Monday, June 1, 2026

Chaos Woods Tour & Giveaway

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.”

Click here to get your copy!

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.”

More from Scott

One of the things that makes the fantasy genre so powerful, so important even, is that it often deals with existential questions, especially life versus death and good versus evil. Many other genres shy away from such question, or pretend that evil is, in fact, “relative.”

However, sharing the same stakes also means that many fantasy tales may come to resemble one another a little too much.

For Chaos Woods, I wanted to do something a little bit different. Given that the main character winds up with a magical mask, it did not take long to realize that the primary stakes of this story would be truth versus lies. This realization made the writing of the story much easier. Conflict and confrontation came easily through the turning of these two poles. This led IndieReader in a 4.8/5-star review to remark, “Scott T. Barnes delivers a richly imagined, character-driven coming-of-age fantasy that balances cozy adventure with thoughtful themes of morality, addiction, and the consequences of one’s choices.”

In addition to unique stakes, there is a lot of me in this tale. I grew up in a gold-mining town, surrounded by fields and live oak stands, and the mountains, forests, and small-town vibe enrich Telyn’s adventures. I hope the reader finds the Chaos Woods a place they want to visit again and again.

MY REVIEW

I was a bit overwhelmed with how many pages were in this book. It did take me awhile to get through it because I’m not a huge fan of fantasy. However I will say that the author does a good job of giving us a fantasy world where action is abound. The mention of magic in the book gave me a bit of pause, but understood the purpose of it in this epic story.

The beginning is what grabbed my attention with an auction that goes haywire. A mere human who is given magic causes “chaos.” This begins the adventure with Telyn. What will Telyn do with this mask that is forbidden to her? The question for me was would temptation cause her to do things she would normally not do?

With her friends, Telyn escapes into the woods where danger lurks. You can feel the uproar as this group has to be on guard at all times. Hunted by evil Telyn must try to outwit those who want to do her harm. I did like how the author keeps the action going and gives readers a look at another world with vivid descriptions. Surprisingly I did get so involved in the story that the pages just flew by. Don’t let the length of this book intimidate you. It is worth every moment you spend reading this wonderful story.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.