This book immediately pulled me in. I was so immersed right away. We learn that Inez's parents have always spent half the year in Egypt digging and looking for ancient artifacts, and the other half in Argentina with Inez. One year, instead of her parents coming home, she gets a letter from her uncle who also lives in Egypt saying her parents had gotten lost in the desert and died. Inez needs to know why, so she runs away from her aunt who she lives with and makes her way to Egypt. This book takes place in the 1800's, so she needs to hide and pretend she's a widow since girls aren't supposed to travel alone.
I was so invested in Inez's journey to Egypt to find out what happened to her parents. But once she got there, the intrigue really slowed down. It wasn't boring, but I just wasn't as intrigued as I was at the beginning. By the end, I really needed to know what happened though, so the intrigue was back.
I liked the characters, Inez was very independent and determined to do whatever it took to get answers out of anyone about her parents. Once Inez gets to Egypt she meets Whit who works for her uncle. I liked his character as well. He tried to be this scary person (and partly was), but he had another side to him as well.
We get almost all of the story from Inez's POV, but randomly we would get a very short POV from Whit. It felt kind of weird since they were so short and very sparse. I wish it was either more 50/50, or not at all.
There was magic in this book that had a really interesting premise. There were certain items that were made with magic long in the past. The less people to handle them, the more potent the magic remains. I wish this magic system was explained better, or incorporated more into the story. It's not mentioned a ton, so I'm hoping it gets more page time in the next book.
There were several plot twists in this book, I felt like I guessed the "big" one very early on and I feel like Inez should have also, but I can see why she didn't. There were several at the very end that had me guessing which made it exciting.
While I'm hoping a few things are changed and expanded upon in the second book, I really can't wait to read it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Inez is devastated when her parents die while on an excursion in Egypt. Looking for answers, she travels there, alone, to meet up with her uncle. While there, she is met with Whit, her uncle's associate, who intrigues and infuriates her like no other. Egypt doesn't give up her secrets easily, and neither does her uncle, but Inez is determined to discover what happened to her parents.

I loved this book. While there were moments in the beginning and middle that were a little slow, overall, it was a book that had me absorbed in the narrative and wanting more. It's one of those books that you don't want to end, and when it does, you need more. I can't wait for the next one!

Inez Olivera enjoys a good life among the wealthy set in late-19th-century Buenos Aires. She loves her cousins, one of whom is her best friend. But she misses her parents half the time — they travel every year for six months to Egypt, their second home. Not only does she miss having them around, but she is frustrated that they never take her along. Inez yearns to travel to exotic locations; she’d love to see this place they hold so dear.

Then Inez gets a letter from her uncle, whose archaeological expeditions her parents had been funding. He tells her they have gone missing in the desert and must be dead. She’s devastated, but she can’t simply stay put and accept that they’re gone. She packs her bags, leaves a note for her aunt and boards a ship to Egypt. When she arrives, her uncle insists she cannot stay. While 19-year-old Inez has inherited her parents’ riches, her uncle is in charge of that money until she is older. She has to listen to what he says.

Or not. Inez manages to keep finding ways to elude a journey back to Argentina, even when her uncle assigns his annoying (but handsome and charming-when-he-wants-to-be) assistant to make sure she gets on the ship. She wants so much to go on this next expedition with her uncle; it’s secret and clearly important. Inez’s father had sent her an antique ring that had some magic attached to it, and she’s putting together clues that tell her it must all have to do with Cleopatra. And she knows she can help: the magic in the ring has attached to her and she could sense more that may be connected to that legendary queen.

Her uncle doesn’t want Inez in danger, and she has no idea just how much she is in for once she does get herself on the expedition. It’s not clear whom she can trust: indeed, it’s as clear as the muddy river water.

This is my first time reading a book by Isabel Ibañez. Another reviewer on Rated Reads has read two of her young adult fantasies: Woven in Moonlight and Written in Starlight. What the River Knows had a bit stronger content than those two (so it was more than I was expecting); neither had any strong language. I’d say while this is officially young adult I’d almost call it “new adult.” I enjoyed the book, and I was definitely turning pages quickly toward the end, as the action got intense and some of the mystery played out. But there were times in the first half that I wasn’t quite as engaged in it as I may have expected to be. Perhaps because the characters fell into categories so easily: feisty, stubborn heroine; handsome and charming hero with a difficult past who may or may not be trustworthy. Toward the end, they felt a bit more real to me, but it took a while. I was also super disappointed to figure out about 85% of the way through that this was going to be the first in a series and the story would not conclude here. It’s good to know that ahead of time.

I wish I could give an entire review bc this book was brilliant, however due to SMP’s silence on their employees racist and harmful rhetoric I cannot review publicly

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez was such a good and entertaining read. I couldn't get enough of it and I will have to patiently wait for another book. The characters felt real, the setting was done so well and overall, the story kept me entertained.

I was excited for this book, and while I did enjoy the concept and theme of the book I found myself losing interest at times.

Lets start with the good. I enjoyed the descriptions of Egypt, the magical elements, the mythology, and the depiction of archaeologists. The last third of the book was when it picked up and became more interesting with twists and betrayal and that was when I became more invested in the book.

I expected a bit more magic in this book, but it felt more like just a few touches here and there. Not enough to call this book a fantasy. The pacing was also slow and I didn't feel like there was any progress to the mystery or any action for a long while. Certainly no "The Mummy" vibes as it was marketed. There was a lot of back and forth and too much repetitiveness.

I did not care for the romance at all. I didn't feel the chemistry between the characters beyond some cliche descriptions, it felt forced.
Also, having Whit's POV to me added nothing to the story. Inez was not an enjoyable MC to me, her stubbornness and immaturity made her ignorant and annoying a lot of the time to me.

I did enjoy the historical aspects of this book, but overall it fell flat for me and I don't think I will be reading the next one.

I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

OH WOW TALK ABOUT CLIFFHANGERS. Okay, obviously I won’t give anything away (besides the fact that this ends on a cliffhanger, sorry) but I was so taken by this book. I read it in a day because I could not stop thinking about it.

This book is described as “The Mummy meets Death on the Nile” and yep, that’s accurate. The magic is fascinating, the story is engaging, and the romance is slow-burning and swoony. Inez has my heart and I just want to hug her and be her friend. Plus, the setting? 1800s Egypt? Ibanez wrote such beautiful descriptions that I felt like I was there. Just like This Poison Heart, this story has so many twists and turns, and many that I absolutely didn’t see coming. I don’t want to wait until the next one, but I’m excited that there WILL be a sequel!

I really wanted to like this and thought the summary/premise sounded amazing. The reality wasn’t as good as I’d hoped though. By chapter 7 I was still super bored and uninterested and decided to DNF. The writing felt stilted and unrealistic. I also didn’t quite understand the tie to Egypt when the narrator was from South America.

Thanks anyway for the ARC.

I don’t know how to embed gifs in a review but if you could please picture Dwight screaming into the camera in the conference room of The Office I would appreciate it.

First off, thank you so much to Isabel Ibañez, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for my eARC of this book. All thoughts are my own, and I have a lot so buckle up. Spoiler free!!

I loved Inez’s character so much. New to a country she’s never been to outside of her studies, she’s fierce, resilient, and headstrong, but also occasionally naive as we learn along the way, so really she’s just real.

I loved the way this story was told and the incredible picture it painted in your mind. You really feel like you’re there as you’re reading, and I appreciate that. I also loved that this story was told from an occasional dual pov because Whit’s interjections were incredible and I think really added to the story, even when it was just one line.

WHITFORD HAYES. Lord have mercy I was already in love and then he went and did the “touch her again and I will end your miserable life” and now I’m simply just a puddle in the floor. I need to know what the next line of the letter says!!!

The last 30%(?) of this book is insane and I loved every second even as I was crying through some of it. My mind is reeling trying to figure out what just happened and I cannot wait for an announcement for book two.

This was an interesting adventure of a story. If you love light magic, light romance and a mystery surrounding artifacts and Cleopatra, then this story is definitely for you!

I liked the mc. She was a bit silly at times, running off on her own and never thinking of reputation or propriety, but she was determined and I liked her grit. The voyage and the hunt and search were fascinating and I liked the light touch of magic and the flashbacks. I found the romance just okay.

I did like the mystery! I was never sure who to trust and I thought the tension that built within the story was so fun and well done.

This one ends with a pretty big OH moment. It definitely has me wondering about book 2 and where this story will go. I look forward to grabbing it when it's out!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

Soooo fare warning readers... this what I thought was a standalone ends on one hell of a plot twist cliffhanger. Ibañez - this better be the first book in a series now because what. the. hell.?! I need to know what happens next immediately. Does that ending mean we now know who the spy was in the camp? What does the note mean?! OMG. We need answers.

Like others, I was immediately drawn to WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS as soon as I saw this was being repped as an historical fantasy set in Egypt with strong The Mummy vibes. I wish the magic system/history of it was explored more so that readers were given more context, but otherwise I really enjoyed a world of archeologists exploring Egypt in a world where the remnants of magic still exist to those who are open to it.

Inez and Whit made for great rivals to... something, and I spent a large part of the novel screaming for them to just kiss already. Whit is a perfect combination of intriguing and frustrating. I wasn't expecting this novel to have the plot twists that it does, so those were a pleasant surprise. Inez is spunky but also very much a sheltered teenager still grieving for the loss of her parents so she's messy at times. I also love that Ibañez provides space for exploring how colonization destroys the indigenous population, society, and history along with how British, etc "archeologists" had little regard for honoring local communities and their ties to the artifacts being uncovered and removed.

I will say that I think this title will interest adult readers much more than teens and think putting this in YA is going to mean it will miss a lot of readers that would love it. I also don't see many of my teen patrons being interested in it while I can think of many adult readers that this would be a perfect read for them.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.

OMG!!!! Wow, what a fun read. I absolutely loved Inez and her fierce determination. Her loyalty to those she loves reminded me a lot of myself. Whit was a mystery and I couldn’t quite nail down his motives. Their banter had me giddy!

I love this author’s writing style. It’s descriptive, atmospheric and lush. She transports you to into every world she creates. The story line is gripping and kept me wanting to read all day and night.

As a kid I was fascinated with Egyptian mythology (and Greek), so the minute I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it! Although I’m not as familiar with the topics anymore it brought up so many good memories for me.

WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS is packed full of epic adventure, magic, Egyptian history & mythology, secrets, mystery, lies, and a slow burn, forced proximity, reluctant lovers romance. I loved every second of it and I can’t wait, no I’m DYING for book 2.

If you made it this far you’re probably wondering why I rated it 4 and not 5 stars. Honestly the things that brought my rating down didn’t affect how much I enjoyed the book! There were a few parts that were slow, several plot points that felt a bit forced to me and I would have loved MORE magic.

Adventure, romance, and mystery intertwine in this new lush fantasy escape that will have you immersed in the wonders of Egypt and its rich history, buried treasures, and all.

Growing up, Inez’s parents ventured to Egypt for half of the year, leaving her with her aunt and cousins. After an extended time away, Inez receives word of a tragedy surrounding her parents and decides to travel across the seas herself to find out what happened to them. Once arriving in Egypt, she discovers there’s more to their disappearances than she ever thought possible.

I loved the idea of weaving together the thrilling adventure, beautiful scenery, and compelling mystery from some of my favorite stories—Death on the Nile and The Mummy. I 100% saw the vibes and was captivated by the exciting energy their inspiration brought to the novel. Ibañez wrote the setting and the details of the story meticulously and beautifully. I felt transported to Cairo and beyond.

I adore a tension-filled rivals-to-lovers love story, and this one was a great balance between angst, emotion, and romance. I can’t wait to see where it’s going to go in the next book and how this story will continue. After that mind-blowing ending, I am in desperate need of answers!!

3.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5/4 stars.

WHAT WAS THAT ENDING!!!!??? The last 15% of the book was what made it engaging to me.

Overall I will say I struggled to stay engaged through a majority of the book. I did find the plot to be dragged out a bit. I think originally this was pitched as a Mummy type book. However, it is more along the lines of Death on the Nile. This is a mystery/crime book based in Egypt. So I think if you are a fan of Egypt and Death on the Nile you will thoroughly enjoy this read.

I did enjoy our main character and her banter with Whit our characters main love interest. The overall magic system is simple and explained. It is also not really used in this book aside from helping to navigate Inez to finding Cleopatras tomb. So don’t expect much magic, this was a let down for me. I expected more magic and a mummy but we do not get that in this book.

All in all I will probably be picking up book two because of the ending, I need to see how the story finishes up and if Inez will figure everything out and what that means for her and Whit. Because….. I see a fight brewing on a lot of fronts.

A big thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to review this book!

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez is a book that filled a very special void in my heart. My academic history is in Ancient Near Eastern history, which also covers Egypt. Saying this, one of the book series that I've read ages ago was the Amelia Peabody series by Egyptologist Elizabeth Peters. This book was that exact feeling, but with a fresh twist.

What the River Knows plays out at the turn of the century, and follows Inez, a wealthy young girl from Buenos Aires, as she finds out her parents were killed while they were working on an Egyptian excavation that might lead to the location of Cleopatra's tomb. Inez is struggling to make sense of this sudden loss and sets out to Egypt, where her uncle is still working to find answers.

The story takes so many turns, and while it was a little bit slow at the beginning, the story definitely picks up. The cast of characters are so diverse - all with their own motivations. This was so well researched, and I really appreciate the effort that was put into making sure all the elements were accurate and that it was respectful to the history it portrayed - not just of Cleopatra and ancient Egypt, but of the country at that point in time as well.

I was not aware it was part of a series, but with the way it ended I'm hoping the next installment is on its way soon! I can't wait to see where this story leads!

I didn't realize this was YA when I first requested, but I'm glad for that because i may not have read it otherwise. It was exactly the kind of fast-paced, fun book with a touch of magic that is perfect for cozy Fall reading. I enjoyed the story and the twists, though some of the bad decision-making by the main character to make the plot move forward took me out of the story a few times. I've heard it compared to The Mummy, and it also gives some of the cute and funny vibes of Jungle Cruise. The plucky main character, Inez, makes the tone of the book feel light-hearted even though it's an adventure set up with dark secrets and a sad premise. Inez's archeologist parents - who have spent much of their lives in Egypt, leaving her behind over and over again to be raised in Buenos Aires - have mysteriously disappeared and are presumed dead. She travels to Egypt alone (no easy feat for a young woman in the 19th Century) to try to find out what happened to get closure - only to find herself in the midst of a fast-paced adventure. Because the tone was so fun and PG (like Jungle Cruise or The Mummy), I found myself really surprised at some of the darker turns and tragedies that happen toward the end of this book. It ends on a cliffhanger - which also surprised me, because I didn't realize it was the start of a series. But it was a happy surprise. I'll pick up the second installment to continue this story when it's available. A solid adventure story and I liked the added elements of magic that worked well with the old-world charm of this cozy mystery.

As soon as I saw this was "The Mummy meets" or inspired by The Mummy - I was fully on board! This was such a ride of exploration and wonder. It was incredible to get to know Inez and Whit and have the backdrop of Egypt add another level of intrigue to their romance. This was so fast-paced and was so jam-packed with adventure! That cliffhanger is a crime though! How am I expected to wait?!

I was really hoping to love this story more than I did, especially because I find Egyptian mythology to be fascinating, and reading the description of The Mummy meets Death of the Nile really made me think I would love this, especially because I enjoyed a previous book by this author. I also reread Death Comes at the End (Agatha Christie), which takes place in Ancient Egypt, so I was all set for a good ride. Sadly, I didn't quite get that with this book. It wasn't all terrible--it was still a decent read. But there were things that just left me feeling meh.

Part of it may have been the audiobook narration. I listened to and read along with the narration, and I think that made it easier. But the narrator's rendition of the main character, Inez Olivera, made her sound like a schoolgirl. I get that she's not that old, but still, she often ended up making me think she was 12, rather than almost 18. But I think it's also because of her actions. On the one hand, she was a strong-willed woman who knew what she wanted and was willing to throw convention into the wind so that she could go after it. From an educational standpoint, she was fairly learned, having been schooled in multiple languages, the general sciences, history, and she read a LOT. But she was also extremely naive and thought that just because she wanted something, it should happen. She also seemed to go from strong and strong-willed woman to weak little girl depending on the situation and that just got aggravating after a while.

A few times the narration was from Whit's point of view and a different narrator was used for him. But this only happened a few times, so although I'm glad they used a different voice, it was still jarring every time they switched to his point of view.

As for the chemistry between them--I just didn't quite feel it. We were told there was chemistry simmering between them, but something just felt off. Maybe because she spent most of the book thinking she couldn't trust him because they were on opposing sides?

And that ending--I was sooooo confused. It took me rereading it 5 times before I realized this must mean there would be a second book. But that ending seemed to come from nowhere, especially because that name only appeared once before (thank goodness for the search feature on ebooks) and even after I searched for it, I couldn't figure out what everything meant. I still am not 100% sure, but I suspect we'll learn more in the next book. If nothing else, I want to read the next book just so I can figure out what's going on.

So part of my rating may be because I was expecting so much more than what was delivered, but overall, I was left somewhat underwhelmed. Do I plan on reading the next one? Yes, probably so. I really do want to know what's going on. But I'm definitely hoping for more.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Withholding a review until the SMP Boycott is over. This is in no way the fault of author Isabel Inañez. But your readers want a response and action from Wednesday Books/St. Martin’s Press.