This is my first Historical Fantasy read! As a kid who grew up obsessed with The Mummy I don't know why it took me so long to lean into this genre. Isabel's writing style really created a beautiful atmosphere with in-depth details about surroundings. I love feeling like I'm standing by the MC's. There was complicated character dynamics, mystery, action, adventure and a relentless slow burn romance. I love that the cliffhanger left room for multiple angles for sequels. I'll be so excited to pick up the next!

Thank you NetGalley & Wendesday Books for providing me with an eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

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Rating: 4.5 ⭐️


I’m SCREAMING!!! What was that ending, I’m questioning everything right now 😭


Inez Olivera has only ever wished for one thing and that was to explore Egypt with her parents, as she has always been forced to stay behind in Argentina. Unfortunately, her hopes of going to Egypt with her parents vanish when she receives a letter confirming their untimely demise in the desert. Despite being heartbroken, Inez takes this as a sign to go onwards to Egypt and find out for herself why her parents were so in love with a country that ended in tragedy. She goes on to face countless deceptions, adventure, and possibly, love?


This story definitely gave me major The Mummy vibes with a slice of magic that left me entranced✨

At multiple points I felt so bad for Inez because she didn’t know who to trust and kept getting betrayed by those that she allowed to get close. Whit though, was such a well written male mc. We got dual povs!!! He was charming and frustrating at times, but he always came through for Inez when it counted.

*No spoilers* but what was that ending!! I need answers 😩

read for an adventure filled with betrayal, heartbreak, romance, and historical excavations!


*thank you NetGalley for an early e-copy in return for an honest review*

So much mystery and intrigue with captivating characters and writing! Isabel Ibañez does it again with her prose!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a historical YA fantasy for fans of travel adventure stories. The story revolves around Inez, a 17 year-old heiress in Argentina. When her explorer parents die unexpectedly, Inez inherits a fortune and a guardian. Soon, she's off on her own adventure of magic, action, and romance in Egypt. Along the way, she discovers that her parents' deaths may not have been as accidental as everyone believes.

Here is a lovely excerpt from the Prologue:

"I’d remember they were in Egypt.
A country they adored, a place they called home for half the year. For as long as I could remember, their bags were always packed, their goodbyes as constant as the rising and setting of the sun.
...
The trip was too dangerous for me, they said. The voyage long and arduous. For someone who had stayed in one place for most of her life, their yearly adventure sounded divine. Despite the troubles they’d faced it never stopped them from buying another ticket on a steamship sailing from the port of Buenos Aires all the way to Alexandria. Mamá and Papá never invited me along.
Actually, they forbade me from going."

Overall, What the River Knows is a wonderful historical fantasy that will appeal to older fans of the Vesper Holly series by Lloyd Alexander. One highlight of this book is the exotic location. I loved reading about different countries that I've never been to. Another highlight is the explosive ending, which made so excited to read the sequel.

If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that I wish that the book had more fantasy. There were some fantastical elements, but they were more like props and not central to the main plot. This made me less interested in the story. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of historical fantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in November!

Indiana Jones meets Agatha Christie in a captivating fun adventure imbued with mystery and magical realism. The heroine, Inez is a great heroine: smart, strong-willed, resourceful, who is not overtly flawless. Her inherent curiosity (result of her relatively protected upbringing) coupled with a stubbornness to find answers about what happened to her parents made her into the kind of heroine that it's easy to root for, and loved following her character development throughout the book. The budding romance between her and Whit was flirty, funny and altogether swoon-worthy. Their banter is one of the best parts of the book. Ibañez paints an intriguing setting in Egypt without falling into the regular exoticism (and racist) traps. The side-characters also offered a wonderful tapestry of interest. Very much looking forward to the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading this title in exchange for an honest review.

This books was STUNNING and everything I wanted in a book marketed The Mummy meets Death in the Nile. The characters had depth, developed and breathed true life from their stories. I cannot recommend this book enough!!!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5301825632

I was so excited to receive an early copy of this book! The Mummy is easily one of my favorite action movies from my childhood. I really liked our main character, Inez. She was determined and strong willed and had a lot of spunk. I will admit that the story is quite slow moving, for a large portion of the book. However, once you get to the end it gets twisty. Whit and Inez’s banter was perfect, I found myself smiling at many of their interactions, especially as their friendship progressed and seemed to become a little more. Overall I think this was a great start to the series, but could have been faster moving for my taste. Will still probably check out the sequel because I’m invested!

The first time I heard the blurb for What The River Knows, I was HOOKED. Because who doesn’t love The Mummy and Death on the Nile?? And the blurb was NOT WRONG. It is somehow a perfect mashup of both, with mysterious magic and new secrets around every corner. Add in a s l o w-burn forbidden romance and you’ve basically got Heidi catnip. Egyptian history and a fascinating magic system make for an amazing mix, and I absolutely recommend this book. It’s definitely my favorite Isabel Ibañez book yet, and I’ve been a fan since her debut.

If you love action and adventure and romance, YOU NEED THIS BOOK.

I need the sequel. Preferably yesterday.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and a review was not required. All opinions are my own. .

Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for sending me a copy of What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez before publishing.
All thoughts spoken are my own.

GR rating: 5 ⭐'s
My rating: 5 ⭐'s

Inez Olivera belongs to the upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and much like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been mainly left behind/forgotten.
Inez wants one thing- to adventure with her parents to Egypt where they frequent for months every year. When she receives word of their tragic death, she does the only thing she can think of, and boards a ship to Cairo armed with her sketch pad and a golden ring her father had sent her for safekeeping before his passing. But when she docks, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path that raises more questions about what really happened to her parents.
Being thwarted at every turn by her uncles handsome assistant, Inez must rely on the ancient magic to get answers.

This book. This absolutely amazing, wonderful book. I have no words to describe how thoroughly I enjoyed this read. The writing was intoxicating and beautiful. The history. The adventure. The betrayal. THE FORBIDDEN ROMANCE(low key obsessed with Whit). Everything about it drew me in.

I laughed. I cried. And I cried again. It's taken me nearly 2 weeks to be able to process everything and sit down to write my thoughts. I have still not recovered (THAT CLIFF HANGER. HOW COULD YOU)

I loved absolutely everything about this book. Hands down one of my favourite reads. I will be (im)patiently waiting for that sequel because I am NOT OK after that epilogue.

1000% recommend this book, regardless on if you like historical fiction or not (which I don't normally, but I'm obsessed with this book). What The River Knows cemented Ibañez as an instant buy author for me.

Releasing November 14th 2023

From the minute I read “The Mummy meets Murder on the Nile” I knew I would enjoy this book, and ended up loving it. Egyptian history, a soft magic system, angsty love interest, stubborn headstrong MC, slow burn romance with a lot of witty banter, all so perfectly done in What the River Knows. I adored Whit, his back story is so intriguing and I loved the slow reveal of who he was as a person. Inez is such a fun MC, she doesn’t back down but also isn’t afraid to show where her weaknesses are. It contains a complicated family dynamic that just has you on the edge of your seat. The glimpses of the magic system were so interesting and the way the author describes the scenery within the book was so beautiful. There were so many twists and turns I didn’t know what to really expect and oh my word that ending! I can’t believe I’ll have to wait so long for the next installment, but it will definitely be worth the wait, definitely one to add to your list if you love Historical YA with touches of magic. I also appreciated the romance keeping within the threshold of YA with a few steamy kisses but nothing beyond that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an early copy to review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @stmartinspress @wednesdaybooks for an eARC of @isabelwriter09 ‘s WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS!

I’ll be thinking about this book for a long time. I finished it 24 hours ago and I can’t get it out of my head. What the River Knows is rich in culture and history, thrilling adventure, a heart pounding mystery, and a swooning “off limits” romance. You’ll fall in love with Inez and Whit and, with every turn of the page, root for them more and more. And that dedication page 🥹

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Add to your TBR immediately!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

3,5 rating.

Inez hasn't seen her parents in years, and when word comes that they have passed, she travels to Egypt to find out what happened to them.

A fun, adventurous, historical read. Some nice twists and turns and slow burn romance.

The author did a good job of making this time period come alive, and I enjoyed the characters. Knew something wasn’t quite “right” from early on, but didn’t expect the ending. Was actually quite frustrated by the end, so if this doesn’t have a sequel this will ultimately be an unsatisfying read! Maybe only read up to the epilogue!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Inez Olivera is an intrepid young Bolivian-Argentinian woman living with her aunt and cousins in Buenos Aires, left behind by parents who journey to Egypt multiple times a year for reasons unknown. When she receives word that her parents have been lost in the desert and are presumed dead, Inez travels across the Atlantic, determined to unravel the mystery of their disappearance. But upon arrival in Egypt, she is met with resistance by their business partner, her Tío Ricardo, who refuses to answer any of her questions and insists she return home to Argentina at once for her own safety. With malevolent forces hot on her heels and danger lurking around every corner, Inez is thrust into an adventure filled with ancient mysteries, old world magic, and a dash of romance.

This was such a fun adventure to read! I loved the premise—ancient Egypt, magic, and a rivals-to-lovers romance? Sign me up.

I loved cultural patchwork of this story, reflective of the vibrant yet contentious cultural melting pot that was Egypt at the turn of the century due to tourism and, yes, colonialism. And I really enjoyed the dynamic between Whit and Inez. They had very practical reasons not to trust each other despite their palpable attraction, and as we know, with high stakes comes great sexual tension. Their slow-burn romance was very effectively done.

This is a YA novel, though, so some readers may find the plot twists to be a bit predictable (although I was definitely not prepared for that epilogue, which leaves us on a major cliffhanger and has me dying to read the inevitable sequel). Because I don’t read much YA, I had a hard time telling whether this predictability was due to the nature of the genre, or if Inez was really just that oblivious most of the time, or if it was just clumsy storytelling.

My biggest gripe with the book was the pacing, which was way too slow for an adventure novel. The magic system and world building relied on info dumps that stilled any rising momentum to a halt, and it was really difficult to get the ball rolling again once it slowed down. It often got bogged down in unnecessary details that, to me, came off more as self-serving proof of the author’s interest rather than essential information for the reader. While the bare bones of the story are exciting and intriguing, the reading experience is a bit clunky and uneven.

I’d recommend this book for readers who enjoy ancient Egypt, exotic adventures, and a solid forbidden romance. The execution wasn’t perfect, but this book was lots of fun and I highly look forward to reading the sequel!

Thank you @wednesdaybooks for the e-arc of this amazing release!

Here’s what I loved:
• the Egyptian setting was so
immersive
• lots of twists and turns
• reluctant/forbidden romance
• ancient magic
• adventure and betrayal

This book was unlike anything I’ve read before. It was so unique and addictive, full of fiery romance, tombs, magic, and that end? I am not ok.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★/5
Steam: make outs
TW: murder, death, blood, language

What the River Knows is a historical fantasy that is set In Egypt and is filled with action, and rivals to romance storyline. The setting was described beautifully, and I enjoyed hearing about locations around Egypt.

Inez is a strong-willed character who is determined to find out what happened to her parents and continues to defy her uncles orders to find the answers she seeks. Whit works for Inez's uncle and has been tasked with looking out for her. Inez gives Whit trouble every step of the way. Inez and Whit are at odds with each other in the beginning, they are constantly bickering with one another and as the book progresses their relationship starts to shift.

This was a pretty steady paced book filled with action, magic, twists, and betrayal. A fun read with a cliffhanger ending that leaves me eager for the next book.

What's not to like about an artless but spirited heroine, a dusty and magic-tinged adventure through 19th century Egypt, and a sprinkling of forbidden romance? If you said nothing, then you'd be right.

This is a rich and immersive historical fantasy that follows Inez Olivera as she hops a ship from Buenos Aires to Cairo after learning of her parents' tragic deaths. She arrives in Egypt armed with nothing but a sketchbook and an ancient ring her father sent her, determined to find answers about what happened to them. However, not long after she arrives, the ring's magic pulls her into a world of archaeology, ancient Egyptian history, and secrets about her parents that are much more dangerous than she was led to believe.

Overall, it's a fun, fast-paced adventure.

Inez is relentless, sassy, and willing to challenge the status quo of both her life and the era she lives in, so she's easy to champion as a character. And her dynamic with Whit, resident enigma-with-a-gentleman's-soul, is fire from their first exchange. They're infuriating (to each other) in the best way.

Even her relationship with Tío Ricardo is nuanced, with many shades and unraveling layers.

It all makes for a sweeping good time. Watch out for that cliffhanger at the end, though! It'll take the feet out from under you like quicksand.

3.5 stars

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my review.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez

416 Pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Release Date: November 14, 2023

Fiction, Historical Fiction, 1880s, Teens, Young Adult, Archeology, Egypt, Argentina

Inez Olivera lives in a beautiful mansion on a great estate in Argentina with her aunt and two cousins. Her parents spend six months every year in Egypt excavating. This year is no different, but Inez has a plan. Instead of wanting to choose a husband and settle down like other young women her age, she decides to travel alone to Egypt in 1884.

When she arrives in Egypt, she meets her Uncle’s assistant Whit at the ship docks. His plan is to put her back on the boat and send her back to Argentina, but Inez has other plans. She leaves him with all her belongings, hoping he is a gentleman and will take care of them, and takes a train to the hotel she knows her parents always stay while they are in Cairo.

The book has a steady pace, the characters are developed, and it is written in first person point of view. I love Inez and her plucky attitude. There are not many people that would just pick up and travel halfway across the world on their own. Her downfall is her faith in others. The book has the same quirkiness as the The Mummy movie but with the twists of Hercule Poirot. If you like historical fiction, you will enjoy reading this book.

What. A. Ride.

First of all with the setting, Egypt in the 1800. What an amazing time/place to write a book. The magic system was subtle and well thought out, the characters we lovable/hate-able to the right degrees, the family dynamics made me feel a lot of things. I trusted no one for the whole book and I’m still not sure what is going to happen in the next one. The heartbreak and slow burn were real people! Definitely give this one a try if you like anything I mentioned above!

As promised in the description of the book- this IS like The Mummy meets Death on the Nile. This was my first Ibañez book, but won't be my last.

I really enjoyed the characters and their trials & tribulations, the love story, and the setting. This is well written and easily consumed.

The cliffhanger ending has me sad I have to wait for the next installment, but I am excited for it nonetheless. What a wonderful YA story that will still appeal to adults as well.

TYSM for letting me be an ARC reader for this one.