Rise of the Evening Star

Name: Rise of the Evening Star
Author: Brandon Mull
ISBN: 9781590387429

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Brandon Mull

Illustrated by Brandon Dorman

Reading Level 4-5 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 4th 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

The crisp rustle of leaves whispers secrets in the twilight as Kendra and Seth step back into the enchanted world of Fablehaven. The air tingles with magic and danger, hinting at a powerful artifact hidden deep within the preserve. Shadows gather, and with them, the weight of a looming threat that only the bravest can face.

Themes

Adventure Fantasy World-Building Friendship Family

Quick Assessment

Kendra and Seth return to Fablehaven, a refuge for mythical creatures, where their grandfather has called in specialists to guard a powerful artifact from a secretive society. Expect suspenseful peril, creature-related danger, and sustained fear and anxiety as the siblings wrestle with their worries, while the fantasy violence stays non-graphic. Families may want to talk together about courage and facing fear.

Why we rated Rise of the Evening Star ME (Moderate)

Rise of the Evening Star is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 456 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 Rise of the Evening Star 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 — 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, Rise of the Evening Star explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, and family — 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 adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship.

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

Gentle

Thematic

Gentle

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.

Data confidence: high

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