Tess of the Road

A handful of violent scenes, most not graphic in their presentation. Two kidnappers abuse a demented old man, who's eventually rescued. A priest reveals that he has nonconsensual sex with his female servant. One character remembers a sexual assault in her past.

The characters talk about sex frankly but not graphically. Tess viewed by many as "damaged goods" because she had a child out of wedlock in her early teens. At age 18, she develops a healthy romantic relationship with an older man, and there's a mild scene of them in bed together. There's also a scene involving a traveling brothel.

Swearing is kept to a minimum, with perhaps a half-dozen uses of "hell" and "damn," and one or two of "s--t."

Tess drinks to excess at the beginning of the book, binging on pilfered wine. She punches a priest while drunk and feels compelled to flee the palace.

Parents need to know that Tess of the Road is a spin-off of Rachel Hartman's acclaimed fantasy Seraphina. The narrative follows Seraphina's younger half-sister as she sets off alone in search of a fabled World Serpent. The story contains violent scenes, including the memory of a sexual assault. Swearing is infrequent and limited mostly to "hell" and "damn." Sex is discussed frankly but not graphically. Tess has a problem with alcohol, which she uses to self-medicate.