What the River Knows is a very fun, exciting YA historical fiction set in Nineteenth Century Egypt. If you enjoyed the movie The Mummy, then you will surely like this book. After receiving word of her parents’ deaths, the main character, Inez, goes against her family’s wishes and travels to Egypt in search of answers. This is the first in the Secrets of the Nile duology and I am anxious for the final book.

Book Summary:

Inez Olivera has had what some may call a sheltered – but unique – life. She was left with her aunt and cousins so that her parents could explore the wonders of Egyptian history and more. Unfortunately, Inez has always regretted being left behind.

That regret grew on the day she learned of her parents' disappearance. Now Inez has a choice to make: accept the truth as it's been told to her, or go hunting for it herself. Being a stubborn young girl, Inez is going to choose the latter.

My Review:

Whew. This book has left me conflicted. I'll start my review by saying this: I don't think I would have picked up What the River Knows on my own. I probably would have given it a pass if it had not been in one of my OwlCrate boxes. So, my experience may have been biased from the start.

What the River Knows had potential. In particular, I really loved the potential of the magical system. We have artifacts that can carry traces of magic (which can transfer slightly to those who touch them) and even memories. Unfortunately, the rules and boundaries of this magical system are ill-defined at best. Realistically, their existence is simply to enable Inez to find something otherwise impossible. I found this lackluster show to be disappointing.

On that note – don't go into What the River Knows expecting a retelling of The Mummy. There are two things that The Mummy and What the River Knows have in common: romance and Egypt. That's it. Yes, there's a tomb or two, but those elements feel like shallow comparisons.

There were times when I found myself beginning to enjoy this story! Unfortunately, those times were often balanced out by repetition or other odd choices. For example, there are two major reveals at the end. They set up a cliffhanger that is supposed to make readers desperate for the sequel, but it killed any investment I had.

Overall, I would say What the River Knows wasn't the best read, but it had SO MUCH potential. I wish we could have learned more about the world, the characters, and the magical system.

Highlights:
Romantic Fantasy
Historical Fantasy
Magical Items/Artifacts
Egyptian History/Lore

A little bit of a slow beginning, but when it took off it was fantastic! Forewarned, this is the first book in a series so it ends on a cliffhanger.
I really loved the atmospheric feel of this story. The author really made you feel immersed in the action. I’m a big nerd about Egyptian archaeology, so I enjoyed that the most. In short, I loved it!
**Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC.**

The jacket flap describes this as a mix between The Mummy (a movie series that I love) and Death On the Nile. I also felt reminded of the Amelia Peabody series. The archaeology descriptions and the setting in the 1880s Eqypt, the politics of that time period, and the mystery were all fun, but what I liked the most was watching Inez push back against the expectations of her time and status. I found her parents leaving her behind for half of her life infuriating and spent a significant portion of the book irritated with her uncle for refusing to even discuss things with her. As the magic and mystery unfolded, I was drawn more and more to her story. Whit was an enigma wrapped in a mystery, and I loved watching the two of them fight against the magnetic draw between them. I now am counting down for the next book to see what else happens on Inez's adventures!

This was a 3.5 star read for me. I loved Whit and Inez's relationship and the banter between them. There were numerous twists throughout the book which kept me turning the pages. The ending was crazy, and I'm definitely going to continue with the series so I can get answers.. Isabel Ibanez is so great at transporting the reader into the setting of her books, and this one is no different. The atmosphere of this book jumps off the page. However, I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with Inez throughout the book. Multiple times I found myself just yelling at her for her choices, like girl just listen to the people around you who know a little bit more than you. She was hypocritical in her decisions and actions, and it made it hard to root for her at times. Her determination just felt immature and out of touch with reality at times, especially when comparing Inez's actions with her cousin's similar actions with very different consequences at the end of the book. It felt very much like Inez had a better outcome because she was lucky, not because of anything she did, because her decisions were equally bad throughout. I think I would have enjoyed this one more without the cousin storyline.

I want to say thank you to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.

First, I realize how late I am to the party. That being said, I feel so silly for not reading this sooner *spoilers that I like it* as I found myself staying up to finish this. I read this in under 48 hours (silly RL getting in the way) and now I'm wanting desperately for the next one. First off - when I heard it was like a mix between the 'The Mummy' (loved it) and 'Death on the Nile' (didn't really see the connection) which had me getting all page turney fast!

So while sometimes the characters could be frustrating (Ricardo) and other times grating the nerves (Inez) overall, I found this fun and entertaining. The chemistry between Inez and Whit does give the Rick and Evie vibes. The cliff hanger though - ouch. If I had to nitpick, the magic system is a little vague but other than that I loved the story, the chemistry and the history of Egyptian (and Greek!) wall a fun read and I can't wait for the next one!

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Finally got to reading this!

I don't know how to feel about this. The premise had so much promise but it took me forever to read it. Since I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley I feel compelled to leave a review, but I don't really know what else to say. It wasn't my favorite book and that is okay.

So fast paced do you need to be able to give this your time and attention. The evading was insane and I can’t wait for more!

This one let me down. First half: 5 stars. Second half: 2? 1 maybe? So I averaged it: 3.
What the River Knows follows Inez Olivera after she finds out that her parents are missing and presumed dead in Egypt. Her parents spend half the year in Egypt uncovering hidden tombs with her uncle. Meanwhile, Inez stays behind in Buenos Aires, in high society with her aunt and cousins. She decides to visit the Egypt she’s been longing for and search for the truth about what happened to her parents.
So…. I kind of hate it now?
Really, it started out with everything: Argentina, Egypt, 1800s, Anatomy and Princess and the Frog vibes, grumpy love interest with a secret soft spot, mystery, Egyptian mythology, a weird magic system. And don’t get me wrong, I loved these things. They carried the first half of the book with ease, and it was just perfect—I honestly thought I was going to give it 5 stars.
What happened you may ask? Inez. Inez happened. I could not stand her!
Thanks Netgalley and Wednesday books for the ARC! Sorry I didn’t love it!

If I could give this book 10 stars, I absolutely would! It was my top arc of 2023 and I cannot say enough about how much I love it. There’s mystery, adventure, and a swoon worthy romance, plus a betrayal that shook me to my core.

I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting its sequel, Where the Library Hides in November. It’s one of my most highly anticipated books of this year and I cannot wait to see what happens next for my beloved Inez and Whit!!

Thank you so much to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

I just couldn't get into this book. It is well written and I think I was expecting it to be different - less about the magic for some reason.
Recommended for someone on vacation as Inex travels and it might put you in mind of that while on a cruise, for example.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

Part historical fiction, part fantasy, this book captures the imagination and brings you along to Egypt with Inez Olivera! Growing up, Egypt was always a place where Inez's parents lived most of their lives, with occasional visits to her at her aunt's house in Buenos Aires. She always knew she was competing for their hearts with the other country. Then, one day, she learns that her parents will no longer return home because they have mysteriously died while working on a potentially big discovery, Cleopatra's tomb. Inez, in search of answers, sets off against her family's wishes across the ocean. Once in Egypt, however, Inez realizes she may not be able to trust anyone, not even family.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the novel, and the puzzles Inez had to put together! There were some parts that were slow, but the romance was cute and there were some exciting twists. I also noticed there seems to be some Easter eggs for people who enjoy the story of Aida (which I love the musical!). Definitely a fun read, and I plan on continuing the series!

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the ARC copy!

Read by audiobook 🎧 The narration was fantastic and captured the character voices so well!

This is like if the mummy met death on the Nile in the best way possible-the description absolutely nails it!! I didn’t find it slow at all, and the twist completely threw me. I can’t wait for the next book!!

I had zero doubts as to my rating, and that's because this could probably be used as the perfect example of what a 3 star book looks like for me: had potential, but got too repetitive, and didn't inspire enough enjoyment.

This is often categorized as YA Fantasy, and it is my humble opinion that calling this book a fantasy is quiiiiiiiiite the stretch. Perhaps I am being too anal with the difference between a fantasy novel and a magical realism novel, but I honestly would forget that there was magic in this world whilst reading. And maybe that's because there is also huge focus on Egypt—be it Ancient Egypt or when the book is set, the early nineteenth century. I do think Ibañez did a good job with crating this atmosphere that transported me to Ancient Egypt, but in no way was I pulled in by the "fantasy" aspect. Maybe this is just something different, a mix of historical fiction, magical realism, and mystery?
Unfortunately, this novel, with its many elements, did not work for me. I didn't like the overall feeling of an intensely detailed book that transports me to Egypt with just the word "magic" thrown in to explain what might seem an important plot point, but is barely treated with any sort of whimsy.

The repetitiveness. I don't know why this book has 400 pages. Because I am pretty sure I read like three main narratives over and over again. I don't even think it's worth to expand on this point. Repetitiveness is something that tends to put me off, and in this book it's what started killing my enjoyment. I didn't even get halfway before it started feeling like I wasn't getting enough information or pull from the chapters.

So...
Why is it not lower than a 3?

Becauseeeee I really enjoyed Ibañez's writing. And, that's part of how I know it's a 3 star, because it had potential.
I feel like I could have totally loved this if it just felt more concise and structured as a whole. Or even just better plot execution.

I am tempted to grab the sequel...I will have to wait and see how I feel.

I would recommend this to its age demographic, or just any YA reader. I am glad an author like Ibañez is giving the YA crowd something different. The overall concept shines through despite any qualms, and it's all due to Ibañez's writing.
I felt like I could very clearly see what was being described to me. I can even close my eyes right now and look back on scenes I pictured whilst reading. It was so vividly written that they are now quite visceral memories, in a way.


Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for an ARC of this in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars!

I went into this book extremely excited because I love the movie The Mummy, and this was supposed to give The Mummy vibes. Unfortunately, instead it took me almost four months to read and in fact in that time I watched both The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, which highlighted how this was really a poor comparison.

Unfortunately, I can't say there was a single character that I enjoyed. Inez had little to no personality besides wanting to literally exist in Egypt and pine after Whit (who wasn't giving anything), Whit was described as brooding and intriguing (honestly where???), and Ricardo was SO annoying and treated Inez poorly for reasons I still don't understand.

The pacing of this book was also kinda awful. I was excited for them to do some archeological things but most of this book was spent just meandering. I often found myself skimming because I was simply so bored. Don't even get me started on the villain of this story...

Finally, the magic system of this book was completely unexplained and also seemed like it barely mattered? It did not seem that there was much thought about the magic except as a vehicle for moving the plot forward.

I will say, I did appreciate how well researched the Egyptian history was and it did feel as if the author was very passionate about the entire process. This was just unfortunately not the book for me and I don't think I will be continuing this series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What the River Knows is touted as "The Mummy meets Death on the Nile" and I'd say that was a fitting description based on my experience with it.

What I liked a lot:
🎧 Excellent audio narration
🇪🇬 Different than usual setting
😱 a cliffhanger that suggests I will for sure need to read the next in the series
👍🏻The mystery storyline
✨the magical elements

What worked a bit less well for me:
⌛ The pacing
🤷🏻‍♀️The young adult drama and tantrum like moments
🙈 Trying to remember a couple of the characters (I'm sure this is a *me* problem)
😕One frustrating family moment

Overall, I'm not mad I read this but I expected to live it more than I did. So - you win some, you lose some. A few of my friends loved it significantly more so I'll share their reviews!

This was originally sent to me as a digital ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and I never got around to reading it until now.

This seems to be marketed as a readalike for the 1999 film of The Mummy. I'm so glad I did not know that because I didn't feel like it resembled that at all and I would have been disappointed otherwise.

I can tell you that this was a vibrant blend of ancient Egyptian mythology, historical fiction, mystery, romance, and magical elements. The magic system created through the ancient Egyptian artifacts felt unique. It was fun to see how that magic system worked throughout the story.

Ines was a little too naive for me at times, but I appreciated her determination and steadfastness. I think I would have actually given this book an additional star if it didn't take Ines and Whit so damn long to admit their feelings for each other. Almost 15 hours in the audiobook is how long I had to wait for them to kiss!

The writing in this book was very immersive, from the boat rides on the Nile, the markets in Cairo, to the dig site. I was able to envision these all clearly from the way Isabel describes them. The cliffhanger ending!! I am on the edge of my seat waiting for November to come so I can find out what happens next!

I need to talk about the narrator for a second, Ana Osorio. She did such an amazing job with multiple accents. I believe throughout the book, she used accents for the following dialects: Spanish, British, French, and Arabic. They all flowed so well! An amazing talent.

A fantasy set in Egypt? Count me in!

This was a fun read, once I separated out that it was not like The Mummy as it was advertised. It had some elements that were a little reminiscent of the 90s movie, but just because it is set in Egypt in the same relative time period with some archeological elements, doesn’t quite make it like The Mummy. Once I made that distinction in my mind, I was able to enjoy it a lot more.

It was hard to figure out some of the character’s motives, but that didn’t really take away the rich world or the history included in the story. The magic system was really interesting but I wish it was explored a little more.

I will definitely be picking up Where The Library Hides when it is released.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books, and Isabel Ibanez for an e-arc of What the River Knows in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and author for the copy of this eARC for my honest review. All ratings and any reviews are opinions of my own.

A fun and interesting adventure that kept me guessing. This reminded me a little of the Samantha Knox Novels by Jenny Elder Moke. If you are a fan of this books you will love this book. It is an adventure full of mystery and deception.