What the River knows is a fast-paced, romantic, whirlwind treasure hunt & mystery all put into one! Immediately this books jumps right into it & ladies there is a new book boyfriend in town and his name is Whit, everyone will be swooning by the end of this book for sure. The main character, Inez is such an interesting take on a female protagonist, in a world filled with female protagonists who are adept and seem to always land on their feet. Inez gives a refreshing lapse, she is not by any means weak, she’s as spirited and stubborn as they come but she also has the naivety that comes with being a girl thrown into a new world that was kept hidden from her. In this book you’ll learn with her, cry with her, fight with her, and love with her. Her determination is inspiring & I simply cannot wait for the sequel of this book!!

*I’d like to thank Net Galley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

One of my favorite reading genres, historical archaeological mystery, “What the River Knows,” by Isabel Ibañez, immediately piqued my attention with images of The River Nile; Land of the Pyramids—Egypt; and the country’s enchanting legendary last pharaoh, Queen Cleopatra.

Tenacious, brave and spunky, 19.year.old Argentinian heiress, Inez—secretly leaves extended family—and promptly boards a steamer for Egypt, in pursuit of her missing and possibly deceased archaeologist parents during pivotal unrest throughout Africa in the 1880s.

Lies, deceit, danger, heartache and ancient empathetic magic surround Inez in her adventurous Egyptian exploits.

My frustrations with the 400-page fictional tome, “What the River Knows.” is that it and the author may KNOW all of the answers, whereas readers are left in the dark regarding critical outcomes in the finale’. If this is intended as Book 1 of a series ??? some of the unanswered questions should be transitioned elegantly to segue neatly rather than just leaving readers frustrated.

✳️ Such as what game is Whit playing now?
✳️ Is Inez’s father alive?
✳️ What happened to Inez’s mother?


TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Isabel Ibañez, and Publisher St. Martin’s Press / Wednesday Books for this Advance Readers’ Copy (ARC).

Plot: 5
Characters: 4.5
Writing Style: 5
Cover: 5!!
Enjoyment: 5
Buyable/Re-readable?: YES. Makes Top 2023 list.

This absolute delight of a book is set in both Buenos Aires and Egypt in 1884. It's told in first person POV, a majority through 18/19 year-old Inez Olivera's eyes, a few passages through Whitford Hayes. There is a prologue followed by a division of four parts. It contains: magic (ex: books that bite, a tie that makes boiling water when wrung, etc ), historical events, a possible loose Cinderella-ish trope via aunt and cousins, Spanish words, Egyptian Arabic etc words, and some French, inclusion exposure (ex: "Half the crew prayed with the rising sun, a sight familiar to me since my first morning in Cairo where the sound of hundreds of mosques signaled the time for prayer, the Azan, five times a day. The other half of the crew were Coptic Christians."), familial betrayal, expedition and discovery, and a broad timeline of Egypt at the very beginning. The author went to Egypt for six days, so you can rest assured that research was done; above and beyond. I thoroughly appreciate when this happens! I felt that the romance was a slowish burn, natural, cute-naïve, hot. The two have great chemistry and play quite well off one another.

I wasn't prepared for the cliff-hanger ending, as I thought this was a standalone novel, so I'll admit to slight derailment that then escalated into elation at the prospect of another installment; I definitely want more from this author and if it means more coupled with a return of Inez and company? Sign me up.

Wow! I received an ARC of this book and I am happy to review it. This was such an amazing journey. Inez, our main female character, is a strong lead. She is the perfect blend of smart, capable, and flawed.

Isabel Ibañez, knows how to write characters. She draws out a lot of feelings both positive and negative for the whole crew of characters she introduces you too.

As for the plot. I will agree that if you enjoyed The Mummy this should be up your alley. I was seeking books with that vibe and this one met that craving full on.

The only reason this didn’t get five stars were just personal quirks from me and stories that I love.

I will say the only major downside to reading this as an ARC was that the ending left me craving more but it will most likely be a while before book two comes out.

For Inez and Whit alone I would read this but the plot really tugs you in too.

I never read anything like this book and really enjoyed it!! Definitely a 5 star! The characters were fantastic and the romance was perfect!

Absolutely fun adventure with thrills, danger and romance! Not to mention betrayal! I had a great time reading this and look forward to the next.

Right off, I want to say "Thank you!" to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

"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."

The description of this book had me hooked from the very first moment I saw it on Goodreads and floating around Bookstagram. I cannot explain the amount of desire I had to read this book. This was increased by reading the author's previous work, Together We Burn, which was AMAZING.
That being said, unfortunately, this one wasn't a slam dunk. I do wonder if it has to do with the excessive hype surrounding it getting my hopes up just a little too high.
While I find the comparison to The Mummy fantastic for marketing, I do wonder if readers will be expecting Rick and Evie to the point where they will not be able to enjoy Whit and Inez for who they are and for their story.

Inez is a vivacious, strong character, who always goes the whole-hog in everything she does. I love the fact that she is from Buenos Aires. I love the Spanish phrases sprinkled throughout. While I didn't relate to her personality-wise, she did remind me of a few of my very best friends. (Her escapes were particularly amusing.)

I wanted to like Whit, but I'm not sure I do. He seems too "perfect" physically. Actually, most of the characters seem this way. (Where's my ugly people at?) Most people I know aren't all tall, toned, etc. People have big noses, ears that stick out, crooked teeth, are short, awkwardly tall, lanky, carry a little weight around the middle, and such. While those things aren't seen as "Hot Main Character" traits, those little "one-off" things often make people more interesting and attractive. Whit just didn't seem very substantial. The main thing I picked up about him was that he likes to lean and slouch against doors and walls.

Whit and Inez's chemistry was awkward to me. Their banter was witty and rapid-fire - almost to the point of excess. (As I was reading a few of their dialog scenes, I was strongly reminded of The Gilmore Girls.) While there were some really good lines in there, I didn't find it realistic. Most people I know are either not witty enough, not vulnerable enough, or not honest enough for that type of quick conversation.

There were a couple of characters that I was very interested in and wanted more detail/more time with.
Isadora was by far the most interesting character I met in the book. Isadora's Present might be my favorite scene of the entire book.
Kareem was set up to be very interesting, but left me confused. I wasn't sure how old he was. When the story started, I thought he would be an older teenager. Towards the end, I questioned if he was a very young teenager.
Farida caught my attention, but left me confused when she disappeared.

There were a lot of repetitive descriptions (the slouching/leaning thing, dainty shrugs) which distracted me. As many descriptions as there were, I had a hard time picturing things and keeping track with the story. I kept having to pause and go back to figure out and reset the scene in my mind.

I don't think Whit's POV chapters would be necessary if Inez's POV chapters had been fleshed out just a little bit more, but that's just personal preference. Dual POV's just aren't my favorite.

Lastly, there 100% needs to be a trigger warning about THAT scene. While it may not bother some, I do know people who would not/could not handle that particular scene well.

I do feel like the bones of this story are good and it has the potential to be a solid story. I will be re-reading once it officially comes out to see if my opinions still stand. I may attempt the audiobook to see if it makes the story come alive a little more for me.
I also realize with this being a duology, some things are not solved because it's just not their time in the story yet, so I've put down the second book on my TBR list.
I find Isabel Ibanez to be a very creative and imaginative writer and I love her use of diverse characters. I look forward to reading more of her works.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this ARC. I absolutely loved this novel. It had action, adventure, and romance. This book is colorful and filled different cultures, and locations. The main character is a strong female who takes risks to figure out what happened to her parents by traveling to an unknown country. I cannot wait to read the sequel.

Strong female lead, immersive adventure, witty banter and treasure hunting.

Inez is the daughter of explorers who have fallen in love with their work and for years chosen that over her. Desperate for answers after they disappear and are presumed dead - she falls (quite literally) into the world they left behind in Egypt.

What worked- how real the characters feel, the research and presentation of 19th century Egypt and the multiple hooks at the end of the story. I will be holding my breath to find out more.
What didn’t work- not enough explanation of the magic or it’s connection to everything else it almost felt like a side thought

What the River Knows is a fun YA read but BE WARNED this is book 1 of a series! I don't know how I missed that but by 90% in it was clear that we were building to some inevitable cliff hanger that I hadn't been prepared for. The writing was interesting as was the setting, although the magic system didn't feel fully formed and the story seemed to drag at times. I will be reading what comes next, however, regardless of these issues, which is as good of a sign for a book as anything.

What The River Knows is probably my favorite book Isabel Ibanez has written so far ; Before I even made it to the 40% mark I was strongly hoping for another book in this series.

The first few chapters were a little slow for me but once I made it to the over all story line it went by so fast .

I really enjoyed all of the characters, there were particular scenes and events that hurt my heart.

This story is great if you love history, artifacts, Egypt, clean romance, grumpy yet likeable characters , murder mystery , if you like movies such as Indiana Jones . There were some Jane + her dad vibes from Tarzan..

The series that I would probably compare it to would be Curse of the Spector Queen by Samantha Knox except we get a gorgeous , sassy latina as the lead character .

There is a bit of a cliff hanger at the end...and I hope it's forgivable. What The River Knows would be a great study for any book group/club. I can't wait for book two !

I wish I enjoyed this more than I did! The description, the start of the book, the magic, and the initial introduction to characters were perfect. However, the plot diminished reading about our plucky heroine, Inez, and the other characters like her parents, uncle, and broody romantic interest.

There were very abrupt character appearances as well as characters who received plenty of page time without contributing much to the actual story. The plot twists could be seen a mile away. Considering magical items are integral to the plot, there was a lack of worldbuilding with the magical system. Overall, this was a promising book that failed to deliver.

That being said, the writing is great and it was intriguing enough to keep me interested. And the cliff hanger at the end?? If there is a another book, I'm likely to read it.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read What the River Knows!

The actual fantasy aspect of this book was amazing - you could really see the extensive research the author put into Egyptian history and mythology. However, I thought the rivals to lovers aspect was way too instantaneous for it to count as rivals to lovers. Inez was also painfully stupid --- like PAINFULLY. But I do know that's a critical component of YA literature in general, so I am choosing to take that with a grain of salt. All in all, it was a quick and enjoyable read but nothing too memorable.

My rating: 4.5/5 stars
Age/rating: Older YA historical fiction/fantasy

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the eARC of this book!

Wow. This book was a refreshing, immersive and exciting adventure that I’m honestly sad is over. It has magic, romance, mystery, and twists around every corner.

To make matters worse, I now have to wait five months longer than everyone else to read the 2024 sequel…

The ADVENTURE: Follow Inez, the stubborn, plucky heroine from Argentina whose independence definitely gets her into trouble, as she travels to 19th-century Egypt to uncover the truth behind her parents’ mysterious deaths. Enter Whit, the attractive, irritatingly secretive and flirtatious British hero with a tortured past, who also happens to work for Ricardo, Inez’s stern uncle with a passion for Egypt’s history and a quick temper. I’ll still be thinking about these characters for a while!

The ROMANCE: I love Inez and Whit and all their rivals-to-lovers adorableness. You will definitely be swooning over Whit. This slow-burn romance is squeal-worthy and the banter in this book is *chef’s kiss* perfection!

The WORLDBUILDING: This book sucked me in to the world of late 19th century Egypt. I know the author did extensive research and fact-checking (she even got to go on a three-week research trip!) and it shows. The details were immaculate and now I desperately want to time travel and visit Egypt. Plus, who didn’t have at least a brief “wants to uncover archeological discoveries in Egypt” phase? 😂

I also enjoyed the emphasis the author placed on the fact that for a good chunk of time, the people of Egypt weren’t allowed to govern themselves or participate very much in uncovering their own history! I was exceedingly peeved at the British and French men in charge of government and archeological discoveries in this book (and rightly so). I love that Inez felt the same way.

The PLOT TWISTS: I guessed the first major plot twist (I was proud of myself), but it definitely didn’t feel “too predictable” to me, and there were more where that came from! The ending?? Let’s just say it was an expert-level cliffhanger that will make those of you who hate waiting for book two pretty mad 😆

It took me a little while to become friends with the writing style, and it started out a little slow-paced, but by halfway through everything had picked up, the writing style was flowing a lot better for me, and I was hooked.

Of course, this was an uncorrected proof, so I think another round of proofreading will polish up it up nicely! There were some errors and a couple minor inconsistencies,

Now, my personal disclaimers:
Like I said before, the beginning was a little slow and it took me a little while to feel invested in the story and the characters’ problems. I also wish the magic system was a touch more fleshed out, and I personally didn’t enjoy the language (though it definitely made sense given Whit’s character). For that, this book didn’t quite reach five stars for me!

I am invested in this story and can’t wait to eventually read book two! For lovers of historical fantasy, adventure, slow-burn romance, and ancient Egypt, you need to preorder this book!

⚠️ language (d*mn, several s-words and a few f-words), a few instances of shooting violence, a brief scene in a brothel (nothing actually happens), kidnapping, frequent drinking

🌶 plenty of tension and desire throughout, a few sweet kisses, a brief makeout scene that gets a little handsy but not very descriptive

Thank you to Netgalley & St. Martin's Press/ Wednesday books for this arc in exchange for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this historical fantasy novel. It had good pacing and the character interactions were highly entertaining. The exchanges between Whit and Inez definitely gave off similar vibes to Rick & Eve from the Mummy. I found the "mystery" intriguing and it pulled me through the story. I wasn't surprised by any revelations but was entertained nevertheless. And with how it ended, I am going to have to read the next one to see what happens. This being a YA, it followed stereotypical YA conventions - which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I just don't normally gravitate towards these kinds of books. The descriptions of Egypt and all the historical references and fusion of magic is what really sold the book to me. That was atmospheric and vivid.

A young girl who thought she lost her parents has been learning the hard way that no one can be trusted. I absolutely loved how this story played out. And that cliffhanger!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=3.75 | 😘=3 | 🤬=3.5 | ⚔️=4.5 | 15+

summary: girl goes to Egypt because her parents died and there's a magical ring and ancient artifacts and tombs and also she falls in love with an unreasonably attractive English guy because YA

thoughts: this was fun!! most of the twists were predictable and/or disappointing, but the very very end definitely caught me off guard, and I had a genuinely good time reading a regurgitation of the three YA fantasy male love interests. the world building was also pretty cool, so... overall a good time, I guess? like I wouldn’t buy this, but I’d definitely put it on hold at the library, and I'm definitely looking out for the sequel :)

Isabel Ibanez does not fail with her writing. Her books are just magical, from the characters to the actual storyline. They are just phenomenal. I could not put this one down!

i loved the south american influence and the characters were so real! will definitely be reading this author’s work in future

dnf at 30% comparable to the mummy (or so i’ve heard) but she just wasn’t doing it for me at the moment :(

maybe i’ll come back to it eventually!