The Iron Assassin

Hello everyone, and thank you for reading my newest attempt at a fantasy novel! While this chapter may say it was posted in 2016, I actually just updated it. (As of 4/4/18) This has been a big
project of mine and now that I have finished the book (still posting to Booksie) I wanted to update the first few chapters with the help of your comments and suggestions. Thanks for reading!!
-Katherine
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For those of you new to The Iron Assassin, hello and thank you for reading!! (No, really, I appreciate your dedication.) If you read my top comment on CH1 you would know I recently updated it (from
2016 to 2018 version). This chapter has been updated as well! (As of 4/4/18) Thank you for reading!
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Updated as of 4/4/18!


Thank you for reading!!
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Updated on 6/13/18!
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Updated as of 6/13/18!
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Updated as of 6/5/18!
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Updated as of 9/12/18!
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Edited and updated on 9/22/18!
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This chapter alternates between Bren's point of view and her three-year-old self. If at any point you feel as though I need to clarify as to who is speaking or whose point of view it is please comment!! I'm not entirely happy with this chapter but I figured that with a little help from my lovely readers I could improve it! :)
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Thanks for reading! :) As always I appreciate any feedback that you may have. Read Chapter

I plan on combining Chapter 13 & 14 but for right now I will publish them as seperate chapters.

Bren,Ker,Felix, and Ophelia are headed across the desert to find Sol Bren's friend. Bren believes that Sol will know a way to reach Iron Haven faster. Read Chapter

* Bren, Felix, and Ophelia are on their way to the Capital (Iron Haven.)
* At the end of the previous chapter Sol passed out from a vision. He and Ker at still at his home.

Amor- Ophelia's Equo
Ink- Bren's Equo
Black Caviar- Felix's Equo

Dorothy is the name of one of Sol's chickens.

I am going to (eventually) name this chapter! Read Chapter

Hi, everyone!
First of all thank you so much for reading! This is Ch 19 version 2. I was working on editing a few of the earlier chapters when I realized what I have written and what I have published on Booksie don't exactly match. I will (eventually) merge the two chapters.

This section adds a detailed description of the Moles
It clarifies that Arthur is Ophelia's half brother (You will meet him soon!)
I also edited the dialogue between Boss and Bren

*I am editing Bren's description in the earlier chapters. She is Japanese which is why Rin comments on the shape of her eyes. There are not many Japanese living in Eryie. They are mainly located in Lasi maa and Rin has never been outside of the Outer Rim much less to the ports.
(Eryie is the country name, and Iron Haven is its capital. Lasi maa is one of the four countries south of Eryie) Read Chapter

Hi, everyone!! Thank you for your continued support and patience as I slowly publish chapters.
I promise that I'll name this chapter eventually. Thanks for reading!! :)
Update:
Bren is trapped in the tunnels with the Moles (three of them)
Rin is one of Boss's followers
Felix and Ophelia are climbing the side of the skyscraper to go and rescue her hopefully.
Boss is insane in case you haven't figured that out yet...the cause of her insanity will be determined in Chapter 21
Sorry, Ker and Sol don't get a feature in this chapter. They will more than likely be in chapter 22 Read Chapter

Hi, everyone! Thanks for reading! (And if you are new feel free to start from the beginning I hope you'll enjoy it. And thanks to my regulars!!)

I actually named this chapter! (Not 100% happy with the name but it's the story that counts right?) :D

As promised you will finally understand Boss's crazy streak...that's all that you are getting :P I don't want to ruin the story.
Ker and Sol will get a short feature in the next chapter (short but eye opening) I promise that they are in other chapters I'm just working on putting together the pieces that I've already written.

I've started inserting **** whenever there is a change of viewpoint.

As always thank you for reading/commenting!!

-Katherine Read Chapter

I briefly considered naming this chapter something along the lines of "tempers flare."
Ch. 22
Sol and Ker are featured!
A new creature is introduced
Felix, Bren, and Ophelia discover something shocking
You get a insight to what Felix's life has been like up to now
As usual thanks for reading!! And feel free to comment or suggest a correction. Read Chapter

I decided to go ahead and publish chapter 23 as part of my one year on Booksie celebration!
A Song For Charlee is one of my favorite chapters so far (I'm just excited that it is a chapter closer to showing you all what I have planned :D) and it is also longer than most.
I'm focusing more on quality so I will not be releasing chapters as often. I am also updating previous chapter (just grammatical errors nothing big like a new character)

In this Chapter:
Felix and Ophelia left ahead of Bren
You may or may not start seeing a trend in that tattoo...
I realized that I have killed off a character every chapter (oops) but it accurately depicts the kind of world they live in
Yes, Ophelia uses lantern oil. Their supply of oil is still around it's just a banned contraband (you'll find out why in a few chapters)
Yes, Shifters have the ability to resist the virus. It has caused a lot of unrest and turmoil between the Shifters and humans. (and nearly a second war) but I'll talk about that more in a later chapter!

As always don't hesitate to ask questions/ leave a comment/ or give suggestions! I love feedback!!! :) -Katherine
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Hi everyone!! I know it has been a while, but here is chapter 24! (Better late than never, right?)
In this chapter:
You'll finally get to meet some of my favorite characters!
Sol and Ker are headed back toward the Outer Rim and Bren's village
Ophelia, Felix, and Bren head toward Iron Haven

Fun fact: In an effort to preserve the planet the government mandated that all clothing be made from recycled plastic. It helped save trees and put to use the waste that littered Earth's surface (this was prewar on oil/mole/virus) When Felix references the "capital crazies always dressing nicely" it is because there is an overabundance of clothing (but as you can imagine a shortage on food)

I'm going to try and leave a fact at the top of each chapter from now on! :)
Thanks for reading,
-Katherine Read Chapter

Hello, to my readers! Chapter 25 is the end of "Part One" (I've decided that I'm going to split this into three parts (maybe, just experimenting))
As usual I had a hard time naming this chapter "Death of a Queen" is only temporary. If you have any suggestions feel free to comment them.

In this Chapter:
Bren has finally made it to Iron Haven, but her welcoming wasn't exactly comforting
Felix reveals a piece of Ophelia's past

Introduction of:
Captain (Merida) Wilson - Captain of the King's guard
Bianca Lao - a doctor in training
Shay Truong - Bianca's teacher

As always thank you for reading! Feel free to comment any edits/suggestions. Positive and negative feedback is wonderful!

Fun fact: The three towers are curved because they are built into the surrounding cliff side. If you were to look down some of the top windows you would be looking straight down at the street below.
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Hello, everyone and welcome to Chapter 26!!!

Don't hesitate to comment any suggestions, and as always, thanks for reading!
I know I say this every time.... but introducing some of my favorite characters!

In this chapter: There are a lot of new characters.
You meet (Half) Prince Arthur!
Captain (Merida) Wilson makes more of an appearance
You meet Master Ji-Min (Lao)!
Two of my favorite side characters: Juan and Lewis
Lord Avery Irwin
And Lady (Sylvia) Maxwell

Fun fact: Arthur's name was originally going to be Edwin the II but his mother changed her mind after he was born. Instead cursing her son with the same name as the madman that had a hand in creating their world. (Arthur is the first person in his family to be named after his ancestor Arthur.) The reason why she named him that will come to light in a few chapters down the road...

Happy reading!!
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Hello everyone and welcome to chapter 27! Seeing as it's been a while between chapter 26, here's a quick recap:

Bren has arrived in Iron Haven (capital of Eyrie) and is currently sneaking out of the city. The chapter opens with her flying over the outer walls where she meets a new main character and a few other side characters.
Arthur (Prince Arthur is Ophelia's half brother) was last seen speaking to Captain Merida Wilson about Ophelia's late arrival and her suspicious guest's appearance.

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Characters in chapter:
Bren
Arthur (Prince Arthur)
Holt (A voiceless boy age 18)
Gracelyn (Age 7 voiceless by choice)
Edna (In her 60's she can still speak but not without some pain)


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Fun fact: The voiceless community hold their weddings outside under the moonlight because the tradition stems from when they were prisoners/victims of the royal family's oppression. They would preform marriage ceremonies in prison believing that a marriage bonded two souls together and that should either of them die they would be able to find each other in the afterlife faster. They also wore red believing that it would decrease their chances of becoming a Shard. Read Chapter

In celebration of "Katherine had an amazing Monday at work and got an A- on her 12 page essay" here is chapter 28! As always feel free to comment what you think! ....Fun fact: The production of new
clothing is pretty limited. Prior to the War on Fuel and the plastic ban most of the clothing produced was made of plastic creating long lasting and super durable outfits. (meaning that no more
accidentally stretching that favorite shirt that you've had for 20+ years or mutilating grandma's ugly Christmas sweater.) During the war on fuel any and all production that did not go toward
creating a sustainable fuel source was terminated. So, most of the clothing found in the Iron Assassin, are clothes that originally belonged to the generations 100 years prior. They do base
anything and everything from books and photographs so there are some weird outfit combinations in here. (You've been warned) :D
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Hi, everyone! I know that I just posted chapter 28, but I figured I'd go ahead and post 29 (we're getting really really close to my favorite parts!) I wrote the next few chapters in segments, most
while on long family road trips or between homework. So please feel free to let me know if something doesn't add up! It's hard being the "all knowing" author and not divulging too much....Fun fact!
The War on Fuel was actually more of a hostile stand off. The population boom had drained most of the world's resources so fighting broke out among the countries. There was a mass expedition to
Antarctica. The melting polar ice caps created the opportunity for the world to fight over the oil there. It was the last of it, and the location of the Moles first appearance. The War on Fuel
where countries turned their backs against their allies turned into a fight for survival.
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As promised, here's chapter 30! I finally get to introduce one of my favorite creatures, Ironpedes! They're more of a combination of an earthworm and a centipede this gives them their protective exterior along with the ability to eat iron and help improve the soil quality. The reason why humanity doesn't just use them to eat away all of the iron so that they can grow on the surface is because Ironpedes don't like sunlight. Or Moles for that matter. Gorm, one of the 5 countries, has a larger population of Ironpedes thanks to their mountainous terrain. This allows them to produce a larger quantity of food than the other five countries. Ironpedes are unable to survive in Nodin's cold temperature. They also do not eat Shards which is what makes up 96% of Lasi maa's land mass and Lichtenstein is only inhabited by a small human population crazy enough to try and live alongside of the Moles. Read Chapter

In celebration of my promotion here is chapter 31!! (I'll be editing chapters 29 and 30 directly after this)... While Bren's realization of what exactly Shards are is important, the memory that Krisita shows her is even more so. I did play around with a few name changes here, Daniel was originally named Juan but that is the same name as one of my favorite guards so I changed it. I'm not 100% happy with the name Daniel, so I am open for feedback and suggestions!! :D Happy reading. Read Chapter

In celebration of the end of my summer semester, here is chapter 32! Introduction of a new character :D I won't say that she's my favorite (for once...) but she sure is interesting...you might even say deranged.
Enjoy!

Fun fact: Orabell, Morgan, and Lyra were all daughter's of dukes. They served King Henery until his sudden death (some speculate assassination) Orabell's father was the head of the Merchants. Morgan's father was the head of the World Council while Lyra's father was the current ship master. Both Lyra and Morgan's fathers wanted their daughter to marry the crown prince while Orabell was allowed to choose her own path in life. Read Chapter

I'm not 100% pleased with this chapter but rather than contentiously scrutinizing it I figured I'd just ask for help. So I'll happily take feedback, whether its for the chapter title, or how I could better explain what's occurring. It should only be two or three (max) chapters until we reach one of my favorite parts. :) I'm excited for that and just being overly impatient to reach it. Enjoy! Read Chapter

If you all haven't figured it out before, I'm a big believer in global warming and limiting our carbon footprint. This chapter came to life after I watched a documentary on waste. It's actually one of my first chapters, I just edited it drastically. If the parts where Arthur talks about his views on Ophelia don't match that's why. (Let me know if you believe they need changing/editing) Enjoy!! Read Chapter

Hello everyone and happy Tuesday! My newest chapter picks up after Bren tells Arthur that she'll consider taking back over her family business. Knowing that this business was her grandfather's life
work and that her mother would have inherited the position had she not been thrown out of Iron Haven, Bren uses the opportunity to learn more about her family. Hope you all enjoy it, I promise the
next chapter will be more interesting. It features Ker, Sol, Ophelia and Felix. Best wishes!
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This chapter and the next will be a large reveal in the backstory of multiple characters. Just a reminder that Selina (one of the characters mentioned) was Ivo's wife who died protecting her child
the same day that Croft cut Ivo's tongue out. Ivo and Selina's baby boy was sold to the merchants and presumed to either be dead or alive without any knowledge of who his parents are. I figured it
was time you all also learned Ker's full name, his backstory is coming soon along with an explanation to Sol's mysterious vision... Hope that you all enjoy!
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Hi everyone! As you might have just noticed this is a second version of chapter 36. I normally don't do this but I had to add in a character in order to tie together the next few chapters. The only
difference is some of the dialogue and the appearance of Captain Wilson. Merida would have eventually made it to Bren's village, I just bumped up when she does it. Sorry for any confusion! -Kat
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Following the second version of chapter 36 here is ch. 37! (I'll name it eventually) Happy reading, -Katherine
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Hi everyone! If you haven't read the second version of ch. 37 just know that I went back and inserted Merida into it. I might change my mind later but for right now I'm keeping all of the chapters
that I write. The last few have felt like fillers or containing information that should have come sooner. Thanks for reading <3!!
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Hi everyone!! Thanks for patiently waiting for this chapter :) I know it has been a while but I had to take a break from writing for school. This chapter picks up 3 weeks after Felix and Ophelia
leave Bren's village and head home to Iron Haven. Fun Fact: Louis was actually born and raised in Lichtenstein and he has an Irish accent. He moved to Eryie with his parents after his village was
attacked by moles. Determined to protect his family and new country Louis joined the guard where he met his best friend Juan. (They're two of my favorite side characters so you'll see more of them
in future!) Thanks for reading!!
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Hi everyone! I know it has been a while but I can finally work on publishing chapters again. Exams are steadily approaching so it might be a while until I post chapter 41. 40 has some nice
surprises / revealing info, hope you enjoy!


Don't read the Fun Fact until you've finished the chapter............


Fun Fact: I actually enjoy writing scenes with Croft in them. He's an intricate character and his goal is (hopefully) not what you would expect from a man like him. He's human, he's had a lot of
heart break and pain that has shaped him into the man he is today. You'll be seeing more of his story in the future!
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Hello everyone and thank you for reading! Chapter 41 picks up three days after Felix and Ophelia have an argument. You'll get to see more of their relationship along with the introduction of a new
character. :) Hope you all enjoy!
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! :)


Fun Fact: The word Frihet means Freedom. The Frihet fighters were originally a peaceful resistance group fighting against a corrupt government before the rise of the Moles. When the first Arthur
joined he led a second branch (the only surviving group after the Rise of the Moles) in an attack against the government.
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Hi everyone! Chapter 43 reintroduces some old characters and brings in a few new! Hope you enjoy and please leave a comment!


Fun Fact: Klaus and Sol grew up together. If you remember from Croft's flashback Leroy (his father) had a business partner named Russel, he was Klaus's dad. After Croft killed Leroy, Russel fled to
Lasi maa. Klaus followed him and killed him, but never returned from Lasi maa.
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If you have any suggestions on a chapter title, I would love to hear them! Until then, it will remain untitled until I think of something. I decided to release this chapter as a "I survived to the
middle of exam week" marker. This is also another one of the older portions I wrote at the beginning of TIA.


Fun Fact: Arthur was originally named Artemis. I did not want him to be confused with the first Arthur from over 100 years ago. Arthur was only supposed to be a nickname given to him by Lyra when
he was born and continued by Ophelia (she had some anger issues in the original version) I decided having two names was too confusing so changed his name to Arthur. It was the biggest insult Lyra
could ever give to her son, but he's determined to change the negative connotations associated with his name.
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This section was originally published with chapter 46. I've made a few minor grammatical edits and started it as a new chapter to shorten the previous. Thanks for reading!
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Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!


Bren starts displacing her fear of Croft into the world around her. Seeing Bianca hurt brings out a protective streak in Bren. While this might all seem like filler, Bren's courage to standing up
to Lin gives her an additional ally, but also attracts the unwanted attention of Allen Bradly...
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Hard to believe we've made it to chapter 50! In this one you get a small glimpse of what life is like in the Iron City. Chapter 51 will pick up with them heading to the ports. Thanks for reading!
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Chapter 51 picks up directly after Ophelia, Felix, Merida, and Louis head to the Outer Rim. Bren and Arthur travel to the ports, hoping to secure a deal with the mysterious Jack Rackham...
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Probably could have titled this "The Chapter Where Arthur Wished he had Stayed Home" and it would have worked just as well. Enjoy, :D


If you read my chapters frequently, or if you are new to the book, stop by and say hi! I don't bite! (Much) I do, however, appreciate comments and constructive criticism.
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Hi everyone! I know it has been a while since I last posted a chapter. Here's a quick recap, Bren and Arthur were at the ports negotiating a deal with Jack Rackham (He's the leader of the Shifters)
when there was an attack on the ports. Chapter 53 picks up after Bren has been bitten again and Arthur finds himself in a deadly situation....


Enjoy!
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I know I just posted Chapter 55 the other day, but I thought I'd go ahead and post 56 while my homework pile is at a manageable level.


It's been a while since I last featured Klaus and Rachael in a chapter. As a reminder Klaus is Croft's childhood friend and helped orchestrate an attack on the ports. While Rachael is the Eryie
World Council representative Croft kidnapped and tortured.


This chapter picks up 3 weeks after the attack. Also Merida (Captain Wilson) Louis, Felix, and Ophelia finally arrive at the Outer Rim.


Thank you for reading!
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I just counted the number of chapters left and there are 23 left in the book. Maybe 22, I'm looking at shortening a section. 80 chapters total but by adding a few more I was able to shorten their
length and make it more reader friendly. (Also cliffhangers :D)


I am working on a rewrite to The Iron Assassin and it doesn't look like it will have as many chapters next time. I'm not sure how many chapters classifies as "too many," but I feel like 80 is a
lot. Or maybe not, as long as it's quality over quantity.


Thanks for reading! I can't promise an instant reply to your comments or edit suggestions, but I will find time eventually around homework and work.
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I reference the Other Side multiple times in this chapter. While rewriting my earlier chapters I made sure to explain that the Other Side is their version of "Heaven" although a large difference is
no matter what your faith is you are guaranteed time in the Other Side, unless of course you're Croft. Also Merida Wilson will currently be the only character to reference the Other Side as the
Maker's Realm - she was born and raised in Nodin so therefore still uses some of Nodin's terminology. Thanks for reading! :D
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This is officially the last "new character" I am introducing in the rest of the book! Also, we've reached my favorite part, so I'm excited to hear what you all think. Thanks for reading!
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Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've got two weeks left in my semester until exams so I've been incredibly busy with homework and work. But I hope the excitement in this chapter
will make up for my absence!!


Note: Just in case any of you pay attention to little details, I forgot to have Janus sheath his sword last chapter. I will go and edit it so he's not holding a gun in left hand and sword in right!
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Thank you all so much for reading! -Katherine
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After working on Bradly's character for so long, I started to realize he might be a better villain than Croft. Yes, Croft has his tragic backstory, but I feel as though you all will relate to
Bradly's fear (not necessarily his actions) more. Maybe I'm waaayyy off and there are some Croft fans out there (other than me but I'm biased and love all of my characters). Either way I do plan on
going back and working on Croft's character some more. I'll update any major chapter changes in my news!


Thank you all for reading :)
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Thanks for reading!
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Hi everyone! Thank you so much for reading!
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***Heads up! This chapter contains some heavier language than what I usually use***


A day later than what I intended, chapter 74 is my two year celebration of The Iron Assassin being on Booksie! Or as Dr. Acula said, my Ironversary! It is incredibly bittersweet for me to be
editing the last two chapters of the book. It has been an amazing journey, and as I set up the scene for the last chapter, I wanted to take the time to thank you all for your support once again.
And for loving Bren and Arthur as much as I do.


Until chapter 75, -Katherine
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This is it everyone, the last chapter of The Iron Assassin. I've posted a longer author's note at the end to avoid spoilers.


Much love to you all, -Katherine
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I might not be an art major, but I do enjoy to draw. I decided to upload the occasional character portrait to the book, just in case anyone wants to see how I interpret them.
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I will eventually upload a world map, but for right now I have listed the countries and their locations.


I am also adding a character description/ family tree. This is for my benefit but mostly so that if anyone needs a refresher you don't have to go back and reread chapters as I edit and upload them.
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