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:
It would take both of them to take down the brawny trogo, if Telyn was any judge. And she’d seen enough brawls to know.
Cressida exhaled audibly. “Get a load of that cereb. That’s enough to give a brakdaw nightmares.”
“What? Where?” Telyn’s eyes scanned the room—then her nose honed in on him. The creature’s skin gave off an odor like a dead man’s boots—wet leather, ashes and foot fungus rolled unto one. She smelled it above the malt and smoke and body odor of all the other patrons, and it led her eyes to the nook furthest from the fireplace. The cereb—also called a mind wizard—wore a dark cloak with the hood thrown back. While rare, everyone had heard tell of this most powerful of non-humans. This one had a light blue complexion reminiscent of turquoise, complete with the black veins over his skull. Telyn peered with morbid fascination to see if she could make out—Yes!—the nest of the worm-like tentacles beneath his chin at the base of his neck, writhing like undersea algae.
Missed an Excerpt? Go Here:
Excerpt One: https://www.
Excerpt Two: https://www.
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.”