HootRated mascot HootRated

Beasts made of night

Tochi Onyebuchi

Cover of Beasts made of night

Beasts made of night

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Tochi Onyebuchi

Reading Level 6 Unrated Ages 9-12

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is gentle with no concerning themes.

We may earn a commission from these links. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores with every purchase.

About This Book

"...The beginning of a great saga..." —NPR.org "This compelling Nigerian-influenced fantasy has a wonderfully unique premise and lush, brilliant worldbuilding that will consume you until the last page."—Buzzfeed "...Unforgettable in its darkness, inequality, and magic." —VOYA, Starred Review "...A paean to an emerging black legend."—Kirkus Reviews, Starred Review Black Panther meets Nnedi Okorafor's Akata Witch in Beasts Made of Night, the first book in an epic fantasy duology. In the walled city of Kos, corrupt mages can magically call forth sin from a sinner in the form of sin-beasts—lethal creatures spawned from feelings of guilt. Taj is the most talented of the aki, young sin-eaters indentured by the mages to slay the sin-beasts. But Taj’s livelihood comes at a terrible cost. When he kills a sin-beast, a tattoo of the beast appears on his skin while the guilt of committing the sin appears on his mind. Most aki are driven mad by the process, but Taj is cocky and desperate to provide for his family. When Taj is called to eat a sin of a member of the royal family, he’s suddenly thrust into the center of a dark conspiracy to destroy Kos. Now Taj must fight to save the princess that he loves—and his own life. Debut author Tochi Onyebuchi delivers an unforgettable series opener that powerfully explores the true meaning of justice and guilt. Packed with dark magic and thrilling action, Beasts Made of Night is a gritty Nigerian-influenced fantasy perfect for fans of Paolo Bacigalupi and Nnedi Okorafor. iBooks Most Anticipated YA Books of the Fall io9’s All the Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Keep On Your Radar This Fall BuzzFeed’s 22 YA Novels You’ll Want To Read From Cover To Cover This Fall A 2017 BookExpo Buzz Book A Junior Library Guild Selection

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 6 book. No notable content concerns flagged. Written for readers ages 9-12.

Why we rated Beasts made of night Level 0

Beasts made of night is written at a Level 6 reading level across 298 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Beasts made of night works for readers up to grade 8.0.

We rate Beasts made of night as Unrated because the content sits in the "Unrated" range — no conflict beyond everyday childhood experiences.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the unrated intensity score.

Good fit for

  • Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
  • Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.

Maybe not for

  • ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.

For Parents

Content Intensity

Level 0 — Unrated
Gentle Mild Moderate Intense Very Intense

This book has not yet been rated for content intensity.

Data confidence: standard

Was our "Unrated" content intensity rating accurate for this book?

Reading Insights

Hook Factor

1/10

A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.

Discussion Potential

1/10

A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.

Book DNA

Multi-dimensional content fingerprint

Vocabulary Level
5
Theme Richness
1
World Scope
3
Data Confidence
4

Details

Book Length

298 pages
ISBN
9780448493909
Pages
298
Publisher
Penguin
Published
2017
Type
Fiction

Genres

Subjects

FantasyGuiltMonstersFantasy FictionSinYoung Adult FictionYoung Adult LiteratureLexile:750Lexile_range:701-800Text_difficulty: 3-4Nigerian-influenced FantasyTattoosDark MagicSpeculative FictionAuthors, NigeriaYoung Adult WorksScience FictionNovels

People

Taj

Places

Kos