Eh.

Let's start with a compliment sandwich: The athmosphere was breathtaking. There is just something special about ancient Egypt, and the author captures this perfectly. I adored the descriptions of Cairo and Philae, of the Nile, and the rich colors in the tombs that practically bleed through the pages into real life.

It's just a shame that the characters were absolute morons.
Inez is exhausting, devoid of any personality, and has an incredible talent of getting herself into totally preventable danger. If only she used even one single brain cell ...
Whit is, somehow, even worse. He's every snarky, overconfident, and ~morally grey~ love interest in recent years, combined into one "breathtakingly gorgeous" package.
I am so sick of characters like this. I hated them so much.
They have nothing in common. They don't seem to like each other. They spend an incredible amount of time arguing about if they are allowed to call each other by their first names. This isn't "banter". This is annoying and unnecessary dialogue.

The magic system in this book is similarily stupid. Magic seems to only exist to patch up plotholes. There are no actual rules about the magic system explained in this book - it's just ... so weird. There are some objects that have magical powers, and they just seem to exist, without any sort of explanation about where the magic comes from and what the cost of using it is. There's a shoe that can burst into flame and act as a torch (???), a handkerchief that can be wrung out and provide endless hot water, and a scarf that can shrink things. Oh, and of course, Inez has a special magical item that gives her visions of Cleopatra that she just HAPPENS to find in a bazaar. It's probably the most flimsy magic system I have ever experienced.

The plot is useless, too. Ninety percent of the plot is that someone tells Inez she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home, only for her to escape. Then she is found and someone tells her she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home. Then she escapes, dresses in servant's clothing, stows away on her uncle's boat, only to be found and told she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home. Then she manipulates her way into actually being allowed to stay with the expedition, until she gets a letter from her aunt, who tells her that she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home. Then, of course, there's a bunch of violence and she ends up being saved by her uncle, who tells her she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home. Oh, and then, at the end, we get a totally NEW plot point: someone tells her she can't stay in Egypt and needs to go home!

I felt like I was being pranked. I don't think I've ever seen a plot this repetitive.

Okay, compliment sandwich! The last compliment that I will give this book is that it is over <3
I'm gonna read book 2 though, just to see how they dig themselves out of THIS hole.

If someone markets a book as 1999 The Mummy meets Death on the Nile, you bet it'll have my attention!

There is a captivating mystery, ancient Egyptian mythology, a unique magic system, very likeable supporting characters, a great central plot, and even some romance!

The growth between Inez and Whit as their relationship starts to become more is brilliant.

It took a little bit of time to settle into this one. There is a lot of information to begin with, but as it progresses everything falls into place.

Extremely excited for the sequel especially after that cliffhanger!

Wow i have no words. I feel bad for taking so long to read this one. I cannot wait for the next book .

I really liked Together We Burn, so I went into this expecting to enjoy it. I wasn’t disappointed. What the River Knows came out last year, but it feels like there’s a trend shifting towards books set in Egypt, pre-1900, grappling with the colonisation, the Egyptologists, and the ‘discoveries’, and I really liked Ibañez’s take.

It reads as historical fiction with a dash of fantasy, namely in the use of magical objects. Some objects in this world are touched by magic, giving them different uses and properties; a sandal that works as a torch, a handkerchief that produces boiling water, and so on. Inez receives such an object from her father with no explanation, while her parents are on one of their frequent trips to Egypt. All Inez wants is to join them, until she receives word of their death. Desperate to discover what happened, Inez sails to Cairo, taking the opportunity to visit the country that claimed her parents.

The book blends historical and fantasy really well, really immersing the reader in nineteenth century Egypt while not shying away from the difficulties the country faced at the time, and incorporating real historical figures into the plot. There’s adventure here, along with romance and magic. My main issue with the book is that Inez is often mentioned as being too trusting, which in some ways she is, but it feels like a lot of the time it’s not that she’s too trusting, but that her trust is more misplaced.

Still, she’s a young woman in an unfamiliar country, and she’s incredibly determined, not letting her uncle or his assistant stop her from what she feels she needs to do, even when it gets her into a fair bit of trouble. It’s engaging and enjoyable, and I really liked the characters, especially Inez and Whit, the grumpy, mysterious assistant who Inez is drawn to in ways she can’t fully explain. He tries to keep her at a distance, but the two inevitably end up in each other’s company a lot, slowly getting to know each other bit by bit.

The ending, too, had me reeling – without going into too much detail, the very last paragraph had me going “…what???” in the best possible way, and I really love when books are able to take me by surprise like that! I’m very much looking forward to the second book in the series, and will be looking to pick it up ASAP!

I'm so annoyed at myself for waiting so long to read this, I was hooked from the first chapter and I loved it!

As one of those kids that was obsessed with that one Egyptology book wee all had, this book really held a sense of nostalgia for me and reminded me why I loved Egyptian history so much. The story follows Inez on a mission to uncover the fate of her parents who have gone missing and presumed dead on a dig in Egypt, while also finding herself uncovering secrets surrounding Egypt's last pharaoh, Cleopatra.

I loved Inez and her feisty personality, stubborn resourcefulness and unending passion. This paired with Whit's flirty banter, hard exterior and hidden secrets makes for a great pair of protagonists. I also really enjoyed the snippets from Whit's pov deepening the story and never revealing too much keeping the mystery going and making it so you never really know who to trust.

This is a great historical fantasy that perfectly melds adventure and mystery as well as a unique magic system that isn't at the forefront of the story but is still so important. The story ended on such a cliff hanger and I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2!

This book is absolutely great!
The mix of ancient egypt and bolivian/argentinian protagonist, plus the 'mummy meets death on the Nile' sounded very intriguing.
To sum the story up, a young woman embarks in an adventure to find out who killed her parents and to discover who Cleopatra was. Along the way, so much happens, and some romance too. Very very slow burn.
It was a perfect mix between entertaining and deep conversations, so many themes come up and flowed perfectly. In my head it felt like what Stalking Jack The Ripper could have been if it was written so much better. Great job!

Thank you NetGalley for approving me to read this. A very good read that had me hooked, once started I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend

As a teenager, I was obsessed with everything related to Ancient Egypt and I can very easily trace that back to The Mummy, which came out around that time (please don't remind me exactly how long ago that was). I loved Evelyn and Rick and their dynamic from the start, and soon I fell in love with the richness and mysteries surrounding Ancient Egypt itself. So you can imagine just how calmly I took the news of the release of a book such as What the River Knows which promised to be The Mummy meets Death on the Nile.

Although this book fell in my "review overload" period - hence the very late review - I did enjoy it, and was struck by just how much it reminded me of the film and the definite Mummy vibes I got from it, the male protagonist especially. Inez is just the sort of plucky MC I tend to enjoy: she's smart, determined and won't take no for an answer, even if that means heading straight into danger. Her love for her parents and her loyalty to them leads her to travel all the way from Buenos Aires to Cairo on her own in an attempt to discover what happened to them, as she is the only one feeling that something might be wrong with the account of their presumed deaths.

There are secrets aplenty to keep readers interested and guessing throughout the book, every character hiding something from the others as tensions and drama unfold. I particularly enjoyed Inez's interactions with a wide range of side characters - from her family members to the locals in Cairo and members of her uncle's expedition - which often added a bit of humour and infused the story with colour and depth. The romance was cute but didn't fully convince me, as something in the interactions between Inez and Whit didn't quite click, while the settings are vivid and the vibes are absolutely on point, bringing the Egyptian setting to life.

The book is classified as historical fantasy, and this is one of the things I most struggled with: the magic system is barely developed, being mostly limited to the explanation that magic existed in the past and certain objects became infused with it, carrying that magic forward through touch. As a result, the book for the most part functions with little to no reference to this magical element - so much so that at one point I ended up forgetting I was reading a fantasy - with it popping up every so often when a difficult situation needs resolving.

The writing felt very young, even for the standards of a YA book: younger readers will probably enjoy it, but as an older reader I definitely noticed this, especially compared to other YA books which display significantly higher levels of writing. The pacing also didn't really work for me, with the story barely moving an inch for a significant portion of the book and then everything happening towards the end, delivering a series of sharp twists and shocking revelations that honestly felt a bit too much all at once. Still, with the cliffhanger the book ended on I really wanted to get my hands on the second book as soon as possible.

Overall, What the River Knows is a pleasant enough read that will appeal to readers feeling The Mummy nostalgia and looking for those Ancient Egypt vibes a little good, old-fashioned archeological adventure.

If you're looking for a strong sassy female main character and a book full of gorgeous descriptions of Egypt, look no further than What the River Knows. I adored Inez the moment she ran away at the docks instead of being forced by to Argentina. She is the perfect YA hero.

I found it really good that this book delves deep into the darker sides of archaeology in Egypt. This isn't an Indiana Jones style romp where the white main character takes all the artefacts away to put in a museum, it recognises and goes into detail about how Egypt at this time is being ravaged by Archaeologists and grave robbers who aren't letting the Egyptians keep their artefacts. Though there was only one line that touch on the fact that these are tombs that they are opening and maybe they should be left alone, I was really refreshed by the honesty and acceptance that these were Egyptian artefacts that should belong to Egyptians.

I'll be really excited to see what happens next, especially with how it ended.

*What the River Knows* is a captivating blend of historical fiction and fantasy set in 19th-century Egypt. Isabel Ibañez crafts a vivid tale of adventure, mystery, and magic as Inez Olivera seeks to uncover the truth about her parents' disappearance. The lush descriptions and strong heroine make for an engaging read, though the pacing can be uneven at times. Overall, it's a beautifully written novel that's perfect for fans of historical fantasy.

Great writing style, engaging story and characters. A very enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-ARC copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

This book was something different for me and I’m glad I picked it up. Everything about the book flowed really well.

This was a quick, gripping and interesting fantasy read.

I found the characters to be a little juvenile at times, and I did roll my eyes a fair bit, but the plot was engaging enough for me to keep reading and to want to find out what happened next.

After that cliffhanger of an ending I will definitely be picking up the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an arc in exchange for this review.

Apologies for my delay, I’ve had a very hectic few months.

But this book wasn’t really for me unfortunately. Never got into it enough to really care and don’t remember a whole lot of it. Might give it another chance in the future though, we’ll see.

What the River knows is an absolute masterpiece. The way it combines the history of Egypt with magic is done absolutely beautifully! The characters are well written and feel like they were real archeologists at one point in history. If anything this book makes me want to book a trip to Egypt just to see all the places that are being described. A beautiful way of combining reality with fiction!

A really well written and interesting read with great descriptive detail that made it easy to visualise. I'm really looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out and would recommend reading What The River Knows.

Picture yourself in 1884 Cairo, about to embark on an adventure that you will never forget.
Our protagonist Inez arrives in Egypt from Buenos Aires after she receives a letter informing her that her parents have passed away in the desert.
Determined to find out what happened to them, we follow her on this quest.

I devoured this book! Inez is an independent, brave and talented protagonist and it was just wonderful to witness.
There’s history, action, magic, romance and so many moments where you wonder who to trust…including at the end😨😨😨
I cannot wait to read the sequel What The Library Hides (which is not out yet!) because I have questions!!!!

It is clear a lot of research went into the writing of this book. You are transported without any effort into the archeological world and I must say, Isabel Ibañez has pulled off a great historical fantasy with this book.

Did I mention there’s great romance in it?💕

Despite it being quite slow, I had a great time. I loved the Egyptian, archeology aspect of the story, it was quite fun. The romance was fun and I was rooting for those characters, not gonna lie. Our MC was well-written and both her and her love interest had some depth which I always enjoy. Can't wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this one and read book 2. 4.5 stars

This one was a lot of fun and the setting was great. There was just something about it that didn't hit for me. I feel like the plot was super predictable and everything was just a little too easy. I did love Whit! He was great!
I will absolutely read the sequel because I am intrigued as to what will happen next, but it just didn't fully live up to my expectations.

As someone who loves historical fiction and fantasy, this book brings both of these genres together and I loved it! I’m a massive lover of Ancient Egypt so this book was so fun to read! Would definitely recommend to readers who also enjoy these genres and topics.
Thank you to Net Galley & the publisher for this arc