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.
A Game in Yellow hits bookstores everywhere on August 12, 2025 from Saga Press. The audiobook is available for pre-order at Libro.fm!
