Again, Hayes deftly blends the magical and the post-apocalyptic as Zee traverses a fallen Earth 500 years in our future, a world where fairies themselves, here called “orcles,” labor to usher in new life. Zee’s quest will take her to wonderous caves, to encounters with inventive creatures—like the moss-covered Armilandro with “a whole ecosystem upon its back” —and even into face-to-face meetings with forces beyond our understanding. Meanwhile, something blooms in lovely scenes between Zee and Ravaryn, who finds her scars beautiful.

Zee’s quest both illuminate how everything has changed in the aftermath of her heroism in the first book, while also plunging deeper into her world’s most unexpected elements, as Hayes springs on her compelling challenges touched with the fae and the mythic. The rest of the cast, though, is engaged in catch-up missions, trying to track down Zee, though those stories all eventually twist. This polished, often gripping fantasy builds to a tantalizing promise of conflicts to come.

A-grade BookLife Review for Publishers Weekly

The Girl Who Freed the Darkness is everything you’d hoped for and more in a sequel! The attention to detail is incredible, and I just want to dive into Zemira’s world. The magic from book one continues in book 2 with some amazing plot twists. It’s definitely the sort of book that needs to be read more than once! Kaitlynd Power, ARC Reviewer

Kaitlynd Power, ARC Reviewer

‘The first book of this series The Girl Who Broke the World had me hooked, and now reading the second book it has fed my addiction to this series. From the moment I read the first page, I was on edge of my seat. The descriptive writing Renee has put into this book is so amazing as it paints such a clear image of everything. You feel like you’re right there in each scene. A must-read.’ 

Katie H., ARC Reviewer

In her debut, the first in a series, Hayes dazzles with a masterfully told tale of post-apocalypse survival and the ultimate triumph of good versus evil.

The author’s fanciful and intricately wrought world will spark readers’ imaginations immediately, and her well-drawn characters will immediately draw their loyalty and attention.

Hayes excels in proving that people aren’t just black and white—instead, everyone is various shades of gray. Lyrical prose leaps off the page, ending in a gentle tease that will have readers eager for more. Readers who have a love of powerful world-building and multi-layered characters will be eager for more.

Editor's Pick BookLife Review for Publishers Weekly

This book was a breath of fresh YA air. It's a dystopian, YA coming-of-age fantasy that explores the world of a young woman named Zemira (affectionately named Zee) and her journey to save or destroy the world she knows. It's full of daring, adventure and characters that you can't help but fall in love with. It explores the theme of inner demons and the choices we make in our lives in such a clever way that you are left wondering if you would have done the same. I loved every second of this book with an ending had me in a choke hold. I can’t wait to see where the story goes in the coming books!

Skye Gordon

'What a wonderful coming-of-age fantasy The Girl Who Broke The World is! Renee Hayes has crafted a richly detailed post-apocalyptic world with a plot that offers surprise after surprise, and well- developed characters with complex relationships that you absolutely root for, or love to hate.

Zemira's reunion with Paxton in a crisis and Wolf's interaction with the Queen of the Forest, Kyeitha, were among my favorite scenes. There's a lot of dodgy royalty in this story and it's awesome.

Strong female protagonists remain in the minority of fantasy fiction and, as a parent to girls, having a character like Zemira is really important to me. Like all who are coming of age, Zemira has to learn how to live with her power and what its limitations are. This means she has to be smart and think outside the box in situations where her power is diminished, like when she is exposed to borenium.

Overall, Hayes gives us the promise of an exciting new series and I look forward to seeing where we are lead next.'

5-star review by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite