The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

 

Reviewed by Kristin

The Hawthorn family live in the town of Thistleford on the edge of a mystical land called Faerie. For many generations, the Hawthorns have planted, tended, and harvested the willows. Sisters Esther and Ysabel are following in the family tradition of tending the willow trees along the River Liss, singing to them as a way of honoring their magical power.

When a neighbor attempts to coerce Esther into marriage in order to consolidate their lands, she resists, partly due to her distaste for him, but partly due to the fact that she is already in love with someone from Faerie. However, her refusal has dire consequences.

Amal El-Mohtar makes every word count in this short novella. The woodcut style black and white illustrations wind their way through the pages and complement the writing perfectly. While under 100 pages (plus a sneak peek at one of her upcoming short stories), I found this a relaxing and enjoyable reading experience.

I first heard of Amal El-Mohtar as the co-author of This Is How You Lose the Time War along with Max Gladstone. This beautifully written book is a tale of adversarial time agents plotting their moves for centuries, and eventually falling in love. The writing was stunning with alternating chapters by each of the authors. The River Has Roots is El-Mohtar’s first solo novel, although she has published a story collection entitled The Honey Month (now on my list to attain) and has another upcoming collection.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Reviewed by Ambrea

Tristran Thorn has entered the word of Faerie with a mission on his mind:  he is going to retrieve a fallen star for Victoria Forester to prove his love and, more importantly, win her hand in marriage.  However, Tristran has one problem in retrieving the star:  the star is very much alive—and she doesn’t like Tristran, not one bit.  Thus taking with him an embittered and sarcastic star, Tristran takes a harrowing journey through a strange and wild land, fighting to keep himself (and the star) alive so he might safely return to his hometown of Wall.

Stardust is a wonderful novel with elaborate details and beautiful descriptions, and a witty sense of humor that’s sure to please.  The fantastical world of Faerie—including the Faerie Market—created by Neil Gaiman is a true treat to imagine, and the adventures of Tristran Thorn and Yvaine (the star) are enthralling.

I found it a simple task to become invested in their story, to get caught up in all the adventures and mishaps and dangers of the wild, wonderful world of Faerie.  The magic involved, the pure inventiveness and fantasy of Stardust, makes it easy to become attached to not only the characters but the entire world.

I especially loved the complexity of the story.  Stardust has a variety of tales and characters—the lords of Stormhold who are fighting to gain control of the realm, the witches of the Lilim who are hunting the star, Yvaine who is struggling to heal, Tristran who is attempting to return to Wall—that run in parallel courses and, eventually, intersect.  Occasionally, it’s difficult to discern where these threads meet and why; however, it’s thrilling when all the pieces finally come together and reveals a narrative tapestry.

Note:  Most versions of Stardust  include illustrations by Abingdon's Charles Vess.  Some of the visuals in the film of the same name were inspired by Vess's work.  Not sure if you've seen anything by Mr. Vess?  Then just take a look at the arch sculpture at the library's Piedmont entrance!