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The Ship of Death
Not yet published
Expected 29 Sep 26Horror Movie meets The Blair Witch Project in this supernatural chokehold of a book told entirely through found documents: the cursed story of an unwitting couple ensnared by a mysterious tabletop role-playing game, who are commanded, as the game’s intentions become clearer, to do the unthinkable.
Cole and Lorraine playtest board games for some extra cash as they save up to buy a home. But after a series of bizarre coincidences, and signing a strange NDA, the couple finds on their porch a mysterious indie developer’s tabletop role-playing game called The Ship of Death. The game relies heavily on the players’ imaginations, and takes up an ever-growing amount of space: in their kitchen, and in their minds. As its true sinister nature becomes clearer, and its forces capture more in its web, the boundary between the game and reality begins to dissolve. . . and the pair are instructed to possess a stranger’s soul.
Told entirely through game reports, emails, game forum posts, personal journals, and police reports, reading The Ship of Death feels like a dangerous dice roll. It’s a sleep-stealing, possession-inducing work of intense, intelligent found cosmic horror that announces Kyle Winkler as a spectacular voice in the genre.
Cole and Lorraine playtest board games for some extra cash as they save up to buy a home. But after a series of bizarre coincidences, and signing a strange NDA, the couple finds on their porch a mysterious indie developer’s tabletop role-playing game called The Ship of Death. The game relies heavily on the players’ imaginations, and takes up an ever-growing amount of space: in their kitchen, and in their minds. As its true sinister nature becomes clearer, and its forces capture more in its web, the boundary between the game and reality begins to dissolve. . . and the pair are instructed to possess a stranger’s soul.
Told entirely through game reports, emails, game forum posts, personal journals, and police reports, reading The Ship of Death feels like a dangerous dice roll. It’s a sleep-stealing, possession-inducing work of intense, intelligent found cosmic horror that announces Kyle Winkler as a spectacular voice in the genre.
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Expected publication September 29, 2026
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Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
the ship of death is a work that feels constrained by its premise as a "found media" horror story. to be completely honest I have very little interest in most found media fiction as I find that they are rarely well executed. this isn't to say that there aren't ones that haven't been successful, and there are ones that I have personally liked very much. but these types of media - especially if they are in a written format - tend to suffer from similar problems.
as fresh as the ship of death as a found media book may feel (at least in comparison to most published fiction), its execution falls flat. telling the story as a series of journal entries, reports and transcripts actually takes away from the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for the reader. I was constantly thinking "no person types a report like this. or writes in their journal like this." the narrative lampshades this sometimes by saying, for example, that a character is told to write in a way that's as detailed as possible. but it is so jarring when the character goes out of their way to write whole pages of conversations from memory or detail what a random store looks like. it's things like that which pull you out in actually believing that you are reading the transcript from someone's voice memo. it's silly when you have to believe a character would go out of their way to hand-write a journal entry while their body is decaying. (it's the same thing you sometimes have to believe in video games when someone is conveniently writing a note "for posterity" about the location of an important key while running from a monster. except you can at least be distracted by this fact because you are playing a video game and aren't stuck reading just entry after entry of these types of things.)
(another side tangent: a problem that presents itself with these types of "creepypasta" media is that you know how it ends. if you are reading someone's entry documenting some horrible thing that they have just experienced, and then posted to the internet or shared in some way - like a book? - then presumably they have actually survived said traumatic thing. so you don't really have to worry about that character dying since they have literally lived to tell the tale and shared it. this has the effect of reducing the overall tension of the narrative, and the ship of death does not dodge this specific problem either.)
if these entries were written in a more convincing way, then maybe I could have been more hooked into the board game the characters were playing. but maybe I am just not the target audience for this. I enjoy a ttrpg from time to time, but I guess I'm more of a casual ttrpg fan, because the very idea of this game made me so angry. the in-narrative ship of death game is convoluted and has an overwhelming number of booklets and rules and game pieces, which does tickle the brain cell a bit in the beginning. by the time I was halfway through, this game sounded so annoying and needlessly convoluted, and really for no other reason than to make it seem cool and epic and immersive. every time a character pulled a "oh wait but before you do that, you need to draw a card from THIS random obscure deck from the game that we haven't opened yet!" or "we had to search for 5 minutes to find the specific tiny separate booklet that covered this specific set of rules" just made me so angry imagining if it were me playing this game. and on top of that, once more about the board game is revealed, it makes less sense why a board game like this would need to be this complicated to the point it's almost comical.
if you put aside the game itself and turn to the characters who are writing these entries that make up this book, they are also. so. dumb. I tend to excuse characters making dumb decisions as there still has to be a plot for a story to tell. but these characters made every bad choice imaginable without a single critical thought to the potential danger they would be putting themselves in. sure go ahead and invite an unknown stranger to your house to play a game and drink his homemade moonshine. sure don't even question the idea of stopping to play the game, ever, even when your game is going terribly wrong. and the psychic woman made me so angry by the end when she went "yeah you're in too deep to stop now" after she had already been consulted multiple times, implying that if they had stopped earlier, then maybe the horrors could have been stopped???
the random "scary" things that happen throughout the book make no sense. while horror never has to make "sense" per se and things can be unexplainable and defy logic, I would expect these happenings to have a consistent feeling to them in tone and nature. otherwise it all feels completely arbitrary, with the same energy as throwing common "scary" things at a wall and hoping that one of them is scary enough to stick, cobbling together horror cliches to form some semblance of a horror story.
the ship of death is a frustrating experience for many reasons. but the one that I keep coming back to is the way I feel it does not live up to its potential with the found media format that it has chosen for its narrative. I fail to see how this format better serves the story it's trying to tell. I was hoping to get the feeling that I was reading something that could have the verisimilitude of being a strange internet mystery, something uncomfortably real but ultimately unprovable. found media fiction lends itself to producing a heightened reality that could actually exist, which should make the horror scarier, but instead with the ship of death, it feels clunky and comedic.
it sadly just wasn't the experience that I was hoping for.
thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy
as fresh as the ship of death as a found media book may feel (at least in comparison to most published fiction), its execution falls flat. telling the story as a series of journal entries, reports and transcripts actually takes away from the suspension of disbelief that is necessary for the reader. I was constantly thinking "no person types a report like this. or writes in their journal like this." the narrative lampshades this sometimes by saying, for example, that a character is told to write in a way that's as detailed as possible. but it is so jarring when the character goes out of their way to write whole pages of conversations from memory or detail what a random store looks like. it's things like that which pull you out in actually believing that you are reading the transcript from someone's voice memo. it's silly when you have to believe a character would go out of their way to hand-write a journal entry while their body is decaying. (it's the same thing you sometimes have to believe in video games when someone is conveniently writing a note "for posterity" about the location of an important key while running from a monster. except you can at least be distracted by this fact because you are playing a video game and aren't stuck reading just entry after entry of these types of things.)
(another side tangent: a problem that presents itself with these types of "creepypasta" media is that you know how it ends. if you are reading someone's entry documenting some horrible thing that they have just experienced, and then posted to the internet or shared in some way - like a book? - then presumably they have actually survived said traumatic thing. so you don't really have to worry about that character dying since they have literally lived to tell the tale and shared it. this has the effect of reducing the overall tension of the narrative, and the ship of death does not dodge this specific problem either.)
if these entries were written in a more convincing way, then maybe I could have been more hooked into the board game the characters were playing. but maybe I am just not the target audience for this. I enjoy a ttrpg from time to time, but I guess I'm more of a casual ttrpg fan, because the very idea of this game made me so angry. the in-narrative ship of death game is convoluted and has an overwhelming number of booklets and rules and game pieces, which does tickle the brain cell a bit in the beginning. by the time I was halfway through, this game sounded so annoying and needlessly convoluted, and really for no other reason than to make it seem cool and epic and immersive. every time a character pulled a "oh wait but before you do that, you need to draw a card from THIS random obscure deck from the game that we haven't opened yet!" or "we had to search for 5 minutes to find the specific tiny separate booklet that covered this specific set of rules" just made me so angry imagining if it were me playing this game. and on top of that, once more about the board game is revealed, it makes less sense why a board game like this would need to be this complicated to the point it's almost comical.
if you put aside the game itself and turn to the characters who are writing these entries that make up this book, they are also. so. dumb. I tend to excuse characters making dumb decisions as there still has to be a plot for a story to tell. but these characters made every bad choice imaginable without a single critical thought to the potential danger they would be putting themselves in. sure go ahead and invite an unknown stranger to your house to play a game and drink his homemade moonshine. sure don't even question the idea of stopping to play the game, ever, even when your game is going terribly wrong. and the psychic woman made me so angry by the end when she went "yeah you're in too deep to stop now" after she had already been consulted multiple times, implying that if they had stopped earlier, then maybe the horrors could have been stopped???
the random "scary" things that happen throughout the book make no sense. while horror never has to make "sense" per se and things can be unexplainable and defy logic, I would expect these happenings to have a consistent feeling to them in tone and nature. otherwise it all feels completely arbitrary, with the same energy as throwing common "scary" things at a wall and hoping that one of them is scary enough to stick, cobbling together horror cliches to form some semblance of a horror story.
the ship of death is a frustrating experience for many reasons. but the one that I keep coming back to is the way I feel it does not live up to its potential with the found media format that it has chosen for its narrative. I fail to see how this format better serves the story it's trying to tell. I was hoping to get the feeling that I was reading something that could have the verisimilitude of being a strange internet mystery, something uncomfortably real but ultimately unprovable. found media fiction lends itself to producing a heightened reality that could actually exist, which should make the horror scarier, but instead with the ship of death, it feels clunky and comedic.
it sadly just wasn't the experience that I was hoping for.
thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Many thanks to Harper Collins and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
When I selected this book to read I was drawn in by the cover, the title and the fact that my horror loving butt has been on a sci/fi fantasy binge and haven't read a good horror in a while. With that being said, I didn't read the description because I'm a horrible person and judge books by their covers. I went in blind knowing nothing about this book. Oddly enough, I probably turned out to be the target demographic. I love board games and I've been dying to play D&D enough so that I kind of know the gist (but don't know enough to have understood about the dice being thrown and if a high roll is good or bad).
The Ship of Death is about a man- Corey who tests board games as a side gig. He is given a mythical (amongst the redditors and board game afficionados of the world) board game to test with his wife who ends up becoming egregiously obsessed with the game and it has real life consequences. Think of Dungeons and Dragons meets Jumanji but you have a sadistic DM.
I think the book had a lot of potential, but really it fell short of being great or spectacular. It was easy enough to keep my attention and was a quick read. However, there were things from the beginning that just made me groan and say, "Give me a break. Can we make it a little believable?" There is no push back on what ends up happening, they just accept this is reality and move on which was a hurdle I really struggled with. Why is the wife so obsessed, why is she being a total weirdo, why is this couple so in love so quickly turning on each other? Books generally don't need to be believable for me to enjoy them but this was so far from reality it had me scratching my head.
There were several items I needed to look up as they weren't explained which isn't good or bad, it just is. The characters had no depth and I wasn't invested in them at all.
And finally, being cautious about what I say to avoid spoilers. Something happens to a character that is never explained so, what happened to this character? I had to go back to see if I was missing pages or not. I was...in fact. Not missing pages.
I think the editing needs some polishing, I wouldn't really consider this a horror either to be honest. Glad I read it but wouldn't recommend it.
When I selected this book to read I was drawn in by the cover, the title and the fact that my horror loving butt has been on a sci/fi fantasy binge and haven't read a good horror in a while. With that being said, I didn't read the description because I'm a horrible person and judge books by their covers. I went in blind knowing nothing about this book. Oddly enough, I probably turned out to be the target demographic. I love board games and I've been dying to play D&D enough so that I kind of know the gist (but don't know enough to have understood about the dice being thrown and if a high roll is good or bad).
The Ship of Death is about a man- Corey who tests board games as a side gig. He is given a mythical (amongst the redditors and board game afficionados of the world) board game to test with his wife who ends up becoming egregiously obsessed with the game and it has real life consequences. Think of Dungeons and Dragons meets Jumanji but you have a sadistic DM.
I think the book had a lot of potential, but really it fell short of being great or spectacular. It was easy enough to keep my attention and was a quick read. However, there were things from the beginning that just made me groan and say, "Give me a break. Can we make it a little believable?" There is no push back on what ends up happening, they just accept this is reality and move on which was a hurdle I really struggled with. Why is the wife so obsessed, why is she being a total weirdo, why is this couple so in love so quickly turning on each other? Books generally don't need to be believable for me to enjoy them but this was so far from reality it had me scratching my head.
There were several items I needed to look up as they weren't explained which isn't good or bad, it just is. The characters had no depth and I wasn't invested in them at all.
And finally, being cautious about what I say to avoid spoilers. Something happens to a character that is never explained so, what happened to this character? I had to go back to see if I was missing pages or not. I was...in fact. Not missing pages.
I think the editing needs some polishing, I wouldn't really consider this a horror either to be honest. Glad I read it but wouldn't recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I play Dungeons and Dragons every Thursday night, except when my schedule interrupts. I attend board game nights with my friends. I play RPGs on my Playstation, and love reading fiction, love stories. So when I read the description of The Ship of Death (TSoD) which combined a bunch of things I love, I was on board.
The best way I can describe this novel is if Jumanji and Blair Witch Project had a baby. It centers around the Tabletop Role-Playing Game “The Ship of Death,” but the story is told in an unconventional way – through e-mails, reports, forum posts, and other documents. I have not read a story told in this way before, and it was gripping.
Cole and Lorraine felt like real people. They had struggles, passions, and their relationship seemed genuine. It was not a picturesque relationship, but was reminiscent of how two people learn to grow together, how to be two separate people but one family unit.
The story itself was also compelling. TSoD is a short read which I read over 2-3 days. I would have finished it quicker if life had not gotten in the way. It was quite spooky at times. Once I fell asleep while reading TSoD (not because it was boring, but because I was exhausted), and I dreamed about the book. That might not sound weird, but once you finish the book, you will understand why I woke up a little unsettled.
I enjoyed TSoD. I do think some of the reveals were not as powerful as they could have been, but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Tabletop RPGs, or tabletop games in general. It captures the love the tabletop community has for the hobby very well.
I received a free eARC of The Ship of Death from Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The best way I can describe this novel is if Jumanji and Blair Witch Project had a baby. It centers around the Tabletop Role-Playing Game “The Ship of Death,” but the story is told in an unconventional way – through e-mails, reports, forum posts, and other documents. I have not read a story told in this way before, and it was gripping.
Cole and Lorraine felt like real people. They had struggles, passions, and their relationship seemed genuine. It was not a picturesque relationship, but was reminiscent of how two people learn to grow together, how to be two separate people but one family unit.
The story itself was also compelling. TSoD is a short read which I read over 2-3 days. I would have finished it quicker if life had not gotten in the way. It was quite spooky at times. Once I fell asleep while reading TSoD (not because it was boring, but because I was exhausted), and I dreamed about the book. That might not sound weird, but once you finish the book, you will understand why I woke up a little unsettled.
I enjoyed TSoD. I do think some of the reveals were not as powerful as they could have been, but that did not detract from my enjoyment. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Tabletop RPGs, or tabletop games in general. It captures the love the tabletop community has for the hobby very well.
I received a free eARC of The Ship of Death from Avon and Harper Voyager via NetGalley for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
March 10, 2026
Reviewing an unedited ARC sent to me by the publisher:
I have a lot of thoughts to put down. Overall, the book was fine. There is a better book buried within this one though, hidden somewhere within the gimmick of the “found footage” schtick. For a moment that gimmick grew on me, but in the end I find it unnecessary. It actually added nothing to the story. In fact it cheapened the better book that’s hidden in here with false tension and allowed so many things to be left entirely unexplained with the general idea that “well you wouldn’t know everything it’s just found scraps”.
There is so much incredible world building here and honestly I just kind of wish the book took place in the other world. The hints of and glimpses of that world were these glimmers of sheer genius peeking through, but they never really materialized.
Overall, the book is fine but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. If someone picked it up and read it not knowing anything they’ll be fine, but it isn’t doing anything new. And that’s where it really let me down because it felt like it could have. Instead it was a very mediocre story that ended exactly how I thought it would. There were no grand twists, no grand reveals. Nothing grand at all. So much didn’t make sense or wasn’t really explained, it just kind of happened. The found footage gimmick let this book get away with explaining way less than it should have had to, but it was truly such a cheap gimmick.
All in all, it was fine. I put three stars because there’s a better book buried in there somewhere. But my gut says it’s really a 1 or 2 star book.
Anyway, I’m sure this means the publisher won’t send me anymore ARCs because I feel there’s this unwritten rule to give them a positive review. I’m just giving you my honest opinion.
I have a lot of thoughts to put down. Overall, the book was fine. There is a better book buried within this one though, hidden somewhere within the gimmick of the “found footage” schtick. For a moment that gimmick grew on me, but in the end I find it unnecessary. It actually added nothing to the story. In fact it cheapened the better book that’s hidden in here with false tension and allowed so many things to be left entirely unexplained with the general idea that “well you wouldn’t know everything it’s just found scraps”.
There is so much incredible world building here and honestly I just kind of wish the book took place in the other world. The hints of and glimpses of that world were these glimmers of sheer genius peeking through, but they never really materialized.
Overall, the book is fine but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. If someone picked it up and read it not knowing anything they’ll be fine, but it isn’t doing anything new. And that’s where it really let me down because it felt like it could have. Instead it was a very mediocre story that ended exactly how I thought it would. There were no grand twists, no grand reveals. Nothing grand at all. So much didn’t make sense or wasn’t really explained, it just kind of happened. The found footage gimmick let this book get away with explaining way less than it should have had to, but it was truly such a cheap gimmick.
All in all, it was fine. I put three stars because there’s a better book buried in there somewhere. But my gut says it’s really a 1 or 2 star book.
Anyway, I’m sure this means the publisher won’t send me anymore ARCs because I feel there’s this unwritten rule to give them a positive review. I’m just giving you my honest opinion.
March 9, 2026
The Ship of Death blends dark fantasy with the structure and language of tabletop role-playing games. The story begins with a husband and wife who are invited to test play a mysterious game together but their experience quickly expands beyond the two of them. A strange patron from a local bar joins in, followed later by an upstairs neighbor, and the group becomes increasingly pulled into the game’s strange rules and unfolding narrative. As the story progresses, the boundary between the game and reality grows more and more uncertain, leaving both the characters (and the reader) questioning what is actually real.
Overall, I found the story itself to be solid. It's weird in an intriguing way and is populated with genuinely interesting characters. The atmosphere is often eerie and unpredictable, and the narrative leans into its strangeness rather than trying to smooth it out. My favorite character by far was the fortune teller, who added a layer of mystery and personality that made every scene she appeared in more engaging.
My biggest struggle with the book was the heavy use of terminology and acronyms drawn from role-playing games. Since I don’t personally play those kinds of games, I found myself stumbling over some of the language and occasionally feeling like I was missing context that more experienced readers would immediately understand. Because of that, the reading experience felt a bit uneven for me at times.
That said, the underlying story and characters kept me invested. Readers who are familiar with or enthusiastic about tabletop or role-playing games will likely get even more out of the references and mechanics that shape the world. For me, it was still an enjoyable read, just one that I suspect will be even more impactful for fans of that gaming culture.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Overall, I found the story itself to be solid. It's weird in an intriguing way and is populated with genuinely interesting characters. The atmosphere is often eerie and unpredictable, and the narrative leans into its strangeness rather than trying to smooth it out. My favorite character by far was the fortune teller, who added a layer of mystery and personality that made every scene she appeared in more engaging.
My biggest struggle with the book was the heavy use of terminology and acronyms drawn from role-playing games. Since I don’t personally play those kinds of games, I found myself stumbling over some of the language and occasionally feeling like I was missing context that more experienced readers would immediately understand. Because of that, the reading experience felt a bit uneven for me at times.
That said, the underlying story and characters kept me invested. Readers who are familiar with or enthusiastic about tabletop or role-playing games will likely get even more out of the references and mechanics that shape the world. For me, it was still an enjoyable read, just one that I suspect will be even more impactful for fans of that gaming culture.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really wanted to like this book more. I'm a sucker for Lovecraftian horror and I have enjoyed a TTRPG in my time. The vocabulary and lore in-universe used for the Lovecraftian alternate board-game universe was great. It reminded me of Mork Borg, which I've read the book for and think would be super fun to play. Unfortunately, I feel like the fact that the entire story is told through a 'found footage' style added a layer of separation between me and the horror of the story.
I found myself wishing that I was just in the world of the Ship of Death without having the pretext of the characters playing the RPG--now that would have captivated me. All the modern-day people seemed like a barrier to my understanding of a dark world in which the true meat of the story lay. I didn't to read about people playing a board game connected to a horrible world, I wanted to see the horrible world. Maybe this affectation would have worked better in movie format than book format. I would have loved to have seen the author unleash their prose on a fully immersed version of the perfectly awful world they have created.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book!
I found myself wishing that I was just in the world of the Ship of Death without having the pretext of the characters playing the RPG--now that would have captivated me. All the modern-day people seemed like a barrier to my understanding of a dark world in which the true meat of the story lay. I didn't to read about people playing a board game connected to a horrible world, I wanted to see the horrible world. Maybe this affectation would have worked better in movie format than book format. I would have loved to have seen the author unleash their prose on a fully immersed version of the perfectly awful world they have created.
Thank you to Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion of this book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I had a great time with this! The Ship of Death is one of those books that's very specific with its intended audience, and while I don't think that's a bad thing at all it's definitely not going to be for everyone. If you read the description and think it sounds perfect for you, it probably is. This is pretty much Mork Borg meets Jumanji, and I think the concept here was done pretty well. I wasn't sure at first if a story centering board game/TTRPG mechanics was going to be the most interesting, but I liked how the insanity was constantly being bumped up a notch to keep things entertaining. The main characters are dealing with forces well beyond their comprehension, so there's a lot going on and not all of it makes sense but it didn't stop me from tearing through this book. If you love board games, TTRPGs, creepy metaphysical rituals, and super dark fantasy vibes, hopefully you'll enjoy this as much as I did.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's evil Jumanji! ☠️
Great world building. The lore, people, the lore. I would play the shit out of this board game. Even if I was slowly turned into a rotting-from-the-inside-out assassin.
I normally love found footage, but this is one that would've benefitted from more traditional storytelling. Cole's narrative as "game reports" didn't really work. The game rules told him to include everything but... how was he writing these reports during The Horrors™️?
I wish some of it took place inside the game's dimension too, instead of basically all in their apartment or the bar. I mean, I get it, it's a book about playing a boardgame, but why create a horrific game from a different dimension and then not have your characters go to that dimension?!
Still, quibbles aside, it's a very fun, quick read. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!
Great world building. The lore, people, the lore. I would play the shit out of this board game. Even if I was slowly turned into a rotting-from-the-inside-out assassin.
I normally love found footage, but this is one that would've benefitted from more traditional storytelling. Cole's narrative as "game reports" didn't really work. The game rules told him to include everything but... how was he writing these reports during The Horrors™️?
I wish some of it took place inside the game's dimension too, instead of basically all in their apartment or the bar. I mean, I get it, it's a book about playing a boardgame, but why create a horrific game from a different dimension and then not have your characters go to that dimension?!
Still, quibbles aside, it's a very fun, quick read. Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Guys, we need more just, super weird books in the world. This was such a blast to read. Especially if you’re into TTRPGs!
I loved the “found footage” style of story telling here, it really worked for me and with this kind of story in particular. I do wish we got more of the gaming/role playing itself but ah well, I understand there was a bigger story at hand that also needed to be told.
The only thing stopping this being a 5 star read for me is the plot itself was massively confusing, but honestly huge props to the author for coming up with something so wildly original. (Also: I feel like the man in the yellow jacket was a metaphor/some kind of symbolism for The King in Yellow, right? I’m not sure since I’ve never read it. Yell at me in the comments about it!)
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
I loved the “found footage” style of story telling here, it really worked for me and with this kind of story in particular. I do wish we got more of the gaming/role playing itself but ah well, I understand there was a bigger story at hand that also needed to be told.
The only thing stopping this being a 5 star read for me is the plot itself was massively confusing, but honestly huge props to the author for coming up with something so wildly original. (Also: I feel like the man in the yellow jacket was a metaphor/some kind of symbolism for The King in Yellow, right? I’m not sure since I’ve never read it. Yell at me in the comments about it!)
Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
One of the most propulsive books I've read in a long time. I picked it up and couldn't put it down. Powered through it in less than a day. This is a high-three star review for me, maybe as high as it can be without me feeling confident in giving it a four.
I think my biggest frustration with this book was that it was so fast. I've found that Lovecraftian fiction works best as slow burn. Let the pot of boiling eerie water slowly get there instead of turning it to high temperature immediately. This book drops you into the cosmic horror immediately and I think to a bit of a disservice to the high quality of Winkler's writing. I think if this book was a hundred pages longer, it probably would have worked better and with Winkler's writing I don't think it would have lost any of that propulsiveness.
I think my biggest frustration with this book was that it was so fast. I've found that Lovecraftian fiction works best as slow burn. Let the pot of boiling eerie water slowly get there instead of turning it to high temperature immediately. This book drops you into the cosmic horror immediately and I think to a bit of a disservice to the high quality of Winkler's writing. I think if this book was a hundred pages longer, it probably would have worked better and with Winkler's writing I don't think it would have lost any of that propulsiveness.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My favorite horror trope is found footage/media. I am an absolute sucker for any type of movie or book with this type of setting. The Ship of Death was certainly one of the better versions I’ve seen of this. It was such a cool concept that the author delivered on. It kept me on edge throughout the story and I felt like I wanted to race to the end and also for it to never stop. I was so tense for Cole and Lorraine. I really enjoyed their relationship and that it wasn’t perfect. I rooted for them especially Cole
The story is short and I read it in one day. I think that’s a good thing for stories like these but I honestly would’ve loved even more. The world he created was so intriguing to me I wanted to know more. I will definitely be buying the physical copy once this releases and convince my friends to read it.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC
The story is short and I read it in one day. I think that’s a good thing for stories like these but I honestly would’ve loved even more. The world he created was so intriguing to me I wanted to know more. I will definitely be buying the physical copy once this releases and convince my friends to read it.
Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I hope this book find its audience. I am sadly not a member of it. It's through no fault of the book itself. The writing is good, it's well paced. I think the mixed media storytelling is perfect for this novel. It suites the plot SO well and should make for an excellent read.
Unfortunately like when someone is explaining a new game's rules to me I was lost. This novel is probably better suited for someone who is more into table top and RP games. I'm going to recommend it to my friends who do play those kinds of games because I think they will love it! I am not of that world and probably should have realized that after reading the description. It just sounded so interesting, and I think will be if it's already more aligned with your interested. Feels like the definition of a genuine "it's not you, it's me" moment.
Unfortunately like when someone is explaining a new game's rules to me I was lost. This novel is probably better suited for someone who is more into table top and RP games. I'm going to recommend it to my friends who do play those kinds of games because I think they will love it! I am not of that world and probably should have realized that after reading the description. It just sounded so interesting, and I think will be if it's already more aligned with your interested. Feels like the definition of a genuine "it's not you, it's me" moment.
March 9, 2026
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Avon for providing me with this e-ARC!
This book was both wonderfully original and very bizarre, and I thoroughly enjoyed diving into it! The struggles of the main characters, Cole and Lorraine, were relatable and made them easy to sympathize with as the intensity of the game increased. While I found the method of found footage storytelling to be engaging, I felt that it sort of minimized or subdued the escalating horrors the characters were undergoing. Other than that, it was a gripping novel that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys TTRPG and a good mind f*ck.
Disclaimer: This book was provided free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.
This book was both wonderfully original and very bizarre, and I thoroughly enjoyed diving into it! The struggles of the main characters, Cole and Lorraine, were relatable and made them easy to sympathize with as the intensity of the game increased. While I found the method of found footage storytelling to be engaging, I felt that it sort of minimized or subdued the escalating horrors the characters were undergoing. Other than that, it was a gripping novel that I’d recommend to anyone who enjoys TTRPG and a good mind f*ck.
Disclaimer: This book was provided free of charge by the publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
First, thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
I rated this book 3 stars that’s for multiple reasons.
1. As someone who is not a big TTRPG player there were things I just didn’t connect with whereas season TTRPG players might connect better.
2. I thought this book started strong but slowly lost steam as it went on. It felt as though some of the logic started to become very confusing as the book went on to me, but again that could be attributed to point 1.
Overall it was a good book and the concept of the delivery of the information is really cool. I am SURE this book will resonate more with people who have more experience with TTRPGs. Some really good ideas here and solid writing.
3 ⭐️. If you’re a TTRPG player I think you’ll really enjoy it.
I rated this book 3 stars that’s for multiple reasons.
1. As someone who is not a big TTRPG player there were things I just didn’t connect with whereas season TTRPG players might connect better.
2. I thought this book started strong but slowly lost steam as it went on. It felt as though some of the logic started to become very confusing as the book went on to me, but again that could be attributed to point 1.
Overall it was a good book and the concept of the delivery of the information is really cool. I am SURE this book will resonate more with people who have more experience with TTRPGs. Some really good ideas here and solid writing.
3 ⭐️. If you’re a TTRPG player I think you’ll really enjoy it.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I knew this was gonna be a banger from the COVER! and then the story DELIVERED!
- found footage
- Lovecraftian TTRPG
- delicious new words for my vocab list (used sparingly and appropriately!)
- 20th century occult history
did a great job of transporting us, in the POV of the players, into the imaginal world they were roleplaying within. pacing was perfect, dropped the bait of the premise early and ramped it up chapter after chapter. writing got a little mid near the 75% mark, but I suspect both me and the author (and all the characters) were racing to the end, so some forgiveness there.
- found footage
- Lovecraftian TTRPG
- delicious new words for my vocab list (used sparingly and appropriately!)
- 20th century occult history
did a great job of transporting us, in the POV of the players, into the imaginal world they were roleplaying within. pacing was perfect, dropped the bait of the premise early and ramped it up chapter after chapter. writing got a little mid near the 75% mark, but I suspect both me and the author (and all the characters) were racing to the end, so some forgiveness there.
March 10, 2026
Wow I really struggled with this one. I think the setup and use of forums, emails, and police reports were interesting and I wish they had been the primary method of storytelling. I didn't feel tense or spooked by any of the horror elements and I didn't feel connected to the main characters enough to care what happened to them.
As the story went on things got more and more wrapped up in the sparsely explained lore of the game and it became tedious to read. I think the lore and the horror needed to be paced better and more fleshed out for me to care about the stakes and get really sucked in to the atmosphere.
As the story went on things got more and more wrapped up in the sparsely explained lore of the game and it became tedious to read. I think the lore and the horror needed to be paced better and more fleshed out for me to care about the stakes and get really sucked in to the atmosphere.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for an ARC of The Ship of Death via NetGalley.
I'm not really sure what the hell I just read? But honestly that's a compliment in my world 😅 The multi-media format of this book worked SO well, it was my favorite part of the book and really helped keep the storyline interesting. I'm not a big table-top role playing/strategy gamer so I did have to stop and look up some of the lingo occasionally but that wasn't a big deal to me. If you're looking for a book that's as wildly creative as it is psychotic, this is a fun choice!
4 stars
I'm not really sure what the hell I just read? But honestly that's a compliment in my world 😅 The multi-media format of this book worked SO well, it was my favorite part of the book and really helped keep the storyline interesting. I'm not a big table-top role playing/strategy gamer so I did have to stop and look up some of the lingo occasionally but that wasn't a big deal to me. If you're looking for a book that's as wildly creative as it is psychotic, this is a fun choice!
4 stars
March 19, 2026
When I saw that this promised Horror Movie meets Blair Witch I was determined to read this. If you’re a fan of table top games and mixed media books then you do not want to miss this. It was absolutely insane and felt like a fever dream. It’s definitely cosmic horror. If you don’t know anything about table top games the rules and cards can be a little bit confusing. I definitely didn’t expect half of the stuff that happened in the novel, and it didn’t end the way I expected it at all. This will be out in September of 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Harper Voyager/Avon A for an eARC of The Ship of Death by Kyle Winkler. I loved reading The Ship of Death, as it was an absolutely bonkers mixed-media horror novel that pulls from game reports, police statements, emails, and doctor notes, to name a few. I believe that the unique format of the novel kept me fully engaged as Cole and Lorraine tried to navigate the challenges of playing the haunting titular RPG. If you love weird and unique propulsive horror, you need to read The Ship of Death.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review: As a TTRPG player, I was very excited for this book. However, I really struggled to get through it. The first 20 percent or so is very intriguing and starts off strong. However, as the book goes on the RPG they are playing becomes very convoluted and therefore the book does as well. I don't' think this is a bad book by any means, I personally just got a little lost in the weeds. Though I put it down for now, at almost 40 percent, I may come back to it one day.
Review: As a TTRPG player, I was very excited for this book. However, I really struggled to get through it. The first 20 percent or so is very intriguing and starts off strong. However, as the book goes on the RPG they are playing becomes very convoluted and therefore the book does as well. I don't' think this is a bad book by any means, I personally just got a little lost in the weeds. Though I put it down for now, at almost 40 percent, I may come back to it one day.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you #NetGalley for the ARC read of this story in return for my honest opinion and review.
I did enjoy this but from the start I am like oh this is Jumanji. Though it has a different storyline it was the vibes I had throughout and I did predict the way the story was going to go from a little over halfway thru. I did enjoy this though and if you are a fan of role play table games this may be a book you'd want to pick up and give a try.
I did enjoy this but from the start I am like oh this is Jumanji. Though it has a different storyline it was the vibes I had throughout and I did predict the way the story was going to go from a little over halfway thru. I did enjoy this though and if you are a fan of role play table games this may be a book you'd want to pick up and give a try.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks Net Galley and Avon for the chance to read this book. What a wild ride! This volume ties together paranormal horror, tabletop rpg, psychological horror, and the use of archival sources to create a truly creepy tale. I was engrossed in the story way more than I thought I would be given the author couched the narrative in journals, reddit posts, and iPhone notes. If you want to imagine a truly terrifying way a tabletop rpg could be real, this book is a must read!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
What a strange, disturbing and intriguing story. Lovecraft meets Jumanji in this tale about a mysterious table top role playing game told in the style of found footage via journal entries & blog posts. The story jumps right into the creepy as the game invades every aspect of the characters lives and doesn't let go. I'll be sticking to playing officially published games in the future.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An easy and quick read overall.
I loved the style of "found footage" where the communication of emails, journal entries, notes, and so on. It made it an interesting way to share the story from others' points of view.
I also loved the idea of the game, from the general story of being aboard this ship to the characters you have to build. It is like a fun variation on DnD but with more terror.
I loved the style of "found footage" where the communication of emails, journal entries, notes, and so on. It made it an interesting way to share the story from others' points of view.
I also loved the idea of the game, from the general story of being aboard this ship to the characters you have to build. It is like a fun variation on DnD but with more terror.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC!
This was well done, the ending felt a tiny bit rushed but I enjoyed the premise and characters, especially the additions of forum posts and emails was neat.
This was well done, the ending felt a tiny bit rushed but I enjoyed the premise and characters, especially the additions of forum posts and emails was neat.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Finally! A modern horror novel that is original in both its structure and its story, which kept me in suspense until the very end!
March 17, 2026
Fuck.
I think it's safe to say this will be a 2026 favorite. Told in a mixed media format, in found footage documents, recordings, and depictions, The Ship of Death takes readers on a RIDE, a more aggressive Jumanji-like scenario where it is literally life and death for the players involved.
I am so thankful to Harper Collins/Avon A, Kyle Winkler, and NetGalley for advanced access to this LitRPG work of ART. Omg. I'm not a game player myself, but I know a lot of people who would sink right into the ebb and flow of this book's formatting.
Cole and Lorraine playtest games as gaming influencers, per se, and they've just been sent their largest game to date—The Ship of Death. A Dungeons and Dragons-style game with role play, mythical consequences, and old-world jargon. When the game starts to affect them IRL, something is amiss, as characters materialize before their very eyes and try to manipulate their day-to-day actions.
I won't spoil too much, but this one was SUCH a fun trip, and I can't wait until pub day (September 29, 2026) to share with some of my pals.
I think it's safe to say this will be a 2026 favorite. Told in a mixed media format, in found footage documents, recordings, and depictions, The Ship of Death takes readers on a RIDE, a more aggressive Jumanji-like scenario where it is literally life and death for the players involved.
I am so thankful to Harper Collins/Avon A, Kyle Winkler, and NetGalley for advanced access to this LitRPG work of ART. Omg. I'm not a game player myself, but I know a lot of people who would sink right into the ebb and flow of this book's formatting.
Cole and Lorraine playtest games as gaming influencers, per se, and they've just been sent their largest game to date—The Ship of Death. A Dungeons and Dragons-style game with role play, mythical consequences, and old-world jargon. When the game starts to affect them IRL, something is amiss, as characters materialize before their very eyes and try to manipulate their day-to-day actions.
I won't spoil too much, but this one was SUCH a fun trip, and I can't wait until pub day (September 29, 2026) to share with some of my pals.
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