What the River Knows: the explosive, page-turning historical romantasy – Ibanez Isabel (2023)

A divine exploration. A deadly secret. A desire she cannot escape. Set in nineteenth-century Egypt, this immersive historical fantasy combines adventure, witty banter, a slow-burn rivals-to-lovers romance and a dangerous race. In the glittering society of nineteenth-century Buenos Aires, Inez Olivera has everything except the one thing she wants most: her parents, who are often away on globetrotting adventures. Then she receives the terrible news that they have died in mysterious circumstances. Determined to discover the truth, she sails to Cairo, their last port of call, carrying only her sketch pads and an ancient ring her father sent her for safekeeping. When the ring flares with ancient magic, Inez is drawn into a treacherous game that threatens her life and crosses paths with her new guardian’s infuriatingly handsome assistant, who seems determined to thwart her at every turn. With its historically grounded, Indiana Jones-style adventure, mystery, intrigue, betrayal and spellbinding romance, this story offers a richly imagined world in which Ibanez’s worldbuilding and the chemistry between the characters take centre stage.