feat: stream/generate audio mode toggle

Add a user-selectable playback mode stored in user_settings:
- 'stream' (default): /api/audio-stream starts playing within seconds,
  saves to MinIO concurrently — low latency
- 'generate': queue runner task, poll until full audio is ready in
  MinIO, then play via presigned URL — legacy behaviour

UI toggles in two places:
- AudioPlayer idle pill: compact '· Stream / · Generate' inline next
  to voice name and estimated duration
- ListeningMode controls row: pill alongside Auto, Announce, Sleep;
  disabled and grayed out for CF AI voices (batch-only, no streaming)

startPlayback() now branches on audioStore.audioMode for non-CF AI
voices; generate mode uses the same runner task + progress bar flow
as CF AI but without the preview clip.

PocketBase: audio_mode text field added to user_settings on
pb.libnovel.cc (live) and in pb-init-v3.sh (create block +
add_field migration line).

backend/cmd/backend/main.go

@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@ func run() error {
 			TextGen:           textGenClient,
 			BookWriter:        store,
 			AIJobStore:        store,
+			BookAdminStore:    store,
 			Log:               log,
 		},
 	)

backend/internal/backend/handlers_books_admin.go

@@ -0,0 +1,117 @@
+package backend
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"net/http"
+
+	"github.com/libnovel/backend/internal/storage"
+)
+
+// handleAdminArchiveBook handles PATCH /api/admin/books/{slug}/archive.
+// Soft-deletes a book by setting archived=true in PocketBase and updating the
+// Meilisearch document so it is excluded from all public search results.
+// The book data is preserved and can be restored with the unarchive endpoint.
+func (s *Server) handleAdminArchiveBook(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	slug := r.PathValue("slug")
+	if slug == "" {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "missing slug")
+		return
+	}
+	if s.deps.BookAdminStore == nil {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "book admin store not configured")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := s.deps.BookAdminStore.ArchiveBook(r.Context(), slug); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrNotFound) {
+			jsonError(w, http.StatusNotFound, "book not found")
+			return
+		}
+		s.deps.Log.Error("archive book failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Update the Meilisearch document so the archived flag takes effect
+	// immediately in search/catalogue results.
+	if meta, ok, err := s.deps.BookReader.ReadMetadata(r.Context(), slug); err == nil && ok {
+		if upsertErr := s.deps.SearchIndex.UpsertBook(r.Context(), meta); upsertErr != nil {
+			s.deps.Log.Warn("archive book: meili upsert failed", "slug", slug, "err", upsertErr)
+		}
+	}
+
+	s.deps.Log.Info("book archived", "slug", slug)
+	writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, map[string]string{"slug": slug, "status": "archived"})
+}
+
+// handleAdminUnarchiveBook handles PATCH /api/admin/books/{slug}/unarchive.
+// Restores a previously archived book by clearing the archived flag, making it
+// publicly visible in search and catalogue results again.
+func (s *Server) handleAdminUnarchiveBook(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	slug := r.PathValue("slug")
+	if slug == "" {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "missing slug")
+		return
+	}
+	if s.deps.BookAdminStore == nil {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "book admin store not configured")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := s.deps.BookAdminStore.UnarchiveBook(r.Context(), slug); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrNotFound) {
+			jsonError(w, http.StatusNotFound, "book not found")
+			return
+		}
+		s.deps.Log.Error("unarchive book failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Sync the updated archived=false state back to Meilisearch.
+	if meta, ok, err := s.deps.BookReader.ReadMetadata(r.Context(), slug); err == nil && ok {
+		if upsertErr := s.deps.SearchIndex.UpsertBook(r.Context(), meta); upsertErr != nil {
+			s.deps.Log.Warn("unarchive book: meili upsert failed", "slug", slug, "err", upsertErr)
+		}
+	}
+
+	s.deps.Log.Info("book unarchived", "slug", slug)
+	writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, map[string]string{"slug": slug, "status": "active"})
+}
+
+// handleAdminDeleteBook handles DELETE /api/admin/books/{slug}.
+// Permanently removes all data for a book:
+//   - PocketBase books record and all chapters_idx records
+//   - All MinIO chapter markdown objects and the cover image
+//   - Meilisearch document
+//
+// This operation is irreversible. Use the archive endpoint for soft-deletion.
+func (s *Server) handleAdminDeleteBook(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	slug := r.PathValue("slug")
+	if slug == "" {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "missing slug")
+		return
+	}
+	if s.deps.BookAdminStore == nil {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "book admin store not configured")
+		return
+	}
+
+	if err := s.deps.BookAdminStore.DeleteBook(r.Context(), slug); err != nil {
+		if errors.Is(err, storage.ErrNotFound) {
+			jsonError(w, http.StatusNotFound, "book not found")
+			return
+		}
+		s.deps.Log.Error("delete book failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+
+	// Remove from Meilisearch — best-effort (log on failure, don't fail request).
+	if err := s.deps.SearchIndex.DeleteBook(r.Context(), slug); err != nil {
+		s.deps.Log.Warn("delete book: meili delete failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+	}
+
+	s.deps.Log.Info("book deleted", "slug", slug)
+	writeJSON(w, http.StatusOK, map[string]string{"slug": slug, "status": "deleted"})
+}

backend/internal/backend/handlers_split.go

@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+package backend
+
+import (
+	"encoding/json"
+	"fmt"
+	"net/http"
+	"strings"
+
+	"github.com/libnovel/backend/internal/bookstore"
+	"github.com/libnovel/backend/internal/domain"
+)
+
+// handleAdminSplitChapters handles POST /api/admin/books/{slug}/split-chapters.
+//
+// Request body (JSON):
+//
+//	{ "text": "<full text with --- dividers and optional ## Title lines>" }
+//
+// The text is split on lines containing only "---". Each segment may start with
+// a "## Title" line which becomes the chapter title; remaining lines are the
+// chapter content. Sequential chapter numbers 1..N are assigned.
+//
+// All existing chapters for the book are replaced: WriteChapter is called for
+// each new chapter (upsert by number), so chapters beyond N are not deleted —
+// use the dedup endpoint afterwards if needed.
+func (s *Server) handleAdminSplitChapters(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+	if s.deps.BookWriter == nil {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusServiceUnavailable, "book writer not configured")
+		return
+	}
+
+	slug := r.PathValue("slug")
+	if slug == "" {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "slug is required")
+		return
+	}
+
+	var req struct {
+		Text string `json:"text"`
+	}
+	if err := json.NewDecoder(r.Body).Decode(&req); err != nil {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "parse body: "+err.Error())
+		return
+	}
+	if strings.TrimSpace(req.Text) == "" {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusBadRequest, "text is required")
+		return
+	}
+
+	chapters := splitChapterText(req.Text)
+	if len(chapters) == 0 {
+		jsonError(w, http.StatusUnprocessableEntity, "no chapters produced from text")
+		return
+	}
+
+	for _, ch := range chapters {
+		var mdContent string
+		if ch.Title != "" && ch.Title != fmt.Sprintf("Chapter %d", ch.Number) {
+			mdContent = fmt.Sprintf("# %s\n\n%s", ch.Title, ch.Content)
+		} else {
+			mdContent = fmt.Sprintf("# Chapter %d\n\n%s", ch.Number, ch.Content)
+		}
+		domainCh := domain.Chapter{
+			Ref:  domain.ChapterRef{Number: ch.Number, Title: ch.Title},
+			Text: mdContent,
+		}
+		if err := s.deps.BookWriter.WriteChapter(r.Context(), slug, domainCh); err != nil {
+			jsonError(w, http.StatusInternalServerError, fmt.Sprintf("write chapter %d: %s", ch.Number, err.Error()))
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	writeJSON(w, 0, map[string]any{
+		"chapters": len(chapters),
+		"slug":     slug,
+	})
+}
+
+// splitChapterText splits text on "---" divider lines into bookstore.Chapter
+// slices. Each segment may optionally start with a "## Title" header line.
+func splitChapterText(text string) []bookstore.Chapter {
+	lines := strings.Split(text, "\n")
+
+	// Collect raw segments split on "---" dividers.
+	var segments [][]string
+	cur := []string{}
+	for _, line := range lines {
+		if strings.TrimSpace(line) == "---" {
+			segments = append(segments, cur)
+			cur = []string{}
+		} else {
+			cur = append(cur, line)
+		}
+	}
+	segments = append(segments, cur) // last segment
+
+	var chapters []bookstore.Chapter
+	chNum := 0
+	for _, seg := range segments {
+		// Trim leading/trailing blank lines from the segment.
+		start, end := 0, len(seg)
+		for start < end && strings.TrimSpace(seg[start]) == "" {
+			start++
+		}
+		for end > start && strings.TrimSpace(seg[end-1]) == "" {
+			end--
+		}
+		seg = seg[start:end]
+		if len(seg) == 0 {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		// Check for a "## Title" header on the first line.
+		title := ""
+		contentStart := 0
+		if strings.HasPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(seg[0]), "## ") {
+			title = strings.TrimSpace(strings.TrimPrefix(strings.TrimSpace(seg[0]), "## "))
+			contentStart = 1
+			// Skip blank lines after the title.
+			for contentStart < len(seg) && strings.TrimSpace(seg[contentStart]) == "" {
+				contentStart++
+			}
+		}
+
+		content := strings.TrimSpace(strings.Join(seg[contentStart:], "\n"))
+		if content == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+
+		chNum++
+		if title == "" {
+			title = fmt.Sprintf("Chapter %d", chNum)
+		}
+		chapters = append(chapters, bookstore.Chapter{
+			Number:  chNum,
+			Title:   title,
+			Content: content,
+		})
+	}
+	return chapters
+}

backend/internal/backend/server.go

@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ type Dependencies struct {
 	// AIJobStore tracks long-running AI generation jobs in PocketBase.
 	// If nil, job persistence is disabled (jobs still run but are not recorded).
 	AIJobStore bookstore.AIJobStore
+	// BookAdminStore provides admin-only operations: archive, unarchive, hard-delete.
+	// If nil, the admin book management endpoints return 503.
+	BookAdminStore bookstore.BookAdminStore
 	// Log is the structured logger.
 	Log *slog.Logger
 }
@@ -247,6 +250,14 @@ func (s *Server) ListenAndServe(ctx context.Context) error {
 	// Admin data repair endpoints
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/admin/dedup-chapters/{slug}", s.handleDedupChapters)
 
+	// Admin book management (soft-delete / hard-delete)
+	mux.HandleFunc("PATCH /api/admin/books/{slug}/archive", s.handleAdminArchiveBook)
+	mux.HandleFunc("PATCH /api/admin/books/{slug}/unarchive", s.handleAdminUnarchiveBook)
+	mux.HandleFunc("DELETE /api/admin/books/{slug}", s.handleAdminDeleteBook)
+
+	// Admin chapter split (imported books)
+	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/admin/books/{slug}/split-chapters", s.handleAdminSplitChapters)
+
 	// Import (PDF/EPUB)
 	mux.HandleFunc("POST /api/admin/import", s.handleAdminImport)
 	mux.HandleFunc("GET /api/admin/import", s.handleAdminImportList)

backend/internal/bookstore/bookstore.go

@@ -216,6 +216,27 @@ type BookImporter interface {
 	Import(ctx context.Context, objectKey, fileType string) ([]Chapter, error)
 }
 
+// BookAdminStore covers admin-only operations for managing books in the catalogue.
+// All methods require admin authorisation at the HTTP handler level.
+type BookAdminStore interface {
+	// ArchiveBook sets archived=true on a book record, hiding it from all
+	// public search and catalogue responses. Returns ErrNotFound when the
+	// slug does not exist.
+	ArchiveBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error
+
+	// UnarchiveBook clears archived on a book record, making it publicly
+	// visible again. Returns ErrNotFound when the slug does not exist.
+	UnarchiveBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error
+
+	// DeleteBook permanently removes all data for a book:
+	//   - PocketBase books record
+	//   - All PocketBase chapters_idx records
+	//   - All MinIO chapter markdown objects ({slug}/chapter-*.md)
+	//   - MinIO cover image (covers/{slug}.jpg)
+	// The caller is responsible for also deleting the Meilisearch document.
+	DeleteBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error
+}
+
 // ImportFileStore uploads raw import files to object storage.
 // Kept separate from BookImporter so the HTTP handler can upload the file
 // without a concrete type assertion, regardless of which Producer is wired.

backend/internal/domain/domain.go

@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ type BookMeta struct {
 	// updated in PocketBase. Populated on read; not sent on write (PocketBase
 	// manages its own updated field).
 	MetaUpdated int64 `json:"meta_updated,omitempty"`
+	// Archived is true when the book has been soft-deleted by an admin.
+	// Archived books are excluded from all public search and catalogue responses.
+	Archived bool `json:"archived,omitempty"`
 }
 
 // CatalogueEntry is a lightweight book reference returned by catalogue pages.

backend/internal/meili/client.go

@@ -32,11 +32,15 @@ type Client interface {
 	// BookExists reports whether a book with the given slug is already in the
 	// index. Used by the catalogue refresh to skip re-indexing known books.
 	BookExists(ctx context.Context, slug string) bool
+	// DeleteBook removes a book document from the search index by slug.
+	DeleteBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error
 	// Search returns up to limit books matching query.
+	// Archived books are always excluded.
 	Search(ctx context.Context, query string, limit int) ([]domain.BookMeta, error)
 	// Catalogue queries books with optional filters, sort, and pagination.
 	// Returns books, the total hit count for pagination, and a FacetResult
 	// with available genre and status values from the index.
+	// Archived books are always excluded.
 	Catalogue(ctx context.Context, q CatalogueQuery) ([]domain.BookMeta, int64, FacetResult, error)
 }
 
@@ -99,7 +103,7 @@ func Configure(host, apiKey string) error {
 		return fmt.Errorf("meili: update searchable attributes: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	filterable := []interface{}{"status", "genres"}
+	filterable := []interface{}{"status", "genres", "archived"}
 	if _, err := idx.UpdateFilterableAttributes(&filterable); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("meili: update filterable attributes: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -128,6 +132,9 @@ type bookDoc struct {
 	// MetaUpdated is the Unix timestamp (seconds) of the last PocketBase update.
 	// Used for sort=update ("recently updated" ordering).
 	MetaUpdated int64 `json:"meta_updated"`
+	// Archived is true when the book has been soft-deleted by an admin.
+	// Used as a filter to exclude archived books from all search results.
+	Archived bool `json:"archived"`
 }
 
 func toDoc(b domain.BookMeta) bookDoc {
@@ -144,6 +151,7 @@ func toDoc(b domain.BookMeta) bookDoc {
 		Rank:          b.Ranking,
 		Rating:        b.Rating,
 		MetaUpdated:   b.MetaUpdated,
+		Archived:      b.Archived,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -161,6 +169,7 @@ func fromDoc(d bookDoc) domain.BookMeta {
 		Ranking:       d.Rank,
 		Rating:        d.Rating,
 		MetaUpdated:   d.MetaUpdated,
+		Archived:      d.Archived,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -184,13 +193,24 @@ func (c *MeiliClient) BookExists(_ context.Context, slug string) bool {
 	return err == nil && doc.Slug != ""
 }
 
+// DeleteBook removes a book document from the index by slug.
+// The operation is fire-and-forget (Meilisearch processes tasks asynchronously).
+func (c *MeiliClient) DeleteBook(_ context.Context, slug string) error {
+	if _, err := c.idx.DeleteDocument(slug, nil); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("meili: delete book %q: %w", slug, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 // Search returns books matching query, up to limit results.
+// Archived books are always excluded.
 func (c *MeiliClient) Search(_ context.Context, query string, limit int) ([]domain.BookMeta, error) {
 	if limit <= 0 {
 		limit = 20
 	}
 	res, err := c.idx.Search(query, &meilisearch.SearchRequest{
-		Limit: int64(limit),
+		Limit:  int64(limit),
+		Filter: "archived = false",
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("meili: search %q: %w", query, err)
@@ -231,17 +251,15 @@ func (c *MeiliClient) Catalogue(_ context.Context, q CatalogueQuery) ([]domain.B
 		Facets: []string{"genres", "status"},
 	}
 
-	// Build filter
-	var filters []string
+	// Build filter — always exclude archived books
+	filters := []string{"archived = false"}
 	if q.Genre != "" && q.Genre != "all" {
 		filters = append(filters, fmt.Sprintf("genres = %q", q.Genre))
 	}
 	if q.Status != "" && q.Status != "all" {
 		filters = append(filters, fmt.Sprintf("status = %q", q.Status))
 	}
-	if len(filters) > 0 {
-		req.Filter = strings.Join(filters, " AND ")
-	}
+	req.Filter = strings.Join(filters, " AND ")
 
 	// Map UI sort tokens to Meilisearch sort expressions.
 	switch q.Sort {
@@ -318,7 +336,8 @@ func sortStrings(s []string) {
 type NoopClient struct{}
 
 func (NoopClient) UpsertBook(_ context.Context, _ domain.BookMeta) error { return nil }
-func (NoopClient) BookExists(_ context.Context, _ string) bool           { return false }
+func (NoopClient) BookExists(_ context.Context, _ string) bool            { return false }
+func (NoopClient) DeleteBook(_ context.Context, _ string) error           { return nil }
 func (NoopClient) Search(_ context.Context, _ string, _ int) ([]domain.BookMeta, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }

backend/internal/runner/helpers.go

@@ -19,3 +19,53 @@ func stripMarkdown(src string) string {
 	src = regexp.MustCompile(`\n{3,}`).ReplaceAllString(src, "\n\n")
 	return strings.TrimSpace(src)
 }
+
+// chunkText splits text into chunks of at most maxChars characters, breaking
+// at sentence boundaries (". ", "! ", "? ", "\n") so that the TTS service
+// receives natural prose fragments rather than mid-sentence cuts.
+//
+// If a single sentence exceeds maxChars it is included as its own chunk —
+// never silently truncated.
+func chunkText(text string, maxChars int) []string {
+	if len(text) <= maxChars {
+		return []string{text}
+	}
+
+	// Sentence-boundary delimiters — we split AFTER these sequences.
+	// Order matters: longer sequences first.
+	delimiters := []string{".\n", "!\n", "?\n", ". ", "! ", "? ", "\n\n", "\n"}
+
+	var chunks []string
+	remaining := text
+
+	for len(remaining) > 0 {
+		if len(remaining) <= maxChars {
+			chunks = append(chunks, strings.TrimSpace(remaining))
+			break
+		}
+
+		// Find the last sentence boundary within the maxChars window.
+		window := remaining[:maxChars]
+		cutAt := -1
+		for _, delim := range delimiters {
+			idx := strings.LastIndex(window, delim)
+			if idx > 0 && idx+len(delim) > cutAt {
+				cutAt = idx + len(delim)
+			}
+		}
+
+		if cutAt <= 0 {
+			// No boundary found — hard-break at maxChars to avoid infinite loop.
+			cutAt = maxChars
+		}
+
+		chunk := strings.TrimSpace(remaining[:cutAt])
+		if chunk != "" {
+			chunks = append(chunks, chunk)
+		}
+		remaining = strings.TrimSpace(remaining[cutAt:])
+	}
+
+	return chunks
+}
+

backend/internal/runner/runner.go

@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ func (r *Runner) runAudioTask(ctx context.Context, task domain.AudioTask) {
 			return
 		}
 		var genErr error
-		audioData, genErr = r.deps.Kokoro.GenerateAudio(ctx, text, task.Voice)
+		audioData, genErr = kokoroGenerateChunked(ctx, r.deps.Kokoro, text, task.Voice, log)
 		if genErr != nil {
 			fail(fmt.Sprintf("kokoro generate: %v", genErr))
 			return
@@ -685,6 +685,31 @@ func (r *Runner) runAudioTask(ctx context.Context, task domain.AudioTask) {
 	log.Info("runner: audio task finished", "key", key)
 }
 
+// kokoroGenerateChunked splits text into ~1 000-character sentence-boundary
+// chunks, calls Kokoro.GenerateAudio for each, and concatenates the raw MP3
+// bytes. This avoids EOF / timeout failures that occur when the Kokoro
+// FastAPI server receives very large inputs (e.g. a full imported PDF chapter).
+//
+// Concatenating raw MP3 frames is valid — MP3 is a frame-based format and
+// standard players handle multi-segment files correctly.
+func kokoroGenerateChunked(ctx context.Context, k kokoro.Client, text, voice string, log *slog.Logger) ([]byte, error) {
+	const chunkSize = 1000
+
+	chunks := chunkText(text, chunkSize)
+	log.Info("runner: kokoro chunked generation", "chunks", len(chunks), "total_chars", len(text))
+
+	var combined []byte
+	for i, chunk := range chunks {
+		data, err := k.GenerateAudio(ctx, chunk, voice)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("chunk %d/%d: %w", i+1, len(chunks), err)
+		}
+		combined = append(combined, data...)
+		log.Info("runner: kokoro chunk done", "chunk", i+1, "of", len(chunks), "bytes", len(data))
+	}
+	return combined, nil
+}
+
 // runImportTask executes one PDF/EPUB import task.
 // Preferred path: when task.ChaptersKey is set, it reads pre-parsed chapters
 // JSON from MinIO (written by the backend at upload time) and ingests them.

backend/internal/storage/import.go

@@ -7,7 +7,6 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"os"
-	"regexp"
 	"sort"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
@@ -16,16 +15,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/libnovel/backend/internal/domain"
 	minio "github.com/minio/minio-go/v7"
 	"github.com/pdfcpu/pdfcpu/pkg/api"
-	pdfcpu "github.com/pdfcpu/pdfcpu/pkg/pdfcpu"
 	"github.com/pdfcpu/pdfcpu/pkg/pdfcpu/model"
 	"golang.org/x/net/html"
 )
 
-// chapterHeadingRE matches common chapter heading patterns:
-//   "Chapter 1", "Chapter 1:", "Chapter 1 -", "CHAPTER ONE", "1.", "Part 1", etc.
-var chapterHeadingRE = regexp.MustCompile(
-	`(?i)^(?:chapter|ch\.?|part|episode|book)\s+(\d+|[ivxlcdm]+)\b|^\d{1,4}[\.\)]\s+\S`)
-
 type importer struct {
 	mc *minioClient
 }
@@ -148,17 +141,16 @@ var pdfSkipBookmarks = map[string]bool{
 	"appendix": true, "color insert": true, "color illustrations": true,
 }
 
-// parsePDF extracts chapters from PDF bytes.
+// parsePDF extracts text from PDF bytes and returns it as a single chapter.
+//
+// The full readable text is returned as one chapter so the admin can manually
+// split it into chapters via the UI using --- markers.
 //
 // Strategy:
 //  1. Decrypt owner-protected PDFs (empty user password).
-//  2. Read the PDF outline (bookmarks) — these give chapter titles and page ranges.
-//  3. Extract raw content streams for every page using pdfcpu ExtractContent.
-//  4. For each story bookmark, concatenate the extracted text of its pages.
-//
-// Falls back to paragraph-splitting when no bookmarks are found.
-// This is fast (~100ms for a 250-page PDF) because it avoids font-glyph
-// resolution which causes older PDF libraries to hang on publisher PDFs.
+//  2. Extract raw content streams for every page using pdfcpu ExtractContent.
+//  3. Concatenate text from all pages in order, skipping front matter
+//     (cover, title page, copyright — typically the first 10 pages).
 func parsePDF(data []byte) ([]bookstore.Chapter, error) {
 	// Decrypt owner-protected PDFs (empty user password).
 	decrypted, err := decryptPDF(data)
@@ -186,9 +178,9 @@ func parsePDF(data []byte) ([]bookstore.Chapter, error) {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("PDF has no content pages")
 	}
 
-	// pdfcpu names files "out_Content_page_N.txt" — parse the page number
-	// from the filename so the map is correct regardless of lexicographic order.
+	// Parse page number from filename and build ordered text map.
 	pageTexts := make(map[int]string, len(entries))
+	maxPage := 0
 	for _, e := range entries {
 		pageNum := pageNumFromFilename(e.Name())
 		if pageNum <= 0 {
@@ -199,166 +191,49 @@ func parsePDF(data []byte) ([]bookstore.Chapter, error) {
 			continue
 		}
 		pageTexts[pageNum] = fixWin1252(extractTextFromContentStream(raw))
+		if pageNum > maxPage {
+			maxPage = pageNum
+		}
 	}
 
-	// Try to use bookmarks (outline) for chapter structure.
+	// Determine front-matter cutoff using bookmarks if available,
+	// otherwise skip the first 10 pages (cover/title/copyright).
+	bodyStart := 1
 	bookmarks, bmErr := api.Bookmarks(bytes.NewReader(data), conf)
-	if bmErr == nil && len(bookmarks) > 0 {
-		chapters := chaptersFromBookmarks(bookmarks, pageTexts)
-		if len(chapters) > 0 {
-			return chapters, nil
+	if bmErr == nil {
+		for _, bm := range bookmarks {
+			title := strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(bm.Title))
+			if !pdfSkipBookmarks[title] && bm.PageFrom > 0 {
+				// First non-front-matter bookmark — body starts here.
+				bodyStart = bm.PageFrom
+				break
+			}
 		}
+	} else if maxPage > 10 {
+		bodyStart = 11
 	}
 
-	// Fallback: concatenate all page texts in page order and split by heading patterns.
+	// Concatenate all body pages.
 	var sb strings.Builder
-	maxPage := 0
-	for p := range pageTexts {
-		if p > maxPage {
-			maxPage = p
-		}
-	}
-	for p := 1; p <= maxPage; p++ {
-		sb.WriteString(pageTexts[p])
-		sb.WriteByte('\n')
-	}
-	chapters := extractChaptersFromText(sb.String())
-	if len(chapters) == 0 {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not extract any chapters from PDF")
-	}
-	return chapters, nil
-}
-
-// chaptersFromBookmarks builds a chapter list from PDF bookmarks + per-page text.
-// It flattens the bookmark tree, skips front/back matter entries, and assigns
-// page ranges so each chapter spans from its own start page to the next
-// bookmark's start page minus one.
-func chaptersFromBookmarks(bookmarks []pdfcpu.Bookmark, pageTexts map[int]string) []bookstore.Chapter {
-	// Flatten bookmark tree.
-	var flat []pdfcpu.Bookmark
-	var flatten func([]pdfcpu.Bookmark)
-	flatten = func(bms []pdfcpu.Bookmark) {
-		for _, bm := range bms {
-			flat = append(flat, bm)
-			flatten(bm.Kids)
-		}
-	}
-	flatten(bookmarks)
-
-	// Sort by page number.
-	sort.Slice(flat, func(i, j int) bool { return flat[i].PageFrom < flat[j].PageFrom })
-
-	// Assign PageThru for entries where it's 0 (last bookmark or missing).
-	maxPage := 0
-	for p := range pageTexts {
-		if p > maxPage {
-			maxPage = p
-		}
-	}
-	for i := range flat {
-		if flat[i].PageThru == 0 {
-			if i+1 < len(flat) {
-				flat[i].PageThru = flat[i+1].PageFrom - 1
-			} else {
-				flat[i].PageThru = maxPage
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	var chapters []bookstore.Chapter
-	chNum := 0
-	for _, bm := range flat {
-		if pdfSkipBookmarks[strings.ToLower(strings.TrimSpace(bm.Title))] {
+	for p := bodyStart; p <= maxPage; p++ {
+		t := strings.TrimSpace(pageTexts[p])
+		if t == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		// Gather text for all pages in this bookmark's range.
-		// The first page of each chapter is typically a decorative title page
-		// (chapter number, subtitle art, series title) — skip it and start
-		// from PageFrom+1 so the content begins with actual story text.
-		bodyStart := bm.PageFrom + 1
-		if bodyStart > bm.PageThru {
-			bodyStart = bm.PageFrom // single-page section, use it
-		}
-		var sb strings.Builder
-		for p := bodyStart; p <= bm.PageThru; p++ {
-			if t, ok := pageTexts[p]; ok {
-				sb.WriteString(t)
-				sb.WriteByte('\n')
-			}
-		}
-		text := cleanChapterText(strings.TrimSpace(sb.String()))
-		if len(text) < 50 {
-			continue // skip nearly-empty sections
-		}
-		chNum++
-		chapters = append(chapters, bookstore.Chapter{
-			Number:  chNum,
-			Title:   bm.Title,
-			Content: text,
-		})
-	}
-	return chapters
-}
-
-// cleanChapterText removes decorative header fragments that sometimes appear
-// at the start of the first body page when the chapter subtitle is printed
-// at the top of that page (e.g. "for New Journeys!I stood atop the roof...").
-//
-// It strips any prefix text up to and including the last '!' or '?' that is
-// immediately followed by a capital letter on the same line (a run-on from the
-// title art), and removes short leading lines (< 40 chars) that look like
-// title/header text rather than story content.
-func cleanChapterText(text string) string {
-	lines := strings.Split(text, "\n")
-
-	// Find first line that is substantive story content.
-	// Strategy: skip short lines at the top. The first line >= 40 chars
-	// OR starting with an opening quote is the start of the story.
-	start := 0
-	for i, raw := range lines {
-		line := strings.TrimSpace(raw)
-		if line == "" {
-			start = i + 1
-			continue
-		}
-		// Long enough to be a real sentence fragment from a body page.
-		if len(line) >= 40 || strings.HasPrefix(line, "\u201C") || strings.HasPrefix(line, "\"") {
-			start = i
-			break
-		}
-		// Short line — if it ends with '!' or '?' and the NEXT non-empty
-		// token on the SAME line (run-on) starts a sentence, strip it.
-		// This catches "for New Journeys!I stood atop..." on one line.
-		start = i + 1 // tentatively skip this short line
+		sb.WriteString(t)
+		sb.WriteString("\n\n")
 	}
 
-	result := strings.TrimSpace(strings.Join(lines[start:], "\n"))
-
-	// Strip any run-on title fragment at the very start of the first line.
-	// Pattern: something ending with '!' or '?' immediately before a capital letter.
-	// e.g. "for New Journeys!I stood..." → "I stood..."
-	if len(result) > 0 {
-		// Find last '!' or '?' in the first 80 bytes that is followed by [A-Z"].
-		firstLine := result
-		if nl := strings.Index(firstLine, "\n"); nl >= 0 {
-			firstLine = firstLine[:nl]
-		}
-		for i, c := range firstLine {
-			if (c == '!' || c == '?') && i+1 < len(firstLine) {
-				next := rune(firstLine[i+1])
-				if (next >= 'A' && next <= 'Z') || next == '\u201C' || next == '"' {
-					// Strip up to and including this '!'/'?'
-					result = strings.TrimSpace(result[i+1:])
-					break
-				}
-			}
-		}
+	text := strings.TrimSpace(sb.String())
+	if text == "" {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("could not extract any text from PDF")
 	}
 
-	if result == "" {
-		return text
-	}
-	return result
+	return []bookstore.Chapter{{
+		Number:  1,
+		Title:   "Full Text",
+		Content: text,
+	}}, nil
 }
 
 // pageNumFromFilename extracts the page number from a pdfcpu content-stream
@@ -637,6 +512,7 @@ func parseEPUB(data []byte) ([]bookstore.Chapter, error) {
 	}
 
 	var chapters []bookstore.Chapter
+	chNum := 0
 	for i, href := range spineFiles {
 		fullPath := opfDir + href
 		content, err := epubFileContent(zr, fullPath)
@@ -647,12 +523,14 @@ func parseEPUB(data []byte) ([]bookstore.Chapter, error) {
 		if strings.TrimSpace(text) == "" {
 			continue
 		}
+		chNum++
 		title := titleMap[href]
 		if title == "" {
-			title = fmt.Sprintf("Chapter %d", i+1)
+			title = fmt.Sprintf("Chapter %d", chNum)
 		}
+		_ = i // spine index unused for numbering
 		chapters = append(chapters, bookstore.Chapter{
-			Number:  i + 1,
+			Number:  chNum,
 			Title:   title,
 			Content: text,
 		})
@@ -949,80 +827,6 @@ func htmlToText(data []byte) string {
 	return strings.TrimSpace(strings.Join(out, "\n"))
 }
 
-// ── Chapter segmentation (shared by PDF and plain-text paths) ─────────────────
-
-// extractChaptersFromText splits a block of plain text into chapters by
-// detecting heading lines that match chapterHeadingRE.
-// Falls back to paragraph-splitting when no headings are found.
-func extractChaptersFromText(text string) []bookstore.Chapter {
-	lines := strings.Split(text, "\n")
-
-	type segment struct {
-		title  string
-		number int
-		lines  []string
-	}
-
-	var segments []segment
-	var cur *segment
-	chNum := 0
-
-	for _, line := range lines {
-		line = strings.TrimSpace(line)
-		if chapterHeadingRE.MatchString(line) {
-			if cur != nil {
-				segments = append(segments, *cur)
-			}
-			chNum++
-			// Try to parse the explicit chapter number from the heading.
-			if m := regexp.MustCompile(`\d+`).FindString(line); m != "" {
-				if n, err := strconv.Atoi(m); err == nil && n > 0 && n < 100000 {
-					chNum = n
-				}
-			}
-			cur = &segment{title: line, number: chNum}
-		} else if cur != nil && line != "" {
-			cur.lines = append(cur.lines, line)
-		}
-	}
-	if cur != nil {
-		segments = append(segments, *cur)
-	}
-
-	// Require segments to have meaningful content (>= 100 chars).
-	var chapters []bookstore.Chapter
-	for _, seg := range segments {
-		content := strings.Join(seg.lines, "\n")
-		if len(strings.TrimSpace(content)) < 50 {
-			continue
-		}
-		chapters = append(chapters, bookstore.Chapter{
-			Number:  seg.number,
-			Title:   seg.title,
-			Content: content,
-		})
-	}
-
-	// Fallback: no headings found — split by double newlines (paragraph blocks).
-	if len(chapters) == 0 {
-		paragraphs := strings.Split(text, "\n\n")
-		n := 0
-		for _, para := range paragraphs {
-			para = strings.TrimSpace(para)
-			if len(para) > 100 {
-				n++
-				chapters = append(chapters, bookstore.Chapter{
-					Number:  n,
-					Title:   fmt.Sprintf("Chapter %d", n),
-					Content: para,
-				})
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	return chapters
-}
-
 // ── Chapter ingestion ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 // IngestChapters stores extracted chapters for a book.

backend/internal/storage/store.go

@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ var _ bookstore.CoverStore = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ bookstore.TranslationStore = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ bookstore.AIJobStore = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ bookstore.ChapterImageStore = (*Store)(nil)
+var _ bookstore.BookAdminStore = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ taskqueue.Producer = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ taskqueue.Consumer = (*Store)(nil)
 var _ taskqueue.Reader = (*Store)(nil)
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ type pbBook struct {
 	Ranking       int      `json:"ranking"`
 	Rating        float64  `json:"rating"`
 	Updated       string   `json:"updated"`
+	Archived      bool     `json:"archived"`
 }
 
 func (b pbBook) toDomain() domain.BookMeta {
@@ -246,6 +248,7 @@ func (b pbBook) toDomain() domain.BookMeta {
 		Ranking:       b.Ranking,
 		Rating:        b.Rating,
 		MetaUpdated:   metaUpdated,
+		Archived:      b.Archived,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -275,7 +278,7 @@ func (s *Store) ReadMetadata(ctx context.Context, slug string) (domain.BookMeta,
 }
 
 func (s *Store) ListBooks(ctx context.Context) ([]domain.BookMeta, error) {
-	items, err := s.pb.listAll(ctx, "books", "", "title")
+	items, err := s.pb.listAll(ctx, "books", "archived=false", "title")
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -376,6 +379,84 @@ func (s *Store) ReindexChapters(ctx context.Context, slug string) (int, error) {
 	return count, nil
 }
 
+// ── BookAdminStore ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+
+// ArchiveBook sets archived=true on the book record for slug.
+func (s *Store) ArchiveBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error {
+	book, err := s.getBookBySlug(ctx, slug)
+	if err == ErrNotFound {
+		return ErrNotFound
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("ArchiveBook: %w", err)
+	}
+	return s.pb.patch(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/api/collections/books/records/%s", book.ID),
+		map[string]any{"archived": true})
+}
+
+// UnarchiveBook clears archived on the book record for slug.
+func (s *Store) UnarchiveBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error {
+	book, err := s.getBookBySlug(ctx, slug)
+	if err == ErrNotFound {
+		return ErrNotFound
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("UnarchiveBook: %w", err)
+	}
+	return s.pb.patch(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/api/collections/books/records/%s", book.ID),
+		map[string]any{"archived": false})
+}
+
+// DeleteBook permanently removes all data for a book:
+//   - PocketBase books record
+//   - All PocketBase chapters_idx records for the slug
+//   - All MinIO chapter markdown objects ({slug}/chapter-*.md)
+//   - MinIO cover image (covers/{slug}.jpg)
+func (s *Store) DeleteBook(ctx context.Context, slug string) error {
+	// 1. Fetch the book record to get its PocketBase ID.
+	book, err := s.getBookBySlug(ctx, slug)
+	if err == ErrNotFound {
+		return ErrNotFound
+	}
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("DeleteBook: fetch: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// 2. Delete all chapters_idx records.
+	filter := fmt.Sprintf(`slug=%q`, slug)
+	items, err := s.pb.listAll(ctx, "chapters_idx", filter, "")
+	if err != nil && err != ErrNotFound {
+		return fmt.Errorf("DeleteBook: list chapters_idx: %w", err)
+	}
+	for _, raw := range items {
+		var rec struct {
+			ID string `json:"id"`
+		}
+		if json.Unmarshal(raw, &rec) == nil && rec.ID != "" {
+			if delErr := s.pb.delete(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/api/collections/chapters_idx/records/%s", rec.ID)); delErr != nil {
+				s.log.Warn("DeleteBook: delete chapters_idx record failed", "slug", slug, "id", rec.ID, "err", delErr)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	// 3. Delete MinIO chapter objects.
+	if err := s.mc.deleteObjects(ctx, s.mc.bucketChapters, slug+"/"); err != nil {
+		s.log.Warn("DeleteBook: delete chapter objects failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+	}
+
+	// 4. Delete MinIO cover image.
+	if err := s.mc.deleteObjects(ctx, s.mc.bucketBrowse, CoverObjectKey(slug)); err != nil {
+		s.log.Warn("DeleteBook: delete cover failed", "slug", slug, "err", err)
+	}
+
+	// 5. Delete the PocketBase books record.
+	if err := s.pb.delete(ctx, fmt.Sprintf("/api/collections/books/records/%s", book.ID)); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("DeleteBook: delete books record: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // ── RankingStore ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
 func (s *Store) WriteRankingItem(ctx context.Context, item domain.RankingItem) error {

scripts/pb-init-v3.sh

@@ -144,7 +144,8 @@ create "books" '{
     {"name":"total_chapters","type":"number"},
     {"name":"source_url",    "type":"text"},
     {"name":"ranking",       "type":"number"},
-    {"name":"meta_updated",  "type":"text"}
+    {"name":"meta_updated",  "type":"text"},
+    {"name":"archived",      "type":"bool"}
   ]}'
 
 create "chapters_idx" '{
@@ -255,6 +256,7 @@ create "user_settings" '{
     {"name":"font_family",     "type":"text"},
     {"name":"font_size",       "type":"number"},
     {"name":"announce_chapter","type":"bool"},
+    {"name":"audio_mode",      "type":"text"},
     {"name":"updated",         "type":"text"}
   ]}'
 
@@ -389,6 +391,8 @@ add_field "user_settings"  "locale"                 "text"
 add_field "user_settings"  "font_family"            "text"
 add_field "user_settings"  "font_size"              "number"
 add_field "user_settings"  "announce_chapter"       "bool"
+add_field "user_settings"  "audio_mode"             "text"
+add_field "books"          "archived"               "bool"
 
 # ── 6. Indexes ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 add_index "chapters_idx" "idx_chapters_idx_slug_number" \

ui/src/lib/audio.svelte.ts

@@ -36,6 +36,14 @@ import type { Voice } from '$lib/types';
 
 export type AudioStatus = 'idle' | 'loading' | 'generating' | 'ready' | 'error';
 export type NextStatus = 'none' | 'prefetching' | 'prefetched' | 'failed';
+/**
+ * 'stream'   – Use /api/audio-stream: audio starts playing within seconds,
+ *              stream is saved to MinIO concurrently. No runner task needed.
+ * 'generate' – Legacy mode: queue a runner task, poll until done, then play
+ *              from the presigned MinIO URL. Needed for CF AI voices which
+ *              do not support native streaming.
+ */
+export type AudioMode = 'stream' | 'generate';
 
 class AudioStore {
 	// ── What is loaded ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -46,6 +54,13 @@ class AudioStore {
 	voice = $state('af_bella');
 	speed = $state(1.0);
 
+	/**
+	 * Playback mode:
+	 * 'stream'   – pipe from /api/audio-stream (low latency, saves concurrently)
+	 * 'generate' – queue runner task, poll, then play presigned URL (CF AI / legacy)
+	 */
+	audioMode = $state<AudioMode>('stream');
+
 	/** Cover image URL for the currently loaded book. */
 	cover = $state('');
 

ui/src/lib/components/AudioPlayer.svelte

@@ -613,41 +613,95 @@
 				return;
 			}
 
-			// Slow path: audio not yet in MinIO.
-			//
-			// For Kokoro / PocketTTS: always use the streaming endpoint so audio
-			// starts playing within seconds. The stream handler checks MinIO first
-			// (fast redirect if already cached) and otherwise generates + uploads
-			// concurrently. Even if the async runner is already working on this
-			// chapter, the stream will redirect to MinIO the moment the runner
-			// finishes — no harmful double-generation occurs because the backend
-			// deduplications via AudioExists on the next request.
-			if (!voice.startsWith('cfai:')) {
-				// PocketTTS outputs raw WAV — skip the ffmpeg transcode entirely.
-				// WAV (PCM) is natively supported on all platforms including iOS Safari.
-				// Kokoro and CF AI output MP3 natively, so keep mp3 for those.
-				const isPocketTTS = voices.some((v) => v.id === voice && v.engine === 'pocket-tts');
-				const format = isPocketTTS ? 'wav' : 'mp3';
-				const qs = new URLSearchParams({ voice, format });
-				const streamUrl = `/api/audio-stream/${slug}/${chapter}?${qs}`;
-				// HEAD probe: check paywall without triggering generation.
-				const headRes = await fetch(streamUrl, { method: 'HEAD' }).catch(() => null);
-				if (headRes?.status === 402) {
+		// Slow path: audio not yet in MinIO.
+		//
+		// For Kokoro / PocketTTS in 'stream' mode: use the streaming endpoint so
+		// audio starts playing within seconds. The stream handler checks MinIO
+		// first (fast redirect if already cached) and otherwise generates +
+		// uploads concurrently.
+		//
+		// In 'generate' mode (user preference): queue a runner task and poll,
+		// same as CF AI — audio plays only after the full file is ready in MinIO.
+		if (!voice.startsWith('cfai:') && audioStore.audioMode === 'stream') {
+			// PocketTTS outputs raw WAV — skip the ffmpeg transcode entirely.
+			// WAV (PCM) is natively supported on all platforms including iOS Safari.
+			// Kokoro and CF AI output MP3 natively, so keep mp3 for those.
+			const isPocketTTS = voices.some((v) => v.id === voice && v.engine === 'pocket-tts');
+			const format = isPocketTTS ? 'wav' : 'mp3';
+			const qs = new URLSearchParams({ voice, format });
+			const streamUrl = `/api/audio-stream/${slug}/${chapter}?${qs}`;
+			// HEAD probe: check paywall without triggering generation.
+			const headRes = await fetch(streamUrl, { method: 'HEAD' }).catch(() => null);
+			if (headRes?.status === 402) {
+				audioStore.status = 'idle';
+				onProRequired?.();
+				return;
+			}
+			audioStore.audioUrl = streamUrl;
+			audioStore.status = 'ready';
+			maybeStartPrefetch();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// Non-CF AI voices in 'generate' mode: queue runner task, show progress,
+		// wait for full audio in MinIO before playing (same as CF AI but no preview).
+		if (!voice.startsWith('cfai:')) {
+			audioStore.status = 'generating';
+			audioStore.isPreview = false;
+			startProgress();
+
+			if (!presignResult.enqueued) {
+				const res = await fetch(`/api/audio/${slug}/${chapter}`, {
+					method: 'POST',
+					headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+					body: JSON.stringify({ voice })
+				});
+
+				if (res.status === 402) {
 					audioStore.status = 'idle';
+					stopProgress();
 					onProRequired?.();
 					return;
 				}
-				audioStore.audioUrl = streamUrl;
-				audioStore.status = 'ready';
-				maybeStartPrefetch();
-				return;
+
+				if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Generation failed: HTTP ${res.status}`);
+
+				if (res.status === 200) {
+					await res.body?.cancel();
+					await finishProgress();
+					const doneUrl = await tryPresign(slug, chapter, voice);
+					if (!doneUrl.ready) throw new Error('Audio generated but presign returned 404');
+					audioStore.audioUrl = doneUrl.url;
+					audioStore.status = 'ready';
+					restoreSavedAudioTime();
+					maybeStartPrefetch();
+					return;
+				}
+				// 202 — runner task enqueued, fall through to poll.
 			}
 
-			// CF AI voices: use preview/swap strategy.
-			// 1. Fetch a short ~1-2 min preview clip from the first text chunk
-			//    so playback starts immediately — no more waiting behind a spinner.
-			// 2. Meanwhile keep polling the full audio job; when it finishes,
-			//    swap the <audio> src to the full URL preserving currentTime.
+			const final = await pollAudioStatus(slug, chapter, voice);
+			if (final.status === 'failed') {
+				throw new Error(
+					`Generation failed: ${(final as { error?: string }).error ?? 'unknown error'}`
+				);
+			}
+
+			await finishProgress();
+			const doneUrl = await tryPresign(slug, chapter, voice);
+			if (!doneUrl.ready) throw new Error('Audio generated but presign returned 404');
+			audioStore.audioUrl = doneUrl.url;
+			audioStore.status = 'ready';
+			restoreSavedAudioTime();
+			maybeStartPrefetch();
+			return;
+		}
+
+		// CF AI voices: use preview/swap strategy.
+		// 1. Fetch a short ~1-2 min preview clip from the first text chunk
+		//    so playback starts immediately — no more waiting behind a spinner.
+		// 2. Meanwhile keep polling the full audio job; when it finishes,
+		//    swap the <audio> src to the full URL preserving currentTime.
 			audioStore.status = 'generating';
 			audioStore.isPreview = false;
 			startProgress();
@@ -1019,6 +1073,33 @@
 					{#if voices.length > 0}<span class="text-(--color-border) text-xs leading-none">·</span>{/if}
 					<span class="text-xs text-(--color-muted) leading-none tabular-nums">~{estimatedMinutes} min</span>
 				{/if}
+				<!-- Stream / Generate mode toggle -->
+				{#if !audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:')}
+					<span class="text-(--color-border) text-xs leading-none">·</span>
+					<button
+						type="button"
+						onclick={() => { audioStore.audioMode = audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' ? 'generate' : 'stream'; }}
+						class={cn(
+							'flex items-center gap-0.5 text-xs leading-none transition-colors',
+							audioStore.audioMode === 'stream'
+								? 'text-(--color-brand)'
+								: 'text-(--color-muted) hover:text-(--color-text)'
+						)}
+						title={audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' ? 'Stream mode — click to switch to generate' : 'Generate mode — click to switch to stream'}
+					>
+						{#if audioStore.audioMode === 'stream'}
+							<svg class="w-3 h-3 flex-shrink-0" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+								<path d="M8 5v14l11-7z"/>
+							</svg>
+							Stream
+						{:else}
+							<svg class="w-3 h-3 flex-shrink-0" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+								<path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 16v1a3 3 0 003 3h10a3 3 0 003-3v-1m-4-4l-4 4m0 0l-4-4m4 4V4"/>
+							</svg>
+							Generate
+						{/if}
+					</button>
+				{/if}
 			</div>
 		</div>
 

ui/src/lib/components/ListeningMode.svelte

@@ -664,24 +664,57 @@
 				{/if}
 			</button>
 
-			<!-- Announce chapter pill (only meaningful when auto-next is on) -->
-			<button
-				type="button"
-				onclick={() => (audioStore.announceChapter = !audioStore.announceChapter)}
-				class={cn(
-					'flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold border transition-colors',
-					audioStore.announceChapter
+		<!-- Announce chapter pill (only meaningful when auto-next is on) -->
+		<button
+			type="button"
+			onclick={() => (audioStore.announceChapter = !audioStore.announceChapter)}
+			class={cn(
+				'flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold border transition-colors',
+				audioStore.announceChapter
+					? 'border-(--color-brand) bg-(--color-brand)/15 text-(--color-brand)'
+					: 'border-(--color-border) bg-(--color-surface-2) text-(--color-muted) hover:text-(--color-text)'
+			)}
+			aria-pressed={audioStore.announceChapter}
+			title={audioStore.announceChapter ? 'Chapter announcing on' : 'Chapter announcing off'}
+		>
+			<svg class="w-3.5 h-3.5" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+				<path d="M3 9v6h4l5 5V4L7 9H3zm13.5 3c0-1.77-1.02-3.29-2.5-4.03v8.05c1.48-.73 2.5-2.25 2.5-4.02z"/>
+			</svg>
+			Announce
+		</button>
+
+		<!-- Stream / Generate mode toggle -->
+		<!-- CF AI voices are batch-only and always use generate mode regardless of this setting -->
+		<button
+			type="button"
+			onclick={() => {
+				if (!audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:')) {
+					audioStore.audioMode = audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' ? 'generate' : 'stream';
+				}
+			}}
+			disabled={audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:')}
+			class={cn(
+				'flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold border transition-colors',
+				audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:')
+					? 'border-(--color-border) bg-(--color-surface-2) text-(--color-border) cursor-not-allowed opacity-50'
+					: audioStore.audioMode === 'stream'
 						? 'border-(--color-brand) bg-(--color-brand)/15 text-(--color-brand)'
 						: 'border-(--color-border) bg-(--color-surface-2) text-(--color-muted) hover:text-(--color-text)'
-				)}
-				aria-pressed={audioStore.announceChapter}
-				title={audioStore.announceChapter ? 'Chapter announcing on' : 'Chapter announcing off'}
-			>
+			)}
+			aria-pressed={audioStore.audioMode === 'stream'}
+			title={audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:') ? 'CF AI voices always use generate mode' : audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' ? 'Stream mode — audio starts instantly' : 'Generate mode — wait for full audio before playing'}
+		>
+			{#if audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' && !audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:')}
 				<svg class="w-3.5 h-3.5" fill="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
-					<path d="M3 9v6h4l5 5V4L7 9H3zm13.5 3c0-1.77-1.02-3.29-2.5-4.03v8.05c1.48-.73 2.5-2.25 2.5-4.02z"/>
+					<path d="M8 5v14l11-7z"/>
 				</svg>
-				Announce
-			</button>
+			{:else}
+				<svg class="w-3.5 h-3.5" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
+					<path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 16v1a3 3 0 003 3h10a3 3 0 003-3v-1m-4-4l-4 4m0 0l-4-4m4 4V4"/>
+				</svg>
+			{/if}
+			{audioStore.audioMode === 'stream' && !audioStore.voice.startsWith('cfai:') ? 'Stream' : 'Generate'}
+		</button>
 
 			<!-- Sleep timer pill -->
 			<button

ui/src/lib/server/pocketbase.ts

@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ export interface PBUserSettings {
 	font_family?: string;
 	font_size?: number;
 	announce_chapter?: boolean;
+	audio_mode?: string;
 	updated?: string;
 }
 
@@ -1013,7 +1014,7 @@ export async function getSettings(
 
 export async function saveSettings(
 	sessionId: string,
-	settings: { autoNext: boolean; voice: string; speed: number; theme?: string; locale?: string; fontFamily?: string; fontSize?: number; announceChapter?: boolean },
+	settings: { autoNext: boolean; voice: string; speed: number; theme?: string; locale?: string; fontFamily?: string; fontSize?: number; announceChapter?: boolean; audioMode?: string },
 	userId?: string
 ): Promise<void> {
 	const existing = await listOne<PBUserSettings & { id: string }>(
@@ -1033,6 +1034,7 @@ export async function saveSettings(
 	if (settings.fontFamily !== undefined) payload.font_family = settings.fontFamily;
 	if (settings.fontSize !== undefined) payload.font_size = settings.fontSize;
 	if (settings.announceChapter !== undefined) payload.announce_chapter = settings.announceChapter;
+	if (settings.audioMode !== undefined) payload.audio_mode = settings.audioMode;
 	if (userId) payload.user_id = userId;
 
 	if (existing) {

ui/src/routes/+layout.server.ts

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const load: LayoutServerLoad = async ({ locals, url, cookies }) => {
 		redirect(302, `/login`);
 	}
 
-	let settings = { autoNext: false, voice: 'af_bella', speed: 1.0, theme: 'amber', locale: 'en', fontFamily: 'system', fontSize: 1.0, announceChapter: false };
+	let settings = { autoNext: false, voice: 'af_bella', speed: 1.0, theme: 'amber', locale: 'en', fontFamily: 'system', fontSize: 1.0, announceChapter: false, audioMode: 'stream' };
 	try {
 		const row = await getSettings(locals.sessionId, locals.user?.id);
 		if (row) {
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@ export const load: LayoutServerLoad = async ({ locals, url, cookies }) => {
 				locale: row.locale ?? 'en',
 				fontFamily: row.font_family ?? 'system',
 				fontSize: row.font_size || 1.0,
-				announceChapter: row.announce_chapter ?? false
+				announceChapter: row.announce_chapter ?? false,
+				audioMode: row.audio_mode ?? 'stream'
 			};
 		}
 	} catch (e) {

ui/src/routes/+layout.svelte

@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@
 				audioStore.voice = data.settings.voice;
 				audioStore.speed = data.settings.speed;
 				audioStore.announceChapter = data.settings.announceChapter ?? false;
+				audioStore.audioMode = (data.settings.audioMode === 'generate' ? 'generate' : 'stream');
 			}
 			// Always sync theme + font (profile page calls invalidateAll after saving)
 			currentTheme = data.settings.theme ?? 'amber';
@@ -179,6 +180,7 @@
 		const fontFamily = currentFontFamily;
 		const fontSize = currentFontSize;
 		const announceChapter = audioStore.announceChapter;
+		const audioMode = audioStore.audioMode;
 
 		// Skip saving until settings have been applied from the server AND
 		// at least one user-driven change has occurred after that.
@@ -189,7 +191,7 @@
 			fetch('/api/settings', {
 				method: 'PUT',
 				headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
-				body: JSON.stringify({ autoNext, voice, speed, theme, fontFamily, fontSize, announceChapter })
+				body: JSON.stringify({ autoNext, voice, speed, theme, fontFamily, fontSize, announceChapter, audioMode })
 			}).catch(() => {});
 		}, 800) as unknown as number;
 	});

ui/src/routes/api/settings/+server.ts

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { log } from '$lib/server/logger';
 
 /**
  * GET /api/settings
- * Returns the current user's settings (auto_next, voice, speed, theme, locale, fontFamily, fontSize, announceChapter).
+ * Returns the current user's settings (auto_next, voice, speed, theme, locale, fontFamily, fontSize, announceChapter, audioMode).
  * Returns defaults if no settings record exists yet.
  */
 export const GET: RequestHandler = async ({ locals }) => {
@@ -19,7 +19,8 @@ export const GET: RequestHandler = async ({ locals }) => {
 			locale: settings?.locale ?? 'en',
 			fontFamily: settings?.font_family ?? 'system',
 			fontSize: settings?.font_size || 1.0,
-			announceChapter: settings?.announce_chapter ?? false
+			announceChapter: settings?.announce_chapter ?? false,
+			audioMode: settings?.audio_mode ?? 'stream'
 		});
 	} catch (e) {
 		log.error('settings', 'GET failed', { err: String(e) });
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ export const GET: RequestHandler = async ({ locals }) => {
 
 /**
  * PUT /api/settings
- * Body: { autoNext: boolean, voice: string, speed: number, theme?: string, locale?: string, fontFamily?: string, fontSize?: number, announceChapter?: boolean }
+ * Body: { autoNext: boolean, voice: string, speed: number, theme?: string, locale?: string, fontFamily?: string, fontSize?: number, announceChapter?: boolean, audioMode?: string }
  * Saves user preferences.
  */
 export const PUT: RequestHandler = async ({ request, locals }) => {
@@ -73,6 +74,12 @@ export const PUT: RequestHandler = async ({ request, locals }) => {
 		error(400, 'Invalid announceChapter — must be boolean');
 	}
 
+	// audioMode is optional — if provided it must be a known value
+	const validAudioModes = ['stream', 'generate'];
+	if (body.audioMode !== undefined && !validAudioModes.includes(body.audioMode)) {
+		error(400, `Invalid audioMode — must be one of: ${validAudioModes.join(', ')}`);
+	}
+
 	try {
 		await saveSettings(locals.sessionId, body, locals.user?.id);
 	} catch (e) {

ui/src/routes/books/[slug]/+page.svelte

@@ -100,6 +100,58 @@
 	const genres = $derived(parseGenres(data.book?.genres ?? []));
 	const chapterList = $derived(data.chapters ?? []);
 
+	// ── Admin: split chapters (imported PDF/EPUB books) ──────────────────────
+	const isFullTextBook = $derived(
+		chapterList.length === 1 && chapterList[0].title === 'Full Text'
+	);
+	let splitText = $state('');
+	let splitSaving = $state(false);
+	let splitResult = $state<'saved' | 'error' | ''>('');
+	let splitError = $state('');
+	let splitOpen = $state(false);
+
+	$effect(() => {
+		// Pre-fill the textarea with chapter 1 content when the panel is opened.
+		if (splitOpen && !splitText && data.book?.slug && isFullTextBook) {
+			fetch(`/api/chapter-markdown/${encodeURIComponent(data.book.slug)}/1`)
+				.then((r) => r.ok ? r.text() : '')
+				.then((t) => {
+					// Strip leading "# Full Text\n\n" header if present.
+					splitText = t.replace(/^# Full Text\n\n/, '').trim();
+				})
+				.catch(() => {});
+		}
+	});
+
+	async function splitChapters() {
+		const slug = data.book?.slug;
+		if (splitSaving || !slug) return;
+		splitSaving = true;
+		splitResult = '';
+		splitError = '';
+		try {
+			const res = await fetch(`/api/admin/books/${encodeURIComponent(slug)}/split-chapters`, {
+				method: 'POST',
+				headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
+				body: JSON.stringify({ text: splitText })
+			});
+			if (res.ok) {
+				splitResult = 'saved';
+				splitOpen = false;
+				await invalidateAll();
+			} else {
+				const d = await res.json().catch(() => ({}));
+				splitError = (d as any).error ?? 'Unknown error';
+				splitResult = 'error';
+			}
+		} catch (e: any) {
+			splitError = e?.message ?? '';
+			splitResult = 'error';
+		} finally {
+			splitSaving = false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	// ── Admin: rescrape ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 	let scraping = $state(false);
 	let scrapeResult = $state<'queued' | 'busy' | 'error' | ''>('');
@@ -979,7 +1031,7 @@
 	</a>
 
 	<!-- Admin panel (collapsed by default, admin only) -->
-	{#if data.isAdmin && book.source_url}
+	{#if data.isAdmin}
 		<div>
 			<button
 				onclick={() => (adminOpen = !adminOpen)}
@@ -997,6 +1049,62 @@
 
 		{#if adminOpen}
 			<div class="px-4 py-3 border-t border-(--color-border) flex flex-col gap-5">
+
+			<!-- Chapter split tool (only for imported books with single "Full Text" chapter) -->
+			{#if isFullTextBook}
+				<div class="flex flex-col gap-2">
+					<div class="flex items-center justify-between">
+						<p class="text-xs font-medium text-(--color-muted) uppercase tracking-wide">Split Chapters</p>
+						<button
+							onclick={() => { splitOpen = !splitOpen; splitResult = ''; splitError = ''; }}
+							class="text-xs text-(--color-muted) hover:text-(--color-text) transition-colors"
+						>
+							{splitOpen ? 'Hide' : 'Edit'}
+						</button>
+					</div>
+					{#if !splitOpen}
+						<p class="text-xs text-(--color-muted)">
+							This book has a single "Full Text" chapter. Use this tool to split it into chapters.
+						</p>
+					{/if}
+					{#if splitOpen}
+						<p class="text-xs text-(--color-muted)">
+							Insert <code class="bg-(--color-surface-3) px-1 rounded">---</code> on its own line to divide chapters.
+							Optionally start a segment with <code class="bg-(--color-surface-3) px-1 rounded">## Chapter Title</code>.
+						</p>
+						<textarea
+							bind:value={splitText}
+							rows="16"
+							class="w-full px-2 py-1.5 rounded bg-(--color-surface-3) border border-(--color-border) text-(--color-text) text-xs font-mono focus:outline-none focus:border-(--color-brand) resize-y"
+							placeholder="Paste or edit the full text here. Use --- to split chapters."
+						></textarea>
+						<div class="flex items-center gap-3 flex-wrap">
+							<button
+								onclick={splitChapters}
+								disabled={splitSaving || !splitText.trim()}
+								class="flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-1.5 rounded text-xs font-medium transition-colors
+									{splitSaving || !splitText.trim() ? 'bg-(--color-surface-3) text-(--color-muted) cursor-not-allowed' : 'bg-(--color-brand)/20 text-(--color-brand-dim) hover:bg-(--color-brand)/40 border border-(--color-brand)/30'}"
+							>
+								{#if splitSaving}
+									<svg class="w-3 h-3 animate-spin" fill="none" viewBox="0 0 24 24"><circle class="opacity-25" cx="12" cy="12" r="10" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="4"/><path class="opacity-75" fill="currentColor" d="M4 12a8 8 0 018-8V0C5.373 0 0 5.373 0 12h4z"/></svg>
+									Saving…
+								{:else}
+									Save chapters
+								{/if}
+							</button>
+							{#if splitResult === 'saved'}
+								<span class="text-xs text-green-400">Saved.</span>
+							{:else if splitResult === 'error'}
+								<span class="text-xs text-(--color-danger)">{splitError || 'Error.'}</span>
+							{/if}
+						</div>
+					{/if}
+				</div>
+				<hr class="border-(--color-border)" />
+			{/if}
+
+			<!-- Rescrape / range-scrape (only for scraped books with a source URL) -->
+			{#if book.source_url}
 				<!-- Rescrape -->
 				<div class="flex items-center gap-3 flex-wrap">
 					<button
@@ -1065,6 +1173,7 @@
 						</span>
 					{/if}
 				</div>
+			{/if}
 
 				<hr class="border-(--color-border)" />