Content levels
Positive tags
Hero archetypes
Heroine archetypes
Protagonist archetypes
Tropes
Themes
Synopsis
The ‘Great Tale’ of The Children of Húrin, set during the legendary time before The Lord of the Rings. Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwells in the vast fortress of Angband in the North; and within the shadow of the fear of Angband, and the war waged by Morgoth against the Elves, the fates of Turin and his sister Nienor will be tragically entwined. Their brief and passionate lives are dominated by the elemental hatred that Morgoth bears them as the children of Hurin, the man who dared to defy him to his face. Against them Morgoth sends his most formidable servant, Glaurung, a powerful spirit in the form of a huge wingless dragon of fire. Sardonic and mocking, Glaurung manipulates the fates of Turin and Nienor by lies of diabolic cunning and guile, in an attempt to fulfil the curse of Morgoth.
Is The Children of Húrin appropriate for my child?
Suitable for most readers 14 and up.
This is a tragic tale with strong themes of doom, manipulation, and inevitable tragedy, including incest (unwitting), suicide, and war. The violence is meaningful but not graphically detailed, and the emotional weight is considerable.
What to know going in
This book has strong violence, no sexual content, and clean language. Content notes include incest, suicide, death, death of parent, and grief (see the full list above).
Who'll love this
Teens who love Tolkien's world will be drawn to this dark, tragic story of cursed siblings battling against an evil dragon and an impossible fate.