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. This book was such an imaginatively crafted tale. Hailey is the champion of cosmic horror and does not disappoint. I paired this with a reread of The King in Yellow and this is the only way to go y'all. 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!

This one hits different. It could be because I am not well-read, but I loved the side quest to read The King in Yellow. Even halfway through A Game in Yellow, it made the second half that much richer.

This story expands into territory that can be hard to follow. The wisp of a threat slowly grows. Something in the corner of your eye while you read. When you accept that imagined reality and physical reality are blurring, you will truly experience the horror of A Game in Yellow. Give up your control.

In addition, there are compelling dynamics between Carmen, Blanca, and Smoke. The book beautifully lays out kink in a way that incorporates it into everyday life. It is not there for shock and awe.

A Game in Yellow will haunt me. A second read will be in order, see what new insights reveal themselves. Hailey Piper has yet to disappoint. Do not sleep on it!

Carmen and Blanca are in a rut, sexually. They love kink play but Carmen has been feeling removed/not herself in the bedroom lately. Blanca tries to find a solution and the two happen upon a play called The King in Yellow from a mysterious figure named Smoke. This play has to potential to give the reader what they desire, but don't read too much! But what happens if you can't resist and the lines between fact and fiction are blurred?

I think a large part of why I didn't love this book was that I have a problem with how this book was marketed. I would not call Carmen and Blanca "kink-fixated" or "kink obsessed." They seem like a normal sexual couple to me. I would not call the comps Eyes Wide Shut just because there's a sexual masquerade element. I would not call this Euphoria, because this book is about adult women. And while I like the idea of the play King in Yellow, I didn't think that the actual play was all that mesmerizing to read. I kept reading because I found the characters (especially Carmen) very loveable and, like author Hailey Piper says in her afterward, the characters were really her babies that she's been sitting with for a while. I am a huge Hailey Piper fan but this was not my favorite of her books, which is a bummer!

A damn haunting of a book. A sapphic tale about tangling with forces we don’t understand when the world becomes too mundane to bear. Piper takes the original text of The King In Yellow and uses a brush that is missing from the majority of Chambers and Lovecraft-inspired work—subtlety.

Which might be a laughable compliment, given that this is a book about self-destruction and a Barker-like scramble for finding the outer limits of physical feeling. But it’s true: Piper shows you the shadows of the horrors that lurk, never giving in to the temptation to let us see the big, gross evil in its rubber costume, letting you down after you’ve built up expectations that can’t possibly be matched. And as a result, A Game In Yellow is a slow burn that really seems to understand and appreciate the work that inspired it.

If I had any hangups, it would be the character of Smoke. I just don’t feel like I got to know her as well as Carmen and Blanca, which is mysterious and interesting at first, but feels distracting by the end. It’s a small quibble in the grand scheme of things.

If I can give Piper another compliment: great combination of novel and script. It flows well and adds a lot of depth. Overall a terrific, weird book.

I was given an advance reader copy of this book by the publisher, and I swear that no promises of riches or threats by malevolent beings influenced my opinion.

This book is a ride! It's queer, kinky cosmic horror and I ate it up. Some parts lost me a little, but overall the pacing, characters, and themes were spot on. Need to read more Hailey Piper.

This Hailey Piper novel pulls you into the complex connections between three women: Carmen, Blanca, and Smoke. Piper weaves in the script of the dangerous play with her prose, making the reader feel like they are a player in this game. Most of the book focuses on the kink and BDSM dynamics between Carmen and Blanca as Carmen struggles to find her desire, but also on Carmen's dangerous relationship with reading The King in Yellow. She is lost, and she is found among the pages. Spicy, mysterious, and daring.

Yeah I didn't like this. I thought the premise was interesting but I did not like how it was executed.

What the fuck???

I really enjoyed this. Hailey Piper's brain must be a wild place.

This story unfolded beautifully, slowly revealing that Carmen is an unreliable narrator and also kind of sucks. She is pretty self-centered despite telling herself (and Blanca) that all she wants is to be owned by her girlfriend.

A lot of things about this book disturbed me and made me uncomfortable - in a good way, for this kind of mind-bending horror. Smoke's and Blanca's relationship was shady and secretive from the beginning. But how justified was Carmen in her accusations? How much is really plausible? I didn't particularly like or trust Smoke's character, but I'm not sure she intentionally tried to drive Carmen to complete madness to steal her girlfriend.

The formatting of the play within a book was well-done and didn't feel forced or choppy. I could feel The King in Yellow taking over and butting unwillingly into Carmen's thoughts. The last two chapters were bonkers - I really thought they all went mad. And then we get to the last chapter and it all makes tragic sense.

This was great. I'm recommending it to all my horror-loving friends.

Did you like the Smile movies? Or Macbeth? Read this.

I received an advance copy of this book from Saga Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Game in Yellow intrigued me initially from the cover, which I saw in a flat lay on booksta (shout out to the cover artist 😍) so I was so excited to receive an arc copy for review. This was my first book from author Hailey Piper, and I’m happy to say I will definitely be reading more. This novel, a cosmic queer horror drawing on the mythology of Robert W. Chamber’s A King in Yellow, takes an oft-referenced subject (see True Detective Season 1) and reignites it in a way that feels wholly original and contemporary.

Piper’s prose is clear and unpretentious, but still nuanced, as are her characters. Each “actor”, their motivations, and their actions felt genuine. Being a relatively short book, (just under 300 pages) I finished this book in just a few hours on this Sat. morning. The pacing and length felt just right!

This is for the readers who enjoy horror that doesn’t solely rely on the physical, but the deeper terror found in the psychological. I would especially recommend this book for fans of True Detective S.1, The Lathe of Heaven, Lovecraft, and Bradbury, among others.

This one was t my cup of tea. I normally really enjoy this author’s writing but this one I just couldn’t get into for whatever reason… but the concept was still cool and I look forward to seeing what else Hailey puts out in the future!

This book was amazing. Cursed media in the queerest way possible. Five stars, two thumbs up, 10/10

What a unique and interesting novel. I tend to shy away from books that I know contain lots of sexual themes, but thankfully A Game in Yellow wasn’t overly graphic in that area. It made it a lot more palpable for me. Although the sex is central to the novel, it isn’t ridiculously over the top. I really enjoyed the layout - how it switched between the story and the scenes. It really created a much more immersive experience. The ending was completely unexpected and perfectly done. That aside, I was hoping for more horror scenes. However, there was a significant eerie vibe from start to finish that makes the reader uncomfortable. Love that.

Oh man. This one is fantastic. It’s kinky, cosmic, scary and a punch to the heart. Hailey is an author who amazes me with every word she writes, and with this one, she once again delivers. The use of form (mixing prose and stage play) creates a whimsical experience that adds to the haunting reality of love and lust. The characters read so real. It’s all just so good. (Can you give a standing ovation in a review? If so, insert that here.)

Thank you to Saga Press and NetGalley for access to the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. I'm not the biggest fan of erotica (which is hilarious given what I read on AO3), but the horror elements were awesome. I've never heard of "The King in Yellow" so this was a new concept for me. I thought it was an interesting touch to add bits of the play into the book! While I'm not too fond of the erotica, I do appreciate that it was a lesbian couple because we just don't get enough of that, tbh. All in all, I'd love to read a bit more from Piper!

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.

A Game in Yellow s a compelling read that offers a mix of engaging storytelling, well-developed characters, and thoughtful themes. Piper does a great job of drawing the reader into the world of the book. I could not put the book down. I read the entire book within two days. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

While not deeply familiar with the works of Bram Stoker Award–winning author Hailey Piper, but in A Game in Yellow, she incredibly combines psychological horror and erotica into a truly mesmerizing and spine-chilling novel.

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.

While Hailey Piper's name is known throughout the horror community, and after reading A Game in Yellow, it's easy to understand why. Though as I said before I was not personally familiar with her work before, this book allowed me to experience Piper's fearless storytelling firsthand. Her writing pulls absolutely no punches, diving straight into the narrative, weaving dark and bizarre stories that truly had me gripped once I was able to settle in for the ride.

A Game in Yellow offered a unique reading experience for me. In the story you read the excerpts of the play along with the characters in the book almost having the feeling as you are a participant in the story. While this approach was sometimes challenging for me to follow, it immersed me into the story making it more engaging. Admittedly, it did take me a few chapters for things to really fall into place, but once the pieces aligned, the story took off.

The characters are well-crafted and utterly unpredictable, keeping me guessing right until things are revealed. Just when I thought I had a handle on things, the story twisted into something delightfully unexpected. It was uniquely bizarre, bordering on unsettling, yet it managed to remain captivating without taking away from the story.

I definitely couldn't solely read stories by Piper andsimilar authors like Eric LaRocca that often write tales that are profoundly intense and sometimes overwhelming. Piper's ability to make me feel uncomfortable is part of what makes this story so memorable and effective, but only works for me on an occasional read.

A Game in Yellow is a truly eerie and bizarre read, offering an intense and unforgettable experience. Hailey Piper crafts an erotic psychological horror that stands out in the horror genre.  After a palate cleanser of a bit lighter material, I'll be excited to explore more stories from Piper and immerse myself in the twisted worlds she creates.

I thought the premise of the story was creative and interesting. I just didn’t connect enough with Carmen specifically. By the 70% mark, The King in Yellow aspects felt a bit repetitive. I will definitely read more from Hailey Piper in the future because I enjoy her writing and have enjoyed other work by her!

Sexy, edgy, and hauntingly hot. A Game in Yellow sinks its claws in early with magnetic chemistry and a darkly seductive tone that doesn’t let up. Carmen is a fascinating descent, and the narrative walks a razor’s edge between sensuality and unraveling madness that kept me riveted.

The play interstitials were a bold choice—at first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about them, but as they grew longer and more intense, I appreciated how they drew us deeper into Carmen’s world, blurring lines between reality, performance, and obsession. It was immersive and unsettling in all the right ways.

If I have one critique, it’s the pacing: the second half slowed down more than I expected and then snapped to a rapid finish. A more balanced buildup could have given the ending even more impact.

Still, this is an unforgettable, erotically charged psychological spiral with sharp teeth. I’ll be thinking about that final act for a while.

Such an interesting idea! But it was not for me. Every time I picked this up felt like a chore. :( unfortunately, I did not finish this one. My first of Hailey Piper and might be my last, which sucks because I’ve heard great things!