The cursed queen

Name: The cursed queen
Author: Sarah Fine
ISBN: 9781481441933

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Sarah Fine

Reading Level 5-6 ME · Moderate · Emotional 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, ME, means moderate content, mostly emotional.

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About This Book

Here's a secret: Ansa isn't just any warrior—she's the fierce fighter who survived a terrible raid and never gave up. But when a new enemy crosses the great lake to challenge the witch queen, Ansa’s world turns upside down, and her greatest battle is just beginning.

Themes

Fantasy World-Building AdventureWarMagicFamily

Quick Assessment

Ansa, a warrior raised in a fierce tribe, is caught up in a war between the Krigere and the Kupari after the witch queen curses her with dark magic. The story includes battle scenes, deaths in war, and a character who was orphaned by raiders, along with a loyalty-versus-survival struggle and a non-graphic romance between Ansa and Thyra. It is a good fit for older teen readers who handle fantasy violence and political conflict, and it works well as a companion to The Impostor Queen.

Why we rated The cursed queen ME (Moderate)

The cursed queen is written at a Level 5-6 reading level across 417 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 The cursed queen 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, The cursed queen explores fantasy world-building, adventure, war, magic, 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 fantasy world-building, adventure, war.

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

Mild

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?