The Dark Candle (Dark Man)
Peter Lancett
The Dark Candle (Dark Man)
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by Peter Lancett
The text is written at a 2nd grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
There’s a secret no one knows: the Dark Candle holds the power to heal, but it’s hidden deep in a shadowy world. Dark Man races against the terrifying Shadow Masters to find it for a sick girl who’s running out of time—but that’s only the beginning.
Quick Assessment
This young adult fantasy follows Dark Man as he tries to save a sick girl by finding the mysterious Dark Candle before sinister forces catch them. Suitable for teens aged 13 to 18, the story includes themes of adventure and danger, with some suspenseful moments but no graphic content.
Why we rated The Dark Candle (Dark Man) 7ME
The Dark Candle (Dark Man) is written at a Level 2 reading level across 36 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 3.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The Dark Candle (Dark Man) works for readers up to grade 4.0.
We rate The Dark Candle (Dark Man) as 7ME ("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, The Dark Candle (Dark Man) explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
- ✓ 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.
- ! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.
For Parents
Content Intensity
7ME — 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
3/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9781841676036
- Pages
- 36
- Publisher
- Ransom Pub Limited
- Published
- October 1, 2007
- Type
- Fiction