Cover Image: Riven

Riven

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Member Reviews

One of the most striking things about Riven is how much it’s about music, and how composing, performing, and collaborating on music is deeply central and gorgeously, compellingly portrayed. It feels like it captures so much about the intimacy that you can build with other musicians as a musician, the ways the creativity can drive so much about your life, the intensity of relationships that center music. And yes, Theo’s arc is about him reclaiming music for himself and grappling with band dynamics and fame but for me, the reason music is at the center of this story is because Theo and Caleb have such intense musical intimacy together. It made this book feel unique to me, as a rock star romance; the only comparable romance I can think of is Syncopation by Anna Zabo.

I loved Riven so much, found it such an intense and compelling and gorgeous ride of a book that it kind of overwhelmed me, made it hard for me to find words to talk about how much I loved it, to capture what about it felt so unique and precious. It has all the hallmarks of a Parrish romance, from the beautiful language to the intense and deeply drawn angst to the striking chemistry and extremely hot sex scenes to the complex characterization to the way the characters are exactly right together while still being so flawed and human, to the way it honors other relationships beyond the central romantic one. I will basically read everything she writes, even while it tears my heart out and makes me feel so intensely I need to stop and breathe for a bit before continuing. This has all of that in it, and it has this gorgeous specificity and intimacy about music, and an arc around addiction that felt so delicately and specifically drawn that it took my breath away.

I read this first as an ARC, in May 2018, and could not find the words to review, was so overwhelmed by the way it affected me that making words was impossible. This is one of the things that happens to me as an autistic reader; books that hit me in the feels or resonate deeply are really hard to review after one read because I’m mostly just managing how much they impact. I bought it on audio, because I loved it so much, because I adore the narrators (Chris Chambers and Iggy Toma), and because sometimes rereading on audio lets me take a story in more slowly, and I can make words about it. I was right, after listening to the audio, I was able to write this review.

One of the aspects of the story that resonated so deeply was Theo, who felt neuroatypical to me in some ways that really resonated, as an autistic trauma survivor. The way he is so lost in reading people around him, the way he clearly sinks into hyperfocus, how tender and thin-skinned he is and how intensely he feels, how stuck he gets in seeing things in a particular way, how other-focused he is, how thrown he gets when things don’t go the way he expects they will. It might be because I connected to Theo that I especially appreciated his arc, and really enjoyed watching Caleb fall for him. But it was also really lovely to see a character with so much emotional armor who was generally pretty grumpy go all sweet. There is definitely a bit of grump/sunshine dynamic going on in this story.

I also want to mention that Caleb’s arc around recovery and relationships really worked for me, as a reader who has been in relationship with addicts. It felt realistic without going to really dark places, which I appreciated. I love how hopeful this book feels, even when the characters are stuck or are in the muck of their problems and insecurities.

Riven is hands down one of my favorite romances I read in 2018 (and 2019), and an m/m romance I will return to again and again. I loved it on audio in particular, and would highly recommend trying it that way if you like audiobooks. It is also really wonderful in print formats. I’m excited to be reading Rend right now, which has a lovely strong narrative voice and center’s Caleb’s best friend. This series is shaping up to be a fave all the way through.

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Let me just say that while this is my first novel by author Roan Parrish, it will definitely not be the last. This author plumbs the depths of her characters’ inner psyche with incredible precision, making them come alive on the page in such a way as to draw the reader right in and capture the attention immediately. I have read many a story depicting recovering addicts who are film or music/rock stars and have come to hate their craft solely because they feel they have lost their true selves due to having to adopt an onstage persona and always “be on”. In Riven, the first in a new series, Roan Parrish digs down and exposes all the fears, regrets and desires that drive Caleb in his recovery, and Theo in his quest to recapture his passion for music and finally be less critical and more accepting of himself.

Theo is the front man and lead singer for the band, Riven. It is on fire and rising to the top of the charts due to Theo’s incredible writing and singing skills. But Theo himself is exhausted, barely able to go onstage each night as he pours every ounce of his energy into giving a good show. Perhaps it’s because he has never really felt a part of the band, an established trio who needed a singer and managed to land Theo, or maybe it’s due to the fact that Theo’s parents always considered his choice to drop out of college to pursue music an embarrassment to them and a huge mistake. Whatever the reasons, Theo struggles with gnawing self-doubt, feelings of worthlessness and a growing dislike for the very music he once loved. While on a short hiatus from the band, Theo stumbles into a bar and hears a voice—a gorgeous, haunting voice whose heart seems to bleed into every lyric sung on the stage. That voice belonged to Caleb Blake Whitman, the same Caleb who had disappeared from a rising and popular music career a year before.

Caleb was his father’s son, an addict to both drugs and drink. Having grown up in an alcoholic home and watched it tear his parents’ marriage apart, it was no wonder that Caleb would slide down that same slippery slope while on tour during his wildly successful run. Four times in rehab and the last was the final straw. Caleb knew he had to survive this one or he would end up dead. After his stint at sobering up, he went to hide at his grandfather’s farm and left music behind him. But Caleb was lonely and itching to create music, even though his barely contained terror at the idea of touring again kept him from doing much about his desires. Then he saw Theo, and his carefully boarded up heart and life started to crack.

Given the age gap between Caleb and Theo, this story could have gone all kinds of wrong. Rather than appear unsure and clueless about the workings of the music industry and fame, the author could have carelessly made Theo immature, pouty and young. Instead, by deftly handling the emotional roller coaster Theo was on, we got a thoughtful young man who was just miserable that his dream had been derailed due to his being both oversensitive and always trying to please everyone, especially his parents. Theo came alive when he was with Caleb, and poor Caleb was pushed to actually consider he should start living again rather than just treading water while maintaining his grasp on sobriety. The two men together were pure magic and deeply emotional. I was riveted by this story, captured by both the inner turmoil of both men and by their deep desire to be seen—really seen—and loved for who they were instead of how the crowd perceived them.

Riven is a beautiful story of healing, love and music. It takes a tired old rock and roll trope and turns it into a sensitive telling of the hard work it takes to shed the skin you hate and embrace the person you really are. It never panders to easy recovery from addiction but instead, shows the daily struggle and emotional toll maintaining sobriety demands. Author Roan Parrish offers up an intensely emotional story that promises the hope for a brighter tomorrow and a love that can go the distance.

Reviewed by Sammy

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When I'm looking for a beautifully written character driven story, there's one author I turn to....Roan Parrish. And with Riven, she's proved, yet again, why that is.

"Everything about him worked its way under my skin, like a bullet slowly making its way to my heart."

I absolutely loved this story! This book is as much a love story to music as it is a love story between Caleb and Theo. Each chapter a verse in the song. The words a melody carrying you through the tale.

Caleb and Theo had a connection from the moment they met. Is it a bit insta? A little bit. But it absolutely worked. These were two passionate and creative men who recognized something in each other.

Theo is the reluctant rock star. He loves creating music, performing it, listening to it....but he loathes the "fame" that comes with it.

"The crowd. They thundered around me, their stomps and screams like my own heartbeat, their energy coursing through me like blood. These were the moments I lived for. These were the moments that made every other miserable bit of fame worth it.

I opened my arms, threw my head back, and shattered myself to pieces for them, until there was nothing left."

Caleb is the recovering addict. The man who lost himself in the melody, the booze, and the drugs. Sober for over a year, he doesn't trust himself to have one without the other two. But Theo has awakened something inside of him. And it's equal parts fear and hope.

"Ghosts of the past and hopes for the future were a dangerous cocktail."

Theo and Caleb had such patience with each other. So much passed between them in those unspoken moments...as though they both heard the same song in their heads.

And all the passion they felt for music, translated to some explosive chemistry in their relationship too. These two were combustible together.

I do wish Roan Parrish developed more of the story with regards to Theo's relationship with his bandmates. I wanted to know more about their dynamic. Especially with Theo's insecurities.

And with Caleb being a recovering addict, I would have liked to have seen more of how he used to be. There's a brief explanation of how he fell into the booze and drugs, but with the level of fear he had, I wanted to see how bad it truly was.

Also, which may have been mentioned but I missed, I have no idea how old either of these guys are? There seems to be a bit of an age difference...maybe 10 years....but I'm not sure.

But even with my couple of quibbles, this book was virtually impossible to put down. Roan Parrish hooked me from the very beginning and kept me entranced until the very last page.

So much emotion. So much passion.

"As my voice came in, I saw Caleb's eyes widen. I turned to him and watched him listen to the song I'd written for him. The song that had gathered inside me, that I'd held tight all these months and finally unspooled for him in the early morning light. The song that told him all the things he already knew, but in the language we both felt deeper than words."

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Riven by Roan Parrish is a tale of love and finding ones true self. I enjoyed this story but I wanted to love it and I just couldn't get there. Theo & Caleb connection couldn't hold me to the page as much as I wanted to love it. I liked Caleb's back story but it wasn't enough to elevate the book for me. 3 Stars for Riven by Roan Parrish

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I'm a sucker for a good angsty rocker book and this one delivered. It's my first time reading Roan Parrish, and I like her style. I've had Riven for a while and read it a couple of times to let is soak into my brain before writing this review. It's a contemporary MM romance with alternating POV.

Riven follows Theo Decker and Caleb Blake Whitman, two musicians destined for a chance meeting that changes them both profoundly. I thought it was going to be about the band Riven but it's not, they're a bunch of jealous jerks who are petty and small in their quest for fame and celebrity. They plucked Theo from an open mic night to be Rivens lead singer and he's wildly gifted with his song writing and amazing voice, catapulting them to super-stardom. Shy Theo hates the fame and all that comes with it. Caleb used to be a well known blues musician brought down to rock bottom by his drug addiction and subsequent stints in rehab. He is afraid to get back into the music scene for fear of losing himself again for good. Caleb is playing his guitar at his sponsor Huey's bar as Theo is on a late night walk in the city, Theo is drawn to the man and his music. It's insta-lust and the pair spend a hot night together.

Caleb is a larger than life character that just can't trust himself with any trigger that will lead him back to using. The music he loves so much brought him fame and the trappings that led to his destruction. He's cut him self off from the world to live a simple life tending his garden and playing occasionally, only seeing Rhys his closest friend and former band ate/lover for support. I enjoyed his visits with his sponsor Huey talking out his demons. His addiction and recovery ring spot on and it's painful to watch him suffer.

Theo is a tragic character desperately seeking love and family, having been denied it by his parents all his life. He is so naive it's almost unbelievable. How could he have no idea that the other band members were not getting as much rabid attention as he was as front man for the band? He completely burned out from touring and his voice is raw, but they push him for more and more. It didn't ring true for me that the band and their manager would treat him so miserably and expect him to just take it forever. He grows a bit through his with Caleb.

The pair are drawn to each other on so many levels, physically, emotionally and musically. It's lovely to see them working together to mend their broken parts. I would have liked a bit less sex and a bit more relationship building. Their working in the garden together and writing music were beautiful. I loved the support they give each other in the end.

I loved the epilogue at the farmers market! It made my heart happy. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series very much.

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I’ve owed Riven a very well earned, glowing review for a while now. I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus due to family emergency/life things, and I’ve been trying to get myself back into the reviewing saddle. When I received an ARC for Rend, the follow up book in this series, I knew I wanted to re-read Riven first.

Riven is a romance reader’s dream: a rock star romance with two troubled, sensitive, lovely (and okay, damaged) men. I have almost no willpower when it comes to rock star romances, and honestly, Riven is the cream of the crop.

I loved Riven from the moment I read it, and it has honestly only gotten better with each read. Parrish really outdoes herself with her sensitive portrayal of both Theo and Caleb as they work through the obstacles standing between themselves and happiness. Theo is a famous rockstar in a highly successful band who is coming to terms with finding himself incredibly unhappy with the trappings that come with a sudden rise to fame. While Theo hates being famous, he deeply loves music – performing, writing, composing.

Like Theo, Caleb breathes music. For Caleb, however, being a musician is tied to memories of his drug addiction and his relatively new – and most successful – attempt at sobriety. He longs to go back to songwriting and music, but is terrified of jeopardizing everything he’s been fighting for. The thing I love about Riven that although this is a romance (and a steamy, sexy as heck one!), the most satisfying arcs are Theo and Caleb’s individual journeys and growth, which enable them to be ready for each other and a future. I never felt as though their struggles and personal triumphs were a means to an end. Both Theo and Caleb are musicians in their souls, and their relationship challenges and teaches them how they can, and must, fight and change in order to have each other, and the music as well.

That said, the romance aspect of this book was simply delicious. Caleb and Theo have an instant chemistry that is believable and so, so hot. Parrish has a gift with sex scenes that don’t feel formulaic or rote, that explore intimacy and sex in ways that perfectly suit the story and characters.

I must say, I also really appreciate the attention to detail Parrish puts into her books. It seems as though she really takes the time to learn the intricacies of any characters given profession, from musician to baker to car mechanic and countless others. I never felt as though this book was plugging basic facts into a story to try to create an illusion – I really felt immersed and was impressed by the depth of knowledge and detail that went into the characters musicality and knowledge.

I highly recommend this book, and SPOILER ALERT, recommend the fuck out of the next one in this series, although that’s a review for another day.

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I’m a huge Roan Parrish fan and this book just cements that fact. I enjoyed Riven very much and can’t wait to see what else is in store for us.

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I didn't enjoy this book so I didn't review it. I apologize but I don't like to write reviews for books I didn't enjoy, I mostly just like to review books I enjoy.

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Just as beautifully written as all Roan Parish’s books, Riven is a feast for the soul. When I read a book by RP I know I’m in for some heavy feels, and the two men in this one are dealing with some major life issues. Watching them work through it all, and get to a safe, healthy, and satisfying place was an incredible experience.

It took me a long time to read this one. It was one I’d pick up and read, then put down for awhile. I knew I’d finish it, but I guess it just felt so heavy at times. I think it’s because the two characters’ issues are so real, and the way they work through them are really intense, but gah - so worth it.

I highly recommend this truly wonderful story.

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3.5 stars

Some of my favorite books are books immersed in music. Roan writes music like she writes food, with heart and emotion.
You can hear the music, feel the notes, understand how it can be this tangible thing that grips and shakes and rides the characters. Her words can make you understand how Caleb could get lost in it, the world of it. How it could take his life in its hands and own him.
You can also understand how the music can live in Theo, turn him into this person who owns an audience with the notes just bursting out of him while he is a different person when he isn't making music.
There is a lot to unpack in this story. A coming of age almost for Theo and learning to trust for Caleb.
I loved Theo. I liked how he grew throughout the book, he makes decisions for himself and does the things that will make him happy. I ended up liking Caleb more in the end than I did through most of the book.
Some of my misgivings with this story are my own hangups. I hate things like Caleb's hot and cold attitude and Theo's lack of ability to communicate. Theo feels young throughout the story and Caleb is selfish.
I get that Caleb is dealing with some BIG things, major things, but Theo just wants someone who will love him completely, support him. He doesn't ask very much of Caleb, but Caleb somehow still lets Theo down in epic ways.
They are both messy in their own ways. And since they are both trying to figure out how to make their lives worthwhile when they meet each other, their relationship feels rocky and messy right from the start. It takes until the very end to get on some solid ground. Thank goodness for the epilogue because otherwise, everything would still feel very tentative to me.

I am not sure if I will read book 2 because it is an already together kind of romance, and those just break my heart, but I may not be able to resist checking in on Caleb and Theo. We'll see.

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Bottom line, I loved the story, characters, and all the music. The pacing was a little strange... there is a conflict before the halfway point that feels like the major conflict, but it isn't, so things were a tad uneven. But if that's all I have to complain about, I'm a happy reader.

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I loved Riven and thought it was a real return to form for Ms. Parrish! She excels at the tortured hero meeting the Ying to his Yang, and in this case, it’s sometimes it's difficult to determine just who has their shit together in the pair. But in this case, I vote for Caleb – he’s a mentor/friend and lover to a ‘learning things the hard way’ Theo. But Theo has things to teach him as well & I liked their journey together.

I tend to stay away from rock star romances because of all the angst, but this one really worked for me. Theo and Caleb have great chemistry – and compassion for one another, the settings were vividly rendered, and I could feel the author’s love for musicians/bands/music (which I share!) In every page.

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I really just loved this book. I have a few minor quibbles but over all it's just really enjoyable. I loved how integral music is, and how it's used to give insight into the characters. I liked the realism of being with someone who is battling addiction, because while Caleb is sober, he is very much still a struggling addict. I LOVE that love isn't treated as a cure or as something that make it magically easy to go through. And I also like that Theo had his own issues to deal with so it wasn't as if it was all Caleb all the time. Theo has horrible self worth and self confidence issues that he deals with and grows from. He really comes into his own by the end and while not perfectly healed, he makes great strides. I enjoyed their chemistry. It was really intense. But here's where my quibble comes in. Caleb is so scared of risking his sobriety on anything that he falls into a pattern of really hurting Theo on more than one occasion. And while towards the end they talk it through and come to an understand and Caleb resolves to do better. I don't know that I believe he will. I wish Theo had been supportive but made him work to earn his heart back. I feel like he gives in too easily. If it hadn't happened more than once I wouldn't have had a problem but I don't know that I trust the pattern to not repeat again. I don't know. The supporting characters were interesting enough, I like the ones I'm supposed to and annoyed with the ones I'm supposed to be. I hope the drummer forgives Theo and they maintain a friendship. I am curious if Rhys & his guy have a book? It seems like they should.

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*~~*ARC kindly provided to me for an honest review *~~*

- Review to come

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words

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I love Roan Parrish's writing style and while it took me a while to truly get into this story, I ended up loving this book.

Theo is a reluctant rock star, essentially hired by Riven to write songs and be the front man, yet never feeling part of the band. Caleb is a blues musician, who on the way to success, gets sidetracked with a serious drug addiction (4 stints in rehab) and now lives in a ramshackle house away from all his triggers, striving each and every day to not succumb.

There is a lot of soul-searching here, as Caleb comes to care deeply for Theo yet worries that Theo's world will drag him back into addiction. Theo finds in Caleb someone who feels as passionately about music as he does and Caleb gives Theo the unconditional love he has never before had. The sex is incredibly steamy right from the start, but the depth of emotion and love between the two takes a while to simmer and season.

I love the way in which Roan Parrish writes of music, of redemption, of love. At times the story seemed very slow, yet the pay-off is so worth it. 4.5 stars.

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I greatly enjoy Roan Parrish's writing, and Riven was a compelling read with a sweet ending. I didn't find myself as sucked-in as by some of the author's previous books, and I felt a lot of problems could have been solved by having the characters talk to each other more, which made the plot feel a bit thin in places. But the characters had great chemistry and were well written, and I still eagerly await Roan's next title.

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3.5

RIVEN is emotional and spicy. Theo and Caleb are flawed and vulnerable. Their story, for me, was a little slow paced, but I was hooked by their insta-lust (turned love--obvi) and by the growth these two struggled with.

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For those who want to rewrite the self-defeating tracks reverberating through your minds, ‘Riven’, by Roan Parrish, is better than any self-help book. And it’s a tender love story to boot! It earns all its five hearts for romantics, music aficionados, sensualists and those who feel alienated.

Theo Decker is the band Riven’s leader singer, songwriter. He lives to write and perform. While Theo embodies music, he hates the fame. Walking off his depression after a tour, he encounters Caleb Blake Whitman, playing guitar to himself. After four rehabs, Caleb, a once successful blues guitarist, is unsure the role his art played in his downfall. Unable to trust himself, he’s given up his muse, surviving on a farm his grandfather left to him.

In a few well-crafted words Parrish conveys how each man has depersonalized. As Theo muses to himself, “The person who got recognized was more real than I was. How could I – the actual, singular Theo Decker – exist, when the Theo Decker the world saw was legion.” Theo is so lost in self-consciousness, so worried what others will think, he has no idea what he believes of himself.

And as for Caleb, “I’d spent the last year learning to mistrust the things I wanted. Learning that chances were if I desired it, it was going to kill me eventually.” And, “That part of my life – the part where I got to simply want – was over now.” Caleb confuses love with addiction.

Readers come to realize how Theo and Caleb have locked themselves in paralysis, only as it becomes clear to them, through their gradual revelations to one another. And it makes us feel almost complicit in their intimacy.
Each man can only connect to his truest spirit through music. Can this universal language bond their connection to each other? Though I’m not a huge music buff, I found myself waiting for moments when melody would spin its magic – a new self-awareness, and deeper tone of trust.

True to form, music signals the important growth in each man. Writing new songs, Theo realizes, “I wasn’t writing them the way I usually did, like deep cross-sections where I imagined everyone else’s parts. I was writing them like they were wildfire sweeping through a stand of trees, or lightning ripping across an open stretch of desert.” Can’t you recall listening to songs like this?

But Parrish clearly adores her other senses as well. Nature and food do their part to soothe her two skittish players. “The earthy scent of the Mississippi, the bite of chicory, the sharp burst of sugar on my tongue. Ever sense was full up with a place as familiar to me as my own bed,” Caleb thinks. Sigh.

Of course, the bedroom scenes between two sensualists are pure jazz – raw and spontaneous, raucous and unscripted. Yet they are more, as Caleb reflects. “Longing like that isn’t born of lust. It’s born of loneliness. It’s born of lack. It’s born of knowing the depths inside yourself can gape wide enough to lose yourself in forever. And it’s about the hope that maybe, somehow, something has come along that makes you want to turn away from the abyss and face the light.” Amen, brother, sing it again!

On her ending dedication, Parrish writes, “For everyone who wants a fresh start.” If self-doubt flays you and you feel as dissonant with yourself as with others, “Riven” offers a note of hope, a score for finding and saving our inner songs, so we can play them for others.

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I do not usually read stories about musicians. However, I have heard so many people praise this author and I wanted to give it a try and I'm so glad I did!
This story was perfectly balanced between the soft moments of the two main characters falling in love and the difficult decisions they both have to make in their own lives to grow to become better people for themselves and each other. The tone was grounded yet impactful and the characters were layered. Parrish is a master writer.
Theo is an absolute sweetheart who is still in the process of finding himself and his boundaries within the music industry. Caleb is an older man who is rediscovering his love for music. They meet one night through music and it is music that pulls them back together through misunderstandings and disagreements.
I’m looking forward to more stories in the ‘verse.

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I have a huge crush on books about rock stars. I do not know why. wait, is it because my first boyfriend was a musician? YOU GUYS, I JUST PUT THIS TOGETHER. self awareness, boom.

ok, that was vaguely embarrassing.

I really loved this though. Caleb and Theo were awesome. MOSTLY Theo, but oof, also Caleb. it was romantic and vulnerable and hot and music was everywhere. there were some great secondary characters too, decent writing, good dialogue, etc. if you like male erotic romance (and musicians), this is fully for you.

oh, but, also be aware there are some triggers. Caleb is a recovering heroine addict and Theo has some emotional trauma from distant, unloving parents.

arc provided in exchange for an honest review from the publisher.

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