Inez is determined to find out what happened to her parents who disappeared from a dig in Egypt, and she won't stop looking until she finds answers.

There is so much to love about this book! First of all Egypt and mummies will always grab my attention, but add in Nile Crocodiles, gun wielding proper ladies, magic shoes, and a great plot and this is a book you should not miss out on. I have always enjoyed being swept up in the magic of Egypt and Ibanez makes that incredibly easy with her descriptions of this beautiful country. It felt like I was part of the adventure. Plus there is a little bit of literal magic in the story which adds a fun layer. The main character, Inez, is such a strong heroine and perfect to follow. She is headstrong and independent, and not even the reader finds it easy to guess what she will do next. Honestly all the characters are well written and I want so much more of them. The romance is a slow burn that feels natural, and there's no misunderstanding trope that drives me crazy. Instead there's witty conversations between Inez and Whit, and a sweet protectiveness mixed with frustration over her inability to take "no" for an answer. The plot was pretty well paced and I quickly devoured the whole book. There were some twists that I guessed, but also some I wasn't expecting!

I definitely recommend this book, especially if you grew up in the era of Brendan Frasier and The Mummy, or enjoy Ancient Egypt and mythology. I feel like this is written kind of as an older YA, the romance isn't super steamy. I look forward to reading more from Isabel Ibanez and would love to continue this adventure! I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley and St Martin's Press.

What an inventive work--this historical fantasy has a tidbit of everything for a reader, adventure, history, romance and magical elements. it's a wonderful read and I fully expect it to have lots of award buzz. Inez feels much like a an orphan even before she formally is one. Upon her jet-setting parents mysterious death, she learns she has inherited the family fortune as well as a guardian who has summoned her to join him in Egypt. Pretty quickly she realizes there's much more to the story of her parents' demise and she herself might be in mortal danger. Again-teens will love!

This a wonderful narrative about Egyptian lore and culture. Though classified as YA, I wonder if the narrator really counts as a a young adult. I did think that she is a good model of resourcefulness, persistence, and strength. There were parts of this novel that were very predictable, but the plot itself was intriguing. I am anxiously awaiting the sequel.

What do I do with myself now that I've finished this book and have to wait for book two?!

I was immediately sold by the description of The Mummy (love!) meets Death on the Nile, but I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this one. Inez was a great main character and I loved watching her adventure from Buenos Aires to Cairo and beyond. I caught myself going, "what are you doing?!" several times throughout this book and I think the author did a great job of capturing the restless spirit of an 18 year old. At times her actions seemed a bit farfetched given the time period so I had to suspend my disbelief a bit. There were plenty of twists here and I wasn't sure who I could trust. While I did see a few of them coming, I loved being kept on my feet.

Also, I loved Whit. I thought he was the perfect love interest for Inez and they complimented eachother well. I enjoyed the small moments we got to see from his point of view, and I hope we get to see more of that in the next book. I have so many questions! I also loved the elements of magic and alchemy.

But that last page...Isabel Ibañez how dare you do that to us!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for a review copy. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Thank you to Wednesday Books for a digital ARC. I didn't really know what to expect going into this book other than that it takes place in Egypt and the MC is from Argentina. I really enjoyed all the adventure. This book has The Mummy vibes but with some magical realism included. You could even say it's got some Indiana Jones vibes but not as much action. If you're expecting major fantasy elements, this probably isn't going to meet your expectations. I'd say it's more historical fictions with some magical realism. I liked that Inez is adventurous and willing to take risks. Whit was a fun character to get to know and I liked reading a little of his POV. There are some major plot twists that I didn't see coming and some other things that I expected. I don't want to give any spoilers so that's all I'll say about that, but the story keeps moving and I was intrigued enough to stay up late reading it. Just so you know, this book will leave you wanting book 2 asap and it doesn't even have a title yet. If you're okay with waiting for the sequel, I'd say go ahead and pick this one up.

I've struggled with this one. It has been a very slow story to start and at 25% I'm just not in the mood to be the right reader for this series. I've heard so much positivity around this story that I would encourage you to check out others' reviews. But do know, if it feels slow you aren't alone. I will give this another chance in the future.

The set-up for this story was immaculate. Just the banter between Inez and Whit... was *chef's kiss* was just so sassy for the timeline the author had provided. You wouldn't have expected that kind of sass from a proper lady in those days.

The book was pitched as "The Mummy meets Death on the Nile", and it lived up to the pitch. You can definitely visualize Whit as an English Rick O'Connell. Just more rugged and withdrawn. He chooses when he wants to open up.

Inez is a young girl whose parents chose to parent from overseas. She grew up wishing she was next to her parents in Cairo.

The search for Cleopatra's tomb and mysticism is the driving mystery of this title. The search for family and answers is what pushes Inez to do things she wouldn't have normally done in Argentina. The magic pulls everyone to Cairo.

Desperately waiting for the second installement to see what happens next to Whit and Inez.

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.