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Archive-name: fantasy/recommended-authors/part2
Posting-Frequency: monthly Last-modified: 1998/03/01 URL: http://www.sff.net/people/Amy.Sheldon/listcont.htm Version: 3.0 See reader questions & answers on this topic! - Help others by sharing your knowledge
THE RECOMMENDED FANTASY AUTHORS LIST - ver. 3.0
Part 2 of 5
NOTICE OF MAJOR CHANGE TO LIST
Beginning with the March, 1998 posting, only those authors with
six or more recommendations will have detailed listings. THE
FULL LIST, WITH TITLES AND COMMENTS ON *ALL* RECOMMENDED
AUTHORS, is available at the list web site:
http://www.sff.net/people/Amy.Sheldon/listcont.htm
Unfortunately, the Recommended Fantasy Author List has just
gotten too large to continue posting the entire thing.
Pamela Dean (b. 1953)
"The Secret Country" - The Secret Country; The Hidden Land;
The Whim of the Dragon
_Another series usually found in the children's
section of your library._
The Dubious Hills
_Set in the same world as _The Secret Country_, but
featuring different characters. An unusual book,
this one is not geared toward children._
Tam-Lin
_The college setting of this one makes it quite
popular with the academic crowd. Stand-alone
contemporary retelling of the Tam-Lin legend. Part
of the 'Fairy Tale' series._
Juniper, Gentian, and Rosemary (forthcoming June '98)
_This was originally scheduled for July, 1997._
L. Sprague de Camp (b. 1907)
"The Reluctant King" - Goblin Tower; The Clocks of Iraz;
The Unbeheaded King; The Honorable Barbarian
_Classic. Fast-paced heroic adventure with an added
dash of humor_
The Complete Compleat Enchanter (co-author Fletcher
Pratt)
_Great series of novelettes! Published in a variety
of configurations, the above title is the U.S.
edition that contains all the stories. In the U.K.,
look for _The Intrepid Enchanter_. Harold Shea
travels to a variety of magical worlds, finding
love, adventure, and poetry._
The Exotic Enchanter (co-author Christopher Stasheff)
_de Camp continues Harold Shea's adventures with a
new co-author. There has also been at least one
collection of short stories in this series_
Charles de Lint (b. 1951)
"Jack of Kinrowen" - Jack the Giant Killer; Drink Down the
Moon (Omnibus edition with JoK title available from Tor)
__Jack the Giant Killer_ was originally published as
part of the 'Fairy Tale' series._
"Newford series" - Our Lady of the Harbor; Paperjack; The
Wishing Well; Memory and Dream
_Standalones taking place in the fictional town of
Newford. Most (if not all) of the short stories in
the two collections mentioned below take place in
Newford also._
"Short story collections" - Dreams Underfoot; The Ivory and
the Horn
_de Lint's short story collections are a good
introduction to the author - if you don't like
these, you won't like his novels._
Greenmantle
The Little Country
Trader
Someplace To Be Flying (forthcoming Feb. '98)
_He's written many books, with a fair number only
available in small press editions. Most are
stand-alone (although related to each other), all
are good. The best-known and most productive author
in the 'urban fantasy' sub-genre. Can be difficult
to find in U.S. (this is changing - Tor, his
publisher, is showing their good taste and really
pushing his work), readily available in Canada &
U.K._
**Stephen Donaldson (b. 1947)
"Thomas Covenant - First Chronicles" - Lord Foul's Bane;
The Illearth War; The Power That Preserves
_VERY highly recommended. This is a powerful
trilogy, and you should read it._
"Thomas Covenant - Second Chronicles" - The Wounded Land;
The One Tree; White Gold Wielder
_The Covenant books can be *quite* grim &
depressing, but they are well written and worth your
time. Those who love Donaldson's work describe
Covenant as a flawed but decent human struggling to
come to terms with both his illness and his power.
Others with less charity in their souls consider
Covenant to be whiny, self-pitying, and a poor
excuse for a hero. Give the Chronicles a try & see
which category you fall into._
"Thomas Covenant - Final Chronicles" - ?? (forthcoming
maybe someday)
_Yep, you read that right. Donaldson confirmed in a
recent (September 1997) interview that "I already
have all the ideas for the grand scheme so the
second chronicles is ready for the last chronicles."
However, he didn't give any hints as to when he
would actually start writing down the ideas, so
don't get your hopes up yet. He just finished up a
five-book SF series with characters that make the
folks in the Covenant books look cheerful and
well-adjusted._
"Mordant's Need" - The Mirror of Her Dreams; A Man Rides
Through
_Several people have remarked that, although the
Covenant books weren't their cup of tea, *this*
duology was very enjoyable, and nowhere near as
gloomy as his usual (although the heroine has more
than her share of self-image problems...)_
*Dave Duncan (b. 1933)
"Seventh Sword" - The Reluctant Swordsman; The Coming of
Wisdom; The Destiny of the Sword
_His first work. Has some ragged edges, but moves
right along._
"A Man of His Word" - The Magic Casement; Faery Lands
Forlorn; Perilous Seas; Emperor and Clown
_A stableboy sets forth on a quest, and ends up with
a (need I say it?) great destiny._
"A Handful of Men" - The Cutting Edge; Upland Outlaws; The
Stricken Field; The Living God
_Follows the same characters as 'A Man of His Word'
series._
"Omar the Storyteller" - The Reaver's Road; The Hunter's
Haunt
_Described as being 'a little lighter' than Duncan's
epic fantasies, this on-going series features Omar
the storyteller. The books are completely self-
contained, and stand alone._
The Cursed
_Stand-alone about a land afflicted by changes
brought about by the baleful influence of certain
stars. Duncan also has a new book out under the
pseudonym Ken Hood titled _Demon Sword_._
"The Great Game" - Past Imperative; Present Tense; Future
Indefinite
_This looks interesting - in 1914, a young man
suffering from amnesia and accused of murder ends up
at Stonehenge, where he is transported to an
alternate reality._
Lord Dunsany (1879-1957)
The King of Elfland's Daughter
_Early fantasy. Dunsany was very influential in the
field. The above is probably his most accessible
book for modern readers (although I like _The
Charwoman's Shadow_ too, but then, I've got a
definite fondness for early fantasy). It should be
available at most larger libraries_
**David Eddings (b. 1931)
"The Belgariad" - Pawn of Prophecy; Queen of Sorcery;
Magician's Gambit; Castle of Wizardry; Enchanter's End
Game
_Eddings' fantasy debut, and, my, was it successful.
The forces of dark and light are rushing toward a
climatic confrontation, and young farm boy Garion is
swept into the battle._
"The Malloreon" - Guardians of the West; King of the
Murgos; The Demon Lord of Karanda; The Sorceress of
Darshiva; The Seeress of Kell
_Continuing the adventures of Garion and Company._
"The Prequels" - Belgarath the Sorcerer; Polgara the
Sorceress
_Yep, two more books about our favorite sorcerer and
his daughter. These are both prequels to the events
of the Belgariad, and should finally answer such
burning questions as: Why did Poledra have to
pretend she'd died? and How exactly DID the orb get
onto the shield?_
"The Elenium" - The Diamond Throne; The Ruby Knight; The
Sapphire Rose
_Eddings creates a new world and characters. The
hero Sparhawk sets off to save his queen and
country._
"The Tamuli" - Domes of Fire; The Shining Ones; The Hidden
City
_More adventures of Sparhawk (Eddings does like to
get a lot of use out of his characters).
Eddings is by far the most highly recommended author
on the List (hardly surprising, as the list
originated in the alt.fan.eddings newsgroup)._
Teresa Edgerton (b. 1949)
"The Green Lion Trilogy" - Child of Saturn; The Moon in
Hiding; The Work of the Sun
_Celtic-inspired fantasy in a complex, well-realized
world._
"Kingdom of Celydonn trilogy" - The Castle of the Silver
Wheel; The Grail and the Ring; The Moon and the Thorn
_More about the world of the "Green Lion" trilogy.
Dwayne says the two books he's read are excellent,
and I agree, although ^Castle^ is a trifle slow-
moving in spots. The final book was recently
released, and it is a satisfying conclusion to the
trilogy._
Goblin Moon; The Gnome's Engine
_Jonathan says these are "just awesome - full of
intrigue and suspense." Not part of the Celydonn
series, the world of these books is built more along
Victorian lines._
Phyllis Eisenstein (b. 1946)
"Cray the Sorcerer" - Sorcerer's Son; The Crystal Palace
_Stand-alones about Cray, a sorcerer._
"Tales of Alaric the Minstrel" - Born to Exile; In the Red
Lord's Reach
_Two books so far, the first is episodic and has the
feel of a short story collection, second is a novel.
Alaric is gifted with the magical ability of
teleportation._
**Raymond Feist (b. 1945)
"Riftwar Saga" - Magician: Apprentice; Magician: Master;
Silverthorn; A Darkness at Sethanon
_Fast-paced adventure, and full of action. The first
two books were originally published in one volume
under the title _Magician_._
"Midkemia series" - Prince of the Blood; The King's
Buccaneer
_Technically, these two are stand-alone books,
although they feature characters and situations
introduced in the Riftwar Saga, and set up
situations that are due to be resolved in the
Serpentwar saga._
"The Serpentwar Saga" - Shadow of a Dark Queen; Rise of a
Merchant Prince; Rage of a Demon King; Shards of a
Broken Crown (title originally announced as 'The Honor
of a Bastard Knight', forthcoming April '98)
_A new Midkemia series._
Faerie Tale
_NOT a Midkemia book. A dark, modern fairy tale._
Boy's Adventure (forthcoming late '98/early '99)
_Standalone dark fantasy._
"Krondor series" - Betrayal at Krondor (forthcoming);
Return to Krondor (forthcoming)
_Novelizations of Feist's 'Krondor' CD-ROM game.
Feist is the second most highly recommended author
on this list (after Eddings, of course) - his work
definitely strikes a chord with most Eddings fans._
Raymond Feist and Janny Wurts
"Daughter of the Empire trilogy" - Daughter of the Empire;
Servant of the Empire; Mistress of the Empire
_Loosely related to Riftwar saga (they take place on
the other side of the Rift)._
Alan Dean Foster (b. 1946)
"Spellsinger" - Spellsinger; The Hour of the Gate
_These are the initial duology. A young man ends up
in a world where music has magic. It has become an
open-ended series. Foster is an entertaining and
competent writer (I've enjoyed his SF books about
Flinx and Humanx Commonwealth), however, I've
received reports that the later books in this series
have fallen off quite a bit in quality._
C.S. Friedman (b. 1955)
"The Coldfire Trilogy" - Black Sun Rising; When True Night
Falls; Crown of Shadows
_Sorta SF, but it takes place on a world where magic
works, and it's not a really pleasant place for
humans...."Extremely well written, interesting, and
a lot different than the typical "sword & sorcery"
type book...I would recommend this series to
anyone." Her sf novel _In Conquest Born_ has also
been mentioned by several recommenders. Doug would
like to add the warning that Friedman makes Stephen
Donaldson look like a comedy writer, and that
depressed persons should avoid these books._
*David Gemmell (b. 1948)
"The Drenai" - Legend; King Beyond the Gate; Quest For Lost
Heroes; Waylander; Waylander II; The First Chronicles of
Druss the Legend; Second Chronicles of Druss the Legend;
The Legend of Deathwalker
_The Drenai books are good, solid standalone fantasy
adventures that take place in the same world.
Gemmell is a retailing phenomenon in England, with
a publishing imprint named after his first book.
Only the first four Drenai books have been published
in the U.S. - the final four won't start appearing
in the U.S. until late 1998._
"The Lion of Macedon" - Lion of Macedon; Dark Prince
_Fantasy version of the life of Alexander the Great.
History purists be warned - Gemmell plays fast and
loose with Greek history and mythology. Only
available in trade paperback in the U.S._
"The Stones of Power" - Ghost King; Last Sword of Power;
Wolf in Shadow; The Last Guardian; Bloodstone
_The second first two books take place in a vaguely
Arthurian past, and the others feature Jon Shannow,
and take place in the far future. The connecting
feature of the two eras are the Sipstrassi, the
stones of power._
Knights of Dark Renown
_A stand-alone. It is out in the U.S._
Morningstar
_Another stand-alone._
"The Hawk Queen" - Ironhand's Daughter; Hawk Eternal (both
are only out in the U.K.)
_The Gemmellites don't seem to be particularly
enthusiastic about this particular duology
(commentary has ranged from the lukewarm to the
tepid)._
Dark Moon
The Winter Warriors
Echoes of the Great Song
_Gemmell's work is very popular in Britain, but he's
still relatively unknown in the U.S. He IS worth
looking up - an entertaining author who tells a
fast-paced story. Fairly traditional fantasy, with
heroic heroes (who have flaws, but overcome them
when the chips are down) and dastardly villains._
William Goldman (b. 1931)
The Princess Bride
_A fast-paced, funny romp through every fantasy
cliche you can think of (watch out for the rodents
of unusual size). Written by an author best known
for his screenplays (think ^Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid^), which may be why the movie actually
does a good job of capturing the tone of the book._
Terry Goodkind (b. 1948)
"The Sword of Truth" - Wizard's First Rule; Stone of Tears;
Blood of the Fold; Temple of the Winds; more forthcoming
_Goodkind's debut novel made a big splash, and he
quickly followed it up. Mikey REALLY likes _First
Rule_ and highly recommends it. Goodkind has sold
five books in the series to Tor, so there's at least
one more in the pipeline. Do note that these contain
a fair amount of graphic torture and s&m._
Simon Green (b. 1955)
Blue Moon Rising
_"My favorite new book this year....standard fantasy
with enough of a twist to keep me interested,"
reports Nathan. Your FAQMaster agrees - it moves
quickly, the characters are standard types but still
manage to be interesting, and it kept me reading
straight through to the end._
Down Among the Dead Men; Blood and Honor
_Both set in the same world as _Blue Moon,_ but
they're not really sequels. "Down" takes place years
after, and features a totally different set of
characters, while "Blood" is about an actor who must
play the double of a prince during a crisis.
Action-packed adventure._
"Hawke and Fisher series" - Guard Against Dishonor; Hawke
and Fisher; The Bones of Haven; The God Killer; Winner
Take All; Wolf In the Fold
_Apparently the characters of Hawke and Fisher are
VERY similar to the two main characters of _Blue
Moon Rising_. This is early Green, and not readily
available in the U.S._
Shadows Fall
_Simon Green Gets Ambitious. Shadows Fall is the
town where legends go to die, and where the
apocalypse is about to occur. Not completely
successful, but worth reading, and it is always nice
to see an author trying to stretch his repertoire.
Green is currently in the midst of a galaxy-sweeping
space opera._
*Barbara Hambly (b. 1951)
"Darwath Trilogy" - The Time of the Dark; The Walls of Air;
The Armies of Daylight
_Another 'folks from our world cross into fantastic
realm,' but quite well done (especially considering
that this was Hambly's first fantasy) with
intelligent characters and some interesting twists._
"A New Darwath series" - Mother of Winter; Icefalcon's
Quest (forthcoming Feb. '98)
_Hambly returns to the world of Darwath, the setting
of her first fantasy trilogy, after a decade away._
Dragonsbane
_Standalone about a witch and hero, and a kingdom
that's in a lot of trouble. A good introduction to
Hambly's work._
"Windrose Chronicles" - The Silent Tower; The Silicon Mage;
Dog Wizard
_The first two are basically one book that got split
in two due to size. _Dog Wizard_ continues the plot,
and leaves a fair amount of dangling threads at the
end. This may be turning into an open-ended series_
Stranger at the Wedding (U.K. title - Sorcerer's Ward)
_A standalone set in same world as "Windrose
Chronicles," but featuring different characters. One
of Hambly's weaker offerings._
"Sun Cross duology" - Rainbow Abyss; The Magicians of Night
_Wizards cross from their world into ours, and end
up in Nazi Germany._
"Sun Wolf/Starhawk" - The Ladies of Madrigyn; The Witches
of Wenshar; The Dark Hand of Magic
_Although each of these is a separate, self-
contained story, they are best enjoyed in order, and
_Dark Hand of Magic_ does bring the series to a
fairly definite close._
"James Asher Chronicles" - Those Who Hunt the Night;
Traveling With the Dead
_Hambly does the vampire routine. And she does it
quite well - in fact, _TWHtN_ took the _Locus_
fantasy novel award the year it came out._
Bride of the Rat God
_Lots of fun - 1920's Hollywood and Chinese magic._
Robin Hobb (b. 1952)
"The Farseer Trilogy" - Assassin's Apprentice; Royal
Assassin; Assassin's Quest
_This is very good. A royal bastard is being trained
as an assassin, and is drawn deeply into court
politics and intrigue. It's being advertised as the
first work of a new author, but if you really like
it, you won't have to wait to try more of her work.
Hobb is a pseudonym for Megan Lindholm, and she has
a fair number of works out under her own name._
"The Liveships series" - Ship of Magic (forthcoming April
'98)
_This is set in the same world as 'Farseer',
although it a a new story and doesn't feature any of
the characters from the original trilogy._
P.C. Hodgell (b. 1951)
"Chronicles of the Kencyrath" - God Stalk; Dark of the
Moon; Seeker's Mask
_First two were published in mass-market paperback.
Current works are only available through Hypatia
Press, a small press in Oregon which is currently
having financial problems, so finding her books is
problematic at best. Hodgell is a cult favorite over
on r.a.sf.w., and reportedly outlined a fourth Jaime
book, but has put it aside to work on other
projects._
Barry Hughart (b. 1934)
"Master Li and Number Ten Ox series" - The Bridge of Birds;
The Story of the Stone; Eight Skilled Gentlemen
_Open-ended series set in ancient China. HIGHLY
recommended by your FAQ maker (especially the first
one)._
Brian Jacques (b. 1939)
"Redwall series" - Redwall; Mossflower; Mattimeo; Mariel of
Redwall; Salamandastron; Martin the Warrior; The
Bellmaker; The Outcasts of Redwall; The Pearls of Lutra;
The Long Patrol (out in U.K., forthcoming in U.S. Feb.
'98)
_These are fun. I buy them for my niece, and always
read them myself before I give them to her. Redwall
is an Abbey run by a group of mice, and this series
of standalone books details their adventures. They
are geared toward the children's market (and are
incredibly popular - ask your local children's
librarian about how quickly they fly off the shelves)._
Diana Wynne Jones (b. 1934)
"The Dalemark Sequence" - Drowned Ammet; Cart and Cwidder;
The Spellcoats; The Crown of Dalemark
_Young adult standalone novels all taking place in
Dalemark. The first three books all stand alone, and
can be read in any order, but the final book ties
them all together, and will be best enjoyed if
you've read all of the others._
"Crestomanci books" - The Lives of Christopher Chant;
Charmed Life; Witch Week; The Magicians of Caprona
_Stand-alones that all have the magician Crestomanci
involved somehow._
"The Magician Howl series" - Howl's Moving Castle; Castle
in the Air
_The second book of this one is hard to find in the
U.S. - Books of Wonder in New York stocks most of
Jones' work, and they are good place to look if you
can't find a fix anywhere else._
The Homeward Bounders
_Standalone about a boy doomed to wander between
worlds._
Archer's Goon
A Sudden Wild Magic
_This one is fairly recent and is being marketed as
an adult book, making it the most widely available
book of hers in the U.S. Alas, it is also one of her
weakest offerings, so look up any of her other books
before you decide on her abilities._
Time of the Ghost (published Sept. '96 in the U.S, but
it's been out for more than a decade in Britain)
_Most of Jones' work is geared toward the Young
Adult market, but don't let that stop you. I
particularly liked _Archer's Goon_, _The Homeward
Bounders_ and _Howl's Moving Castle_, Eriond likes
_Dogsbody_ the best, but he reads everything of hers
he can find (so do I)._
**Robert Jordan (b. 1948)
"The Wheel of Time" - The Eye of the World; The Great Hunt;
The Dragon Reborn; The Shadow Rising; The Fires of
Heaven; Lord of Chaos; A Crown of Swords; The Path of
Daggers (forthcoming); plus at least two more
_Jordan recently stated that he thinks it should
take about three more books to complete the series,
but he isn't making any promises. Many a.f.e.
regulars are passionately devoted to this series.
Huge (all the books are 500+ pages), sprawling, and
madly complex._
The Conan Chronicles
_For the Joradanites who need a fix while awaiting
the next volume of The Wheel of Time, this omnibus
edition collects Jordan's Conan novels._
**Guy Gavriel Kay (b. 1954)
"The Fionavar Tapestry" - The Summer Tree; The Wandering
Fire; The Darkest Road
_Bad Things Can Happen To Good People in Kay's
books. Be forewarned, but read them anyway. This is
yet another take on Arthurian legend._
Tigana
_A standalone about a land under a particularly
nasty curse, and the inhabitants' fight to end it.
Complex, very well written. Your FAQmaker tried it
after receiving numerous glowing recommendations,
and now adds her voice to the chorus_
A Song for Arbonne
_Another excellent standalone from Kay. The fantasy
world is loosely based on medieval France
(specifically Eleanor of Aquitaine's Court of
Love)._
The Lions of Al-Rassan
_Kay's latest, set in a time and place reminiscent
of Moorish Spain. Wow, do I like his stuff - great
characters, marvelous story, vivid world. He just
gets better and better. The fantasy content of Kay's
work is shrinking, and it is virtually non-existent
here. Kay has just started on a new book (no details
on the content as yet) which should see print
sometime in 1998._
*Katharine Kerr (b. 1944)
"Deverry" - Daggerspell; Darkspell; The Bristling Wood
('Dawnspell' in the U.K.); The Dragon Revenant
('Dragonspell' in the U.K.)
__Daggerspell_ has recently been re-released in the
U.S. The new edition has been re-edited by the
author, however this consisted mainly of tightening
some passages and some grammatical cleanup. NO
scenes were added or taken out. _Darkspell_ has also
been reissued by Bantam Spectra, and it too has been
re-edited by the author, and, according to Katharine
Kerr, "...there are 5 or 6 changes to the action
along the way..." Sarcyn's character undergoes the
most significant changes. A *fine* author - her
readers (and that includes the FAQmaster) recommend
her highly._
"The Westland Cycle" - A Time of Exile; A Time of Omens;
Days of Blood and Fire ('A Time of War' in the U.K.);
Days of Air and Darkness ('A Time of Justice' in the
U.K.)
_More about Deverry._
"The final Deverry tetralogy" - The Red Wyvern; The Black
Raven (forthcoming); 2 more
_The final tetralogy that will complete the story of
Deverry. She intersperses SF novels with her fantasy
output, and they're worth reading, too._
Stephen King (b. 1946)
The Eyes of the Dragon
_Good standalone fantasy (there are so few of those
out there these days...) I enjoyed it, and I am
*not* a Stephen King fan._
"Dark Tower series" - The Gunslinger; The Drawing of the
Three; The Waste Lands; Wizard and Glass
_Eriond says this is a great series that is
improving as it goes along. "It's about a gunslinger
who's seeking his father's murderer, picks up an
"adopted" son and three companions, and is slowly
losing his mind." Eriond also says to skip _The
Gunslinger_ - "it's wretched! You don't really need
to read it to understand [the series]" (although
another recommender strongly disagrees with him)._
*Katherine Kurtz (b. 1944)
"Deryni Chronicles" - Deryni Rising; Deryni Checkmate; High
Deryni
_The first published Deryni books. Although these
are not first in the internal chronology of the
series, Kurtz herself has recommended that new
readers start with these. Takes place in a
Wales-like alternate world where a portion of the
population (the Deryni) have magical abilities_
"Camber of Culdi" - Camber of Culdi; Saint Camber; Camber
the Heretic
_Jumps back in time to examine the history that lead
to the world of the "Deryni Chronicles."_
"The Histories of King Kelson" - The Bishop's Heir; The
King's Justice; The Quest for Saint Camber
_Picks up where the "Chronicles" left off._
"Heirs of Saint Camber" - The Harrowing of Gwynedd; King
Javan's Year; The Bastard Prince
_Apparently, Bad Things *Regularly* Happen to Good
People in the later books of Katherine Kurtz. Her
fans are quite dedicated, and she has a newsgroup at
alt.books.deryni._
King Kelson's Bride (forthcoming)
_A standalone continuation of the Deryni saga. Kurtz
is reportedly hard at work on it, but at this point
speculation on the publication date stills falls
into the realm of fantasy._
Two Crowns for America
_A non-Deryni book. This one takes place in an
alternate history colonial America._
Katherine Kurtz and Deborah Turner Harris (b. 1951)
"The Adept series" - The Adept; The Lodge of the Lynx; The
Templar Treasure; Dagger Magic; Death of an Adept
_Set in modern day Scotland, Kheldar says "I
recommend them to everybody, not just readers of
Sci-Fi/Fantasy." Harris also has several books of
her own out, listed under her name._
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