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The Magpie Lord
(A Charm of Magpies #1)
by
A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell. Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He's also inherited his family's enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry.
...more
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Paperback, 202 pages
Published
August 4th 2017
by Kjc Books
(first published September 3rd 2013)
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K.J. Charles
The audio rights are with the publisher, Samhain, so I'm afraid it's out of my hands. I don't know any plans yet, sorry!
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Community Reviews
Showing 1-30
Start your review of The Magpie Lord (A Charm of Magpies, #1)
Sep 03, 2013
Julio Genao
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Julio by:
MostlyDelores
Shelves:
loved
riotously funny—and also hot.
bless my molly little stars—this was hysterical.
the joy i found in this pulled me right out of my hermit-hole and onto a keyboard to go write things.
gingerly.
because this one passage had me chortling so hard the cat sleeping on my belly had to stab me in four places at once to keep from being undulated right off the bed.
twice.
these characters are marvelous. dialogue like oscar wilde on absinthe.
never mind the sexual congress always being interrupted by the ...more
bless my molly little stars—this was hysterical.
the joy i found in this pulled me right out of my hermit-hole and onto a keyboard to go write things.
gingerly.
because this one passage had me chortling so hard the cat sleeping on my belly had to stab me in four places at once to keep from being undulated right off the bed.
twice.
these characters are marvelous. dialogue like oscar wilde on absinthe.
never mind the sexual congress always being interrupted by the ...more
I like m/m. I like fantasy. I like Victorian Gothic. I wrote an m/m Victorian Gothic fantasy. Well, someone had to.
If you're wondering what's the deal with the magpies...
British people count magpies. There's a rhyme everyone knows, of which the most common variant starts, 'One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy.' This book began its life when I pointed to three magpies in the park and told my daughter, 'Look, three for a girl,' and she said, 'But how did they know I'd be ...more
If you're wondering what's the deal with the magpies...
British people count magpies. There's a rhyme everyone knows, of which the most common variant starts, 'One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy.' This book began its life when I pointed to three magpies in the park and told my daughter, 'Look, three for a girl,' and she said, 'But how did they know I'd be ...more
What do I say and how many times can I say I loved it. I was enthralled with Magpie, its a sensational story. Lucien and Stephen are gorgeous MC's and their sizzling *hot and bothered loving* is so passionately, perfect. Eerie magpies, brilliant and fresh writing, creepy, gripping witchery! Best of all, is the unforgettable and awesome tattoos, damn fascinating and magically twisty, I never saw that coming and it surprised the hell out of me. Can't wait for the sequel, if it was available now I
...more
4.85 stars rounded up to 5-stars
This is another book that I will not even consider without the reviews from my Goodreads friends. Historical is not my genre of choice; so any titles with historical tag will be low priority for me. However, I am a huge fan of mystery and paranormal. Contemplating the positive reviews and the fact that this story had paranormal mystery element, I decided to take the plunge.
And what a delightful surprise it was...
The story opened with Crane trying to commit suicide ...more
This is another book that I will not even consider without the reviews from my Goodreads friends. Historical is not my genre of choice; so any titles with historical tag will be low priority for me. However, I am a huge fan of mystery and paranormal. Contemplating the positive reviews and the fact that this story had paranormal mystery element, I decided to take the plunge.
And what a delightful surprise it was...
The story opened with Crane trying to commit suicide ...more
This was my first M/M Romance and I can’t believe how much I enjoyed it. I would never have tried this genre or this author it weren’t for my 2 GR friends MsSmartarse and Roxana who convinced me to give The Magpie Lord a try after praising this series like two teenage fangirls. After I read it I understood why and I think I might join the fanclub. I am not usually a fan of romance but if you throw in some fantasy and a set the novel in Victorian London then I might catch the bait. Which I did.
...more
...more
Feb 04, 2016
Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ by:
Navessa
3.5 stars. I deeply regret to announce that this review is probably going to be all over the place. Not (all) my fault, though.
Because, confidence : I wanted to write a "charm recipe review" for this book, because obviously, this hysterical story called for it (or, made me think it was a good idea) so as I'm not expert on witchcraft (understatement of the year), of course I thought : Hey, Google is your friend on this! So I gently typed something along the lines of, "love spell recipe", and ...more
OMG...tardiness is my pet peeve and I'm SO LATE to the party!!!!! I've seen you all read and rave over this book and I really wanted to read it...I swear I did. But, you know...I just...don't love historicals. And I don't love paranormal. And and....all this other fluffy stuff was calling out to me.
*boink* <-that's me hitting myself upside the head.
Silly girl. Silly, silly girl!!!!
What a FUN read! And not just fun, but CREEPY. And not just fun and creepy, but HOT. And not just fun and ...more
Jul 19, 2013
SheReadsALot
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
anyone with an imagination
Recommended to SheReadsALot by:
Vio
Love. Sex. Magic.
*sigh* love that song. And this book totally put me in the mood for it.
But in context to this book, it's more like Magic, Sex...Love, maybe?
I'm sure by now you've read and seen multiples of people losing their minds for this book. Body parts and fluids in awe of this book. Buzz, buzz buzz! The overtaking of everyone's news feeds, I secretly dubbed it Magpie-gate.
When books are super popular, so soon since it's release and everyone lays 5 star reviews like free candy, I usually ...more
*sigh* love that song. And this book totally put me in the mood for it.
But in context to this book, it's more like Magic, Sex...Love, maybe?
I'm sure by now you've read and seen multiples of people losing their minds for this book. Body parts and fluids in awe of this book. Buzz, buzz buzz! The overtaking of everyone's news feeds, I secretly dubbed it Magpie-gate.
When books are super popular, so soon since it's release and everyone lays 5 star reviews like free candy, I usually ...more
Dec 13, 2017
✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Actual rating: 3.75 stars.
Okay, let's get a few things straight before we begin:
YES, I did read this booksemi-willingly.
And
YES, I nearly almost practically rated it 4 bloody shrimping stars.
And
YES, I am actually going to read the next book in the series.
So please go ahead and do all the gasping and fainting you need to do right now, so that we can move on and stuff. Thank thee kindly.
Nicely done! A question, though: what's with the feathers, my Little Barnacles? I mean, last time I ...more
Okay, let's get a few things straight before we begin:
YES, I did read this book
And
YES, I nearly almost practically rated it 4 bloody shrimping stars.
And
YES, I am actually going to read the next book in the series.
So please go ahead and do all the gasping and fainting you need to do right now, so that we can move on and stuff. Thank thee kindly.
Nicely done! A question, though: what's with the feathers, my Little Barnacles? I mean, last time I ...more
Review also found at Dust Off Your MacHalo Blog.
This is my first review in 2018! It was a buddy read with my MacHalo ladies (surprise surprise). This year, we are doing themes for our books of the month and January was paranormal romance. The Magpie Lord was the winner.
This book also fits one of the challenges in the 2018 Madcap MacHalo Fantabulous Bookish Challenge Extravaganza (MMFBCE): Mystery and Mischief. One down, eleven to go!
The Magpie Lord is a paranormal mystery with romance. It’s ...more
This is my first review in 2018! It was a buddy read with my MacHalo ladies (surprise surprise). This year, we are doing themes for our books of the month and January was paranormal romance. The Magpie Lord was the winner.
This book also fits one of the challenges in the 2018 Madcap MacHalo Fantabulous Bookish Challenge Extravaganza (MMFBCE): Mystery and Mischief. One down, eleven to go!
The Magpie Lord is a paranormal mystery with romance. It’s ...more
Team Magpie!
The thing with Goodreads hypes is that I usually end up a little disappointed. Not this time. I'd started The Magpie Lord months ago, but at the time had a little trouble connecting to the steampunk-ish chaos of the opening scene. And I hesitatingly admit that -- despite GOT's Tyrion sexy thing Lannister totally rocking his 4.5 ft -- discovering that one of the protagonists is a 5 ft scrawny shrimp didn't exactly help upping my excitement level.
Then her HOT short story in the ...more
The thing with Goodreads hypes is that I usually end up a little disappointed. Not this time. I'd started The Magpie Lord months ago, but at the time had a little trouble connecting to the steampunk-ish chaos of the opening scene. And I hesitatingly admit that -- despite GOT's Tyrion sexy thing Lannister totally rocking his 4.5 ft -- discovering that one of the protagonists is a 5 ft scrawny shrimp didn't exactly help upping my excitement level.
Then her HOT short story in the ...more
Sep 02, 2013
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
**Everyone! Get your butts over to Amazon and get this gem for only $0.99 today (71% off), 2/9/15! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C6ZTNAU/r...**
Started off slow but just got better and better! No time for a proper review, must keep reading on!
Started off slow but just got better and better! No time for a proper review, must keep reading on!
I've got some conflicted feelings about the book. I can see why everyone loved it so much. The dialogue between the MCs is snappy and made me chuckle more than once.
Can you let me go, please, I’ve got some sort of atlas in my back.
At the same time, here are the most annoying 54 words I've read in the last 12 months:
It was an involved story, veering between farcical and exciting, and Crane knew he told it well. He couldn’t see the smaller man’s face as clearly as he’d have liked, but the shaman ...more
Can you let me go, please, I’ve got some sort of atlas in my back.
At the same time, here are the most annoying 54 words I've read in the last 12 months:
It was an involved story, veering between farcical and exciting, and Crane knew he told it well. He couldn’t see the smaller man’s face as clearly as he’d have liked, but the shaman ...more
Sep 08, 2013
Macky
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Anyone who wants to read something refreshingly different.
Edit: 24/7/19 Re-read/Listen to Audible Edition
Story 5
Narration 5
———————————
Original review:
Fabulous, unusual, wonderful, magical, different creepy, funny, witty, quirky, Sexy, scary, awesome.... I want more!
I want more charismatic Crane, I want more mysterious unassuming yet powerful Stephen, I want more Merrick, more magical magpies, more tattoos, more warlocks, witchcraft , simmering sexual tension, sizzling chemistry and edge of your seat tension.
WOW! That's what I call refreshing! There ...more
Story 5
Narration 5
———————————
Original review:
Fabulous, unusual, wonderful, magical, different creepy, funny, witty, quirky, Sexy, scary, awesome.... I want more!
I want more charismatic Crane, I want more mysterious unassuming yet powerful Stephen, I want more Merrick, more magical magpies, more tattoos, more warlocks, witchcraft , simmering sexual tension, sizzling chemistry and edge of your seat tension.
WOW! That's what I call refreshing! There ...more
Jun 04, 2018
Ms. Smartarse
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Ms. Smartarse by:
Roxana Chirilă
Shelves:
mm,
ghost-story,
guilty-pleasure,
fantasy,
regency-victorian-era,
rave,
part_of_a_series,
historical,
murder,
mystery
In case you didn't know, I have an extremely well maintained "want-to-read" shelf. I take it out at least every few months, dust it off, move books around, ensure that there's enough variety in there... that sort of thing. But most importantly, it helps me keep up my regular German reading. In theory, that is.
In practice, rigid reading lists often cause me to fall into severe reading slumps. So when a Victorian Gothic murder mystery with liberal MM flavoring gets waved into my face I cave. ...more
In practice, rigid reading lists often cause me to fall into severe reading slumps. So when a Victorian Gothic murder mystery with liberal MM flavoring gets waved into my face I cave. ...more
Some books strike me right from the start with the uniqueness of their world-building, the vividness of their characters, or the pleasure of the writing style. This story did all three.
This is about a Victorian England in which the practice of magic and warlockery is an ominous undercurrent to life. Against this imaginative backdrop, the author brings together two wonderful MCs. Stephen Day is a magician, small in stature and unassuming in appearance, but powerful enough to take on warlocks and ...more
This is about a Victorian England in which the practice of magic and warlockery is an ominous undercurrent to life. Against this imaginative backdrop, the author brings together two wonderful MCs. Stephen Day is a magician, small in stature and unassuming in appearance, but powerful enough to take on warlocks and ...more
Sep 08, 2013
~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
4.5 stars
This is a brilliant novel by K.J. Charles, her first apparently, which is hard to believe. Dickens meets Harry Potter meets sexy m/m romance. We have magic, magpies, mystery, intrigue, witty dialogue, friendship, and love.
I loved the juxtaposition of arrogant, cool Lord Crane (who tops 6 feet and has magical blood in his veins) with neurotic, kind-hearted Stephen (all 5 feet of him, who is a judiciary, a sort of judge and jury, for the magical Victorian community). Stephen hates Crane ...more
This is a brilliant novel by K.J. Charles, her first apparently, which is hard to believe. Dickens meets Harry Potter meets sexy m/m romance. We have magic, magpies, mystery, intrigue, witty dialogue, friendship, and love.
I loved the juxtaposition of arrogant, cool Lord Crane (who tops 6 feet and has magical blood in his veins) with neurotic, kind-hearted Stephen (all 5 feet of him, who is a judiciary, a sort of judge and jury, for the magical Victorian community). Stephen hates Crane ...more
"The past was dead. They were alive. He wanted this man so much. Right here, right now, exactly like this."
I devoured The Magpie Lord in less than a day and in one sitting. This is one of my highest guilty pleasures and it was so so so close to 4 stars!
__________________
The World
*raises a toast*
To K.J Charles, for creating a world so damaged and lovely and bittersweet. A world which has all the literary ingredients for a reader to get magnetized into it. A world where if you close your ...more
I devoured The Magpie Lord in less than a day and in one sitting. This is one of my highest guilty pleasures and it was so so so close to 4 stars!
__________________
The World
*raises a toast*
To K.J Charles, for creating a world so damaged and lovely and bittersweet. A world which has all the literary ingredients for a reader to get magnetized into it. A world where if you close your ...more
Oh my God! OMG! This was perfect! Absolutely amazing. I have no words! Why did it take me so long to read this??
Where do I begin?
Crane is a wealthy 37 yo English Lord. He has been living in China for the past two decades. He is very a charismatic person. Handsome, eligible, smart. But when he returns to England, after his father and brother were found dead, he has a hard time adjusting and his life is in danger. To help him with this matter, there's a ordinary little man, barely 5 feet, a 28 ...more
Where do I begin?
Crane is a wealthy 37 yo English Lord. He has been living in China for the past two decades. He is very a charismatic person. Handsome, eligible, smart. But when he returns to England, after his father and brother were found dead, he has a hard time adjusting and his life is in danger. To help him with this matter, there's a ordinary little man, barely 5 feet, a 28 ...more
What a charming story!
Sep 08, 2013
Ingie
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Ingie by:
Vio
4 1/2 Stars - cool, nicely done and addictive
I'd no idea what this novel would be. By the blurb and other reviews it sounded like a historical M/M with some paranormal element. Yes, and on that some thrilling suspense of course. All genres at the same time in a rather short novel (maximum of 200 pages or less). This is the first installment in a new series with recurring main characters. My friends (Vio mostly) convinced me that this was something extra good. And it was. I'm addicted!!
Lucien ...more
I'd no idea what this novel would be. By the blurb and other reviews it sounded like a historical M/M with some paranormal element. Yes, and on that some thrilling suspense of course. All genres at the same time in a rather short novel (maximum of 200 pages or less). This is the first installment in a new series with recurring main characters. My friends (Vio mostly) convinced me that this was something extra good. And it was. I'm addicted!!
Lucien ...more
Too many people have written fantastic reviews, but I shall give some quick thoughts.
I CAN'T believe this is a debut novel. Where has this wonderful woman been all my life?! The author said the second book comes out in January and she has the third one in second draft!
Anways, this book is FUN. Amazing banter between both of the main characters, as well as the secondary characters. Fun magic that reminded me of being excited by storylines like this as a kid, but it's definitely all adult in tone. ...more
I CAN'T believe this is a debut novel. Where has this wonderful woman been all my life?! The author said the second book comes out in January and she has the third one in second draft!
Anways, this book is FUN. Amazing banter between both of the main characters, as well as the secondary characters. Fun magic that reminded me of being excited by storylines like this as a kid, but it's definitely all adult in tone. ...more
Real Rating: 4.5* of five
Yep. Big winner, this book. Big. Liked everything about it. Yeup. Everything.
I'll come back for a normal, articulate review soon.
***NOT-SOON***
Careless of me to lose sight of this really very enjoyable tale. The problems I still have with books featuring majgickq are lessened when, like Author Charles, one goes to the trouble of thinking the actions and reactions necessary to make the manipulation of the world work consistently. The Magpie Lord, ancestor of Lord Crane, ...more
Yep. Big winner, this book. Big. Liked everything about it. Yeup. Everything.
I'll come back for a normal, articulate review soon.
***NOT-SOON***
Careless of me to lose sight of this really very enjoyable tale. The problems I still have with books featuring majgickq are lessened when, like Author Charles, one goes to the trouble of thinking the actions and reactions necessary to make the manipulation of the world work consistently. The Magpie Lord, ancestor of Lord Crane, ...more
***4.5 Stars***
I wanted something different and boy, did I get it!!!
Different, as this is not a typical historical romance. The paranormal element was a nice catch... Ugh, who am I kidding? It was the icing on the cake. Well, I could have done without some gruesome details, though, so if the next books are even more detailed in this aspect, I will need some heavy support here. And a nightmare watch. You hear me? But there was definitely a lot of magic in the air and I loved it!!!
Different, ...more
I wanted something different and boy, did I get it!!!
Different, as this is not a typical historical romance. The paranormal element was a nice catch... Ugh, who am I kidding? It was the icing on the cake. Well, I could have done without some gruesome details, though, so if the next books are even more detailed in this aspect, I will need some heavy support here. And a nightmare watch. You hear me? But there was definitely a lot of magic in the air and I loved it!!!
Different, ...more
Sep 09, 2013
Mandy*reads obsessively*
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Mandy*reads obsessively* by:
Vio
I bought it ( use coupon GREATFICTION this month and save ) anyway, I got it because Vio was badgering very adamant that I needed to read this book.
And such enthusiasm should be rewarded. ;)
On Monday the 16th Susan and I are going to BR this one. We'd love to have joiners. :))
Ok let me start with everything awesome about this story.
The characters are vivid and interesting and even the minor characters play important roles.
The mystery and suspense were very well done, the magical world ...more
And such enthusiasm should be rewarded. ;)
On Monday the 16th Susan and I are going to BR this one. We'd love to have joiners. :))
Ok let me start with everything awesome about this story.
The characters are vivid and interesting and even the minor characters play important roles.
The mystery and suspense were very well done, the magical world ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
Aug 02, 2015
Lois Bujold
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
readers who like slashfic, without having to absorb a fandom first
Recommended to Lois by:
found on rec list for summer reading that also included one of my books
Well, that was fun.
It got off to a good quick start with the hero's life-threatening dilemma, with not a lot of time spent Explaining Things viz the worldbuilding. This worked rather well. One absorbed the idea of a late Victorian world with magic, with many possible literary antecedents -- I'm thinking a cross between Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Harry Potter deep background, and who knows what else (though perhaps not The Lustful Turk), but the summed effect seemed fresh to me. The plot ...more
It got off to a good quick start with the hero's life-threatening dilemma, with not a lot of time spent Explaining Things viz the worldbuilding. This worked rather well. One absorbed the idea of a late Victorian world with magic, with many possible literary antecedents -- I'm thinking a cross between Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, Harry Potter deep background, and who knows what else (though perhaps not The Lustful Turk), but the summed effect seemed fresh to me. The plot ...more
"What the fuck, what the fucking, bloody devil-shit, what in the name of Satan's swollen cock was that?"
things i like:
- mysteries
- birds (magpies being one of my favourites)
- victorian england
- magic
- gays
- good sex scenes
what this book had:
- all of those
things i like:
- mysteries
- birds (magpies being one of my favourites)
- victorian england
- magic
- gays
- good sex scenes
what this book had:
- all of those
Sep 02, 2013
Heather C
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
cloud,
lots-of-tension,
ebook,
fantasy,
m-m,
paranormal-romance,
series,
enemies-to-lovers,
ghosts,
mystery
Wow, wow, wow!
This was a non-stop spooky sexy story filled with mystery, magic and...magpies! And I loved every moment of it!
Crane was so hot with his birdie tattoos and air of dominance paired with Stephen's powers and willful submission culminating into a crazy hot, shocking ending that I had to read twice.
Awesome story and writing with high potential to becoming an amazing series. I shouldn't have sneaked a peak at the sequel...because I want it now!
(please excuse my adjective overload) ...more
This was a non-stop spooky sexy story filled with mystery, magic and...magpies! And I loved every moment of it!
Crane was so hot with his birdie tattoos and air of dominance paired with Stephen's powers and willful submission culminating into a crazy hot, shocking ending that I had to read twice.
Awesome story and writing with high potential to becoming an amazing series. I shouldn't have sneaked a peak at the sequel...because I want it now!
(please excuse my adjective overload) ...more
THE LORD ASSHOLES
Final Rating: 4.5
So I’m so glad I decided to listen to this on Audio. The story is already magnificent and the narration made The Magpie Lord all the more magnificent.
The Story: 5 Pants Off
I really do love the heck out of this book. I am a fan of things creepy and a story filled with twists and turns and The Magpie Lord had it all. The characters are deeply rich, the storytelling topnotch, and the sexy time is definitely sexy.
Lucien Vaudry aka Lord Crane on more than one ...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turning Pages At ...: The Magpie Lord (A Charm of the Magpies #1) (M/M Buddy Read) by K. J. Charles | 28 | 24 | Aug 02, 2017 01:29PM | |
| Vaginal Fantasy B...: The Magpie Lord Discussion Thread (Tag Spoilers) | 73 | 342 | Dec 07, 2016 11:42PM | |
| Vaginal Fantasy B...: * Questions for our 5/3 Hangout! | 21 | 365 | May 03, 2016 04:47PM | |
| Central European ...: The Magpie Lord | 1 | 15 | Apr 29, 2016 12:29AM | |
| Buddy Read of The Magpie Lord - Elena, Mel, Gaby, Christina T and Wandering Reader - 18 March 2015 | 25 | 22 | Mar 22, 2015 11:46AM |
Readers also enjoyed
I'm a writer of romance, mostly m/m, often historical or fantasy or both.
I'm also a freelance editor, and I blog about writing and editing at kjcharleswriter.com.
I live in London, UK, with husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Follow me on Twitter @kj_charles or friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kj.charles.9
I'm also a freelance editor, and I blog about writing and editing at kjcharleswriter.com.
I live in London, UK, with husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Follow me on Twitter @kj_charles or friend me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kj.charles.9
Other books in the series
A Charm of Magpies
(3 books)
6 trivia questions
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More quizzes & trivia...
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“What the fuck, what the fucking, bloody devil-shit, what in the name of Satan's swollen cock was that?”
—
88 likes
“When I fuck you, Mr. Day, it will not be briefly. It will be long and hard and extremely thorough. I'm going to take pains with you.”
—
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