Crooked Kingdom
Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Leigh Bardugo
The text is written at a 8th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Here’s a secret: Kaz Brekker and his crew pulled off the most daring heist ever, but instead of celebrating, they’re fighting to stay alive. Everyone’s out to get them, and the danger is just getting started. But that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
Crooked Kingdom is a fantasy adventure following Kaz Brekker and his crew as they face betrayal and life-threatening challenges after a risky heist. Suitable for middle-grade readers, it contains themes of loyalty, courage, and teamwork amid high-stakes danger. Parents should note that while the story involves peril and complex conflicts, it is appropriate for readers aged 9-12.
Why we rated Crooked Kingdom 12ME
Crooked Kingdom is written at a Level 8 reading level across 576 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 9.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Crooked Kingdom works for readers up to grade 10.0.
We rate Crooked Kingdom as 12ME ("Moderate — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from emotional weight, physical peril, thematic difficulty — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Crooked Kingdom explores fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship, and family — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about fantasy world-building, adventure, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
12ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
2/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781536446067
- Pages
- 576
- Publisher
- Square Fish
- Published
- 2018
- Type
- Fiction