The Maid and the Crocodile is a companion book to Ifueko’s Raybearer world but is easily enjoyed without having read the other books. Sade is an orphan is an orphan in search of a job. The Crocodile is a mysterious god who is rumored to eat girls. Their paths cross and entangle. Sade wants to work quietly as a maid but it is discovered that she can eat curses, a reason to be more used and abused by the upper classes. The Crocodile wants to teach her how to lead rebellions. They have much to learn from each other.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Kids for this DRC.
#TheMaidandtheCrocodile #NetGalley

Thank you so much to Amulet Books for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!

Where do I even begin with my love for this book?? It was beautiful in so many ways, and I have no idea how to even inadequately capture the ways it touched my heart and held my mind. For starters, the writing style is so fresh and fun and I was not expecting the ending and who the audience of the story really was. It was unique and ended up being the absolute perfect way for the story to unfold.

The disability representation is exquisite in so many ways that I could spend all day describing everything that I adored about it. It goes hand in hand with the talk of classism and wealth, and I think they are all expertly done and expertly intertwined to give such powerful statements about the unfortunate state of our world while also giving hope and joy through it all.

The romance was so cute and I can't even begin to describe my love for Croc. If you need me, I'll be fangirling about him until the end of time. But the romance also held a lot of growth and self-discovery in its depths and I loved watching them both navigate who they wanted to become and how they wanted to shape the world for the better.

I will adore this book forever - it certainly has a special place in my heart from now until the end of time!

I just did not want to put this down and devoured it in the space of a day. So fun, so vivid, so GOOD. Sade felt like she was written for me. I loved her and her journey so much.

This is a standalone story in the world of Raybearer and Redemptor. You can easily read this book without having read that duology, but having read Raybearer and Redemptor first adds another layer of enjoyment to this one. I loved getting to know Sade and the Crocodile and watching their relationship evolve, and I hope Clemeh makes an appearance in any future books set in this world because I loved Clemeh.

Absolutely delightful read from start to finish. While set in the fantasy world of the Raybearer books, this would be enjoyable as a stand alone as well. Ifuejo skillfully gives you needed information without beating you over the head with the previous story. The Maid and the Crocodile also is a fitting reflection on many world social flaws and ways we could make our world one that everyone would thrive in. I would highly recommend this to many readers.