Thank you infinitely to NetGalley and Recorded Books for providing this audio review copy in exchange for an honest review!!

Words cannot fully encapsulate my love for Jordan Ifueko’s writing - but I’ll do my best :)

Sade is one of my new favourite main characters, I absolutely adored her growth throughout the story, and how her music was brought to life by the incredible narrator, Adetinpo Thomas!!

Please do yourself a MASSIVE FAVOUR and check out this wonderful book!! (I highly recommend the audiobook for this one!!!)<3

I am so mad at myself that I haven't read Raybearer after finishing this book. If it's anything like this one, I will absolutely love it.

I adore everything about this story - the characters, the slow burn romance, the sweet Sapphic side couple, the themes of change and empowerment, AND the audiobook narrator is *fantastic*! Definitely recommend for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Roseanne A. Brown! I will be recommending this forever.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review.

I wasn't able to finish this book. At no cost of the story. I didn't like the person narratoring the story. Her accent was very strong and honestly hard to fucus on the story.
It's not what I look for in a narrator personally I love her voice and would mind talking to her. Other then that the story started out very good and would mind reading the book.

The Maid and the Crocodile is a spellbinding return to the magic-soaked world of Oluwan, offering a fresh perspective while still satisfying fans of Jordan Ifueko's Raybearer duology. This new standalone introduces us to Small Sade, a determined young woman with a unique appearance and an unlucky foot, who is desperately seeking a job in the bustling capital city. Her goal is simple: become a maid, earn her place, and keep her secrets hidden. But things take an unexpected turn when she accidentally binds herself to a powerful being known only as the Crocodile, a god rumored to devour pretty girls.

Small Sade is an endearing and tenacious protagonist, and her journey is one of resilience and cleverness. Despite the challenges she faces, including the ominous presence of the Crocodile, she remains determined to carve out her own path. Her ability as a Curse Eater—one who can alter fates by cleaning—adds a fascinating layer to the story, and her interactions with the Crocodile are filled with tension and intrigue.

The novella balances its narrative between Small Sade's personal struggles and the broader ambitions of the Crocodile God. The dynamic between them is compelling, offering a rich exploration of power, fate, and choice. For fans of Raybearer, the small glimpses into the larger events of that world are delightful bonuses, but the story stands strongly on its own, making it accessible to new readers as well.\

New to the scene, narrator Adetinpo Thomas does a commendable job bringing Jordan's story and characters to life. I look forward to listening to any books she narrates in the future.

Ifueko once again proves her mastery of world-building and character development in The Maid and the Crocodile. This new story is an enjoyable addition to the world of Raybearer, filled with heart, magic, and a protagonist you can’t help but root for.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook.

This book is a MASTERPIECE! You need to go out and buy it TODAY! That’s it, that’s the review.

JUST KIDDING I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY!

This is a fantasy standalone set in the West-African inspired world of Ifueko’s previous books. (No need to have read Raybearer though.) It’s a YA fantasy with romance and danger, but it’s the incredible journey of our FMC Sade that makes it shine.

She’s not a typical fantasy heroine with flawless skin and skills with blades. She’s a poor orphan who walks with a cane and is just trying desperately to stay off the streets by cleaning houses. Sade has been treated cruelly her whole life and so tells herself not to hope for any more because she doesn’t deserve it.

But Sade has a special gift: she can see silt, a magical residue created from unmet expectations, disappointments, grief, guilt and all the things that make the human toil what it is. Sade goes on a compelling character journey that left me weeping more than once. Ifueko takes us on a beautiful journey as she comes to understand her worth and hope for a better future for herself and her people.

The entire concept of silt was so beautiful and profound to me. It coincided so deeply with some of the nonfiction reading I’ve done lately with The Way of Integrity. I also identified so strongly with the West-African inspired world that Ifueko created of a of haves and have nots. I spent 13 years working for an NGO in Kenya and South Africa and saw so many parallels to life there. I loved hearing Shaday’s internal thoughts when she had to deal with foolish rich people trying to tell her what was best for her. This book has so many helpful insights for people who want to be involved in mentoring others or community organizing, including highlighting the dangers of trying to help while actually taking others’ agency.

I listened to the audiobook which was immaculately narrated, so I definitely recommend giving it a try if you like listening to your books.

Overall, this is such a fantastic book. I know this will be one of my top 10 reads of the year!

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the ARC

This is a book set in the same universe as the Raybearer series, but you don't need to have read them to understand this book. I haven't and still felt immersed in the world. The worldbuilding was good and the characters interesting. However I couldn't connect with any of the characters because of the narrator. She didn't click with me and unfortunately I spent more time irritated by the narration than actually enjoying the story.

2,5 ⭐️

What a gift this book is! This wasn’t just set in the world of Raybearer and Redemptor, we got to see many of the beloved characters from those books again! Tarisai even has two scenes in this. What a delight!

Sade has just aged out of the orphanage and is prepared to work as a maid. She’s also a Curse Eater, someone who can clean away guilt, grief and other negative things while she’s cleaning a home. Before she makes it to the market to get a job, she accidentally binds herself to The Crocodile. She thinks it’s a spirit, but it’s actually a character from Redemptor, who has been cursed to slowly turn into a Crocodile.

After she gets a job at a hotel as a maid, Sade’s employer realizes her Curse Eating could make money and return the owner to a prominent place in society. Sade does her best to please everyone, but the Crocodile has other ideas…

Sade shares her backstory with the Crocodile and he wants her to strive to be a leader. She eventually makes him see that his motivation in this is selfish - he’s rather be the famous Crocodile and cursed than an unknown and curse-free.

The writing is beautiful and I ached at hearing Sade’s back story. She’s a great and loyal friend and I was so glad she got her happily ever after.

Was very excited to listen to this because of how much I enjoy the series... but the file won't work through the net galley app... sad...

I love the Raybearer duology so much and was so excited for The Maid and The Crocodile. THIS. BOOK. WAS. EVERYTHING!!!! I know this can technically be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading the duology first! Ifueko expanded on an already incredibly built world/magic system and made both even more lush. The writing and story-telling were beautiful. The characters were so amazing and it had an animal companion which I LOVE! The disability representation was really well done and I loved the found family aspect. Ifueko is an auto-buy author and I am so so so obsessed with this world!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the author's Raybearer so was excited to read this one. The story is beautifully written and a unique one. I decided to dnf it at 20% because I wasn't all that engrossed and I knew by the end it wouldn't be more than a 3 star read for me. The concept of a house maid who cleans away evil spirits was a tad too lacking for me. I liked the fmc and the disability rep but other than that, the plot wasn't hooking me. The audio narration was good, the narrator changed her voice enough for each character. I just wanted something different I guess.

I’m so glad we got to return to this amazingly crafted world! This is such a heartwarming story and I really loved Sade and The Crocodiles character development.

The narrator for the audiobook was fabby, so highly recommend listening to that.

Yo, this straight up slaps.

That's it; that's the review.

I have spent the whole day gleefully quoting this to my partner, rallying my friends to add this to their TBRs, sharing in righteous indignation at societies and their imbalance of power, and kicking my lil feet at how stinkin' cute this man is.

The world of Raybearer:
First things first, I know this is billed as a standalone Romantasy in the Raybearer universe but it's important to know that this will spoil and explain some pretty major reveals from both Raybearer and Redemptor; if you have any intention of going into those without being spoiled, I would read them before this one.

But it would abso-freaking-lutely be remiss to not read The Maid and the Crocodile once you're done. Criminal, honestly. I love the well-fleshed out world-building that Ifueko has achieved here. There's attention to detail and thought put into the ramifications of subtle changes, a rich well of West African inspirations, and so much heart. I'll be reading anything she chooses to publish in the Raybearer universe, no questions asked.

Elevator Pitch:
I would pitch this as a West African version of Ten Thousand Stitches with a healthy dose of rage from Those Beyond the Wall and a strong emphasis on disabilities and fitting into a world not made with you in mind. It's definitely got that balanced mix of wholesome romance and eat-the-rich fury that I loved so much in the Regency Faerie Tales.

Characters:
Most books don't have characters that capture my imagination-- they don't feel real to me, I can barely remember their names while reading (let alone a week later), and they just overall don't leave a big impact or lasting impression. But my picky ass was well-satisfied here. Aside from a few smaller characters who get less screentime due to the constraints of page count and a streamlined story, all the characters are very big and colorful and real to me. Within the first page of each of their introductions I could fully imagine each of them-- that's such a rare talent!

Even the animal companions? Clemeh! My precious child who must be protected at all costs. [insert cuteness-induced screaming here]

Overall:
This is going in my best of 2024 list, no doubt.

Audiobook Notes:
It's a single female narrator who does accents and different voices for all the characters. Admittedly I imagined The Crocodile with a much deeper voice than her register will allow for, but I can't really hold that against her. I think she does a good job differentiating the characters, dropping the accent as appropriate, and translating the songs from text.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBmedia for this advanced copy! You can pick up The Maid and the Crocodile on August 13, 2024.

What a stunning and gorgeously written story. Jordan Ifueko brought us back to the beautiful world of Raybearer but with an entirely new perspective on the world and the people living in it. Sade was more than just a relatable character -- her experience speaks to the deep, inner-most parts of ourselves that we're afraid to look at. Her role as a Curse-Eater and an ant among giants just resonated so deeply and speaks to so many of our experiences in the real world.

I love how Ifueko created parallels to Howl's Moving Castle and emulated the vibes while putting a completely unique spin on it. Her world-building and magic system transported me completely into the Realmhood, and every single person leapt off the page whether they were a commoner or noble.

I'll be thinking about this one for a while, and I absolutely recommend it to those interested in a semi-cozy standalone fantasy that emphasizes community, found family, asking for more than you think you deserve, and a sweet friends to lovers romance. Don't miss out on this one!!