The Beauty of Darkness

Name: The Beauty of Darkness
Author: Mary Pearson
ISBN: 9780805099256

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Mary Pearson

Remnant Chronicles

Reading Level 5-6 MP · Moderate · Physical Ages 13+ Matched

The text is written at a 5th 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, MP, means moderate content, mostly physical.

Find on Amazon Listen on Audible

We may earn a commission from these links.

About This Book

Princess Lia and Rafe embark on a perilous journey far from Venda, facing challenges that test their courage and loyalty. As they navigate a world filled with danger and uncertainty, their bond grows stronger amidst the shadows of their past. Together, they must find a way to survive and protect what they hold dear.

Challenged Book

About & Banning Context

Ages 13+

In the concluding volume of the Remnant Chronicles, Lia has survived the challenges of Venda, but a formidable evil threatens the kingdom of Morrighan. As war looms, she must embrace her responsibilities as First Daughter and take on the role of a leader and warrior. Lia faces the difficult task of warning her people while grappling with her complicated feelings towards Rafe and her mistrust of Kaden, who has pursued her. This final installment weaves together themes of betrayal, sacrifice, and the struggle against overwhelming odds, as the fate of multiple kingdoms hangs in the balance.

Key Themes

leadership betrayal sacrifice war identity

Source: Unite Against Book Bans — The Beauty of Darkness

Themes

SurvivalPrincessesAdventure Romance

Quick Assessment

This is a Level 5-6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include physical danger, survival. Written for readers ages 13+.

Why we rated The Beauty of Darkness MP (Moderate)

The Beauty of Darkness is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 684 pages (approximately 156,358 words). 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.

Read aloud, The Beauty of Darkness runs about 17.4 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.

We rate The Beauty of Darkness as MP (Moderate, mostly physical) because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.

Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Physical Danger, Survival.

Thematically, The Beauty of Darkness explores survival, princesses, adventure, and romance — 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.
✓ Readers who like a steady plot with enough momentum to keep pages turning.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about survival, princesses, adventure.
✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Remnant Chronicles series.

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

MP · Moderate · Physical

Emotional

Gentle

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.