The Language of Thorns
Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
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Narrated by:
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Lauren Fortgang
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By:
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Leigh Bardugo
About this listen
Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, number one New York Times best-selling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love.
Enter the Grishaverse.... Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns.
Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms, and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price.
Perfect for new listeners and dedicated fans, the tales in The Language of Thorns will transport you to lands both familiar and strange - to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse.
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When Ned and his identical twin brother tumble from their raft into a raging, bewitched river, only Ned survives. Villagers are convinced the wrong boy lived. Sure enough, Ned grows up weak and slow, and stays as much as possible within the safe boundaries of his family's cottage and yard. But when a Bandit King comes to steal the magic that Ned's mother, a witch, is meant to protect, it's Ned who safeguards the magic and summons the strength to protect his family and community.
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Not as good as expected
- By ladybug on 03-19-17
By: Kelly Barnhill
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The Book of Magic
- By: Gardner Dozois - editor, Scott Lynch, Elizabeth Bear, and others
- Narrated by: Karissa Vacker, Sile Bermingham, Maxwell Caulfield, and others
- Length: 24 hrs and 38 mins
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Hot on the heels of Gardner Dozois's acclaimed anthology The Book of Swords comes this companion volume devoted to magic. How could it be otherwise? For every Frodo, there is a Gandalf... and a Saruman. For every Dorothy, a Glinda... and a Wicked Witch of the West. What would Harry Potter be without Albus Dumbledore... and Severus Snape? Figures of wisdom and power, possessing arcane, often forbidden knowledge, wizards and sorcerers are shaped - or misshaped - by the potent magic they seek to wield.
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some stinkers mostly good
- By M.T. on 12-11-18
By: Gardner Dozois - editor, and others
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Palimpsest
- By: Catherynne M. Valente
- Narrated by: Aasne Vigesaa
- Length: 11 hrs and 17 mins
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Between life and death, dreaming and waking, at the train stop beyond the end of the world is the city of Palimpsest. To get there is a miracle, a mystery, a gift, and a curse - a voyage permitted only to those who’ve always believed there’s another world than the one that meets the eye. Those fated to make the passage are marked forever by a map of that wondrous city tattooed on their flesh after a single orgasmic night. To this kingdom of ghost trains, lion-priests, living kanji, and cream-filled canals come four travelers.
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Excellent Prose, but lacks maturity
- By Michael on 08-09-15
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A Thousand Beginnings and Endings
- By: Ellen Oh, Elsie Chapman
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest, Vikas Adam
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings: these are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries. Fifteen best-selling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile listeners from start to finish.
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great stories, terrible narrators
- By Amazon Customer on 05-11-19
By: Ellen Oh, and others
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Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow
- By: Jessica Day George
- Narrated by: Jessica Roland
- Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Blessed (or cursed) with an ability to understand animals, the Lass has always been an oddball. And when an isbjorn (polar bear) seeks her out, and promises that her family will become rich if only the Lass will accompany him to his castle, she doesn't hesitate. But the bear is not what he seems, nor is his castle, which is made of ice and inhabited by a silent staff of servants.
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Fairytale
- By Hawaii Tesla Detailing on 05-30-12
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Grim
- By: Ellen Hopkins, Julie Kagawa, Amanda Hocking, and others
- Narrated by: Christine Johnson
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Inspired by classic fairy tales, but with a dark and sinister twist, Grim contains short stories from some of the best voices in young adult literature today: Ellen Hopkins, Amanda Hocking, Julie Kagawa, Claudia Gray, Rachel Hawkins, Kimberly Derting, Myra McEntire, Malinda Lo, Sarah Rees-Brennan, Jackson Pearce, Christine Johnson, Jeri Smith Ready, Shaun David Hutchinson, Saundra Mitchell, Sonia Gensler, Tessa Gratton, Jon Skrovron.
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amazing
- By Anonymous User on 10-04-17
By: Ellen Hopkins, and others
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The Thirteenth Princess
- By: Diane Zahler
- Narrated by: Jenna Lamia
- Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
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Zita is not an ordinary servant girl—she’s the13th daughter of a king who wanted only sons. When she was born, Zita’s father banished her to the servants’ quarters to work in the kitchens, where she can only communicate with her royal sisters in secret. Then, after Zita’s 12th birthday, the princesses all fall mysteriously ill. The only clue is their strangely worn and tattered shoes. With the help of her friends, Zita follows her bewitched sisters into a magical world of endless dancing and dreams.
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Interesting but not complete
- By THoward on 11-18-15
By: Diane Zahler
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Lips Touch: Three Times
- By: Laini Taylor
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
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A girl who’s always been in the shadows finds herself pursued by the unbelievably attractive new boy at school, who may or may not be the death of her. Another girl grows up mute because of a curse placed on her by a vindictive spirit, and later must decide whether to utter her first words to the boy she loves and risk killing everyone who hears her if the curse is real.
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Darkly gorgeous
- By Brandilyn on 04-19-15
By: Laini Taylor
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Bloodleaf
- By: Crystal Smith
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Princess Aurelia is a prisoner to her crown and the heir that nobody wants. Surrounded by spirits and banned from using her blood-magic, Aurelia flees her country after a devastating assassination attempt. To escape her fate, Aurelia disguises herself as a commoner in a new land and discovers a happiness her crown has never allowed. As she forges new bonds and perfects her magic, she begins to fall for a man who is forbidden to rule beside her.
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Not Understanding All the Praise
- By GPChlorine on 08-23-19
By: Crystal Smith
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Wicked
- The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
- By: Gregory Maguire
- Narrated by: John McDonough
- Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins
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Heralded as an instant classic of fantasy literature, Maguire has written a wonderfully imaginative retelling of The Wizard of Oz told from the Wicked Witch's point of view. More than just a fairy tale for adults, Wicked is a meditation on the nature of good and evil.
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It's not easy being green
- By PangaeaReads on 07-30-08
By: Gregory Maguire
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Mirror Mirror
- By: Gregory Maguire
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It is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives at Montefiore, the farm of her father, Don Vicente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up to the farm. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia, no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vicente on a quest, he leaves Bianca under the care of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but salvation can be found in the dark forest as well.
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Interesting re-telling of the fairy tale.
- By Patricia on 03-04-10
By: Gregory Maguire
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The Sea of Trolls
- By: Nancy Farmer
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
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In the year 793, siblings Jack and Lucy are captured by fearsome Vikings with a thirst for battle and pillaging. Taken to the court of Ivar the Boneless, Jack and Lucy are sent on a perilous journey - full of dragons and giant spiders - deep into the magical kingdom of the trolls!
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NO KINDNESS IS EVER WASTED
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 11-03-17
By: Nancy Farmer
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What listeners say about The Language of Thorns
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- Rachel Eldridge
- 10-11-19
I couldn’t stop listening
I don’t often enjoy short stories or write reviews but every single one of these had me completely invested in plot. Leigh Bardugo’s writing and ingenuity in this blows me away. I only want more of these to listen to.
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- Jefferson
- 09-03-22
“Come help me stir the pot”
Leigh Bardugo’s The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (2017) is a well-written collection of six fairy tales set in her secondary world of the “Grishaverse.” Each story is a vivid and clever modern adaptation (pot stirring) of a different kind of fairy tale. Bardugo likes to trick the reader with twists wherein she revises or reforms traditional fairy tales by, for instance, making the apparent monster a protector and the apparent victim a monster. The stories have some gruesome bits but mostly feature relatively happy endings (though the reader can’t get TOO comfortable).
Here is an annotated listing of the stories.
“Ayama and the Thorn Wood” might be called, “Ugly and the Beast.” OK, Ayama is not really ugly, though people (including her family) treat her as such, maybe because her voice is hard on the ears. The story is reminiscent of Angela Carter’s reworking of “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Tiger’s Bride,” with some Scheherazade action for good measure (featuring three stories, not 1001). The story features a pair of overlooked second siblings, a slimy king, a greedy grandmother, a forest full of thorns, and an enchanted pool. The point of the story is that truth rules, especially in stories, so feel free to change the traditional lame happy endings according to your own experience of life.
“The Too-Clever Fox” begins as a beast fable and ends as a human monster hunt from the point of view of animal victims. The story features a scrawny, ugly, clever fox (Bardugo likes telling stories about physically unattractive, intelligent, and plucky protagonists), a helpful nightingale, a super hunter and his mournful sister, and a scary revelation and climax.
“The Witch of Duva” plays with Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel, featuring a long famine, a serial killer of girls, a shape-changing spirit, a witch in the woods, and a daughter who says she wants to go home. It has delicious listings of foods and some creepy gingerbread and crow magic.
“Little Knife” revises the traditional fairy tale where the ruler (here a duke) sets increasingly impossible tasks for his daughter’s suitors to perform before he’ll let anyone marry her. Add to this scenario an obedient but finally independent daughter and a helpful but finally independent river and some selfish men who won’t listen to good questions, with even a dash of Shel Silverstein’s *appalling* The Giving Tree, and you get an idea of this tale.
“The Soldier Prince” is an interesting take on the Nutcracker fairy tale, featuring a clocksmith who makes marvelous human automata who do bad things, a dreamy tea merchant’s daughter who wants to live in a world of fantasy, and a nutcracker who has trouble thinking of himself and his own desires (until he’s visited by the Rat King). It has a satisfying resolution.
“When Water Sang Fire” is a vivid adaptation of Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid,” or rather is an origin story for a key character in that story. The themes about the creative and destructive power of desires as well as the imagination of the undersea world of the merfolk and their relations with mortals ashore and the climax are compelling, though I lost patience with the protagonist a few times.
Bardugo writes potent descriptions, like “Her throat was dry as burnt bread,” “The night their second son was born, the full moon rose brown as an old scab in the sky,” and “Weeks in the sun had turned his skin gold, his hair white. He looked like a petulant dandelion, gathering breath to throw a tantrum.” The best similes she writes are suited to the settings or situations or personalities of her characters, as when the sea folk prince Roffe tells Ulla, “I can smell your ambition like blood in the water.”
Some stories have effective morals, like “to use a thing is not to own it” and “sometimes the unseen is not to be feared, and sometimes those who should love us most do not,” and “There is no pain like the pain of transformation.”
The stories in the printed book feature lovely marginal illustrations, and each story has a color code, red or blue, for both illustrations and font. The audiobook obviously lacks the colors of the physical book, but does feature a capable reader in Lauren Fortgang, who does some neat voices for some extreme characters (like the Beast and the Rat King) and doesn’t try too hard to be male for male voices and enhances the stories.
I hadn’t read anything by Leigh Bardugo before but may try more after this.
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5 people found this helpful
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- Clarica Claudia
- 05-09-18
Perfect stories for adults
Finally some remarkably narrated stories for adults too to enjoy.
Ms Bardugo is an exelent old fashioned writer and I loved all her previous Grisha books and this very talented narrator, Lauren Fortgang, brings to life these stories in a so enchanting and perfect narration.
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- David Haynes
- 11-08-20
Classic Tales Uniquely Delivered
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic is a six-story anthology written by Leigh Bardugo. Each tale opens with a predictable tone that reminds listeners of German, Russian and Irish fairy tales of old. However, Bardugo's writing style quickly shines through as she weaves intriguing, distinct narratives which expertly blend intricate plotlines with believable character development. Lauren Fortgang narrates each tale in a spirited, heart-felt manner that distinctly matches each story. This anthology is difficult to pause and easy to recommend.
In The Language of Thorns' opening story, a young peasant girl tries to appease a beast with a story that won't bore him. Towards the end of her tale, the beast snarls, "Let me guess…," and he shares the way he thinks the predictable tale unfolds (Bardugo 00:34:03-22). "'What nonsense!' said Ayama, hoping the trembling of her voice did not betray her. 'Of course that's not how the story ends!'" (Bardugo 00:34:33-24). She then fabricates an unpredictable and unique conclusion that the beast never expects. Thus defines the five classically composed but entirely unconventional fairy tales in The Language of Thorns. The environments, settings, character types and plotlines hearken back to Russian and German fairytales, but the elements weave into intricate narratives that consistently circumvent expectations.
There are six stories contained within this anthology:
Ayama and the Thorn Wood
The Too-Clever Fox
The Witch of Duva
Little Knife
The Soldier Prince
When Water Sang Fire
Each story is well-paced and exciting. The characters consistently enter dangerous, unforeseeable situations, and their actions and motivations weave together seamlessly. Oftentimes, the lines between villain and hero are blurred, and it can be difficult to decide who to root for. In this manner, each story has dark undertones. The stories conclude in ways that are rarely positive for the protagonists, although the conclusions are almost always satisfying. Each of the six entries have unique elements that are easy to appreciate, even if the first four works are stronger than the final two. The Soldier Prince has a somewhat confusing ending with some characters breaking away from their established motivations. When Water Sang Fire is by far the longest of the six works, making up 31% of the six hour and 30 minute duration. It moves at a slower pace than the others, and the characters are fairly unlikeable. Despite these minor shortcomings, every story shares an undeniable charm and mysteriousness that demands exploration.
Lauren Fortgang bolsters the atmosphere, mood and allure of each piece with her excellent narration. Each character has a unique voice that weaves neatly with their personas. Dialogue is delivered in a natural manner that's never forced. The stakes of each situation and encounter is matched with an appropriate display of passion and emotion. She maintains a smooth, comforting flow that makes the minutes fly by.
In The Language of Thorns, Bardugo delivers an excellent modern take on ancient folklore. Each story is wholly unique, but they firmly fit within the mold of classic German, Irish or Russian fairy tales. Bardugo largely outpaces classic authors by masterfully incorporating mystery and suspense within each work. Her solid pacing maintains a strong level of engagement. Fortgang expounds on the works with genuine, convincing narration. Despite a few minor shortcomings in the final two stories, this is a superb anthology that is worth exploring for fans of fiction, fantasy and fairytales.
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- Krystal DeHaven
- 02-05-19
YAAASSSSS
This is just what I needed after binge listening to all her other books!!!! LOVE ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️
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- Joline Irizarry
- 04-21-21
A delightful surprise!
I usually don't favor collections of shot stories thinking there's a lack of time for full plot and character development. However, I purchased this book as an accident assuming it was just the next book in the Grisha series. By the time I'd realized what I had done I was too far enthralled to stop listening. While these stories are fine to stand by themselves I admit they enhance my understanding and appreciation of the culture and places surrounding the Grisha universe. I also enjoyed the lessons and unsugar coated yet clever stories that display them in a fulfillingly unconventional manner. Watch out GrimBrothers. you have some solid competition on your hands. I truly applaud you Leigh Bardugo.
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- Chersha
- 04-28-21
Fairy Tales at their finest!
As a huge fan of fairy tales, I was delighted by these stories. There are touches of familiar characters, settings, and plots, but each story is entirely unique and entirely engrossing. Highly recommended for fairy tale buffs or anyone looking for a touch a fantasy.
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- Abbie
- 11-01-20
Fairy tales with dark twists
The imagery is great, performance was impressive. The fairy tales are going to feel familiar but Bardugo makes them her own. Enjoyable listen for cooking over my last two days. About to buy more from Bardugo.
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- L. Freeman
- 06-12-22
Listen to this...then go buy the book
If you like fairytales, folklore, and myths that don't shy away from darkness and contains a nuanced cast of characters and settings, this is for you. Those who enjoy the original Grimm's fairy tales and crave fantasy that doesn't fixate too much on romance will appreciate this work. You won't find damsels in distress or knights in shining armor in these tales--or if you do, expect Bardugo to subvert your expectations in a way that shows how nuanced the characters (much like ourselves) really are.
It's also wonderfully accessible to those who don't enjoy too much horror, spooks, and scares. In fact, I introduced the audiobook to my mother while we were on a road trip together and she was absolutely in love (we actually talk about the book frequently and have encouraged other family members to read it)--and my mother really does not like scary stuff. Like, she will absolutely refuse to watch or read scary things even if they just appear mildly scary. So, while Language of Thorns is most certainly dark in nature, it's not so spooky that it's for horror-fans only; (this might seem silly but I specifically make this point for readers who are like my mom, who see key words like "midnight" and "dangerous" and think, "nuh-uh, too spooky.")
If you are familiar with Leigh Bardugo's writing, you know she is a talented writer and a spellbinding worldbuilder. The quality that makes Bardugo so talented is that you can actually see her craft progress as she publishes new works. I loved the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and this work is indeed an accompaniment to the larger Grishaverse, but somehow Bardugo's narrative craft in Language of Thorns exhibits her magical prowess as a writer even better. This is not to say that you need to have read Shadow and Bone (or watched the Netflix series) in order to read, listen to, and fully appreciate Language of Thorns. It can function as a stand alone text with no knowledge of the rest of the Grishaverse (although you should absolutely read the rest of the Grishaverse).
I cannot tell you how many times I have listened to this beautiful performance of Leigh Bardugo's Language of Thorns. So many that the sound of Lauren Fortgang's voice is deeply ingrained in my memory. Fortgang's ability to adopt character's unique voices without being campy and create atmosphere with pacing and tone is a triumph of vocal performance. I first downloaded the individual story "The Witch of Duva," not realizing it was part of a larger collection. When you hear Fortgang's performance of "The Witch of Duva" she literally opens a portal to another world. "Witch of Duva," by the way, is my favorite in the collection and I would argue the best, although every single tale has an atmosphere that makes you (or, at least, me) forget who and where you are.
I bought the hardcover print version of this book, and it is one of my greatest treasures. I've spent many a morning drinking coffee and pouring over the pages. There are illustrations on every page which reflect what's happening in the text, which is so amazingly cool. Whenever I am craving something both comforting and thought-provoking, I turn to Language of Thorns, sometimes imbibing the magical healing powers of both the audiobook and hardcover simultaneously.
The bottom line is, if you're a nerd for dark fairy tales that look at the world through a lens that is simultaneously ancient and modern, beautiful voice acting, and being transported into a fantastical world that burrows into your brain and haunts you with images that both echo our world and deviate from it, then you should absolutely listen to this audiobook...and then go buy the hardcover!
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- Mai in Wonderland
- 12-20-22
Loved this even though I don’t love short stories
This is so good. I listened while occasionally looking at the illustrated physical copy I have. The stories and narration is amazing. If you have a physical copy the art is amazing too.
They are retold folk tales we all know but told in a unique Grisha way.
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