Ironside
Holly Black
Ironside
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
A Modern Faery's Tale
by Holly Black
The text is written at a 7th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
What if you held the secret to freeing a trapped friend from a powerful faery queen? Imagine stepping into a magical world filled with danger and mystery, where every choice could change the fate of someone you care about. But can Kaye complete a nearly impossible quest before it's too late?
Themes
Quick Assessment
This young adult fantasy novel follows sixteen-year-old Kaye as she returns to Faeryland to undertake a challenging quest to free her friend Roibin from the control of a faery queen. The story explores themes of magic, loyalty, and courage, suitable for readers aged 13 to 18. Parents should note the presence of supernatural elements and moderate fantasy peril.
Why we rated Ironside 12ME
Ironside is written at a Level 7 reading level across 336 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Ironside works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Ironside 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 — 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, Ironside explores supernatural, magic, fantasy world-building, friendship, and adventure — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about supernatural, magic, fantasy world-building.
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
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780689868207
- Pages
- 336
- Publisher
- Margaret K McElderry
- Published
- April 24, 2007
- Type
- Fiction