I loved this one!! It’s so good! I highly recommend. I loved the setting the most, it brought me back to my college days studying anthropology.

3.5

I really enjoyed this one. I was a little nervous to read this one because it seemed so out of my comfort zone. This book had major Indiana Jones vibes. This one kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I highly suggest this one.

Loved loved LOVED this book! Huge thank you to the publishers and to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this e-arc! This is my first Isabel Ibañez book, and I’m so excited now to go and read all her other books as I wait for the sequel to What the River Knows. The Mummy is one of my favorite movies ever and Inez and Whit came loaded with Evelyn and Rick vibes from their very first scene together, so I was fully hooked early on, and I stayed hooked through the rolling, banter- and tension-filled adventures that followed.

If you are looking for a refreshing and Jules Verne type of experience. Then this book is up your ally from mystery to history this book has it all. It is easily in one of my top 10 of the year, a must-read for any adventure and history buff.

It's a joy to witness Inez's journey of discovery in Egypt as she seeks to learn more about her parents' lives. However, the second half of the book loses some of its momentum. While exploring temples and cities remains interesting, it did lose some of the suspense. I appreciate what the author was trying to do. And it was well written. I anticipated a page turner. But it was a little more complex than that. Fine by me. I will definitely recommend this title. It’s new and different and that’s really exciting! Thanks NetGalley.

I just reviewed What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez. #WhattheRiverKnows #NetGalley

Wonderful blend of history, adventure and romance, with a splash of magic. The perfect start to a series, and one heck of a last page and epilogue. I was immediately entranced with the setting, the historical atmosphere was beautifully described and immersive. I would like to understand more about the "magic" in the world, a bit more background on why and how (hopefully more in the sequel), sometimes it seemed like more of a whimsical inclusion - but I loved how Inez could feel/experience Cleopatra's life, and the "flashbacks" were some of my favorite parts of the story. Inez and Whit had great banter/chemistry from the start. You never really know who to trust, and I felt Inez's frustration intensely, and also her grief. I loved this story. I will definitely be purchasing and recommending this title in my library.

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez is a historical fantasy with major vibes from The Mummy! If you know me at all, then you know that I love anything and everything from the Egyptian culture. It's just so fascinating to me.

This story centers around Inez, a young woman from Argentina who wants nothing more than to be with her parents exploring all of Egypt. Unfortunately, she doesn't get the chance due to unforseen circumstances, which actually leads her into a dangerous adventure of a lifetime.

What The River Knows was such a great story from the very first page. I loved the vivid scenes that were easily created in my imagination due to the great writing! The flow and pacing were seemless. The characters were wonderful, my favorite being Whit, who was just so mysterious. The twists were executed perfectly, and it had me continuously questioning things. Loved the magic and treasure hunting aspect of it.

Overall, it was a great read, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

I enjoyed this book. I like the setting and most of the characters. I thought the plot twist was a little predictable but I have no ending what the ending means. I will continue on with this series because I think Whit is a very interesting character. I found him way more interesting than Inez. She was bland and predictable even though she was written to be anything but. All in all, enjoyable read. Solid 3 stars.

Such a stunning book!!

I want more from this author ASAP. I felt so immersed in the story, and it usually takes quite a bit for that to happen for me, especially with historical fantasy.

I loved everything from the setting, the writing style/descriptions, the push and pull between the MCs.

4.5 stars. Inez has grown up constantly missing her parents, as they spend half the year or more in Egypt, leaving her behind in Buenos Aires and forbidding her to visit them. When she receives news that they are missing, presumed dead, she embarks on a secret journey to Cairo to question her uncle and find out exactly what happened. A magic ring will throw a wrench in Inez's straightforward plans, and a handsome rogue will frustrate her progress at every turn, but she will insist on being included, no matter the risk or the danger to her person. Inez is having visions of an ancient woman's life; can these vignettes lead her to discover what really happened to her parents?

Oh man, this was my first Isabel Ibañez book, and I am definitely hooked on her writing. The characters! The action! The TENSION! It's all perfect. Inez is a fantastically rendered character, and the story is fast-paced and gripping from the very start. The romance elements are *chef's kiss* and I seriously cannot wait for the second book in this series — THE EPILOGUE...!!!! Ugh, I'm going to perish in the interim.

Anyways, you should read this book if you enjoy historical fiction, magical realism, romance, strong female characters, mystery, YA, or fiction in general. Think I nailed most of you in there. It's just such a fun book that's jam-packed with little somethings for everyone. Please read it so we can speculate on what the last page means!! I'm dying.

THANK YOU to Isabel Ibañez, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for my advance digital and physical copies.

Synopsis-
Inez lives in Argentina with her aunt and two cousins, while her parents work in Egypt most of the year. One day, she receives news that her parents are dead. She makes her way to Egypt to find out what happened. While on this journey, Inez runs into trouble, and her feelings.

Review-
It took me longer than expected to finish this book (this is due to life, not the book in any way), and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Reading this slowly allowed me to really take it in and enjoy the journey. I have reacted so much to this book that by the end, I was just floored. “My mind is reeling” is what i said to my boyfriend - if you want to experience a book hangover, pick this up!

I really enjoyed reading and reacting to this novel, it was sincerely a wild ride of emotions. I was so caught up in it, that I forgot it was an ARC, and not only did I have to wait for the publication of this novel, but I had to wait even LONGER for the sequel.

Characters-
I enjoyed the characters - they had such strong personalities that each person jumped off the page. Inez is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s headstrong, sharp-tongued, resourceful, and practical, but can be too trusting at times.

Whit and Tío Ricardo are two characters that are hard to penetrate. Because of this, it was hard to know where I stood with each one. One moment I could be in support of them (as individuals), and in another instant, I’d be shouting “don’t trust him!”. It was really fun not knowing where they stood.

I enjoyed the camaraderie there was between the women in this novel. I grew up with stories of women cutting each other down or having snide remarks saved for one another. It’s nice to see this change in literature (and visual media).

Writing-
I think this book is a bit on the slower-paced side, and that’s totally fine! It works for this book. Ibañez clearly did her homework on Egypt and its history - I could feel the admiration for the country and its people on the page. The novel has beautiful descriptions and fantastic tidbits of Egypt and its history throughout.

In What the River Knows, we deal with serious elements (e.g. death, trust, robbing ancient artifacts), but it is tempered by comedic relief in the form of sarcasm and quips between Inez and Whit.

The writing and story propelled me to keep going. The rivals-to-lovers trope is pretty heavy in this one, and although I’m not usually a romance girly, I couldn’t stop swooning over Inez and Whit’s interactions.

The story is primarily told from Inez’s point of view, although there are a handful of chapters that include snippets of Whit’s perspective.

Plot-
The plot was great! This novel had me on the edge of my seat.

Do I recommend-
Yes! If anyone wants to escape reality, go through a romantic rollercoaster and an archeological magical journey, this is it!

Read if you liked...
What the River Knows is advertised as a combination of “The Mummy” and Death on the Nile and it lives up to that. Read this if you like having your heart tossed around with anticipation, innocent romance, and unreliable characters.



Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the premise of this book. It had great potential, just wasn't executed quite right. I felt like the magic element needed a bit more. It felt like an afterthought. The romance felt weird and forced. It just didn't draw me in like I hoped it would. The cliffhanger does have me intrigued for the following books though!

When Inez Olivera receives word that her parents were lost in the desert in Egypt and presumed dead, she sets off to find out what really happened to them.

This book is packed full of adventure with unexpected twists and turns. It was a delight to read. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, things changed. It was absolute chaos, in the best way.

Magic is largely forgotten in this world, but lingers in objects. It can latch onto people who handle the objects and this happens to Inez with an ancient ring her father sent to her with no explanation. I found the magic system really intriguing and love all the random magical artifacts throughout the story.

Inez is a captivating main character. She's curious, stubborn, and a bit naive. I found her so easy to root for but was also pulling my hair out when she would make stubborn, rash decisions that placed her in danger.

I found the other characters compelling as well. Whit is an infuriating, enticing mystery. Ricardo is gruff, Isadora is intriguing, Abdullah is ever the scholar, and Elvira is the best cousin. And the pining between Whit and Inez had me swooning! Their chemistry and banter is exactly what I look for in romances.

And OH. MY. GOSH. that cliffhanger at the end. I was stunned. I can't wait for book 2!

Thank you to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and Isabel Ibañez for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

What the River Knows is a fun romp of a romantic adventure set in Egypt during the height of the Egyptian archeological craze. In an alternative world where magic is real, Olivera defies her family and travels to Egypt from Argentina in search of answers as to what caused her parents' deaths and why they chose to spend half of her life on the other side of the world away from her in the sands of Egypt. Armed only with a letter and a ring with a cartouche of Cleopatra, Olivera quickly finds herself immersed in a world of ancient magic, tomb raiders, and deception.

As a lover of all things Ancient Egypt, I thought the magical realism was a unique touch, although I hope in future books in the series, as I assume there will be since this one ended on a major cliffhanger, that the rules of the magic are expanded upon. Does everyone have access to the magic or is it only for the elite. Is Olivera unique in her ability to connect with magical artifacts or can anyone experience the past as she does? I definitely liked the blooming relationship between Olivera and Whit and think that that too, can be greatly expanded upon and fleshed out.

Overall a fun enemies to lovers romance with high stakes adventure and a murder mystery to boot. Highly recommended for fans of cozy fantasy romance. I look forward to reading more in this series and finding out more about this unique world that the author has created.

Huge thank you to NetGalley, Isabel Ilbanez, and Wednesday Books for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄
🖤 Enemies to lovers
🕰 Historical Fantasy
🧙‍♀️ Magic
🐪 Egypt
⛵ Adventure

𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓
Inez has been living with her aunt and cousins while her parents are on an expedition in Egypt with her uncle. When she receives a letter saying they have been missing and are presumed dead, she decides to go to Egypt on her own in search of them. While there, she starts to suspect that her uncle may have had something to do with her parents disappearing and forces her way onto his expedition, much to his frustration. During this journey, she becomes close to her uncle’s employee, Whit, who is as handsome as he is frustrating. As the two become closer, she begins to realize that she has no idea who she can actually trust.

𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒
Going into this book, I knew I would probably love it, but I had no idea how good it would actually be. I’ve always loved reading about Egypt and this book really brought the country to life in vivid and beautiful detail.

Some of the writing came across as a little too YA for me, but that didn’t detract from the story. I was hanging onto every word and I can’t get over the ending. 5/5⭐.

I am happy to say that the synopsis's comp to The Mummy was definitely present. For the first ~40% I was really enjoying the book. Then I felt my interest wane slowly until I was rushing to finish. However, even though this book isn't for me, I do think it would do well with a YA demographic.

Rick and Evie:
So there is absolutely no chance in hell that the author wasn't thinking of exactly Rick and Evie from The Mummy while she was writing the main characters. Whit is an absolute copy of Rick, from the hair to the clothes to the devilish, troublemaker attitude. The banter between the two, jaded vs naive, and the constant rescuing is very reminiscent of this top tier couple. I would've loved a book fully focused on them and I can see readers becoming very attached to this aspect of the book.

Fantasy Elements:
There are a few, cool artifacts with magic in this. The feral book living in the sunflowers was excellent, the prank-assisting scarf that shrinks things was another delight. But overall they had no material impact on the story and very loose integration.

The overwhelming impact was from magic transferred via a gold ring, which mostly served as a plot convenience to lead them to locations of significance, or to act in a magical realism sort of way so that the MC could see brief images of an ancient person's life. I think this both weakened the world-building and detracted from the very real history and people that often came up, so I would've preferred if the author had leaned harder into the magic integration or removed it entirely.

Saturday Morning Educational Cartoons:
There were several passages while reading that I had the distinct impression that I was watching an educational kids' cartoon and they were trying to teach me about Cleopatra. But 1. it was through dialogue among characters who wouldn't have a reason to discuss things in that way, 2. it was fairly surface level, 3. it felt like definitive opinions of the author that removed any nuance or controversy or scholarly debate. I think this would be cool for kids who are into Ancient Egypt, but it got a little grating for me as an adult reader.

Inez:
And this is where I'm gonna be harsh, because I did not like being in the POV of this character. Aside from a few paragraphs at the end of the occasional chapter where we get a snippet from Whit, this is entirely told from Inez's perspective. At first I thought I understood who her character was: a bright young lady from a privileged background with years of scholarly study and multiple languages under her belt, sick of swimmin' and ready to stand. But then suddenly she'd be incredibly naive because the author needed to educate the audience through dialogue to Inez (why tf would she not know about the cataracts of The Nile? it's only the second most famous feature of the country she and her parents were obsessed with, so she definitely wouldn't know any details or have overheard her parents speaking about it)

Likewise, there was a plot reveal that I swear happened three times, each time spelling it out more and more clearly to the point that I was honestly shocked when she reacted the second and third times. Like didn't we already do this? And in between discoveries (and even immediately after them) she would suddenly behave as if recent revelations or promises hadn't happened at all. Her character inconsistency gave me whiplash.

So I ultimately enjoyed her stubbornness and perseverance, but was driven a bit batty by her naivety and how she fell for every fishy and poorly concealed trap.

Tio Ricardo:
It's also worth noting that the text reminded me at least once that this her uncle is a man she doesn't know. They've barely interacted in her lifetime and she has no reason to trust or like him. She'll have elements of his character introduced and clearly delineated, then later think that his character is the exact opposite. Or suddenly they're disappointed and betrayed by each other when, again, they *barely know each other.*

I cannot keep up with this relationship.

Patriarchy and Misogyny:
Good god the amount of patriarchy in the beginning was <i>stifling</i> and I really struggled to want to continue, not knowing if there would be a pay-off. Spoiler: <spoiler>there wasn't.</spoiler> But thankfully after they leave Cairo it really stopped being a theme at all, even though they wouldn't stop slapping me in the face with it mere seconds before. Rant: <spoiler>I know this is a series so maybe it comes up later, but I cannot handle the 0 retribution for Sterling. Fuck that dude.</spoiler>

The Ending:
The ending came out of nowhere and was so fast and seemed like it was trying to be as startling and emotional as possible. But also I <i>literally</i> could not stop myself from rolling my eyes <spoiler>as she read her father's letter, spelling everything out so that it was honestly comical. It needed to be much better set up to have any resonance so it just felt silly and another way to convince/remind the reader of recent reveals.</spoiler>

Overall:
Ultimately I'm really disappointed because, apart from the misogyny, the first 40% was really fun and I loved the FMC and MMC's relationship. I don't know if I'll continue on with the series.

Bonus star because I love Rick & Evie.

What a fantastic, thrilling read! 4.25 stars! The twists and turns this book took were unexpected, the characters were as loveable as they were shakeable for their decisions, and the settings were amazing. Full of adventure, mystery, and betrayal with flashbacks to a time when magic was more widely used. Inez is pretty naive throughout the whole book, but is determined to find out what happened to her parents and create her own a path to the truth. I highly enjoyed the connection between Inez and Whit, who start at odds with each other and grow closer over the course of the novel. It has been a few weeks since I've finished the book and I cannot stop thinking about the ending and what it could mean! Book 2 cannot come soon enough.

The gasp I gasped!!
For anyone obsessed with Egypt, Cleopatra, or not listening to men, this is the book for you! It’s so good. I’d like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC before it comes out to the public. The start of the book is a little slow, but quickly starts to speed up. There’s excitement, travelling, historical knowledge, magic, a touch of love, and murder. The last 20% of the book is a “I can’t go to bed until I finish this book omg omg omg!!” kind of text you’d send to a friend kind of book. Highly recommend to anyone who wants to get out of slump.

Inez discovers an awful truth, and while that awful truth has brought chaos to her life, she spends quite a bit of time falling in love with Whit.
The hunt for Cleopatra's Tomb in Philae of all places has more to do with magic than it does the discovery of her tomb.
Meanwhile, Inez's father is a dangling plot detail.

This book is clearly part one of a duology or trilogy, but I don't know if I want to continue to follow Inez's journey.

This book is just fantastic. It’s a great balance of romance and plot. The story follows 17 year old Inez to Egypt as she searches for answers about the death of her parents. There she enters their world of archaeology, magic, and more. She also meets Whitford Hayes, handsome and mysterious.

If you liked Divine Rivals, I think you’ll like this one. If you liked Divine Rivals and have an interest in ancient Egypt, you’ll absolutely devour this one.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for early access to this book. All thoughts are my own.