The River Will Take You

by Wendy Dolch

What if defying your destiny cost you your soul?After a prophecy foretells the devastation of Avaris, Pharaoh orders the deaths of all newborn Hebrew males. Kill-or-be-killed, the conflicted Prophetess sneaks a baby she swore to protect down to the Nile, and plunges through time and space to outrun her own prophecy. But when Egypt’s new Chief Magician learns the pair are destined to destroy him, he hunts them down. To defeat him, she must accept her true destiny before he kills them both.


THE MUMMY meets TROY meets THE PRINCE OF PERSIA in this first installment of the historical fantasy series The Cursed Realm.

It is young adult historical fantasy and a foray into time travel books. If you like historical fantasy books set in historical fiction Egypt, this book is for you.

310 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Wendy Dolch is a Midwest-based author of historical fiction adventure stories. She graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in creative writing. Together with her husband, she now resides on an acreage in Iowa where she spends her days working full-time, gardening, sewing, cooking, and writing.

Reviews

[Melissa Denton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to thank NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to review this book


Layla is fighting the fact that the pharaoh is wanting all male baby hebrews killed. She has to make a choice between doing the right thing and saving the Hebrew baby that will change history. Kade is the baby she saves, only to find him as a 17 year old that lives in the current time thanks to Layla. The story unfolds nicely and gives you a little insight on Gods that come from ancient Egypt. I loved the story can’t wait for more from this author.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

The River Will Take You is an upcoming historical dual timeline novel that tajes place in ancient times in Egypt and then has a modern day settibg as well. I will say that I did start out a little confused when reading this book but once I got it all sorted out I really enjoyed the story. I would like to thank the author for mentioning the great state of Iowa (I get slightly excited when a book mentions my home state). I will say that this story was very intriguing.

In ancient Egypy we are introduced to Layla who is a prophetess. The Pharaoh of Egypt has ordered that all the newborn baby boys be done away with as he fears one day one of them will dethrone him. Layla manages to save one of the babies destined to die my sending him down the river. However, that baby boy Kade is sent to the modern world and eventually he is transported back to Egypt when he is a teenager.

[Wendy Dolch]

If you are reading this, you are probably here in the review section wondering if this book is worth reading or not. I am biased. I think it is delightful. The first book in a long series is always that first step out your front door…a whole world of wild adventure ahead of you. And it is going to be a wild ride, I assure you. Here are three reasons I think you might like this story:

1. There are masked monsters that are always watching

2. Rivers are far more powerful than you think

3. This is a story about following your destiny - not the one that you want, not the one that you think is best. The one that you’re most afraid of, that you don’t think you’re capable of…all you need is to take that first step…

4. Bonus! There will be dragons…eventually 😏

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

The River Will Take You is the first book I’ve read by Wendy Dolch, and the premise immediately pulled me in. Ancient Egypt, prophecy, and time travel is a great combination. It’s also clear the author did a lot of research, and the historical setting feels detailed and thoughtfully built.

I didn’t fully connect with the writing style, and I found myself wishing for more character development, especially given the high emotional stakes. While some moments didn’t land as strongly as I hoped, the story itself kept me interested.

Overall, this is a solid start to The Cursed Realm series. I will likely pick up the next book to see where the story goes.

Thanks to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for the review copy. My opinions are my own!

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didnt realize until I connected with the author that this was a Christian fantasy book, which aren't my typical reads as I'm not religious, but I really enjoyed this book. I really felt like the religion aspect of the book was on the back burner to the characters and the story. I liked that it wasnt trying to push religion down your throat so to speak. The magic was interesting, and bridging the gap between modern day and ancient Egypt was done really well. I really enjoyed bringing the main character into the modern world and what she thought the "magic" of our world. Even as someone that isnt religious, I'm looking forward to the next book.

[April Dominguez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn't typically what I'd read - a Christian historical fantasy - but I was pleasantly surprised! The writing is beautiful, and I enjoyed following the adventure of the main character's choices. Save the baby she was sworn to protect or follow the Pharaoh's rule?

Thank you Books Go Social for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

[tai ⋆☀︎. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was offering a lot of things I liked: Ancient Egypt, prophecy and dose of time travels. It took me few attempts to start and finish this story as writing wasn't to my taste. I appreciate the research author put into this story, I really liked to see that accuracy was preserved!

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for honest review.

[fifi4fiction · Rating 3 out of 5]

grateful to NetGalley, the author and publishers for granting me this e-ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

the premise and first chapters of this book show promise with its themes and atmosphere, but it ultimately struggles to deliver a cohesive, engaging story. the writing often felt juvenile, which clashes with the more serious elements the book tries to tackle. the age gaps between certain characters add an uncomfortable layer to their interactions, making it harder to connect with them and the relationships. combined with uneven pacing-dragging in some sections and rushing through important moments-the story unfortunately never really settles into a satisfying and comfortable rhythm. overall, it's an interesting concept with a few strong moments, but the execution left me feeling a little underwhelmed.