🩸 Horror Fiction

A Game in Yellow

✍️ Hailey Piper
Reader Score
4.5
(1 review)
$17.99
In stock — ready to ship Ships in 1–2 business days
📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A novel about a couple's descent into madness through a forbidden play.

This work focuses on the psychological deterioration of its protagonists rather than external monster attacks. The central conflict arises from the seductive nature of the supernatural text itself. Carmen’s addiction to the adrenaline rush drives the plot forward as she neglects her real-world relationships. The book illustrates how curiosity can override self-preservation instincts. It is a study of desire and its destructive potential when mixed with the unknown.

Key Themes
forbidden literature psychological corruption supernatural addiction
Literary Context

Published by S&S/Saga Press in 2025, this title fits within the contemporary horror genre. It engages with gothic traditions of cursed texts and psychological dread. The setting includes underground drug dens, grounding the supernatural elements in gritty urban reality.

Difficulty
●● Medium
Recommended For Fans Of
H.P. Lovecraft · Shirley Jackson · Thomas Ligotti
🩸
Horror Fiction
🏛 S&s/Saga Press 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781668077085

📝 Description: A Game in Yellow

Hailey Piper’s A Game in Yellow follows Carmen and Blanca, a couple whose intimate life has stagnated. Their routine shifts when Blanca encounters Smoke in an underground drug den. He possesses pages from The King in Yellow, a text that induces madness if read fully but offers a survivor's euphoria if approached with restraint. This dynamic pulls Carmen into a dangerous game of lust played at the edge of nightmares. The narrative traces Carmen’s growing obsession as she spends more time in the other world revealed by the play. She begins to desire this alternate reality despite the horrors she carries back into her daily life. The story examines how art can blur the lines between known reality and supernatural intrusion. It suits readers interested in psychological horror and gothic fiction that explores the corrupting power of forbidden knowledge. Those seeking lighthearted romance or traditional ghost stories may find the tone too intense. Piper draws on established traditions of cosmic horror to depict the couple's unraveling.

💎 Our verdict on A Game in Yellow

“
🩸
Horror Reads editorial team
Horror desk
Piper effectively utilizes the established tropes of cosmic horror to depict a couple's unraveling through a lens of psychological intensity. The book excels in portraying the seductive danger of forbidden art, making the supernatural text itself the primary antagonist. Carmen’s addiction to adrenaline drives the plot forward, creating a tense atmosphere where relationships stagnate under the weight of obsession. The narrative successfully illustrates how curiosity overrides self-preservation, appealing to fans of gothic fiction and psychological horror. It is less suitable for those preferring traditional ghost stories or lighthearted romance. By focusing on the corrupting power of unknown forces, Piper delivers a chilling examination of desire. The tone remains consistently intense, ensuring that the reader feels the protagonists' descent into madness without relying on jump scares or external threats.
✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers interested in the corrosive power of forbidden knowledge and the fragility of the human mind will find this book compelling. It offers a intense study of desire, showing how curiosity can override self-preservation instincts when mixed with the unknown. The narrative is ideal for those who prefer psychological horror over external monster attacks, focusing on the seductive nature of supernatural texts. It explores the destructive potential of lust and the blurring lines between reality and nightmare. Those seeking lighthearted romance or traditional ghost stories may find the tone too intense. This work suits enthusiasts of dark fantasy and gothic fiction who appreciate a slow-burn descent into madness driven by internal conflict rather than action.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5
Based on 1 reviews
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Horror Reads editorial team

Piper effectively utilizes the established tropes of cosmic horror to depict a couple's unraveling through a lens of psychological intensity. The book excels in portraying the seductive danger of forbidden art, making the supernatural text itself the primary antagonist. Carmen’s addiction to adrenaline drives the plot forward, creating a tense atmosphere where relationships stagnate under the weight of obsession. The narrative successfully illustrates how curiosity overrides self-preservation, appealing to fans of gothic fiction and psychological horror. It is less suitable for those preferring traditional ghost stories or lighthearted romance. By focusing on the corrupting power of unknown forces, Piper delivers a chilling examination of desire. The tone remains consistently intense, ensuring that the reader feels the protagonists' descent into madness without relying on jump scares or external threats.

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