Ratings32
Average rating3.5
Isabel Ibañez's lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race.
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 a 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.
What the River Knows is the first book in the thrilling Secrets of the Nile duology.
"Expertly plotted, explosively adventurous, and burning with romance." - Stephanie Garber #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Take a plucky heroine, a historically grounded Indiana Jones-esque adventure through Ancient Egypt, and add a surprising dollop of magic — it’s a recipe for a delightful read." - Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author
Reviews with the most likes.
There aren’t enough words to describe how magical this book is. It poignantly tells a story of a girl who yearned to travel and be wanted by her parents on their exciting Egyptian expeditions. Suddenly, her parents are presumed dead… missing. This devastating event sparks the opportunity for her to finally go to Egypt and try and find out what happened. At every turn, she is thwarted: by her Uncle and his attractive assistant, Whit, under the guise of keeping her safe. By the rough Egyptian elements. By the corrupt underbelly of British exploration. This book tackled so many topics: female independence, colonization, exploitation, familial obligation… and so much more. Not only that, it did it in a way that kept me on the edge of my seat and wanting more.
I couldn’t write a review of this book without touching on the element of Magic Realism that this book had. It was so beautifully done! There was magic buried deep in objects and only certain people can unlock it? not only that, but each object has a unique and quirky advantage?? SIGN ME UP! Despite the story being obviously grounded in the history of British colonization, the magic was so utterly believable. I also loved how the magic was used to foreshadow the many twists and turns this book had.
Speaking of twists and turns… the plot was gorgeous. It wasn’t all adventure and fun. There was a really good balance of shocking events, brooding tension between characters, and quiet reflection from the narrator. *This* is how you are supposed to write historical fiction.
Finally… the characters. They are TOP TIER! They are endearing, funny, and full of flaws and mistakes. Inez is beautifully confident and wildly loyal. I don’t know how many times her stubborn nature had me laughing and cheering her on. She is definitely everything I want in a female lead of a fantasy book. Vulnerable but not taking anyone’s shit. On the other hand, Whit legitimately had me swooning every scene. He was charming and yet effortlessly aloof and mysterious. Also, I absolutely loved the fact that we occasionally got to see Whit’s inner narrative. It wasn’t every other chapter (as that probably would have been too much for a character that is supposed to be mysterious ;p), but it was spread out every so often. It kept you wanting to come back for more. It added a whole other layer of suspense as we got to see answers before Inez did. It is worth noting that this book is by no means spicy, but the way the romance was written… OOO! It was so tense and full of sparks. I couldn’t wait for another Inez/Whit interaction to come across the page. I wish every romance had the kind of chemistry and banter these two had.
This book felt like “Tangled” set in an 1890’s Egyptian expedition. What more can a reader ask for than an independent female character whose magical powers reveal long-kept secrets all while being followed (and protected) by a handsome rogue? I will say…. this book ends on the most shocking cliffhanger after the wildest ride that was the last 60 pages. My jaw was on.the.floor! Despite it giving me the worst book hangover I have had in a while, I loved this book. I cannot wait to read the second book, and I recommend you read this as fast as you can too. You won’t regret it.
I didn't realize this book was YA until I listed it as “Currently Reading” but that didn't lower my enjoyment at all! As someone who has always been interest in Ancient and Modern Egypt, I absolutely loved the setting of this novel. My favorite restaurant is Egyptian and it was really fun seeing all the foods I loved being talked about in such a positive light. The hunt for Cleopatra's tomb is something that I've been following very closely recently and it was cool seeing how much research the author needed to put into this novel. Every twist in this surprised me and I didn't see any of them coming, but at the same time, they didn't seem unplausible. My biggest complaint about this novel is that I really didn't want the love story line to be happening. I do understand why the love interest became the love interest, but I just wanted them to either remain friends or for the yearning to continue the entire time. I'm really looking forward to reading more from this series and this author in general and I'm already excited to re-read this novel in preparation to read the second book.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an eBook copy to review.
I don't read much YA anymore, but this one sounded good. I actually liked it a lot!
I usually find YA pretty predictable, but this book had quite a few “I did not see that coming” moments. Especially the end. I am excited for the next one.
excruciatingly disappointing book. the relationship sucked ass, theres like 20 fucking plot twists and betrayals and it got old. I wish i didnt spend money on this
Featured Series
2 primary booksSecrets of the Nile is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2023 with contributions by Isabel Ibañez.