A Game in Yellow

by Hailey Piper

Euphoria meets Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke in this latest novel by the Bram Stoker Award–winning author Hailey Piper, following a couple whose search to spice up their sex life leads them down a path of madness.

A kink-fixated couple, Carmen and Blanca, have been in a rut. That is until Blanca discovers the enigmatic Smoke in an under-street drug den, who holds pages to a strange play, The King in Yellow. Read too much, and you’ll fall into madness. But read just a little and pull back, and it gives you the adrenaline rush of survivor’s euphoria, leading Carmen to fall into a game of lust at a nightmare’s edge.

As the line blurs between the world Carmen knows and the one that she visits after reading from the play, she begins to desire more time in this other world no matter what horrors she brings back with her.

Bram Stoker Award–winning author Hailey Piper masterfully blends horror, erotica, and psychological thriller in this captivating and chilling story.

Genres: Horror, Queer, Fiction, LGBT, Lesbian, Adult, Horror Thriller

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 12, 2025

About the author

Hailey Piper is the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, A Game in Yellow, A Light Most Hateful, The Worm and His Kings, No Gods for Drowning, Cranberry Cove, and other books of dark fiction.
She is also the author of over 100 short stories appearing in Weird Tales, Pseudopod, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and various other publications, and of articles appearing in Writer's Digest, Tor Nightfire, CrimeReads, and Library Journal. Find her at www.haileypiper.com.

Reviews

[Court Zierk · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️ ⭐️ 1/2

When I read the synopsis, I thought this book would be arousing, sexy even. Instead, I feel like I just fell into a muddy puddle, rolled around, drank some of its filthy water, swallowed some globs of dirt and tried to wash it all off in an outhouse sink. This relationship is awful, reciprocally abusive and shrouded in unaddressed trauma. It felt gross for me to read.

Oh, and I’m confused too. The second half of this book made no sense to me. The chapters from the King in Yellow book in particular were mind-bogglingly confusing. I don’t like it when a book outsmarts me.

I’ll say this, the premise is extremely interesting, and wow, can Hailey Piper write. She is an incredible author. Her prose is stunning. I will definitely try some of her other works, but this one just wasn’t for me.

[Stacy (Gotham City Librarian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The King in Yellow” is a sort of literary urban legend that I had heard of before. It’s a play that supposedly drives you insane if you read it. Well, what if people micro-dosed that play by reading just a little bit of it at a time? That’s the brilliantly creative premise of this story.

I had minimal experience with Hailey Piper's writing before this. There was a short story called “The Vermin Moon” that I really enjoyed in a Winter story collection called “The Darkest Night,” and I also liked her novel “Queen of Teeth.” I'm really glad that I was able to read an early copy of this one!

Main character Carmen is losing her sex drive, worrying that her girlfriend Blanca will leave her if she can’t get her desire back in line. She loves Blanca but nothing seems to excite her anymore. Carmen is completely convinced that she is the problem and struggles with her self-esteem. Blanca suggests meeting up with a mysterious new figure who has access to something that may help put the spice back in their bedroom. But it will come at a cost.

This book is a trippy experience. You become a participant, reading excerpts of the play yourself. I admittedly had some trouble following those short sections, but I loved the way they were incorporated into the larger story. It all felt very cinematic. There were moments that absolutely had a “Black Swan” feel to them. Piper is skilled at creating an atmosphere in which something isn’t right, but you can’t put your finger on what it is. The air is thick with paranoia and you’re not sure what’s real and what isn’t. And you're watching Carmen unravel in real time.

I don't want to give too much away, because part of the fun of reading this was discovering where the plot was going.

I will say that I didn’t completely understand the game that Carmen and Blanca were playing within their relationship. I know that it was fully consensual and about surrendering control, and that there were clear rules established, but it seemed as if neither of them were really that happy. The dynamics between those two were confusing to me.The further into the story I got, the more I started to feel like a Reddit commenter typing, “You should just break up.” But I also can't question what I don't understand.

This is a good recommendation for anyone who likes strange, art-themed horror and plots that are twisty and surreal.

I caught all of those Tori Amos references, BTW… ;)

Thank you to Netgalley and to the Publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.

Biggest TW: Body shaming, Self-Harm

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the best horror novels of the year, soaked in existential dread, depression, BDSM, and a really weird play. I'm going to call this a Cosmic Horror novel, not because it had much to do with the universe, but I felt a lot of that vastness and nihilism all through it. That's how the vibes hit, so that's what I'm going to call it.

I think the best Cosmic Horror is also steeped in the mundanity of the every day. Carmen feels what a lot of people have felt--the thrill is gone. She loves her girlfriend Blanca, but she doesn't seem to care about much of anything in her life. And yet the thought of losing Blanca is a terror so huge that she will do anything to stop it, including some increasingly dangerous sexual scenarios. Maybe I couldn't relate to Carmen's specific sexual desires, but I totally understood her mix of total anhedonia with total anxious overwhelm.

Another book with great sex writing, a novel that is able to incorporate BDSM and polyamory in a way that actually understands the way kink works and what these dynamics mean for people. Kink and body horror can bump up against each other a little and Piper is able to thread the needle well, so that it's always clear exactly when Blanca and Carmen are being responsible and when they're being harmful. Loved Smoke as the catalyst for everything, the person who might be able to fix everything or blow it up.

The weird play is super weird but I think that's why it works. I never wanted it to come together. I never wanted it to explain itself. I just wanted this expansive madness to grow and grow. (Not sure how this will work on audio, fingers crossed they do it well!)

The novel this reminded me of most is The Cipher by Kathe Koja, which is a very big compliment.

[Stay Fetters · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Somewhere between terror and madness lies ecstasy. Or is it that somewhere between terror and ecstasy lies madness?”

'The King in Yellow' has long been whispered about. It's said that anyone who reads those stories may eventually lose their sanity. With every page turned, readers seem to lose more and more of themselves. 'A Game in Yellow' takes that concept and creates something unique. Are you ready to transform your life?

I went into this book without knowing much about it. I had heard it was compared to the work of Eric LaRocca, so that was enough to draw me in before I even turned the first page.

This book was a bit confusing at first. There was a particular 'Queen' song that kept playing in my mind on repeat, and then I finally understood what it was all about. It’s wild, but it works so well in this context.

Once things started to fall into place, that’s when the book truly hit me. I was hooked from that moment on. The characters were unpredictable, and you never knew what they were up to until it was all revealed. Sometimes you can guess what’s coming, but not here. There’s no way to anticipate it, and I was amazed. I find myself shaking my head at how uniquely bizarre it was, yet it never detracted from the reading experience.

'A Game in Yellow' was a truly bizarre read and one that I really enjoyed.

Don’t forget your safeword….

[SinsandScares · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐
📅 Pub Date: August 12, 2025

Sadly, this one didn’t work for me. I found myself dreading picking it up again because it just felt like a drag. The writing was overly complex, and I kept having to stop to look up words, which really broke the flow for me.

I also felt like the intimate/BDSM scenes between Carmen and Blanca were a bit repetitive. Their relationship struggles were central to the story, but I couldn’t connect with them. We get a little bit of background on their pasts, but not enough to really care about their dynamic. Carmen’s decreasing sex drive is a key conflict, but outside of that, I felt like their personalities were underdeveloped.

The horror parts, though, those were great. The book really picks up towards the end when the tension rises and things start to spiral. The final moments were the strongest, and I loved how chaotic everything got. However, I found the sections where the reading took on a play format to be confusing. Maybe if I were more familiar with the King in Yellow lore, it would have made more sense to me, but as it was, it just added another layer of disorientation.

All in all, A Game in Yellow wasn’t what I hoped for. The pacing, dense writing, and lack of character depth made it hard to enjoy, even though the horror moments were definitely a highlight.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC for review. To be published August 12, 2025.

4 stars.

Carmen and Blanca are a couple into kink, but suddenly Carmen isn’t feeling it anymore. She is desperate to bring back her libido and she and Blanca try many, many things, but nothing is working. Then Blanca, who is a bartender, meets Smoke at her bar and takes Carmen to see her because she thinks she can help. Smoke promises that if Carmen reads a small portion of a secret play Smoke has called “The King in Yellow” she’ll get better. She does, and she does. Much better. But it doesn’t last. And now Carmen is chasing the high that only the play can give, but Smoke warms that too much of it will destroy the reader. Guess what? Carmen doesn’t listen.

This book is incredibly dark and when reading it I found parts quite scary, which doesn’t often happen with me. It’s a bit like a fever dream in parts. Piper does an excellent job here and I’ll be looking for more from her in the future.

[Gyalten Lekden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of the loneliest novels I have read this year, and I mean that in the best way possible. The world-building in this story is exquisite, creating a colorful and nuanced exploration of the various worlds, or social circles, our main characters travels through, and how each is adding to her emotional distress. The environments feel real and genuine, each different location serving a narrative purpose beyond just simple atmosphere, which was wonderful. But let’s talk about atmosphere, because that was also intense. This novel felt like I was wearing a heavy shroud, this oppressive and inescapable weight. It is interrupted on occasion with brief moments of mania but those only reinforce the how the external matches or parallels the internal. And none of that is even mentioning the fever-dream world found within the play, unsettling and surreal and yet glamorous and hyper-real at the same time. It provided continual contrast and layers of emotional depth to the experience.

The characters are incredible. To be honest, it was difficult at time to spend time with the main character, because she was lost in herself and making what appear like poor choices and it hurt to be in that place with her, because it was so easy to understand and empathize with her. In addition to the main character we have two secondary characters, and then the complicated relationship between them, which is a character in itself, and across the board they felt dynamic and interested and complicated, messy, and real. Even if I was not able to relate to the specific kink aspects of their relationship the raw emotions they were drowning in were an ocean whose waves have often lapped onto my shores. The handful of ancillary characters beyond those three also added to the tapestry in tangible ways, making the world and space feel more real. Each character has a kind of broken honesty that needs to be wrapped in subterfuge in order to protect them, a vulnerability that really imbues this novel with pathos.

I really enjoyed the writing, which felt dream-like and confusing and lush. The writing was sensual and yet always felt a little afraid of itself, of its power, but it was excited by that fear. At the same time, as I mentioned above, the story has real weight to it, it has an overwhelming quality, and the writing helped bring that about. Everything from the descriptive language to the dialogue to the highly manufactured/formal language within the play, they all worked together to great effect. I will say that I was not entirely won over by the pacing. The story is a slow descent into madness for the first 70%, at which point things get out of control quickly. I appreciate how this made the reader experience parallel to the characters’ experiences, to some extent, dizzying and out of time, but I would have liked a little more momentum. Part of the emotional weight of this story comes from our main character repeatedly not telling the other characters what she is really feeling or dealing with, convinced she has to take care of things, supernatural or otherwise, on her own. This is part of what makes this novel feel so lonely, and it works, but that lack of active give and take keep things slow and I would have liked one or two earlier eruptions of weirdness and horror to keep the reader feeling on edge instead of lost in the hazy fog of the nightmare world of Carcosa. I appreciate how the pacing fits the overall story being told and the novel is short enough that it certainly doesn’t overwhelm the experience, but I would have minded feeling a little more disquieted and anxious earlier in the story to help propel me along.

There are a lot of ideas in this story, with the intersection of loneliness and intimacy seeming to be at the forefront. However, there are also ideas of self-worth, honesty and trust, performance (and how performance can keep us trapped), and more. These characters are desperate to keep this relationship alive but—totally aside from their sexual kinks—it feels unsafe and toxic, a relationship that is riddled with codependence but also in inability to be completely open and honest with each. Their sexual liberation contrasts with their emotional protectionism, not being able to share the burdens from their respective traumatic family experiences with each other, and the dreamy investigation of what constitutes the bedrock of healthy relationships is fascinating as a result. The story will leave you unsettled and uncomfortable, and I love it for that.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Saga Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mikey ಠ◡ಠ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two stars because the ending was pretty creepy otherwise this was just a hard 1 star. I felt as though I had nobody to root for because everyone was just awful. And I really need to quit with surrealist horror, it truly isn’t for me. I don’t mind when something is ambiguous and open for the reader’s interpretation but when it comes to surrealism I, personally, can’t stand not knowing what is or isn’t real.

This is my first Hailey Piper book and I was scared to feel this way, I know she’s pretty beloved in the horrorsphere. I am open to trying her work again, I just don’t think this one was for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[thevampireslibrary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book? Or a kinky work of art? Both,  erotic and psychotic (might use that in my dating profile), in true Piper style this story is executed beautifully, exploring the fragilities and intimacies of a lesbian couple, the mesh of, desire, codependency, BDSM and existentialism was at times jarring but I think that's the point? Reads like a fever dream or an unsettling wet dream

[Michael Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review originally appeared on FanFiAddict on June 17, 2025.

There’s been an odder-than-usual streak of puritanism running amok these last few years when it comes to sex in media. Some argue that sex scenes are unnecessary or, at the more extreme ends, spout spurious claims of mental harm because they, as the consumer, did not consent to read or witness sex scenes. And that’s not even getting into the weirdo spinster Moms for Liberty whackadoos storming libraries and local school board meetings who can find porn in even the most sterile texts outside their Holy Bible. Or the big, tough manly men in state and local legislatures who cower in terror at the mere mention of gay love and launch a proliferation of book banning laws targeting schools, libraries, and bookstores. The more obsequious among us proclaim that sex scenes don’t serve the plot, as if every line of dialogue, every interaction and character beat, every scene of unrelenting wholesale slaughter must serve that unerringly, grimly strict taskmaster. God forbid that both characters and consumers find joy in sex!

Thankfully, Hailey Piper is not one of these odd prudes, and with A Game in Yellow, she even manages to get ahead of these critics arguing that sex scenes don’t serve the plot by making sex integral to the plot. Kink and the submissive and dominant roles that Carmen and her lover, Blanca, inhabit fully inform these characters and their relationship. They have wants and desires, and their sexual intimacy is a cornerstone of their relationship. Their passions, as detailed to us in various roleplay scenarios and breathing and rope play, and later the addition of a third partner, reveal the level of trust that exists between them beyond the physical and the ways that trust and emotional connectivity can be upended and weaponized by outside forces. These moments don’t exist solely to titillate readers — although if that were their only purpose, that would OK too! — but to give life and definition to these women, to present them as fully-formed, three-dimensional human beings, warts and all.

And oh boy, are there ever warts a plenty. Carmen and Blanca are messy, messy lesbians. Carmen, particularly, is about two steps shy of being an actual walking disaster when we meet her. Their relationship has hit a plateau after two years and Carmen is struggling to maintain an interest in sex with her lover. Blanca is willing to do anything for her partner, as Piper lays out in the first chapter, which sees the couple engage in bondage and asphyxiation play with submissive Carmen tied to a chair and smothered with a plastic bag. For Carmen, ecstasy can only be found in that narrow line between life and death.

But even increasingly dangerous kinks can only hold Carmen’s attention for so long before her disinterest returns. Blanca takes her to The Underground to meet a friend and eventual hookup partner, Smoke. Smoke holds the key to sparking Carmen’s interest and introduces her to a dangerous text, the infamous play The King in Yellow. Those who read the play are driven to madness… or worse. Smoke’s copy is incomplete, but what she possesses is enough to drive Carmen wild. But as one reads the play, so does the play read them, and Carmen is forced to weave between this world and another, plagued by nightmares and waking terrors, performing actions that are out of her control. Or are they? Is, perhaps, the submissive the one who is ultimately in control, or is the living city of dead Carcosa, which exists beyond the veil, the one in charge?

Piper’s writing is positively hypnotic, both cutting and cunning in equal measures, and I found my own reading experience with A Game In Yellow dovetailing Carmen’s obsession with the ancient French play. Much like Carmen, I quickly grew obsessed with these pages, desiring to sink ever deeper into the lush world present in this text, to the point of addiction. I was fully enamored with A Game In Yellow, made drunk on it by the time it was finished. It’s the kind of book I’m torn between hyping up loud enough to see it become a best-seller while also wanting it to become an underground cult classic that inspires obsessive devotees. The kind of book that should be talked about in hushed tones at concerts and convention circuits, with worn, coffee- and nicotine-stained, dog-eared copies passed around by hand to help initiate the curious. One of those reads that’s just our little secret, and if you know, you know, like a modern day “Do you read Sutter Cane?” passphrase that helps one find their tribe.

Pulling plenty of inspiration from Robert W. Chambers The King In Yellow, Piper’s work serves as a modern-day sequel and a welcome addition to the canon of cosmic horror. Chamber’s titular King has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence of late, playing a key role in Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned horror-fantasy series and Todd Keisling’s The Final Reconciliation, and influencing the first season of HBO’s True Detective. It’s nice to see a forebear to and influence on H.P. Lovecraft enjoying their time under the (twin) sun(s).

Some might claim, and a few might even try to argue, no doubt unsuccessfully, that this story could have been told without such a heavy focus on sex and kink play. To eliminate these elements would wholly undermine Piper’s intent, ambitions, and narrative prowess. The sex, and how Carmen, Blanca, and eventually Smoke, connect with each other via sex, is every bit as important an element as Chambers’s foundational text and provides vital insights in these characters relationships and Carmen’s psychology. Sex is the instigating action from which all else here is derived. To remove these elements from A Game In Yellow would be to destroy it.

If this were the ’90s, A Game In Yellow would sit proudly alongside the works of Kathe Koja or Clive Barker, possibly as a Dell Abyss title, resplendent in its griminess and eroticism. There would still be controversy, to be sure, but I suspect it would feel less like a flashpoint than today. In 2025, with Americans having voted for fascism, where race, gender, sexual identities and preferences are the new Satanic Panic with scores of anti-LGBT and anti-trans legislation, oftentimes coded as anti-pornography bills, sweeping through too many state governments, A Game In Yellow is a timely piece of resistance fiction thanks to its mere existence and the human beings it represents. Focusing on gay relations and sexuality, and authored by a trans woman, it’s the type of work mouth-breathing right-wingers would decry as pornographic (it isn’t), shrieking as they do about the safety of the children while simultaneously clamoring for the elimination and undermining of school lunch programs, child labor laws, environmental protections, sensible gun laws, and vaccination requirements. Piper and her stories are welcome — and, particularly now, vital — works of OwnVoices horror fiction, offering seedy, hallucinatory scares, frightening worlds, and plenty of much-needed representation during a time when it is sorely needed to help push back against Christofascist propaganda.

Even beyond the politics of its existence, A Game In Yellow is just a frighteningly damn good book. It’s easy to get lost in these pages, to lose yourself to the story, to the point that you can very nearly see the twin suns setting across the lake of Hali and the shimmer of lost Carcosa. Just try not to lose yourself, dear reader. I can assure you it’s all to easy to do so.

[Becky Spratford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Starred review in the June 2025 Issue of Library Journal

Three Words That Describe This Book: discomfort, an original retelling of a classic work, cursed book


Draft Review:
Indie Horror star Piper’s big five debut confidently and deftly combines Cosmic Horror classic, The King in Yellow, and Sapphic Erotica to create a mesmerizing, disorienting, and original tale of terror, ecstasy, and madness. Carmen is bored at her job and with life. Her girlfriend is trying to reinvigorate their sexual game play when she introduces Carmen to Salt, a mysterious woman with access to a book that brings euphoria if read in snippets, but read too much, and madness will follow. After experiencing the rush of adrenaline and arousal after her first glimpse, Carmen becomes obsessed with the book and wants more. Readers are held rapt as Carmen keeps reading, even as she begins to hallucinate and the images of twin black suns weaken her tether to reality. And then, the book itself starts to read Carmen as Chambers’ dense prose slowly morphs to reveal Carmen’s own darkest secrets. There is no way for this story to end other than with disaster, and yet, whether readers want to admit it or not– disaster is what they truly desire*. However, when the truth is revealed, no one will be prepared for the existential terror Piper has unleashed upon the world.*

Verdict: A story that will make readers squirm throughout as it demonstrates the power of Chambers' 130 year-old work even if they were previously unfamiliar with it. Fans of the TV series True Detective (seasons 1 & 4), Kingfisher’s The Hollow Places, or anything by Eric LaRocca will eagerly agree to spiral into madness alongside Carmen.


Confidently combines the very best of Cosmic Horror and Erotica into one cohesive story of terror and ecstasy and madness but also creates something wholly new and original.

This is a book that shows a modern audience why Chambers’ work still matters, why is has mesmerized and terrified people for over 130 years.

The BDSM kink enhances the story. First, it adds to the discomfort as readers watch the narrator be tied up for sexual pleasure but also Carmen as the subordinate in the relationship matters to the story. Her place as a sub at the start, who she was before meeting Blanca, and who she becomes at the story’s end– without the BDSM it would not work as well. But I know that part could be a turn off (pun intended) for some traditional horror readers. To those I say, trust the author. Interestingly it is what I told people about Queen of Teeth by Piper as well. Yes that story start with a vagina monster, but it is not a gimmick it is important and vital to the story and is what made it an award winning debut.

Somewhere between terror and madness lies ecstasy–Smoke the keeper of the book pg 29

Or is it somewhere between terror and ecstasy lies madness.

The language prose draws you toward madness. It is both dense and captivating. I wrote down many phrases.

Disorienting and lustful and terror and ecstasy ….all leading to madness.

A downward spiral that the readers sees it coming a mile away– not a game of chicken here– and yet they cannot stop reading nor do they want to. There is no way for this to end other than with disaster and yet, whether the reader wants to admit it or not– that is what they desire. And even though we see it going badly– it ends so much more existentially terrifying for all– characters and readers alike.

Everything is intentional from the intentional safety driven BDSM to the use of the play pages as they merge

Prose you want to stop and reread. Lines worth writing down.

The play as it read begins as Chambers’ work but morphs over time to “read” Carmen and add her story to its pages.

It seems to build slowly yet always on the edge of your seat wanting to find out what will happen, the story unfurls until the madness bursts open and begins to permeate more than Carmen’s brain.

There is a craft here that is admirable but the book is so compelling- an effortless read of spiraling into madness, you don’t realize how meticulously it was crafted until you step away which is awesome and also discomfiting.

Perfect Horror ending as terror and unease are unleashed into the real world off the page.

Familiarity with “The King in Yellow” is not necessary as this book stands firmly and confidently on its own. Confidently updating it.
The cosmic horror beginnings established in The King in Yellow by Robert Chambers and mythic city of Carcosa.

Cassidy’s When the Wolf Comes Home -- there is a shared feeling here as well

[Morgan Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hailey Piper’s A Game in Yellow is a haunting and hypnotic blend of horror, erotica, and psychological thriller. Following a kink-fixated couple, Carmen and Blanca, the novel explores Carmen’s descent into madness after discovering The King in Yellow, a play that promises both thrill and terror. As Carmen becomes obsessed with the play, the boundaries between reality and nightmare blur, leading her down a dangerous path of desire and obsession.

Piper’s prose is smooth and engaging, drawing readers into Carmen’s spiraling psyche. The story deftly explores the complexities of codependent relationships, fear of abandonment, and the terror of losing yourself. It’s a chilling and intimate exploration of desire, control, and identity, with a perfect balance of erotic tension and psychological horror.

A truly captivating and unsettling read, A Game in Yellow will linger with you long after the last page.

Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for this early eARC.

[unstable.books · Rating 4 out of 5]

In Hailey Piper's latest novel, A Game in Yellow, we follow a couple whose search to spice up their intimacy ultimately leads them down a path of madness. Bianca and her partner Carmen are fixated on kinks and find themselves in a bit of a rough patch in that department. Bianca gets her hands on some pages from a mysterious play, The King in Yellow, which is fabled to give the reader a rush of adrenaline and euphoria if you read just enough. But, read too much? You'll be flirting with madness. And flirt they do! This book was such an imaginatively crafted tale. Hailey is the champion of cosmic horror and does not disappoint. Thank you so much to Saga Press for sending me an ARC and NetGalley for the eARC. You can give this a read when it publishes August 12, 2025!

[Curtis · Rating 2 out of 5]

It turns out that forcing your partner to read classic Weird Lit is the cure to a boring sex life lol.

FYI if your gf is so depressed that she can't have sex with you w/o engaging in violent deathplay, you're actually allowed to break tf up w/ them

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐

The Vibe
Moody, erotic, surreal, and hauntingly intimate. This book is like stumbling through a fever dream while carrying only your deepest desires. It's cosmic horror tangled with BDSM and edged in with madness and longing. AMAZING!

Trigger Warnings
BDSM, bondage, breath play, knife play, near death experiences, addiction, psychological horror. Probably more that I can't think of, so don't kill the messenger if I missed some.

What I Enjoyed
I was completely drawn into the world of Carmen, Blanca, (and Smoke), and it felt like revisiting New York City’s secret underground. The atmosphere was lush and shadowed, and it all felt too real. Carmen’s pursuit of ecstasy and desire at the edge of danger was both electrifying and deeply unsettling. Her contrast with Blanca was unforgettable. Blanca was soft and emotional, while Carmen was cold and blunt, and that sharp difference between them created so much tension. Then Smoke arrived and shifted the entire story. The three of them together formed a whirlwind of desire, power, and affection, and experiencing it through a sapphic perspective made it even more powerful.

The horror itself was intoxicating as well. The atmosphere blurred the line between reality and fantasy, and it was layered with obsession and dread. Piper’s writing pulled me under, and it was lyrical and disturbing at the same time. Whatever this sub-genre is... it's my new fav, hands down.

Read This If You Like
Erotic horror that dares to unsettle
Queer stories that are raw and intense
Cosmic horror that blends psychological dread with sensuality

Final Thoughts
A Game in Yellow is not a book you simply read. I mean, this book was AN EXPERIENCE that seeps into your bloodstream and lingers. Hailey Piper has created something strange and beautiful and unforgettable. I'm already looking forward to her next release, Teenage Girls Can Be Demons, which will be out on September 16, 2025.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hellraiser Meets Theatre!!

A Game in Yellow follows Carmen, our main character, who feels her sex life has run a bit stale with her partner, Blanca. However, in an attempt to revive that spark, they begin a torrid affair with half of a play. A play that when read has a tendency to consume parts of those who read it. As the dive deeper into the midst of the story, things start getting creepier and creepier and everyone is keeping secrets - plan for those to come to light in this game.

This story is as devious as any Hellraiser plot. There is an enigmatic character, the dangerous King in Yellow, who functions much like a cenobite at times. It’s an exploration into kink and relationships in a way that isn’t commonly discussed in literature. However, Piper does a really fantastic job at exploring these themes and it is mesmerizing when reading. Readers can expect to feel consumed in much the same way as Carmen at times. This is a story that won’t let you go until you devour the last page (or are devoured yourself)!

All the characters in this story have secrets. Some of them are harmless, and some of them wind up massively harming others. Carmen is a tortured soul, who unfortunately proves that hurt people do indeed hurt people. Through Carmen’s eyes we get other characters stories and then finally as madness draws ever near, the climax is a mad rush of events. You’ll never see this ending coming!

PS - NO. Masks. [Instant Chills]

[AfterPlague · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy!

I think that this is going to be a difficult book to review. I haven't read The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers, so it's difficult for me to tell where his influence ends and Hailey Piper's creativity begins.

A Game in Yellow is about a couple, Carmen and Blanca, who just can't seem to get in sync sexually. Carmen has been asking for more and more intense, dangerous scenarios, but nothing is scratching that itch. Blanca finally suggests they go see a woman named Smoke who has a mysterious play that when read makes you feel such a surge of adrenaline it might be able to kick Carmen's drive into gear.

The King in Yellow is a pretty famous staple of the cosmic horror genre, and it's a shame I haven't read it. I've experienced other media that referenced the novel, but I'm not as familiar with the lore and story as I would've liked to be for this reading experience because there is some really interesting lore here. I just don't know if I can give Piper the credit for it. In a way, A Game in Yellow parallels The King in Yellow because neither of the stories are really about the play. Instead, they're about how the play affects the minds of those who read it.

Smoke controls how much Carmen can read the play, but it's almost like an addictive drug. Carmen constantly craves more even though she's been told and shown that it's incredibly dangerous to get too sucked in. A Game is Yellow is also a cosmic horror novel, so it's not interested in explaining anything to the reader. Usually, I wouldn't find this too frustrating, but I think because there's so much "world-building" within the world of the play it becomes more irritating as a reader. I'm trying to keep track of and understand so many "unusual" names and places that I can't focus entirely on Carmen's descent. There's multiple cities- Carcossa, Yttil, Hastur - and the reader is never really given context for any of them. The writing style within the "play" sections is also quite dense and metaphorical. It's a well-done stylistic choice, separating the simple world that Carmen knows from the complex, obfuscated world of the masquerade. It doesn't help the reader gain any understanding, however.

The way that the play is different from that of The King in Yellow is also notable. The story of the play is about a masquerade where a stranger in a golden mask is discussed amongst the crowds. In the end, he's revealed to be the King in Yellow. This isn't where A Game in Yellow chooses to take its stranger, and I did find that compelling. The climax of this book is insanely confusing, but it does lead to an interesting reveal and the best horror of the whole book. The last few pages are fascinating and horrifying. It's just really quite a shame that there wasn't more before that point. The horror is more psychological, but the progression from tense, insanity based horror to real, visceral horror could have been smoother.

The sexual aspect of this book is...something. I don't think the sex is poorly written, and I think it serves its function well throughout the story. This is a book largely about sex and sexuality, but I think if there was a point being made I missed it. Carmen and Blanca are in a BDSM relationship where Carmen is the Sub and Blanca is the Dom. There's a lot said about how Carmen is actually the one in control of their relationship, and I'm just not quite sure what the point of this was. I think the author might have been trying to make a point about how Carmen is manipulative? Or maybe how she had issues with control? Perhaps that was the root of her sexual disfunction. She also has an "incident" in her past that she's blocked out of her mind with a girl named Aja, but I didn't understand the importance of this event. It's really built up, and what I gleaned from the even was that Carmen was a coward. Is that what I was supposed to take from her character?

Blanca is also a confusing character. The issue with Blanca is that she is "too in control," and her backstory makes the reader understand why. I'm just not sure what that means for their relationship. I think the primary issue is that these character based moments feel unresolved. They're coming to a head at the same time that the more horror-based elements are coming to a head, so as a reader I was much more focused on the horror than the character. Is Blanca's relationship with Smoke a result of Blanca's character flaws or Carmen's? All of the characters, motivations, and relationships are so incredibly confused that it made reading about them unengaging. I didn't really care about Blanca and Carmen's relationship, and that's really unfortunate because I know that part was Piper's doing.

There's also generally no resolution to Carmen's coworkers. Carmen, under the influence of the play, involves a large group of people in reading the play. It was explained to us that the play can cause a wide variety of reactions in people. It can cause them to harm others or themselves, or it can cause larger societal swings. It can form cults or dictators, and with so many different people exposed to the effects of the play I was hoping to see some stirrings of something greater. I was a bit disappointed.

There's something good here. SOMETHING. The twin suns, black eyes portal is super compelling. The Yellow Sign is so interesting. The carnage the play can cause, not just physical carnage but societal carnage, is fascinating. The two acts of the play having different powers, and the fact that the play can self-replicate and tune into its reader is amazing. The Golden city, the stranger, the masquerade! But... is this Piper? Or is this Chambers? I don't know if I can give her credit for all the things I enjoyed.

I would recommend A Game in Yellow, but only because I think it's an interesting talking point, not necessarily because I think it's a good book. The writing is fine, though it's clear that Piper is a talented writer. The stark stylistic differences between the novel style and play style are a testament to that. The atmosphere is compelling at times, and minimal at others. If it sounds interesting, give it a shot, but keep your expectations in line.

A Game in Yellow releases on August 12th, 2025

[Netanella · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Game in Yellow" is a book of messy queers, Carmen and Blanca, who are trying to revive their kink-fixated lifestyle by reading small passages from "The King in Yellow," a mysterious play with dangerous powers.

Once Carmen experiences a brief glimpse of the ecstasy that the lines can bring, she becomes obsessed with the play, stealing pages from their third kink player, Smoke. Soon enough, Carmen's world begins to slip into that of the play, in day dreams and nightmares and seemingly everyday, ordinary encounters. Both Carmen and Blanca carry childhood trauma caused by poor parenting, and The King in Yellow seemingly reads their past to twist their present.

The story is told from Carmen's perspective, and her unreliability as a narrator serves to make the hallucinatory encounters with the play more surreal. As the book's narrative inevitably unfolds, the true powers of the play are slowly and gruesomely revealed, leading to an epic ending. An epic ending in my book, at least.

On another note, my enjoyment of this book was enhanced by my prior knowledge of Robert W. Chambers' The King in Yellow, which I've read at least twice. So as Carmen begins to succumb to the powers of the play, the references were much easier to grasp. My enjoyment of this book was made available by the fine folks at Netgalley and the publishers at Saga, and of course, the delightfully twisted mind of author Hailey Piper. Kudos on a fine story!

[Taylor Boutwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When I read the description on NetGalley I thought this would be interesting, but sadly I just wasn’t into it. I’m not sure if it was just me, but the play parts were so boring, and hard to get through, they could have added more to the story and it just didn’t (in my opinion.)

The couple themselves (Blanca and Carmen) just seem like curious roommates… not like an actual couple. I get that they’re struggling sexually and that’s why they’re looking for more dangerous options, but they just lacked that relationship connection. Then we get introduced to Smoke who flips everything upside down. She introduces Carmen to this play, it alters your mind when you read it. It’s essentially like a drug, you want to consume more, but if you consume too much then you are basically driven into madness.

Overall, it fell flat. Too many characters (between real life and the play,) and not much was happening that made me want to read more.

[Ashley ⋆౨ৎ˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wouldn't necessarily say it's heavy on the horror, more leaning towards drama that might leave you twisted around. Spent half of the book either confused, dying for more about the game/play, or crying and angry over the characters. I'd say the last two-three chapters are when it gets really weird but weird in a really good way.

I enjoyed Carmen but she also drove me absolutely crazy. I would say none of the other characters are worth rooting for but it's hard to say because Carmen is definitely an unreliable narrator.

Overall I really enjoyed it for what it was. A short and quick read that grabs your attention.

[Brenda Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know where to start. A complicated look at women, love and sense of self. This is like the adult version of self harm, cutting and desperation to feel connection.
Trauma from family carried into adulthood, seeping into the joy and support of what could be a healthy relationship. Yet both Blanca and Carmen struggle with their self worth and queer identities- Blanca always in control, Carmen known as pet.
Add in a creepy play consuming lives and you have an amazing plot.

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0/5

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A WILD melding of on an old story with a progressive, contemporary one. Very queer!! Very kinky!! Oh my god... some of these fetish scenes made me flush.

This story is about Carmen and Blanca’s complex dom/sub relationship and the challenges of keeping the flame alive. Blanca then leads them to a possible solution for their relationship struggles (avoiding hard discussions, therapy, or processing personal trauma) and it involves a woman named Smoke and her play titled The King In Yellow.

This book sent me down a rabbit hole of reading the source material, The King in Yellow by Robert W. Chambers and The Inhabitant of Carcosa by Ambrose Bierce. I do think The Game in Yellow makes more sense and feels like a richer story if the reader is familiar with King in Yellow lore. Piper sometimes uses scenes verbatim from these stories, which have a very different feel (since they were written in the late 1800’s) from the kinky romance storyline. Other times, she’ll reference, adapt, or expand on source material in very creative ways. Impressively, Piper uses her magic story telling powers to weave parallels between Carmen’s romantic relationship and her relationship with The King in Yellow.

Overall, really enjoyed this story and I LOVED the characters! They were flawed and complex to the point that they felt real, but that their personal lives extended beyond the pages of this book, and that I'll never get a know those parts. It was also refreshing to see a non-traditional relationship structure portrayed in a loving, consensual way. It was clear that the relationship structure was not "the problem" in this story, but rather how individuals avoidied processing personal traumas and discussing hard topics.

Thank you Netgalley and Saga Press for this ARC of the Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this book!

Carmen wants more than her sex life is giving her, but will she ever be satisfied?

A Game in Yellow is fantastic, anxiety inducing, unsettling, and terrifying in every way. A unique twist on an urban legend surrounding a poem, get ready to pick your jaw up off the floor after reading this one.

This was my first book by Hailey Piper, and certainly won't be my last. I always thought I didn't like cosmic horror, but maybe I just haven't been reading cosmic horror that's THIS good.

[S. Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Game In Yellow seems a lot like Robert W. Chambers erotic fanfic to me- though I'll admit I haven't read the source material, which made it tricky to tell what's creative reimagining and what's original lore. At the center of the story are Carmen and Blanca, a young couple caught in that intense, everything-feels-life-or-death phase of a relationship. Carmen becomes fixated on what she sees as their sexual problems - though I was never sure if these issues were real or just in her head.

The setup has potential - an underground drug den where they meet the enigmatic Smoke, who deals out passages from a cursed play. Read just enough without going mad, and apparently you get this survivor's euphoria that gets you super horny. But while these elements hint at cosmic dread, they never quite coalesce into something truly unsettling. I found myself more drawn to the supernatural elements - the reality-warping effects of the play, the mysterious Smoke, the hints of something larger lurking at the edges of reality - but even these took too long to really manifest.

I found myself disconnected from pretty much everything about Carmen and Blanca's relationship. Carmen's desperate pursuit of... something... left me baffled - I couldn't grasp what was driving her or why everything felt so urgent. Maybe it's that particular brand of twenty-something relationship intensity that I just can't relate to anymore. And while I have no judgment about how other people choose to explore intimacy and power dynamics, the sexual content here felt needlessly complicated and fraught. It didn't help that Blanca remains this oddly distant figure throughout the story, making it even harder to understand what exactly Carmen was so worked up about.

The ending finally delivers the cosmic horror I was waiting for, but getting there means wading through relationship drama and sexual tension that I never cared about. I wanted more weird horror and less of everything else.

[Karli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Going into this, my knowledge of "The King in Yellow" was pretty much limited to True Detective, which was very minimal. So I wasn't really sure what to expect but wow! What an inventive novel Piper has crafted! Maybe I partly embodied Carmen because I was obsessed with the play sections of this book. Yes, you need to read them carefully, and they can be kinda confusing (aren't all old plays)? But as the play read more and more of Carmen, I just thought it was incredible 🤌

Carmen is clearly a character who's going through some stuff. She's kind of chasing the dragon, trying to find some new kink that'll excite her again. She has quite a low opinion on herself and worried frequently that her gf Blanca will leave her if she can't find something to reignite her sex drive. This is how the play "The King in Yellow" falls into Carmen's lap. I liked the incorporation of the character Smoke into this story as well as that mystery about her and her motives.

I did think the first half of the book was a little slow at times. I also wasn't entirely invested in Carmen and Blanca's relationship. I think this was due to Carmen's poor self-esteem (felt like she didn't fight super hard for Blanca) and the fact I'm jealous by nature and struggle to understand poly relationships. But the 2nd half was really good and the ending was perfecto!

This book focuses heavily on a Dom/Sub relationship. I would say there are no sexual graphic sex scenes in it (compared at least to what's out there in modern romance) but it's such a heavy focus that if you have no desire to read about BDSM then this probably is not the book for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and Saga Press for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Cyndi Farfsing · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars rounded up. What a wild ride, this book is definitely among one of the more unique storylines that I have read. Carmen, is currently in a rut in her current relationship with Blanca, who she adores. Looking for a way for Carmen to rekindle herself, Blanca meets the mysterious Smoke who introduces them to The King in Yellow. The play has long been forgotten, and Smoke holds one of the only known scripts for the play. This manuscript offers a tantalizing treat for those who read a small amount, but will cause the reader to go insane and lose themselves to the play if they read too much.

Carmen, desperate to find her spark, and skeptical dives in but soon a "little bit" isn't enough. What unfolds is a complete fever dream and the line between reality and insanity starts to blur as she loses herself to the King in Yellow.

This book was twisty in a what the fuck is happening kind of way. Much of the book was a "is this really happening or has Carmen lost the plot"? I enjoyed how unpredictable and off the wall it was. If you like unreliable narrators, slow burn dread, a haunting narrative and unpredictable creepy stories, this is for you.

My only "complaint" if you will call it that, is the ending. It felt abrupt, which I get is not unusual for horror novels but I feel like the events really left a lot of questions unanswered.

[Kehinde 𐙚 ⋆˚｡⋆ ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ rounded up!

“Somewhere between terror and madness lies ecstasy,”

💭: this was such a strange, disorienting, and wonderfully bizarre read. i wouldn’t call it horror in the traditional sense, it doesn’t rely on jump scares or grotesque imagery, but instead, it slowly unravels your grip on reality, page by page. absolutely loved it.

what completely drew me in were the characters. they weren’t just names on a page, they were raw, flawed, and real. Carmen’s descent felt so personal, like i was right there with her, standing at the edge of sanity, slowly slipping alongside her as The King in Yellow tightened his hold.

but what hit me even harder was Blanca’s perspective. watching the person you love most fall apart, feeling helpless to stop it, that was devastating.

i really wished that the story leaned just a bit more into the chaos, the madness that seeped through the cracks. we catch glimpses of how the cursed play erodes Carmen and those around her, i would have loved to see the effects go even deeper, to watch things spiral out of control more, and to really feel the madness more strongly. 🙊

this book is a trip, one i’m not entirely sure we can return from.

thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Christine Harrold · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmen and Blanca are a loving, trusting couple, whose past joy and current struggles are centered upon their Dom/Sub roles in their sexual relationship. But lately, Carmen is feeling apathetic and uninspired and worries she will lose the love of her life because of her loss of sexual interest.

This novel is an ingenious combination of lush and lustful BDSM queer sex scenes and a King in Yellow cosmic horror thru line. It is twisty, intelligent and oh so cleverly written, but base and hot and damp with sexuality.

But there were times, especially while reading the play that I was utterly lost. I seriously considered putting this book down to do some research on the King in Yellow, which I have never read. I am also not very versed in the cosmic horror trope, so I felt a little like an outsider who is not quite able to get the inside jokes and subtle nods to the works that inspired this novel. But Piper’s writing style has such a hook, so mesmerizing that I just kept reading.

Thank you Net Galley and Saga Press for this advanced reader copy. My opinions are my own.

[Bill Philibin · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.0 Stars)

This was just OK for me. The description promised Horror, Erotica, and Psychological Thriller. I'll be the first to admit that Erotica doesn't really float my boat, but I love the other two. Unfortunately, I feel like all three were just underwhelming. The Horror was not very horrific, more like a drunken tale told around a campfire and made up on the spot. The Erotica was tame (thankfully), and honestly slightly depressing. The Psychological Thriller was more like manipulation in a mutually codependent relationship.

Every character was flat and each was more unlikeable than the last... and I don't mean in a "you love to hate them" kind of way. I mean they are unrealistic, undefined, and unsmart. The scene building was clumsy and confusing.

The plot itself was interesting, or at least it had the potential to be interesting. It didn't feel like an important element of the book. It was treated almost like an afterthought.