Poisoned blade

Name: Poisoned blade
Author: Kate Elliott
ISBN: 9780316344371

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Kate Elliott

Reading Level 6-7 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes. Its HootRating code, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Jessamy isn't just playing a game—she's fighting for her family's survival and the fate of a kingdom! As she climbs the ranks in the fierce Fives competition, danger lurks at every turn, and the prince she loves might be caught in the crossfire. Can Jessamy become the warrior her world desperately needs?

Themes

SistersContestsRomance Multicultural Adventure Fantasy World-Building

Quick Assessment

Jessamy, a young competitor in a demanding athletic contest, is pulled into a kingdom at war after a deadly attack on her traveling group. Violence is a central element, including a fatal attack, combat, and a sinister antagonist, and the story also explores the financial hardship that drives Jessamy's choices. Romance is present but limited to a lingering attachment, making this a fit for mature teen readers who can handle sustained danger and war themes.

Why we rated Poisoned blade ME (Moderate)

Poisoned blade is written at a Level 6-7 reading level across 468 pages. Upper Grades (Ages 13+) is the typical interest range for this book — readers in that age band have the maturity and attention span suited to the story, separate from whether they can decode the words.

We rate Poisoned blade as ME (Moderate, mostly 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.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild peril.

Thematically, Poisoned blade explores sisters, contests, romance, multicultural, 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.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about sisters, contests, romance.

Maybe not for

! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.

For Parents

Content Intensity

ME · Moderate · Emotional

Emotional

Moderate ←

Physical

Moderate

Social

Mild

Thematic

Moderate

Reading the HootRating code: the first letter is the content intensity (C = Gentle · L = Mild · M = Moderate · I = Intense · V = Very Intense); the second, when there is one, is the kind of content that drives it (E = Emotional · P = Physical · S = Social · T = Thematic). Reading level and age range are rated separately. How we rate

Real stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.