Six of Crows

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Leigh Bardugo

Reading Level 8 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at an 8th 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.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Kaz Brekker stands on a rooftop in Ketterdam, gripping a crow-shaped cane as shadows swirl around him. His crew is sneaking through the dark alleys, hearts pounding, as they prepare to pull off the most dangerous heist the city has ever seen. But when a sudden noise echoes, everything risks falling apart—can they survive the night?

Themes

Adventure Fantasy World-Building Friendship Coming of Age Mystery

Quick Assessment

Crime boss Kaz Brekker assembles a team of outcasts for a nearly impossible heist in a harsh trading city, and the story follows their scheming, betrayals, and fight for survival. Expect frequent realistic and graphic violence, including broken bones and mutilation, along with drug use, addiction, child abuse, abusive parents, and the death of an animal. Teens who handle gritty crime fantasy well will find it engaging, though its moral gray areas and dark themes may suit older teens best.

Why we rated Six of Crows ME (Moderate)

Six of Crows is written at a Level 8 reading level across 479 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 Six of Crows 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, Fantasy Violence.

Thematically, Six of Crows explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, coming of age, and mystery — 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.
! Children who are sensitive to violence, even when handled at age-appropriate levels.

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.