The River Has Roots

The River Has Roots is an absolutely enchanting read. Inspired by classic folk tales and poetry, like Christina Rossetti’s Goblin Market and the folksong ‘Tam Lin’, Amal El-Mohtar introduces us to a world where grammar works like magic, flowing along a river called Liss, conjugating or transforming the land as it passes by. The story follows two sisters, Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn, whose job is to sing to the willows that grow beside the river. Close to where the sisters live, there is also a gateway to Arcadia, also called Faerie, or the Land Beyond. The sister’s paths start to diverge when Esther meets one of the Arcadians who crosses over and finds her love drawn in two directions.

The River Has Roots is a clever and joyous exploration of language, music and encountering the strange. It takes pleasure in riddles and transformations, and the different kinds of bonds between characters. It doesn’t shy away from ambiguity; in fact, it seeks out the uncanny, and not as a way of scaring or warning the reader. Rather, the story embraces the queer joy in transformation and fluidity. It reminded me of classic stories of elves and fairies, full of riddles and bargains, but reimagined to unexpectedly take a different path, or have a slightly different ending.

Amal El-Mohtar’s previous novella, co-written with Max Gladstone, This Is How You Lose the Time War swept up awards, including the Hugo, Nebula, Locus, Aurora and British Science Fiction and Fantasy awards, and was shortlisted for many others. El-Mohtar is also an award-winning short story writer, poet and essayist – talents that were on full display in her latest novella. I loved This Is How You Lose the Time War, but I was deeply impressed by the thought and care that went into crafting the world of The River Has Roots. I will be rereading this novella over and over.