This is probably the most stressful novel I've read all year.

Carmen and Blanca are a couple into kink, and Carmen is pushing herself to extremes to make herself feel something. She feels herself losing interest in sex and seemingly life generally, and she's terrified that this will result in Blanca losing interest in her. Blanca tries out progressively harder scenes to please Carmen, but nothing's quite right. Enter Smoke, who possesses an act from a play that will do all sorts of weird things to the reader that I never really understood. The words pull Carmen into a dream world that brings all that feeling and desire rushing back. She's been warned to be careful, to pace herself, but she's addicted to that feeling.

The more Carmen reads, the more she detaches from reality. Being in her head the entire time, we're rarely entirely sure what's real. We see other people affected by the pages in deadly ways, and Smoke seems to corroborate all that happening in reality, but Carmen's paranoia infects us as well, and we're never entirely sure if Smoke isn't messing with our heads. Even the very end, is that real or has Carmen fully dissociated?

As someone who doesn't typically go for surreal or cosmic horror, I enjoyed the chaos of Carmen slipping in and out of reality and never really being sure if we could believe in Carmen's perception of reality at all. However, the toxicity in Blanca and Carmen's relationship was incredibly difficult for me to get through on a personal level. I think some readers may want to exercise caution given the manipulation and emotional abuse we see both Carmen and Blanca engage in, and there is a breakdown of SSC practices toward the end.

Thanks to Saga and Netgalley for sending me a copy of the eARC.

4 stars

Well, that was an ADVENTURE. A Game In Yellow is the first book I have read by Hailey Piper, and their storytelling is definitely unique. We follow a couple trying to spice up their sex life, and they deeply explore kink. Carmen and Blanca seem like a couple at the end of their relationship, trying so hard to make things work for them. It turns somewhat toxic. Proof that love isn't everything. The story itself is pretty trippy. This is more of a psychological horror, which I haven't ventured into much, but this has me intrigued to try more. My only issue is some of the flow. It gave me whiplash at times how it jumped from scene to scene. maybe that was part of the psychological aspect of the story, but I wasn't as big of a fan of that part. Overall, this was an interesting read.

Creepy is a great way to describe this horror! It’s erotic and... very creepy. Two women looking to spice things up, come to another for help who has a play that induces pleasure. This whole thing is honestly so interesting and bizarre, you MUST read it to try to understand it. I enjoyed how strange and off the wall it was!

I really enjoyed this weird horror book. It gave me some black Swan vibes, which I loved. I also loved that this book included LGBTQ characters, explored polyamory, included a play, BDSM and so much more. All of these things together makes for a great book. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

I really like this author's writing, there is something very compelling about it that kept me reading.
It was weird and unnerving at parts, which is really fun and vibey. I also really liked how queer this story was and the conversations about their relationship.
However I think maybe this wasn't the book for me from this author. There was just something disconnecting my enjoyment from the book overall. I liked it, but didn't love it unfortunately. I am looking forward to reading more from Hailey Piper though!

I was so excited by the concept of this book, and of course an enticing cover. While I was into it in the beginning, it did not take long for me to become annoyed and really not invested, and did not like the characters in this book. I also did not enjoy the play 'King In Yellow' tie in, the way it all molded together just did not mesh well for me at all.

I tried my best to get through the book, but sadly stopped about 85% in, I just didn't want top read anymore about them.
Carmen is the worst.

Hailey Piper is a force to be reckoned with, it’s an author to keep on your must-read list.

This one was disturbing, addictive, and full of memorable scenes. The only way I can explain it is that it messed with my mind!

I’ve been recommending this one to my horror friends. Definitely don’t miss this one.

While an initially engaging read, the story felt a little contrived and forced. I ultimately did mostly enjoy the book but I don’t know that I would read it again or buy a physical copy.

This book was weird, but in a really good way. Such a unique book, I’ve never read anything like it! Definitely will recommend this book!

A GAME IN YELLOW was a wild semi-delirious ride. I appreciate Piper's ability to immerse the reader in Carmen's perspective(s) while almost creating a work that feels right on the edge of the experience of readers of "The King in Yellow." Recommended to fans of the weird uncanny and the disorienting.

Thank you netgalley for allowing me early access to this book. Overall I really enjoyed this! I love weird horror. I had some trouble connecting to the relationships and side characters, I wish we got a little more insight into their POVs.

As the 1931 Frankenstein warned its viewers that it was too scary, and a number of films over the years have offered sick bags to theatre-goers, A Game in Yellow begins with a warning (or a promise?) from a VP at Saga Press of the symptoms (not all entirely negative) we may experience upon reading - and rightfully so.
A Game in Yellow is centered around “The King in Yellow” which is a fictional play from an 1895 novel of the same name by Robert Chalmers and appears in many stories since; it was borrowed by H. P. Lovecraft, referenced in the show True Detective, used in games like The Curse of the Yellow Sign, and tons more. The mythology is that reading the play drives the reader mad because of the truths revealed in it.
In A Game in Yellow, Carmen asks her girlfriend Blanca for more extreme versions of BDSM, even to dangerous breath-play because she finds herself psychologically disconnected from being able to enjoy sex. In an attempt to keep this from escalating and to save their relationship, Blanca introduces her to Smoke, a woman who has a partial copy of the The King in Yellow and encourages reading bits of it to create that same feeling of survivor’s euphoria.
Thus begins Carmen’s obsession with the play which starts infecting her dreams and even her waking life.
A Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper has characters that are complex and not always likable, but they are compelling and feel like real people, and with Piper’s clever writing, we feel like we’re following Carmen down the rabbit hole, experiencing her obsession and madness with her, and it is a thrilling journey.
Stray thoughts:
It’s unfortunate that this is rare enough to be notable, but I appreciate Piper’s treatment of the overweight Blanca as a confident, sexy woman and Carmen as someone who finds Blanca’s whole body objectively attractive.
The scenes in Carmen’s office and the descriptions of her work life are sadly and hilariously perfect.
Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the review copy.

Honest to goodness, the most bizarre read I've ever had (complimentary)!! Hailey Piper is the master of fever dream narratives. I'll be thinking about this one for a LONG time to come.

Amazon and Barnes & Noble reviews submitted and pending their system approvals
Blog post goes live August 29th
Imgur link goes to Instagram graphic scheduled for August 21st
Will be in Youtube Friday Reads on 8/22

**TL;DR**: This one messed with my brain in the best way
**Source**: NetGalley - Thank you to the publisher!!

**Plot**: Carmen partakes of a play that acts as a drug, and her world is impacted and unraveled along the way.
**Characters**: A delightful mess of love and paranoia. I’m still deciding what happened here!
**Setting:** The setting here is not really important unless we’re talking about the play, in which case you are pleasantly bewildered the whole time.
**Horror:** This is slow and creepy, it makes it deeply uncomfortable and the payoff at the end for me was perfection.
****

**Thoughts:**

I saw a little buzz around this book, not a lot but just enough to spike my interest. It was pitched as weird, queer, and kinky but also mind bending in it’s horror. I didn’t actually think it was going to work so well for me because that’s a lot of stuff to do well. But color me yellow - it was fantastic.

This is the type of horror that creeps, but not too much. We know it’s happening, and it’s not till a little over half way that you realize just how much it’s wiggled it’s way in and how much it’s messed up the main character and our experience in the book. Who was guilty, we don’t know? Was anyone guilty? Was this truly the work of malevolent forces? I am genuinely haunted by the answer and keep turning the ending over in my head to try and find it.

It’s not perfect, there are holes and I think some hanging threads that need a bit tightening but for me and my enjoyment this is one of the best ‘cosmic horror’ books I’ve read. Big bonuses for the queer and kink work as well, which really added a fascinating element to the story and the characters. All and all a fantastic read.

Thank you, NetGalley, and Saga Press, for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.

Carmen and Blanca are a couple who are looking for something to spice up their love life. Blanca meets with someone that gives them a play to read that is supposed to alter the consciousness and if the reader stops at the right point they experience euphoria, but if they read too much it might become an addiction.

This book is a wild ride. I would say from loving the zaniness to being completely baffled. Sometimes the dramatic language which I know was to show the reader the euphoria, but at times it became a bit cheesy.

The established relationship was hard to get invested in because we don’t get the lead up to what makes the relationship great. I did appreciate how much this couple wanted to be there for each other.

This book was interesting and kept me reading, but at the same time the writing was a bit cringey. I would recommend this, but to specific people not a general recommendation. I will try more books from this author in the future.

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]

Hailey Piper is a bit of a gamble for me. I usually really love her books but on occasion they have fallen flat. Lucky for me this book wasn't like that at all. I loved this. This book was really dark and just sort of uncomfortable in exactly the way I wanted.

A Game in Yellow by Hailey Piper is a horror novel that follows Carmen, a woman who is having trouble in her relationship. Her girlfriend, Blanca, introduces her to a woman named Smoke who lets Carmen read from a strange play that changes something in Carmen. Reading a little bit can give you pleasure but too much will lead to madness. Can Carmen resist the temptation?

I really had a good time with this. The writing was stunning and addictive. I read this in two sittings. There were so many interesting themes explored in this book. One of my favorite things in fiction is when a character has an obsession and the way that affects their life.

There were so many parts of this book that felt like a fever dream. I didn’t know if what the characters were experiencing was real or not which kept me really engaged. I think all the characters were kind of unlikable and made bad decisions and that added to the development of the story.

I’m excited to read more from this author in the future!

I'm glad I got the opportunity to read the latest Hailey Piper novel. Receiving the email with the NetGalley widget was the highlight of that day.

A Game in Yellow was an injection of euphoric thrills. Addictive as the story in the story. I'm certain Piper's will become horror classic in the future.

I think this book was not the right fit for me. I didn't have a lot of expectations going into it, but I knew it would be a surrealist horror, which I tend to like. I love seeing a weirdo freak losing their grip on reality and doing crazy shit. I even love a slow burn that feels like waiting for the inevitable; you know they're going to lose their marbles, it's just a matter of when and how.

Unfortunately, I never really got any sense of horror from this book. The main character does descend into madness, she does do some weird shit, and there is a distortion between what's real and what isn't. It was surreal in a moody way, but not as full of dread as I tend to prefer.

I understood what Piper was going for: the desire for control as a coping mechanism, the complexities of submission vs. dominance. I connected with the metaphor of the play as something Carmen could surrender to as a form of control. But emotionally, I felt nothing. Carmen's detached emotional state didn't translate well for me, as I felt like we never got to fully understand any of the characters' interiority, Carmen included.

I will say, I really liked how Piper intertwined BDSM and kink dynamics with the horror of the main plot. The subtleties of submission being its own twisted form of control is something I don't think I've ever seen approached in a book before. And Piper clearly has done her research on kink as it's represented in a healthy way despite being part of the horror. This was my first erotic horror, and while I’m not sure I fully ‘got it,’ there were definitely moments that made me blush while still feeling slightly unsettled... so I guess that was the point.

The only reason I was able to finish this is because Piper's prose is stunning. She's able to provide such an intense sensory experience in every way; I felt like I was in the room with the characters and felt completely immersed in each scene. She has such a simple but effective writing style, with a rhythm that feels like grabbing your hand and forcing you forward. I thoroughly enjoyed when she leaned into the sensorial experiences but I felt detached when she utilized more abstract imagery.

Also important to mention, this book is entirely queer. Carmen and Blanca are in a sapphic relationship, and later they gain a third who is a trans woman. Polyamory, queerness, and kink are integral to this story, in a way that feels built-in and not just a gimmick. For that, I highly recommend to those who like queer horror, especially if you are a fan of reality-bending stories featuring unhinged main characters losing their minds.