Absolutely fun adventure with thrills, danger and romance! Not to mention betrayal! I had a great time reading this and look forward to the next.

Right off, I want to say "Thank you!" to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race."

The description of this book had me hooked from the very first moment I saw it on Goodreads and floating around Bookstagram. I cannot explain the amount of desire I had to read this book. This was increased by reading the author's previous work, Together We Burn, which was AMAZING.
That being said, unfortunately, this one wasn't a slam dunk. I do wonder if it has to do with the excessive hype surrounding it getting my hopes up just a little too high.
While I find the comparison to The Mummy fantastic for marketing, I do wonder if readers will be expecting Rick and Evie to the point where they will not be able to enjoy Whit and Inez for who they are and for their story.

Inez is a vivacious, strong character, who always goes the whole-hog in everything she does. I love the fact that she is from Buenos Aires. I love the Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout. While I didn't relate to her personality-wise, she did remind me of a few of my very best friends. (Her escapes were particularly amusing.)

I wanted to like Whit, but I'm not sure I do. He seems too "perfect" physically. Actually, most of the characters seem this way. (Where's my ugly people at?) Most people I know aren't all tall, toned, etc. People have big noses, ears that stick out, crooked teeth, are short, awkwardly tall, lanky, carry a little weight around the middle, and such. While those things aren't seen as "Hot Main Character" traits, those little "one-off" things often make people more interesting and attractive. Whit just didn't seem very substantial. The main thing I picked up about him was that he likes to lean and slouch against doors and walls.

Whit and Inez's chemistry was awkward to me. Their banter was witty and rapid-fire - almost to the point of excess. (As I was reading a few of their dialog scenes, I was strongly reminded of The Gilmore Girls.) While there were some really good lines in there, I didn't find it realistic. Most people I know are either not witty enough, not vulnerable enough, or not honest enough for that type of quick conversation.

There were a couple of characters that I was very interested in and wanted more detail/more time with.
Isadora was by far the most interesting character I met in the book. Isadora's Present might be my favorite scene of the entire book.
Kareem was set up to be very interesting, but left me confused. I wasn't sure how old he was. When the story started, I thought he would be an older teenager. Towards the end, I questioned if he was a very young teenager.
Farida caught my attention, but left me confused when she disappeared.

There were a lot of repetitive descriptions (the slouching/leaning thing, dainty shrugs) which distracted me. As many descriptions as there were, I had a hard time picturing things and keeping track with the story. I kept having to pause and go back to figure out and reset the scene in my mind.

I don't think Whit's POV chapters would be necessary if Inez's POV chapters had been fleshed out just a little bit more, but that's just personal preference. Dual POV's just aren't my favorite.

Lastly, there 100% needs to be a trigger warning about THAT scene. While it may not bother some, I do know people who would not/could not handle that particular scene well.

I do feel like the bones of this story are good and it has the potential to be a solid story. I will be re-reading once it officially comes out to see if my opinions still stand. I may attempt the audiobook to see if it makes the story come alive a little more for me.
I also realize with this being a duology, some things are not solved because it's just not their time in the story yet, so I've put down the second book on my TBR list.
I find Isabel Ibanez to be a very creative and imaginative writer and I love her use of diverse characters. I look forward to reading more of her works.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this ARC. I absolutely loved this novel. It had action, adventure, and romance. This book is colorful and filled different cultures, and locations. The main character is a strong female who takes risks to figure out what happened to her parents by traveling to an unknown country. I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Strong female lead, immersive adventure, witty banter and treasure hunting.

Inez is the daughter of explorers who have fallen in love with their work and for years chosen that over her. Desperate for answers after they disappear and are presumed dead - she falls (quite literally) into the world they left behind in Egypt.

What worked- how real the characters feel, the research and presentation of 19th century Egypt and the multiple hooks at the end of the story. I will be holding my breath to find out more.
What didn’t work- not enough explanation of the magic or it’s connection to everything else it almost felt like a side thought

What the River Knows is a fun YA read but BE WARNED this is book 1 of a series! I don't know how I missed that but by 90% in it was clear that we were building to some inevitable cliff hanger that I hadn't been prepared for. The writing was interesting as was the setting, although the magic system didn't feel fully formed and the story seemed to drag at times. I will be reading what comes next, however, regardless of these issues, which is as good of a sign for a book as anything.

What The River Knows is probably my favorite book Isabel Ibanez has written so far ; Before I even made it to the 40% mark I was strongly hoping for another book in this series.

The first few chapters were a little slow for me but once I made it to the over all story line it went by so fast .

I really enjoyed all of the characters, there were particular scenes and events that hurt my heart.

This story is great if you love history, artifacts, Egypt, clean romance, grumpy yet likeable characters , murder mystery , if you like movies such as Indiana Jones . There were some Jane + her dad vibes from Tarzan..

The series that I would probably compare it to would be Curse of the Spector Queen by Samantha Knox except we get a gorgeous , sassy latina as the lead character .

There is a bit of a cliff hanger at the end...and I hope it's forgivable. What The River Knows would be a great study for any book group/club. I can't wait for book two !

I wish I enjoyed this more than I did! The description, the start of the book, the magic, and the initial introduction to characters were perfect. However, the plot diminished reading about our plucky heroine, Inez, and the other characters like her parents, uncle, and broody romantic interest.

There were very abrupt character appearances as well as characters who received plenty of page time without contributing much to the actual story. The plot twists could be seen a mile away. Considering magical items are integral to the plot, there was a lack of worldbuilding with the magical system. Overall, this was a promising book that failed to deliver.

That being said, the writing is great and it was intriguing enough to keep me interested. And the cliff hanger at the end?? If there is a another book, I'm likely to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read What the River Knows!

The actual fantasy aspect of this book was amazing - you could really see the extensive research the author put into Egyptian history and mythology. However, I thought the rivals to lovers aspect was way too instantaneous for it to count as rivals to lovers. Inez was also painfully stupid --- like PAINFULLY. But I do know that's a critical component of YA literature in general, so I am choosing to take that with a grain of salt. All in all, it was a quick and enjoyable read but nothing too memorable.

My rating: 4.5/5 stars
Age/rating: Older YA historical fiction/fantasy

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

Wow. This book was a refreshing, immersive and exciting adventure that I’m honestly sad is over. It has magic, romance, mystery, and twists around every corner.

To make matters worse, I now have to wait five months longer than everyone else to read the 2024 sequel…

The ADVENTURE: Follow Inez, the stubborn, plucky heroine from Argentina whose independence definitely gets her into trouble, as she travels to 19th-century Egypt to uncover the truth behind her parents’ mysterious deaths. Enter Whit, the attractive, irritatingly secretive and flirtatious British hero with a tortured past, who also happens to work for Ricardo, Inez’s stern uncle with a passion for Egypt’s history and a quick temper. I’ll still be thinking about these characters for a while!

The ROMANCE: I love Inez and Whit and all their rivals-to-lovers adorableness. You will definitely be swooning over Whit. This slow-burn romance is squeal-worthy and the banter in this book is *chef’s kiss* perfection!

The WORLDBUILDING: This book sucked me in to the world of late 19th century Egypt. I know the author did extensive research and fact-checking (she even got to go on a three-week research trip!) and it shows. The details were immaculate and now I desperately want to time travel and visit Egypt. Plus, who didn’t have at least a brief “wants to uncover archeological discoveries in Egypt” phase? 😂

I also enjoyed the emphasis the author placed on the fact that for a good chunk of time, the people of Egypt weren’t allowed to govern themselves or participate very much in uncovering their own history! I was exceedingly peeved at the British and French men in charge of government and archeological discoveries in this book (and rightly so). I love that Inez felt the same way.

The PLOT TWISTS: I guessed the first major plot twist (I was proud of myself), but it definitely didn’t feel “too predictable” to me, and there were more where that came from! The ending?? Let’s just say it was an expert-level cliffhanger that will make those of you who hate waiting for book two pretty mad 😆

It took me a little while to become friends with the writing style, and it started out a little slow-paced, but by halfway through everything had picked up, the writing style was flowing a lot better for me, and I was hooked.

Of course, this was an uncorrected proof, so I think another round of proofreading will polish up it up nicely! There were some errors and a couple minor inconsistencies,

Now, my personal disclaimers:
Like I said before, the beginning was a little slow and it took me a little while to feel invested in the story and the characters’ problems. I also wish the magic system was a touch more fleshed out, and I personally didn’t enjoy the language (though it definitely made sense given Whit’s character). For that, this book didn’t quite reach five stars for me!

I am invested in this story and can’t wait to eventually read book two! For lovers of historical fantasy, adventure, slow-burn romance, and ancient Egypt, you need to preorder this book!

⚠️ language (d*mn, several s-words and a few f-words), a few instances of shooting violence, a brief scene in a brothel (nothing actually happens), kidnapping, frequent drinking

🌶 plenty of tension and desire throughout, a few sweet kisses, a brief makeout scene that gets a little handsy but not very descriptive

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press/ Wednesday books for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this historical fantasy novel. It had good pacing and the character interactions were highly entertaining. The exchanges between Whit and Inez definitely gave off similar vibes to Rick & Eve from the Mummy. I found the "mystery" intriguing and it pulled me through the story. I wasn't surprised by any revelations but was entertained nevertheless. And with how it ended, I am going to have to read the next one to see what happens. This being a YA, it followed stereotypical YA conventions - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't normally gravitate towards these kinds of books. The descriptions of Egypt and all the historical references and fusion of magic is what really sold the book to me. That was atmospheric and vivid.

A young girl who thought she lost her parents has been learning the hard way that no one can be trusted. I absolutely loved how this story played out. And that cliffhanger!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.75 | 😘=3 | 🤬=3.5 | ⚔️=4.5 | 15+

summary: girl goes to Egypt because her parents died and there's a magical ring and ancient artifacts and tombs and also she falls in love with an unreasonably attractive English guy because YA

thoughts: this was fun!! most of the twists were predictable and/or disappointing, but the very very end definitely caught me off guard, and I had a genuinely good time reading a regurgitation of the three YA fantasy male love interests. the world building was also pretty cool, so... overall a good time, I guess? like I wouldn’t buy this, but I’d definitely put it on hold at the library, and I'm definitely looking out for the sequel :)

Isabel Ibanez does not fail with her writing. Her books are just magical, from the characters to the actual storyline. They are just phenomenal. I could not put this one down!

i loved the south american influence and the characters were so real! will definitely be reading this author’s work in future

dnf at 30% comparable to the mummy (or so i’ve heard) but she just wasn’t doing it for me at the moment :(

maybe i’ll come back to it eventually!

I think this book had a very strong start. It was very fast paced and kept my interest. I love Ancient Egyptian History so the setting was absolutely fascinating. I loved the electric chemistry between Inez and Whit. The ending leads me to believe there will be a follow up book to this. I think the part that didn't quit work for me was when Inez first finds out her mother is alive. I thought it was done a bit abruptly and left a bunch of plot holes in the story. I also wanted to know more about Whit's background. Who was he engaged to? Overall I enjoyed reading this. Thank you for the ARC!

Spoiler Alert- if you love YA books and The Mummy (Movie), you will probably love this book.

What the River Knows is a historical adventure set in Eqypt with action and magic intertwined. The characters were well-developed and the writing was very enjoyable. It is very geared towards the YA audience, but I know adults who read YA will also enjoy this story. I did find the pacing a little slow for me, but this is clearly a setup for a larger story. My one wish is that it had more puzzle solving. I was hoping for a lot of Dan Brown/Curse of the Specture Queen level sleuthing, but that was not the intent of this book.

Overall, I can totally see myself recommending this in the future.

Inez Olivera travels to Egypt following the news of her parents' tragic demise in the desert. She seeks answers as to how they lost their lives and what they were seeking. However, she soon finds many more questions as a dashing young man named Whitford Hayes attempts to send her right back home to Argentina, by order of her Uncle.

Inez's curiosity and adventurous spirit do not allow her to leave without her answers. She finds her way to her parents' disheveled hotel room, only to find more clues about whom she can and can not trust. Inez begins to feel a strong pull to stay and join her Uncle Ricardo's mysterious archaeological dig. Tingles of magic and a deep connection with an ancient Pharaoh lead her to discover even more clues, all the while falling for the intriguing young man keeping her uncle's secrets.

The action of this novel does not fully pick up until halfway through the book, but by then it is a wild ride to the end. There are so many plot twists that I did not expect, and some that were fairly predictable. The mysteries seem endless and left me wanting a sequel as soon as possible.

When they compare this to The Mummy, they aren’t lying! I definitely got a Mummy vibe from this book and really enjoyed it. This book kept my attention and kept me wanting to read more to figure out what was going to happen. There is a huge cliffhanger and I really hope there is another book! Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

This book was written in such a flow-y way, I got sucked into it right from chapter one. It's first pov narration by two MCs (but predominantly one of them), and it was so fascinating to follow their journey in this book.

This book also has one of the best historical fiction plotlines I've read! It's set in early 1900s Egypt (colonized by the British, French etc.), following a band of archaeologists (from various countries including Argentina, Britain, Egypt) who want to save some key Egyptian artefacts from being sold off to the colonizers. I love Egyptian mythology, and I loved this plotline which focussed on Cleopatra, as well as some of Egyptian gods she and her family were compared to.

Most of the narration is done by Inez, and I love her so much?? She had so much stacked against her, and I loved her guts and her drive to do the right thing. And I love loved her emotional journey, I can't wait to see where her story goes in book 2.

Also, what was that ending??? Twist after twist after twist in the last 30%, including a heartbreaking betrayal, and a devastating death 😭 not to mention the new shocker the epilogue threw at the reader (I NEED TO WAIT UNTIL BOOK 2 TO GET THAT RESOLVED, WHYYYYY 😭)

Also last but not the least, the romance!! The banter 😭 it's enemies to "okay, the other person is not gonna go away, they're a nuisance", to grudging respect to friends to lovers, and this dialogue pretty much summarises their evolving relationship:
Inez: I have an idea.
Whit: Have I told you how much I live in terror of your ideas?

If you like reading historical fiction (say, like These Violent Delights), read this one!

TWs - death of parents and sibling, gun violence, violence against animals (to be specific, crocodiles), person almost killed by a crocodile when they fall into a river (putting this here, coz I'm terrified of crocodiles, so in case you are too, you need this TW)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!