Wow!

To be honest, I initially had a hard time getting into What the River Knows; it's very much a slow-burn, and the introduction of Inez and her journey to Egypt had difficult pacing for me to feel invested in. However, during these slower initial chapters, the author does do an amazing job of allowing you to get to know the main cast of characters and their strong personalities.

You're introduced to Inez, who is living with her aunt and cousins - in fact, she's lived a large majority of her life with them instead of with her parents, who have chosen to live and explore 1880s Egypt. Inez pines after her parents and their great adventures in Egypt, fairly wondering why she was never allowed to go with them. Her parents honestly sound horrible from the get-go. Negligent and detached from their daughter. But Inez is young and eager to reconnect with them.

Until a letter is delivered, bearing the news that her parents have been lost and declared dead.

So she ventures to Egypt to find answers on her own. That's where she first runs into the arrogant, but handsome Whit, and soon after her uncle who is all too eager to send her back home.

Despite the slow start, this book is so beautifully written, I found myself wanting to read more and learn with Inez. She's a very smart and likeable character, and I was rooting for her very early on in and throughout the story.

I had it in my mind that I was going to rate this book 4.5 stars for the trouble I had getting into the beginning, HOWEVER... the ending of this book made me sit up from bed in the middle of the night and panic. That might not sound very fun, but the fact that it shocked me so thoroughly was such a joy! There's definitely twists I didn't see coming, and it cemented this book as a 5 star read!

I highly, highly recommend and will be anxiously awaiting the drop of the sequel!

Inez Olivera is stuck. She is stuck living with her aunt in mid-19th century Argentina, a young woman of privilege, being prepared to get married. She is desperate for her parents, who spend most of their time in Egypt as archaeologists, to send for her. When the letter finally comes, however, it does not hold the news Inez expects. She is forced to take matters into her own hands and set off on a grand adventure.

This was a 3.5 star read for me. Inez' character was the best part of the book. She is strong and fierce and also very young and unworldly, which makes her determination to get to Egypt and find out what happened to her parents genuinely engaging. However, it felt like the author wasn't quite sure what her goal was with the book. There are sections that read like steamy YA romance, and sections that delve heavily into magic-tinged fantasy, but don't quite go there. There is a solid mystery thread, but it isn't developed well enough to have the reader buy in. There are characters who will probably be developed more in future books, but we don't know enough about them in this book to care about them. There's a really strong, important thread about repatriation of artifacts, but it gets lost in everything else that is going on. A second narrative voice, of the intriguing young character Inez gets involved with is engaging, but it's not consistently there enough for the reader to get used to, and at least for me, the character's use of profanity, while in total keeping with his character, doesn't ring right with the rest of the book.

For me, this book is a situation where the many different strong components didn't pull together to create a greater whole, and instead, weakened the structure of the story.

YA readers who have read the Kane chronicles and are interested in Egypt, or who are looking for a strong female narrator in historical fiction, may enjoy this.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, for the ARC of What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez. In exchange, I have agreed to post an honest review.

What the River Knows is a promising YA novel about a treasure hunting adventure, a missing persons mystery, and a bit of enemies-to-lovers romance thrown in for good measure. Set in the late 19th century in Egypt during the height of Egyptomania, we follow Inez Olvera as she travels with her archeologist uncle, Ricardo, to discover what has happened to her missing parents. There is a large cast to keep track of including Inez’s love interest, Whit, a disgraced British officer who happens to be Uncle Ricardo’s right hand man as well as the mysterious and possibly dangerous Mr. Fincastle and his daughter, Isadora. Who can be trusted? And what has happened to Inez’s parents in the deserts of Egypt?

This was a 3.5 star rating for me. I love the premise, but there are a lot of issues with the execution. The first third of the novel is boring and eye-glaze inducing as the reader is subjected to the constant, repetitive thoughts of Inez. Inez is a boring YA heroine- She’s headstrong and self-centered- you know, a typical teenager. I never feel a connection to her during the entire story. Her romance with Whit is eye-roll inducing with Whit being the charismatic “bad boy” to Inez’s self-righteous, no-nonsense “strong female character.” I’m sure as a teenager I would have eaten this up, but as an adult it seems too formulaic and disingenuous. Furthermore, all the plot points (e.g. non existent communication leading to bad decisions) were formulaic. The ending was the only time Ibanez went “off-script” and not in a good way. It is convoluted and outright ridiculous in narrative. One of the only redeeming qualities of this novel is the lush detail of Egypt and the Nile River during the 19th Century. You feel as if you are one of the tourists enchanted by the market bazaars in Cairo, on The Elephantine cruising the crocodile infested Nile, and living on the island of Philae unearthing Cleopatra’s tomb with the archeological crew. I absolutely adore the setting of this novel, but I strongly disliked the narrative.

2.5/5
To start off, I want to say that I love that this book is set in Egypt, dealing with important cultural discussions and the fascinating aspects of archeology and history. You can feel the vibrancy of the culture and have compassion for what the Egyptians dealt with having other cultures come and take their stuff to put in their own museums (I'm looking at you England). I also found many of the characters endearing. Their various quirks and passions made them feel more real.

However, and this is a big point.
I HATED the main character.

Inez was impressively stupid through the whole book. I couldn't believe her love interest didn't lose interest in her altogether. I'm all for stupidity leading to a lesson, but she never learns. I don't want to spoil if you haven't read it, but she faces big consequences and still DOESN'T learn.

Also, the whole book felt predictable, with the exception of the ending. I wasn't surprised by anything other than the last chapter. I definitely reread it 3 times. Might pick up the sequel just for the ending, but I'm not sure if I can really handle Inez another time around.

(I will post my review on goodreads on the date of publishing)

Comparing this novel to The Mummy was a mistake. It had none of the charm, humor, romance or action that make the movies so fun and lovable. The plot and pacing were uneven and the first half was a drag, with a smattering of action at the end that felt very out of place. I really enjoyed the historical aspects of the story, but wished the magic had played a bigger role to make it even more fantastical. The characters and their relationships were shallow and I didn’t like any of them. I appreciated Inez’s strive for independence in a time when women weren’t afforded many rights, but she was so immature and grated on my nerves. The romance was lackluster and I felt no chemistry between Inez and Whit. Even though I adore books with dual points of view, I don’t believe Whit’s perspective was necessary. It added nothing to the story and didn’t offer any character development for a man who was still a mystery by the end of the novel. Any new information that might have been acquired about him in those scenes was later revealed in Inez’s perspective. Sadly, this one fell flat for me, and again, I felt that comparing it to one of my favorite movies set expectations that just were not met.

Content warnings: profanity, violence, death, drinking, brief intimate scene with kissing and touching

(I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)

This book started out strong, got kinda boring. I almost DNF’d but pushed through and was rewarded with whiplash in the last quarter of the book from all the plot twists. This better be a book 1 in a series or I’d say don’t waste your time.

I was intrigued with the magic and the setting of Egypt, and I wish there could have been more of that. I think I was just hoping for a book more like The Mummy, with Egypt artifacts being the focus, and it wasn’t.

I also don’t understand the title. I was hoping the River would more of a part, maybe be an answer or reveal something for one of the many mysteries going on, but it wasn’t.

I loved the relationship between Inez and whit, but then it got super rushed at the end, and that epilogue 😳🤨

The ending of the book left me with more questions than answers and I’m not very pleased with it…

Content: Murder, betrayal, drinking, swearing (<10 F bombs)
Romance: slow burn, rivals to lovers, one intense make out scene

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 ⭐️
This is my first time reading Egyptian mythology x romance x fantasy! Firstly, the story was such an interesting read and I love stories with adventures! Also I wanted to let yall know this book ends in a cliffhanger so I'm assuming there will be book 2??? My fav is the chemistry and tension between Inez and Whit and it's there and undeniable! The story plot itself is unique that involves ancient magic and artifiacts and on top of that we have chemistry between the characters hehehe! This book is somewhat action packed (not like the whole part but the action is distributed) and the pacing is medium (slow at first then fast)!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday's books for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

I was so excited to begin reading this book!

Inez goes to Egypt in search of her missing parents. She finds her rather unpleasant uncle and his cute and mysterious and unpleasant assistant, and schemes to follow them around and unravel the mystery.

This book is sweet and charming, an ode to egypt without feeling like it fetishized the country. Although Inez's thoughts about those who DO fetishize the country verge on the preachy.

I was thoroughly gobsmacked by the ending--after what had been a relatively slow book driven by the main character's schemes and interiority, the end comes at us fast with enough drama and reveals to make me feel like I need to re-read everything. We're left with about 12 cliffhangers that have me desperate for the sequel.

This book was impossible to put down. An adventure down the Nile with a hint of magic? Perfection. The characters were easy to connect with and the story kept me on the edge of my seat. The EPILOGUE though?! If there's not a next book, I might riot.

The references to Egyptian culture were well explained and easy to follow if you were reading while totally unfamiliar with the figures, geography and mythology.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this title in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. I enjoyed this book that reminded me a bit of Indiana Jones. The characters, the dialogue, plot and action were great!

I thought this book was really exciting because Inez was willing to do anything to avenge her parents and defy others to find out exactly what happened to them. This book really reminded me of Indiana Jones and provided a fresh perspective on treasure hunting.

This story had a nice combination of historical fiction and mystery with a taste of fantasy that I appreciated.

The story centers around the character of Inez who hopes to one day travel to Egypt, where her parents and uncle currently reside. Upon her parents’ sudden passing, and her uncle’s lack of specificity on the details, she embarks on her own quest to discover what really happened. Her journey takes her from Argentina to various places in Egypt, where she comes up against her uncle’s gruff persona, troublesome revelations about her parents, some rather unsavory characters, magical objects that hold memories of the past, and her uncle’s assistant who is consistently getting in her way while, at the same time, stirring deeper feelings within her.

I loved the multiple settings the characters traveled to, the dual POVs, the references to ancient Egypt, and the banter between the main characters. However, I would have loved more of the memory scenes and more depth with some of the characters. For instance, I felt like I wanted more interactions between Inez and some of the other characters that were around her beyond her uncle and Whit. Overall though, I really appreciated the storyline, and I can’t wait to see where that cliffhanger ending goes in the next book!

If you are a fan of ancient Egyptian legends, archaeology, history, occasional Shakespeare references, magic, action/adventure stories, and a bit of romance, I think you will enjoy this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the eBook ARC!

ARC review

Story: 5/5 ⭐

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The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in this lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.
I'd throw in some Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark vibes in there too. :)

What the River Knows follows the story of young Inez Olivera and her search for the mysterious death of her globetrotting parents. Yearning for answers she finds herself on a boat to Cairo with her sketch pads and an ancient golden ring her father sent to her for safekeeping before he died. But upon her arrival, the old world magic tethered to the ring pulls her down a path where she soon discovers there’s more to her parent’s disappearance than what her guardian led her to believe.
With her guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn, Inez must rely on ancient magic to uncover the truth about her parent’s disappearance—or risk becoming a pawn in a larger game that will kill her.

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I was hooked from the start. I powered through this book in one sitting. I enjoyed the pacing of the book. The plot and characters were well developed albeit the first half of the book reads a tad bit like a history lecture. Ibañez does a fantastic job giving us the lay of the land it felt like I was fully immersed in the book the whole time. Throughout the story we discover more layers to each character that make us just love them even more. Inez is a strong FMC who's fun and strong willed. She independent and adventurous, setting off on this journey alone. Whitford Hayes is our morally grey love interest, also Inez's uncle's "secretary". Their relationship is a slow burn, with witty and flirtatious banter. Tio Ricardo is mysterious and secretive. All of their relationships are complex and well developed and fit well with the pacing of the story. It starts off a little slow at the beginning but once the groundwork has been laid out, the plot progresses quickly and action and adventure ensue!

FAIR WARNING. This is not a stand-alone series. I have once again been tricked into thinking that from yet ANOTHER book. This book ends in a cliffhanger! I damn near threw my kindle at the wall when I read the epilogue. I can't wait for the second book to come out!!

The grip that Brendan Fraser and The Mummy had on my formative years as a millennial is borderline ridiculous. When I saw the description for What the River Knows, tied in with the fact that I’ll also be in Egypt this year I knew I had to get my hands on this book.

This novel started STRONG, and then tossed me overboard somewhere in the middle. While the background on Egypt, the mythology of Cleopatra and the conversations around the pillaging of its artifacts (truly, why are so many of the ancient items STILL in the British museum) were interesting and important, the main storyline was a bit repetitive and puttered on in fits and stops until the last 30% of the novel. Somewhere towards the end the author found her accelerator and I was immediately reeled back in as we raced towards the finish line.

In terms of the characters, Our leading lady Inez has gumption and she’s not afraid to take risks to get what she wants. I appreciated her character in a historical period where we typically see the opposite. Whit I could honestly take or leave he just didn’t do it for me.

I really thought I’d be able to lay this series to rest and then the author had the audacity to write an epic mic drop that will rudely force me to have to continue this series.

Here’s to hoping that her editor will cut the fluff in the next one and stick to the glimmers of juicy thrills and mythology that struggled to shine through the first book.

Rating: 3 (truly the ending saved this rating)

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!

What the River Knows is the first in an enchanting YA Historical Fantasy duology. Set in 1884, this story travels from Buenos Aires to Cairo and follows Inez Olivera on her journey to discover the mystery of what happened to her parents.

Inez is a spirited, clever, and witty mc; I absolutely loved her!
Whit immediately captured my heart from the moment we met him 😍 The endless banter between the two was so entertaining. I loved every single interaction.

This story is intoxicating; it is steeped in history, lush landscape, magic, and mystery. I couldn't put it down.

The ending had me reeling 😮 and as soon as I finished, I immediately pre-ordered a physical copy bc this will be a story I revisit over and over ❤️

Releases date: November 14, 2023

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

“Grief was like a memory keeper. It showed me moments I’d forgotten, and I was grateful, even as my stomach hollowed out.”

Oh Inez… I really enjoyed this book. Blending The Mummy and Death on the Nile in the nineteenth century, Inez Olivera is a girl who dreams of adventure and enchantment… much like her archeologist parents who travel to Egypt for half of each year while they leave her behind with family in Argentina. When they suddenly pass away, Inez travels to where they resided in Egypt, showing up to her uncle and his infuriating assistant unannounced. The old magic that is scattered throughout Egypt pulls her in, and it may give her answers to her parents deaths, her role in all of this, and the mystery of what her parents were truly after.

I felt there were moments in the writing (especially in the beginning) where, in my opinion, the author tended to “tell” rather than “show.” Statements such as “I blinked the tears away…. They stared down at the water…. They moved out of view…” When back to back, those kind of statements left me a little disjointed at times and it felt a little choppy. But, once it started picking up the writing really drew me in and I wanted to know everything that was happening to Inez and Whit! When I put the book down I was still thinking about them throughout my day.

I also really enjoyed the twist of the “villain.” I wasn’t expecting it. I actually had the thought it could be that person towards the beginning but then the author completely dragged me away and had me looking in a different direction. So when the twist was revealed, I was as shocked as Inez! I loveeeeed the red herrings there.

Poor Inez couldn’t catch a break in the second half of the book… and that CLIFFHANGER! I really was not expecting that. 🙈 Now I have to wait extra long for the sequel 😭😂

Isabel’s book comes out NOVEMBER 14—— but you can preorder the book now from Barnes & Noble!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What can I say about this book that can even capture half of the beauty in the pages? Ibañez is an extremely talented writer who knows their audience. The characters come off the page and the world itself could be considered a character.

Inez lives a life of relative ease in 1884 Buenos Aires, though her parents are gone most of the year working with her uncle on his archaeological digs in Egypt. When she receives word that her parents have gone missing and are dead, she boards a ship to Egypt in the hope of finding answers. What she finds instead, however, is a search for Cleopatra's tomb, many more questions... and no one she can truly trust.

I was intrigued by the premise of a historical adventure/mystery in Egypt, laced with a little magic (magical artifacts, especially those attributed to Cleopatra). After all, I used to devour Elizabeth Peters's Amelia Peabody mysteries, and I loved the updated take on Egypt of the Victorian era found in A Master of Djinn (by P. Djeli Clark). But this didn't quite measure up, though it was fun for a while...

What I enjoyed:
--the use of magic to connect objects to memories
--the research into the people and events of the time period
--the use of an Argentinian character to offer commentary (instead of the oft-used British colonial view)
--pointed statements regarding recording and protecting archaeological finds for the people of Egypt, NOT the colonial powers
--giving the Egyptian characters (Abdullah, Kareem) more depth and autonomy of opinions
--creating an atmosphere of suspicion in which Inez couldn't find anyone to trust

What I didn't:
--I'm not going to label Inez as TSTL but between her hotheadedness and lack of experience in Egypt, she surely made some questionable decisions!
--The vacillating descriptions of Whit's character. Inez, if someone is going to act that hot and cold with you, you need to run away.
--Characterization often felt a little flat.
--The whole we're-enemies-but-I-want-to-kiss-you vibe felt like a carbon copy of the relationship in Together We Burn.
--NOWHERE in any of the information I have seen about the book did it indicate that this would be a first book in a duology(?), so the ending felt astonishingly abrupt...
--Which meant that the book wrapped up so quickly that I felt lost and very confused.

At time I could sit back and enjoy the adventure, but when I got caught on something that would pull me out of the story, I had a tough time getting back into it. I wanted to like this much more than I did. 3 stars,

Thank you, Wednesday Books and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.

4.5/5

I found this the Mummy meets Ebola Holmes type story absolutely charming. If you read the Dear America diaries growing up, this is for you.

When Inez’s adventure seeking parents disappear and our presumed dead in early 1900s Egypt, she sneaks away to discover what find her uncle and discover what truly happened. Everything is not as it seems, and she’s swept into a world of history, Magic and the charms of Whit Hayes.

An easy and lovely read. I look forward to reading more by this author!

I loved this book! I initially was interested in it because of the cover, but then I realized it was about Egypt. As a kid, I loved anything Egyptian and so it gave me all the feels. It was very adventurous and I loved how many twists it had! The MC is sassy, the love interest is rugged, and the mystery is captivating. The chemistry between the two MCs was everything I love in a rivals-to-lovers book. I was entertained, crushed, and then left wanting more. I know this hasn’t come out yet, but I already can’t wait for book 2!