mohtar’s greatest strength lies in her prose, which manages to be both poetic and accessible. Consider this passage about the sisters’ voices:
“When people say that voices run in families, they mean it as inheritance—that something special has been passed down the generations, like the slope of a nose or the set of a jaw. 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 novella’s engagement with folk traditions is equally impressive. El-Mohtar draws from ballad traditions, particularly those featuring murdered siblings and magical instruments made from their bodies. Yet she transforms these familiar elements into something fresh and affecting, infusing them with her own perspective on love, belonging, and sisterhood.
The world-building is fascinating despite the novella’s brevity. The concept of “grammar” as a magical force that can be harvested, refined, and utilized creates a unique magical system that feels both ancient and innovative. The River Liss itself becomes a character, carrying transformation in its waters and connecting the mundane world with the otherworldly realm of Arcadia.
Areas of Dissonance
Despite its many strengths, “The River Has Roots” occasionally struggles with pacing. The first half of the novella unfolds at a leisurely pace, establishing the sisters’ relationship and Esther’s romantic entanglements. The second half, however, rushes through major events and transformations that might have benefited from more space to breathe.
Some readers may find the antagonist, Samuel Pollard, somewhat one-dimensional. While his jealousy and entitlement are well-established, his character lacks the complexity and nuance given to other figures in the narrative. His villainy sometimes feels too straightforward in a story that otherwise delights in ambiguity and layers.
Additionally, while the novella’s ending is emotionally satisfying, it leaves some questions unanswered. This may be intentional—a reflection of the story’s fairytale quality—but readers seeking complete closure might find themselves wanting more.
The Music of Language
What truly distinguishes “The River Has Roots” is El-Mohtar’s attention to language. The novella is filled with riddle songs, folk ballads, and linguistic play that doesn’t merely decorate the narrative but forms its very foundation:
Riddles and Transformations: The riddle songs become metaphors for transformation and understanding.
Naming and Power: The power of names and the danger of speaking them echoes throughout the text.
Translation and Interpretation: The willows’ ability to translate wild grammar mirrors the human struggle to understand and interpret the world.
Voice as Identity: Singing becomes an act of self-definition for the sisters.
These elements combine to create a meditation on language itself—how it shapes our understanding, connects us to others, and can be both a tool for manipulation and an instrument of truth.
Themes That Resonate
Beyond its magical elements, “The River Has Roots” explores several profound themes:
Sisterhood: The bond between Esther and Ysabel forms the emotional core of the narrative, with their connection transcending even death.
Manipulation and Control: Pollard’s attempts to isolate and control Esther speak to real-world dynamics of emotional manipulation.
Belonging and Home: Characters repeatedly face choices between different worlds and different kinds of belonging.
Voice and Agency: The ability to speak one’s truth becomes literally magical in this context.
The River in Context
“The River Has Roots” stands as a worthy successor to El-Mohtar’s previous work while establishing her distinctive voice in solo fiction. Readers who enjoyed “This Is How You Lose the Time War” will recognize her poetic sensibility, though this novella has a more folkloristic quality compared to the science fiction elements of her co-authored work.
The novella feels connected to a rich tradition of fairy tale retellings and folkloric fantasy, sharing DNA with works like Naomi Novik’s “Uprooted,” Seanan McGuire’s “Wayward Children” series, and Katherine Arden’s “Winternight Trilogy.” Yet El-Mohtar’s voice remains uniquely her own, particularly in how she weaves poetry and song throughout her narrative.
Final Notes
The novella concludes with a bonus short story, “John Hollowback and the Witch,” which further showcases El-Mohtar’s talent for reinterpreting folkloric elements. While thematically distinct from the main novella, it demonstrates her consistent interest in transformation, truth, and the power of stories.
“The River Has Roots” is a slender volume that contains multitudes. Like the willows that feature so prominently in its pages, it transmutes wild concepts into accessible forms without losing their essential magic. It’s a story that lingers in the mind long after the final page is turned, like the echo of a song whose words you can’t quite remember but whose melody haunts you nonetheless.
Verdict
El-Mohtar proves she’s a singular voice in fantasy with this lush, poetic novella about sisterhood, sacrifice, and the transformative power of voice. Despite some minor issues with pacing and characterization, “The River Has Roots” stands as a remarkable achievement that blends ancient ballad traditions with original world-building. Recommended for readers who appreciate lyrical prose, folkloric elements, and stories that prioritize emotional truth over literal explanation.
For a novella concerned with the power of voice, “The River Has Roots” speaks with uncommon clarity and beauty about the things that can never truly be translated: love, loss, and the bonds that transcend even death.