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In the magic-soaked capital city of Oluwan, Small Sade needs a job—preferably as a maid, for 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 not only an orphan and an aspiring maid, but also 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.
"A brilliant heroine, a complex hero, a beautiful world ... Jordan Ifueko's work sings."—Namina Forna, New York Times bestselling author of The Gilded Ones
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 13, 2024 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9798892745529
- File size: 326740 KB
- Duration: 11:20:41
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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Adetinpo Thomas narrates the story of 17-year-old Small Sade as she leaves the orphanage in the magical city of Oluwan to find work. She accidentally binds herself to a powerful god called the Crocodile, who hopes Small Sade's Curse Eater abilities can save him. But all she aspires to is keeping her head down as the humble worker bee she was raised to be. While occasional lines spoken with hesitancy could use a retake, Thomas does some heavy lifting with all the impromptu songs and the way each character's social background can be heard in their speech. The sound of her natural voice, heard in the acknowledgements, offers a comparison for listeners to hear all the vocal work she performs in this African-inspired fantasy. S.S. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from August 19, 2024
Beauty and the Beast meets Howl’s Moving Castle in this exquisitely crafted standalone romance set some time after the events of Ifueko’s Raybearer series. Orphaned 17-year-old Sade, who has vitiligo and walks with a cane, is a Curse-Eater—someone born with the rare ability to not only see the mysterious “spirit silt” that coats everything like “cotton lining their throats,” but also cleanse its lingering effects. When an offering to an enchanted gecko accidentally bonds her to the strikingly handsome Crocodile God, she attempts to heal him from the curse slowly transforming him into his namesake. Despite the Crocodile God’s informing her of their connected fates, Sade leaves to work as the official Curse-Eater at an inn located in one of the city’s affluent districts. But the more Sade uses her abilities, the greater the cost, forcing her to choose between the security that being employed offers and the threat of becoming once again unhoused. Via Sade’s first-person POV, Ifueko delivers a complex and nuanced exploration of intersections between disability, economic inequity, and abuse of power. Sade’s relationship with the Crocodile God presents a thoughtful examination of power and consent without sacrificing tenderness or chemistry. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kim-Mei Kirtland, Howard Morhaim Literary.
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