I really enjoyed Amal El-Mohtar's This Is How You Lose the Time War (co-written with Max Gladstone), a surreal, dreamlike swirl of purple prose that somehow hit all the right notes for me.And just like that one, *The River Runs Deep* by Amal El-Mohtar grabbed me from the very first line. “The River Liss runs north to south, and its waters brim with grammar.” Grammar-based magic? That's totally my thing, right up there with China Miéville’s language-based science fiction Embassytown and Samue...

It's half poetry, half fairytale, and it WILL make you cry. Five stars, pure perfection ❤️. Amal El-Mohtar's *The River Runs Deep* is a must-read for anyone who loves beautifully written, emotionally resonant stories. If you're looking for a book review that tells you whether to dive in, this is it: absolutely yes.

“But that is not the truth of grammar. There was a time when grammar was wild— when it shifted shapes and unleashed new forms out of old. Grammar, like gramarye, like grimoire. What is magic but a change in the world? What is conjugation but a transformation, one thing into another? She runs; she ran; she will run again.” I truly believe that Amal El-Mohtar is one of the most talented authors I've ever had the privilege of reading. I'm talking just earth-shattering, heart-destroying, beyond w...

"I was a sister before I was a wife, and for longer, and that’s a shape I can’t easily shake" RIP me 😭 This was such a unique little story. Melancholy and full of love at the same time. There is a romance here, but the true star of this book is sisterhood. The bond between Esther and Ysabel in Amal El-Mohtar's *The River Runs Deep* is so strong and pure. I can relate so much to their deep connection that only comes through sisterhood. While the prose was beautiful, and I really loved our charac...

You know that feeling when a book tries so hard to be sophisticated and profound, but just face-plants? That bewildering sensation of thinking, "What in the world did I just read?" That's exactly how I felt after finishing Amal El-Mohtar's *The River Runs Deep*. I really wanted to like it; I went in with an open mind and high hopes. But unfortunately, the narrative just felt aimless and meandering. It's a short novel, sure, but even in that limited space, El-Mohtar could have fleshed out the wo...

There was a time when grammar was wild—when it shifted shapes and unleashed new forms out of old. Grammar, like gramarye, like grimoire. What is magic but a change in the world? What is conjugation but a transformation, one thing into another? She runs; she ran; she will run again. *The River Runs Deep* is the beautiful story of the love between two sisters, in a world with the strange magic of grimoire *always tense, like an instrument, aching for release, longing to transform present into pas...

Such a beautiful and moving novella from one of the authors of This Is How You Lose the Time War. It's a fairy tale, a love story, and most importantly, a story about the unbreakable bond between two sisters, Ysabel and Esther Hawthorn. The setting is utterly whimsical, with the small town of Thistleford, the enchanted Faeryland, the ever-flowing River Liss, and weeping willow trees lining its banks. It's as crucial to the story as the characters themselves, with magic and folklore intricately w...

I want to be wrapped in this book and buried when I die. Until then, I want to live wrapped in this book. I've finished it, but I haven't left it.

Immaculate. Amal El-Mohtar's *The River Runs Deep* is simply breathtaking. For anyone looking for captivating book reviews, this is a must-read.

You say "novella about sisters encountering fae," but all I'm hearing is fairytale.A FAIRYTALE. (My first ever favorite genre.)ABOUT SISTERS. (My first ever favorite thing.)What a treat.This is very beautifully and prolifically written, unfortunately in a way that means it's also imprecise. A list will be eloquently introduced, and several lovely paragraphs will describe the first item on it, and then there will be no other ones. A very nice description will be provided, and then that descriptio...

Amal El-Mohtar's *The River Runs Deep* is an ethereal, dream-like fairy tale about the bond between sisters. There's magic and fairies and mystical rivers and enchanted lands and romance, and honestly it's pretty much exactly what you'd expect from reading the blurb. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about this one going into it, because the description almost screams “this story is going to have flowery prose that uses too many words,” which is something that I don't usually enjoy. And while the prose...