I read half of this ARC and couldn’t go any further. The beginning is good, promising. Two women are in a relationship. One is going through an existential and sexual crisis the other is very patient, trying to help. Dump in another woman into the mix really early on and now I have a hard time distinguishing who from who or what was happening or what just happened or what was real. It felt like the author was trying to add too many things in. A simpler more straight forward story would’ve suited me better. It also felt like the story took way too long to get into a true horror, substantial plot. I’m in the h’s head for a while and she’s just repeating her misery and frustrations and confusion to me. Sorry. No.

*Thank you H. Piper and S&S/Saga Press for, A Game in Yellow ARC. My opinions are my own.

This is a novel filled with emotions, pathos, sexual kinks, and is unrelentingly terrifying.

The main characters are three queer women. Carmen and Blanca are having relationship issues when they meet a woman named Smoke who promises help through an old tome, a play. One which is cursed and causes madness in those who read too much at a time.

It works but Carmen soon becomes obsessed with this play and soon starts suffering nightmares, blurring the line between reality and fiction. When you read this book, the book also reads you.

That's all tha description I'll give because you'll want to read for yourself. It's one of those novels you can't put down and gives it's secrets over time as the dizzying and absolutely nightmarish narrative captures your attention and refuses it's hold.

This will be one of the best horror books of the year and I can't recommend it enough. You'll get all the feels and think about it long after finishing.

The main character was so codependent and had such an unhealthy relationship with their partner that it made it impossible to care that their intimacy was fading.

Also the play sections had potential to add more dark/horror elements to the story, but even that didn’t deliver.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.

This book was an interesting premise, but I do not believe that I would recommend it to a friend. This book focuses largely on BDSM, which I know is a very popular genre... however it is not something I choose to read often.

The story begins with introducing you to Carmen and Blanca, a queer couple, struggling intimately. After trying many methods to spice up their love life, they result to seeking out a third party, a character named Smoke. Smoke introduces Carmen and Blanca to a play. From there, well shit hits the fan.

There were some points during the story that I struggled to understand what was going on, and I don't believe that the questions that arise during the plot are ever answered. This could be intentional, but I am not sure. The first 70% of the book is pretty laborious with nothing really happening, once you hit the turning point it is a quick trip to the bottom. There are characters, we are introduced to who impact the story and are impacted by the events in the story but then are never mentioned again.

I feel that this book was focused more on erotica and BDSM than any real plot, unfortunately. If that is your jam, then more power to you. But I wouldn't waste too much time on it.

Hailey Piper’s A Game in Yellow is a book for queer little freaks who like a bit of Shibari with their Lynchian fever dreams.

Carmen and Blanca have been pushing the boundaries of their sex life, but Carmen remains shamefully unsatisfied. There’s rich descriptions of Blanca, a fat woman whose size is eroticized without being fetishized, and the play scenes are written with queer people in mind, there’s no hand holding for outsiders on how they’re having sex. Very refreshing.

Blanca takes Carmen to a rundown, former tenement that labyrinths like a Gaspar Noe movie through glimpses of the city’s underbelly. Their destination is Smoke, a woman with a book that gives reader’s the endorphins of survivorship and reignites Carmen’s desires. But like a drug, Carmen wants more and is warned that overindulgence will lead to madness.

The book, the play “The King in Yellow,” is woven throughout our narrative and is purposefully difficult to follow. Yes, they’re a bit of a slog and you’ll want to rush back to the uncomfortable, erotic world of our protagonist, but the play subtly builds up in creative, unreliable character development.

Any critiques that I may have (more character development, more lore) feel like intentional, strong ideas by the author. This novel is a real craft work. Piper is one to watch in the horror genre.

Thank you for allowing me to read this arc.
Great book.
Cant wait for my friends to read.
Have to go look up this author now.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this eerie and captivating book!

Hailey Piper delivers a haunting, disorienting tale in A Game in Yellow. I found myself often feeling unsettled, experiencing the same disorientation as Carmen as the story unfolded. Piper’s ability to weave an atmosphere of dread and sensuality is impressive, making this a unique read.

That said, I went into the book without much knowledge of The King in Yellow lore, which left me feeling a bit confused at times. While the ambiguity added to the unsettling vibe, I couldn’t help but wish for just a little more grounding. Additionally, the three main characters felt slightly underdeveloped—I wanted to understand their motivations more deeply.

Still, for anyone seeking an erotic yet eerie experience, A Game in Yellow is an excellent choice.

This book was hot, a good psychological thriller. I wasn’t a huge fan of the play format - think it threw me off a bit, but I still enjoyed the book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

The novel centers on a very dysfunctional & codependent relationship, one filled with obsessions and desires. How far will one of them go to achieve what they search for?
I felt that the reader doesn't really get a good grip on either Carmen or Blanca's characters, and we only really see them through the lens of their relationship (troubles).
The 'play within the book' parts are abstract and esoteric, but don't really mesh well with the main narrative (whose focus is more on Carmen & Blanca's lives and how they're drifting apart). There are occasional eerie moments here and there (that initial vision of something coming through the wall was great), but it doesn't feel like a horror narrative for most of "A Game in Yellow".
The last 20% or so percent of the book is where the story truly picks up, and it was like finally reading the cosmic horror novel that I was hoping for. It's plot became grand and so dark, and ends in such a perfect way. If the whole of it was focused on the weird stuff, I'd love it WAY more.

Refreshing take on the King in Yellow. Made a lot more sense than how similar stories have approached queering Lovecraft. Nonwhite and trans identities being centered was really refreshing. I would say that several of the BSDM scenes didn’t quite sell it. Hailey Piper’s other works haven’t really ever clicked with me, but this one, I couldn’t put down. Well-written and exciting!

A Game in Yellow tells the story of Blanca and Carmen, a couple struggling with intimacy that seeks increasingly exploratory and dangerous methods to remedy their relationship. While neither character was particularly likable, their intimacy struggles felt relatable. Their insecurities, jealousies, and need for control all felt relatable. However, the story becomes dense as Piper describes this alternative universe, aka the play. Piper goes so far into detail with the play that it starts to feel like a separate story. The content of the play is confusing, and attempting to relate it to the plot adds to that confusion. I think Piper could have accomplished the premise of this story without creating a maze with the play. A Game in Yellow felt comparable to The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran, although it pales in comparison. I’ve been a fan of Hailey Piper for a long time, and while A Game in Yellow felt unsuccessful, I’ll continue coming back for her work. Thank you Hailey Piper, Saga Press, and Netgalley for advance access to this story.

Elements of psychological thriller, fantasy, and queer erotica braid together in this unique dark fairytale.

Carmen has lost her sex drive, no matter what kinky concoctions Blanca comes up with to ignite it once more. When Blanca introduces Carmen to the dark underbelly of the city, they discover an ancient cursed text, The King in Yellow.

The powerful pages of this play sink its teeth into anyone who dares to explore it. If Carmen can pull herself from the brink of madness after reading only a page or two, the survivors euphoria will send her into a lust-fueled mania the likes of which she has never known.

But madness like this can be addictive, and dangerous. After she’s had a taste for it’s seduction, will Carmen be able to escape the alluring clutches of The King in Yellow?

Thank you to Saga Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I saw somewhere that this was pitched at How to Lose the Time War meets Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke and I was intrigued. As someone who loved THGWSWLS but hated HTLTTW I was curious to see how this would play out. This started out great, I was immediately hooked. I devoured the first 30ish percent but then it lost me. I do think it’ll be widely loved among the horror community, it just didn’t 100% work for me.

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.

I wanted this book to work for me but I think due to the writing style, I just could not get into it. There are definitely portions in the beginning and at the end that had me completely sucked in and thinking "what?!" but the majority of this book I was trying to understand what was happening. I think this book is meant to give trippy vibes, but for me it made it really hard to understand the book itself. I will totally still recommend this book to horror lovers, as my taste in horror is a little bit niche and specific. The cover for this book is absolutely gorgeous!!

The newest intimate cosmic masterpiece from Hailey Piper, A Game in Yellow is so many things. An exploration of a codependent relationship. But also that feeling when you finally find someone that truly and fiercely loves you. It’s also explores so many other aspects of relationship, mental health, fear, not just from the horror aspects but fear of who you are, being alone, not being loved, like there’s something fundamentally wrong with you that you can’t fix. It’s just brilliant. And yes, the horror and the strangeness are all there and they are absolutely wonderful and scary, too. Well done.