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Cover of Written on the Dark by Guy Gavriel Kay

Book · Fantasy and science fiction

Written on the Dark

by Guy Gavriel Kay

Page count, estimated reading time and reading quiz: everything to know before you start Written on the Dark, and the Vread challenge to get to the end.

Pages
400
Reading time
≈ 7 h 20 min
Checkpoints
10
Genre
Fantasy, SF
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Free on iPhone and Android.

How long does it take to read Written on the Dark?

At 400 pages, Written on the Dark is a fairly long book. Expect about 7 hours 20 minutes of reading to finish it, based on 250 words per page and an average reading speed of 230 words per minute. A fast reader will go quicker; a careful read (or reading in a second language) will take longer.

At 30 minutes a day, that is about 15 days of reading. At the median pace of Vread readers, 72 pages per reading day, it takes 6 reading days. For a book of this length (400 to 599 pages), Vread readers who finish it take a median of 5.3 days between the first and the last checkpoint (Vread Reading Barometer 2026).

Reading days to finish it
30 minutes a day15 days
Vread median pace (72 pp./day)6 days

Estimates; see the method at the bottom of the page.

Prove you read it

The Vread challenge: 10 checkpoints

  1. Checkpoint 1, page 40
  2. Checkpoint 2, page 80
  3. Checkpoint 3, page 120
  4. Checkpoint 4, page 160
  5. Checkpoint 5, page 200
  6. Checkpoint 6, page 240
  7. Checkpoint 7, page 280
  8. Checkpoint 8, page 320
  9. Checkpoint 9, page 360
  10. Checkpoint 10, page 400

In Vread, Written on the Dark is split into 10 checkpoints, one every 40 pages or so. At each checkpoint, a question covers the passage you have just read: a correct answer validates the step, and your progress moves forward like a training plan.

The challenge: validate all 10 checkpoints through to the last page. No giant quiz at the end, no summary to copy out: short questions along the way that prove the book was actually read. It also works as a reading quiz to check your understanding before a test.

Also available in French on Vread.

Illustrative example

Checkpoint 1/10pp. 1–40

What a checkpoint looks like

A short, precise question about the pages you have just read: a character, a place, a choice.

The answer is in the text: reply in the app.

This is not a question from Written on the Dark: to avoid spoilers, the real questions stay in the app.

Answer in the app, one checkpoint at a time.

Summary, quiz, reviews: frequently asked questions

How many pages is Written on the Dark?
The edition listed on Vread has 400 pages. The exact count varies by edition (paperback, hardback, ebook).
How long does it take to read Written on the Dark?
About 7 hours 20 minutes of reading, or 15 days at 30 minutes a day.
Is there a quiz on Written on the Dark?
Yes: the Vread app has 10 reading questions on Written on the Dark, one per checkpoint, unlocked as you read.
Where can I find a summary of Written on the Dark?
Vread does not publish summaries: the app supports reading the book itself, part by part. Checkpoint questions cover what you have just read, which makes them a good way to check you did not miss anything.

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Read Written on the Dark with Vread

Add the book to your library, read at your own pace in whatever format you use, and validate each checkpoint. Vread is free on iPhone and Android.

Take the challenge

Written by Vread from its catalogue data (page count of the listed edition, checkpoints, ratings aggregated from 10 ratings). No summary or publisher text is reproduced. Reading times are estimates; see the method in the Vread Reading Barometer (in French).