“But that is the nature of grammar—it is always tense, like an instrument, aching for release, longing to transform present into past into future, is into was into will.”
First things first, do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook of The River Has Roots. It’s not only brilliantly narrated, but it’s also got immersive sound design and includes pieces of music/song performed by the author and her sister, which just makes it a true treat for your ears.
That said, I am sure a physical read would be just as incredible, because El-Mohtar’s soulful, poetic, lyrical prose is already a magical masterpiece in itself. I mean, I knew that she was a wordsmith from reading This Is How You Lose the Time War, but the way that she established the mystical atmosphere and captured the alluring Faerie vibes just had me totally entranced to the point that I almost felt like I was living and breathing this entire tale myself.
Moreover, I absolutely loved the aspect of the language magic (called Grammar) that permeates every aspect of The River Has Roots. It’s both intricately complex and wonderfully non-sensical, and I was personally totally okay with not understanding all the intricacies and inner workings of this elusive magic system. I mean, the characters seemed to somewhat know how the logic is logicking, and I was just along for this uniquely whimsical ride.
Now, although this is technically a retelling of the traditional English murder ballad ‘The Cruel Sisters’, I personally don’t think you need to be familiar with that tale to enjoy this story to its fullest. El-Mohtar does a phenomenal job of bringing Esther and Ysabel to life and establishing their deep sisterly bond within just a few pages, and I was completely invested in their beautifully bittersweet journey the entire way through.
And as the cherry on top of this spectacular sundae, The River Has Roots is also hella queer, and I was so here for it! I loved how El-Mohtar interpreted the Faerie folk here, and as soon as I met the enigmatic Rin, I was just as in love with them as Esther. Getting to learn more about the mystifying lands of Arcadia through them had me glued to the page, and I loved how their transcendental romance never overtook the strong sisterly bond that lies at the core of this narrative.
The ending was maybe a bit rushed and too perfect for me, yet I can’t deny that I left this little novella feeling utterly satisfied. You don’t have to come looking for hard magic lessons and extremely multidimensional characters, but if you just go with the flow and allow this story to take you where it wants to take you, then I think The River Has Roots is one of the most wonderful and refreshing fairytale-esque adventures out there.