The River She Became

River & Salt #1

by Emily Varga

A high stakes, action-packed romantasy from bestselling author Emily Varga where a relic-hunter searches for an ancient fae object to restore the magic to her world, but must learn to trust her own powers—and her heart.

I’m going across the River. And I’m going to save us all.

Yaseema is a brilliant scholar and loyal servant of the Empire—or so they think. By day, she catalogs the fae relics of her conquered kingdom. But by night, she reclaims the artefacts in secret to restore magic to her dying land.

Until she finds the long lost key to cross the River into the fae world and save her people. But a ruthless realm awaits her there, ruled by monsters wearing beautiful skin—especially the cold-eyed captain who sees through her lies. But even he isn’t what he seems—under the guise of upholding a cruel regime, he works to overthrow it from the inside. To succeed, he needs the same lost relic Yaseema seeks: the crown of an ancient Fae Queen.

With magic that is a mystery even to her, Yaseema can help him find the crown and save his family from a fate worse than death. Unless she steals it first to help her own.

To survive, they must work together to outwit ancient curses, battle creatures born of nightmares, and find a power that could resurrect their worlds. But as secrets unravel and loyalties blur, they face the greatest danger of losing their heart to each other.

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, this thrilling start to a new fantasy duology bursts with dangerous romance, heart-stopping twists, and a heroine who dares to steal back her future.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Romance, Fae, Fiction, Audiobook

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 30, 2026

Reviews

[Esta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, but make it anti-colonial.

Do you remember that time on 19 October 2025, at 9:30 a.m. to be precise, when a group of people used a construction lift, took an angle grinder to a first-floor window at the Louvre, liberated the French Crown Jewels and took off on scooters, within seven minutes?

I do. And my first reaction wasn’t outraged. Amused, yes, entertained, yes, delighted, hell yes. And if your reaction, like many others, was like mine, for example:

"Holy shit, this fucking rules."
"Hell yeah. Do the British Museum next."

Or even:

"Hang on... where did France get those Crown Jewels in the first place?"

Then yes. You were attuned to a broader conversation: Many of the sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and other gemstones adorning European royal collections originated in Asia, Africa and South America, where centuries of colonial extraction enriched European empires.

It's fair to say I'm not a big fan of colonialism or colonisation. I think it's pretty gross. Whether it’s conflict and blood diamonds, gas and fossil fuel giants extracting countries natural resources and tax evasion, forced displacement of original inhabitants, or just the good ol’ slavery or genocide (that was sarcasm if you didn’t get it, those things are not good).

And it turns out anti-colonialism is almost the entire thematic backbone of Emily Varga's YA fantasy romance novel, so it was a great fit for me. Varga explores relic repatriation (I saw someone else call it a reverse Indiana Jones, lol) and returning stolen artefacts and cultural identity to the people and places it was taken from. I can tell Varga is writing this from a place of empathy and distress at the current state of the world as well as centuries of injustices and I could feel her emotions coming through, which in turn really absorbed into me.

Anyway, I listened to an audio copy, narrated by Safiyya Ingar and she narrated it beautifully and expressively. I will say that there is a FMC and MMC, and Safiyya narrates both POVs in the copy I listened to. I admit I would've preferred a dual cast purely for immersion purposes and to make the 7 foot fae male narration more authentic, but I mean, look. The one narrator still did a fab job and yes, I recommend the audio version. However, if the single narrator for a dual POV puts you off, I would recommend checking out the print or e-pub version because the story itself is also really adventurous, exciting and YA-romantic.

Yaseema, our FMC is a curly-haired, bespectacled, clever, bookish, beautifully dark-skinned, mortal heroine and I really enjoyed that her strength comes from intelligence rather than being an overpowered chosen one. (I will always have time for a snarky overpowered FMC too, though.)

Now, where I do have some qualms: the publisher comparisons.

This is billed as perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy. The Mummy comps hold up. However, as a Holly Black and Jude/Cardan (Jurdan) stan, I think the cruel prince marketing does The River She Became a disservice. Sure, it's a fae world and there are some similarities, but it possibly sets expectations for that Jude-and-Cardan dynamic that you won’t find here:

- Kiyan is morally grey, but he’s not Cardan Greenbriar-adjacent in temperament or arc aside from the tortured cinnamon roll morally grey fae energy. Kiyan is intriguing in his own right though.
- There’s no initial bully romance dynamic between Kiyan and Yaseema (unlike Jurdan). I perceived curiosity and a very obvious mutual intrigue and attraction from early on, and the catching feelings to relationship progression is fast, IMO. (Not a bad thing, just a very very different dynamic.)
- Yaseema and Jude are both limited with mortal human traits, they're both clever and strategic, in different ways, and I would say the similarities end there. Yaseema is much softer and way less ruthless than Jude.
-Moreover, the South Asian and SWANA inspired fae worldbuilding and culture is gorgeous and in its own wheelhouse entirely, as is the fae lore. Don't expect Elfhame or similar fae lore.

Am I reading too deep into the publisher comps and overanalysing it? Perhaps, maybe I should go touch some grass. Still, I think it’s important to set this expectation before going in so hopefully you will fall in love with the unique world Varga has created and the characters on their own merits, not because you went in expecting Jurdan and Elfhame, if you know what I mean.

Anyway, I absolutely 100% recommend this, especially if you side-eyed Margot Robbie wearing Elizabeth Taylor’s $8 million dollar Cartier necklace to The Wuthering Heights movie prem, which was taken from 17th century India.

Thanks so much to Macmillan | First Ink and Netgalley for the ALC!

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince & The Mummy but make it more anti-colonialism and anti-monarchy.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this book already a fan of Emily Varga after For She Is Wrath, but this story completely took me by surprise in the best possible way. What I loved before has deepened into full admiration. Varga doesn’t just build a fantasy world here—she builds a living, breathing one that feels painfully real in its politics, its injustices, and its emotional weight.What struck me most was how deeply human this story felt beneath all the magic.

The empire’s control over fae relics isn’t just a plot device; it feels like a slow, suffocating grip on culture, identity, and survival. Watching abundance fade from the soil while power concentrates in the Citadel was heartbreaking, and it made every choice Yaseema makes feel urgent and personal rather than purely heroic.Yaseema herself absolutely stole my heart. She isn’t perfect, and that’s exactly why I connected with her so strongly. She’s brilliant and determined, yet messy, impulsive, and grieving. Living with her nani and her rebellious cousin, she tries so hard to look like the dutiful scholar the empire wants her to be, while secretly risking everything for her people. Her love for her late mother, Mahira, is a quiet ache that runs through the story, and every step she takes toward Queen Azari’s crown feels like both a mission and a reckoning.When she discovers her rare ability to sense hidden relics and is forced to flee across the river into another realm, the story shifts from political intrigue into something almost mythic. Her encounter with the zulmi gave me chills—it felt rooted in spiritual folklore while still feeling entirely original to Varga’s world.

Then there is Kiyan. Oh, Kiyan. With his long silver hair and reluctant leadership, he is the kind of character you can’t stop thinking about. As captain of the Salt Court working under the ruthless Reza, he is trapped between protecting his people and being used as a weapon against them. His connection with Yaseema starts cautiously, then builds into something tender, complicated, and deeply forbidden.

I was rooting for them so hard my heart practically hurt.I also loved the quieter moments inside the palace—Yaseema working among the kitchen staff, befriending Mishah, trying to blend in while knowing she is a ticking target. Those scenes grounded the story and made the later betrayals land even harder.The pacing is fast without feeling rushed, filled with action, danger, emotional revelations, and twists that genuinely surprised me.

And that ending—wow. I literally wanted to scream. Realizing this wasn’t a standalone felt both thrilling and cruel because I was nowhere near ready to leave these characters.This is more than just an epic fantasy; it’s a story about loss, loyalty, resistance, identity, and what people will risk for the ones they love.

Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:


medium.com
instagram
facebook

[Ricarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was intrigued when I saw the Cruel Prince x The Mummy comparisons, but this ended up being a pretty basic YA romantasy read for me. I was disappointed right from the start when there was so much incoherent world building dropped onto me that I wanted to put this book down after two chapters. We meet Yaseema, a young scholar living in an occupied country. Her people are starving and her traditions are illegal, but she tries to get along with the new empire as best as possible. So she does as she is told and finds ancient artifacts and relics for the empress, only to steal them back later for her own people. Sounds good to me. The themes of colonization were great too, but the story beyond that was just messy to me. And that's the fault of the Fae that had to be part of this story for some reason beyond my understanding. You see, the artifacts are actually ancient Fae objects, and they are somehow connected to Yaseema's home, but also to the Fae lands across an impenetrable river where courts are at war and a brooding Fae prince awaits. I kinda didn't get the world building even though everything is explained in a weirdly repetitive way. I did understand that Yaseema has magic even though she lives in the human world where that should be impossible and she somehow crosses the river even though that should be impossible too. Her magic helps her to find things and to pick locks and open doors and it also protects her from harm and can heal other people when she tries really hard. In other words, her magic is whatever is convenient for the plot at the time, and it was pissing me off so badly. I wanted cool treasure hunting, but I literally got a character who can find things without even trying. That whole part did not deliver in my opinion and it was what I came here for. The characters, too, didn't stand out to me at all. Yaseema's most remarkable trait was that she was wearing glasses, which I love to see included, but not as the one thing that got stuck in my brain before everything else. I think I'm being a bit unfair in my review, though. I just didn't care for this story and after the beginning threw me off, I didn't even try. It wasn't insufferable or cringy, and I can see how it would appeal to other readers. I wasn't the most complaisant reader with this book, but I also can't be bothered to pick it up again. I'm willing to give it a mediocre 2.5 stars and be done with it.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Wednesday Books for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

For people who like stories about buried treasures, Egyptian vibes and dangerous alliances, this is a book for you! Reluctant allies turned lovers, came from the same cloth and oppression, each with a hidden agenda--for a YA, this was a solid fantasy! My kids listened to this audiobook on our trip and gave it 5 stars, I say it's a solid 4!

FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW

Yaseema is a relic hunter who catalogues the relics in her kingdom by day while reclaiming them in secret by night in order to save her dying land. One day she finds a key that allows her to cross over into the fae realm where she meets a cold-eyes captain who sees through her lies. With a secret hidden agenda, the captain is not who he seems to be. To succeed, they must work together to outwit the ancient curses. In the midst of all the blur, their greatest danger are not the nightmares that walk their worlds but their hearts.


Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martins Press/Wednesday Books and the author, Emily Varga for an early copy!
Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for an early ALC!

Narrator: Safiyya Ingar
Duration: 13 hours 31 minutes
Speed: 1.5x


Publication: June 30, 2026

[Mai ༊*·˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ★— A book advertising itself as a mix of The Mummy, a core piece of media that fuelled a bisexual awakening for me, and The Cruel Prince, one of my all-time favourites, felt like someone dangling sugar cubes in front of a horse. And yes, I am the horse in this analogy.

So when I finished this, I was ultimately a bit disappointed by what I actually got. The relic-hunting aspect didn’t feel nearly as exciting or as prominent as I had hoped, and the tension, yearning, and clashing that a Cruel Prince comparison would suggest just weren’t really there.

Yaseema, the one doing all the relic-hunting, is the main character of the story and felt pretty solid at first, with a good head on her shoulders and a determination to help save her people. I was thrown off by the amount of worldbuilding and lore crammed into the first few chapters, but once that got out of the way and one of the major themes of colonisation, which Yaseema and her people experience, was brought to the forefront, I was pretty hooked on the story. That momentum, however, was disrupted when the narrative essentially switches locations once Yaseema enters the fae lands. It felt like all that initial world and lore building I mentioned was suddenly done away with, as characters and places that had just been introduced were pushed to the wayside. The shift made everything feel oddly disconnected from what had already been established.

The story's second POV character, Yaseema's love interest and, in my opinion, the more interesting and intriguing character, is Kiyan, and he was the one I felt the story did a pretty good job of building up. His backstory, the actions he takes throughout the book, and the clear conflict and trauma he carries were portrayed well in his chapters, and I was surprised by how much more I liked him, seeing as I am usually not someone who prefers reading the male love interest in a dual POV.

All the more unfortunate, then, that I found his and Yaseema’s dynamic, once they actually met, absolutely boring. Yaseema and Kiyan are essentially on opposing sides, both trying to save their own people but forced to work against each other to do so. With the shared grievances they have, along with the deception between them, I expected tension. I expected reluctance, distrust that would slowly melt and shift and, like in any romantic story, I was expecting that shift to feel enjoyable to read.

Maybe the Cruel Prince comparison in the blurb set my expectations too high, but I just didn’t feel any of that during their time spent together. Their initial wariness felt like it was basically hand-waved away so the story could move them toward romance, and the buildup I was expecting, was almost entirely missing, leading to me genuinely feeling a little crazy when the author had them admitting feelings to each other.

That said, there were still things I appreciated! I did like the colonisation themes I described earlier, and the fact that Yaseema is living within a South Asian–inspired culture. I am always happy to see Brown and Black main characters in fantasy! I also loved that she wears glasses, which is genuinely rare in the genre and always a small win for me, a fellow glasses-wearer.

I also enjoyed the way the stolen fae relics tied into the broader themes of cultural erasure and how it was connected to environmental disruption, which is an important message! I just wish the parallels the story draws between Yaseema and Kiyan’s situations and that shared sense of loss and cultural erasure they are both dealing with had been explored more deeply.

The ending itself was interesting enough that I am curious to see where the story goes, but that isn’t enough to alleviate the overall sense of lost potential I came away with. So I'll definitely read the sequel, just with some lowered expectations.

🎧 Audiobook Notes
🎙️ Narration Style: Solo
⭐ Listener Rating: 5/5
I loved the narrator of this audiobook and thought she portrayed Kiyan’s POV just as effortlessly as she did Yaseema’s! Her tone was soothing, and the way she narrated the story was just masterful. I would definitely recommend this to any audiobook lovers who are unsure about which format to experience this story through!

________________

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC and Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

[Emily Varga · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm cheating here because this is my book, but I absolutely adore it! I can't wait for everyone to read.

[jenny reads a lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has all the elements you’d want from a fantasy with romance. The fae, the lore, the setting, all top tier.

I do think this will work for a lot of people. It’s a richly built word with interesting political dynamics and a pretty good romance.

On further reflection I wonder if the audiobook and my hangups about it being a single narrator factored into my overall feelings about the book.

I did have a good time with this, although I wanted things to move a bit faster. However, I don’t think I’ll continue on to the sequel. I’ve been pretty picky about what series I continue lately and the audiobook style is enough to keep me from picking up the next book, unless they change up the narration style.

Audiobook Narration: 3.5/5
Narrator: Safiyya Ingar
Style: Single
Length: 13 hrs 31 mins
Thoughts: The narrator was great. Her voice variation was good, pacing, pausing, and inflection were all wonderful. My only issue is that the book is in dual POV first person and narrated by a single person. It felt like a very odd choice. I’m a historical romance fan so I am no stranger to a single (female) narrator for dual pov but typically the book is written in 3rd person, so the single narrator is fine. I just imagine the narrator as a literal 3rd person in the story. It is not possible to do that with a book written in 1st person.

3.5⭐️| IG | TikTok |

Thank you St Martins Press for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.

[Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one hell of an adventure! Steeped in mythology and magic, it was hard not to get wrapped up in this near-frantic dash to find magical relics. With the pressure of opposing sides searching for the same items, it truly felt like a time crunch that only became messier as our main characters came to understand each other’s motivations. The audiobook for this is fantastic, only spurring on the adventure and emphasising the characters emotions in a way that made me fall for their story. This is a great YA Fantasy, and one I’ll highly recommend.

[Lina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 / 5 Stars
I really wanted to like this one. The concept was so interesting: magic based on colonialism where fae relics are being hunted and used as a tool of oppression. The action sequences were super fun. But the in between parts just didn’t grab my attention and I wanted more from the romance.

First let’s start with the good: the action sequences definitely gave The Mummy or Indiana Jones or National Treasure vibes. There were fun puzzles to solve, fun locations to explore, and the action was well described. The concept of fae relics being removed from their home land and being shipped to museums, thereby ruining the land and harming the native people, was important and great way to weave an important message into a fantasy book. I really liked that each chapter started with a journal entry or letter from each of the characters to someone in their family. I love texts, journal entries, emails, etc. in books so I ate that up.

But the moments in between the action sequences when they are searching for clues and building their relationship just didn’t hold my attention. I think it is because this is marketed as a romantasy but, to me, it is actually a fantasy with a romantic subplot. And I am sure you are like, who cares, what’s the difference? But to me, if it is a romantasy, I expect more romance. The main characters didn’t have their first interaction until 20% into the book and then didn’t have prolonged interactions until around 50% into the book. Because the romance didn’t start developing until pretty late into the book, I just didn’t feel invested in their connection and things that would have been swoony or cute just felt forced. Like why are they having a ball where he gets to see her in a beautiful dress right before they head out on their quest? I’m not sure but if I was invested in their relationship, I probably wouldn’t have cared as much and focused on his feelings towards her but instead I was just confused.

There were also a few times in the very beginning where Yaseema’s chapters felt repetitive. I felt like in one chapter, we would go over the same point over and over (like how she thought someone was her friend but they weren’t). This didn’t happen in Kiyan’s chapters but that happened less after the first 20%, but it was still distracting when it did happen.

This book wasn’t for me, but I feel like if you are looking for a new adult fantasy that has some adventure, you might like this.

You will probably like this book if you like:
💚 New adult fantasy with romantic subplot
💚 A magical system based on colonialism
💚 The Mummy x Cruel Prince vibes
💚 Oops, there’s only one bed
💚 Hidden identity
💚 Reluctant allies to lovers
💚 Fade to black spice

Thank you St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: June 30, 2026
________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: This is described as The Mummy meets Cruel Prince but you had me at "he's a 7 foot tall fae" 😂

[minnie. [so in love for a daugher from hell] · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc! emily varga did not disappoint, 4 stars!

⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⋮ ⌗ ⛲️┆ preread ⸝⸝ jan. 26th 🕯️ˎˊ˗
i'm so excited because i got the arc of this, and emily varga's other book, for she is wrath is one of my favorite books EVER so i can't wait to read this!!!

[ellie (semi ia)]

🏔️ — pre-read .ᐟ ⌗

𐔌 ♯┆6.14.26
⤷ thank you so much to CPBT for the arc widget!! i cant wait to read and review this. if a book title has the word 'river' in it.. YK ILL READ IT 👀 better yet, this just seems like right up my alley! cheers to good reads

[BookishKB]

🌊✨ The River She Became ✨🌊

Oh I am so excited for this one! I’ll be sharing my full review closer to publication date.

🖤 What to Expect
• Relic hunter FMC
• Fae world
• Enemies to allies
• Cursed crown
• Battle creatures
_ _ _ _

📅 Pub Date: June 30, 2026
Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books, and NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO. ROMANTIC. SO. BRUTAL. SO. GOOD.
Y’all. THE WAY I DID NOT SEE THAT ENDING COMING.

[Sophie (lambsbooks) · Rating 5 out of 5]

HA FUCK ME I THOUGHT THIS WAS A STANDALONE

excuse me while I DIE

4.75 stars

Rtc

[Tiffany]

Update: Finally starting this one. I better get plugging along because pub date is right around the corner!!!

I gasped aloud when I saw this in my inbox. THANK YOU, ST. MARTIN'S PRESS | WEDNESDAY BOOKS, for sending me this ARC. I loved Emily Varga's debut novel. I have the highest expectations for this one. Hoping it lives up to every bit of that.

The expected publication date is June 30, 2026.

As always, all thoughts are my own. 🖤💫

[Katie’s Bookshelf]

3.5⭐️
This was a fun! In a world divided two, Yaseema is desperately trying to save her people. She is secretly using per position at the Citadel to look for fae relics, hoping to steal them away before they are sent off to the empress. She meets Kiyan, formerly of the River Court, who is also looking for an ancient relic to free his family.

I do think this is a fantasy story that is in desperate need of a map? In a world like this, divided into worlds and courts with new rulers conquering and taking over, it is so much easier to put into context when you see a map.

I enjoyed the story and the world building here. Sometimes I found the world a little confusing (again- give us a map!) but if you hold on tight you can definitely enjoy the ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bibliothecat · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 20%

First of all, I'd like to thank Macmillan Children's Books for the eARC via Netgalley. I appreciate the opportunity to read this book and I feel sorry that this ended up not working for me. This might be entirely my own doing, but I was so confused until I realised that I was reading this book incorrectly; based on the blurb and how things are introduced, I was expecting this to be a single POV following the main character Yaseema who helps the Empire at day but steals back from them at night. Reading it with that in mind, I was a little confused about the slight mismatch in the order of events but I thought perhaps we are being shown two timelines. After a while, I noticed that she's being addressed as a prince - so, I then wondered.. is she living a double life where she cross dresses to hide her true identity? Eventually it dawned on me that this is actually following a dual POV. I love dual and multiple POVs so this should have been an immediate upgrade - but I am stiff baffled by just how wrong I read this and it does leave me wondering - did I really just not grasp it or was the introduction poorly executed?

In addition to that, I felt that Yaseema magic was far too convenient and didn't seem to follow any rules or logic. This entirely took away from the archaeological element which was the prime reason why I wanted to read this book. As a huge fan of Indiana Jones and also The Mummy, I really wanted that adventure and treasure hunting. Instead, Yaseema just seems to follow her magic which guides her past all the traps.

I have not read this book far enough to judge the story as a whole but I was left feeling so underwhelmed that I barely managed to read 1% per day until it was finally time to admit that this wasn't working for me. This book might certainly be someone else's new favourite but I'm afraid it was a miss for me. Opting for a 2.5/5 rating as it's really just absolute middle ground as far as I am able to rate.

[Noi (in & out)]

did you see the art for this? no? go look it up then.

[Tyffani · Rating 4 out of 5]

The River She Became has a lot of strengths, but it could have benefited from a bit more editing and refinement. Some aspects of the world-building felt unclear, and I often found myself wishing for a map to help visualize the setting. Please, please, please include one in book two!

The story wasn't necessarily slow at the beginning, but it did take some time to understand what was happening and how the world worked. Once I settled into it, though, I really appreciated the exploration of colonialism and the way oppression impacts different cultures and communities.

I also have to mention that not everything needs to be marketed as "romantasy." That's certainly not the author's fault, but I would categorize this more as a fantasy romance, with the fantasy elements taking center stage over the romance.

Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed the book and am definitely looking forward to the sequel. Emily leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger, and I'm eager to see where the story goes next.

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the arc of this novel!!

[Farah ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ADD THIS BOOK TO YOUR TBR'S RIGHT NOWWWWWWWW AND THANK ME LATER

[Michelle (easy.vesey.reads)]

DNF at 47%.

I didn’t personally love this one as much as I had hoped. I thought the premise seemed interesting but I kind of knew from the beginning that I wasn’t going to end up liking this one. I did push through to at least almost halfway to see if things would pick up but sadly it wasn’t enough for me. I am sure though that there is an audience who will absolutely love this book.

Thank you to Wednesday Books for the advanced copy.

[2raccoonsinacoat]

Ugh, I was so excited about this one! I was drawn to the relic-hunting aspect of this but unfortunately it was much too YA-leaning for me. It jumps right into the action and keeps that pace but the characters were immature and the romance didn’t have any natural development (definitely an instalove situation). The court system and plot (magic controlled by colonialism) were unique and I think folks looking for a fast-paced romantasy would like this, but there wasn’t strong enough writing to keep my interests.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

[quietpageturner · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a tale as old as time…a cruel, power hungry ruler who takes and takes with little consequences. I enjoyed the magic system in this story. Yaseema is a strong and intelligent scholar who fought for her people and those who didn’t feel they could continue fighting. Kiyan pulled at my heartstrings and made me want to push him off a cliff. Emily Varga created a story that tackles fantastical and modern issues. While fantasy is typically an escape from reality, i can’t help but enjoy when life imitates art.

[Morgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Wednesday Books/St Martin’s Press for this ARC of The River She Became!

This took a little bit to pick up, but once it did I was hooked! I really liked Yaseema as I feel like she’s not a typical FMC we see in other romantasy books. She’s a historian/archivist/scholar which is what drew me to the book in the first place. This isn’t published until June 2026 and I’m already so sad I have to wait for the next book.

[Samantha Gaudious · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this!! 🫶

This is a fabulous YA fantasy romance with high stakes, originality and twists!

We follow Yaseema who is in the search for ancient relics not just for the kingdom BUT also for her own gain to save her people. In order for her to find the missing crown relic she must cross the river into the Fae lands. (Which she only knows stories about) When she gets there the adventure starts and really doesn’t stop. We find that there are definitely more parties in search for the crown relic, so what better way to get the crown relic than to use each other to get there.

I think this is a stunning book with great world building, magic, action, the romance is tender and grows on you and we get plenty of twists to keep you in suspense.

I’m very excited to see where this will go because that ending is wild 😭

If you are in the search to start a new YA fantasy romance duology, i definitely recommend 🫶

[Deirdre Megan Byrd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where is book 2 immediately? The end! Oh my goodness. This book was so great. Marketed for fans of The Cruel Prince and The Mummy, I was already interested as I enjoy both… and this book really delivered. Is it perfect? No, but I truly believe Emily just keeps getting better with her writing and this is definitely worth the read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the earc in exchange for my honest review.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Not the best, not the worst. 3 ⭐️

Despite the fact that everyone around her is dying due to starvation and execution by the Citadel, and her friends are risking their lives to bury the dead in the middle of the night, Yaseema is actually doing something 10x MORE risky by researching where the fae relics are........

Yaseema, probably: Sure, they're committing treason, but they don't know about my hunt for fae relics that is (somehow) inherently worse. Like, there are people dying, Kim. Literally dying.

Anyway. In addition to the FMC, I didn't love the writing style. It felt like the author was intending for the interactions and character dynamics to come together as this super intense plotline where I as a reader was supposed to be sitting on the edge of my seat, hanging off every word...but instead, it just annoyed me. I really can't even tell you why it annoyed me like it did, I just didn't like it. It all felt forced rather than a genuine build up and lacked characters with any sort of depth that I could connect with is the best I can give you.


Thank you to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for the advanced digital copy.

[Jay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75*
The River She Became was my first read from Emily Varga.

Things I liked:
-cozy YA fantasy
-Pakistani inspiration
-quick and easy to read
-National treasure/The Mummy vibes
-dual POVs and how they webbed together
-mature conflict resolution
-hair cut scene!
-romance not graphic

Dislikes:
-several f-words thrown in
-would have loved to have even more tension built up between the characters with more interactions/connection throughout
-wanted to reconnect somehow with Yaseema’s world more
-define Y’s magic so that it had more limits and wasn’t written to solve every obstacle

I will definitely pick up book 2!

Note on Audio Narration:
So well done! I thought this was two different voices! The narrator did an excellent job switching between the two main characters and I loved the expression and ease it made this to listen to which isn’t always the case with fantasy.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC
and Macmillan Audio for the ALC
And NetGalley for this opportunity to review

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book needs some editing/cleanup because certain elements were distracting in that regard. I wish we got more world building and mythos but I'm hoping that it's intentional to expand upon in the second book to round out the story.

Yes there's tropes, so as long as you're ok with that (including the one bed/short a room!) you should enjoy this one..

[Ali · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars⭐️

‘The River She Became’ is the first book in a duology. Fantasy with romance, and about two realms suffering beneath the hands of oppressors. And two people, a human and a fae, having to go against their morals to try to save their people.

I liked the plot, two lands being occupied by empires/courts definitely representing real life historical events. And even today’s political climate. Two lands being stripped of their artifacts, starved, slaughtered, outrageous rules placed upon them just because the oppressors could… This story has a lot of relevant meaning.

However, this began to fall apart for me around 35%, and it was mainly due to the characters than the plot.

I really loved the premise of this book and Yaseema’s chapters started out strong. To me, it was clear her characteristics and the type of growth she could have as she definitely seemed a bit selfish and unaware— but then she turned into just another version of the same FMCs we’re seeing on the market. Difficult in deathly situations. “Snarky” and way too compulsive or believing herself to be competent when not. Her inner thoughts began to grate me with the repetition and overly dramatized thoughts. She started making ridiculous decisions that I couldn’t even excuse for or being a YA book.

Then, while I understood Kiyan’s character, I did not care for him or the chapters with his POV at all. So therefore, I felt no pull towards the romance, none of that exciting tension where you can picture the two together once they begin to trust each other.

By 60% in I wanted to DNF, but I wanted to see how it would wrap up/set up the next book.

This may be a little more analytical seeming, this was YA so I could look past it with Yaseema’s character at the start but— I get it, you can’t tell anyone you’re looking for fae artifacts but she almost acts as if… she’s “better” than others or her own plight is riskier than those starving and dying around her. Her people are being annihilated yet it’s like she draws this line so she can look away, but I also think that added nuance to her character and hopefully allowed for more growth. Yet she finds herself in a similar situation in the Fae lands. Though it’s easy for us as the readers to feel bad because she obviously doesn’t want to side with the antagonists but is desperately trying to save her people.

I did like that our characters were very similar in their beliefs and their actions. Both pretending to side with the enemy and the evident burdens it laid on them both. It sets up the perfect situation for the two to work together then bond, but when you begin to like the characters less as the story goes on, it’s impossible to see them together. And it felt insta-lovey to a point.

While the worldbuilding was thought out, albeit basic due to it being fae lands vs human hands, I don’t think it was necessarily explained well. At times I was confused by names thrown out over and over yet I didn’t know if it was a person, a place, or another court. And the way the plot introduced information I found to be like going against a tide. It’s like there was a focus on the main characters constantly monologuing about their pain and injustice to get the book’s point across rather than showing through actions and clear worldbuilding.

My review feels harsh I definitely got more analytical as I read and that tends to happen when I get annoyed, but this wasn’t a bad book per say, it was solid for YA with a clear message. I think if you like the characters you’d like the book more than I did.

My favorite character ended up being the primary antagonist, I found Reza the most fleshed out and interesting… and he was evil lol.

The ending might be what has me read book 2

*ARC courtesy of netgalley*

US publishing date: June 30th 2026















(spoiler-ish)

My pet peeves, which seem so minor and are very much a personal thing but wanted to include (semi spoilers?)—

And also… I hate when characters (it’s always the FMCs too) are in a bad situation with someone higher up and deathly, yet they argue every chance… like?? It’s giving bratty character with poor writing because it makes 0 sense for the situation. I would never be bold enough to talk back to a murderous conquerer in such a childish petty way. It’s just little things that make me roll my eyes and get annoyed

AND having extremely traitorous and risky conversations with the antagonists paces away?? but they don’t hear?? it’s unrealistic and honestly annoying. like let’s be smart please

I don’t know why but I found the use of modern swear words to be sorta weird? Every time ‘fuck’ was used by a fae… I was like, huh?

it was like the effort to… have good dialogue and good writing was completely thrown out at the end