The Hidden Kingdom
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Screen for YOUR familyParent's Guide to The Hidden Kingdom
The Hidden Kingdom is the third installment in Tui T. Sutherland's popular 'Wings of Fire' middle-grade fantasy series, which follows the adventures of dragonets destined to end a long-standing war among dragon tribes. In this particular book, the narrative centers on Glory, a RainWing dragonet, as she and her companions delve into the mysterious disappearances plaguing the RainWing kingdom. The story explores themes of self-discovery, leadership, and the challenges of challenging societal expectations, offering a blend of mystery, adventure, and character development within a vibrant world of diverse dragon species. Targeted at a middle-grade audience, generally ages 8-12, the series is known for its fast-paced plot and engaging characters. While the book focuses on Glory's quest and the intricacies of the RainWing tribe, it also contributes to the overarching saga of the dragonets of destiny. The series is celebrated for its world-building and exploring complex issues through the lens of its dragon protagonists.
Things to Consider
Violence
The Hidden Kingdom, and the Wings of Fire series overall, contains significant fantasy violence, often depicted with graphic detail. This includes descriptions of dragon battles, injuries, and deaths that can be intense for younger or more sensitive readers. The nature of the conflict, a war between dragon tribes, inherently involves perilous situations and combat.
The series includes graphic depictions of violence, such as a villain dragon biting off a human's head in an early book, with mention of 'blood pooling on the floor'. Dragon battles are described with dragons 'lashing at each other with their claws, tearing and ripping into each others' flesh and wings and gouging into open scars'. Other instances include 'chilling cracks' heard as dragons break necks or bones, 'Peril scorch[ing], melt[ing], and scar[ring] others', and Glory's 'poison disintegrate[ing] other dragons' with 'bloody, rotting dragon corpses' after battles.
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Additional Context
Best For Ages
The Hidden Kingdom, as part of the Wings of Fire series, is generally recommended for readers aged 8-12, or specifically 10+ for sensitive readers. This recommendation considers the book's middle-grade genre, complex themes, and the presence of significant fantasy violence that is often described with some graphic detail across the series. Parents should be aware that while this book may be suitable for the younger end of this range, the series as a whole intensifies in content, particularly regarding violence and later LGBTQ+ themes.
Good to Know
Parents considering 'The Hidden Kingdom' (Wings of Fire #3) should be aware that while this specific book's content for certain concerns like LGBTQ+ themes may be less overt than later installments, it exists (e.g., Jambu). The series as a whole develops more explicit and potentially challenging content, particularly regarding violence and LGBTQ+ representation, in subsequent books. It is advisable for parents to screen later books in the series if these are areas of concern for their family.
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