This book just wasn't for me. The main female character read way too young, and it took me way too long to figure out who the love interest was supposed to be. I was hoping for more history, archaeology, and Egypt, and got way too much FMC angst and confusion. I know many others who love this one, but it just wasn't my taste.

In this fantasy-lite, historical fiction, an Argentinian woman (overprotected and treated like a child, the only explanation to account for her ridiculosity) goes to Cairo to investigate her parents’ death. Oh, who to trust, what to do, who to fall in insta-love with? Although the story develops slowly, I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t know it was the first in a series though. 😭 The wait will be excruciating.

This was an intriguing mystery set in the backdrop of the discovery of Cleopatra's tomb. Inez is envious of Egypt's appeal to her parents and wants to join them there. Waiting for their reply, she instead finds out that her parents are missing and presumed dead. She travels to Egypt to meet her uncle and discover what happened to her parents. Rife with distrust, betrayal, and confusing feelings, this was an interesting historical fantasy mystery and rival-to-lovers romance.

I am absolutely in love with this story! I couldn't put it down! I demand more! I love these characters and this world beyond belief. Honestly, such a lyrical writing style that kept me captivated.

"What the River Knows" by Isabel Ibañez is a beautifully crafted historical adventure set in a richly detailed world. Ibañez's vivid descriptions and engaging plot make for an immersive reading experience. The protagonist's journey of discovery and self-realization is both heartfelt and inspiring. This novel is perfect for readers who love historical fiction with a touch of magic and romance.

While this book was little slow for the first 100 pages, once you passed that mark it picked up fast and I finished it in 3 days! I was fully engrossed and enjoyed the adventure and mystery! I can't wait for the next book! I need to know what happens!

Inez only sees her parents for half of year at home in Argentina. They spend the rest of the year in Egypt on digs with her uncle. Instead of a letter inviting her to finally visit, Inez receive a letter telling her that her parents have disappeared and are presumed dead. She undertakes a solo voyage across the ocean to her Tio Ricardo, her guardian, and the only person with answers about her parent's disappearance. Instead of meeting her at the docks upon her arrival, he sends his employee Whitford Hayes, a rogue with secrets to spare. Inez gives Whit the slip and thus begins a friends to lovers back and forth that burns through the whole novel. Once in Egypt, Inez feels traces of lost magic that will lead her to help on the digging exhibition with her uncle.

This novel is full to bursting with action, secrets, double-crossing, and intrigue. The sequel is well set-up with an epilogue that leaves readers begging for more. Highly recommended for summer reading for high school and up.

Easily one of the best books of 2024. The characters have so much depth, the vibes are immaculate, the tension is perfect, I could never guess what was coming next, it was a perfect book. I have absolutely no notes, you must go read this book ASAP!!!!!

I had a really great time reading this book! It sounded really good, and I enjoyed Isabel Ibañez's other book, so I had to pick it up! It was atmospheric and I loved these characters and watching as the story unfolded and we found out more of what was going on!

The magic in this book combined with this setting was really magical to read! I wanted to know more, and the atmosphere and these characters really brought it to life and I just had to keep turning the pages and seeing what was going to happen next!

Watching Inez look into what happened to her parents, finding out what was going on, even with the obstruction attempts, was so fascinating! Inez was such a great character to take on this task, she was smart and determined, and it was personal.

I really hope we get a sequel, because the way that we end things, well, I need to know what is going to happen next! I'm pretty sure that it is going to be a series, but I hope that this doesn't stay a stand alone, because that ending left these characters in quite a predicament!

This was a fantastic read, and I hope that it becomes a series, I would love to read more!

I just read what the river knows for a group buddy read I did in May but finally finished it beginning of June and omg it was so good! I cannot wait for the next installment of this series! What the river knows by Isabel Ibanez was my first novel by this author, and I'm so happy I loved it because I read one other book by this author and couldn't get into it so I dnf it. But loved this one a lot more!!
I loved how this one was a multi pov but it wasn't a fantasy where I got confused while listening to the audiobook! If it wasn't for the audiobook or for having 2 copies I would probaly not have picked this up on my own. This is like. the same setting as the mummy but with Egyptian mythology which was pretty cool for me cause I got to learn while reading this one. We follow two main characters name Inez and Whit and I loved both of them I did find Inez a bit whiney at points but Whit was a complete cinnaom roll! We follow inez as she sneaks out of her place to go on this quest to find the queen of Egyptian mythology and to see if they can find their lost tomb?
This novel is full of twist and turns with characters I couldn't trust at all but surpsingly did so! I really didn't trust the Uncle in this novel cause I thought he would be bad but I was wrong. What the river knows was a good first book in a new series full of morally grey characters, stranger to lovers trope, and a quest! Who doesn't love a quest??
Anyways I will totally be going back to Isabel other books I have by her and see if I would love those! Thanks to Wednesday Books for sending me an e-arc of this one and I cannot wait for book 2 star rating: 4/5 stars!!(:

This book is great for fans of the 1991 classic ‘The Mummy’
As a kid I was obsessed with everything ancient Egypt. Honestly, it never really went away and thus I found myself reading this masterpiece. I didn’t realize it’s just the FIRST book in a series though so I will be coming back for the next one! I’ll try to keep this mostly spoiler free but be warned there will be some minor plot mentions.

What the River Knows is one of my top reads this year. It has mystery, murder, romance - everything you need in a book. Oh and magic! The magic system does seem complex and sometimes confused me but I’m also assuming everything will make sense down the line. The world building was fantastic without being too much of an info dump. I wasn’t bored.

I thought the uncle was for sure somehow bad and now I’m just shocked and confused. However! I trust NO ONE. I cannot wait for book 2. I’m in for the long haul.

A wonderfully atmospheric, well-written historical YA fantasy. The best I've read from Ibañez to date. Will absolutely be recommending, and will be eagerly looking forward to the sequel.

Read this over the space of a few weeks that included a long weekend. I admittedly don't know how I feel about the magic aspect of this book, as it feels a bit tacked on as an afterthought at times, but we'll see if that's still the case next book. The core story of Inez, her going to Egypt to find out about the rather amazing trash fire that is her extended family dynamics, old school archaeology in the tombs of the Pharoahs (that admittedly doesn't reckon too much with the overall colonialism but it can't hit every marker), and a push and pull het romance. I'm interested to see where the next book goes!

What the River Knows is a very fun, exciting YA historical fiction set in Nineteenth Century Egypt. If you enjoyed the movie The Mummy, then you will surely like this book. After receiving word of her parents’ deaths, the main character, Inez, goes against her family’s wishes and travels to Egypt in search of answers. This is the first in the Secrets of the Nile duology and I am anxious for the final book.

Book Summary:

Inez Olivera has had what some may call a sheltered – but unique – life. She was left with her aunt and cousins so that her parents could explore the wonders of Egyptian history and more. Unfortunately, Inez has always regretted being left behind.

That regret grew on the day she learned of her parents' disappearance. Now Inez has a choice to make: accept the truth as it's been told to her, or go hunting for it herself. Being a stubborn young girl, Inez is going to choose the latter.

My Review:

Whew. This book has left me conflicted. I'll start my review by saying this: I don't think I would have picked up What the River Knows on my own. I probably would have given it a pass if it had not been in one of my OwlCrate boxes. So, my experience may have been biased from the start.

What the River Knows had potential. In particular, I really loved the potential of the magical system. We have artifacts that can carry traces of magic (which can transfer slightly to those who touch them) and even memories. Unfortunately, the rules and boundaries of this magical system are ill-defined at best. Realistically, their existence is simply to enable Inez to find something otherwise impossible. I found this lackluster show to be disappointing.

On that note – don't go into What the River Knows expecting a retelling of The Mummy. There are two things that The Mummy and What the River Knows have in common: romance and Egypt. That's it. Yes, there's a tomb or two, but those elements feel like shallow comparisons.

There were times when I found myself beginning to enjoy this story! Unfortunately, those times were often balanced out by repetition or other odd choices. For example, there are two major reveals at the end. They set up a cliffhanger that is supposed to make readers desperate for the sequel, but it killed any investment I had.

Overall, I would say What the River Knows wasn't the best read, but it had SO MUCH potential. I wish we could have learned more about the world, the characters, and the magical system.

Highlights:
Romantic Fantasy
Historical Fantasy
Magical Items/Artifacts
Egyptian History/Lore

A little bit of a slow beginning, but when it took off it was fantastic! Forewarned, this is the first book in a series so it ends on a cliffhanger.
I really loved the atmospheric feel of this story. The author really made you feel immersed in the action. I’m a big nerd about Egyptian archaeology, so I enjoyed that the most. In short, I loved it!
**Thank you NetGalley for a chance to read this ARC.**

The jacket flap describes this as a mix between The Mummy (a movie series that I love) and Death On the Nile. I also felt reminded of the Amelia Peabody series. The archaeology descriptions and the setting in the 1880s Eqypt, the politics of that time period, and the mystery were all fun, but what I liked the most was watching Inez push back against the expectations of her time and status. I found her parents leaving her behind for half of her life infuriating and spent a significant portion of the book irritated with her uncle for refusing to even discuss things with her. As the magic and mystery unfolded, I was drawn more and more to her story. Whit was an enigma wrapped in a mystery, and I loved watching the two of them fight against the magnetic draw between them. I now am counting down for the next book to see what else happens on Inez's adventures!

This was a 3.5 star read for me. I loved Whit and Inez's relationship and the banter between them. There were numerous twists throughout the book which kept me turning the pages. The ending was crazy, and I'm definitely going to continue with the series so I can get answers.. Isabel Ibanez is so great at transporting the reader into the setting of her books, and this one is no different. The atmosphere of this book jumps off the page. However, I found myself getting increasingly frustrated with Inez throughout the book. Multiple times I found myself just yelling at her for her choices, like girl just listen to the people around you who know a little bit more than you. She was hypocritical in her decisions and actions, and it made it hard to root for her at times. Her determination just felt immature and out of touch with reality at times, especially when comparing Inez's actions with her cousin's similar actions with very different consequences at the end of the book. It felt very much like Inez had a better outcome because she was lucky, not because of anything she did, because her decisions were equally bad throughout. I think I would have enjoyed this one more without the cousin storyline.

I want to say thank you to the author, the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.

First, I realize how late I am to the party. That being said, I feel so silly for not reading this sooner *spoilers that I like it* as I found myself staying up to finish this. I read this in under 48 hours (silly RL getting in the way) and now I'm wanting desperately for the next one. First off - when I heard it was like a mix between the 'The Mummy' (loved it) and 'Death on the Nile' (didn't really see the connection) which had me getting all page turney fast!

So while sometimes the characters could be frustrating (Ricardo) and other times grating the nerves (Inez) overall, I found this fun and entertaining. The chemistry between Inez and Whit does give the Rick and Evie vibes. The cliff hanger though - ouch. If I had to nitpick, the magic system is a little vague but other than that I loved the story, the chemistry and the history of Egyptian (and Greek!) wall a fun read and I can't wait for the next one!

My Rating: 4 Stars!

Finally got to reading this!

I don't know how to feel about this. The premise had so much promise but it took me forever to read it. Since I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley I feel compelled to leave a review, but I don't really know what else to say. It wasn't my favorite book and that is okay.