Beautiful photo by @elenathereader!
Hey fairy family!
Itβs the final section, are you ready to find out how What the River Knows by Isabel IbaΓ±ez ends? I am very nervous!
Today weβre reading from CapΓtulo Treinta (Chapter 30) to the end of the book.
Grab a snack, get comfy and letβs read!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for What the River Knows by Isabel IbaΓ±ez, from CapΓtulo Treinta (Chapter 30) to the end of the book. Please only read on if youβve finished What the River Knows!
-!SPOILERS!-
Whit is a new man, he’s sober. We learn he only drank to forget and now, he doesn’t need it anymore.
He tells Inez he never wanted her to feel for him, and that he’s coming with her back to Cairo, as he needs to return to England.
When they get back to Cairo, Elvira is in TROUBLE. She’s HERE!! Now Inez and Elvira are both being sent back.
Elvira has been staying in the same rooms as Inez was, aka her parents rooms. While Elvira was alone she found a letter, from Inez’s father.
The BETRAYAL! He writes that if she found the letter Inez must have learnt of Lourdes’ portrayal, but also that they’ve reached their end. He signs it off by begging Elvira to never stop looking for her!
Inez catches Elvira up on everything, there’s a LOT to go over! Elvira has a bright idea that they should matchmake Ricardo and Elvira’s mum Lorena. I mean… cute!
It’s time for their last night in Egypt and they’re going out with a bang!
Meanwhile, Ricardo has one more task for Whit before he disappears. Whit makes a visit to The Company to see if they can find Lourdes, or a lead to the artefacts at least.
Is this… Is this Peter fellow threatening Whit? And worse, is it WORKING?
Whit, sorry ahem LORD WHITFORD HAYES, returns and Elvira proves him with questions, but he breezes over them all before telling Inez to dance with him.
It’s allllll coming out now. He effectively hid from her, tried his best to avoid their getting to know each other. Now that he’s leaving, he wants this memory with her.
With two minutes to midnight, Whit and Inez dance. As the clock strikes Whit bids her farewell with a kiss to the cheek and then, he’s gone.
Elvira confides in Inez that she found someone she’s interested in. She wants to meet him tomorrow, seeing it as her final chance and choice since one day she’ll be married off. Inez, a smart girl, demands she chaperones the visit.
…But Inez wakes to Whit knocking at the door, and Elvira is gone.
In her panic to get dressed and go looking for her cousin, Inez realises she can’t get dressed alone and OH THE TENSION, she ropes Whit into cinching her corset.
I love their dynamic. When Inez realises he’s actually quite good at helping her get dressed, she teases him about braiding her hair.
A note’s been left behind… by Lourdes. She’s sacrificed Elvira in Inez’s place. They’re going to get her back.
I can’t with Whit right now. πππ “What if I can’t save you?” […] “Please don’t do this to me.”
That was a dagger to the heart. The moment I realised that Whit may genuinely love Inez, he can’t bear the thought of not being able to save her.
Whit volunteers himself to the men, but they take them both. They’re trapped. The men want to know where Lourdes is but Inez and Whit have no idea.
All Whit seems to care about at the moment is whether Inez is hurt. π
If there was a time to be completely honest, it’s now. Whit tells her why he was discharged from the military. He’s not a bad guy at all!
Whit is holding her, comforting her and then suddenly, they’re kissing. There’s no point hiding their want now!
BUT IT’S NOT OVER YET! Someone’s here!
Oh, Inez. After all this time how does she still believe Lourdes will come for her? It’s not Lourdes, it’s Ricardo!
Mr Burton is behind all of this. Despite them telling him they don’t know where Lourdes is, he’s not convinced, and he shoots Elvira to get them to speak.
With Ricardo’s neck tie, Inez attacks Mr Burton and they manage to escape, but things are by no means ok.
When Ricardo wakes, Inez tells him she deserves the truth and so, he tells her.
Alchemical Documents. Is that what Lourdes is doing ALL of this for? Is that what Whit was looking for too?
Even after looping her into this all, he won’t let her stay and he reminds her she can’t stay without money and he controls her funds until she gets married.
The next day, whit comes to her room. He’s either drunk, hungover, or both. But he said he didn’t need to drink to forget anymore? What changed?
He doesn’t want her to go home and marry Ernesto because (wait for it) “he won’t kiss you the way I will”, ugh SWOON. THEN, he’s asking Inez to marry HIM?
Wait.
Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. WHAT????
“Inez fell for it.” What does that mean???
Fairies, I am LOSING IT over that last line. WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN? What did she fall for? His love? His proposal? Elvira dying? Her mum being a traitor? Ricardo’s explanation of events? That could mean ANYTHING? How are we supposed to wait for book two? πππ
What did you think of the book overall?
Who’s your favourite character?
What do you think that ending means? I need all of your theories!!!
Any guesses/theories for book two?
Thank you all so much for coming along and joining us for another FairyLoot readalong! We hope you had fun, I certainly did, and we’ll see you soon for the next one!
Love,
Shannon
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Iβm an absolute mess having finished this book, I loved everything about it and Iβm absolutely screaming for book 2!!!!!
Whit and Inez are amazing but Iβm SO WORRIED about the last line?!? I feel like there is so much more to come with the Alchemy stuff and Iβm curious where that will go. I donβt want Whit to betray Inez!!
Elvira⦠being in Egypt and then Inez having all these lovely moments with her and just⦠wow my heart⦠the moment leading up to her death was heartbreaking.
I wanna know if Inez can find her father!!!
Overall, loved this!!! I hope FL does a special edition for book 2!!!!
OMG!!!!!!
First Iβm really happy that I guessed that Elvira would show up in Cairo. But of course now Iβm sad and honestly traumatised about the way she was killedβ¦
Apart from that, I was really enjoying the book until that epilogue⦠what????!!!!
Before we see Whit writing a telegram, where he says his family would be happy to hear from him, the son fulfilling his duties. He has a plan that canβt go wrongβ¦
I canβt stop thinking about this. Is he planning to pretend to play along with his family but protecting Inez? I just canβt accept that he doesnβt love her.
His brother is coming to collect⦠the artefacts? The parchment? Her mother for her crimes? Do they need Inez to stay in Cairo to find it?
What did she buy exactly???!!
I have so many questions!!!! My mind is all over the place π
November canβt come fast enough, I need to know the ending.
I love this as much as all of Stephanie Garber books. It was so good!
Thank you @fairyloot for this read along, it was really fun and very well scheduled.
Okay I’ve just finished and come straight here.
Are we supposed to know what the hell that last line means because I was all butterflies and magnifying glass about what might happen later π π¦ and then BAM.
I’m thinking Elvira is alive. Maybe they’re all working together to protect Inez because didn’t E go after I as soon as she left Argentina? There’s a lot of time line there that isn’t quite adding up.
Maybe Elvira, Whitt and Inez’ Papa are all working together (100% believe he’s alive after his letter)? Ugh, I just want to know right now πππ
but how do you want Elvira to be alive while her head is completely destroyed ?
What. Just. Happened?! Iβm speechless..like..what??!!
First off? I had a feeling mama was the bad one. Idk, maybe itβs because Iβm a mom and I canβt think of ever leaving my child behind no matter what, and let them mourn my death if Iβm not even dead. I donβt know if thatβs just me but still.
And Whitβ¦ahem Lord Whitβ¦ what?? Ugh so heβs from a royal family who apparently has his own scheme of trying Inez to marry him under false pretenses? I canβt see that, I refuse to believe heβs leading Inez into a marriage for whatever he got planned. And he sent it to his brother, what does this all mean?
And Elvira! πππ whyyyy that part killed me. I donβt even want to see how the interaction going to be when she sees her aunt and other cousin, who already hates her. This book has got me reeling! I canβt wait for the 2nd book. Itβs going to be a long year.
I canβt put into words how much I loved this book π but I mean talk about ripping your heart out. I canβt believe what happened to Elvira and I really hope Whit can give Inez a happy ending.
The last few pages were so adrenaline filled! I canβt wait for the next one!
Isabel IbaΓ±ez, ARE DARE YOU finish your book like that !!!!!
Just when we thought we had the answers we were looking for, new questions keeps coming up. π
Whit and her mother are looking for the same item, Alchemical parchemin; is this not suspicious?
He claimed that Lourdes’ mother talked about Ines so much that he knew everything about her ; this suggests that he was closely connected to Lourdes and looks like he was gathering information about Inez in preparation for a possible mission, just like a real soldier would. ?? Why would he want to marry Inez and says that she fell for it ? For whaaaattttt Ohhh that question kill me π
It was a wild ride this book but I had a good time reading it π
I can’t wait for book 2 π
I’m so glad you had a good time reading it! π
Excuse me…what?? I was all giddiness and butterflies… and then that epilogue drops the biggest bomb?! I can’t even!
I refuse to believe Whit is one of the bad guys, I just won’t! He has to have a plan that will benefit Inez.
E’s death seems strange to me. The aftermath is too “quick”, I’m not sure I believe she’s dead.
The what for the next book will be torture!
Thank you Fairyloot for a great readalong and a superb book choice.
Thank you so much for joining us! π
IM SORRY. WHAT!? Now I knew this book ended with a jaw drop and I was anticipating thatβ¦but I did not see that coming!! WHIT. What have you done!?!?
Although she wasn’t in it too muchβ¦ Elvira was one of my favourites and I was so looking forward to seeing her develop and really adored their relationship but WOH there goes my dreams. Looking forward to more Inez, she needs to stop taking so much *beep* off everyone!
Im thinking Whit and his brother are obviously after that script and it breaks my heart to think he has been using her. It has to be one of those βI did plan to betray you but caught major feelings along the way!β.
Thank you for another awesome readalong. Amazing book pick fairies and such a stunning edition π₯Ή I loved this book and cannot wait for the second one.
Thank YOU for joining the readalong! π₯°
Nooooo, No! God, NO! Why is this book so crueeeel. I was content with ending it without that epilogue. Even though Elvira’s death was so sudden and sad, at least Inez had someone on her side. Now you wanna tell me Whit is keeping *even more* secrets from her, after that whole thing with her mother? How much can Inez endure?! At least we got that absolutely swoon-worthy ball scene.
I need book 2 asap, I have so many questions. What are those alchemical papers both With and Lourdes are after? What debt does Whit have to pay to his family and how does it involve his brother (and maybe his ex-fiancee as well??). I hope Inez’s father will show up, that letter shows there’s still a chance he’s alive.
This book was amazing, incredible, tore my heart out stepped on it a few times too, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I already set a reminder for Where The Library Hides on November 12th, and now I need to go watch The Mummy to cope with *that* ending.
Great readalong, it was he perfect way to start the year! π
So glad you enjoyed the readalong, thank you for joining in! π₯°
Iβm still in shock about the endingπ±π± I went from smiling one minute from the proposal to staring at the page like nooooo
Surely Whit isnβt a bad guy right? π
I really enjoyed this book! Needing book 2 asap
At this point, I think anything is possible! π
So many twists! So many turns! Inezβs mom sacrifices Elvira?!? Whoβs the big bad?! Wtheck Whit was playing Inez all along?!
I suspect that book 2 will reveal whit was playing Inez for something, but developed feelings for her along the way cuz duh.
Some things were predictable in this book, and it moved a little slow, especially in the beginning. Or maybe I just wanted to get to the action faster. I liked this book overall and will probably end up getting book 2
What did you think of the book overall?
I loved this book!! I love the characters! I love the interactions between Whit & Inez. I cannot wait for book 2!
Whoβs your favourite character?
I think my favourite character is Inez. She’s so resourceful and sassy at times.
What do you think that ending means? I need all of your theories!!!
The ending hurt my soul!!! I feel like we didn’t really see the rivals to romance trope in this book as it was advertised. Whit was so desperate about finding the alchemy thing and we didn’t see that earlier. Perhaps Inez will know what he’s looking for and we’ll see Whit’s true colors. This really hurts me though, because I love them together and I want them to be end game.
Any guesses/theories for book two?
Definitely going to learn more about the alchemy thing. Maybe he’s looking for something to help him ease his past with the war. We’ll probably learn about what happened to Inez’s dad. Part of me is hoping that he is still alive!
So glad you loved the book! π
EXCUSE ME????? THAT ENDING?????
I thought I was prepared for what might happen next after Whit asks her to marry him, but what was it that she fell for???
Ugh⦠I need book 2 right now!
Other reactions:
-I am so sad about Elvira. I canβt imagine losing someone like that.
-I wish Whit would be open with Inez more like he was in the tomb π© that was so tender and I love them together.
-Tio needs to be more forgiving and understanding with Inez, but heβs also been crossed too many times to just let her have free rein.
-I canβt wait to see what happens next!
This book was amazing, far better than I had expected (and my expectations had been pretty high)!
But man, πππππ ππππ ππππ π ππππ really undid me. How am I supposed to live through that illegal cliffhanger without getting my hands on book 2 right freaking now?!
What in the actual heck just happened!?!?!? Iβm soooo upset about her cousin. And donβt even get me started about that last line. Like what!?!? I need more like, yesterday π₯²
I enjoyed this book a lot. Iβm still upset about her cousin though because the whole time I was reading about her, I pictured me and my cousin when we were in our teens. We were so close and people sometimes thought of us as twins. This really undid me.
I canβt wait for a book 2. Iβm sure there will be a lot more secrets and betrayals. I look for her father to make an appearance too.
Oops. In my excitement for HOFAS I forgot to write my thoughts on the last chapters. π€
I really want to believe “Inez fell for it” doesn’t mean that Whit betrayed her. π And I can’t believe Elvira died. The Aunt will probably make an appearance too in cairo. I think it could be possible that Inez finds his father.
I really liked Inez. I liked Whit too and I hope he didn’t do anything horrible. I’m really excited for book two!
I’m a bit late to the bread along, but I just finished and after I finished FLAILING on my couch, I turned here because I need people who GET IT!!!
Is Porter a new name to us? Or should we recognize that name?
What did Inez fall for?! Who is Whit working for?! Has he been writing to this person the whole time?
This book was truly amazing — it was my first FairyLoot book box and I am blown away. Counting down until November!