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One deduction at a time

Follow the numbered clues, one-to-one eliminations and cross-grid deductions. When a counterfactual is needed, its assumptions and clue-by-clue contradiction are shown.

Measured complexity: rule tier 3/4 · 48 verified grid deductions · 0 counterfactuals. Difficulty measures the rules used by this solver, not a promised completion time.

1. Step 1: Clue 2: Noah is not paired with History. Noah cannot be paired with History.
2. Step 2: Clue 3: Eva is not paired with Blue. Eva cannot be paired with Blue.
3. Step 3: Clue 5: Fantasy is not paired with Red. Fantasy cannot be paired with Red.
4. Step 4: Clue 1: placing Poetry at Green leaves no valid later position for Mystery at the required gap of 1. Poetry cannot be paired with Green.
5. Step 5: Clue 1: placing Mystery at Red leaves no valid earlier position for Poetry at the required gap of 1. Mystery cannot be paired with Red.
6. Step 6: Clue 4 restricts Liam to Mystery or Fantasy. Liam cannot be paired with History.
7. Step 7: Clue 4 restricts Liam to Mystery or Fantasy. Liam cannot be paired with Poetry.
8. Step 8: Clue 6 restricts Mystery to Red or Gold. Mystery cannot be paired with Blue.
9. Step 9: Clue 1: placing Poetry at Red leaves no valid later position for Mystery at the required gap of 1. Poetry cannot be paired with Red.
10. Step 10: All other Genres choices for Red have been eliminated. History must be paired with Red.
11. Step 11: History is already matched to Red; each item is used once. History cannot be paired with Blue.
12. Step 12: History is already matched to Red; each item is used once. History cannot be paired with Gold.
13. Step 13: History is already matched to Red; each item is used once. History cannot be paired with Green.
14. Step 14: Clue 6 restricts Mystery to Red or Gold. Mystery cannot be paired with Green.
15. Step 15: All other Bookmarks choices for Mystery have been eliminated. Mystery must be paired with Gold.
16. Step 16: Gold is already matched to Mystery; each item is used once. Poetry cannot be paired with Gold.
17. Step 17: All other Bookmarks choices for Poetry have been eliminated. Poetry must be paired with Blue.
18. Step 18: Blue is already matched to Poetry; each item is used once. Fantasy cannot be paired with Blue.
19. Step 19: Gold is already matched to Mystery; each item is used once. Fantasy cannot be paired with Gold.
20. Step 20: All other Bookmarks choices for Fantasy have been eliminated. Fantasy must be paired with Green.
21. Step 21: Clue 7 restricts Eva to Blue or Green. Eva cannot be paired with Red.
22. Step 22: Clue 7 restricts Eva to Blue or Green. Eva cannot be paired with Gold.
23. Step 23: All other Bookmarks choices for Eva have been eliminated. Eva must be paired with Green.
24. Step 24: Green is already matched to Eva; each item is used once. Maya cannot be paired with Green.
25. Step 25: Green is already matched to Eva; each item is used once. Noah cannot be paired with Green.
26. Step 26: Green is already matched to Eva; each item is used once. Liam cannot be paired with Green.
27. Step 27: Maya and Fantasy have no possible Bookmarks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Maya cannot be paired with Fantasy.
28. Step 28: Noah and Fantasy have no possible Bookmarks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Noah cannot be paired with Fantasy.
29. Step 29: Eva and Mystery have no possible Bookmarks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Eva cannot be paired with Mystery.
30. Step 30: Eva and History have no possible Bookmarks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Eva cannot be paired with History.
31. Step 31: All other Readers choices for History have been eliminated. Maya must be paired with History.
32. Step 32: Maya is already matched to History; each item is used once. Maya cannot be paired with Mystery.
33. Step 33: Maya is already matched to History; each item is used once. Maya cannot be paired with Poetry.
34. Step 34: Eva and Poetry have no possible Bookmarks item in common, so they cannot belong together. Eva cannot be paired with Poetry.
35. Step 35: All other Readers choices for Poetry have been eliminated. Noah must be paired with Poetry.
36. Step 36: Noah is already matched to Poetry; each item is used once. Noah cannot be paired with Mystery.
37. Step 37: All other Genres choices for Eva have been eliminated. Eva must be paired with Fantasy.
38. Step 38: All other Readers choices for Mystery have been eliminated. Liam must be paired with Mystery.
39. Step 39: Liam is already matched to Mystery; each item is used once. Liam cannot be paired with Fantasy.
40. Step 40: Both Maya and Red are matched to History; they must belong together. Maya must be paired with Red.
41. Step 41: Maya is already matched to Red; each item is used once. Maya cannot be paired with Blue.
42. Step 42: Maya is already matched to Red; each item is used once. Maya cannot be paired with Gold.
43. Step 43: Red is already matched to Maya; each item is used once. Noah cannot be paired with Red.
44. Step 44: Red is already matched to Maya; each item is used once. Liam cannot be paired with Red.
45. Step 45: Both Noah and Blue are matched to Poetry; they must belong together. Noah must be paired with Blue.
46. Step 46: Noah is already matched to Blue; each item is used once. Noah cannot be paired with Gold.
47. Step 47: Blue is already matched to Noah; each item is used once. Liam cannot be paired with Blue.
48. Step 48: All other Bookmarks choices for Liam have been eliminated. Liam must be paired with Gold.

Answer key

Maya · History · Red

Noah · Poetry · Blue

Eva · Fantasy · Green

Liam · Mystery · Gold