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:

“On three,” Telyn began. “One—” The eehoo slammed Telyn’s hand to the table faster than she could say two. Cressida laughed. Telyn straightened up slowly. “She hangs around all day like a pinecone picking yuck from her pouch…and yet—” Telyn sighed and began rubbing the hurt from her knuckles. “It isn’t fair.” “Maybe pouch yuck is her secret weapon. You should try it.” “I have; didn’t help.” Telyn flicked a wooden spoon at her sister before plunging it back into the stew pot. “Tasted like stock, though—the flower, not the broth. Not bad.” Somehow, Cressida managed to look even prettier with a streak of grease across her forehead. That blue dress showed off her curves better than it should. She’d modified it, dropped the neckline, added lace around the seams. And when Cressida walked, the hint of pedicured toes beneath the embroidered hem drew an unfair number of eyeballs. Both girls eschewed shoes until winter demanded them. Telyn blew a curl of brown hair from her face and braced herself to stir. Skill with a needle was one of many things the two didn’t share…along with pedicured toes. “You’ll never guess what I heard.” Cressida idled up to her sister and bumped her with her hip. “Everyone’s talking about it.”

Missed an Excerpt? Go Here:

Excerpt One: https://www.simpleharvestreads.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Two: https://www.artistwriterandstudentohmy.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Three: https://www.fictionbooklover.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Four: https://www.guildmaster97.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Five: https://www.becausefiction.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Six: https://www.thebookishledger.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/ Excerpt Seven: https://thequietbookmark.com/posts/chaos-woods-book-spotlight/

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.”