This was such an amazing book! Isabel has a way of telling a story that will grip you from beginning to end. Inez is a very strong female character, and I loved how fierce she was throughout the book! She just kept surprising me. And Whit... Let's just say he is very intriguing, and I'm curious about him in the second book. The setting was simply amazing, and I almost felt as if I was in Egypt myself. I can highly recommend this!

Thank you so much for accepting my request for this novel.

This novel had me hooked from the first page. I enjoyed the storyline and the characters were fantastic.
It's fantastically written and the details were perfect.

As soon as I heard about this book I was desperate to read it, so I was so excited when I was approved to read an arc. Thank you so much to NetGalley for the advanced copy.
The story is set in 1884 and follows Inez, a young girl from Argentina who has lived with her Aunt for most of her life whilst her parents travelled. When she receives word of their mysterious deaths, she uses her sizeable inheritance to travel to Egypt to meet her uncle and try to uncover the truth. Everything is not as it seems in Egypt though and Inez’s uncle and frustratingly attractive assistant, Whit, impede her progress at every turn.
What The River Knows is a really immersive, historical story. There’s lots of beautiful descriptions of the setting and the food… yum! Technically it was a fantasy, I suppose. There were magical objects littered throughout the story, though I didn’t really feel like it needed them. Only one plays a part in furthering the story but, for me, they felt a little out of place. I was more interested in the historical information about the Pharaohs and the history of Britain’s ‘occupation’ of Egypt. And Whit. I was obviously interested in Whit.
I really enjoyed the rivals to lovers style relationship between Whit and Inez. There were some really delicious moments between them that had me squealing. Inez is fiery, confident and intelligent, whilst Whit is more mysterious, brooding and with a dark past to boot. The book has been sold as ‘The Mummy meets Death on the Nile’ and there were elements of the characters that reminded me of Rick and Evie. But, let’s face it, those two are top tier and I think, perhaps, I went in with my expectations a little high as Inez and Whit didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There wasn’t enough high stakes, action for it to be compared to The Mummy, either, until nearer the end that is when things suddenly pick up.
Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance, or ancient history. I’d just be wary of comparing, or expecting it to be like The Mummy. It’s strong enough to stand on it’s own, without that comparison. And that cliffhanger… well. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
YA
Genre: Historical ‘Fantasy’ Romance
Rivals to Lovers | Ancient Egypt | Archaeology | Mysterious MMC | Mystery

I am so happy to have received this stunning frolic through Egypt as an advanced review copy - it was so well imagined, I felt like I was there - desert sand and dust rushing through the breeze with bejewelled bandits threatening to lock me in a tomb!

I think the blurb totally misrepresents this book; it doesn't make it sound bad, but it absolutely constitutes to watering down how brilliantly created the world is how fantastically fierce, brave and intelligent its female protagonist is, who incidentally captured me right from the first chapter.

Inez learns in the opening chapter of this book that her parents, who spend half of every year (or more) in Egypt working, have been killed; lost in the desert, perished among the sands from dehydration or starvation. Inez is heartbroken, but determinedly makes her way to Egypt to see her Uncle, in the hopes he might know exactly how this tragedy occurred and why her father sent her a mysterious ring before he died. That's the watered down version - in reality, this is a fast paced and high energy race against time to reveal Cleopatra's tomb, and secrets, alongside the mystery to what Inez's parents were really up to all that time in Egypt.

I adored the characters and world-building with the exception of one central character. It's difficult to discuss the character without having read the book, but their motivations were disappointing and eventually quite poorly explained. The cliffhanger was also a little confusing, although that may be more me missing the point than execution (I read this long into the night because I enjoyed it so much, so anything is possible!).

I haven't been able to find any details of a sequel, we are ahead of even the November 2023 release date at the time of writing this review, but if Isabel Ibanez doesn't deliver one I may have to go to Egypt myself to try and write it myself (I jest - I can't even write compelling Christmas cards).

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for sending me a copy in exchange for a review.

I was so intrigued by the comparison that this book is the 90s cult classic The Mummy and Agatha Christie's Death On The Nile: I don't think comparing it to The Mummy will do it any favours as it didn't quite meet those expectations for me, however, I bloody loved this book!

I read it on one day as I was so invested in Inez's story as well as the slow burn will-they-won't-they romance. The plot took twists I didn't see coming, which is something I rarely find in books so I was left with my jaw on the floor for the entire third act of the book. I won't spoil anything, but I will say I need book 2 immediately after that cliffhanger!

PERFECTION!!! Thank you NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton, Hodderscape for granting me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

BRILLIANT!! SENSATIONAL!! PHENOMENAL!! What an incredibly unique and beautifully written historical fantasy that has your forbidden/slow burn romance and is filled with magic, mystery, adventure, Egyptian mythology, magical objects, secrets, lies, love, betrayal, friendships, family, tension, banter, chemistry, forced proximity and unexpected twists and turns! Basically, this story has it ALL! I was hooked from the very beginning and could not put it down! It surpassed all my expectations! I absolutely LOVED this book so much!! Hands down one of my top five reads for 2023!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Inez Olivera lives in Argentina with her aunt and two cousins while her parents are in Egypt working as archeologist for six months out of the year. After hearing news about the mysterious death of her parents, Inez escapes and travels by herself to Egypt in hopes of receiving some answers and closure regrading her parents demise. When the ship docks, Inez is disappointed to learn that her uncle is not there to meet her. Instead he has sent the handsome and infuriating Whitford Hayes to send her back home immediately without any answers. Luckily, Inez is able to sneak away from him! She disguises herself as part of the crew and boards the "Elephantine" that is headed for Philae on an archeological adventure. Will Inez find the truth to her parents death? Who can she trust? Or has she possibly got herself caught up in more than she realizes?

Inez is a strong, independent, curious and determined FMC that I just loved! The fact that she would stop at nothing to get answers about her parents made me cheer for her even more. Whit is a smart, intelligent and morally grey character but also a gentleman who would protect Inez at all cost. Swooning🥰🥰!! The banter and chemistry between them was chef's kiss!! 👩‍🍳💋

NOW can we please talk about THAT ENDING!!! What in the world?? Talk about a HUGE cliffhanger and INSANE epilogue!! I seriously need therapy after that!! Saying that I can't wait for the sequel to come out is an understatement!! 😭😭

I enjoyed all the descriptions of Cairo markets, Nile River, temples and ancient artifacts. Overall, I was completely immersed from start to finish! I highly recommend this book and it deserves a gazillion stars!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an absolutely delightful read. Anyone who likes Indian Jones, The Mummy will enjoy this book so much, I sure did. The magic isn't too heavy in this one but it's charming regardless.

I loved the constant secrecy, that Inez was kept in the dark for so long about so many things. It caused quite the problem and whilst it was frustrating, I understood and in a way liked it.

Inez... I love her so much. She's smart, quite capable, witty and much more independent than her upbringing would suggest. Her naivety is absolutely not jarring as it could be, all along I just felt sympathetic for her, especially when it came to her parents.

Whit... I'm smitten for this man. He's charming in that smirking, arrogant way that I'm 100% vulnerable to and oh, his broken heart and traumas just makes me love him even more.

And that ending... Oh, that ending makes me want to beg for book 2.

Thank you Hodderscape for providing me with an uncorrected arc.

It will come as no surprise to anyone that I love a historical setting with magic, but make it inspired by ‘The Mummy’, light academia, rivals to lovers, and where everyone has secrets and agendas, I’m instantly in.

I was a little nervous going into this when I saw it advertised as for fans of ‘The Mummy’ with how much I absolutely love the 1999 cult classic, but I had no reason to worry.

Inez is headstrong and loyal, and Whit is evasive and flirtatious. I can see the inspiration from Evie and Rick- albeit younger versions of themselves-while they remain distinctly their own characters in their own right. Their antics were hilarious, ‘the touch her and you die’ and reference to locking Evie in her room were greatly appreciated too ;)

This has such an intriguing magic system where the art of magic is lost but remain in objects of the past, making their archeology and the discussions on colonialism even more fascinating.

The mystery was a fun element running throughout the book, and while I guessed the twist I didn’t mind one bit. That is until the ending twist, that I didn’t see coming for the life of me, which made me want to read it again immediately. Seriously, I need the second book to put me out of my misery!

4.5/5
I am still reeling over the ending like... WHAT WAS THAT? HELLO??? As someone who's known to be impatient, I am suffering. What do you mean I have to wait at least a whole year for the sequel? I can't wait that long? This book has so many twist and turn I have a whiplash. Poor Inez couldn't catch a break, everyone hides something from her. I started this book right after getting the e-arc approval and the first two chapters sucked me in and trust me, if I didn't have my 8 to 5 I would've finished reading this book in two days.

Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 9/10
Plot: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Writing: 9/10

Score: 4.25

Inez's world is turned upside down when she receives a letter from her uncle informing her that her parents, who would abandon her for Egypt for entire months every year, had passed away. She decides to leave Argentina and find out the truth about what happened to them. Her loneliness and resentment are impactful, and I liked the way it was portrayed. Inez, although resourceful, was defiant and stubborn—which I liked about her—too trusting and jumped to conclusions too quickly. Her antics, especially at the beginning, were quite entertaining. Upon her arrival, she is met by Whit, a man employed by her uncle and becomes his problem. She keeps disobeying, running away, and driving him crazy. I enjoyed the banter that they kept going throughout the book.

Along the way, our dear mc develops her first crush, and having never spent much time around men, she does not know how to act. As the story progresses, she gets a little pushy and acts upon the attraction. It was giving me secondhand embarrassment. Please let the guy deal with his inner demons and stop throwing yourself at him. Luckily, their situationship becomes more natural towards the end.

There are a few clichés that romance enjoyers will probably eat up, as well as descriptions of appearances and clothing in a very Wattpad fashion (not my favourite). Whit's sharp jawline was mentioned a few too many times for my taste.

Speaking of him, he was truly a mystery, and until the end, I did not know what to think about him. Most of the time he played a nonchalant flirt, but sometimes he'd open up, and we'd get a glimpse of who he might be under his charade. He's interesting, that's for sure. I'm very curious to see how everything unfolds.

I loved the atmospheric setting. The way everything was described. The spontaneous inclusion of multiple languages gave a bit of authenticity. Spanish, especially, was very neatly woven into the text and I really appreciated it (my 4 years of Spanish finally paid off). I think the little occasional illustrations are neat too.

The story was fun, with a fair share of plot twists that were nicely foreshadowed. There weren't a whole lot of fantasy elements—that didn't bother me, I eat up this type of historical fiction—just magic, which I wish we'd been told more of.

And lastly, what an audacious cliffhanger.

Arc provided by publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book gripped me from the first page.

It's the early 20th century, and Inez is traveling all the way from South America to Egypt to find out the truth about her archaeologist parents' disappearance. She hopes to have her uncle help her once she gets to the country as he was working with his parents. But he's not happy to see her and he does whatever he can to send her back, even having his helper Whit try to force her back home.

Inez, though, won't have it, and she uses her wit and her knowledge to follow her uncle on a mission to discover Egyptian artefacts imbued of magic. Strangely enough, Inez has a connection with Cleopatra, and this connection might help her find the truth.

The book is full of intrigue, mystery and backstabbing. The end is horrible for who doesn't like cliffhangers as there is a huge cliffhanger. Now I need to count down the days until the second book in this duology comes out.

Great premise (nice to see a non-European protagonist in an Egyptian historical fantasy)…but it turned out too YA for me. Inez was more annoying than inspirational (yes…going to Egypt without telling anyone when you’re a sheltered 19th at old *isn’t* a good idea), and why does she have to crush on the first smarmy asshole she sees?! If you like that kind of banter-based YA romance then you’ll be fine with What The Ricer Knows, I just wasn’t in the mood right now.

A magical adventure with ancient Egyptian history.
When her parents mysteriously disappear in the dessert Inez is determined to get some answers.

This historical fantasy encapsulates magical realism, archaeological adventure and a beautiful blend of different cultures.

You can clearly tell how much research went into this book between the authentic atmosphere of the setting to the sprinkles of facts on Ancient Egypt throughout.

I adored the use of drawings throughout the book as it helped give the audience a clearer insight as to what the characters were seeing, but also showing Inez’s talents.

This is the first book I’ve ever read which is a fantasy with archaeological aspects, and I highly recommend you pick it up if you’re looking for something different or have any interest in Ancient Egypt. It was an incredibly fun read with stunning descriptions, tons of adventure and flawed characters with questionable motives. I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the sequel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was really intrigued by this book, but sadly, it didn't live up for me. It's set in what's *almost* our world but with some magic that's presented so matter-of-factly I almost missed the first time around. Not only that, but it uses one of my least favourite tropes: "No One Tell The Hero Anything". I got so frustrated watching Inez be ignored and dismissed and actively lied to that I couldn't keep reading.

I know some people love this style, and I hope they enjoy this book. The writing is amazing, really atmospheric and lovely. I just couldn't keep reading, and that's my failure, not the book's.

this was okay, but read a little juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

I was utterly charmed by this story! While probably aimed at the lower end of the YA range, I feel this is a book for any age. Inez was a very enjoyable character to read about : feisty, independent, resourceful. The author brings nineteenth century Egypt to life. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Inez Olivera wants to escape from the confines of upper class 19th century society and escape she does, disguising herself as a widow and making the long and arduous journey from Buenos Aires to Cairo in the search of the truth behind her parents tragic deaths.

Inez finds herself accompanying her suspicious uncle who she barely knows on the hunt for a discovery that would eclipse any that have come before. Under the watchful eye of her uncle’s closed off, sarcastic and rather dashing assistant Whit, Ines must work in secret to uncover the answers she is desperately hoping to find.

Inez is a great protagonist and someone I really rooted for throughout the book, her spirit has every reason to be crushed by the things she endures, yet she is resilient and refuses to give up on her quest to do what she needs to do.

Isabel Ibañez does a fantastic job at setting a scene all throughout this book. Her ability to really paint a picture when it comes to the locations present make this such a fabulous read. The reader is transported to the bustling streets of Cairo and the dusty and magical world of searching for discoveries of significant archaeological importance! The world jumps off the page and you can see the sights and smell the smells, you can feel the sun on the back of your neck and more than once you will absentmindedly find yourself going to brush the dust off of your clothes, you are truly absorbed the the way she brings the world to life.

This is pitched as "Death On The Nile' meets "The Mummy' and I think I was misdirected by those references, in that I was expecting a mystery that would be solved. This is a very well written, atmospheric book, and I was hooked by the main character's journey. For me, the plot itself was somewhat lacklustre and by the end it seemed to tail off. I will look for more by this author.

After reading Together We Burn, I was hooked on this author. But after reading this book, I know I will be picking up EVERYTHING written in the future. The world building, the characters, everything about this story makes my heart sing. I can’t wait to share with all of my friends.