The dark eagles
David R. Smith
The dark eagles
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
Wells in Desolation
by David R. Smith
The text is written at a 6th 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
Kief embarks on a thrilling voyage across treacherous seas, guided by a magical stone and supported by loyal friends. Along the way, he faces fierce enemies and uncovers hidden truths about his past and destiny. Unexpected allies appear, but a chilling secret looms that could change everything for The Dark Eagles.
Quick Assessment
This is a Level 6 book with moderate content intensity. Content themes include mild peril, fantasy violence, fear & anxiety. Written for readers ages 9-12.
Why we rated The dark eagles 11ME
The dark eagles is written at a Level 6 reading level across 315 pages (approximately 90,337 words). Strong independent readers around grade 7.0 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The dark eagles works for readers up to grade 8.0.
Read aloud, The dark eagles runs about 10 hours — long enough to span several bedtime sessions.
We rate The dark eagles as 11ME ("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.
Specific content flags noted by reviewers: Mild Peril, Fantasy Violence, Fear & Anxiety.
Thematically, The dark eagles explores adventure, friendship, fantasy world-building, and coming of age — 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.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, friendship, fantasy world-building.
- ✓ Readers who fall hard for one book and want a long series to live in — there is one more book in the Dark Eagles series.
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
11ME — Moderate — EmotionalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Content Flags
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
4/10A 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
- 9780615865461
- Pages
- 315
- Publisher
- Dark Eagles
- Published
- 2013
- Type
- Fiction
- Word Count
- 90,337
- Read-Aloud
- ~10h 2m
- Text Density
- Dense