I liked the book enough. the cover is beautiful and that was what made me want to read it as well as the fact that it was set in Egypt. Having studied Egyptian history and hieroglyphics I already knew this world and it fascinated me, for this reason I expected much more. Did it entertain me? Absolutely yes, but I struggled to finish it. I would have preferred a lot more to happen on a plot level and instead there were moments where nothing happened. I imagine there will be a sequel given how it ended and initially I thought it was a stand alone and for this I did not understand the slowness in meshing the story. I liked the characters quite a bit, even if I perhaps found Inez a bit naïve.

The potential for this is great - it’s set in Egypt; there’s a mystery to be solved; there’s magic; Cleopatra plays a role and there’s even some romance thrown in to the mix.
But it’s a mix that doesn’t quite work for me.
The romance is probably the biggest sticking point for me - the depiction of Whit is simply too effusive. We are told repeatedly how intriguing our protagonist, Inez, finds him but he’s possibly one of the dullest characters - until, of course, the end. (I shall say a little more about that shortly!) Perhaps, though, the portrayal of Whit lies with Inez who is young, immature and lacking in worldly experience and so finds herself drawn to him regardless of everything else she has going on. Something about the way he holds his lips, averts his eyes or repeatedly does little else appeals to her…
Inez is another character I felt strangely distant from: young and sheltered yet witty and confident in a way one might not expect - perceptive enough to sense magic and how Whit may be feeling/not feeling - yet unable to detect someone else’s treachery despite it being obvious to everyone else.
There were characters I really wanted to know more about: Tio Ricardo, Abdullah and Lourdes to name a few but instead the romance dominates over plot and character.
The magical element felt underdeveloped and hard to believe - but necessary for the plot. In fact, it clumsily linked several plot points.
However, this is YA fiction and my poor review should not put off any reader with the yearning for an Egyptian adventure that’s heavy on the romance. The descriptions of Egypt are beautiful and the writer evokes a real sense of the place. The plot itself is very engaging - they’re searching for Cleopatra’s tomb! How can it not be? The hang ups for me were the characters the writer chose to focus on and the romance which never rang true… however, the epilogue might just be the best ending I’ve read for a while and I am absolutely prepared to read the second one if it goes in the direction I think it does. In just a few brief words, the writer seemed to be acknowledging that the reader should have picked up on the very things I have - something doesn’t ring true.
Thank to Net Galley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I DNF’d this book 60% in after trying hard to get through it in a month. Inherently, there is nothing wrong with this book at all I just don’t think it was my cup of tea. The plot developed a little too slow for my liking and I had little urge to pick it back up to continue reading.

Thank you very much for the opportunity to try this book out!

Not great, not the worst, just sort of...average?

I've got a lot of conflicting opinions on this for a number of reasons. From the start, I thought the synopsis sounded really good and I recognised Ibañez's name though I couldn't put my finger on why. I'll come back to this.

Our cast of characters is Inez, who is almost aggressively in-your-face defiant and doing her thing, coming from a privileged background, Whit who remains a bit of a mystery, and Ricardo who is mostly aloof, secretive and angry then a few other characters that pop up throughout the story.

Things start when Inez receives a letter from her uncle that her parents are dead. From the blurb: When she receives word of their tragic deaths, Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian, an archaeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law.
He's not really that mysterious. She mentions she met him before and heard stories from her parents. It's not some spooky Miss Havisham type character. Also for the mention of his partnership with his BIL, that character doesn't really appear until a fair way through the book.

Also from the blurb: With her guardian's infuriatingly handsome assistant thwarting her at every turn,
Which isn't exactly true. And Whit is written that way to keep his character mysterious and infuriating. He does 100% fall into the 'Touch her and die' trope, if that's your thing.

So back to why I was wondering about the author. I thought the writing itself wasn't bad, a little predictable in places but I wondered if it was like a second book or even big debut. No, Ibañez has published quite a few things. And within those things her problematic attitude towards indigenous people was thoroughly noticed.

"Can you critique the book on its own merit?" Well not really, no. Since the book here is about Britain being Britain and stealing artifacts from countries they invaded, I struggled to reconcile that with Ibañez's commented on views. There is a lot of argument in the book about Britain not allowing Egyptians to embrace or learn their language and history, the immoral removal of their cultural artifacts to be exported to buyers elsewhere and 'become lawn ornaments'. And I agree with all of it, but I can't quite connect the author with these character arguments based on the attitudes from her previous works.

Now I did see in some reviews on her work, Ibañez has a habit of putting repetitive English/Spanish together. "I'm sorry. Lo siento." or saying something in Spanish then repeating 'I said in Spanish'. And sure enough, this remained the case here. Which is more of a pet peeve than anything but it just seems unnecessary and lazy.

And, because I'm entirely pedantic, the chloroform rag bit always makes me mad. That would take something like 5 minutes of continuously pressing chloroform to a person to get them to pass out. It's not instant. Authors! Stop this!

The book wasn't all bad. Like I said, it's just not the greatest thing I've ever read. But there are some things I picked up that were not as strong as they could have been, Inez was irritating as MCs go, Whit's 'is he a bad boy or a sad boy' got old for me, and the views that Ibañez has been commented on for having really sit poorly with me. I think had I known that before I requested, I probably wouldn't have picked it up on principle. I'm not sorry I read it, but I am glad I read it without having to pay for it.

3 STARS

My knowledge of Egypt and its history is basic at best, but while reading, it felt like a lot of research went into both history and mythology. The setting, atmosphere, and descriptions made me feel like I was right there. There were a few moments where I thought the descriptions were a tiny bit too much and were taking away from the flow of the story, but in general, the setting might be my favorite part of this book. I very much enjoyed the magic system, but it was so weak that I am not sure if this book should be labeled as fantasy. I am very confused about how magic fits into this world - is it hidden and something only a few know about, or is it a part of everyday life? While enjoyable, it doesn't seem fully developed, like it was added as an afterthought.

This book is a very slow read, and I like the second half of it a lot more than the first half. The beginning drags a bit, and then the action-packed part of the story feels rushed and sudden. That pacing problem (for me) makes the book not flow as well as it should. I am not a fan of Whit's POV parts - they didn't really do much for the story except disturb the flow. While I like Whit, I think it would've been better to have either proper chapters for his POV or no POV at all.

The writing style is fine - not good or bad, just fine. Very good and immersive in the sense of setting, but falling a bit flat regarding character depth and development. Unfortunately, for me, the writing didn't really do the idea justice... The characters are fine, but I didn't really connect to any of them. I did like all the revelations that happened in this book, they made some of the characters more interesting.


CONCLUSION

An okay read that very much serves only as a set up for the sequel. While interesting, it didn't do the idea justice, but if you like to read books with detailed and immersive settings, this might be the book for you.
I did have fun with it, and it made me want to learn more about Egyptian history and mythology. AND, if there was a book 2 out, I would pick it up right away to see what happens next.
All in all, it is an okay read, and I have not yet read anything else like it.




Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing I have to say about What The River Knows is that this is very much a book I would recommend to readers in our school library. I think we need more books like this, with a multicultural heroine with a healthy disregard for societal rules and a thirst for adventure. The historical setting, the magic, the ancient Egyptian mythology, the romance sub-plot, all of these things will be appealing to a varied set of readers.

That being said, I personally had some conflicting feelings, but these are more related to my personal taste, not the quality of the book, so they wouldn't actually affect my recommendations. Still, this is a personal review, so I would still like to share them.

- First of all, even though I really love the idea of a Spanish-speaking heroine (being a native speaker myself), I found the amount of Spanish used in the book a bit... excessive. I feel bad saying it, but sometimes the constant switching back and forth between English and Spanish, or random Spanish words thrown mid-sentence, took me out of the story. At some points I just wanted to yell "Ok, you speak Spanish, we get it!"

- The pacing felt a bit odd at some points. I had the feeling that it took ages for Inez to get to the excavation site, and then everything happened too quickly from there. I would have liked to see more investigation, and it felt like almost everything from that point happened through luck.

- I found the ending very, very frustrating, especially from the moment Elvira gets involved. It felt rushed and confusing, like things began happening randomly, so even though I enjoyed quite a good part of the story, by the time I finished reading the book, I was mostly annoyed.


Again, I still thing that most middle-grade/teenage readers will enjoy this book, and I won't deny it's left me wondering what will happen next, so all in all, that's a good sign. In my personal taste, I would give 3/5 stars. However, thinking of its target audience, it would be more like 4/5 stars, so that's how I'm going to rate it.

This started promisingly for me; historical atmospheric Egyptian setting, mystery, magic and romance. It slowed a bit in the middle and there wasn't as much magic as was implicated, then the pace ramped up towards the end. Unfortunately I also found the end messy and irritating. I'll probably still read the sequel though...

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

I really enjoyed this book - set in Egypt it just draws you in. Inez loses her parents at the start of the novel, and it takes you on a journey with her as she tries to muddle out what happened to them against the backdrop of Cairo and excavation of Egyptian artifacts and the British colonial rule of Egypt in the lat 1800s.

The actual story had some interesting familial relationships and the classic rivals to lovers story that draws you in as well as a strong female MC who was headstrong and made some interesting decisions! There was an element of magic in the story which was intruiging, but I felt it played a minor role in the book to be honest and was almost not needed as much.

That being said, I read it in the space of 24 hours!

Thank you to the author Isabel Ibanez, the publisher Hodder & Stoughton and to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for this honest review.

Firstly, let me just say that I need the next book and I need it yesterday!

This book is so rich in detail about it's characters and it's places, that it's easy to fall straight into the story as if you are actually there in Egypt with them. The different mysteries and twists and turns within the story are really well thought out and the characters all feel true to the timeline and have believable relationships between them.

The way I stayed up late and rushed to finish the book, just to find myself dangling over that cliffhanger ending is truly unforgivable. I ended up going back over the last few pages just to see if I could figure out what was going to happen but alas I will be counting down the days to the next one instead. A truly powerful first book and I enjoyed it all immensely.

I will definitely be looking at more works by this author whilst I wait not very patiently for the next book to this one. I will also be buying a physical copy when it is published 14th November 2023 as I will absolutely be reading it again and I will of course, also be recommending it. Whether you are interested in archeology, Egypt, treasures, romance or mystery, this book is a definite winner and should be read by all.

Full review on my Goodreads at: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5618063799

I just love Ibañez’s writing and stories- I devoured Together We Burn, so I was so excited to see the premise of her new book.

Isabel continues to build such incredible worlds and such amazing characters- I was truly swept into this world and I couldn’t put the book down!

I can’t wait to see what’s next!!

The description of this book caught my eye and true to claims, it really is a delightful mix of the mummy and death on the Nile!

I have not found many books based around ancient Egyptian mythology that I have enjoyed but this book is definitely one of them, for me it was a nice read that kept my attention and kept me guessing along the way. It’s also very obvious that the author has done an extensive amount of research on the topic of mythology and historical factors surrounding Egypt.

The story follows Inez in a journey to find out what happened to her parents when they are lost and presumed dead during an archaeological trip in the desert. She is too trusting, perhaps a little naive, but as the story progresses her journey gets harder and she no longer knows who to trust (neither did I at points!). As her path unfolds she unearths the ultimate historical findings, great betrayals, experiences loss, and after being told what she can do and how she should behave her whole life, she starts pushing back more and begins finding her own feet; I hope her growth will continue!

I went into this story under the impression that it is a standalone so I was pleasantly surprised to see that a second book has been lined up and I will be awaiting the second instalment!

As always I’d like to thank the author, their publisher are NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this as an arc in return for an honest review.

Book Review 📚

What The River Knows by Isabel Ibañez - 4/5 ⭐

Egyptian mythology? Check. Historical fiction? Check. Romance? Check. There is something for everyone in this book. It was all put together in such a beautiful way, the writing captivates you. The first half is much slower then the second half but if you hold out it's worth it.

More then anything, it felt like a massive history lesson. Like I accumulated so much knowledge that I didn't already know, but in such a way where I wasn't bored. I've always loved mythology so learning a bit more about Egyptian Mythology was amazing.

Our MC, Inez, is what I'm going to call "young and dumb" at some points, but she has huge determination. She was abandoned by her "idiotic" parents and raised by her aunt. But I think this helped her, for the better. It felt like time and time again everyone was just playing her for an idiot and taking advantage.

This story is just the beginning, as it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger! But safe to say I'm excited to read the next book and can't wait for release!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was so much FUN! As someone completely obsessed with The Mummy (1999), and a lover of Death On The Nile as well as a former "I am very into Ancient Egypt and it is my whole personality now" child, the description of this book immediately sucked me in.

Right away I loved FMC Inez, who was a little feisty, a little headstrong, a little reckless and very hasty to throw herself into harm's way - much to the chagrin of long-suffering MMC Whit, with his constant eye rolling and sighs of disbelief.

This book is, for all intents and purposes, an adventure story - there's a lot of cool history, lots of vivid detail, gorgeous descriptions of places and artifacts, but most of all it's just very fun and gallops along with plenty of old-fashioned adventure. Its been so long since I read a book this exciting, exciting in the same way movies like The Mummy and Indiana Jones were.

Hugely recommended to anyone who fancies their YA with a little more gun-slinging, treasure-hunting, mystery-solving and rollicking action.

this was SO FUN. i was worried it would come across as a bit young but the tone was perfect. i'll never be immune to adventures with a bit of romance. next book better come soon!

4*

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc of this book.

When I heard "The Mummy meets Death on the Nile" I knew I had to read this book, and it didn't disappoint. It was a delightful blend of Egyptian mythology and mystery, with romance thrown in for good measure. Isabel Ibañez did the source materials and influences real justice, and presented us with a lead character who was easy to get behind.

I wish that sometimes the pacing was a bit stronger, as it felt like it dragged a little in places. But overall this was a wonderful read and I recommend it for anyone who likes historical mysteries and mythologies.

I got a chance to read What the River Knows by @isabelwriter09 and GUYS I don't think anyone understands how OBSESSED with this book I am.

What the River Knows is the mesmerising tale of Inez Olivera, who, after her parents mysterious deaths, inherits a vast fortune and a guardian with a hidden agenda. We follow Inez on a captivating journey as she travels through Egypt trying to figure out the her parents secrets, all whilst trying to keep herself from getting swept away by it all. With a secretive Uncle, and his handsomely brutish assistant trying to stop her at every turn, Inez can only depend on herself to uncover the secrets, and what they have to do with Cleopatra...

This book was beautiful. The writing inspired such gorgeous vivid imagery that I felt like I was in 19th century Egypt. The book was described as 'The Mummy meets Death on the Nile' which is SO ACCURATE. Inez as a main character was perfect and I was ready to die for her in the first chapter. And the CHEMISTRY between her and Mr Whitford Hayes is so ooh la la. There are parts of this book that feel like a warm hug and it's all down to Ibanez's writing. There's a beautiful magic system which is easy to understand and doesn't need much explanation which I love. It's dual POV though most of the chapters are from Inez, but those glimpses into Whit's POV always come just at the right time. Obviously, I cannot say any spoilers so I will just say that THE THING THAT HAPPENED, I KNEW IT WAS GONNA HAPPEN AND I HATE THAT I WAS RIGHT.

This book was a magical historical fantasy that had one of the best slow burn romance! It was like literal gold oozing out of the pages. It's incredibly charming, there's aspects of betrayal, forced proximity, a shocking ending, and a thrilling tale full of secrets and plot twists that almost had my hair fall out! If any of that sounds good to you, add it to your TBR! If it doesn't... do it anyway! I will be buying this when it comes out and cannot wait for the sequel to be released!

4.5/5 ⭐️’s

What the River Knows will be released 14/11/23

Thank you to @netgalley and @hodderscape for giving me the chance to read this eARC in return for a fair and honest review 🤍

Whilst I think there will be a lot of people out there who would like this book, I just don’t think I meshed with the narrative voice or the main character and her love interest very well. Inez was clever and bold, however she also just kept getting herself into the same situations over and over which I found really repetitive. I also did like a couple of her encounters with Whit, but then a lot of his dialogue was very on the nose and I wasn’t really a fan of their chemistry which disappointed me a lot. It wasn’t that it was a bad book, it just wasn’t a book for me.

Oh well, oh well. I am so conflicted about this book. There were quite a few things I truly enjoyed but unfortunately, there was also a lot I didn’t. So, let’s see.

I ENJOYED

- Cleopatra wasn’t really characterized. She remains a somewhat mystical figure throughout the story, mostly present in her magic, in smells and sounds and emotions. Her looks are never described in detail. I liked that Ibañez didn’t just make her own picture of Cleopatra but let her remain mysterious and unkowable, a figure from ancient times.
- I really liked how Inez was written. She’s smart and bold, yet still young, trusting and naive. During the book she goes through grief and love, travels to an unknown country, meets many people and dangers, hops from stressful situation to stressful situation and I liked how she gets through it all with mostly her wit, daring to try something new, just daring. And her verbal comebacks? Amazing.
- What I truly liked was how colonialism and imperialism in Egypt at the end of the 19th century is written. It seeps into every aspect of the story and affects the characters. I also liked that the author included real historical people here. Thanks to studying egyptology and reading (European) correspondence from that time, I can say that the research was well done and well incorporated into the story. I also liked the contrasts between the digging crews in this context!
- I absolutely loved the descriptions of both 19th century Egypt and ancient Egypt, the old relics and the modern bustle, the mysteries and the Nile. The whole book was very atmospheric, perfectly capturing the desert and the Nile valley and the people there.

I DID NOT ENJOY

- The whole search for Cleopatra. Yes, I understand why she is an important figure. But why is she so incredibly important for the story? I couldn’t really get behind the obsession with her. Is it only because of her magic? Or what she meant for Egypt, Greece and Rome? I also didn’t really find the place where her tomb is supposed to be very plausible. I just don’t really understand why. It makes no sense for it to be there. Or did I miss something?
- I didn’t really understand the magic and the magic system. So there’s ancient magic that still sometimes reaches into the present? But how? Is it extinct? Who could wield it? How does it echo in artifacts? I think the magic was more confusing than anything else.
- If I don’t like one trope, it’s the miscommunication trope. And this story was miscommunication galore. So much of what happened could have been prevented if people just spoke with each other for once. Inez even says so at one point but she is still made out to be the bad girl here. She’s still the one apologizing and getting no apology in return. Yes, I understand the whole thing with secrets and trusts but… my god. You could have avoided so many bad things by just opening your mouth for once. Ugh.
- I did root for the romance, initially. But again: miscommunication. Or, no communication at all. Everytime I thought Inez and Whit were getting somewhere, there was some kind of setback. I’m also not sure what to think of Whit, he’s a complex character with many secrets he apparently keeps with Inez’ uncle and nobody else. I liked him less and less the further the story progressed.

What the River Knows is an interesting and adventurous novel with some ups and downs that has a wonderfully written main character, is incredibly atmospheric, yet lacks when it comes to the other characters. I hoped for a lot more, and unfortunately my expectations weren’t fully met. I’ll still read on and hope to get some clarity.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read!

Although I didn’t really enjoy the magical elements of this story, the description and clear research that has gone into accurately portraying Ancient Egypt, and Egypt at the time the story is set, is fantastic.

The character development was paced perfectly for me, I couldn’t put this book down as I wanted to know the ending but didn’t want the story to end!

I wasn’t aware this was the start of a series, so was very surprised with the cliffhanger ending. I cannot wait for the sequel!

A fantastic jump into an ancient Egyptian mystery filled with romance, mythology and magic, with a likeable, determined and resourceful young protagonist.

I adore the elements of both the ancient Egyptian mythology and magical nods, feeling both emerged in the culture and the overall plot.

While the beginning was a little slower than I would’ve liked, the pace soon picked up and it became a truly enjoyable and engaging read. I cannot wait to read the second book and see how the plot continues to unfold!