This was a slow read for me. So many pages are dedicated to describing the smallest details. Boat docks, city streets, table settings, rugs, tents, etc. Which really enhanced the feeling of being in Egypt, but didn't necessarily move the story forward. I need a little balance between imagery and pacing/plot progression.

Anywhooo... I liked it, it was okay. The 1 page epilogue was definitely the most intriguing aspect of the book. Whit just became much more interesting!

Wow. Okay. Where do I even begin?

Let's start with the cover. Kerri Resnick is a master crafter! That amazing cover was the first thing that caught my eye on NetGalley, so I have Kerri to thank for bringing this book to me. Her work is incredible. I’m usually a historical mystery girl, but that cover couldn’t be ignored, so I requested an eARC of this YA historical fantasy from Netgalley, which they kindly granted me.

This is the challenging part of the review. How do I tell you how outstanding the book was and how many feels it gave me and how many ways it kept me on my toes without spoiling things? It gave me all the feels and just when I thought I knew where we stood, everything shifted. And shifted. And shifted. It’s lovely. What a grand adventure!

Inez Olivera is a young woman on the cusp of adulthood in 19th Century Argentina. She misses her parents, absent half the year in Egypt, and longs to join them. But her hopes are dashed when a letter arrives, announcing their deaths instead of granting her permission to join them. And thus begins a wild, intriguing adventure in a whole new world as she searches for answers to their disappearance an ocean away. Along the way, she joins her guardian, Tio Ricardo, who may not be quite what he seems; and his infuriating, handsome, right hand man, Whitford Hayes, for the adventure of a lifetime. As others have said, this definitely gives off Indiana Jones vibes, if he were a sheltered, artistic heiress who doesn't know how to take no for an answer!

This is my first Isabel Ibañez book, but it definitely won’t be the last. She fashioned fascinating characters with depth and mystery, and a plot that kept me guessing the whole way through! I can’t even be mad about it - until the end. How dare the book end, leaving me to wait a whole year for its sequel?! I've grown quite fond of Inez and I want to see more of her story! It was a whole journey and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves ya fantasy, wants to learn more about historic Egypt, or enjoys will-they-won't-they romantic tension. Check out Netgalley for eARCs or pre-order ahead of its November 14 release!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

4/5

What The River Knows is an atmospheric YA historical fantasy, following our MC Inez as she travels Egypt for answers concerning her parents death.

This is a very stereotypical YA novel; which isn’t to say that it’s bad - it just follows YA genre patterns. Our MC is a very solid character, but nothing about her particularly stood out to me. I will say she did not get one break in this book and I felt so bad for her. Bad things upon bad things kept happening to her and no one was honest with her at all, they literally played her a fool a million times.
The plot is very linear, and there aren’t any stand out twists. The magic system is very soft and I found it to be a bit confusing because of how soft it was. I also feel like it was way to easy to do certain things plot wise, but that’s fine!
The romance isn’t really anything special; I didn’t really like Wes.
The setting of Egypt is quite vivid, and very well described.
All in all it’s a solid YA fantasy book!

I am fascinated with Egypt and things from the past so I had to have this book! This was a historical fantasy with romance. It was fast paced and took you right there. The descriptions were great and very in depth. I loved the story! Here’s to hoping for more!

I absolutely hated this book in the best way. I’d heard nothing but good things and man oh man it didn’t disappoint. I hated it ended on cliff hanger and left me wanting more.

Thank you netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this Book!!! Holy Moly was it amazing!! I love reading historical fiction and this book did not disappoint. I read this book in a day and a half. I could not put it down. I just had to know how it ends. I love all things magical and this is old magic in one!!! I loved every second of reading this book. This book felt like I was watching a movie!

Such an incredible and atmospheric book!!! I fell head first into this incredible story and was quickly swept away. It left me on the edge of my seat, wishing I had book two already!

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez is a beautiful book both in its writing style and in setting. The novel immediately brings you in and the story never lets up from start to finish. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat. The main character is a strong female and I really enjoyed getting to know her throughout the novel.

OH MY GOSSSHHHH I literally have no words. NO WORDS. But this is a review so I will try my best hahaha. Y'ALL. THIS BOOK. THAT ENDING--it gave me such an adrenaline rush, and bumped up my initial rating of 4 stars to a solid 5. I can't wait for the sequel! Here are the things I absolutely loved about What the River Knows:

- The Mummy/Death on the Nile vibes. Those were the PERFECT movies/books to compare this to
- The romance heehee
- Beautiful, detailed imagery
- Easy-to-read writing
- Learning more about ancient Egypt and late 19th century archeology
- THE MYSTERY
- THE ENDING
- THE EPILOGUE

I was gonna give this one 4 stars because it got a little slow for me after the first 1/3 of the book, and there were minor things that didn't work for me. But after finishing it? WOW. What the River Knows now has my full 5 star rating. I'll definitely be purchasing and rereading this one when it comes out!

Content rating: Overall PG-13, though it would be a mild R for language

A young woman runs away from Argentina to Egypt in hopes of discovering the truth about her parent's untimely deaths only to find a conspiracy involving Cleopatra and a young man she can't seem to escape.

I thought this was a standalone, the ending got to me because I couldn't figure out how things would wrap up and then it ended on a sort of cliffhanger.

I did enjoy it, it was a good, YA mystery and I think the setting was well adapted but I wish I had known it was a duology.

I usually love books about Egypt and history, but this one just wasn't for me. I thought the actual plot was a great idea, but I did not like the main characters and didn't enjoy the magical element to it at all. Great cover, great idea for a story, but I found I was forcing myself to read it.

What the River Knows is a marvelous adventure story following a determined and independent young woman as she travels to Egypt to search for answers after she finds out her parents are dead. I absolutely ADORED Inez and everything about this book! It was adventurous yet heartbreaking and I think the author did such a great job telling Inez's story. Not only that but the vivid descriptions of Egyptology and ancient Egypt showed that the author truly put a lot of time and research into making things accurate when it came to the fact parts of the story. I also really loved her own twist on finding Cleopatra's tomb. The descriptions of Philae made me feel like I was actually there and as a long time lover of Egypt's history it was magical. Everything about this book is magical really, It definitely lives up to the hype of The Mummy meets Death on The Nile! The characters were jumping off the pages they were so well written and I truly felt like I was watching this story play out like a movie in my head. The betrayals were not unexpected but still shocking and heartbreaking. I loved the world building and feeling like I was actually experiencing Inez's journey in Egypt and I absolutely cannot wait to see what comes next for Inez and Whit!

This book is like a wonderful mash-up of The Mummy, Crocodile on the Sandbank (indeed, all of the early Amelia Peabody books), and Mr. Impossible.

It serves up romance, action, adventure, a roguish hero and a plucky heroine, and the magical island of Philae as a backdrop for the latter half of the story.

Philae is a beautiful place, and it was such a treat to read a novel set there. This story's twists and turns are all fun and fairly predictable, all of the characters fairly standard, and that was part of why I adored it.

It was so satisfying to lay in bed on a quiet Sunday morning, with a mug of mint tea with honey, and have a book give me exactly what I hoped it would: A well-written adventure set in 1880's Egypt with a hero and heroine who serve Radcliffe Emerson/Amelia Peabody and Evie/Rick vibes.

A story like that? Well, it's 100% up my alley.

What the River Knows doesn't reinvent the wheel, but that's not what I was looking for when I reached for this book on a rainy, cozy weekend. I wanted a comfort read and it delivered!

I do wish we'd gotten a couple of the story's reveals earlier on; sometimes secrets that are shared with the reader propel the story forward just as much as the ones that aren’t. I felt we and Inez, the heroine, were left in the dark for a bit too long, which caused a few chapters in the middle to drag a bit.

This minor quibble aside, I thought this was a wonderful read. Whitford (who I fell a little in love with myself) and Inez made a great pair. I'll definitely be rooting for those two come the next book, as I assume this story will be a duology based the ending we got. Yeah, yeah, the ending. I don't buy that my boy Whit is evil.

I hope this gets the hype it deserves come autumn.

Wow! I could not put this down. Inez journeys from Argentina to Egypt to find out what happened to her parents. There is magic, adventure, and a little romance. The cliffhanger at the end was pretty surprising but I cannot wait for the next book!

Looking for a historical fantasy set in Egypt with mystery, murder, and magic? Here ya go!

Wow! What a fantastic and intriguing read. I loved the research and detail the author put into this story! The authors note at the end dove into the real world events and people that set this story into motion.

This book starts in Buenos Aires in 1884. Inez is living with her aunt and cousins while her parents explore Egypt. She is waiting for their most recent letter and hoping they will soon be coming home. Instead she receives a letter from her Tio Ricardo letting her know her parents are presumed dead. Unable to accept their fate and curious to know more Inez leaves for Egypt(with only a note left for her Aunt or cousins) When she finally arrives in Cairo she expects Ricardo to meet her and is instead greeted by an insufferable but cute young man named Whit, who works for her Uncle. She is immediately told to go home and accept her parents death. Inez stays, of course because she HAS to know what happened, and uncovers absolutely insane secrets her parents and Uncle have kept from her.

This book is full of twists and turns in every chapter. I love a book where I don't know who to trust and this delivered! There is so much mystery, drama, and of course a witty and banter filled enemy to lover romance. Inez is quite the character, I love her brazenness and persistence. She refuses to take no for an answer much to Tio Ricardo and Whits annoyance. Whit is sneaky and morally gray and I'm not sure where I stand with him but I still enjoy his character so much. Oh and MAGIC! Old Egyptian artifacts that have leftover magic from centuries ago that can attach to certain people? Yes! So cool. The ending is a GIANT cliffhanger and I believe a sequel is coming 🤞🤞🤞 I'm hooked and I definitely recommend this one!

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

Thank you to #wednesdaybooks and #netgalley for an early arc of this book 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.

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires, and like the rest of the world, the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten. Inez has everything a girl might want, except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind.

When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law. Yearning for answers, Inez sails to Cairo, bringing her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.

With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

Okay, I am suffering from a book hangover from this one to be sure! I couldn't put it down. And the sequel doesn't come out until next year - I am not okay! Guys, do yourself a favour and add this one to your TBR list. It's The Mummy meets Indiana Jones with a slow burn romance and so many mysteries to be solved. Isabel did such a fantastic job stringing me along, wondering if my hunches were correct and what the real reasons behind all of the secrecy were. And while she gave away just enough answers for a very satisfying ending to this first book in the duology, she didn't give them ALL away - so I am EAGERLY awaiting the release of the final book in the duology because I need to know what happens! If you like lush, immersive historical fantasy with fun and unique magic, and Egypt, you'll love this book.

Spoiler Alert:
And dang it that epilogue had me up at 4am unable to sleep! I need to know more!

What the River Knows is full of adventure and Egyptian history. I definitely has The Mummy but make it YA vibes (there aren’t any undead mummies, however). My favorite part of this book is how you become so immersed in the setting. Ibañez definitely did her research! I loved reading about the politics of the time period, as well as the ancient history of Egypt, which plays a large role in the story. Ibanez touches on British colonialism and the importance of history and not stealing artifacts.

The actual fantasy aspect of this book is fairly minimal, as magic only clings to old objects in this version of history. However, I found it works well because the magic didn’t overpower the importance of the setting and the archaeology.

I also enjoyed the romance. Inez and Whit are both headstrong characters, and it was fun to read about their tension and growing forbidden relationship. I especially appreciate Inez’ resolve, especially in a time period where women had no agency over their own lives, and she was unfortunately naive in a lot of situations.

My biggest critique is that I could tell the story is setting up for a sequel. The middle drags a little bit, especially the mystery. A lot of questions and mysteries were piled up on top of each other, and we didn’t get any answers until about 75% of the way into the story. I think having a couple of reveals earlier would’ve helped propel the plot along.

Overall, I loved the adventure, history, and romance in this book! Thanks so much to Wednesday Books for sending it to me for review.

The cover is GORGEOUS. The premise is AMAZING. Great job to the marketing team!!!!

At 2%, I found myself skim reading. I restarted the book assuming it was me but quickly realized it was actually full of built-up details that may or may not matter later and just were not holding my interest. I gave up at 5%. The paragraphs seem very long, especially for a Young Adult book.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

This is probably my favorite Ibanez book so far! I've been fascinated with Cleopatra since I was a child, and I loved that a lot of the mystery and action in this book revolved around her and where she was laid to rest. Inez was a great main character, and although there was a lot going on in just under 400 pages, nothing ever felt rushed or glossed over. I liked the rivals-to-lovers romance, and I also really appreciated Inez and Isadora's relationship. Isadora wasn't a huge part of the book, but despite being described perfectly to fit into the "mean girl" slot, she was kind and supportive towards Inez, and I really hope she shows up in the second book. I loved the descriptions of Egyptian scenery and relics, too.

Oh. My. God. That ending?!?!!! Is there a support group? How am I supposed to wait over a year for the conclusion?? I don’t know how to function right now.

I basically begged for my eArc of this book! I’m not even joking, I literally begged! I was enthralled by the idea of a 1999 The Mummy/Death on the Nile mash-up, but I was not prepared for how much more this story was going to be. There are so many twists and turns, bad guys who are good, good guys who are bad, and people I haven’t even figured out yet. Some of them I figured out and some of them blindsided me. But NOTHING hit me harder than that ending.

It’s 2am on a Wednesday morning and I’m here writing this review because I could not put the book down and now I’m distraught it’s over! Probably going to be my favorite book of 2023 or at least top 3 at minimum.

If you enjoy a sassy, strong, female lead character… a broody, mysterious, and very enticing male hero (gah I hope he’s the hero)… and some Indiana Jones level bad guys/action… then this is the book for you!

Isabel… Elvira?!? How could you???!

Thank you to the publisher, NetGalley and the author who took pity on me, for my copy in exchange for my unbiased review.