I really enjoyed this little fairy tale novella that focuses on the bonds of sisterhood. The sisters, Esther and Ysabel, have a job of singing to two massive willow trees over the River Liss, a river that is imbued with magic. They live a fairly simple, happy life, though Esther’s love life is starting to come between them just a bit.
I don’t want to say too much about this short (99-page) book because it’s too easy to spoil given its length. The prose is beautiful, it has illustrations!, and I loved the way the author pulled from existing fairy tales and ballads. One of the most interesting aspects was the way El-Mohtar refers to magic as Grammar. The word “magician” is never used; instead they are “Grammarians.” She describes how grammar and magic are similar. While this was on the abstract side for me, it felt so fresh and creative.
I loved the relationship between Esther and Ysabel. They are so close and love each other so much, and while they might bicker here and there, they always reconcile quickly. This felt refreshing compared to stories (and fairy tales) where there is jealousy or violence among family members. This whole family seems very loving, though we only see a little of the parents.
This book is very different from This is How You Lose the Time War, and I liked this one quite a bit more. It’s not just that it’s less confusing, but the voice stays consistent throughout; that had been my biggest issue with El-Mohtar’s first book. So if you’re looking for a very similar writing style, you may be disappointed, but the writing does maintain the lyricism and cleverness. There was also a preview of El-Mohtar’s upcoming book of short stories, and I am definitely intrigued.
