Chaos Woods
Chronicles of the Ever-Guise Book I
Teenagers in a stratified society use magic to better their positions, pitting them against a powerful wizard, in the exciting series-opening fantasy novel Chaos Woods.
About class distinctions, subjugation, and responsibility, Scott T. Barnes’s thrilling fantasy novel Chaos Woods follows teenagers who share the power of a magic mask and navigate the consequences of its use.
Fifteen-year-old Telyn is a human inn worker in Harlech, a village under hierarchical rule. Here, the magical Flacks live above human beings, who are forbidden from using magic. Thus, when Telyn comes into ownership of a magical artifact, the Ever-Guise, it causes her trouble, tempting her and her friends Caitlin and Hosh to improve their social situations with its power. Meanwhile, a malevolent wizard who owns the artifact’s other pieces seeks the magic in their possession.
Harlech and the surrounding Chaos Woods are established in rich terms, with details about their food, magical races, and social dynamics. However, this worldbuilding is front-loaded in the book’s early chapters; it spreads out better as the plot progresses. And Harlech’s social dynamics enhance the central tension, positioning the mask’s addictive power against large-scale concerns, even as the teenagers combat other hardships at home.
The friends have a strong dynamic that is exemplified in their fresh conversations. Those exchanges help flesh Telyn out, as do those between Telyn and her family members. Her relationship with her twin sister, Cressida, is heartfelt despite their differences, and the twins’ complicated relationship with their alcoholic mother yields additional tension.
Small-scale struggles with high risks keep the plot engaging throughout. The dramatic climax refines the book’s focus on class inequality; it is harrowing, and the question of whether Telyn and her friends will succeed holds attention. The prose slips into repetitive patterns, though. Some phrases are overused, and some of the physical descriptions—as of the way clothes fit the girls’ bodies, and with the motif of exposed legs and ankles—are superfluous.
Further, Telyn’s characterization is too archetypal. She is tall and has unusual interests, and she feels out of place among her more traditional, feminine peers. Her love of climbing and her severe aversion to blood are more distinguishing. Hosh and Caitlin are better individualized, though both exhibit immaturity that informs their use of the artifact, and neither grows far beyond their initial flaws. However, Hosh’s disability does inform his use of the artifact in one particularly powerful scene.
Chaos Woods is a moving coming-of-age fantasy novel in which teenagers with conflicting responsibilities work to create change and protect their loved ones.
Reviewed by
Violet Glenn
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
