The River Has Roots cover art

The River Has Roots

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
1 credit a month to buy any audiobook in our entire collection.
Access to thousands of additional audiobooks and Originals from the Plus Catalogue.
Member-only deals & discounts.
Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The River Has Roots

By: Amal El-Mohtar
Narrated by: Gem Carmella
Try Premium Plus free

Auto-renews at $16.45/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

 This audiobook features music performed by the author and her sister, Amal; and Dounya El-Mohtar, on harp, flute, and vocals, as well as songs sung by the narrator, Gem Carmella.

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 anticipated solo debut of the New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award winning author Amal El-Mohtar.©2025 Amal El-Mohtar (P)2025 Macmillan Audio Editors Select Fantasy

Editorial Review

A love letter to words
I adored This Is How You Lose the Time War, which Amal El-Mohtar co-wrote with Max Gladstone, so I had my hopes up for her solo debut. If you also loved that book for its stunning use of language, you will adore The River Has Roots. Grammar is magic in this fairy tale—but it’s not the grammar you’re thinking of: the stuffy subject of our school days. In this story, grammar is the beauty and power of the way words meld together, play off one another and construe meaning. I hesitate to reveal too much lest I ruin the journey. Let Gem Carmella’s effusive, playful performance. —Sam D., Audible Editor

All stars
Most relevant
I'm not sure I've ever listened to anything like this as an audiobook, an audioplay yes but not an audiobook. The choice made by Quercus and Amal El-Mohtar to include El-Mohtar, herself and Dounya El-Mohtar playing instruments and singing and to have narrator Cam Carmella sing was perfect. It added a level of difference and charm. It's one that needed to be heard rather than read; I believe it was designed to be heard.
The main characters, sisters Esther and Ysabel, are beautiful characters, and Rin is a lovely romantic lead (we do love a fierce magical enby in this house). Esther and Rin's romantic story arc definitely doesn't feel like it is the relationship, This is very much a story of sisterly love and the things we do to keep promises. I will say the riddles and the music are both fantastic plot devices, a way to bond characters and have characters communicate.

So Very Beautiful

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The audiobook definitely elevated the experience of enjoying this story! Truly a magical performance by the narrator Gem Carmella. Do yourself a favour and listen to the audiobook!

A masterclass in pairing narrative and music to bring a story to life

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.