What a wonderful and immersive read!

I must admit, the pacing at the beginning had me worried that the book wouldn’t be my favorite. But the pace really picked up the second half and was well worth it!! I think this book is definitely worth a read and these are the reasons why.

1.The world/writing is full of gorgeous details that make the book very atmospheric and immersive.

2. Slow burn romance between MC and snarky British boy with a mysterious past.

3. Strong willed female MC who does not wait for help or permission to fix the problems she faces.

4. Archeology setting infused with magic.

Need I say more? Please go buy and read this book.

While this is considered a young adult book, it did not read that way. I would have appreciated more inclusion of ancient Egypt artifacts and information, especially with the length of the book. It was a good read, but longer than necessary.

5 Stars

*SCREAMING* I NEED THE NEXT BOOK RIGHT MEOW. THAT ENDING!!!!!!!!!

Once again. Isabel has crafted a swooningly romantic story full of fierce female leads who love their food and pretty dresses. and making boys blush. This story is full of action and magic and weaves historical fact with fantastical fiction.

Inez has run away to Egypt from her life of opulence and luxury back in Buenos Aries, to find out what happened her parents, who have always run off to Egypt half of the year on these daring archeological adventures, leaving Inez behind. Upon arriving in Alexandria, she encounters the mysterious, yet handsome, handler that her uncle has tasked with getting Inez back on the next ship home to Argentina. In classic Isabel Ibanez style, our heroine runs off and thus starts the rivals-to-lovers plot set against the archeological sites of ancient Egypt, daring adventures along the Nile River, and high stakes life-or-death moments. I also love how Ibanez has thoughtfully laid out a plot around colonization of ancient cultures and theft of their artifacts.

Basically, if you loved The Mummy or Death on the Nile, pick this one up! I cannot wait for the second book and need it ASAP.

booooooooooring and no true egyptian archeology or any drama reminiscent of the mummy. just no. and the plot twist? yawn. elvira…that was more shocking. on to the next…

thanks to wednesday books for an arc. my thoughts are my own.

Rating: 2.5/5

Read it for the:
-Egyptian setting
-Latino representation
-Mystery elements
-Romance
-Fun Banter
-Plot twists

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭:
Romance: Heavy kissing
Trigger warning: Graphic Death, Violence, Strong language

𝐌𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬:

With an intriguing plot, lush setting, and some interesting plot twists thrown in, What the River Knows is a book I could not put down.

Foremost, I appreciated the Latino representation in this story. The Spanish dialogues, chapter headings, and most importantly the Spanish characters, were perfect. Whenever Latino culture or the Spanish language was mentioned, it was done organically, I could relate. I loved to see it.

I also enjoyed the characters themselves. Inez had a great spark to her from the beginning of the story, one that burned brighter whenever she shared the screen with the morally grey lead, Mr. Hayes. Their banter and chemistry were great, and the scenes where they were together were my favorite. I also loved a few of the side characters, like Inez’s Uncle. I'm looking forward to seeing the cast again in the next book. The plot itself was interesting - one the mystery surrounding the death of Inez’s parents, and the second a search for a lost Egyptian treasure. I wanted to see the second expanded on, but the mystery of Inez’s family and her determination to find answers kept me turning the pages, however, I struggled to be invested.

This read was not without its flaws. There were so many parts that didn't make sense or frustrated me. One was that I did not care for the few magical elements added to the story. I believe these could have been removed, and still, this would be a solid read. There were a few mystery points I predicted. There was also the graphic death of a character that I felt was unnecessary- not only the death itself but the description of it. I do feel like the comparison to the movie, The Mummy, may not be entirely accurate. Both have their strengths, but I honestly felt this read to play out more like a Spanish telenovela, that was set in Egypt: Highly addicting, twisty, and dramatic. This being said: The plot twist in the end had me screaming. I will continue to book 2 because I need answers- and a little chaotic part of me likes the drama.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Oh how I wanted to love this book! The setting and overall plot had me intrigued and the promise of a Rick/Evelyn style romance had me downright excited! The first quarter of the book captured my attention with its Egyptian atmosphere and clever character depictions. Sadly the book began to feel like a slog for me somewhere in the middle with the characters and plot stagnating. By the time the story started moving again I had all but lost interest.

This book was fantastic. The perfect mix of adventure, romance, and thrilling mystery. I need book two right now!

I didn't realize this book was YA until I listed it as "Currently Reading" but that didn't lower my enjoyment at all! As someone who has always been interest in Ancient and Modern Egypt, I absolutely loved the setting of this novel. My favorite restaurant is Egyptian and it was really fun seeing all the foods I loved being talked about in such a positive light. The hunt for Cleopatra's tomb is something that I've been following very closely recently and it was cool seeing how much research the author needed to put into this novel. Every twist in this surprised me and I didn't see any of them coming, but at the same time, they didn't seem unplausible. My biggest complaint about this novel is that I really didn't want the love story line to be happening. I do understand why the love interest became the love interest, but I just wanted them to either remain friends or for the yearning to continue the entire time. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this series and this author in general and I'm already excited to re-read this novel in preparation to read the second book.

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ /5

I loved that this setting was so different than other fantasy books I’ve read lately. I felt like it was a fun, easy read and I enjoyed the world in it. I’m excited to read the next book and see where this story goes!

Thank you to the author & @netgalley for the ARC 💕

What The River Knows is about Inez Olivera, a 19th century Argentinian girl, whose parents have been away studying Egypt for half of her life. One day she receives a letter from Egypt where her uncle informs her that her parents have tragically died in the desert. She immediately rushes to Egypt herself to search for answers to what happened to her parents. This book was said to be like Death on the Nile meets the Mummy, and I think that is a spectacular and accurate comparison. While this book takes place in 19th century Egypt and Argentina, there is a fantasy element where there is an old ancient magic that exists in the world. I loved that even though this was a true fantasy, it felt more like magical realism because of how well the magic was incorporated into the existing world and history. You could tell how deeply researched this book was too. The amount of specific details that were included made the world vivid and beautiful and fully immerses the reader into the culture and history. I loved Inez right away. She was feisty, intelligent, and powerful, and she goes after what she wants, not taking no for an answer. I admire her and aspire to be more like her. Her uncle’s assistant, Mr. Hayes, was so hot, and their banter was top notch. On top of all of that, this book was a wild and twisty ride! The ending was jaw-droppingly insane and had me audibly gasping and screaming. It also ends on a huge cliffhanger, so there better be another book coming!

I was not a super fan of this.....
sad because I really wanted to, it was slow and confusing. It may just be me but maybe this historical fantasy was just not for me.
MMC and FMC seemed boring to me, there was no click between them.
It took me forever to want to pick this back up.

I recommend others to read, and maybe you'll have a different opinion and love it!

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely loved this book! Thank you for this ARC copy ..... this is a classic magical story. I was absolutely inspired and intrigued by the characters ans the storyline that is unlike any other. Isabel is a phenomenal storyteller that changes readers hearts and minds. #whattheriverknows #netgalley

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the ARC of this book!

I absolutely loved this book and it made The Mummy (1999) lover in me so happy. It's got action, adventure, romance, mystery and I will not stop recommending it.

The book starts with Inez setting off across the Pacific alone on a mission to find out what happened to her parents in Egypt. Her uncle tries to make her go back home, but Inez is determined to stay and learn more about the place where her parents spent more time than with her. There's a dose of magic mixed in as we learn about ancient Egypt and the hunt for Cleopatra's tomb. The banter and tension between Inez and Whit is so good, and is the closest thing to the Evie/Rick relationship from The Mummy that I've seen since. It left me with so many questions but I'm so excited to read the next book when it comes out (which I hope isn't too far away).

Inez is determined to find out what happened to her parents who disappeared from a dig in Egypt, and she won't stop looking until she finds answers.

There is so much to love about this book! First of all Egypt and mummies will always grab my attention, but add in Nile Crocodiles, gun wielding proper ladies, magic shoes, and a great plot and this is a book you should not miss out on. I have always enjoyed being swept up in the magic of Egypt and Ibanez makes that incredibly easy with her descriptions of this beautiful country. It felt like I was part of the adventure. Plus there is a little bit of literal magic in the story which adds a fun layer. The main character, Inez, is such a strong heroine and perfect to follow. She is headstrong and independent, and not even the reader finds it easy to guess what she will do next. Honestly all the characters are well written and I want so much more of them. The romance is a slow burn that feels natural, and there's no misunderstanding trope that drives me crazy. Instead there's witty conversations between Inez and Whit, and a sweet protectiveness mixed with frustration over her inability to take "no" for an answer. The plot was pretty well paced and I quickly devoured the whole book. There were some twists that I guessed, but also some I wasn't expecting!

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you grew up in the era of Brendan Frasier and The Mummy, or enjoy Ancient Egypt and mythology. I feel like this is written kind of as an older YA, the romance isn't super steamy. I look forward to reading more from Isabel Ibanez and would love to continue this adventure! I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin's Press.

What an inventive work--this historical fantasy has a tidbit of everything for a reader, adventure, history, romance and magical elements. it's a wonderful read and I fully expect it to have lots of award buzz. Inez feels much like a an orphan even before she formally is one. Upon her jet-setting parents mysterious death, she learns she has inherited the family fortune as well as a guardian who has summoned her to join him in Egypt. Pretty quickly she realizes there's much more to the story of her parents' demise and she herself might be in mortal danger. Again-teens will love!

This a wonderful narrative about Egyptian lore and culture. Though classified as YA, I wonder if the narrator really counts as a a young adult. I did think that she is a good model of resourcefulness, persistence, and strength. There were parts of this novel that were very predictable, but the plot itself was intriguing. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.

What do I do with myself now that I've finished this book and have to wait for book two?!

I was immediately sold by the description of The Mummy (love!) meets Death on the Nile, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Inez was a great main character and I loved watching her adventure from Buenos Aires to Cairo and beyond. I caught myself going, "what are you doing?!" several times throughout this book and I think the author did a great job of capturing the restless spirit of an 18 year old. At times her actions seemed a bit farfetched given the time period so I had to suspend my disbelief a bit. There were plenty of twists here and I wasn't sure who I could trust. While I did see a few of them coming, I loved being kept on my feet.

Also, I loved Whit. I thought he was the perfect love interest for Inez and they complimented eachother well. I enjoyed the small moments we got to see from his point of view, and I hope we get to see more of that in the next book. I have so many questions! I also loved the elements of magic and alchemy.

But that last page...Isabel Ibañez how dare you do that to us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a review copy. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for a digital ARC. I didn't really know what to expect going into this book other than that it takes place in Egypt and the MC is from Argentina. I really enjoyed all the adventure. This book has The Mummy vibes but with some magical realism included. You could even say it's got some Indiana Jones vibes but not as much action. If you're expecting major fantasy elements, this probably isn't going to meet your expectations. I'd say it's more historical fictions with some magical realism. I liked that Inez is adventurous and willing to take risks. Whit was a fun character to get to know and I liked reading a little of his POV. There are some major plot twists that I didn't see coming and some other things that I expected. I don't want to give any spoilers so that's all I'll say about that, but the story keeps moving and I was intrigued enough to stay up late reading it. Just so you know, this book will leave you wanting book 2 asap and it doesn't even have a title yet. If you're okay with waiting for the sequel, I'd say go ahead and pick this one up.

I've struggled with this one. It has been a very slow story to start and at 25% I'm just not in the mood to be the right reader for this series. I've heard so much positivity around this story that I would encourage you to check out others' reviews. But do know, if it feels slow you aren't alone. I will give this another chance in the future.

The set-up for this story was immaculate. Just the banter between Inez and Whit... was *chef's kiss* was just so sassy for the timeline the author had provided. You wouldn't have expected that kind of sass from a proper lady in those days.

The book was pitched as "The Mummy meets Death on the Nile", and it lived up to the pitch. You can definitely visualize Whit as an English Rick O'Connell. Just more rugged and withdrawn. He chooses when he wants to open up.

Inez is a young girl whose parents chose to parent from overseas. She grew up wishing she was next to her parents in Cairo.

The search for Cleopatra's tomb and mysticism is the driving mystery of this title. The search for family and answers is what pushes Inez to do things she wouldn't have normally done in Argentina. The magic pulls everyone to Cairo.

Desperately waiting for the second installement to see what happens next to Whit and Inez.