The King's Arrow

Name: The King's Arrow
Author: Michael Cadnum
ISBN: 9780670063314

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Michael Cadnum

Reading Level 7-8 ME · Moderate · Emotional Ages 13+ Balanced Read

The text is written at a 7th 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

What if a single moment changed everything you thought you knew about your future? On a bright summer day in England's New Forest, Simon Foldre, just eighteen and eager to prove himself, joins a royal hunt that will twist his fate forever. But when he sees something no one else does, the mystery of the king's death pulls him into a world of secrets and danger.

Themes

Historical Coming of Age Mystery

Quick Assessment

Set in 12th-century England, this historical fiction novel follows eighteen-year-old Simon Foldre as he becomes entangled in the mystery surrounding King William II's death during a royal hunt. Suitable for teens aged 13-18, the story explores themes of loyalty, coming of age, and political intrigue with age-appropriate historical context and some suspenseful moments. Parents should note that the book deals with themes of possible murder and court intrigue but handles them in a way suitable for young adults.

Why we rated The King's Arrow ME (Moderate)

The King's Arrow is written at a Level 7-8 reading level across 224 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 King's Arrow 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, thematic difficulty — 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 King's Arrow explores historical, coming of age, and mystery — 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 ready to talk through themes after they finish — there's enough substance for a meaningful conversation.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about historical, coming of age, mystery.

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

Mild

Social

Mild

Thematic

Moderate

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?