What the River Knows – Isabel Ibañez

Published By: Hodderscape
Pages: 416
Released On: 14/11/2023

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 for the most: her globetrotting parents – who frequently leave her behind when they venture off on their exploring adventures.

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. 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.

*****

Thanks to NetGalley and Hodderscape for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.

This book looked and sounded absolutely stunning and I was so eager to read it.

I have always loved the idea of visiting Egypt – although maybe not in the 19th Century. Whilst the reason behind Inez’s trip is not necessarily a positive one, I was totally enraptured by the description of the country, it is so vivid and it evokes smells and sights and sounds. Isabel has completely whetted my appetite for it. I still don’t know if I’ll ever visit Egypt, but I really want to learn more about the ancient lands and language of the country. I was also interested in the odd Arabic words popping up every now again. It’s a fascinating language and now I want to learn some – the same with hieroglyphics, but I’m aware that may be a bit more challenging.

I do have my issues with people digging up ancient Egyptians and disturbing mummies and whatnot. Whether you believe in curses or not, it does seem quite disrespectful, and sometimes dangerous. This book, whilst fictional, has ignited that debate in my mind once again.

A 19-year-old woman travelling on her own at the latter end of the 19th Century was a rare sight in itself, but it was a powerful one, and I think Isabel has captured that well. It is a dangerous time and environment for her, but she won’t let that put her off her mission.

It is such a perfect book that I hated having to tear myself away from it. I just wanted to read it from start to finish in one seamless go. It is so powerful in so many ways. I can’t pinpoint one exact thing that makes it so special. It’s an accumulation of every bit, the setting, the characters, the location, the secrets and lies, the relationships and friendships and enemies, the history, the power. It’s all just SO good!

This is the first of Isabel’s works I have read, but I’ll definitely be seeking out her others if this is anything to go by. Her craft of the English language to portray emotion is superb.

I found it really moving. And not just because of the obvious deaths of her parents (not a spoiler – written in the synopsis above). The happiest and the saddest moments moved me to tears. Everything is heightened and it just made me rather emotional.

It is perfectly paced, buzzing with excitement and the promise of treasures and beauty. It’s slow enough for you to get wrapped up in the characters and the situation, but fast enough to feel like a proper adventure. It gives you enough of what you want exactly when you want it.

I received an early digital copy and read it at the beginning of October. But I promise that once this is released in physical form, I will be buying copies as Christmas presents as it is just glorious.

There is the odd illustration, usually showing us what Inez herself is drawing, and it’s a nice surprise. You rarely get images in adult fiction, and I don’t know why. It adds so much to the reading of the story.

I thought it would be a straightforward, but enjoyable, story. From A to B to C and so on, on an interesting journey. But there’s twists and turns and shocks and surprises that really upped the ante.

It is its own story, but I will beg and beg and beg for a sequel. I need more of this world. It is so shockingly amazing that I just can’t stop thinking about.

It excels across genres: romance, historical, fantasy, adventure – even a little bit of magic. It’s got just about everything you could want from a book. It’s enchanting and grabs you immediately right to the very end. It is simply unforgettable.