Soldiers of fortune.
Richard Harding Davis
Soldiers of fortune.
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Richard Harding Davis
The text is written at a 7th 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
The jungle is thick and the air is heavy as Robert Clay rushes through the mine, heart pounding. He's not just an engineer—he's a soldier of fortune caught in a dangerous game of love and power. Just when things start to heat up between Robert and Alice, a sudden explosion shatters the calm—what will happen next?
Quick Assessment
Set in a small South American country, this adventure follows Robert Clay, a civil engineer with a secret past as a mercenary, caught between love and conflict. The story explores themes of loyalty, rivalry, and revolution, appropriate for middle-grade readers interested in action and historical settings. Some scenes involve violence and political unrest, which are handled with moderate intensity.
Why we rated Soldiers of fortune. 12ME
Soldiers of fortune. is written at a Level 7 reading level across 364 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 8.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Soldiers of fortune. works for readers up to grade 9.0.
We rate Soldiers of fortune. 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, Soldiers of fortune. explores adventure, historical, romance, and social justice — 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.
- ✓ Readers ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, historical, romance.
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
4/10Good conversation starter with themes worth exploring together.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 0403004799
- Pages
- 364
- Publisher
- Scholarly Press
- Published
- 1970
- Type
- Fiction