About the Book
Book: Chaos Woods, Chronicles of the Ever-Guise, Book I
Author: Scott T. Barnes
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Release Date: November 14, 2025
After a thieves’ auction goes wrong, young barmaid Telyn Brower winds up with a shard from a magical mask.
Only one problem: In this world, humans are forbidden to use magic. In fact, they’re the only sentient beings without any innate magical powers.
That doesn’t stop Telyn and her friends from using the mask to improve life in their isolated mountain town of Harlech.
At first, the changes seem small. Helpful. Necessary.
But good intentions only carry them so far.
Soon, lies begin to surface. Trust erodes. With every spell they cast, the mask tightens its grip. The power is seductive, addictive. The consequences are dangerous.
As the subjugation of humans intensifies and enemies draw near, the only way out seems to lie deep in the Chaos Woods—an ancient forest where magic itself bends and frays.
To survive, the friends must face the cost of their choices and decide whether they can truly trust one another.
Discover the young adult fantasy Chaos Woods, rated 4.8 out of 5 stars by IndieReader, and described as “an ambitious, character-driven fantasy.”
Excerpt from the Book:
CHAPTER ONE
Telyn spit on her hand, placed her elbow on the greasy table, and leaned forward. A geometry lesson of a girl—tall, skinny, sharp-nosed, and pointy-chinned—she wore a stained apron over a long gray skirt and white blouse. She’d rather be wearing trousers, but in the mountain town of Harlech, trousers were frowned upon for women unless the specific activity demanded it, activities such as ice climbing or trapping.
Opposite her, the furry gray eehoo tilted her head and vibrated her purple nose—as if she didn’t know the game. They’d been arm-wrestling for years, but now that Telyn was fifteen and rather strong, the marsupial’s enthusiasm had waned.
“Come on, Tums. Raz will be here any second. ‘Where’s my stew?’” Telyn did a decent imitation of Razenbock’s gravely voice. “Just give me the paw and we’ll see how my new training routine compares to your animal biceps. Lazy animal biceps, I might add.”
The creature hardly ever exercised—not really. She just hung from the walls by her sucker paws for hours on end. But Telyn climbed daily—trees, cliffs, the side of buildings, the frozen waterfall in winter, whatever, rain or snow, without fail.
Too bad you couldn’t make a living climbing.
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Excerpt Three: https://www.fictionbooklover.
Excerpt Four: https://www.guildmaster97.com/
Excerpt Five: https://www.becausefiction.
Excerpt Six: https://www.thebookishledger.
Excerpt Seven: https://thequietbookmark.com/
About the Author
An afficionado of small towns, forests, and mountains, you can find Scott T. Barnes writing in coffee shops all over Southern California. Scott won the Writers of the Future Award for his story “Insect Sculptor.” His contemporary fantasy, Memories of Lucinda Eco, set in Baja California, received a coveted “Editor’s Pick” from BookLife, while his epic fantasy Chaos Woods earned 4.8 out of 5 stars from IndieReader. Kirkus Reviews called it, “An absorbing, character-driven YA tale of camaraderie and redemption.”