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.
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