Fantasy

What the River Knows

What the River Knows

  • Downloads：8263
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2023-10-31 07:19:40
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Isabel Ibañez
  • ISBN：1250803373
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Summary

Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera belongs to the glittering upper society of nineteenth century Buenos Aires， and like the rest of the world， the town is steeped in old world magic that’s been largely left behind or forgotten。 Inez has everything a girl might want， except for the one thing she yearns the most: her globetrotting parents—who frequently leave her behind。

When she receives word of their tragic deaths， Inez inherits their massive fortune and a mysterious guardian， an archeologist in partnership with his Egyptian brother-in-law。 Yearning for answers， Inez sails to Cairo， bringing 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。

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。

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Reviews

Stacey ，

THIS BOOK THIS BOOK THIS BOOK！！！I love Egypt and so this book already had high expectations sat upon its shoulders。 I loved the writing and the obvious attention to detail that went into every day。The character development top notch。what did I hate？ THE ENDING！！ Cliffhangers GUHHHHHHHH I hope book 2 is on the way because I just can't wait！4。5 stars THIS BOOK THIS BOOK THIS BOOK！！！I love Egypt and so this book already had high expectations sat upon its shoulders。 I loved the writing and the obvious attention to detail that went into every day。The character development top notch。what did I hate？ THE ENDING！！ Cliffhangers GUHHHHHHHH I hope book 2 is on the way because I just can't wait！4。5 stars 。。。more

Karen Parisot ，

Inez Olivera lives in Argentina with her aunt and two cousins。 For six months of the year， her mother and father are abroad in Egypt， and Inez misses them terribly。 They’re Egyptologists on the hunt for the ultimate find， Cleopatra’s tomb。 One day word arrives that both her parents have died in the harsh desert and that Inez is now the ward of her Uncle Tiõ。This is the first volume of a planned duology and it is stunning。 It’s a historical fantasy filled with adventure， romance and lots of twist Inez Olivera lives in Argentina with her aunt and two cousins。 For six months of the year， her mother and father are abroad in Egypt， and Inez misses them terribly。 They’re Egyptologists on the hunt for the ultimate find， Cleopatra’s tomb。 One day word arrives that both her parents have died in the harsh desert and that Inez is now the ward of her Uncle Tiõ。This is the first volume of a planned duology and it is stunning。 It’s a historical fantasy filled with adventure， romance and lots of twists。 Inez is an intelligent， headstrong young woman who becomes obsessed with finding out what happened to her parents。 She often acts rashly irregardless of the danger to herself and others。 Loved the slow simmer of a romance between her and Whit， her Uncle Tiõ’s handsome assistant。 Well developed characters and a compelling narrative kept me interested throughout the story。 4。25 stars 。。。more

Marinda （rindasreads） ，

I finished this book a few days ago and I still don't know how I feel about it。 I'm equal parts mad and fascinated。 I'm wishing I hadn't read the epilogue but also completely intrigued at the possibility for the story to continue。 This book kept me on my toes and did what few books manage to do--surprised me with twists and turns I didn't see coming。 I loved the magic and the mystery， the historical setting， and the unavoidable romance， but at the same time， nothing about this story went how I w I finished this book a few days ago and I still don't know how I feel about it。 I'm equal parts mad and fascinated。 I'm wishing I hadn't read the epilogue but also completely intrigued at the possibility for the story to continue。 This book kept me on my toes and did what few books manage to do--surprised me with twists and turns I didn't see coming。 I loved the magic and the mystery， the historical setting， and the unavoidable romance， but at the same time， nothing about this story went how I wanted it to， and I can't decide if that is a good or a bad thing。 Thank you to the author， NetGalley， and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 *Note for my followers: This book had more language than I am comfortable with and much of it felt unnecessary。 So， proceed with caution and know that this isn't a typical recommendation from me。 。。。more

Bethany ，

What a cliffhanger ending！ I am definitely intrigued by this new book from Isabel Ibanez。 I was sucked right into this historical fiction with a dusting of magic。 It's gotten its bumps along the way， but overall I'd call it a success。 I saw a lot of blurbs comparing this book to The Mummy movie and admittedly that was the reason I requested a copy。 Here's where I see that being true - the relationship between the two young protagonists does bear a resemblance to Rick and Evie， though lacking som What a cliffhanger ending！ I am definitely intrigued by this new book from Isabel Ibanez。 I was sucked right into this historical fiction with a dusting of magic。 It's gotten its bumps along the way， but overall I'd call it a success。 I saw a lot of blurbs comparing this book to The Mummy movie and admittedly that was the reason I requested a copy。 Here's where I see that being true - the relationship between the two young protagonists does bear a resemblance to Rick and Evie， though lacking some of the humor and the setting of course being in Egypt during archaeological digs。 The magical elements are different and there are more high stakes involved with ordinary people than the mystical/curse being the main concern as it is in the Mummy。 But， the whole time I was reading this novel， I wanted to watch The Mummy， which I guess could be a vote for or against it。 I enjoyed it though and plan to pick up the sequel as soon as I am able to if only to figure out that cliffhanger Ibanez left us on！ 。。。more

Mary Montoya ，

What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez is a historical fantasy full of secrets， lies， mystery， and magic。 This story follows Inez Olivero as she embarks on an adventure to find out the truth about her parent's deaths。 Inez has always been left behind when her parents go to Egypt for most of the year。 When she finds out through a letter from her uncle that her parents have mysteriously died， she sets her sights on Egypt。 Her uncle is a famous archeologist and is now her guardian， however， he has a What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez is a historical fantasy full of secrets， lies， mystery， and magic。 This story follows Inez Olivero as she embarks on an adventure to find out the truth about her parent's deaths。 Inez has always been left behind when her parents go to Egypt for most of the year。 When she finds out through a letter from her uncle that her parents have mysteriously died， she sets her sights on Egypt。 Her uncle is a famous archeologist and is now her guardian， however， he has an indifferent attitude towards her。 He is determined to send her home until he discovers Inez has a secret that could help him make one of the biggest discoveries in Egyptian history。 Along with her uncle， Inez also has Whit trying to get her back home。 Whit is her uncle's hired man， who tries to block her from finding the answers she seeks。 Their contentious relationship is filled with romantic tension that they both don’t want to address。 I loved the writing in this book， it was so immersive and took you right to Egypt with Inez。 I thought the magic and historical aspects were well-balanced。 Inez is a phenomenal character， I loved her tenacity and determination to find the answers she wanted。 The banter between Inez and Whit was top-notch and kept me turning the pages for more。 I liked how atmospheric the setting and time period were， however， there were times when the history explanation was dragged out a bit and threw off the pacing for me。 If you are in the mood for unique fantasy， historical fiction， and slow-burn romance， with some mystery， this book is for you！Thank you to St。 Martins Press， Wednesday Books， Isabel Ibañez and Netgalley for the gifted arc 。。。more

Sydney Courville ，

4。5 STARSOh， let me tell you， I'm seriously blown away by this one。It's not just the captivating Ancient Egyptian history， the lively archaeological backdrop， or the enigmatic characters with their shady motives – it's the clear evolution of storytelling that shines。 It's crystal clear Isabel Ibañez truly found her voice with this tale， and that's what makes it such a satisfying read。Speaking of satisfying， for a first book in a series， this ticks all the right boxes – an exciting setting， a gri 4。5 STARSOh， let me tell you， I'm seriously blown away by this one。It's not just the captivating Ancient Egyptian history， the lively archaeological backdrop， or the enigmatic characters with their shady motives – it's the clear evolution of storytelling that shines。 It's crystal clear Isabel Ibañez truly found her voice with this tale， and that's what makes it such a satisfying read。Speaking of satisfying， for a first book in a series， this ticks all the right boxes – an exciting setting， a gripping plot， characters you can't help but root for， and some top-notch writing。 That cliffhanger of an ending？ I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING。 It definitely got me hooked and now has me impatiently waiting for the sequel！ And this one isn't even out yet。。。 What have I done to myself？？？ 。。。more

Lindsey （Bring My Books） ，

Thank you to Edelweiss， Wednesday Books， & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date！ This in no way affected my review， opinions are my own。B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷“The Mummy meets Death on the Nile” could not be more Lindsey booknip if it tried and THIS WAS SO CLOSE but there’s one thing that kept pulling me out of the story over and over and over and over again and it’s this: I absolutely cannot stand when plot points that don’t make sen Thank you to Edelweiss， Wednesday Books， & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date！ This in no way affected my review， opinions are my own。B̷R̷I̷N̷G̷ ✨ 𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗥𝗢𝗪 ✨ B̷Y̷P̷A̷S̷S̷“The Mummy meets Death on the Nile” could not be more Lindsey booknip if it tried and THIS WAS SO CLOSE but there’s one thing that kept pulling me out of the story over and over and over and over again and it’s this: I absolutely cannot stand when plot points that don’t make sense are allowed to continue without being genuinely questioned by the MC because them being in the dark it’s what’s needed to move the plot along。 Drives me beyond bonkers and there was a lot of that + “I can’t tell you” in here。Okay， that being said - once I set that aside and just leaned into the suspense of disbelief， this was a pretty fun book with lots of interesting history and plenty of delicious tension between the two main characters。 Also， the cliffhanger …。。？？？ what does it MEANNNNNContent Warning: （view spoiler）[Colonisation， Murder， Death， Death of parent， Grief， Gun violence， Violence， Blood， Kidnapping， Cultural appropriation， Injury/Injury detail， Emotional abuse， Cursing， and Racism （hide spoiler）] 。。。more

Kendall ，

actual rating: 4/5 This book was filled with so many things that I love！ Magic， romance， and history！ I think it is a very solid start to this series。While it did have a slow beginning， I could always interested in where the story was headed。 I felt very immersed in the world， and I loved the writing and characters。 Inez and Whit are such a great duo。 I can’t wait to see where the story goes！ Thank you NetGalley and Wednesday books for the arc in exchange for an honest review！

Mary ，

For most of her life， Inez has lived vicariously through the letters her parents sent to her in Buenos Aires while they spent half of each year in Egypt。 Despite her repeated requests to join them， however， the answer was always no。 But when her parents go missing just before her nineteenth birthday and they are presumed dead， Inez comes into the means to traverse the vast ocean and search for the answers to her beloved parents’ disappearance。 Egypt is not at all what Inez expected， however， and For most of her life， Inez has lived vicariously through the letters her parents sent to her in Buenos Aires while they spent half of each year in Egypt。 Despite her repeated requests to join them， however， the answer was always no。 But when her parents go missing just before her nineteenth birthday and they are presumed dead， Inez comes into the means to traverse the vast ocean and search for the answers to her beloved parents’ disappearance。 Egypt is not at all what Inez expected， however， and as she ventures further into desert life， she discovers many of the secrets that were kept from her while building a new existence of her own。This period fantasy adventure is a good fit for fans of Indiana Jones and Agatha Christie， especially as Inez spends much of the book exploring the mysteries of ancient Egypt。 Beautifully written descriptions bring the reality of the 1880s to life for contemporary readers， including the expectations of gender stereotypes of the day and the limited means of travel and communication available at the time。 Additionally， Spanish language is found within the narrative， which serves as an anchor to Inez’s heritage and culture even while she is using English among many of the characters she finds in Egypt。 Dynamic dialogue and action sequences give the narrative an enjoyable quality， and the inclusion of Ancient Egyptian relics and anthropology speak to readers interested in this aspect of global history。 A predictable enemies-to-lovers romantic arc is included in the story， but Inez is also her own strong personality who can rely on her intelligence and wit to survive independently。 Inez is the primary speaker in the novel， but a secondary character’s thoughts are occasionally included， as well。 While some of the character development is lackluster and the plot takes a little time to settle in， the overall feel of the book is enjoyable and keeps readers interested once the pacing picks up。 This is an intriguing addition to library collections for mature young adult readers。 。。。more

Angelo Drakontaidis ，

The latest novel by Isabel Ibanez sees a young adult Argentinian， Inez， travel to Egypt following the news of her parents presumed death。 Inez hasn’t had the closest relationship with her parents or uncle and quickly learns that there was more to her parent’s trips to Egypt than she first imagined。The book is filled with fantasy elements， slow burn romance， the enemies to lovers trope。 As advertised by the book’s blurb， it reminded me of a mashup of the The Mummy meets Death on the Nile。 The his The latest novel by Isabel Ibanez sees a young adult Argentinian， Inez， travel to Egypt following the news of her parents presumed death。 Inez hasn’t had the closest relationship with her parents or uncle and quickly learns that there was more to her parent’s trips to Egypt than she first imagined。The book is filled with fantasy elements， slow burn romance， the enemies to lovers trope。 As advertised by the book’s blurb， it reminded me of a mashup of the The Mummy meets Death on the Nile。 The history of 1800s Egypt is expertly embedded throughout the plot and narration of the book。The last 10% were shocking and punch to the heart。 I’m all in for the next one。 My only complaint was the middle half felt like it could have been sped up a bit。 While there were consistent warnings of ongoing threats， there largely weren’t any during this period of time。 Additionally， would love if she explored more of the magic system and fantasy element in the next book。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC。 。。。more

Chelsea ，

I didn't really like or care about the main character。 And I didn't like the romance and it took up a lot of the book。 I don't understand why she was interested in him almost immediately。 I didn't really like or care about the main character。 And I didn't like the romance and it took up a lot of the book。 I don't understand why she was interested in him almost immediately。 。。。more

Jessica Samuelson ，

I enjoyed this historical Egyptian adventure story with a splash of magic thrown in。 Inez is young and a little naive， but very resourceful。 Whit is a very complicated person but never wavers in his determination to keep Inez safe （whether she likes it or not）。 The story itself has lots of twists and turns。 I found myself thinking， “WHAT？？？” multiple times。 It’s exciting but also full of historical touches from both the late 19th century and ancient Egypt。 It’s clear that the author did a lot of I enjoyed this historical Egyptian adventure story with a splash of magic thrown in。 Inez is young and a little naive， but very resourceful。 Whit is a very complicated person but never wavers in his determination to keep Inez safe （whether she likes it or not）。 The story itself has lots of twists and turns。 I found myself thinking， “WHAT？？？” multiple times。 It’s exciting but also full of historical touches from both the late 19th century and ancient Egypt。 It’s clear that the author did a lot of research for both time periods。I really liked the fact that Inez is from Argentina and brings a different cultural prospective to the narrative。 Most books like this that I’ve read feature British or American protagonists。 The chapter titles are written in Spanish and several non-English words are included in the story when appropriate， which adds to the atmosphere of the book。 NOTE: This book is the first in a series and ends on a slight cliffhanger。Romance Steam Rating: Hot Cocoa [1 out of 5] （Kisses Only）Thank you to NetGalley， St Martin’s Press， and Wednesday Books for an Advanced Reader Copy eBook。 ⁠ 。。。more

Sarah Williams ，

Wow， just wow！ This was like the mummy， a treasure hunt and a will-they-won’t-they romance all in one。 This was amazing from start to finish！ The ending！？！ Mindblowing！ I need a second book！ This was seriously phenomenal。Historical fiction sent in Egypt， filled with treasure hunts， intrigue， maybe love？ And lots of DRAMA。 Amazing。 One of the best books I’ve read all year。

Katie ，

Thank you the the publishers for the ARC！！ I loved the writing style of this， and loved how descriptive and immersive it felt。 The pacing was slow at times but the beautiful prose made up for it imo。 The second half also got very juicy， it was so hard to put it down！ I hope there is a 2nd book 😫

Dana ，

Inez is a defiant young woman who leaves her home in Argentina in a secretive manner to travel to Egypt to look into her parents’ deaths。 She expects to be greeted by her uncle， Ricardo but instead， she encounters Whit， her uncle’s assistant， who has orders to put her right back on the ship to return to Argentina。 But Inez manages to thwart her uncle’s attempts to keep her away from his archeological dig for Cleopatra’s tomb on the island of Philae。 Inez and other members of the team also posses Inez is a defiant young woman who leaves her home in Argentina in a secretive manner to travel to Egypt to look into her parents’ deaths。 She expects to be greeted by her uncle， Ricardo but instead， she encounters Whit， her uncle’s assistant， who has orders to put her right back on the ship to return to Argentina。 But Inez manages to thwart her uncle’s attempts to keep her away from his archeological dig for Cleopatra’s tomb on the island of Philae。 Inez and other members of the team also possess some magical abilities which help their quest and Inez stumbles unwittingly into plots for selling artifacts on the black market while learning more about her parents’ disappearances。 Meanwhile， she and Whit are exploring a potential romantic relationship。Whew！ Sounds like a lot going on in this story and this is one of the more positive aspects of the book。 I enjoyed the action and the plot around archeology in Egypt。 But， contrary to the popular opinions of other reviewers， the book was disappointing for me。 I actually didn’t like any of the characters， including Inez - she was supposed to be independent and strong but also naive and the contrasts in her personality just didn’t work。 Whit was also poorly developed and the dialogue between him and Inez was just lame overall。 And most of the other characters were mean and/or deceitful。 Elvira was the only character with some potential。 I wish romance hadn’t even been thrown into this mess but what little there was seemed like an afterthought - there was nothing to base any affection on between Whit and Inez。 The magical realism aspects of the story were also underdeveloped and seemed out of place。 I have seen some hints about this book being the first in a series （which I won’t be continuing） but I really hated the cliffhanger ending。 I really wanted to like this book so overall， I’m really disappointed。#NetGalley #St。Martin’sPress 。。。more

Tori Hokana ，

This book is giving off The Mummy vibes all day and I am HERE for it！ Inez is a strong-willed， intelligent， and take-no-shit main character who sets off from Buenos Aires to Egypt to find answers after receiving word that her parents have died while in the country on an archaeological expedition。 Upon arriving in Alexandria she immediately crosses paths （and wits and wills） with her uncle's English assistant Whitford Hayes。 She problem solves and perseveres at every turn to be included in her Ti This book is giving off The Mummy vibes all day and I am HERE for it！ Inez is a strong-willed， intelligent， and take-no-shit main character who sets off from Buenos Aires to Egypt to find answers after receiving word that her parents have died while in the country on an archaeological expedition。 Upon arriving in Alexandria she immediately crosses paths （and wits and wills） with her uncle's English assistant Whitford Hayes。 She problem solves and perseveres at every turn to be included in her Tio Ricardo's （view spoiler）[expedition to find Cleopatra's tomb。 （hide spoiler）] She discovers several secrets along the way that shake all of her beliefs and foundations。 The last third was the book was action-packed， heart pounding， and heartbreaking leaving us with an epilogue that made my jaw drop。 It's safe to say that I CANNOT wait for the second book to finish off Inez's journey and figure out what is truly going on。I really loved the banter between Inez and Whit and following them on their journey on the Nile and beyond。 The Egyptian history and mythology was gorgeously woven into the story with an added splash of magic。 。。。more

Tasia ，

Omg that cliffhanger。。。my heart rests in limbo until book 2 next year！！ Brilliant， absolutely loved it。 。。。

Susie Salazar ，

I wanted to LOVE it because I loved The Mummy movies， but this one didn't meet expectations。 I enjoyed the historical aspect， and her overall depiction of Egypt。 I think the author did a good job in keeping a mysterious aura about the characters that made you dislike/hate/distrust them， as it played a role into her twists。 I love the references to Cleopatra being a strong leader and not getting her due in history。As an adult， I go into YA books knowing that the main characters are going to do st I wanted to LOVE it because I loved The Mummy movies， but this one didn't meet expectations。 I enjoyed the historical aspect， and her overall depiction of Egypt。 I think the author did a good job in keeping a mysterious aura about the characters that made you dislike/hate/distrust them， as it played a role into her twists。 I love the references to Cleopatra being a strong leader and not getting her due in history。As an adult， I go into YA books knowing that the main characters are going to do stupid things， and be annoying。 I can usually overlook it （"because teenagers"） but I really didn't like this main character。 For a young adult book， the FMC fits the tropes， so I guess that's good， but she was extra annoying。 The pacing of the first 2/3 was really slow， and it took me longer to get into this book than what I would've liked。 The last 1/3 flew by and what a way of leaving the reader hanging！ Might pick up the next one。 We'll see。 Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin Press and Wednesday Books for the advanced reader's copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more

Trigger Warning Database ，

Trigger & Content WarningsAlcohol consumptionBlood & injury depictionMurderGun violenceKidnapping

The Kawaii Slartibartfast ，

Thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the eARC！Inez has been waiting for her parents to summon her on their latest trip and when she gets news that they does， she decides to jaunt to a different continent to find out more。It's such good writing and characterization！ Enemies to lovers done right！And a doozy of a cliffhanger！But there's so much more of it dealing with colonialism and theft of culture。 Again it's a brilliant ride and I can't wait to find out what happens next！ Thanks to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for the eARC！Inez has been waiting for her parents to summon her on their latest trip and when she gets news that they does， she decides to jaunt to a different continent to find out more。It's such good writing and characterization！ Enemies to lovers done right！And a doozy of a cliffhanger！But there's so much more of it dealing with colonialism and theft of culture。 Again it's a brilliant ride and I can't wait to find out what happens next！ 。。。more

Sara Ormsby ，

Such a fun book！ The description of The Mummy meets Death on the Nile is spot on。 Loved the historical fantasy elements and all the historical details。 Lots of adventure and mystery， twists and turns。 Great banter and romantic tension。 The cliffhanger is jaw dropping and I’m dying to know what comes next。

Jess ，

Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 Thank you， NetGalley and publishers。 If you ever watched Indiana Jones or the Mummy， or went through a phase when you were fascinated with ancient Egypt， this book is for you。 As the book opens， Inez is eagerly awaiting for her parents to write her， and invite her to join them in their adventures in Egypt， where they’ve spent most of her life。 But the letter she does get contains terrible news: her parents are dead。 Heartbro Note: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion。 Thank you， NetGalley and publishers。 If you ever watched Indiana Jones or the Mummy， or went through a phase when you were fascinated with ancient Egypt， this book is for you。 As the book opens， Inez is eagerly awaiting for her parents to write her， and invite her to join them in their adventures in Egypt， where they’ve spent most of her life。 But the letter she does get contains terrible news: her parents are dead。 Heartbroken and grieving， she makes the impulsive decision to travel to Egypt on her own， determined to discover the truth of their lives and what happened in their final days。 In this historical fantasy there is love， adventure and betrayal。 。。。more

Mei ☽︎ ，

2。5 rounded up。 I got waaaay too frustrated about the FMC here。 😭 It's unfair， but I couldn't help but think that she was responsible for basically （view spoiler）[all but one conflict （hide spoiler）]。 I get she was definitely way in over her head and that was emphasized here， but did this really have to play out that way？？ 😬 It just felt too coincidental that （view spoiler）[basically ALL Inez's actions would lead straight to the next problem over and over again （hide spoiler）] throughout the who 2。5 rounded up。 I got waaaay too frustrated about the FMC here。 😭 It's unfair， but I couldn't help but think that she was responsible for basically （view spoiler）[all but one conflict （hide spoiler）]。 I get she was definitely way in over her head and that was emphasized here， but did this really have to play out that way？？ 😬 It just felt too coincidental that （view spoiler）[basically ALL Inez's actions would lead straight to the next problem over and over again （hide spoiler）] throughout the whole book。Whit was a fun MMC and definitely gave Flynn Rider and Rick O'Connell vibes， but I didn't fully believe in the chemistry of the romance for a long while。 I'd still pick up book 2 though because THE CLIFFHANGER？？？ GOD DAMN。 。。。more

bori ，

This is a book that had so much promise that I felt it didn't deliver on。 The premise is fantastic， but the execution fell really flat for me--especially when compared to its two pitch titles， neither of which it had all that much in common with other than being set in Egypt。I don't want to get too into the weeds， but my main impression reading was that What the River Knows just wasn't ready for publication yet; it felt underedited on a developmental level and in many ways read like a first draf This is a book that had so much promise that I felt it didn't deliver on。 The premise is fantastic， but the execution fell really flat for me--especially when compared to its two pitch titles， neither of which it had all that much in common with other than being set in Egypt。I don't want to get too into the weeds， but my main impression reading was that What the River Knows just wasn't ready for publication yet; it felt underedited on a developmental level and in many ways read like a first draft that could have been polished into something really great， but for whatever reason， wasn't。 The pacing was wonky on both a book and scene level; the characters underdeveloped and not particularly grounded in their time period， with the way secondary characters were used often feeling clunky and contrived; the romance flat and lacking in chemistry; the magic system thin and its implications not particularly thought through; the plot even thinner， relying on SO much contrivance and reveals with little to no setup or foreshadowing （the number of times major reveals happened via someone READING A LETTER bordered on comical）。 Too much was told and not shown， while conversely on a prose level the manuscript was quite overwritten， with an overreliance on physical blocking and inner monologue。 There were also a handful of POV snippets （not full chapters） from the love interest peppered through that added absolutely nothing and should have been cut。I probably could have forgiven a lot of this， if I didn't also feel like the book just didn't have anything much to say。 The closest we got to any thematic material was a few prods at 'colonialism is bad' and 'the antiquities trade is bad'， which as a thematic backbone--like so much else--has a lot of potential， but the book didn't engage beyond simply stating as much and moving on。 Similarly， or rather what makes this such a problem， is Inez herself didn't have an arc either。 I did like her a lot as a character （though didn't like that the plot required her to lose the intelligence and resourcefulness she'd shown for the first 40% of the book）， but despite spending 400 pages in her head I would really， really struggle to articulate either how she changed or how the author thought she should change。 I guess she was shown the consequences of her impulsiveness？ But it's not as though she is reining that in going forward， and to be frank， the majority of what goes wrong would easily EASILY have been avoided if anyone at all had told Inez a single thing， so it's hard to view properly as a character flaw in the context of this particular narrative。Neither of these in isolation would be such a problem if， for example， the book were an actual *mystery* （like its comped Death on the Nile） or otherwise plot-driven enough that the reader doesn't expect as much from character or theme--but it wasn't。 Inez doesn't solve anything （as mentioned before， most plot progression happened via conveniently timed letters）， the biggest reveals were already KNOWN to the other characters who just chose not to share them with Inez until eventually they did， and anything else？ Still hanging。 The central problems established at the start of the narrative are not solved by the end （hello， duology）， and unfortunately there wasn't enough else to feel like *this* book， as its own book， had a satisfying conclusion。I really regret not liking What the River Knows better。 It's clear how much love and heart went into this title--Ibanez is obviously very passionate about Egypt and its history and mythology--and the ideas behind it are rich and meaty， but I closed the book feeling unsatisfied and like it should and could have been so much more。 However， it's clear that I am very much in the minority in not loving it， and I do think most of the issues I had with it aren't going to matter for the majority of its intended audience。 2。5 stars rounded down， because the climax and ending were just so messy。Thank you to Hodder and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review！ 。。。more

ً ，

4。5 the ending ？？？？？？？

Wendy Yarnling ，

Book Name: What the River KnowsAuthor: Isabel IbañezARC Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press， Wednesday Books for an ARC of Isabel Ibañez’s What the River KnowsStars: 5Spice : 0New Series: Cliffhanger of EIPC proportions Fast Paced High Stakes Dual POV （Swoon）Alternative Magical Historical Romance Mystery Argentinian Representation - Thoughts。 - ****The Mummy with Magic！* **** - Romance was brillant - Complex Family Relationships - FMC's naivety was infuriating at times - The ending was Book Name: What the River KnowsAuthor: Isabel IbañezARC Thank you to NetGalley and St。 Martin's Press， Wednesday Books for an ARC of Isabel Ibañez’s What the River KnowsStars: 5Spice : 0New Series: Cliffhanger of EIPC proportions Fast Paced High Stakes Dual POV （Swoon）Alternative Magical Historical Romance Mystery Argentinian Representation - Thoughts。 - ****The Mummy with Magic！* **** - Romance was brillant - Complex Family Relationships - FMC's naivety was infuriating at times - The ending was an insane cliffhanger… need more - beliavble magic system - believable romance arc - Side charetyers were brillant isadora and tio ricardo and eliveira - So good if you like the mummy， like fantasy， or like magical alternative history this is a must-read- Tropes - Rivals to Lovers - Hidden Identities - Secret - Miscommunication - Found family - Betrayal - Family Dynamics 。。。more

Sabrianna Woodmansee ，

The vibes？ Immaculate。 The story？ Immaculate。 The romance？ Immaculate。 That cliffhanger？ Ma'am I'm gonna need the next book posthaste。If you are like me and had phase where you watched the mummy on repeat solely for Brendan Fraser than do yourself a favor and read this。 Thank you netgalley for the e arc The vibes？ Immaculate。 The story？ Immaculate。 The romance？ Immaculate。 That cliffhanger？ Ma'am I'm gonna need the next book posthaste。If you are like me and had phase where you watched the mummy on repeat solely for Brendan Fraser than do yourself a favor and read this。 Thank you netgalley for the e arc 。。。more

Kim ，

Isabel Ibanez just keeps getting better。 Hidden things have always fascinated me。 And you， Mr。 Hayes， have a secret。 It's long since been buried， but I know it's there。 And one day， I will uncover it。 Set in 1884， Inez is pulled into the world of ancient Egyptian history and magic when she learns of her parents' deaths and vows to figure out what truly happened to them。 There's so much to dissect in this book。 From the worldbuilding to the slow burn romance to the mystery and magic of Egypt！ Isabel Ibanez just keeps getting better。 Hidden things have always fascinated me。 And you， Mr。 Hayes， have a secret。 It's long since been buried， but I know it's there。 And one day， I will uncover it。 Set in 1884， Inez is pulled into the world of ancient Egyptian history and magic when she learns of her parents' deaths and vows to figure out what truly happened to them。 There's so much to dissect in this book。 From the worldbuilding to the slow burn romance to the mystery and magic of Egypt！！ The plot was incredibly engaging， albeit a bit slow at times and frustrating because the mystery aspect seems to just stem from people actively keeping Inez in the dark。 And while the first quarter of the book dragged， the rest of the book was fun to read and I adored the vast Egyptian history that was explored。 There are a few things I wished this book had more off， especially when it's harking The Mummy and Death on the Nile vibes and seemed to lack much of it。 Where's the murder？ The fast-paced danger？ The mummy？？？？ I also wanted more longing/tension between Whit and Inez， and got a mid version of Evie and Rick。 But I enjoyed this book and I can't wait to read the sequel because that ending？？ I have so many questions that I'm praying get answered soon。Special thanks to St。 Martin's Press， Wednesday Books， and Netgalley for providing me a eARC in exchange for an honest review。 All the opinions and views expressed in this review are my own and not affiliated with any brand。All quotes are from an advance reader copy and are subject to change upon final publication。 。。。more

Kate O'Shea ，

2。5This book simply wasnt my cup of tea。 I'd been quite excited about it because Egypt's culture and the pharaohs are endlessly fascinating。 However this was far too much like The Mummy （but with added melodrama） for my liking。I thought the character of Inez was a little odd。 One minute she was insisting on her right to do what she liked and then bemoaning the fact she had no one to help her with her hair the next。The other thing that puzzled me was the fervour in which everyone was searching fo 2。5This book simply wasnt my cup of tea。 I'd been quite excited about it because Egypt's culture and the pharaohs are endlessly fascinating。 However this was far too much like The Mummy （but with added melodrama） for my liking。I thought the character of Inez was a little odd。 One minute she was insisting on her right to do what she liked and then bemoaning the fact she had no one to help her with her hair the next。The other thing that puzzled me was the fervour in which everyone was searching for Cleopatra's tomb。 This book is set 40 years before they'd even found Tutankhamun （whose tomb was first to be found）。 It's entirely possible I misread the book in this respect however。The "love story" is almost painful to read and the other characters are awash with contradictions。 It certainly made me wonder what the guardians in Buenos Aires were up to since it was so easy for a young girl to simply set off and travel halfway round the world without anyone raising an alarm。All in all I found the story and characters a little too unbelievable。 The only part that I did like was the cliff hanger ending。 That was clever （if， in hindsight， somewhat inevitable）。 However I did finish the book， it didn't give me a headache and parts of it were okay。Thanks to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advance review copy。 I'm delighted to be in the minority with my review。 。。。more

kris ，

dnf @ 7%。 the mc is every insufferable ya fantasy heroine archetype mixed into one。

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Reference

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