This book was so fun! Since I was a kid, I've loved Egyptian history and this book really scratched that itch. There was some great Cleopatra history that I enjoyed reading. In addition, I loved Inez as a character. She was full of spunk and sass. My kinda girl! I also enjoyed Mr. Hayes and some of the side characters. They felt very real and lived in. I was truly invested in their journey.

The book kept me interested and I couldn't wait to keep reading every time I had to stop. It had it all, a slow burn romance, magic, and intrigue. I wasn't the biggest fan of the magic in the story but it didn't take away from the story so I didn't mind it much. I was also able to guess one of the major twists about halfway through, but even that I didn't mind because I was enjoying the journey.

And can we talk about that ending!?!? The epilogue was INSANE! I can't wait for the sequel! Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for my copy. I really enjoyed and I can't wait to read more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I did not expect to love this one so much, but it’s AMAZING. I really liked Inez, she was reckless at times but her strength and wit would always get her out of bad situations. She is absolutely determined to get answers about what happened to her parents and stopped at nothing, which I loved. Her feelings about her parents were so well depicted and her actions were realistic.

Whit was keeping one too many secrets but I did really enjoy him and Inez. I think it definitely makes sense for his loyalty to be to her uncle first and foremost, so while I didn’t like his secretiveness I understood it.

I’ve been seeing miscommunication as a big negative factor for this book and I hate that trope, but I actually think this was believable and I don’t even know if I would quantify it as miscommunication. Inez’s uncle actively doesn’t want to tell her anything, and as we can see at the end, it’s for good reason (more on this later).

I thought the plot was really strong, and I didn’t suspect the truth until just a little bit before it was revealed - but I don’t blame Inez for not realizing at all. This tied tightly with the theme of her parents and uncle being absent and was done really well.

This is the “good reason” I referred to earlier. So let’s talk about Elvira. She didn’t get much page time but I did really like her and I was shocked when she died. We get minimal information from Ricardo, and Elvira’s death shows exactly why he was hesitant to tell Inez anything. Inez and Elvira are mirrors of each other; both crossed the ocean for someone important by themselves and are trying to navigate a foreign country, but the difference between them killed Elvira. Ricardo couldn’t have known the kind of person Inez was because he hasn’t really seen her, so his concern about involving her made sense - and I also believe he wished Inez wouldn’t get involved so she never had to learn about her mother’s treachery.

Also, THE ENDING. I need the second book immediately.

Very interesting read! The book pulled me in from the start and I wanted to see how it ended. Try it and see if this book is for you!

This story had me intrigued from the beginning. I knew there had to be something deeper going on from the beginning, and it was a fun ride to see the twists and turns play out.

I enjoyed the romance, though the image of the love interest I created in my head was more rugged than described on page, which I felt suited the story better.

This book reads like a true YA novel for the teen audience. The main character was a bit too rash, naive, and over confident sometimes, but that is to be expected for a teen character from a sheltered background.

"What the River Knows" by Isabel Ibañez is a riveting blend of adventure and romance set against the enchanting backdrop of ancient Egypt. With a strong heroine, a charming yet morally complex love interest, and a plot full of twists, the book offers a fast-paced and immersive experience. The seamless integration of magic and history, along with a captivating supporting cast, adds depth to this must-read tale. In short: buckle up, read it, and thank me later.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me an e-arc of this book!

3.75

although this book felt a bit slow at times I enjoyed the plot and the indiana jones vibes were great. Character development was very well written and I loooooved Whit hehe I will definitely be picking up the sequel when it is released!

This was a little too slow paced for me. I think I expected a high stakes adventure where the characters would be escaping traps at every turn, and that just wasn't what I got. I didn't particularly connect with the characters, but the romance is a good slowburn, which I always appreciate. However, I could've done without the sections from Whit's point-of-view. They felt out of place to me, and they were so few and far between that I didn't think they added much. I think going with a third-person perspective would've been the better choice if the author wanted us to follow both characters. Overall this wasn't a bad book, but it's just not one I see myself picking up again in the future.

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibanez is a historical adventurous story that is filled with turns and twists, with a bit of magic. It does end in a cliffhanger FYI, so I’m excited for book two!

(3.25/5 stars) When Inez Olivera, daughter of two well known archeologists, receives word in Argentina that her parents have disappeared (and are likely dead) while working in Egypt, she sets out on a journey across the ocean to determine how they died - and what they were looking for when they did. When she arrives in Cairo, old world magic pulls her into a search for the truth about her parent's disappearance, and Inez must decide who to trust in a game that she discovers is much larger than herself.

I was so excited to pick up this book, billed as The Mummy meets Death on the Nile. I found the setting, 1800s Egypt at the height of archeological discoveries, lush and verdant - just like the Nile. I wish there was more exploration of the old world magic that Inez can channel, it felt a bit undeveloped and used more as a vehicle to move the plot than anything. The pacing also dragged a bit, and it felt like it didn't really speed up until the last 25% of the book.

Inez and Whit are... not my favorite characters, and their romance was so hard to believe based on the writing (their conversations and interactions were so surface level and it just felt so insta-lust, like you're in love with each other based on WHAT??). Inez's naivete also had me dragging my hands down my face, like I understand that she grew up sheltered and trusting but ma'am, protect yourself, please!! I also didn't realize when I started it that this was a duology so I kept waiting for things to start resolving and then when the epilogue hit I was like ??? Will I read the next book? Likely. But I hope and pray for some character growth, especially for Inez!

I was all in for so long, but I'm somehow still am only at 47%. The pacing is quite slow and Inez is not interesting enough for her POV. I would like a more third person omniscient take, but again, that's just because it's slow and Inez is a tad redundant. Also, no where does it say its a duology, and the 2nd book doesn't even have a title nor release date. Like. I already wasn't invested for over 400 pages, now you're bringing in a new character that was mentioned once and an entire new book? No thank you.

Wanted to like this book a lot more than I actually did. I was so excited to read it when I heard it was The Mummy meets Death on the Nile and I think that set my expectations too high. The pacing was slow and there just wasn’t enough magic for me. I have to say that the ending really surprised me so I will end up reading book two.

From the minute I heard the pitch for this book, I was intrigued. What history-nerd kid didn't have at least a mild Egypt phase at some point? Add to it Ibañez's gorgeous descriptions and historical fantasy twist (someone tell me how I missed that it's historical fantasy until the first mention of magic showed up and I was like !!! like hello? how did I miss that? I'm obsessed?) this very much seemed like it would be up my alley.

And I liked it. I didn't love it, but I enjoyed reading it, and I'm very intrigued to pick up the sequel next year. I liked Inez from the start, and I was rooting for her the whole time. However, it's been awhile since I've read a book that's made me think "ugh, MEN 🙄" so many times and I didn't love that vibe. (I get that it was probably accurate. but the audacity of some of these men was just... so much) Whit took a bit to grow on me, but I did love him by the end. Like I said, I'm very excited to see what the sequel holds for them.

For me, the profanity was a lot. Whit's got a serious potty mouth, and so do a lot of the side characters. (including 5 f-bombs, by my last count, which is a lot for my preference) There's also a spicy-ish scene that doesn't go much farther than making out but it would have if they hadn't been interrupted, you know? And personally, I don't need to be there for it.

But I will say this book surprised me a couple times, which I wasn't expecting. I predicted a lot of the twists, but there were a few that got me, and I'm glad. So overall, not my favorite from Ibañez, but she's still an author I'll continue to read from.

4 stars from me!

This was one of the best books I have ever read. Seriously, the slow burn, drama, action-packed chapters were so captivating. The EPILOGUE???!!!!!! Isabel Ibanez had to personally come pick my jaw up off the floor!!!!!! Her writing is immaculate and I cannot wait for the sequel to come out. Until then, will be reading all of her work! No, but when does the sequel come out??? The bookhangover is real.

I really enjoyed this book. At times it was overly descriptive but the majority of the time the attention to details added to the story and really made me feel like I was there with the characters. I loved Inez and can't wait to read the next book in the series.

This was such a fun blend of Indiana Jones meets The Mummy and I really enjoyed it. Things were a little slow in the beginning when we didn't know what to make of Olivera's escort and uncle but once we started excavating the tomb, the magic and the suspense kept me going! I do think it could have been at least 50 pages shorter because I felt like Olivera was making some of the same observations over and over again but ultimately a great read!

I was engaged from page one. The MC Inez has a lot of personality and the book starts with a bang of it. I love a good strong beginning, and this one captured my attention.

The plot is excellent in my opinion. I find that weaving between mystery, romance, action, and history can make a story unbalanced somewhere. But I felt like I was learning enough from all parts of the story to feel connection to both plot advancement and character arcs.

I can't leave a review without mentioning Whitford Hayes. Send help, I have such a crush. His character really works for me personally, but objectively him and Inez have great chemistry, banter, and then growth! I was very much rooting for them.

Shockingly I have never seen The Mummy. However, I am a big mystery buff, and LOVE a good heist/action-adventure, so the story was still super appealing to me. I love the magic sprinkled in, making this a more unique take on adventure.

I love the balance of action that moves forward, and description of the setting/surroundings. I never felt lost in trying to imagine where and what was happening. Its overall very well balanced and fast (in a good way!) to read.

Highly recommend. This was such a fun read.

I’m sorry to say that I’m giving up on this book at 46%. I’m finding it very slow and not engaging. It is not for me. Thank you for the opportunity to review it. I won’t be sharing this review outside of NetGalley.

Welcome to Egypt....where the allure is high, you can taste magic in the air, everyone is keeping secrets and there is ALWAYS a new mystery to uncover.

"How is it that a moment ago, I wanted to strangle you, but now I feel like laughing?"

"It's part of my charm"

What the River Knows follows our main character Inez as she defiantly follows in her deceased parents footsteps to Egypt where she attempts to understand their deaths, and why they always left her behind for a place she had never been before.

Inez is a sheltered and deals with a lot of abandonment issues because of her lack of parental support. It made me empathize with her when she acted in a way that I wouldn't have. I loved her strong willed heart and her need to keep going despite the consequences that fell upon her. I loved stepping into this setting, I enjoyed the subtle hints of magic that benefit those who don't love a complicated magical system and I really was engaged from start to finish.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the Egyptian culture and the discussion of artifacts and how they were dealt with during this time. Oh to be a fly on the wall and be there when explorers uncovered some of history's greatest secrets! This made me want to take a class on ancient Egypt just to learn more.

I also really bought into the chemistry in the romantic relationship. It's a fun push and pull type of love that gives us just enough to keep going. It's slightly NA in nature but closed door and passionate.

As a first book in a series it left a lot of unanswered questions but I never think thats a problem in a first book...it only leaves room for more fun in the second installment.

Fun, adventurous, romantic with hint of magic...if you like YA fantasy with historical flair, strong willed heroines, sexy brits and are craving to unlock a mystery...I do think this is a great choice to pick next!

When Inez Olivera receives news that her parents have passed away while on expedition, she leaves Buenos Aires for Egypt to find out what really happened. Upon arriving in Alexandria, instead of encountering her uncle-turned-guardian, Tío Ricardo, she meets his assistant, Whit, who has been sent to place her on a boat back to Argentina.

Inez is clever, though, and despite Tío Ricardo’s and Whit’s attempts to send her home, she weasels her way onto their expedition to search for another long-buried tomb.

This one had a bit of a slow start for me, followed by detailed descriptions punctuated with bursts of action. Expect political discussions surrounding Imperial Britain’s presence in Egypt and the ways in which Egyptian artifacts were leaving the country during that time period, character behavior that will make you question whom you can trust, and lush descriptions of ancient treasures.

I really enjoyed the forbidden love aspects of the story and the magic / magical realism pieces to this historical fantasy.

If you pick this one up, please be aware that this is the first book, and as such, the ending feels like an abrupt cliffhanger, leaving much to be explained in book 2.

I received an advance copy from Wednesday Books and NetGalley. All review opinions are my own.

I’m intrigued and obsessed by everything that has to do with ancient Egypt and I’ve never read a fiction book about it. So, when I discovered What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez, I just had to read it.
 
This story is about Inez whose parents work in Egypt in the 1880s and after they mysteriously die, Inez travels to Egypt to find out what happened to them. This book is giving The Mummy and Death on the Nile vibes and I was here for it. Inez tries to do some detective work, but that turns out to be more difficult than expected. I liked how Inez is going out of her comfort zone and trying to discover the world for herself. But at the same time her inexperience showed itself and she was oftentimes very naive.
 
Inez is also attracted to Whit who works for her uncle, and you could see little sparks between them, but nothing really came out of it which was underwhelming. Every single person in this story was unreliable and that made it very difficult for me to build a connection to this world.
 
They are trying to find artifacts from Cleopatra, and it was definitely a bold choice to choose her. Because to this day her grave hasn’t been found and a lot of myths and legends surround it. It could have definitely been researched more and the way it was presented in the story lacked depth for me. I wish this story would deal more with Egyptian culture and history, but instead it’s a lot about foreigners exploiting treasures and the greed to sell artifacts for the highest price possible. This is obviously a huge problem in the real world, and I liked seeing it represented in the story. However, oftentimes artifacts are believed to be magical, and Inez seems to have a connection to some and I would have preferred to see more of that.
 
Overall, this book is a historical murder-mystery story and I wish it would have focused more on Egyptian mythology and culture. 3,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)