Book Summary and Reviews of The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

The Maid and the Crocodile by Jordan Ifueko

The Maid and the Crocodile

A Novel in the World of Raybearer

by Jordan Ifueko

  • Published:
  • Aug 2024, 304 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A romantic standalone fantasy set in the world of Raybearer, from New York Times bestselling author Jordan Ifueko.

The smallest spark can bind two hearts...or start a revolution.

In the magic-soaked capital city of Oluwan, Small Sade needs a job—preferably as a maid, with employers who don't mind her unique appearance and unlucky foot. But before she can be hired, she accidentally binds herself to a powerful being known only as the Crocodile, a god rumored to devour pretty girls. Small Sade entrances the Crocodile with her secret: she is a Curse Eater, gifted with the ability to alter people's fates by cleaning their houses.

The handsome god warns that their fates are bound, but Small Sade evades him, launching herself into a new career as the Curse Eater of a swanky inn. She is determined to impress the wealthy inhabitants and earn her place in Oluwan City...assuming her secret-filled past—and the revolutionary ambitions of the Crocodile God—don't catch up with her.

But maybe there is more to Small Sade. And maybe everyone in Oluwan City deserves more, too, from the maids all the way to the Anointed Ones.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"The book contains thoughtful conversations around domestic abuse and labor inequities, the queer characters are well rounded and self-determined, and the romance, intimacy, and understanding of explicit consent are truly swoonworthy. A beautifully realized evergreen story about finding love and community." ―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"This standalone novel, set within the same universe as Ifueko's Raybearer duology, offers a fresh narrative lens within that universe by prioritizing the perspectives of commoners over royalty...First-person narrator Sade's distinct voice and her journey of discovery and transformation are likely to captivate readers." ―Horn Book Magazine

This information about The Maid and the Crocodile was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Jordan Ifueko Author Biography

Jordan Ifueko is the NYT Bestselling Author of the Raybearer series & the Disney-Marvel comics Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur. She's a Nebula Award, Ignyte Award, Audie Award, and Hugo Lodestar finalist, and she's been featured in People Magazine, NPR Best Books, NPR Pop Culture Hour, & ALA Top Ten. She writes about magic Black girls who aren't magic all the time, because honestly, they deserve a vacation.

Link to Jordan Ifueko's Website

Name Pronunciation
Jordan Ifueko: ee-FWEK-oh

Other books by Jordan Ifueko at BookBrowse
  • Raybearer jacket
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Read-Alikes

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