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The Ship of Death
The dice roll. Darkness answers.
House of Leaves meets Jumanji in this brilliantly original and twisted novel composed entirely of found documents, following an unwitting couple ensnared by a sinister tabletop role-playing game
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.
House of Leaves meets Jumanji in this brilliantly original and twisted novel composed entirely of found documents, following an unwitting couple ensnared by a sinister tabletop role-playing game
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.
Audible Audio
First published September 29, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
April 25, 2026
The Goodreads description calls this book Horror Movie meets Blair Witch. I don’t understand either comparison, as this is nothing like either of those. Lucky for me that didn’t matter whatsoever because I absolutely ATE THIS UP. What a ride!
This is dark fantasy meets cosmic horror. Strong occult vibes. Very otherworldly. Highly recommend if that’s your cup of tea!
The story is told 100% via documents (emails, journal entries, phone notes, game pamphlets, excerpts from books, cards drawn in game, etc.) That format was very fun to read and kept me super engaged. Loved the characters! Cole and Lorraine were really easy to care about. The world is very mysterious and strange, lots of odd names and things but wasn’t hard to follow. I’m absolutely in awe of authors who can come up with stuff like this. What a mind! Well thought out, well written. Loved it from start to finish! Will for sure be buying a copy to add to my shelf once it publishes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book publishes September 29th 2026. Available in all formats.
Side Note:
I’ve never played DnD before so I definitely don’t think that’s a requirement to enjoy or understand what’s going on, but it’s probably a plus if you like RPG’s or are at least familiar with the concept and find it intriguing.
This is dark fantasy meets cosmic horror. Strong occult vibes. Very otherworldly. Highly recommend if that’s your cup of tea!
The story is told 100% via documents (emails, journal entries, phone notes, game pamphlets, excerpts from books, cards drawn in game, etc.) That format was very fun to read and kept me super engaged. Loved the characters! Cole and Lorraine were really easy to care about. The world is very mysterious and strange, lots of odd names and things but wasn’t hard to follow. I’m absolutely in awe of authors who can come up with stuff like this. What a mind! Well thought out, well written. Loved it from start to finish! Will for sure be buying a copy to add to my shelf once it publishes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book publishes September 29th 2026. Available in all formats.
Side Note:
I’ve never played DnD before so I definitely don’t think that’s a requirement to enjoy or understand what’s going on, but it’s probably a plus if you like RPG’s or are at least familiar with the concept and find it intriguing.
Did Not Finish
May 20, 2026Yeah...I don't do D&D or any games like that and I think you REALLY need to love those in order to read this.
The game was kind of exhausting and things were a little repetitive.
Will surely work for others.
The game was kind of exhausting and things were a little repetitive.
Will surely work for others.
October 13, 2026
This book intrigued me the moment I saw it. I’m not a big RPG person, but after reading the synopsis, I figured this was a cosmic horror—which I have determined I do enjoy. The audiobook’s production is absolutely fantastic—honestly the best of the year! The story is immersive and fun, sinister and trippy, and I highly recommend for horror readers. Especially the audiobook!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC for review. To be published September 29, 2026.
2.5 stars
So, this sounded like the kid of book I would like, a horror story involving a couple playing the beta version of a mysterious game. And it wasn’t the worst, but I hoped for so much more.
It started off OK, but then just kind of collapsed into these mushy game playing sessions in an apartment that was disintegrating and with this disgusting, milky drink you wouldn’t have convinced me to try even once.
I would love to see the concept done differently. I loved the mixed media format, though. I’m a sucker for that, and that’s what gives this one the extra half star.
2.5 stars
So, this sounded like the kid of book I would like, a horror story involving a couple playing the beta version of a mysterious game. And it wasn’t the worst, but I hoped for so much more.
It started off OK, but then just kind of collapsed into these mushy game playing sessions in an apartment that was disintegrating and with this disgusting, milky drink you wouldn’t have convinced me to try even once.
I would love to see the concept done differently. I loved the mixed media format, though. I’m a sucker for that, and that’s what gives this one the extra half star.
Read
August 13, 2026A tabletop role playing game with horror elements? So creative and unique! As was the "found media" storytelling style. I liked the married couple who become the players of The Ship of Death, though I found them unusually trusting of strangers and strange drinks. That bit had an almost Alice in Wonderland quality to it, as if dipping their toes into the unknown realm in the game made them susceptible to reckless behavior. I was really interested in all of the game elements, but even though I play board games and D&D, I had a hard time picturing the game they were playing. I understand that parts were intentionally vague, but my inability to get a concrete sense of the game pulled me out of the narrative more often than I wanted. I felt like the ending came suddenly but was appropriately unsettling.
Did Not Finish
October 16, 2026I wasted a whole audio credit 😭😭😭😭. I tried 😝
September 29, 2026
This was fun brought me back to my Dungeon and Dragon days, the passages when they were playing the game were the best, the story that plays out within the game is one I would like to read. it was a fun and dark fantasy about a pirate ship powered by blood pretty gruesome when you think about it.
October 7, 2026
As an avid gamer, tabletop RPG lover, solo RPG journaler, and LitRPG reader, I was super excited for a horror story that mashed all of those things together. Add in some found mixed media and I was sold.
The game setup had a very D&D like feel and I really enjoyed the rule inserts and die roll outcomes. The beginning was strong and I was completely invested in the game and where things were headed.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way things got a little messy. The game mechanics became confusing (which may have been intentional). There were some pretty noticeable plot holes and I’m still wondering why ANYONE thought drinking that mystery milky drink from a stranger was a good idea.
The ending didn’t quite land for me but I definitely felt for Cole. Despite its flaws, this was still a pretty immersive read and I enjoyed the overall concept.
Also I’d be pretty mad if a toad tried to eat my cat.
The game setup had a very D&D like feel and I really enjoyed the rule inserts and die roll outcomes. The beginning was strong and I was completely invested in the game and where things were headed.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the way things got a little messy. The game mechanics became confusing (which may have been intentional). There were some pretty noticeable plot holes and I’m still wondering why ANYONE thought drinking that mystery milky drink from a stranger was a good idea.
The ending didn’t quite land for me but I definitely felt for Cole. Despite its flaws, this was still a pretty immersive read and I enjoyed the overall concept.
Also I’d be pretty mad if a toad tried to eat my cat.
Did Not Finish
October 8, 2026Was listening to the audiobook of this and I’m struggling at only 12% in, so I’m DNFing. Not really a fan of how this is written.
Did Not Finish
September 15, 2026Thank you to the publisher for the eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. The concept was cool, but RPG gaming just isn’t for me. I’m not a gamer and quickly realized I had no idea what was happening.
Definitely recommend this one to my fellow gamers, though!
Unfortunately, I had to DNF this one. The concept was cool, but RPG gaming just isn’t for me. I’m not a gamer and quickly realized I had no idea what was happening.
Definitely recommend this one to my fellow gamers, though!
October 20, 2026
Great concept! I loved how the story was told in journal entries, game review reports, and emails. The game sounded fascinating and the story had me invested until the end. It did get a little repetitive with the game play; there is a lot of detail on the game’s rules and overall play that made my interest wane. Otherwise, my anxiety was through the roof with this one.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the review copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperAudio Adult for the review copy.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Honestly, average apartment life. Half of this reads like a non-fiction account of whatever my upstairs neighbors got up to at 3am.
Strapped for cash and living in a run-down apartment complex, Cole and Lorraine playtest board games to help save up for their starter home. When their broker recommends them a dark fantasy table-top role-playing game, with the developer requiring in-depth After Game Reports and a strangely worded NDA, they figure it’s just a quirk of a small eccentric board game company. Upon beginning the game, they realize the complex and extensive set of maps, rulebooks, action cards, and mini-figures are taking up not just their apartment, but their minds. The otherworldly game has them role-play their sickly, evildoing characters in and outside the sessions, and as the game escalates, each action it asks them to take is more drastic than the last, culminating in a demand to possess a stranger’s soul.
Something I always think is worth mentioning in my horror reviews is that I am a huge weenie. Horror usually isn’t my cup of tea - I enjoy eerie, tense vibes, but as soon as things get gross or gory, I’m out. Unfortunately, the majority of this book didn’t fall into the category I enjoy. I think The Ship of Death fails to pull off any truly scary moments. All it really does is say gross shit to make you uncomfortable, and maintain its sort of generally feverish vibe. The kind of thing where there's a lot of mention of dead or dying animals, milk used in weird ways, and way too much choking/vomiting, but nothing actually happens.
I think what worked best and what I really wished there was more of was the world-building of the fantasy board game. The world of the Mishilect is dark, gritty, and intense, and the depravity of the ship is one of the more unsettling parts of the book. There are even intricate religions, magic systems, and weather patterns, but they’re glossed over for less interesting exposition on whatever the characters are up to in the real world. Truly, it felt like this should have had a more Jumanji-style approach, where Cole and Lorraine are literally inside the game. There was a clear gap in quality between the fantasy writing and the more domestic writing, where somehow the most unrealistic part of the book was how the couple talked to each other and exist on a day-to-day.
This had so many of the common horror pitfalls - the characters make stupid decisions, they’re way too trusting, they don’t react appropriately to insane situations, and so on. What really adds to the issue is the clunky dialogue. In general, the conversations just feel… unnatural, but not in the way you want from a supernatural horror novel. To a degree, the characters are absolutely being controlled by the game, making them do and say quite odd things, but the book doesn’t distinguish between normal nerdy role-playing and supernatural brainwashing. There were a lot of moments I had where I was thinking “Are the characters acting strange or are they just really into the game?”
Of course, this book also has some of the male writer-isms, the “breasted boobily” of it all, if you catch my drift. In particular, every scene with the psychic was just so over the top and unnecessary. Cole describes her as “not good-looking in a way men would think a woman attractive” and that she “smelled like oranges and sex.” He also mentions multiples times that he is turned on/aroused around her. Why? Genuinely, what does this add to the story?
I think it’s worth saying that I did speed through this book, it’s definitely a page-turner, but it’s also just not my thing. I’d recommend this to those who like found-footage tropes, fans of dark fantasy looking to get into horror, or anyone looking for a quick, ~250 page eerie read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Strapped for cash and living in a run-down apartment complex, Cole and Lorraine playtest board games to help save up for their starter home. When their broker recommends them a dark fantasy table-top role-playing game, with the developer requiring in-depth After Game Reports and a strangely worded NDA, they figure it’s just a quirk of a small eccentric board game company. Upon beginning the game, they realize the complex and extensive set of maps, rulebooks, action cards, and mini-figures are taking up not just their apartment, but their minds. The otherworldly game has them role-play their sickly, evildoing characters in and outside the sessions, and as the game escalates, each action it asks them to take is more drastic than the last, culminating in a demand to possess a stranger’s soul.
Something I always think is worth mentioning in my horror reviews is that I am a huge weenie. Horror usually isn’t my cup of tea - I enjoy eerie, tense vibes, but as soon as things get gross or gory, I’m out. Unfortunately, the majority of this book didn’t fall into the category I enjoy. I think The Ship of Death fails to pull off any truly scary moments. All it really does is say gross shit to make you uncomfortable, and maintain its sort of generally feverish vibe. The kind of thing where there's a lot of mention of dead or dying animals, milk used in weird ways, and way too much choking/vomiting, but nothing actually happens.
I think what worked best and what I really wished there was more of was the world-building of the fantasy board game. The world of the Mishilect is dark, gritty, and intense, and the depravity of the ship is one of the more unsettling parts of the book. There are even intricate religions, magic systems, and weather patterns, but they’re glossed over for less interesting exposition on whatever the characters are up to in the real world. Truly, it felt like this should have had a more Jumanji-style approach, where Cole and Lorraine are literally inside the game. There was a clear gap in quality between the fantasy writing and the more domestic writing, where somehow the most unrealistic part of the book was how the couple talked to each other and exist on a day-to-day.
This had so many of the common horror pitfalls - the characters make stupid decisions, they’re way too trusting, they don’t react appropriately to insane situations, and so on. What really adds to the issue is the clunky dialogue. In general, the conversations just feel… unnatural, but not in the way you want from a supernatural horror novel. To a degree, the characters are absolutely being controlled by the game, making them do and say quite odd things, but the book doesn’t distinguish between normal nerdy role-playing and supernatural brainwashing. There were a lot of moments I had where I was thinking “Are the characters acting strange or are they just really into the game?”
Of course, this book also has some of the male writer-isms, the “breasted boobily” of it all, if you catch my drift. In particular, every scene with the psychic was just so over the top and unnecessary. Cole describes her as “not good-looking in a way men would think a woman attractive” and that she “smelled like oranges and sex.” He also mentions multiples times that he is turned on/aroused around her. Why? Genuinely, what does this add to the story?
I think it’s worth saying that I did speed through this book, it’s definitely a page-turner, but it’s also just not my thing. I’d recommend this to those who like found-footage tropes, fans of dark fantasy looking to get into horror, or anyone looking for a quick, ~250 page eerie read.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
May 28, 2026
From page one I was hooked. It was so bizarre but I couldn’t look away. I wanted to see where this story was going to take me, what this game had in store for the characters and that quickly turned into not being able to look away and getting sucked into the story just as much as the characters got sucked into the game.
This story about a man named Cole who test plays games and gets paid. He gets an email about a game and is asked to record everything that happens from when he gets the game in the mail until the end of playing it. It’s told through journal entries, redder threads, emails, etc. fairly early on in the story things start to take a weird turn, from mysterious people showing up at the bar where Cole works, to his wife Lorianne making some interesting decisions in regards to starting the game.
It’s a slow and intense unraveling into madness as the characters get deeper into this mysterious, multilayered, and psychologically draining TTRPG. I feel like this would be a great read for someone who enjoys games like D&D, strange and unusual happenings, and good old fashioned horror. This was unlike any other book I’ve read.
This story about a man named Cole who test plays games and gets paid. He gets an email about a game and is asked to record everything that happens from when he gets the game in the mail until the end of playing it. It’s told through journal entries, redder threads, emails, etc. fairly early on in the story things start to take a weird turn, from mysterious people showing up at the bar where Cole works, to his wife Lorianne making some interesting decisions in regards to starting the game.
It’s a slow and intense unraveling into madness as the characters get deeper into this mysterious, multilayered, and psychologically draining TTRPG. I feel like this would be a great read for someone who enjoys games like D&D, strange and unusual happenings, and good old fashioned horror. This was unlike any other book I’ve read.
October 14, 2026
Winkler rolled for cosmic horror, and he didn’t quite get the natural D20 I was hoping for. The story follows a couple trying to save up to buy a house by testing board games, which leads them to start playing the tabletop roleplaying game Ship of Death. The story is told through emails, logs, and other writings rather than traditional narration. It’s still fast-paced, creepy, and features a colorful cast of characters.
I’ll start by saying that the audiobook is fantastic. It’s got sound effects and is narrated by a full cast (featuring Wil Wheaton!). It made the whole experience super fun to listen to.
I feel like this book may not be for everyone. I’m not a big DnD/tabletop roleplaying game fan, but I’ve played a few and I do play Baldur’s Gate 3, so I’m familiar with the game mechanics (character stats, rolling dice, etc.). This made it fun to read, and I’ll say that the way the story creepily crept into the cast’s real lives was genuinely spooky. I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding certain characters, like Javier. I kept wondering about their decisions and intentions.
That being said, I feel like the book was too short. I wish I’d seen more of the game itself and that it had been a bit more of a slow burn. Things picked up way too fast around the 50% mark, and it got a little too insane for me to stay fully invested. Ironically, this is why I usually don’t love playing tabletop roleplaying games. The stories seem to get too over the top, and I guess I’m just a low-key person?
Anyways, this was super creepy and super fun. Definitely my type of book. I hope to read something similar (and even scarier) in the future.
*I got this ARC for free, this hasn’t impacted my review!
I’ll start by saying that the audiobook is fantastic. It’s got sound effects and is narrated by a full cast (featuring Wil Wheaton!). It made the whole experience super fun to listen to.
I feel like this book may not be for everyone. I’m not a big DnD/tabletop roleplaying game fan, but I’ve played a few and I do play Baldur’s Gate 3, so I’m familiar with the game mechanics (character stats, rolling dice, etc.). This made it fun to read, and I’ll say that the way the story creepily crept into the cast’s real lives was genuinely spooky. I also enjoyed the mystery surrounding certain characters, like Javier. I kept wondering about their decisions and intentions.
That being said, I feel like the book was too short. I wish I’d seen more of the game itself and that it had been a bit more of a slow burn. Things picked up way too fast around the 50% mark, and it got a little too insane for me to stay fully invested. Ironically, this is why I usually don’t love playing tabletop roleplaying games. The stories seem to get too over the top, and I guess I’m just a low-key person?
Anyways, this was super creepy and super fun. Definitely my type of book. I hope to read something similar (and even scarier) in the future.
*I got this ARC for free, this hasn’t impacted my review!
April 18, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
Ship of Death is a "found media" formatted novel that, while an entertaining and quick read, fell a little short for me. I do feel that the constraints of the novel's format held it back. Even though I love the found media genre, especially when it comes to horror novels, it felt like the After Game Reports were really just a narrative of what happened, and given they were large chunks of text, honestly read as just a normal novel, at least to me. In between these reports were social media posts, police reports, and journal entries. However, as with the After Game Reports, the journal entries also read to me as that of a traditional novel. I feel like they were simply just normal narratives with "journal entry" or "AGR" slapped on to convey themselves as found media. I feel that the book would've been more immersive if it was told in alternating POVs with some found media interspersed throughout.
Even as a board game, video game, and D&D player, I found myself confused by the mechanics of the Ship of Death game. Perhaps this was the intention, with the author wanting to have the reader feel as immersed in the game as the characters were, mirroring our confusion to theirs. Even so, it left it hard for me to follow certain parts of the novel, which, in turn, took me out of any immersion I had.
While on the topic of immersion, I really struggled to connect with and see Cole and Lorraine as real people. I didn't have a good grasp on their personalities, relationship, goals, likes, dislikes, etc before being thrust into the story and it made it very difficult for me to care about anything that was happening to them. I did not feel invested even as things started to go awry and the plot revealed itself.
However, where the book really shined was the snippets of Mishilect we got to see. Mishilect is a dark, unforgiving, and gritty world full of despair and it really pulled me in. I almost wish the book had just been entirely in the world of the game and following Willem Lowcoin and Rot Apple instead of Cole and Lorraine.
Nevertheless, while it wasn't the novel I was expecting, it still kept me entertained and was a good quick palette cleanser between some of the more dense novels I've been reading.
Ship of Death is a "found media" formatted novel that, while an entertaining and quick read, fell a little short for me. I do feel that the constraints of the novel's format held it back. Even though I love the found media genre, especially when it comes to horror novels, it felt like the After Game Reports were really just a narrative of what happened, and given they were large chunks of text, honestly read as just a normal novel, at least to me. In between these reports were social media posts, police reports, and journal entries. However, as with the After Game Reports, the journal entries also read to me as that of a traditional novel. I feel like they were simply just normal narratives with "journal entry" or "AGR" slapped on to convey themselves as found media. I feel that the book would've been more immersive if it was told in alternating POVs with some found media interspersed throughout.
Even as a board game, video game, and D&D player, I found myself confused by the mechanics of the Ship of Death game. Perhaps this was the intention, with the author wanting to have the reader feel as immersed in the game as the characters were, mirroring our confusion to theirs. Even so, it left it hard for me to follow certain parts of the novel, which, in turn, took me out of any immersion I had.
While on the topic of immersion, I really struggled to connect with and see Cole and Lorraine as real people. I didn't have a good grasp on their personalities, relationship, goals, likes, dislikes, etc before being thrust into the story and it made it very difficult for me to care about anything that was happening to them. I did not feel invested even as things started to go awry and the plot revealed itself.
However, where the book really shined was the snippets of Mishilect we got to see. Mishilect is a dark, unforgiving, and gritty world full of despair and it really pulled me in. I almost wish the book had just been entirely in the world of the game and following Willem Lowcoin and Rot Apple instead of Cole and Lorraine.
Nevertheless, while it wasn't the novel I was expecting, it still kept me entertained and was a good quick palette cleanser between some of the more dense novels I've been reading.
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.
October 16, 2026
The description of this book sounded like it would be right up my alley.
Cole and his wife Lorraine are playtesting a new tabletop roleplaying game called The Ship of Death. The mere scope of the game has them super excited at first, but then the lines between the real world and the one in the game start to blur. The result is cosmic horror. The players meet shady characters that seem to have leapt straight out of their imagined story, and find themselves compelled to carry out horrifying actions from their roleplaying in real life. The entire story is told with a mixed media format—emails, journal entries, forum posts, etc.
So why wasn’t this a home run for me? I like weird books, but this wasn’t my kind of weird, I guess. There are so many things from the game world that have you repeating, “Huh? What does that even mean?” (e.g. The Saltation of Banal Objects, The Curation of Auguries from Flesh, Sustenance and Religio-Social Habitudes, etc). And this is intentional, it adds to the creepy factor and has the characters questioning everything. But it just didn’t hit for me.
I feel like I haven’t said much that wasn’t already in the book description, but the only other information would be unnecessarily going into too much detail of the story. 256 pages presented in mixed media format is actually a fairly short book. It’s a quick read that is mysterious, tense, and dark. As far as characters, I liked the psychic Cole consults, but it’s difficult with all of the others because even if they are essentially good people, they are no longer in control of reality and do some not very good things.
Again, all of this is a great idea in theory, but in execution left me underwhelmed. But your mileage may vary!
Cole and his wife Lorraine are playtesting a new tabletop roleplaying game called The Ship of Death. The mere scope of the game has them super excited at first, but then the lines between the real world and the one in the game start to blur. The result is cosmic horror. The players meet shady characters that seem to have leapt straight out of their imagined story, and find themselves compelled to carry out horrifying actions from their roleplaying in real life. The entire story is told with a mixed media format—emails, journal entries, forum posts, etc.
So why wasn’t this a home run for me? I like weird books, but this wasn’t my kind of weird, I guess. There are so many things from the game world that have you repeating, “Huh? What does that even mean?” (e.g. The Saltation of Banal Objects, The Curation of Auguries from Flesh, Sustenance and Religio-Social Habitudes, etc). And this is intentional, it adds to the creepy factor and has the characters questioning everything. But it just didn’t hit for me.
I feel like I haven’t said much that wasn’t already in the book description, but the only other information would be unnecessarily going into too much detail of the story. 256 pages presented in mixed media format is actually a fairly short book. It’s a quick read that is mysterious, tense, and dark. As far as characters, I liked the psychic Cole consults, but it’s difficult with all of the others because even if they are essentially good people, they are no longer in control of reality and do some not very good things.
Again, all of this is a great idea in theory, but in execution left me underwhelmed. But your mileage may vary!
October 4, 2026
So, this was fine but it didn't quite scratch that cosmic horror itch for me. I love the concept; there was something there with the idea of immersive board games and tabletop RPGs, relying so heavily on the player's imagination, that they could then be used as a ritual conduit in occult rites. (Although, it sounds a bit "Satanic Panic"-y.) But the idea of using this to bridge alternate realities, and the idea of someone with a dominant enough imagination overriding a shared reality, are cool concepts to explore.
I enjoyed some of the "found media" elements - like the fake Wikipedia entries and Reddit threads. However, I found myself wishing that those had been mixed in with a traditional narrative. Where the novel falls flat for me is that the conceit revolves around this all being "found media." This means it's a lot of diary entries and notes and things the characters are supposedly writing. As I find so often happens in books with this sort of framing, the journal entries/reports/etc. are way too unrealistic and pull me right out of the story.
One of the main characters is a board game play tester, and I understand submitting a report of the experience to the developers, and I know that they said "the more detail the better," but I still don't believe anyone would write out all this stuff about their job, their relationship, etc. including dialogue. That's so completely unrealistic - why not just write it as a traditional novel, then?
My other main problem with this book was that I found the main characters, Cole and Lorraine, to be such stupid horror movie protagonists. What do you mean you signed the board game character sheets with your own blood? What do you mean you invited the creepy stranger from the bar home to play with you and you're drinking his homemade mystery booze? I don't care how "quirky" you are, nobody would act this way.
Anyway, back on the plus side, this was a quick, entertaining read with a really cool premise and some genuinely interesting ideas. I really liked all of the stuff delving into a fictional contemporary of Aleister Crowley, who formed his own, rival cult and used elaborate board games in his rituals. There were interesting ideas there and I really wish there had been more of that and less cheesy and typical horror stuff, such as visiting a random psychic to get answers, and having characters make stupid decisions (and then pausing to write it all down, of course!)
I enjoyed some of the "found media" elements - like the fake Wikipedia entries and Reddit threads. However, I found myself wishing that those had been mixed in with a traditional narrative. Where the novel falls flat for me is that the conceit revolves around this all being "found media." This means it's a lot of diary entries and notes and things the characters are supposedly writing. As I find so often happens in books with this sort of framing, the journal entries/reports/etc. are way too unrealistic and pull me right out of the story.
One of the main characters is a board game play tester, and I understand submitting a report of the experience to the developers, and I know that they said "the more detail the better," but I still don't believe anyone would write out all this stuff about their job, their relationship, etc. including dialogue. That's so completely unrealistic - why not just write it as a traditional novel, then?
My other main problem with this book was that I found the main characters, Cole and Lorraine, to be such stupid horror movie protagonists. What do you mean you signed the board game character sheets with your own blood? What do you mean you invited the creepy stranger from the bar home to play with you and you're drinking his homemade mystery booze? I don't care how "quirky" you are, nobody would act this way.
Anyway, back on the plus side, this was a quick, entertaining read with a really cool premise and some genuinely interesting ideas. I really liked all of the stuff delving into a fictional contemporary of Aleister Crowley, who formed his own, rival cult and used elaborate board games in his rituals. There were interesting ideas there and I really wish there had been more of that and less cheesy and typical horror stuff, such as visiting a random psychic to get answers, and having characters make stupid decisions (and then pausing to write it all down, of course!)
October 6, 2026
As a fellow tabletop board game lover, this one definitely piqued my interest. And this is definitely one game you don’t want to play!
This book won’t be for everyone. It gets very detailed with the characters and game mechanics, which some readers may find difficult to follow or even boring. But I really loved the concept of the game and how the story was told through mixed media. I’m currently playtesting a game myself and reading this book definitely made me wary about agreeing to test a game in the future!
I loved the cosmic horror vibes and there were definitely some gruesome scenes along the way. By the end, I felt like I was right there with the characters, slowly losing my mind alongside them. Overall, this was a fun and unique horror story that any tabletop game lover will probably enjoy.
This book won’t be for everyone. It gets very detailed with the characters and game mechanics, which some readers may find difficult to follow or even boring. But I really loved the concept of the game and how the story was told through mixed media. I’m currently playtesting a game myself and reading this book definitely made me wary about agreeing to test a game in the future!
I loved the cosmic horror vibes and there were definitely some gruesome scenes along the way. By the end, I felt like I was right there with the characters, slowly losing my mind alongside them. Overall, this was a fun and unique horror story that any tabletop game lover will probably enjoy.
Read
October 19, 2026If you have any interest in horror, board games, TTRPGs, and Clark Ashton Smith, this is the book for you.
October 1, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC. 4.5 stars!
I actually waited until I could get my hands on the audio, because Wil Wheaton is such a phenomenal narrator, and that stayed true here. Seriously, phenomenal narration.
I'm not going to pretend that I understood much about the actual game play or rules, and following along was a bit difficult, but the story around it was SO good. It was creepy and haunting. I loved the diary entries as a way to really get into the character's psyches and explore how the game was taking over their minds.
This hit the right amount of creep and intrigue to keep me on the edge of my seat. Nerds that love horror will absolutely eat this up.
I actually waited until I could get my hands on the audio, because Wil Wheaton is such a phenomenal narrator, and that stayed true here. Seriously, phenomenal narration.
I'm not going to pretend that I understood much about the actual game play or rules, and following along was a bit difficult, but the story around it was SO good. It was creepy and haunting. I loved the diary entries as a way to really get into the character's psyches and explore how the game was taking over their minds.
This hit the right amount of creep and intrigue to keep me on the edge of my seat. Nerds that love horror will absolutely eat this up.
October 2, 2026
This had a lot of potential but it felt flat to me. The style of it was neat in it was written in all documents like emails and game recaps. I don't know, I wanted more horror and dread.
October 13, 2026
I am not a board game person so I was a little surprised when I found myself swept along so easily into this cosmic horror novel. The vibes were right on point! It was weird, it didn't try to explain everything to me, it was weird, I never knew what it was going to do next, it was weird, and it just propelled me forward even when I wasn't really sure what was happening. Fantastic vision, really creepy, dark and twisted, a really good time.
October 21, 2026
Amazing book. The storytelling and construction of this book were just fantastic. Super creepy too!
October 18, 2026
Very cool modern epistolary novel! It's like if Jumanji was like ten thousand times scarier. Really trippy. The main characters weren't super fleshed out but I don't think that's necessary for this kind of plot. I enjoyed reading this! Even if the MCs frustrated the hell out of me at times lol.
ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
ARC provided by Avon and Harper Voyager, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
September 14, 2026
3.5 rounded up because it was unique.
Cole and his wife Lorraine love playing games. Board games, role playing dice games, it didn’t mater, it was a way to escape the mundane. Obviously when Cole got invited to test play a game called The Ship of Death, it was a no brainer even if he did have to keep precise notes about every move they made.
It didn’t take long to find out that this was no ordinary game and it soon started to bleed over into their everyday lives. Actually, it may not be a game at all.
This started off really fun and was quite intriguing. I got a little bored in the middle when Cole was doing a bunch of research into the game and its influences but I was pulled back into this weird cosmic tale and I raced to the ending.
Cole and his wife Lorraine love playing games. Board games, role playing dice games, it didn’t mater, it was a way to escape the mundane. Obviously when Cole got invited to test play a game called The Ship of Death, it was a no brainer even if he did have to keep precise notes about every move they made.
It didn’t take long to find out that this was no ordinary game and it soon started to bleed over into their everyday lives. Actually, it may not be a game at all.
This started off really fun and was quite intriguing. I got a little bored in the middle when Cole was doing a bunch of research into the game and its influences but I was pulled back into this weird cosmic tale and I raced to the ending.
September 17, 2026
Shout out to my own curiosity for helping me get through those ttrpg instructions! My brain hated those aspects but it wasn’t deal breaking. Has that creepy pasta, unexplainable vibe. Especially with the found media/epistolary storytelling. This author took a big swing with the fantasy world setting and I respected the creativity. But it did get hard to follow at points. Much of the horror for me centered around one specific (innocent!) character who gets roped in to the game, and that got really disturbing to read by the end. I ultimately wanted something more but I could see it being a hit for some because of the tabletop novelty of it all. Somewhere between 2-3 stars for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Conceptually, this is a super fun book and there is definitely an audience for it, but surprisingly that audience does not include me.
I say surprisingly because I am a long time TTRPG player as well as a lover of found document/non-traditional horror novels. This should have been a home run! Unfortunately, the format seemed to be a hinderance in this case. The writing style was a bit disjointed (understandable to a point), and I found the sections of game logs to be the most unsuited for this style of novel. They were far too detailed and just feel like a novel in first person rather than someone writing a log meant to be sent to a game designer. I also found it frustratingly perplexing that an experienced play tester would be writing such extensive notes that included his work shift and other "out of game" moments from the get go if not because of some meta reason (like he knew that this game would get weird and start bleeding into his real life before he even started playing it). I think I would have preferred the game logs to start out being very straightforward and then slowly they include more of his personal life as they got further sucked into the reality bending nature of the game. Since, we started out at a 10, there was little room to feel the stakes being raised as the game shifts from being 'just a game.' I also didn't care for the decision to divide each game log into parts interspersed with other documents. If these documents were being given to someone, would they not be reading each log in its entirety before moving on to relevant supplemental documents then more gameplay logs, etc.?
Somehow 'The Ship of Death manages to both not include enough explanation while also feeling unnecessarily drawn out. Major pacing issues.
Also worthy to note, I grew up with 'Chick Tracts' and the plot so closely mirrors the Satanic Panic tract called 'Dark Dungeon' (sans the religious bits) that I would not be shocked to hear that 'The Ship of Death' was directly inspired by it.
I do think this will be a fun book for many TTRPG players and the format is a fun novelty that could have wide appeal. Just know you will get few answers going into it and non TTRPG players may find the sections that include rulebook excerpts and in game cards tedious.
I say surprisingly because I am a long time TTRPG player as well as a lover of found document/non-traditional horror novels. This should have been a home run! Unfortunately, the format seemed to be a hinderance in this case. The writing style was a bit disjointed (understandable to a point), and I found the sections of game logs to be the most unsuited for this style of novel. They were far too detailed and just feel like a novel in first person rather than someone writing a log meant to be sent to a game designer. I also found it frustratingly perplexing that an experienced play tester would be writing such extensive notes that included his work shift and other "out of game" moments from the get go if not because of some meta reason (like he knew that this game would get weird and start bleeding into his real life before he even started playing it). I think I would have preferred the game logs to start out being very straightforward and then slowly they include more of his personal life as they got further sucked into the reality bending nature of the game. Since, we started out at a 10, there was little room to feel the stakes being raised as the game shifts from being 'just a game.' I also didn't care for the decision to divide each game log into parts interspersed with other documents. If these documents were being given to someone, would they not be reading each log in its entirety before moving on to relevant supplemental documents then more gameplay logs, etc.?
Somehow 'The Ship of Death manages to both not include enough explanation while also feeling unnecessarily drawn out. Major pacing issues.
Also worthy to note, I grew up with 'Chick Tracts' and the plot so closely mirrors the Satanic Panic tract called 'Dark Dungeon' (sans the religious bits) that I would not be shocked to hear that 'The Ship of Death' was directly inspired by it.
I do think this will be a fun book for many TTRPG players and the format is a fun novelty that could have wide appeal. Just know you will get few answers going into it and non TTRPG players may find the sections that include rulebook excerpts and in game cards tedious.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2026
This was hard to get through. I knew it would be tough due to it being about a role play type game so I can’t necessarily fault it for that. I would say it will be more enjoyable for people who play a lot of those types of games. In the beginning it was fine but after 100 pages of it, I was struggling. It was way too long even though it’s under 300 pages. But what made me dislike the book were the characters. They were so unbelievable. They did not act like real people. You invite a stranger, who just the day before gave you the creeps but he apologized so all is forgiven, back to your house and then drink a milky liquid that he pulls from his jacket like it’s normal?! Oh and so many other red flags but you say you don’t trust him cuz you think he is hitting on your wife?! Never ever did that seem like it was happening. Oh I saw him glow!…hmm no I must’ve imagined it but he definitely flirted with my wife 😐😐 Long story short. The detail he put into the game made it a slog to get through, but what ruined the book was the poorly written characters and dialogue.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC
October 16, 2026
Y'all im halfway through the book but i think this book is GAY AF queer horror analysis coming soon
Alright, at first i was hesitant... I love the concept. House of Leaves x ttrpgs!!!! WHAT!!!! I'm usually just worried about unfamiliar authors, but i was very pleasantly surprised... There's heavy queer subtext here which made it all very thought provoking and pleasant
Coming in, I was worried about the writing, reviews were mixed. I found there was a warhammer shaped hole in the discussion of ttrpgs... and a misunderstanding of knitting... badly written therapy... and also WHERE ARE YOU GETTING A HOUSE FOR 80K????? also, Crowley followed by Gygax is despicably evil, truly the most reprehensible of men, and perhaps commentary?
But aside from that it was rather intriguing and amusing. Wondering which pieces were a part of the game. Wondering just what the character would do. Would I have been more evil? Yes. But the ending is quite evil.
I think this book is about queer repression. I think Cole and Lorraine are stuck in an unhappy lavender marriage, neither of them coming to terms with their own queerness. Im sure there are those who will disagree. But, the closet metaphors were Not at all Subtle, and Javier is a flirt. Remember, both Cole and Lorraine are in denial of their feelings... I'm going to list my evidence:
Javier really steals the show. Whatever he is. He seems harmless, grows more and more mysterious and sinister... I unfortunately Love him.
also skimming the author's other books, the cameo of another character was fun!
The Ship of Death is occult and cosmic, it's S Ship of Theseus with a more rivetting story and a ttrpg twist...... and queer undertones of the classic closet case the average reader may miss
Alright, at first i was hesitant... I love the concept. House of Leaves x ttrpgs!!!! WHAT!!!! I'm usually just worried about unfamiliar authors, but i was very pleasantly surprised... There's heavy queer subtext here which made it all very thought provoking and pleasant
Coming in, I was worried about the writing, reviews were mixed. I found there was a warhammer shaped hole in the discussion of ttrpgs... and a misunderstanding of knitting... badly written therapy... and also WHERE ARE YOU GETTING A HOUSE FOR 80K????? also, Crowley followed by Gygax is despicably evil, truly the most reprehensible of men, and perhaps commentary?
But aside from that it was rather intriguing and amusing. Wondering which pieces were a part of the game. Wondering just what the character would do. Would I have been more evil? Yes. But the ending is quite evil.
I think this book is about queer repression. I think Cole and Lorraine are stuck in an unhappy lavender marriage, neither of them coming to terms with their own queerness. Im sure there are those who will disagree. But, the closet metaphors were Not at all Subtle, and Javier is a flirt. Remember, both Cole and Lorraine are in denial of their feelings... I'm going to list my evidence:
Javier really steals the show. Whatever he is. He seems harmless, grows more and more mysterious and sinister... I unfortunately Love him.
also skimming the author's other books, the cameo of another character was fun!
The Ship of Death is occult and cosmic, it's S Ship of Theseus with a more rivetting story and a ttrpg twist...... and queer undertones of the classic closet case the average reader may miss
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