Inez is the daughter of two adventurers. They are constantly away in Egypt on a dig leaving her behind in Argentina under the thumb of her aunt. Trapped in the societal expectations of a woman in the 1880's. When she gets a letter saying her parents have died, she decides, against all logic, to get on a ship to Egypt to see if she can figure out what happened to them. When she arrives, she is immediately suspicious of everyone in her uncle's circle and is constantly in peril as her uncle desperately tries to send her back home. She manages to get to the dig site and realizes that she may have the key to finding Cleopatra's tomb and figuring out what happened to her parents.

Isabel Ibanez must have captured lightning in a bottle with Woven in Moonlight. I have yet to feel any of her subsequent works can live up from an originality and creativity perspective. The worldbuilding here was vivid and immersive. Although not enough Cleopatra or magic, the magic often seemed to get our friends out of a jam but there was no logic to it. Also the plot was a little slow for me. I also guessed the baddies pretty early and hate the last page reveal leaving everyone hanging for book two. I'm not sure I'm intrigued enough to read it.

Thanks to Wednesday Books for gifted access via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of What The River Knows! I was very excited for this book, and it definitely lived up to the hype!

First, this story reads like a love letter to Egypt and Egyptian culture. I was completely transported to another world with this book, and I enjoyed every minute. The author has an amazing attention to detail, and this made all the pieces of the story so much more impactful. There is nothing, IMO, in this book that doesn't matter to the story or the lush setting. I was completely swept away!

Second, I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery/intrigue they brought to the table. Some things are not as they seem in this book, and I was hanging onto to every morally grey character's decisions as we went. I cannot help myself! :) Inez and Whit were such interesting characters to me, and while Inez read a little young to me, I enjoyed the character dynamics throughout the whole story.

I recommend this one for anyone searching for an immersive fantasy book! You're going to get a beautifully woven story with this one, trust me!

Rating: 4⭐️

Thank you to the publisher for this ARC! I loved the way this author described everything in this novel. Everything was so descriptive and made me feel fully immersed in the story. I loved the main character SO MUCH and found her so relatable in so many ways. Overall loved this story and I think anyone who liked Divine Rivals this year will love this one :)

This story weaves a magical tale with mystery and history and of course Egyptian Mythology. When I heard it was like The Mummy, I knew I needed it and I didn’t disappoint. It blended that a little Tomb Raider meets Uncharted for me(main characters on a mission of archeological exploration) as our main character Inez gets lost on an adventure of her own.

Inez’s parents are globetrotters who always leave her behind. She tends to feel lonely and yearns to escape with them. But when she receives word that they died on their last adventure and inherits their massive fortune, she decides to set sail for Cairo to know exactly what happened. Entrusted with a guardian, an archeologist and his sidekick brother in-law, her adventure begins. Especially with the magic of the city tugging at her at every turn.

This story was unique and fun and different and definitely was a fun fantasy read. I really liked the characters and the plot. It was definitely immersed in the history and adventure. And of course with a cliffhanger of an ending to set you up with the next book.. which I definitely need.

For me I loved the way Inez was written. I also loved exploring the history of Egypt more, as the book definitely gives it. I also enjoyed it being a mystery as well. It was shroud in suspense that wasn’t too intense but magnified the story.

Can’t wait for the next book!

What the River Knows is a historical fantasy steeped in mystery. Inez Olivera has lives in Buenos Aires, under the care of her aunt while her parents spend most of their time in Egypt. After receiving word of her parents' deaths, Inez grabs her sketchpad and the magical feeling golden ring her father mailed to her for safekeeping and heads to Cairo to meet her new guardian, her uncle Ricardo. Her uncle, however, is far from happy to see her and is determined to have his handsome assistant, Whit, return her to Argentina. Inez is far too set on finding answers to her parents mysterious deaths, and uses her artistic skills and link old world magic to join her uncle’s archeological crew.

I loved the overall writing style of this book. It was descriptive and beautiful, and unique. The entire book was a beautiful tribute to Egypt and ancient artifacts. I loved Inez’s strong will and determination. The romance between Whit and Inez was a highlight of this book for me and I loved the way their chemistry built. I also enjoyed the varying family dynamics throughout that were at times complicated and messy.

I did feel that the pacing was a bit off. The first half of the book was really slow for me, but the pace picked up drastically and the second half was absolutely fantastic. I also didn’t love that there were so many secrets being kept. It felt like Inez was just asking a million questions until someone finally answered and that was the extent of the mystery solving element. I also would have loved for the magic system to have been better explained and to have played a more prominent role. Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and after that cliffhanger I’m ready for the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for the eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books by St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review this phenomenal book!

This book… just… WOW. It’s incredible! The adventure, the mystery, the history, the magic, the romance, all held together with fantastic writing, results in an amazing YA book that is one of my favorites of the year without a doubt! It also takes on some big issues like colonization, masculine gaslighting, and grief. It’s one I will be rereading time and again, and you can bet that I’ll be reading the sequel as soon as I can get my hands on it!

If you have ever had a fascination with Egypt, as other reviews have mentioned, this book will be right up your alley. I have to say that my knowledge of Egyptian history begins and ends with a few classic movies, so I don’t know much about the subject, but that didn’t hinder my enjoyment at all. In fact, it just inspired me to do research on a new subject!

Inez is a sheltered girl growing up in Buenos Aires with some pretty selfish parents who spend most of their time galavanting in Egypt. Ok, it’s more complex than that, but I was disgusted by both of her parents’ behavior and wanted to smack them through the pages. Inez is treated as disposable by so many people in her life, and when she finds out that her parents died in Egypt, Inez sneaks across the ocean to get to the bottom of the mystery. And oh, that’s where things get so good! Not to mention that’s also when Whit, a mysterious young man working for Inez’s Tio Ricardo enters the story and collectively steals all readers’ hearts (I’m just speculating here).

Even though I hate cliffhangers, I can’t give this book anything other than 5 stars. It’s rare for me to have such vivid images in my mind when reading a book, but this one really sparked my imagination and interest. There’s so much more I could say, but I don’t want to spoil anything… just take my advice and read this one! You won’t regret it!

The comparisons to the Mummy fit this book in the best way. It is a fun romp through Egypt while weaving in discussions of the complex ethics of treasure hunting and museums in a way that feels natural for the characters and the plot. I'm fascinated by the dynamics between Inez and her uncle and her morally complex love interest Whit.

The book balances adventure with a tension-filled love story and Inez's grief over her parents, making for a compelling story that does not rely too heavily on cliches but uses the tropes it includes in an effective way.

As a character, Inez is wonderfully imperfect and adept without being unbelievably skilled. She is easy to root for while also having flaws and making mistakes. There were times I really wanted her to see what was right in front of her but all of her decisions make sense for the characterization.

The ending leaves the reader with so many questions! I will definitely be picking up the sequel as soon as it comes out.

I recommend it to any fan of Susan Stokes-Chapman or Rebecca Ross.

Isabel Ibañez has been an author high on my radar since her YA masterpiece WOVEN IN MOONLIGHT graced my shelves years ago, and with this newest installment to her corpus of work, she is securing her spot as one of the most lush, magical, and genuinely wonderful YA fantasy authors of her time. Her writing is so beautiful and descriptive, I truly believe she could sell a paper bag to a paper bag salesman.

WHAT THE RIVER KNOWS follows Inez, an uppercrust society girl in nineteenth century Buenos Aires, as she sets sail for a new life in Egypt following the tragic death of her parents. There is adventure, romance, and a dash of mystery, all wrapped up in a book with a cover that could hang in museums.

One of my favorites of the year so far.

This book has it all! Historical fiction, fantasy, romance and mystery. I really enjoyed reading about Egypt and historical artifacts. I always love a strong female lead…even though Inez could be quite clueless. She walks a fine line between fearlessness and naivety. All of this and I still found her so entertaining! And Whit…so rugged but also endearing. This book was a grand adventure! I hope the author turns this into a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review.

What the river knows- 4.5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

New Adult Romantasy
Historical fantasy
Magical realism
Egyptian Setting
Coming of Age
Hispanic Heritage
Mystery
Secrets
Grief
Banter

The magic system is mysterious and intriguing. I was hooked with the idea of a fading ancient magic and finding out what that meant. I wish there had been more of it. It seemed as if it was mentioned and used like an after thought rather than something rare and mystical. Magic was literally collected as junk items and trinkets. The excuse that the Magic’s history was lost would make it more desirous, I would imagine. It was odd the. To have it play such a big role as a plot tool was contradictory.

The political atmosphere and perilous nature of archeology during such a significant time period was so well done. Bringing topics to the forefront that should have never left or that are still relevant today. I adored the descriptions of the architecture and weight of Egypt’s ancient history. I also loved the intersection of cultures. The use of Spanish was purposeful and immersive.

The plot was fast and because of all the secrets being discovered. I ate up every bit of this story.

As a kid who grew up obsessed with Ancient Egypt, the movie The Mummy and all its sequels I officially adore this book. It wasn’t exactly the tone and flavor of the movie, and I appreciated that.

The romantic tension and banter in this book was chef’s kiss! The slow burn was burning! The banter is so perfectly done! I can’t help but picture a young Brenden Fraser as Whit and loved every morally grey second of it. Maybe he was a bit superficial… I’m sure we will learn more about him and his past in the next book.

Inez was a great FMC! Young and tenacious to a fault. I felt so much compassion for her complicated relationship with her family. It was also so satisfying to see her outgrow her naivety from the first half of the book and become a bit jaded, but still have the impulses of a 19yo girl.

My only true disappointment was in Elvira, Inez’s cousin. I think the author missed out on an opportunity. To keep this spoiler free, I won’t elaborate…

Can I just say that I didn’t know this was going to be a series and my brain flatlined when I read that epilogue. I NEED the sequel to be released immediately.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Tw:
Parental death
Alcoholism
Gun violence
Kidnapping
Death

Thank you Netgalley for sending me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book is very intriguing. However, it took me a while to really get into it. For almost 50% of the book, nothing really happens. It’s monotonous with a lot of info dumps. However, I did love Whit right from the beginning — he is the exact type of mmc that I usually fall for! Inez, the fmc, was also a great character and I did like her a lot. While things did start to get interesting in the second half of the book, it was still slower than necessary. I was also slightly confused about how the magic works and wish she had explained it better. I was gonna rate it 3 stars but the plot twist in the end elevated my rating to 3.5-4 stars! Now I NEED to read the second book to know what’s going on!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

What the River Knows is the story of 18 year old Inez Olivera, who stows away to Egypt from Buenos Aires in order to figure out what really happened to her parents. Upon arrival, she encounters much more than she asked for.

I really enjoyed the last half of this book- when all the action took place! The twists kept me from wanting to put it down, and I enjoyed the historical fiction elements of 1800s Buenos Aires and Egypt.

That being said, the pacing was so up and down, the first 50% or so felt like nothing happened at all, and then it sped up so quickly at the end, leaving on a cliffhanger. I'm not even sure if this is intended to be a series, but even if it is, the ending is too abrupt for my taste.

What the River Knows is a historical fantasy set in Egypt. It reminded me a lot of Death on the Nile, but with a fantasy aspect. Ibanez crafted the atmosphere of the story expertly. The mystery, the archaeological aspects and the mythical aspects all melded together to make this lush and vibrant story come to life.

Wow! So thankful for the opportunity to read the ARC of What the River Knows. Isabel Ibañez truly knows how to weave a story so intricately that it leaves you earning for more and more. I was consistently surprised with each chapter and fully enamored by the adventures and surprise twists and turns. I highly recommend this book to anyone who once wanted to be an archeologist in Egypt, anyone who enjoyed Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco, or to anyone who wants a fun adventure where you forget that you’re reading and want so much more.

This book!!! I’ve been fascinated with Egypt since third grade and this fueled my desire to visit even more. This book had everything I needed. It was well written, well researched, had a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of romance. And that ending blew my mind. I still have no idea where it’s going. I’m completely hooked and cannot wait for book two.

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a breath of fresh air in the saturated YA/NA fantasy market— lush, atmospheric, pacey and with a sharp and witty MC that you couldn’t help but love. Pitched as perfect for fans of the Mummy (count me instantly interested) and set in Egypt in the late 19th century, WTRK follows the story of Inez as she leaves her Argentinian home and heads to Cairo in search of her missing archaeologist parents. As a young woman, she faces both societal and familial challenges on her way to unravelling the mystery, fuelled by a strange magic linking her to the artefacts she’s tasked to find. Along the way, she meets Whit, the cagey, charismatic muscle to her uncle’s archaeological expedition of find Cleopatra’s tomb.

I loved Inez’s voice, she is sharp minded, sassy and headstrong— unwilling to have anything stand in her way. She was by far my favourite part of the book. I loved the magic system and how unique it was, and really adored how Ibañez wove the magic system into Inez’s character and the world around her.

The plot is well paced and kept me interested the entire time. Plus… that plot twist!! I’m literally dying for the next instalment, to put it lightly. The romance was cute and full of tension, though i felt Whit could’ve been a bit softer at times, as it felt like he genuinely wasn’t interested for most of the book, although it was refreshing to not see the “insta love” trope employed to their emotional relationship.

Overall, I really loved this story and think it will go down superbly within its readership. Can’t wait for the sequel!!

*Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Wednesday Books for this free digital review copy.*

This book had a really interesting premise, and describing it to friends as I began to read it was easy to be excited about the story, but unfortunately the end really fell flat for me.

I thought the setting was super neat; it was new to me, and I don't know much about Egypt (especially late 1800's Egypt), so I had fun discovering a new part of the world. I enjoyed the main protagonist and her resilience, her boldness to travel alone from Argentina to Egypt determined to discover the truth behind her parents' disappearance. I enjoyed her will-they-or-won't-they romance, and the other relationships she built with people throughout her travels.

I also really enjoyed the magic in this novel. It was less prominent than I would have expected, and it felt like more could have been done with it. It felt very unique and special in a really intriguing way, and I'd love to know more about how it works and how different aspects of the magic could be used in the process of discovery and excavation.

The ending of the book just felt rushed to me and then was highly dissatisfying... apparently she is working on revisions for the sequel already, so hopefully we get that sooner rather than later, but I don't appreciate when books in a series don't feel sufficiently self-contained. And going into reading this, I didn't know it was the first of a series, so my expectations were skewed. I do think I'll probably read the next book because I enjoyed the characters so much, as well as other books by this author (I have one on my unread shelf already).

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an e-arc of this book.

I love Egypt. I love archaeology. I love mysteries. I don't love cliffhangers, and this book has one. ARGH.

Anyways, back to the main point of my review, this book was excellently written. I feel like Ibanez has managed to evoke a certain feel of the times, and it very much reminded me of the Amelia Peabody series (which I adore) except slightly different, and more modern takes on some ideas (which I loved!).

It also had very much an Indiana Jones feel to the adventure and danger aspects which I also adored. The underlying mystery plot as well as the twists and turns were fabulously done. This was an EXCELLENT book, and I highly recommend it to people who enjoy archaeology, adventure and romance.

Oh yeah, there was an adorable romance as well. Honestly, I can't say too much about this book without giving things away, but it was honestly an absolute treasure to read. (Hah, I think I'm funny!)

I literally am going to be dying for the next book to come out soon. (I know it isn't, but I don't want to wait for the next book!)

I just adored Inez and Whit and all the other characters. Really, just a fabulous book to read.

I'm not a huge YA reader, but I've loved other books by Isabel Ibanez, so when the publisher offered this as a limited time "Read Now," I scooped it up.

What can I say? She's got some of the most beautiful covers in the business and the Egyptian-themed fantasy was perfect. What the River Knows is full of the lush, lyrical writing that I expected and I'd heartily recommend it to everyone, but especially those looking for a fresh YA fantasy.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books for making this ARC available to read in exchange for a review on NetGalley.

The quick cut: A girl travels to Egypt looking for answers about her parents' deaths. She gets involved in schemes and intrigue on the way.

A real review:
Thank you to Wednesday Books for providing the arc for an honest review.

A death in the family can be hard on anyone, but when that family is always leaving you behind? That is a pain even deeper. For Inez, it's a pain all too real when she's notified that her parents died in Egypt.

Inez has spent her life being left behind in Buenos Aires while her parents travel around the globe. It's a pain that becomes even deeper when she finds out her parents died a tragic death in Egypt, leaving her uncle in charge of her affairs. Inez is dedicated to finding out what happened and that starts with going to Egypt to discover what happened. Will she get the answers she's looking for?

This book was a real roller coaster journey for me and in the end I feel somewhat lukewarm overall. The one thing I still feel passionately about is how this story inspires an interest in Egyptian history. I just wish it also inspired a love for the characters.

This book is broken up into 4 parts. The first intros the characters, the second really focuses on the Egyptian mythology & history, the third has more of a storyline push, and then the fourth is when the story kicks into high gear with twists and turns. From the start to the end, I definitely developed different feelings about the characters and at least one wasn't intentional by the author.

Inez is portrayed as motivated and headstrong in the beginning, but as the story continues that portrayal becomes less true. She's emotional, irrational, and truthfully makes terrible choices with little ability to take criticism. Where I adored her independent nature in the beginning, I hated it by the end. Albeit, the girl has also been sheltered her whole life, so I guess it's not her fault. She still irritates me in the end though.

While most of the story comes from Inez' perspective, there are moments with White narrating. I do appreciate the little snippets from him as they do provide more context. He has his reasons for doing what he does and the mystery about him helps to drive the author to wonder what more there is to know about him.

A story that will inspire a passion for Egyptian history.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5