Writing: 5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 5/5
Enjoyment: 4/5

Themes: Historical, Adventure, Ancient Egypt, Magic

What the River Knows is about a girl who is trying to find out what happened to her parents in Egypt. She runs away and goes to her uncle in Egypt, who she hardly knows, and finds a whole new world she didn’t know existed. There is adventure, betrayal and even a little romance. I love anything to do with Ancient Egypt and this book was full of it. Going to archeological sites, hyroglyphs, artifacts and the gods and goddesses. It reminded me of an Indiana Jones or The Mummy break off. Inez was such a fun FMC and how strong and mischievous she is. There was a big twist at the end and I can’t wait to read the next book.

I received an arc and am leaving an honest review.

Firstly I mostly enjoyed this book. The plot was engaging, the characters are interesting, and overall it kept me reading. I do think the Egyptian lore felt a bit disjointed within the story sometimes, but as a YA book I actually think that’s fine. It’s part Indiana jones style mystery, part romance, and part family drama, so it has something for lots of people.

The main thing that was took me out of the story was the descriptive writing which was at times very heavy handed. I also wish that since the author chose to make the characters Argentinian and actually spend time there, I would have liked to feel the cultural tension more the characters and their Egyptian setting.

Overall though I do think YA readers and fans of new adult urban fantasy will enjoy this!

*trigger warning w/ mild spoiler

I do think a trigger warning should be added for an abrupt murder towards the end of the book. Especially in a YA that really has no violence of consequence or otherwise explicit content for the whole book, I found the unexpected murder to feel extremely jarring, so readers should just know that’s coming.

This book was an enchanting read, and the only thing that would have made it better would have been if I had known it was a duology. It was a riveting read and I cannot wait for more from Ibanez!

Overall, this read just felt confusing, like it couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. Let’s start with genre — is this YA (it has a young protagonist, but all other characters are adults), is it adult fiction (there is adultery and murder), or a brush with magical realism (the use of magic was fine, but the lack of understanding and inconsistencies was annoying).

Additionally, character development was lackluster at best. I do not like what the author did with her female characters. The protagonist, Olivia, endlessly swoons over an engaged man, not to mention is reckless and selfish. Her best friend/sister, Elvira, has no development outside of loving and eventually dying for the protagonist. And Olivia’s long lost and adored mother turns out to be a thief and adulterer who cons her own daughter. Like, what is this?

Lastly, the writing style didn’t work for me. The book alternates between Olivia and Whit’s (her love interest) POV. But Whit added nothing to the story; his narrative was almost always in reaction or response to something Olivia did. Additionally, Ibañez randomly incorporated Spanish into the story (I.e. chapter titles and the occasional phrase) but did little to develop the culture. In fact, she also incorporated French and Egyptian dialogue with little difference. In trying to do too much, the author actually did nothing.

Simply put, this read didn’t work for me. That being said, it worked for a lot of other readers. So, I encourage you to read a few different reviews before deciding if this is a book for you!

5 STARS TO THIS ENCHANTING STORY!

I'm in awe!!!!!! I still can't believe what a crazy story that was! At first, I was just entranced by how beautiful the writing was. It felt so atmospheric, and I loved how the author wrote in the era the book is set in. It just felt so real and tangible and beautiful. And for a moment there I did feel like it was dragging on slightly, I wanted there to be more happening, but I started just accepting that this was going to be a bit of a slow burn with a lot of layers underneath it. The second half/later half of this book is absolutely nuts in the sense that there's this growing tension and feeling that something's wrong. You really can't trust anything that's happening and the deceit and lies and secrets are just SO good. I was shocked and I felt like I was experiencing everything along with Inez.

ALSO. Whit!!! What a beautiful, haunted man! I loved their banter, I loved the way they antagonize each other. The tension was absolutely perfect.

The ending was...bad in the sense that I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!!! THAT. WAS. INSANE. I'M ASLDFJLSDKFJASDLFKJALFKJ. I'd say that I think I know where this is going with the little snippet in the Epilogie, but I have no doubt that the author will have a million and one surprises.

This was such a wonderful adventure. It did feel like a slow burn, and it did feel long at times, but I"m so happy I stuck with it. It was interesting, felt well researched and understood, and was just complex...ugh what a dream a book. It felt so grounded in earth, but magical. The overall atmosphere and tone of this...perfect.

Can't wait for everyone to read this in October!!!!!! Please put this in your TBR!!!!!!

This was a great read! I loved Inez as a main character and found her to be a multi-dimensional plucky and relatable heroine. The romance is one of the biggest selling points of this book and I found their dynamic to be very endearing and fun - definitely reminded me of The Mummy (Brendan Fraser version). I also adored the Egyptian setting and the author's lush writing.

Thank you so much for my review copy of ‘What the River Knows’

This book follows Inez after her parent’s death. She decides to travel to Egypt to discover more about her parents and to explore. Inez has been pretty sheltered, but has fought against the rules held against her at every turn. I loved her independence. When Inez arrives to Egypt she meet Whit, and they hilariously bump heads.

This book is very much dialogue based, and I found myself losing interest at many intervals, due to the slow writing style. I wished there had been more balance of ‘talking’ to ‘action’, as my ADHD self couldn’t focus long enough on all of the dialogue that at times lasted an entire chapter.

Another thing that I couldn’t get past, is Inez’s attitude at times. She came off as a little annoying and fell for Whit way too fast. She came off as bratty at times. Her attitude, so little action, and extreme dialogue made me give up on this book.

I also LOVED The Mummy, and couldn’t wait to get into this book. This didn’t feel like how The Mummy made me feel.

Again, thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book, Netgalley & publishers, but unfortunately this one wasn’t for me.

It was a very interesting story and well written, but it was so incredibly long and didn't feel like a fast read. For those who like fantasy, it will be a very good read, but for others this book will seem to take forever to finish.

A shinning 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

This was SUCH an amazing read. The minute I heard about this book it was added to the top of my most anticipated reads for this year. I absolutely loved The Mummy (hellooo O’Connell) so sign me up for a book with that dynamic! I was lucky enough to get a digital ARC for this book, and it beyond surpassed my expectations and desires. It is truly the perfect mix of mystery, magic, romance, and historical fiction, packed tight with ancient Egyptian mythology.

I loved our main character Inez. She was the perfect mix of naive and young but still determined and intelligent. Whit was everything I could have wanted for the sarcastic and rude but endearing love interest. The banter and sarcasm was delicious, and the tension between these two was thick! They had undeniable chemistry together. I won’t give away any spoilers, but I will say that we spend the entire book slowly getting a picture of Whit, but the ending completely left me hanging on what would happen and what exactly Whit’s true motivations were.

This book had less action then I expected, but I actually ended up loving that. The writing was beautiful and I was loving following our characters on their journey as they traveled through Egypt. I felt like I could even smell the things the main characters were. While the books weren’t endless action, there were still plenty of moments that had me at the edge of my seat!

Overall this book completely surprised me. It was wonderfully crafted, with a combination of beautiful language and fun and detailed characters that together created a very immersive and enjoyable read. If you like murder mysteries and the vibes of ancient Egypt, with a romance that rivals The Mummy, then I recommend picking up a copy of What The River Knows.

The publish dates has been moved 2 weeks closer - Now publishes on Halloween!!

Spoiler/trigger warning: The book does have a few moments that are a little violent, and there is a romantic moment between characters that gets a little steamy (a heavy make out session)

Thank netgalley for my early EARC copy

✨Rating 3.5/5 ✨


Ok honestly where do I begin

I was super intrigued by the first couple chapters it seemed as Inez was very trouble by her parents always living her as well as then comes the worst part news of there death

She hops on a boat and goes to Egypt to look for them

She finds her uncle and Whit which is a super hot guy who works for her uncle they give her no information just to at her parents are long gone and missing

The book felt very repetitive and slow through out the first 70% I was expecting a lot more action like in the movie the mummy as stated

Some of the plots were predictable and I caught on much more quickly than I wanted to


The ending it’s what made it a 3.5 stars for me because I think I will absolutely love the second book significantly more

This was a bit more slow paced than I wanted it to be it may be great for you but I needed more which I believe the second book will give me just from the epilogue!

Raise your hand if as a child you watched every documentary on Ancient Egypt, read every archaeology related book at the library, owned that Egyptology kids book, and made and decorated a sarcophagus and canopic jars (a shoe box and baby food jars) for one of your stuffed animals.

...Anyways, it's safe to say I'm a sucker for anything Egypt or archaeology related in general. Growing up I adored the Amelia Peabody mystery series which is archaeology/Egypt related as well. I saw the description for this book and knew I wanted to read it.

Pros: It's a very atmospheric read and you definitely feel like you're in Egypt along for the ride. The twists in the novel kept me engaged, particularly the cliffhanger at the end! I also really enjoy the magical realism genre and I like how that was infused in the book along with Inez's culture. The characters felt like real people with dynamic personalities.

Cons: While I enjoyed the magic system, I hope in the next book the magic is fleshed out even more! More explanation of how it all works would make the novel feel more alive and cohesive. The budding romance was engaging but not overbearing, however, I felt like more effort was put into Inez's character development. Whit bordered on flat and too grumpy at times.

I'm definitely interested in the next novel and how all the characters develop. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I enjoyed the historical aspect of this book and Inez was a strong female character. Inez was persistent in making finding out what happened to her parents while also having an adventure. Towards the end the book was dragging and got darker then what I was expecting. It was still an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the mix of fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction, as well as the multiple settings and dual POV. I would've liked a bit more depth to some of the characters. The story ends on a cliffhanger to keep thee reader holding on the a sequel. I appreciated the fact that the romance angle wasn't overpowering. I found the Egyptian details quite interesting. Some parts were a bit repetitive, but, since this isn't the final copy, perhaps that will change with the final edits. Inez was an easy character to engage with and root for, but I didn't feel quite the same about Whit. It's clear that a lot of research went into the story.

What the River Knows had been on my TBR list for awhile and I was so happy when I saw it on NetGalley! I read Death on the Nile and liked the story, but didn’t love the style or language it was written in. What the River Knows offers a Death on the Nile feel, mixed with The Mummy. On top of that delicious mixture there’s a forbidden romance plot as the icing on the cake. I only wish that I had known that this was the first installment of a duo series because now I’m dying to read the second one and have such a long time to wait until it’s finally released. I could see this book being picked up and made into a movie as well.

Thank you NetGally for the ARC

This was honestly such a treat to read. I've always been a fan of the grand adventure through ancient and mysterious settings like the Mummy and Indiana Jones and this hit every mark.

4.25/5 stars

What The River Knows was everything my inner Latine child obsessed with ancient Egypt could have wanted in a novel. When I read the premise of this story I was immediately excited to see what could happen. This book delivered.

We meet Inez, a bold, tenacious, young lady at the beginning of her story and watch as she takes on all sorts of challenges. She travels from her Buenos Aires to Egypt and explores several places once there. I love that there is an interweaving of magic, history, and challenging norms in this book. I also loved that I felt similar to Inez in the book in that I was constantly questioning which characters we could actually trust.

The author weaves a tale of mystery, suspense, wonder, and suspicion that kept me engaged throughout the story, even in slower moments of history giving and world building.

If you love magic, intrigue, and characters with questionable ethics I strongly encourage you to pick up this book. I absolutely can't wait to read the cycle and add this book to my shelf! Thank you to the publisher for providing an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What The River Knows is an atmospheric YA historical fantasy, following our MC Inez as she travels Egypt for answers concerning her parents death.
This book was evocative, slow-moving, beautifully soothing, and contemplative. The writing absorbs you and claims your heart.

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC!

I hate to write a negative review, but unfortunately this book really disappointed me. This for me was definitely a 1.5 rounded up.

The first 75% of this book was fun, not the most amazing romance I had ever read but it was engaging. The setting was really intriguing, and I felt like the author did a great job with research and was able to set up a very vivid and alluring backdrop for the story. The characters were a bit flat in the beginning but I tend to feel that way about most romance stories I read. The magic system was also really flat, and honestly felt like an after thought, an easy mechanism to solve "issues" but it was charming and didn't impact how I was feeling about the story overall.

I was enjoying the ride...but then I hit the last 25%ish of the book and it went completely off the rails. I felt like every romance and action trope that exists was thrown into this section. Every chapter had a new "twist", which made it so hard to trust anything that was happening. I wasn't given the time to process something, and then all of the sudden something else came up. The whole ending was just entirely rushed, and the motivation for each of those actions suffered because of that. This also majorly impacted my relationship to each character as well.

I am genuinely disappointed in the ending of this book, and its so unfortunate because the potential is definitely there. I am hoping if there is a follow up that the magic system is better defined, the characters get more depth and the motivations for the action bits are a bit more intentional/thoughtful.

Isabel Ibáñez writes with such a passion. I loved how she incorporates such rich culture into a mystery and rivals to lovers romance plot. There is emotion and a strong main character.

This book is great for people who love historical fantasy. The suspense will keep you reading on and on because of the overlooming feel of disaster.

First off, I loved Isabel Ibanez’s other books. I was able to read an advance copy of What the River Knows with NetGalley. I thought the story started out somewhat slow and I ended up reading another book and then circling back. I am so glad I did! I love the Egyptian setting and the cultural elements she incorporated. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of the architecture and food.
Inez is a complex character whose headstrong, creative but sheltered by her family and society norms.
Whit is an even more complicated character who I could never really pin down because he is a chameleon. The last half of the book was full of plot twists that I didn’t expect and really loved! I hope this is the first book in a series that will unravel all these characters and give us more of Cleopatra and the magical elements in this world. In conclusion, I will be waiting impatiently.