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The Red Winter
A tragic love story, a bewitching twist on history, and a blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption—The Red Winter by debut author Cameron Sullivan is the story of the first werewolf.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gevaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.
Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.
Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.
But Gevaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.
Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gevaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gevaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.
Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.
Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.
But Gevaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.
Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gevaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.
536 pages, Hardcover
First published February 24, 2026
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66905 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,801 reviews
April 2, 2026
If we remove the Hundred Years' War and the French Revolution, this is a typical, clichéd witch-and-demon romance book, riddled with all the genre’s tropes, and worsened by its attitude towards women.
Which makes you wonder what the point was of making this a historical novel if a) it was going to distort true history to this extent, and b) the Fantasy elements are so dominant that the history is just noticeable. This could easily have been (and should’ve been) pure Fantasy; it would’ve worked much better.
I don’t mind real history being mixed with fantasy; Historical Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, so my objection isn’t to “mixing” them but to “how” they’re mixed. A very important point to consider for what I have to say about this book.
Be warned, my full review contains major spoilers.
Which makes you wonder what the point was of making this a historical novel if a) it was going to distort true history to this extent, and b) the Fantasy elements are so dominant that the history is just noticeable. This could easily have been (and should’ve been) pure Fantasy; it would’ve worked much better.
I don’t mind real history being mixed with fantasy; Historical Fantasy is one of my favourite genres, so my objection isn’t to “mixing” them but to “how” they’re mixed. A very important point to consider for what I have to say about this book.
Be warned, my full review contains major spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Certainly one of the most well-crafted werewolf stories I've ever read, to the point where calling it a mere werewolf story feels like a disservice to this book. This worked perfectly as a dark and bloody fantasy novel for me, full of unholy magic and eldritch beings. From the first page I knew that this would be my taste entirely and I wasn't wrong about that. I was immediately intrigued when I got introduced to the main character Sebastian Graves, a man of many talents and professions. He is a professor and a lawyer, a doctor and a graverobber, a ghost whisperer and an alchemist, and probably everything else that one can think of. You see, he has plenty of time for everything, because he is basically immortal through his union with a dark being. He is very willingly possessed by a creature called Sarmodel, so there are basically two main characters for the price of one. As someone who loves characters talking to things inside their heads, this was the first big win for me already. But the plot was promising right from the beginning too. Sebastian is summoned to Gévaudan to kill the violent Beast that he thought he had vanquished some twenty years ago. We learn all about Sebastian's first hunt for the Beast and his relationship with Antoine, the son of a baron who accompanied him back then. The story is also very gay, if I haven't mentioned. We also get a story line about the hunt in present day, and while I first was worried about these two parts of the book being repetitive, I actually found it to be very well structured. The timelines were often mirroring each other and it was important that the events of the past provided information that could be used in the present. There is also a plot beginning centuries before the first hunt and glimpses into the modern-day world, so it was a unique mix of eras that was intriguing all by itself. But the majority of the story takes place in a historical France rich with fantastical elements, ranging from simple hedge witches to ancient beings bound by contracts. There were many religious themes discussed and I found it truly fascinating how the book managed to combine everything from nature spirits to Christianity to various ancient mythologies.
At the core this story develops a fictional origin for the real-life mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan and I was fascinated by the mix of history and fantasy. All my knowledge about the Beast so far came from that one season of Teen Wolf, so I also feel like I learned something here. The book feels smart to me anyway, because Sebastian is a main character with vast knowledge and life experience. But he, too, doesn't have the answer to everything and he also always remains a bit of a mystery. It was impressive how much I rooted for him and his maybe-demonic inner companion, really. The story is mostly dark and violent, but it's also full of tender character moments and, unexpectedly, a lot of humor. People and animals were dying gruesomely left and right, but I couldn't help but laugh at Sarmodel's dry comments or Sebastian being done with everyone around him. I must compliment the author for juggling with my emotions so well. I am most surprised that this is a debut, because the writing and structure were both very strong and felt advanced. I found it to be dragging a tiny little bit during the middle part, but overall there is nothing to complain about here. I can only hope that there will be more and I think the ending definitely made room for a sequel. Sebastian lived through centuries and traveled around the entire world, so there are plenty of stories to tell, surely.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
At the core this story develops a fictional origin for the real-life mystery of the Beast of Gévaudan and I was fascinated by the mix of history and fantasy. All my knowledge about the Beast so far came from that one season of Teen Wolf, so I also feel like I learned something here. The book feels smart to me anyway, because Sebastian is a main character with vast knowledge and life experience. But he, too, doesn't have the answer to everything and he also always remains a bit of a mystery. It was impressive how much I rooted for him and his maybe-demonic inner companion, really. The story is mostly dark and violent, but it's also full of tender character moments and, unexpectedly, a lot of humor. People and animals were dying gruesomely left and right, but I couldn't help but laugh at Sarmodel's dry comments or Sebastian being done with everyone around him. I must compliment the author for juggling with my emotions so well. I am most surprised that this is a debut, because the writing and structure were both very strong and felt advanced. I found it to be dragging a tiny little bit during the middle part, but overall there is nothing to complain about here. I can only hope that there will be more and I think the ending definitely made room for a sequel. Sebastian lived through centuries and traveled around the entire world, so there are plenty of stories to tell, surely.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and PanMacmillan / Tor for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Éditeur
Absolutely get the audiobook if you can! The narrators have so much range and humour, they completely elevate the story.
I've watched and read a lot of interpretations of the Gévaudan lengend. There are so much books, movies, theories out there that at this point I thought I was not interested in them anymore.
Trust me when I say this one deserves your time. It's different, original, and so well made.
It is both a perfectly constructed and deep fantasy story and one of the funniest one I had the pleasure to discover in a long time.
I loved my time with this book
Thank you Macmillan audio for this ARC.
I've watched and read a lot of interpretations of the Gévaudan lengend. There are so much books, movies, theories out there that at this point I thought I was not interested in them anymore.
Trust me when I say this one deserves your time. It's different, original, and so well made.
It is both a perfectly constructed and deep fantasy story and one of the funniest one I had the pleasure to discover in a long time.
I loved my time with this book
Thank you Macmillan audio for this ARC.
Did Not Finish
March 14, 2026DNF 50%.
Very unpopular opinion on this book.
You know that feeling you get from the very beginning of a book, the one that tells you right away that it's not going to be for you? Well, that was exactly the feeling I experienced when I started reading this. Honestly, seeing all these glowing reviews for the book makes me question whether I read the same story as everyone else. I genuinely tried to push through and finish it, but it became increasingly difficult, to the point where each time I picked it up, it felt like someone was dragging their nails down a chalkboard, causing a kind of mental discomfort.
The pacing of this book is very slow; it's so sluggish that it frequently put me to sleep or made it hard to stay engaged. The one aspect I can genuinely praise is the setting, which is beautifully crafted and immersive, and I appreciated it. However, apart from that, nothing else seemed to work for me. The secondary characters were mostly unlikable, except Sarmodel, who was the only character I could tolerate or stand. It was unusual for me to read a book where nearly all the characters annoyed or irritated me to such an extent.
Sebastian, in my view, was entirely the wrong choice for the protagonist. I couldn't see him as the morally complex, morally gray character that many praised, he simply did not come across as that to me.
He was so boring.
The romantic subplot left me confused and frustrated. Why did Sebastian love Antoine? Antoine’s character is so intrusive in the story that whenever he wasn’t physically present, he still haunted the narrative, to the point that I wanted to scream. He is portrayed as nothing more than an average man, devoid of any particularly remarkable qualities. His character is that of a pathetic drunkard, and that's all. I kept wondering why Sebastian loved him, every time his name was mentioned, I found myself questioning the authenticity of that love. Honestly, I think Sebastian’s affection was based solely on Antoine’s physical beauty, and nothing more.
That said, I did appreciate the bond between Sebastian and Sarmodel. It was one of the few emotionally resonant aspects of the story.
Additionally, I was disappointed with how women were portrayed here.
In conclusion, this book is a big no for me. It failed to engage me on multiple levels and left me feeling frustrated and dissatisfied overall.
Very unpopular opinion on this book.
You know that feeling you get from the very beginning of a book, the one that tells you right away that it's not going to be for you? Well, that was exactly the feeling I experienced when I started reading this. Honestly, seeing all these glowing reviews for the book makes me question whether I read the same story as everyone else. I genuinely tried to push through and finish it, but it became increasingly difficult, to the point where each time I picked it up, it felt like someone was dragging their nails down a chalkboard, causing a kind of mental discomfort.
The pacing of this book is very slow; it's so sluggish that it frequently put me to sleep or made it hard to stay engaged. The one aspect I can genuinely praise is the setting, which is beautifully crafted and immersive, and I appreciated it. However, apart from that, nothing else seemed to work for me. The secondary characters were mostly unlikable, except Sarmodel, who was the only character I could tolerate or stand. It was unusual for me to read a book where nearly all the characters annoyed or irritated me to such an extent.
Sebastian, in my view, was entirely the wrong choice for the protagonist. I couldn't see him as the morally complex, morally gray character that many praised, he simply did not come across as that to me.
He was so boring.
The romantic subplot left me confused and frustrated. Why did Sebastian love Antoine? Antoine’s character is so intrusive in the story that whenever he wasn’t physically present, he still haunted the narrative, to the point that I wanted to scream. He is portrayed as nothing more than an average man, devoid of any particularly remarkable qualities. His character is that of a pathetic drunkard, and that's all. I kept wondering why Sebastian loved him, every time his name was mentioned, I found myself questioning the authenticity of that love. Honestly, I think Sebastian’s affection was based solely on Antoine’s physical beauty, and nothing more.
That said, I did appreciate the bond between Sebastian and Sarmodel. It was one of the few emotionally resonant aspects of the story.
Additionally, I was disappointed with how women were portrayed here.
In conclusion, this book is a big no for me. It failed to engage me on multiple levels and left me feeling frustrated and dissatisfied overall.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
if you are interested in this book, i HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! it was an absolutely phenomenal romp, and the narrator was fantastic. the audio was also very helpful regarding the numerous hilarious footnotes.
if i could give this ten stars, i absolutely would. this is, without a doubt, a favorite read of 2026.
i have read many, many beauty and the beast retellings, or stories that have been loosely inspired by the fairy tale, but i do believe this is the first time i’ve read a queer retelling (not to mention that it fits perfectly with the sudden uptick in queer/gay werewolf stories in late 2025/early 2026!).
the red winter contains very smart and witty analyses on religion and society, as well as class imbalances (this story does take place in 18th century france). there is witchcraft, magic, a sarcastic demon and an extremely humorous succubus, and of course, there is The Beast.
again, i highly highly recommend the audio — the narrator was simply fantastic.
i’m completely blown away at the fact that this was a debut. this book is so multifaceted, and i cannot wait to see what else cameron sullivan writes!
——
need this palette cleanser and seeing nothing but good reviews so i’m hopeful
if you are interested in this book, i HIGHLY recommend the audiobook! it was an absolutely phenomenal romp, and the narrator was fantastic. the audio was also very helpful regarding the numerous hilarious footnotes.
if i could give this ten stars, i absolutely would. this is, without a doubt, a favorite read of 2026.
i have read many, many beauty and the beast retellings, or stories that have been loosely inspired by the fairy tale, but i do believe this is the first time i’ve read a queer retelling (not to mention that it fits perfectly with the sudden uptick in queer/gay werewolf stories in late 2025/early 2026!).
the red winter contains very smart and witty analyses on religion and society, as well as class imbalances (this story does take place in 18th century france). there is witchcraft, magic, a sarcastic demon and an extremely humorous succubus, and of course, there is The Beast.
again, i highly highly recommend the audio — the narrator was simply fantastic.
i’m completely blown away at the fact that this was a debut. this book is so multifaceted, and i cannot wait to see what else cameron sullivan writes!
——
need this palette cleanser and seeing nothing but good reviews so i’m hopeful
January 14, 2026
A reimagined, queer werewolf story set in 1700s France just before the French Revolution.
Professor Sebastian Grave of Larnaca has an indwelling demon, Sarmodel. As the footnote explains:
1. We have both agreed that “joined” is the most acceptable term for my/our condition—“possessed,” “demoniac” and “abomination” are inaccurate and most offensive.
Monsieur Jacques Avenel d’Ocerne, Son of the Baron d’Ocerne, comes begging for Sebastian’s help as the Red Winter, a Beast, attacks their lands once again in 1785. Then, we get flashbacks to when Sebastian helped the Baron in 1766 and the love and devastation that blossomed then.
We also get another flashback to do with Jehanne d’Arc and Sebastian’s adventures with a succubus, also his housemaid.
This was witty and filled with dark humour and bleak snark. The way it was narrated, Sebastian’s outlook, the historical backdrop reminded me of Empire of the Vampire.
Of course, my love! Watch as I ensnare an Olympian with the Crippling Yoke, on horseback, in the middle of a bridge covered in dogs, with the Archangel shooting a musket over my shoulder, I snapped back. Shall I stand on my head and fart the Pater Noster as well?
The rapport between the demon and Sebastian was fun and dark and deadly.
This story had so many unique elements and an incredible writing style… until around the 60% mark where I felt it lost its flair. It did become more violent and gruesome, but that wasn’t what put me off.
It almost read like the first half had been over with a fine tooth-comb, and the latter half was less deliberate.
I also felt slightly unsatisfied by the ending. It almost set up for a sequel with the amount of questions left, but this seems to be a standalone (edit Jan 2026 - apparently, there will be more).
Despite my minor qualms, this is an incredible debut. It read like a tried and tested dark fantasy author.
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
Professor Sebastian Grave of Larnaca has an indwelling demon, Sarmodel. As the footnote explains:
1. We have both agreed that “joined” is the most acceptable term for my/our condition—“possessed,” “demoniac” and “abomination” are inaccurate and most offensive.
Monsieur Jacques Avenel d’Ocerne, Son of the Baron d’Ocerne, comes begging for Sebastian’s help as the Red Winter, a Beast, attacks their lands once again in 1785. Then, we get flashbacks to when Sebastian helped the Baron in 1766 and the love and devastation that blossomed then.
We also get another flashback to do with Jehanne d’Arc and Sebastian’s adventures with a succubus, also his housemaid.
This was witty and filled with dark humour and bleak snark. The way it was narrated, Sebastian’s outlook, the historical backdrop reminded me of Empire of the Vampire.
Of course, my love! Watch as I ensnare an Olympian with the Crippling Yoke, on horseback, in the middle of a bridge covered in dogs, with the Archangel shooting a musket over my shoulder, I snapped back. Shall I stand on my head and fart the Pater Noster as well?
The rapport between the demon and Sebastian was fun and dark and deadly.
This story had so many unique elements and an incredible writing style… until around the 60% mark where I felt it lost its flair. It did become more violent and gruesome, but that wasn’t what put me off.
It almost read like the first half had been over with a fine tooth-comb, and the latter half was less deliberate.
I also felt slightly unsatisfied by the ending. It almost set up for a sequel with the amount of questions left, but this seems to be a standalone (edit Jan 2026 - apparently, there will be more).
Despite my minor qualms, this is an incredible debut. It read like a tried and tested dark fantasy author.
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
March 6, 2026
What do I think? Let’s see. In less than a minute on the job, you’ve fallen foul of the bishop, got involved with some fancy young twit and attracted the attention of a man with the biggest gun I’ve ever seen, he replied. Even for you, this is remarkable. That’s what I think.
From literally the first page of this book I knew that it was going to be an exciting reading experience and I was immediately hooked! The balance of dark and gory horror with dry quips and comments hit my sense of humour spot on and I found myself often entertained buy the footnotes, little asides and interactions. What a phenomenal debut (insane) and what an exciting sandbox for the future of this series which such a rich world filled with magic, angels, demons, gods and monsters.
During the 18th century Sebastian Grave finds himself in the small French village of Gévaudan, preparing to join in the hunt for a monstrous beast that has been stalking and killing people from the village, leaving nothing but grisly pieces behind. Over the course of the winter Sebastian and the young French nobleman, Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, hunt the beast across the countryside in increasingly tense and violent confrontations.
Intertwined within this story is also Sebastian, 20 years in the future, having to return to Gévaudan at the request of Antoines son Jacques. The beast has returned and is plaguing the town once, again making Sebastian realise that he still has unfinished business with the people of Gévaudan, and more specifically Antoine himself.
Sebastian may not be quite sure what he is, but whatever it is, he is immortal and the vehicle for the demonic passenger Sarmodel. Sebastian is the type of complicated morally grey character that I always adore; he has a good heart and a moral compass but isn’t afraid to throw it in the bin a do a bit of murder if it serves his purposes. Sebastian’s relationship with Sarmodel was one of my favourite parts with their banter and quipping at each other being a favourite source of humour.
I would say that whilst there is a queer relationship in this story, I would not recommend that people enter in to this story FOR the romance. It is really subplot at best and because of the nature of how the romance inhabits the narrative I found my investment in to be pretty surface level at best. I actually kind of wonder if we were even meant to invest particularly in Antoine as a love interest cause his characterisation felt a bit shallow? I mean if we were meant to emotionally invest in it then the story missed the mark a bit on that front for me.
I did really enjoy that Sebastian had the sort of sexual identity I always like to see in my centuries old protagonists, in that they have moved beyond gender even mattering and he is instead more interested in the person themselves.
This book fast became one of my most anticipated reads for the year, between the summary and one of the coolest covers I have seen in a while, and I am so glad to say that it lived up to my hopes and expectations. I am a little divided on what to rate this. I think this was a 4.5 star read for me which could have easily rounded down, but between it being a debut effort, and how much I enjoyed the vibes, I am feeling generous and rounding up. I cant wait to see what this series has in store next.
Consider following my instagram
From literally the first page of this book I knew that it was going to be an exciting reading experience and I was immediately hooked! The balance of dark and gory horror with dry quips and comments hit my sense of humour spot on and I found myself often entertained buy the footnotes, little asides and interactions. What a phenomenal debut (insane) and what an exciting sandbox for the future of this series which such a rich world filled with magic, angels, demons, gods and monsters.
During the 18th century Sebastian Grave finds himself in the small French village of Gévaudan, preparing to join in the hunt for a monstrous beast that has been stalking and killing people from the village, leaving nothing but grisly pieces behind. Over the course of the winter Sebastian and the young French nobleman, Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, hunt the beast across the countryside in increasingly tense and violent confrontations.
Intertwined within this story is also Sebastian, 20 years in the future, having to return to Gévaudan at the request of Antoines son Jacques. The beast has returned and is plaguing the town once, again making Sebastian realise that he still has unfinished business with the people of Gévaudan, and more specifically Antoine himself.
Sebastian may not be quite sure what he is, but whatever it is, he is immortal and the vehicle for the demonic passenger Sarmodel. Sebastian is the type of complicated morally grey character that I always adore; he has a good heart and a moral compass but isn’t afraid to throw it in the bin a do a bit of murder if it serves his purposes. Sebastian’s relationship with Sarmodel was one of my favourite parts with their banter and quipping at each other being a favourite source of humour.
I would say that whilst there is a queer relationship in this story, I would not recommend that people enter in to this story FOR the romance. It is really subplot at best and because of the nature of how the romance inhabits the narrative I found my investment in to be pretty surface level at best. I actually kind of wonder if we were even meant to invest particularly in Antoine as a love interest cause his characterisation felt a bit shallow? I mean if we were meant to emotionally invest in it then the story missed the mark a bit on that front for me.
I did really enjoy that Sebastian had the sort of sexual identity I always like to see in my centuries old protagonists, in that they have moved beyond gender even mattering and he is instead more interested in the person themselves.
This book fast became one of my most anticipated reads for the year, between the summary and one of the coolest covers I have seen in a while, and I am so glad to say that it lived up to my hopes and expectations. I am a little divided on what to rate this. I think this was a 4.5 star read for me which could have easily rounded down, but between it being a debut effort, and how much I enjoyed the vibes, I am feeling generous and rounding up. I cant wait to see what this series has in store next.
Consider following my instagram
February 27, 2026
my favourite book of 2026 just dropped
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars
I love obsessing over crumbs of a doomed love story in my high fantasy. Darkly charming, unflinchingly bloody, and tragically romantic, The Red Winter was exactly what I wanted it to be.
The Red Winter Professor Sebastian Grave, an immortal arcane warlock. Visiting various points in Sebastian’s life, Cameron Sullivan presents a unique twist on the hunt for the first werewolf and the first stirrings of the French Revolution. This story captured my heart with the first snarky footnote.
This is far more than a werewolf story. The world is haunted by eldritch beings, all-consuming gods, war personified, and heart-eating angels(?). The narrative with a retrospective tone and snarky direct-to-reader footnotes, has the feel of a historical account. This writing style and the way that the different timelines weave together was really engaging. Sebastian is a darkly witty narrator. His dynamic with his indwelling demon, Sarmodel, was so entertaining.
I really think The Red Winter is best summarized by its tagline: power is a hungry beast. Arcane magic, wealth, nobility, religion, love, etc. This book explores many different manifestations of power and the way that different characters face its draw. Greed and the struggle for power devours the town of Gévauden just as much as the Beast. The parallels between the beastly threat and the political/societal unrest threatening the town were incredibly impactful.
The Red Winter conceptualizes theology, religion, and godhood in really intriguing ways. Following a character who has lived as long as Sebastian provides an interesting analysis of religions' evolving role in society. I was also really intrigued by the ways that magic and religion intersected in the story.
Threaded throughout this dark, bloody fantasy tale is a devastating love story that will haunt me for years. Sebastian and Antoine’s relationship is, in many ways, a driving force behind the events of this novel.
This had the impact of a five star but there were just a few tiny things that held my rating back that half star. What threw me off the most was the rather abrupt ending. It makes sense as the story is framed as a snippet of Sebastian’s long life. But the minimal resolution was an odd note to end the book on. It’s not a matter of assuming this is a standalone as I suspect there will be another book. Rather I expected a little more payoff or conclusion.
I also found myself wanting to know a bit more about Antoine’s character in both timelines. It did not keep me from being emotionally invested in his relationship with Sebastian, but it feels like there was a bit more potential with his character.
A queer historical fantasy of love, power, and redemption, The Red Winter is an incredibly strong debut. I highly recommend picking this one up!
Thank you so much Tor for the advanced reader copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
I love obsessing over crumbs of a doomed love story in my high fantasy. Darkly charming, unflinchingly bloody, and tragically romantic, The Red Winter was exactly what I wanted it to be.
The Red Winter Professor Sebastian Grave, an immortal arcane warlock. Visiting various points in Sebastian’s life, Cameron Sullivan presents a unique twist on the hunt for the first werewolf and the first stirrings of the French Revolution. This story captured my heart with the first snarky footnote.
This is far more than a werewolf story. The world is haunted by eldritch beings, all-consuming gods, war personified, and heart-eating angels(?). The narrative with a retrospective tone and snarky direct-to-reader footnotes, has the feel of a historical account. This writing style and the way that the different timelines weave together was really engaging. Sebastian is a darkly witty narrator. His dynamic with his indwelling demon, Sarmodel, was so entertaining.
I really think The Red Winter is best summarized by its tagline: power is a hungry beast. Arcane magic, wealth, nobility, religion, love, etc. This book explores many different manifestations of power and the way that different characters face its draw. Greed and the struggle for power devours the town of Gévauden just as much as the Beast. The parallels between the beastly threat and the political/societal unrest threatening the town were incredibly impactful.
The Red Winter conceptualizes theology, religion, and godhood in really intriguing ways. Following a character who has lived as long as Sebastian provides an interesting analysis of religions' evolving role in society. I was also really intrigued by the ways that magic and religion intersected in the story.
Threaded throughout this dark, bloody fantasy tale is a devastating love story that will haunt me for years. Sebastian and Antoine’s relationship is, in many ways, a driving force behind the events of this novel.
This had the impact of a five star but there were just a few tiny things that held my rating back that half star. What threw me off the most was the rather abrupt ending. It makes sense as the story is framed as a snippet of Sebastian’s long life. But the minimal resolution was an odd note to end the book on. It’s not a matter of assuming this is a standalone as I suspect there will be another book. Rather I expected a little more payoff or conclusion.
I also found myself wanting to know a bit more about Antoine’s character in both timelines. It did not keep me from being emotionally invested in his relationship with Sebastian, but it feels like there was a bit more potential with his character.
A queer historical fantasy of love, power, and redemption, The Red Winter is an incredibly strong debut. I highly recommend picking this one up!
Thank you so much Tor for the advanced reader copy!
Links to my TikTok | Instagram | Bindery Books
March 22, 2026
4.0 Stars
This was an excellent richly imagined piece of fantasy. The characters felt well developed as fully fleshed out people. I particularly loved the French-inspired worldbuilding which reminded me of the Witcher series with the French sensibilities of Expedition 33.
This is easily one of the best fantasy novels I have read recently and is currently my contender for best books published in 2026.
I would highly recommend to anyone who loves the European monster hunting aspects of the Witcher with another complex character like Geralt. To be clear, this is very much it's own unique work and not a copycat but I would highly recommend this one for fantasy looking for a new quality entry.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was an excellent richly imagined piece of fantasy. The characters felt well developed as fully fleshed out people. I particularly loved the French-inspired worldbuilding which reminded me of the Witcher series with the French sensibilities of Expedition 33.
This is easily one of the best fantasy novels I have read recently and is currently my contender for best books published in 2026.
I would highly recommend to anyone who loves the European monster hunting aspects of the Witcher with another complex character like Geralt. To be clear, this is very much it's own unique work and not a copycat but I would highly recommend this one for fantasy looking for a new quality entry.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
April 26, 2026
literally no notes I’m obsessed with them so much
March 4, 2026
4.5 stars. Gruesome, packed with queer yearning, and darkly funny, The Red Winter is a genre-bending debut that sunks its teeth into me and left me bloody and wanting more.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
** Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing this ALC in exchange for an honest review **
I will preface this review with a small fact about myself: when I was a kid, my family was gifted a DVD of the French film Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf), and while this film might be no masterpiece, I did watch it over and over again — it was my introduction to the Beast of Gévaudan, and needless to say, I was fascinated.
The premise of Cameron Sullivan' debut novel, The Red Winter, centres around this moment in the history of the French region of Gévaudan, through the lens of historical fantasy and with a story that goes as far back as Ancient Rome. It's an ambitious endeavour, and Sullivan succeeds at creating a gripping storyline surrounding these events. However, The Red Winter is also a novel that left me unsatisfied by the time I reach its end — I had unanswered questions and there's much about it that I wish had been different.
Let's begin with what I liked: Sullivan clearly did his search and does a convincing job at selling the 18th century France setting, and while there were some anachronisms (such as speech patterns that are inevitably modernised for the sake of the reader) some of these are well justified by fantasy elements like Sebastian's own longevity. The exploration of his emotions surrounding his former relationship with Antoine was honestly refreshing to read, since it's not often that we see fantasy novels focusing more on a character's healing journey after a relationship than on discovering a new love. Sebastian's bisexuality and romantic interests are a vital aspect of the plot, and I really enjoyed the thought that went into considering how the fact that he's immortal affects his relationships with others — especially with the "demonic" entity that possesses him, Sarmodel, and the emotional aspects to their codependency. On that note, Sarmodel was one of my favourite characters, and for the most part, a delight to read.
I say "for the most part" because this relationship of codependency and Sarmodel himself are also part of one of the biggest problems that I had with The Red Winter. The magic system in this novel is generally very loose; things are explained when they need to be explained and usually only when they're of service to the plot. This is fine and something that a lot of fantasy and historical fantasy does, but given that we're told that Sebastian and Sarmodel have been together for centuries (since Ancient Roman times or even before), I couldn't help but constantly wonder why they weren't as powerful as the narrative wants the reader to believe. There's the fact that Sebastian does not often allow Sarmodel to consume souls, yes, but Sebastian also seems to know very little about the actual extend of Sarmodel's power, which is hard to believe being how long they have been bound to one another and how much time he has had to research and learn — we're talking almost two thousand years or even more!
Of course, having a protagonist that is all-powerful is generally rather boring and a disservice to the plot, and I can see why Sullivan may have wanted to avoid this, but this discrepancy in Sebastian and Sarmodel's relationship and Sebastian's skill-level could have been fixed in many ways, including not making him as old as he is from the get-go. I would have much preferred this, since I also didn't find that Sebastian read like someone who has roamed this earth for almost two millennia.
I also find that making Sebastian "younger" would have helped with how Christian his perception of the world is (as well as the fantasy in the setting as a whole). The Red Winter is full folklore and fantastical elements, but at their core, the way that they're presented is very much inspired by Christian demonology, with demons and angels being central to the story, and even the Roman god that is the main antagonist actually being a demon. This can be an interesting approach, but the figure of Mars gets simplified and watered down to being "war-loving entity"(my assumption is that Mars was chosen specifically due to being so closely associated to wolves, and while I did like this approach to the werewolf trope, I wish that the characterisation had had nuance beyond "war gets off from death and chaos", but instead we have a werewolf monologuing about murder and getting raging boners mid-rampage), which takes away the majority of his traits a Roman deity. In general, all demon's motivations are presented in a very simple way other than Sarmodel's, and sadly, this includes Livia as well.
Livia is the third most important character after Sebastian and Sarmodel, and the third member to their team. Livia is also a succubus, and you can be sure that every single time she interacts with our protagonists, this will be brought up and played for laughs, "slut-shaming" her for something that is simply part of her demonic nature. Sebastian is sympathetic towards Sarmodel's nature, but not Livia's, even though she has been with him for centuries as little more than a slave to do his bidding. This results in Sebastian coming off pretty terribly, and frankly, the treatment of Livia gets incredibly tired, especially when she's the only woman in the novel who has a major role beyond pushing the plot forward, and even more so when other women are also painted in a negative light: there's the greed demon who also happens to be female and possesses an innocent girl (who dies) when Sebastian knowingly summons her as a glorified bloodhound, and then, there's also Jeanne d'Arc. In this setting, Jeanne d'Arc is not a woman who did amazing things by her own volition, but instead a village girl who was foolish enough to accidentally become possessed by the demon that was the god Mars, and everything that Jeanne did in history was actually this demon's doing — thus, making the reasons for her trial and execution be true.
Sullivan could have done a much better job with the treatment of women in this story, since even when countering the way these three women are used, demonised, insulted, tormented, and treated as incompetent with those that are presented in a positive light (the healer and her daughter, as well as the entity they serve, and to an even lesser extent, Antoine's wife), none of these are present for much of the story and most of them die horribly. Often, they also die in ways that serve no purpose in the story beyond just showing how horrible the beast is, which by then we've already seen time and again with the murder of men.
Now, concerning the beast itself, werewolves being associated with the Beast of Gévaudan is nothing new, but I did like the approach that Sullivan took when it came to this and with justifying the spread of lycanthropy through Antoine's bloodline. It was interesting and refreshing, especially with how Antoine's broken promise factored into it.
This review and rating will likely make it seem like I didn't enjoy the novel, and while there was a lot about it that either confused or annoyed me, making it so I'm unlikely to ever reread it, I did enjoy myself though a lot of it, and that was in part thanks to the audiobook narrators. Both Rory Barnett and Imogen Church we a delight to listen to, and I liked the fact that Sebastian and Livia's POVs had different narrators. There was a bit of a discrepancy in tone between them (especially in Sebastian's dialogue) and at times it did result to be somewhat jarring, but it sounded like they were going for having Livia mock the way Sebastian spoke when narrating what he would have said, which I found to be very in-character for her.
So, all-in-all, I found The Red Winter to be a novel that was full of very interesting concepts, but that could have done with more polishing. It's a debut, so that also has to be considered, and truth be told, I remain hopeful that Sullivan's next novel might take into account the problems with this one, do a better job with the way women are portrayed, and have a setting that is more tightly put together. I'm curious to see what he brings us next!
(My actual rating for this is closer to a 2.5, since I do think that the narrators deserve a higher rating than a 2)
I will preface this review with a small fact about myself: when I was a kid, my family was gifted a DVD of the French film Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf), and while this film might be no masterpiece, I did watch it over and over again — it was my introduction to the Beast of Gévaudan, and needless to say, I was fascinated.
The premise of Cameron Sullivan' debut novel, The Red Winter, centres around this moment in the history of the French region of Gévaudan, through the lens of historical fantasy and with a story that goes as far back as Ancient Rome. It's an ambitious endeavour, and Sullivan succeeds at creating a gripping storyline surrounding these events. However, The Red Winter is also a novel that left me unsatisfied by the time I reach its end — I had unanswered questions and there's much about it that I wish had been different.
Let's begin with what I liked: Sullivan clearly did his search and does a convincing job at selling the 18th century France setting, and while there were some anachronisms (such as speech patterns that are inevitably modernised for the sake of the reader) some of these are well justified by fantasy elements like Sebastian's own longevity. The exploration of his emotions surrounding his former relationship with Antoine was honestly refreshing to read, since it's not often that we see fantasy novels focusing more on a character's healing journey after a relationship than on discovering a new love. Sebastian's bisexuality and romantic interests are a vital aspect of the plot, and I really enjoyed the thought that went into considering how the fact that he's immortal affects his relationships with others — especially with the "demonic" entity that possesses him, Sarmodel, and the emotional aspects to their codependency. On that note, Sarmodel was one of my favourite characters, and for the most part, a delight to read.
I say "for the most part" because this relationship of codependency and Sarmodel himself are also part of one of the biggest problems that I had with The Red Winter. The magic system in this novel is generally very loose; things are explained when they need to be explained and usually only when they're of service to the plot. This is fine and something that a lot of fantasy and historical fantasy does, but given that we're told that Sebastian and Sarmodel have been together for centuries (since Ancient Roman times or even before), I couldn't help but constantly wonder why they weren't as powerful as the narrative wants the reader to believe. There's the fact that Sebastian does not often allow Sarmodel to consume souls, yes, but Sebastian also seems to know very little about the actual extend of Sarmodel's power, which is hard to believe being how long they have been bound to one another and how much time he has had to research and learn — we're talking almost two thousand years or even more!
Of course, having a protagonist that is all-powerful is generally rather boring and a disservice to the plot, and I can see why Sullivan may have wanted to avoid this, but this discrepancy in Sebastian and Sarmodel's relationship and Sebastian's skill-level could have been fixed in many ways, including not making him as old as he is from the get-go. I would have much preferred this, since I also didn't find that Sebastian read like someone who has roamed this earth for almost two millennia.
I also find that making Sebastian "younger" would have helped with how Christian his perception of the world is (as well as the fantasy in the setting as a whole). The Red Winter is full folklore and fantastical elements, but at their core, the way that they're presented is very much inspired by Christian demonology, with demons and angels being central to the story, and even the Roman god that is the main antagonist actually being a demon. This can be an interesting approach, but the figure of Mars gets simplified and watered down to being "war-loving entity"(my assumption is that Mars was chosen specifically due to being so closely associated to wolves, and while I did like this approach to the werewolf trope, I wish that the characterisation had had nuance beyond "war gets off from death and chaos", but instead we have a werewolf monologuing about murder and getting raging boners mid-rampage), which takes away the majority of his traits a Roman deity. In general, all demon's motivations are presented in a very simple way other than Sarmodel's, and sadly, this includes Livia as well.
Livia is the third most important character after Sebastian and Sarmodel, and the third member to their team. Livia is also a succubus, and you can be sure that every single time she interacts with our protagonists, this will be brought up and played for laughs, "slut-shaming" her for something that is simply part of her demonic nature. Sebastian is sympathetic towards Sarmodel's nature, but not Livia's, even though she has been with him for centuries as little more than a slave to do his bidding. This results in Sebastian coming off pretty terribly, and frankly, the treatment of Livia gets incredibly tired, especially when she's the only woman in the novel who has a major role beyond pushing the plot forward, and even more so when other women are also painted in a negative light: there's the greed demon who also happens to be female and possesses an innocent girl (who dies) when Sebastian knowingly summons her as a glorified bloodhound, and then, there's also Jeanne d'Arc. In this setting, Jeanne d'Arc is not a woman who did amazing things by her own volition, but instead a village girl who was foolish enough to accidentally become possessed by the demon that was the god Mars, and everything that Jeanne did in history was actually this demon's doing — thus, making the reasons for her trial and execution be true.
Sullivan could have done a much better job with the treatment of women in this story, since even when countering the way these three women are used, demonised, insulted, tormented, and treated as incompetent with those that are presented in a positive light (the healer and her daughter, as well as the entity they serve, and to an even lesser extent, Antoine's wife), none of these are present for much of the story and most of them die horribly. Often, they also die in ways that serve no purpose in the story beyond just showing how horrible the beast is, which by then we've already seen time and again with the murder of men.
Now, concerning the beast itself, werewolves being associated with the Beast of Gévaudan is nothing new, but I did like the approach that Sullivan took when it came to this and with justifying the spread of lycanthropy through Antoine's bloodline. It was interesting and refreshing, especially with how Antoine's broken promise factored into it.
This review and rating will likely make it seem like I didn't enjoy the novel, and while there was a lot about it that either confused or annoyed me, making it so I'm unlikely to ever reread it, I did enjoy myself though a lot of it, and that was in part thanks to the audiobook narrators. Both Rory Barnett and Imogen Church we a delight to listen to, and I liked the fact that Sebastian and Livia's POVs had different narrators. There was a bit of a discrepancy in tone between them (especially in Sebastian's dialogue) and at times it did result to be somewhat jarring, but it sounded like they were going for having Livia mock the way Sebastian spoke when narrating what he would have said, which I found to be very in-character for her.
So, all-in-all, I found The Red Winter to be a novel that was full of very interesting concepts, but that could have done with more polishing. It's a debut, so that also has to be considered, and truth be told, I remain hopeful that Sullivan's next novel might take into account the problems with this one, do a better job with the way women are portrayed, and have a setting that is more tightly put together. I'm curious to see what he brings us next!
(My actual rating for this is closer to a 2.5, since I do think that the narrators deserve a higher rating than a 2)
March 6, 2026
This review was originally published on Before We Go Blog
3.75 stars
If The Witcher, Empire of the Vampire, and The Devils got together, made several terrible life choices, and produced a slightly feral queer book baby, I’m fairly certain it would grow up to be The Red Winter. Which sounds like it should be an absolute mess, and it kinda is, but somehow Cameron Sullivan pulls it off with a surprising amount of grace and style.
From the first pages I was immediately hooked by the voice and vibe. Sullivan drops us straight into eighteenth century France where the mud is thick, the church is suspicious, and something in the countryside is enthusiastically turning peasants into chew toys. Now, I will admit that I was not really (or honestly really not) familiar with the tale of The Beast of Gévaudan, the very real historical nightmare that terrorized rural France in the 1760s, but I don’t think you need to be to enjoy The Red Winter. Sullivan takes that history, shakes it violently, and reveals demons, conspiracies, and several centuries of supernatural nonsense hiding underneath, and I was so here for it all.
Our guide through all this misery is Sebastian Grave, monster slayer, academic, professional disaster bisexual, and host to a heart-eating demon named Sarmodel. It is honestly extremely hard not to love Sebastian, and his witty, snarky, and slightly dramatic personality combined with Sarmodel’s constant commentary made this entire blood soaked adventure wildly entertaining to me. We follow him in 1785, as he receives news that the Beast seems to have returned and gets dragged back into the hunt by none other than his ex-lover Antoine Avenel D’Ocerne. Like, nothing motivates a monster hunter quite like unresolved romantic trauma, right?
Now, that sounds all rather straight-forward, but it really is not. See, Sebastian also starts recounting the tale of the original hunt from twenty years earlier to Antoine’s son Jacques, with Sarmodel popping in whenever Sebastian starts sounding suspiciously heroic or acting dangerously foolish. To break up Sebastian’s tale, we also get interlude chapters following another historical icon (ehm hi, Joan of Arc?!), which really show how Sebastian and Sarmodel are significantly less charming when viewed by people who are not Sebastian himself. And to top it all off, there are footnotes. An alarming amount of footnotes, and yet I devoured every single one like a delighted little goblin.
Needless to say, The Red Winter is honestly way more complex than I had initially given it credit for, and I think I may have done myself a disservice by listening to this as an audiobook. Don’t get me wrong, the narrators are fantastic and they totally nailed the tone and atmosphere, but keeping track of multiple timelines, footnotes, action scenes, and a rotating cast of demons who all have several names and forms honestly made my brain audibly crack.
That sense of disorientation and overwhelm also hindered my emotional investment a bit, and especially the emotional core of the story suffered quite a lot for me. The relationship between Sebastian and Antoine is clearly meant to be the heart of The Red Winter, tangled up with the Beast itself and dripping with tragedy. But while I understood the complexity and appreciated the drama, I never quite felt the emotional punch, which really made the ending fall a lot flatter for me than I had hoped.
All that said, I still had a ridiculously fun time with this book, and I especially appreciated how casually queer it is. Sebastian is openly bisexual and nobody cares, which I always enjoy seeing. And Livia, a succubus working as Sebastian’s housemaid, could easily have been a very tired trope but ended up being far more interesting than expected. The whole concept of hunger also really stood out to me, be that hunger for love, hunger for flesh, hunger for power, or hunger for control. It runs through the demons, the church, the politics of a France creeping toward revolution, and Sebastian himself.
Ultimately, I think The Red Winter is a brutally bold and wildly ambitious book that didn’t quite reach its full potential for me, despite containing so many things I love. The fact that I devoured it anyway says a lot about Sullivan’s storytelling, and if this is what he delivers in a debut, I am extremely curious to see what he does next. If you like historical horror, theological chaos, demonic snark, and messy queer longing, I highly recommend letting this beast of a book sink its claws into you, if you dare.
3.75 stars
If The Witcher, Empire of the Vampire, and The Devils got together, made several terrible life choices, and produced a slightly feral queer book baby, I’m fairly certain it would grow up to be The Red Winter. Which sounds like it should be an absolute mess, and it kinda is, but somehow Cameron Sullivan pulls it off with a surprising amount of grace and style.
From the first pages I was immediately hooked by the voice and vibe. Sullivan drops us straight into eighteenth century France where the mud is thick, the church is suspicious, and something in the countryside is enthusiastically turning peasants into chew toys. Now, I will admit that I was not really (or honestly really not) familiar with the tale of The Beast of Gévaudan, the very real historical nightmare that terrorized rural France in the 1760s, but I don’t think you need to be to enjoy The Red Winter. Sullivan takes that history, shakes it violently, and reveals demons, conspiracies, and several centuries of supernatural nonsense hiding underneath, and I was so here for it all.
Our guide through all this misery is Sebastian Grave, monster slayer, academic, professional disaster bisexual, and host to a heart-eating demon named Sarmodel. It is honestly extremely hard not to love Sebastian, and his witty, snarky, and slightly dramatic personality combined with Sarmodel’s constant commentary made this entire blood soaked adventure wildly entertaining to me. We follow him in 1785, as he receives news that the Beast seems to have returned and gets dragged back into the hunt by none other than his ex-lover Antoine Avenel D’Ocerne. Like, nothing motivates a monster hunter quite like unresolved romantic trauma, right?
Now, that sounds all rather straight-forward, but it really is not. See, Sebastian also starts recounting the tale of the original hunt from twenty years earlier to Antoine’s son Jacques, with Sarmodel popping in whenever Sebastian starts sounding suspiciously heroic or acting dangerously foolish. To break up Sebastian’s tale, we also get interlude chapters following another historical icon (ehm hi, Joan of Arc?!), which really show how Sebastian and Sarmodel are significantly less charming when viewed by people who are not Sebastian himself. And to top it all off, there are footnotes. An alarming amount of footnotes, and yet I devoured every single one like a delighted little goblin.
Needless to say, The Red Winter is honestly way more complex than I had initially given it credit for, and I think I may have done myself a disservice by listening to this as an audiobook. Don’t get me wrong, the narrators are fantastic and they totally nailed the tone and atmosphere, but keeping track of multiple timelines, footnotes, action scenes, and a rotating cast of demons who all have several names and forms honestly made my brain audibly crack.
That sense of disorientation and overwhelm also hindered my emotional investment a bit, and especially the emotional core of the story suffered quite a lot for me. The relationship between Sebastian and Antoine is clearly meant to be the heart of The Red Winter, tangled up with the Beast itself and dripping with tragedy. But while I understood the complexity and appreciated the drama, I never quite felt the emotional punch, which really made the ending fall a lot flatter for me than I had hoped.
All that said, I still had a ridiculously fun time with this book, and I especially appreciated how casually queer it is. Sebastian is openly bisexual and nobody cares, which I always enjoy seeing. And Livia, a succubus working as Sebastian’s housemaid, could easily have been a very tired trope but ended up being far more interesting than expected. The whole concept of hunger also really stood out to me, be that hunger for love, hunger for flesh, hunger for power, or hunger for control. It runs through the demons, the church, the politics of a France creeping toward revolution, and Sebastian himself.
Ultimately, I think The Red Winter is a brutally bold and wildly ambitious book that didn’t quite reach its full potential for me, despite containing so many things I love. The fact that I devoured it anyway says a lot about Sullivan’s storytelling, and if this is what he delivers in a debut, I am extremely curious to see what he does next. If you like historical horror, theological chaos, demonic snark, and messy queer longing, I highly recommend letting this beast of a book sink its claws into you, if you dare.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
I would like to thank Edelweiss and Tor for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
STUNNING. RTC once I stop feeling sad and bereft that it's over. I'm sort of a mess rn over this, Sebastian, the whole vibe, my heady engagement with all the footnotes, the simp love story, the gory excitement, the way I'm emotionally gearing up to reread the beginning because I can't stand to let any of this story go yet
But also to circle back and check in with Sebastian who is most assuredly alive but I just want to make sure he's alright...like a weirdo... but also because I adore the fool (sigh)
STUNNING. RTC once I stop feeling sad and bereft that it's over. I'm sort of a mess rn over this, Sebastian, the whole vibe, my heady engagement with all the footnotes, the simp love story, the gory excitement, the way I'm emotionally gearing up to reread the beginning because I can't stand to let any of this story go yet
But also to circle back and check in with Sebastian who is most assuredly alive but I just want to make sure he's alright...like a weirdo... but also because I adore the fool (sigh)
March 1, 2026
« I struck the spark, but the tinder is all yours, my lord. »
Wow, what an ambitious concept and amazing ideas! I’m stunned that this was a debut.
The mmc is bounded with a demon that doesn’t feel like your typical demon. The writing was comical and serious at the same time. I sincerely liked the mmc (Sebastian) & his demon (Sarmodel) very much but I wish we knew more about them… I guess this will be remedied in the sequel. (I had initially thought this was a stand-alone but the author confirmed there were other books coming out in his acknowledgments).
I sincerely liked the blend of historical fantasy & horror. I wish we saw more of Lydia because she was soooo interesting!
My only complaint is that this novel tried to do too much. A LOT of concepts, themes & stuff going on were thrown in there and some were briefly mentioned but ended up being super important in the end. I think the mmc ended up knowing more than the reader and that made me feel like I was being kept out of the loop.
I liked that things weren’t necessarily easily fixed or convenient. It was refreshing to read that sometimes things just don’t pan out how you want them to go and you need to adapt.
Wow, what an ambitious concept and amazing ideas! I’m stunned that this was a debut.
The mmc is bounded with a demon that doesn’t feel like your typical demon. The writing was comical and serious at the same time. I sincerely liked the mmc (Sebastian) & his demon (Sarmodel) very much but I wish we knew more about them… I guess this will be remedied in the sequel. (I had initially thought this was a stand-alone but the author confirmed there were other books coming out in his acknowledgments).
I sincerely liked the blend of historical fantasy & horror. I wish we saw more of Lydia because she was soooo interesting!
My only complaint is that this novel tried to do too much. A LOT of concepts, themes & stuff going on were thrown in there and some were briefly mentioned but ended up being super important in the end. I think the mmc ended up knowing more than the reader and that made me feel like I was being kept out of the loop.
I liked that things weren’t necessarily easily fixed or convenient. It was refreshing to read that sometimes things just don’t pan out how you want them to go and you need to adapt.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
✰ 2.75 stars ✰
For everything that worked well for me there was something else that made it not so refreshing or enjoyable. It was well written - descriptive passages and engaging dialogue, but I was not a fan of the format in how this historical fantasy was written. The alternating between the then and the now between three different timelines, simply to give depth to the history was difficult, with the added annoyance of footnotes, which, was a bit of modern tongue-in-cheek, that also takes away an element of surprise to Professor Sebastian Grave's eventual fate. 😕
Almost Van Helsing-esque in nature, the Magician, a man of unnatural gifts - never defined, never explained, Sebastian was a protagonist omniscient of millennia that transcends time and space, in which we're left to assume he has all power and all knowledge. 🧐 It is deliberately ambiguous, which was a fault for complaint at first, until I accepted the author's reasons for it being as such. In a strangely odd way, it felt fitting to his own personal growth and eventual understanding and acceptance of himself.
“What victory can you claim from this misery?”
The annoyingly witty and clever footnotes were distracting inserts, along with the addendum that served as a means of explanation to an already existing lore that felt a bit like cheating. 😮💨 Having the story retold also took away the element of surprise for Sebastian's fate for even when his life was in danger it was a constant reminder that he really is in no real danger; although, with the story being retold that is a given already. Still, they were too juvenile for me to appreciate the whimsy behind them.
Livia and Sarmodel - his co-lackeys, his familiars, his co-conspirators were... Livia, for all her salacious tendencies, as a narrator of one of the povs kept horrendously stale, sadly. I was not a fan of the amorous, amorphous, sexual dalliances that were shed light on, despite their well-supposed intentions. 🤨 Sarmodel was unlikeable, but I realized that they are meant to be, so cannot really blame them for their true nature. Their rapport with Sebastian was bittersweet, saying the right things at the wrong moments, one who behaved inappropriately, but not really at fault for it.
The creative spin behind the truth of The Red Winter - grander and larger in theory than just that of the corporeal presence of the savage Gevaudan beast - left me feeling slightly duped; it was rather misleading and unrewarding. 🙎🏻♀️ All that gore and terror - a build up that flummoxed at the end - frustratingly so. It ends on a note that hints of a potential continuation, which, even if for naught, it still did not tie up convincingly enough the plot points for the relevant plot, itself!
“There was always magic with you.”
As for Sebastian and Antoine sim sala bim Was it a bittersweet romance of convenience, or ill-fated, destined for tragedy? The longing, the hope, the despair, the desire, the betrayal, the kinship of a kindred spirit in 1766 of one who was so similar to themselves. 'Dare to know'. 🥺 I wished for a better end, but who can outrun fate or even history. There were some beautiful and meaningful exchanges that certainly left a memorable impression on me.
Even if my romantic heart was saddened by their doomed love story, it was not enough to assuage that disgruntled unsatisfied feeling, for getting this far without a concrete resolution. 🙂↔️ Despite how one will argue ultimately it was some greater game we were not seeing, I still felt that we deserved a more fitting closure. Rather than stacking it away as another story in it-perhaps one I will write down someday, which felt a cheap disservice to myself, as a reader.
*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“I saw only horror behind me and more horror ahead; I had seldom felt more wretched. I wept there in the darkness. For misery, for despair, for the sheer futility of still being there.”
For everything that worked well for me there was something else that made it not so refreshing or enjoyable. It was well written - descriptive passages and engaging dialogue, but I was not a fan of the format in how this historical fantasy was written. The alternating between the then and the now between three different timelines, simply to give depth to the history was difficult, with the added annoyance of footnotes, which, was a bit of modern tongue-in-cheek, that also takes away an element of surprise to Professor Sebastian Grave's eventual fate. 😕
Almost Van Helsing-esque in nature, the Magician, a man of unnatural gifts - never defined, never explained, Sebastian was a protagonist omniscient of millennia that transcends time and space, in which we're left to assume he has all power and all knowledge. 🧐 It is deliberately ambiguous, which was a fault for complaint at first, until I accepted the author's reasons for it being as such. In a strangely odd way, it felt fitting to his own personal growth and eventual understanding and acceptance of himself.
“What victory can you claim from this misery?”
The annoyingly witty and clever footnotes were distracting inserts, along with the addendum that served as a means of explanation to an already existing lore that felt a bit like cheating. 😮💨 Having the story retold also took away the element of surprise for Sebastian's fate for even when his life was in danger it was a constant reminder that he really is in no real danger; although, with the story being retold that is a given already. Still, they were too juvenile for me to appreciate the whimsy behind them.
Livia and Sarmodel - his co-lackeys, his familiars, his co-conspirators were... Livia, for all her salacious tendencies, as a narrator of one of the povs kept horrendously stale, sadly. I was not a fan of the amorous, amorphous, sexual dalliances that were shed light on, despite their well-supposed intentions. 🤨 Sarmodel was unlikeable, but I realized that they are meant to be, so cannot really blame them for their true nature. Their rapport with Sebastian was bittersweet, saying the right things at the wrong moments, one who behaved inappropriately, but not really at fault for it.
The creative spin behind the truth of The Red Winter - grander and larger in theory than just that of the corporeal presence of the savage Gevaudan beast - left me feeling slightly duped; it was rather misleading and unrewarding. 🙎🏻♀️ All that gore and terror - a build up that flummoxed at the end - frustratingly so. It ends on a note that hints of a potential continuation, which, even if for naught, it still did not tie up convincingly enough the plot points for the relevant plot, itself!
“There was always magic with you.”
As for Sebastian and Antoine sim sala bim Was it a bittersweet romance of convenience, or ill-fated, destined for tragedy? The longing, the hope, the despair, the desire, the betrayal, the kinship of a kindred spirit in 1766 of one who was so similar to themselves. 'Dare to know'. 🥺 I wished for a better end, but who can outrun fate or even history. There were some beautiful and meaningful exchanges that certainly left a memorable impression on me.
Even if my romantic heart was saddened by their doomed love story, it was not enough to assuage that disgruntled unsatisfied feeling, for getting this far without a concrete resolution. 🙂↔️ Despite how one will argue ultimately it was some greater game we were not seeing, I still felt that we deserved a more fitting closure. Rather than stacking it away as another story in it-perhaps one I will write down someday, which felt a cheap disservice to myself, as a reader.
*Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 21, 2026
Nah man. My conclusion is that the author hates women and has a weird fascination with describing male genitalia at the most inopportune moments. I fucking hated Antoine. Sarmodel was annoying. Sebastian was an idiot. Jaques deserved a good spanking and being send to bed without dinner. Thanks for coming to my ted talk.
Honestly my favorite character in this entire mess was probably Soeur because I felt bad for her, and she doesn't even have opposable thumbs.
Seriously what is it with the author and sentences like "My belly growled and my manhood throbbed hard against it like an iron bar." It does not invoke the feelings it probably wants to invoke during that scene in me but a rather pressing need for me to ask Sullivan "You good, man?"
The "devastating love story"? Devastating indeed but not in a good way. Actually just rather tepid and disappointing to the end.
The "bewitching twist on history"? The Jehanne storyline ... why oh why? Who looked at this and thought this was in any way, shape or form good and necessary? I just wanna talk ...
"It's the head of her thigh bone, which used to sit so close to her virginal cooch, and he has polished it back to ivory whiteness." Excuse me while I go hurl.
The "blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power and redemption"? There was no hunt! There were two dudes walking around and getting frisky in the middle of the forest. Also I'm still looking for the purpose of this book without much success.
The Beast? Granted, I did not see coming who turned out to be the beast in the Red Winter storyline but that could be chalked up to the fact that I forgot that particular character existed right after he was introduced. Which could also be called bad storytelling.
Biggest disappointment of the year. I'm angry about the fact that the cover is stunning af, the summary sounds delicious and yet the book itself is so god awfully shitty.
@the people who gave this 5 stars: are u okay?
Honestly my favorite character in this entire mess was probably Soeur because I felt bad for her, and she doesn't even have opposable thumbs.
Seriously what is it with the author and sentences like "My belly growled and my manhood throbbed hard against it like an iron bar." It does not invoke the feelings it probably wants to invoke during that scene in me but a rather pressing need for me to ask Sullivan "You good, man?"
The "devastating love story"? Devastating indeed but not in a good way. Actually just rather tepid and disappointing to the end.
The "bewitching twist on history"? The Jehanne storyline ... why oh why? Who looked at this and thought this was in any way, shape or form good and necessary? I just wanna talk ...
"It's the head of her thigh bone, which used to sit so close to her virginal cooch, and he has polished it back to ivory whiteness." Excuse me while I go hurl.
The "blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power and redemption"? There was no hunt! There were two dudes walking around and getting frisky in the middle of the forest. Also I'm still looking for the purpose of this book without much success.
The Beast? Granted, I did not see coming who turned out to be the beast in the Red Winter storyline but that could be chalked up to the fact that I forgot that particular character existed right after he was introduced. Which could also be called bad storytelling.
Biggest disappointment of the year. I'm angry about the fact that the cover is stunning af, the summary sounds delicious and yet the book itself is so god awfully shitty.
@the people who gave this 5 stars: are u okay?
January 11, 2026
This is a unique and quirky work. It's a historical fantasy book with dark elements and humorous dialogues. It's a kind of retelling of the French folktale of the Beast of Gevaudan. The main character, Sebastian Grave, is an interesting man that shares his life with Sarmodel, a hilarious demon. There's also a funny succubus named Livia, and the appearance of famous figures such as Archangel Michael and Jehanne d'Arc. It's an interesting book, and the audiobook is amazing! I think it's really worth it, because the dramatization is stunning.
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for this free advance listening copy of The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, to be published on February 24th, 2026.
Thanks so much to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for this free advance listening copy of The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, to be published on February 24th, 2026.
March 26, 2026
Not 3 stars as in “meh” but 3 stars as in strongly conflicting positive and negative feelings. This was an ambitious, atmospheric and cleverly layered fantasy, but genuinely repulsive in its treatment of women (and also weirdly obsessed with describing male genitalia at inopportune moments.)
Rant review probably incoming whenever I get around to it, but basically this book is the epitome of why I (almost) never read books by men.
Rant review probably incoming whenever I get around to it, but basically this book is the epitome of why I (almost) never read books by men.
February 25, 2026
2/24/26: Happy pub day to this awesome book!
It's actually insane to me that this is a debut. I wish I had a demon inside my head to say bitchy one-liners and encourage my lust, maybe that would get me out of the house more often.
Spurred on by an old keepsake, immortal Sebastian Grave recounts the hunt of the Beast of Gévaudan in late-1700s France. The tale that follows is a whirlwind of demons, angels, curses, betrayal, and a relentless, passionate love affair with a baron's son that brings Sebastian back into the clutches of the beast time and time again.
*vague energetic gesturing* IS THAT DESCRIPTION NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO READ THIS? Oh! the drama of it all! Okay, I'll calm down. This was so cool, I love books about immortals because there is an inherent sense of doom every time rooted in the curse of outliving everyone you will ever dare to love. Sebastian at least has Sarmodel, the demonic entity that shares a mind and occasionally a body with him (in more ways than one ;) ) and adds some great moments of humor in an otherwise pretty dark story. Livia, the succubus and Sebastian's housekeeper, is also a delight even though when we get her POV her story becomes pretty grim. Of course, Sebastian's relationship with Antoine was just *chef's kiss* not because it was perfectly romantic but because it was tangled and messy and I am a desperate sucker for angst of any kind. I'm in love with the world building, and this is ostensibly a standalone but I think the ending leaves it potentially open to hearing more about Sebastian's very long life, including hopefully his origins.
My only problem is just a matter of preference. I don't really like action/battle scenes and there were a lot towards the end that went on for a while and broke some momentum for me. Still cried like a baby at the end, though!
All's said, I need more of this bisexual immortal and his goofy demon comrades in my life. I really think this is going to be a standout fantasy release for the beginning of 2026 because it's just amazing, and I will be keeping an eye out for Cameron Sullivan's next book!
Thank you to Cameron Sullivan and Tor Books (my love) for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
pre-review: historical fantasy and a devastating queer love story *slams credit card on table* if I didn't get a copy of this for free I would pay you so much for it
It's actually insane to me that this is a debut. I wish I had a demon inside my head to say bitchy one-liners and encourage my lust, maybe that would get me out of the house more often.
Spurred on by an old keepsake, immortal Sebastian Grave recounts the hunt of the Beast of Gévaudan in late-1700s France. The tale that follows is a whirlwind of demons, angels, curses, betrayal, and a relentless, passionate love affair with a baron's son that brings Sebastian back into the clutches of the beast time and time again.
*vague energetic gesturing* IS THAT DESCRIPTION NOT ENOUGH FOR YOU TO READ THIS? Oh! the drama of it all! Okay, I'll calm down. This was so cool, I love books about immortals because there is an inherent sense of doom every time rooted in the curse of outliving everyone you will ever dare to love. Sebastian at least has Sarmodel, the demonic entity that shares a mind and occasionally a body with him (in more ways than one ;) ) and adds some great moments of humor in an otherwise pretty dark story. Livia, the succubus and Sebastian's housekeeper, is also a delight even though when we get her POV her story becomes pretty grim. Of course, Sebastian's relationship with Antoine was just *chef's kiss* not because it was perfectly romantic but because it was tangled and messy and I am a desperate sucker for angst of any kind. I'm in love with the world building, and this is ostensibly a standalone but I think the ending leaves it potentially open to hearing more about Sebastian's very long life, including hopefully his origins.
My only problem is just a matter of preference. I don't really like action/battle scenes and there were a lot towards the end that went on for a while and broke some momentum for me. Still cried like a baby at the end, though!
All's said, I need more of this bisexual immortal and his goofy demon comrades in my life. I really think this is going to be a standout fantasy release for the beginning of 2026 because it's just amazing, and I will be keeping an eye out for Cameron Sullivan's next book!
Thank you to Cameron Sullivan and Tor Books (my love) for this ARC in exchange for my full, honest review!
Happy reading!
pre-review: historical fantasy and a devastating queer love story *slams credit card on table* if I didn't get a copy of this for free I would pay you so much for it
Did Not Finish
March 19, 2026DNF @ chapter 22
My first buddy read with Andi and we both DNF lmao I thought I could hate read until the end, but I guess I'm not strong enough.
I hated this. The general tone was very sarcastic/smartass dude bro/gamer bro and I wasn't vibing with it at all. I read novels to escape from having to deal with this specific attitude at my 9 to 5, so I was already off to a bad start.
And then add in the boring MMC, his annoying demon buddy, and the only fully realized female character essentially being the MMC's enslaved housekeeper/personal assistant, and this quickly turned into a hate read. Even the love interest was dull. What the hell. He was just some hot French nobleman with a whiny son.
At least the gore was cool, I guess.
And with that, I'm out. I regret spending money on this book.
My first buddy read with Andi and we both DNF lmao I thought I could hate read until the end, but I guess I'm not strong enough.
I hated this. The general tone was very sarcastic/smartass dude bro/gamer bro and I wasn't vibing with it at all. I read novels to escape from having to deal with this specific attitude at my 9 to 5, so I was already off to a bad start.
And then add in the boring MMC, his annoying demon buddy, and the only fully realized female character essentially being the MMC's enslaved housekeeper/personal assistant, and this quickly turned into a hate read. Even the love interest was dull. What the hell. He was just some hot French nobleman with a whiny son.
At least the gore was cool, I guess.
And with that, I'm out. I regret spending money on this book.
April 29, 2026
The amount of condescension this book manages to exude is astounding - to its subject matter, to all its characters bar the protagonist, to women in general and to its reader.
What a nuisance!
Another book trampling everything and anything without a care in the world because what else are the bros to do? And this is, indeed, written by a bro, for the bros.
Be warned, slight spoilers ahead
Let's start with the sexism:
A list of how this book choses to portray all of its women - see if you can spot some trends...
* a succubus, of course
* a gold digger, literally so: she's a demon who loves/feeds on gold. The harder it becomes for the protagonist to manage her, the larger she becomes, with repeated descriptions of her distended belly
* a nymph, conventionally beautiful and feminine at first, she asks for semen as payment for summoning/bargains + wants to have sex to seal the deal. When she becomes evil and tainted, though, she promptly turns sexually repulsive and fat (if you are seeing a pattern with the fatphobia, you'd be correct)
* Joan of Arc, who is not a strong woman, but a stupid country virgin possessed by a demon of war and dumb enough to think it's God talking to her - by which I mean that Sebastian entirely and solely describes her by her virginity and her stupidity
* the wives of the two main lords, only there to be silent in the background, and cheated upon
* a witch who is quite the pesky hindrance for Sebastian at first, corresponding with her being described as ugly and mocked for likely being fucked by her familiar. Later, when she comes back into the story as a useful character, she's obviously become beautiful and ripe for Sebastian's male gaze.
-> it is important to underline that no woman in this story ever has any will or agency over her own nature, instead being entirely defined and driven by her emotions and other base desires.
-> as a side note, while the war demon possession robs Joan of Arc of any merit for her role in history and serves to demean her, it only shields Gilles de Rais from being held entirely responsible for the horrors he's committed, portrayed as he is as a poor sod whose love/lust as been used against him instead.
Men, meanwhile, are in perpetual lust and sex is used as a lurid shock factor. Every two pages (literally, I'm not being hyperbolic), a man is describing his boner, and every possible want is expressed as lust (and accompanied of said boner). I get the impression the author thinks this is subversive and provocative - color me unimpressed. This is the kind of uninspired provocations an edgy teenager would come up with, but coupled with the self-important tone of the narrative/authorial (*) voice, it seems that we are intended to receive them as discerning and meaningful. They are not. If anything, they miss a lot of opportunities to say anything actually provocative and interesting.
(*) I am conflating the author and his protagonist's delivery here because it does feel like we are in self-insert territory
That brings us to the major lack of thematic cohesion this suffers from.
The god of war's purview is, quite conveniently, everything that's bad and lustful - the latter, as we have mentioned, covering in itself 90% of what anyone is made to feel in this book. We are not in a book that's about a battle between good and evil, but in one that purports to be reimagining history in a way that shows several major events as being driven by the god of war (more on how problematic this is below, but let's just take it at face value for now). This supposes that those events, as portrayed in the book, by their very nature, will let us see the hand of the god of war. There will be a link, a pattern, a theme. And the protagonist confirms it several times with his (unenlighted, to say the least) musings on the nature of war... Yet, said link, pattern and themes lose a lot of actual weight when everything even remotely "bad" is being arched back to that entity's involvement. That's it? What interesting take or reading on the nature of war does this bring to the table? War, in the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods, was a lot more defined than what we have here, especially if we only consider the brand of war that Mars/Ares was supposed to represent. Being stretched to cover everything even remotely violent, lustful or greedy, in the broadest sense possible for each, makes it lose any nuance and dilutes meaning. Way to kill a god!
In fact, and despite the author clearly really wanting to write about a morally grey character (refer back to edginess and delusions of uninspired provocations being insightful) I would argue that this book demonstrates a very binary understanding of morality, as well as a very shallow command of Christian mythology, failing to investigate either in any degree of nuance or complexity.
Sebastian... btw, I bet he's going to turn out to be Cain. Let me pre-emptively give this the hardest eye-roll possible, in case I end up being correct, since I won't bother to find out. Anyway, Sebastian is just a "good" bro with a boner (as per bro standards), perpetually keeping his demon in check so they can remain benign at all time. The demon lacks real teeth and the fact Sebastian calls him "my love" doesn't a morally-grey character makes. Then, let's throw a few easy jabs at Christianity on top of it all, as seasoning. Wow! Profound! So morally tortured!
The facts that our guy and his demon are all the things that make up a privileged, self-centered male specimen with the common combination of frail but ballooning ego (what I have previously shortened as "the bro") and, if we are to take the "my love" sobriquets seriously, are in a very unhealthy relationship with each other... well those might very well be the only morally grey aspects of it all. Unfortunately, they are left entirely unscrutinised, as they are there seemingly unbeknownst to our careless author.
Finally, I need to talk about the claim that this "reimagines the story of Europe".
Well, "History" in French is a feminine word. Maybe that's why she gets so abused in this. Really, apart from our protagonist, everybody in the world is depicted as but a stupid sheeple with no willpower of their own and too stupid to realize it. All great historical figures? Doltish women unwittingly possessed by lustful demons or already lustful men possessed by demons that make them do bad things. One stone, two birds: as I mentioned with the example of Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais, it manages to be misogynistic by demeaning great women throughout history, while somehow becoming akin to an excuse for bad men's deeds - and as we all know, we really need more of that in the world, indeed -_-
The French Revolution? A bunch of stupid rednecks driven mad by the presence of the god of war. That's it. It just took them a tad longer to go mad than it did their cattle and pets, with pigs and dogs starting to eat each other a good few months before the poor got frenzied enough to go and eat the rich. Other than that, same same, we are told.
I don't even know where to begin with this take: all levels of reading you could come up with are either stupid or fucked up.
The only point I am left pondering is if the author has something against France in particular or it just ended up being the victim of his poorly thought out "reimagining" (spitting in the face of, would be a rather more fitting description) of History.
-> Failing to see any meaningful difference between a revolution and a war is a good illustration of what I mean about missing the boat on any thematic cohesion.
-> It also provides a good illustration of this book's ever absent empathy or care for anything (an important pillar of dudebrotasy).
-> Finally, one has to try so hard to be obtuse, to write such a paragraph, that it has to move the needle toward authorial anti-French bias. It's either that or sheer stupidity.
The good things: the writing is fine and French words are used correctly. That's it, that's all I got.
The condescending tone, delivering a story about a lot of shallow bullshit with such self-confidence, and the ever-present misogyny suffusing it all, are really not something any amount of correct French word usage can balance, though. Call me crazy for that take.
Also special mention to the footnotes, who could not be more aggravating even if they tried. They are either 1) convenient, if clumsy, fixes to lacking world/plot building or 2) attempts at more bro humour.
Dudebrotasy does love its 4th-wall breaking, never missing a chance to elbow us all and check that we are still duly impressed by their (perpetually self-inserting) authors - I mean, why write if not for validation? They need it, you see, to feed their own "indwelling" demons, those of fragile-egos and self-centeredness.
What a nuisance!
Another book trampling everything and anything without a care in the world because what else are the bros to do? And this is, indeed, written by a bro, for the bros.
Be warned, slight spoilers ahead
Let's start with the sexism:
A list of how this book choses to portray all of its women - see if you can spot some trends...
* a succubus, of course
* a gold digger, literally so: she's a demon who loves/feeds on gold. The harder it becomes for the protagonist to manage her, the larger she becomes, with repeated descriptions of her distended belly
* a nymph, conventionally beautiful and feminine at first, she asks for semen as payment for summoning/bargains + wants to have sex to seal the deal. When she becomes evil and tainted, though, she promptly turns sexually repulsive and fat (if you are seeing a pattern with the fatphobia, you'd be correct)
* Joan of Arc, who is not a strong woman, but a stupid country virgin possessed by a demon of war and dumb enough to think it's God talking to her - by which I mean that Sebastian entirely and solely describes her by her virginity and her stupidity
* the wives of the two main lords, only there to be silent in the background, and cheated upon
* a witch who is quite the pesky hindrance for Sebastian at first, corresponding with her being described as ugly and mocked for likely being fucked by her familiar. Later, when she comes back into the story as a useful character, she's obviously become beautiful and ripe for Sebastian's male gaze.
-> it is important to underline that no woman in this story ever has any will or agency over her own nature, instead being entirely defined and driven by her emotions and other base desires.
-> as a side note, while the war demon possession robs Joan of Arc of any merit for her role in history and serves to demean her, it only shields Gilles de Rais from being held entirely responsible for the horrors he's committed, portrayed as he is as a poor sod whose love/lust as been used against him instead.
Men, meanwhile, are in perpetual lust and sex is used as a lurid shock factor. Every two pages (literally, I'm not being hyperbolic), a man is describing his boner, and every possible want is expressed as lust (and accompanied of said boner). I get the impression the author thinks this is subversive and provocative - color me unimpressed. This is the kind of uninspired provocations an edgy teenager would come up with, but coupled with the self-important tone of the narrative/authorial (*) voice, it seems that we are intended to receive them as discerning and meaningful. They are not. If anything, they miss a lot of opportunities to say anything actually provocative and interesting.
(*) I am conflating the author and his protagonist's delivery here because it does feel like we are in self-insert territory
That brings us to the major lack of thematic cohesion this suffers from.
The god of war's purview is, quite conveniently, everything that's bad and lustful - the latter, as we have mentioned, covering in itself 90% of what anyone is made to feel in this book. We are not in a book that's about a battle between good and evil, but in one that purports to be reimagining history in a way that shows several major events as being driven by the god of war (more on how problematic this is below, but let's just take it at face value for now). This supposes that those events, as portrayed in the book, by their very nature, will let us see the hand of the god of war. There will be a link, a pattern, a theme. And the protagonist confirms it several times with his (unenlighted, to say the least) musings on the nature of war... Yet, said link, pattern and themes lose a lot of actual weight when everything even remotely "bad" is being arched back to that entity's involvement. That's it? What interesting take or reading on the nature of war does this bring to the table? War, in the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods, was a lot more defined than what we have here, especially if we only consider the brand of war that Mars/Ares was supposed to represent. Being stretched to cover everything even remotely violent, lustful or greedy, in the broadest sense possible for each, makes it lose any nuance and dilutes meaning. Way to kill a god!
In fact, and despite the author clearly really wanting to write about a morally grey character (refer back to edginess and delusions of uninspired provocations being insightful) I would argue that this book demonstrates a very binary understanding of morality, as well as a very shallow command of Christian mythology, failing to investigate either in any degree of nuance or complexity.
Sebastian... btw, I bet he's going to turn out to be Cain. Let me pre-emptively give this the hardest eye-roll possible, in case I end up being correct, since I won't bother to find out. Anyway, Sebastian is just a "good" bro with a boner (as per bro standards), perpetually keeping his demon in check so they can remain benign at all time. The demon lacks real teeth and the fact Sebastian calls him "my love" doesn't a morally-grey character makes. Then, let's throw a few easy jabs at Christianity on top of it all, as seasoning. Wow! Profound! So morally tortured!
The facts that our guy and his demon are all the things that make up a privileged, self-centered male specimen with the common combination of frail but ballooning ego (what I have previously shortened as "the bro") and, if we are to take the "my love" sobriquets seriously, are in a very unhealthy relationship with each other... well those might very well be the only morally grey aspects of it all. Unfortunately, they are left entirely unscrutinised, as they are there seemingly unbeknownst to our careless author.
Finally, I need to talk about the claim that this "reimagines the story of Europe".
Well, "History" in French is a feminine word. Maybe that's why she gets so abused in this. Really, apart from our protagonist, everybody in the world is depicted as but a stupid sheeple with no willpower of their own and too stupid to realize it. All great historical figures? Doltish women unwittingly possessed by lustful demons or already lustful men possessed by demons that make them do bad things. One stone, two birds: as I mentioned with the example of Joan of Arc and Gilles de Rais, it manages to be misogynistic by demeaning great women throughout history, while somehow becoming akin to an excuse for bad men's deeds - and as we all know, we really need more of that in the world, indeed -_-
The French Revolution? A bunch of stupid rednecks driven mad by the presence of the god of war. That's it. It just took them a tad longer to go mad than it did their cattle and pets, with pigs and dogs starting to eat each other a good few months before the poor got frenzied enough to go and eat the rich. Other than that, same same, we are told.
I don't even know where to begin with this take: all levels of reading you could come up with are either stupid or fucked up.
The only point I am left pondering is if the author has something against France in particular or it just ended up being the victim of his poorly thought out "reimagining" (spitting in the face of, would be a rather more fitting description) of History.
The French Revolution. The violent redress delivered by the poor for the many injustices they suffered. Liberty, Equality and Fraternity are what they fought for. But shorn of its slogans and its justifications, however valid, it was no different to every other war: they fought over wealth and territory, and tens of thousands died. The victors took the wealth and the power, and then killed hundreds of thousands more trying to hold on to it. And so on, and so on.
-> Failing to see any meaningful difference between a revolution and a war is a good illustration of what I mean about missing the boat on any thematic cohesion.
-> It also provides a good illustration of this book's ever absent empathy or care for anything (an important pillar of dudebrotasy).
-> Finally, one has to try so hard to be obtuse, to write such a paragraph, that it has to move the needle toward authorial anti-French bias. It's either that or sheer stupidity.
The good things: the writing is fine and French words are used correctly. That's it, that's all I got.
The condescending tone, delivering a story about a lot of shallow bullshit with such self-confidence, and the ever-present misogyny suffusing it all, are really not something any amount of correct French word usage can balance, though. Call me crazy for that take.
Also special mention to the footnotes, who could not be more aggravating even if they tried. They are either 1) convenient, if clumsy, fixes to lacking world/plot building or 2) attempts at more bro humour.
Dudebrotasy does love its 4th-wall breaking, never missing a chance to elbow us all and check that we are still duly impressed by their (perpetually self-inserting) authors - I mean, why write if not for validation? They need it, you see, to feed their own "indwelling" demons, those of fragile-egos and self-centeredness.
March 10, 2026
The Red Winter blends historical fantasy, horror, mythology, and biting humor into something deeply entertaining and occasionally horrifying. It’s clever and chaotic in all the best ways. Was it perfect? No. Did I have an absolute blast? Yes.
What I Loved:
• The theme work! Hunger is everywhere in this book. Hunger for love. Hunger for flesh. Hunger for control. There are descriptions of lavish meals that made my mouth water, which felt extremely intentional alongside the thematic obsession of one’s own appetite. The exploration of the corruption of man through the seduction of power is one of the novel’s strongest threads.
• The narrative structure: The story unfolds primarily through Sebastian’s POV — along with the outrageous commentary of Sarmodel, the demonic spirit living inside his head — but it’s punctuated by interlude chapters from another character perspective. And here’s the brilliance: through these interludes, we see Sebastian and Sarmodel from the outside… and let’s just say they are not nearly as innocent or charming as they believe themselves to be. I found this to be such a smart and creative stylistic choice to add layers to these characters!
• The Humor: it was clear from the first few pages that Sullivan and I share a very particular sense of dark humor. I laughed out loud constantly. The banter between characters — especially from Sarmodel — is sharp and vicious. He is an absolute menace and I couldn’t get enough of him.
• The Footnotes: Footnotes can be hit or miss. Here? They are superb. They add to the humor, world building, and character depth without forcing you to flip back and forth to a glossary (bless).
• The Horror: The horror is grotesque without being excessive. It never felt gratuitous and I felt genuinely freaked out during our first glimpse of the beast 😱
• The characters: Sebastian is instantly intriguing. Sarmodel is chaos incarnate. Livia — Sebastian’s succubus housekeeper — was a standout and I desperately hope to see more of her if we ever get a sequel to this story.
• Added bonus: it’s super gay!
I am so impressed this is a debut and I cannot wait to see what Sullivan delivers next.
4.5 ⭐️!
What I Loved:
• The theme work! Hunger is everywhere in this book. Hunger for love. Hunger for flesh. Hunger for control. There are descriptions of lavish meals that made my mouth water, which felt extremely intentional alongside the thematic obsession of one’s own appetite. The exploration of the corruption of man through the seduction of power is one of the novel’s strongest threads.
• The narrative structure: The story unfolds primarily through Sebastian’s POV — along with the outrageous commentary of Sarmodel, the demonic spirit living inside his head — but it’s punctuated by interlude chapters from another character perspective. And here’s the brilliance: through these interludes, we see Sebastian and Sarmodel from the outside… and let’s just say they are not nearly as innocent or charming as they believe themselves to be. I found this to be such a smart and creative stylistic choice to add layers to these characters!
• The Humor: it was clear from the first few pages that Sullivan and I share a very particular sense of dark humor. I laughed out loud constantly. The banter between characters — especially from Sarmodel — is sharp and vicious. He is an absolute menace and I couldn’t get enough of him.
• The Footnotes: Footnotes can be hit or miss. Here? They are superb. They add to the humor, world building, and character depth without forcing you to flip back and forth to a glossary (bless).
• The Horror: The horror is grotesque without being excessive. It never felt gratuitous and I felt genuinely freaked out during our first glimpse of the beast 😱
• The characters: Sebastian is instantly intriguing. Sarmodel is chaos incarnate. Livia — Sebastian’s succubus housekeeper — was a standout and I desperately hope to see more of her if we ever get a sequel to this story.
• Added bonus: it’s super gay!
I am so impressed this is a debut and I cannot wait to see what Sullivan delivers next.
4.5 ⭐️!
February 26, 2026
A fun fantasy debut from an Aussie author!
Sebastian is our reluctant hero, returning to finish unfinished business from 20 years ago. Back then, he helped to hunt the Beast of Gevaudan as it terrorised the countryside - now it's returned and the son of his estranged lover has come to beg him back to finish the job.
It sounds messy but it's actually a bundle of fun, jumping between the present and the past, alongside snippets of history relevant to the story. Certainly never a dull moment, this one is packed with action, mystery, intrigue and charm. There's an eclectic cast of characters supporting Sebastian, and they add energy to the story with their unique personalities.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pace is fast but not blindingly so. There are quiet moments in which we get to know the characters and learn to love (or loathe) them.
There's also a fantastic story around the beast itself, and the magic of this particular world is brilliant.
An incredibly satisfying fantasy, featuring characters I'd happily read more of. Highly recommend for fans of high fantasy looking for something a little different.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC
Sebastian is our reluctant hero, returning to finish unfinished business from 20 years ago. Back then, he helped to hunt the Beast of Gevaudan as it terrorised the countryside - now it's returned and the son of his estranged lover has come to beg him back to finish the job.
It sounds messy but it's actually a bundle of fun, jumping between the present and the past, alongside snippets of history relevant to the story. Certainly never a dull moment, this one is packed with action, mystery, intrigue and charm. There's an eclectic cast of characters supporting Sebastian, and they add energy to the story with their unique personalities.
The writing is easy to follow, and the pace is fast but not blindingly so. There are quiet moments in which we get to know the characters and learn to love (or loathe) them.
There's also a fantastic story around the beast itself, and the magic of this particular world is brilliant.
An incredibly satisfying fantasy, featuring characters I'd happily read more of. Highly recommend for fans of high fantasy looking for something a little different.
With thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for an ARC
March 18, 2026
Fantastical historical fiction, with wit, heart, and action in equal measure! This novel is wonderfully inviting and captivating, with immersive writing and genuine characters set in a richly layered world. I think the world-building here is wonderful, balancing a historical 18th century France with wonderfully imaginative mythology, magic, and lore underpinning everything, just out of most peoples’ sight. The ways that magic and religion and science are woven together are smart and fun. What I really appreciated is that there isn’t an entire, complicated mythos and magical world spelled out for the reader. We get bits of information, details and lore and more of the veil pulled back, as we need them. This does allow for some almost-deus-ex-machina response to situations, employing magical tricks that we didn’t know were possible, but it never feels like a ploy. Instead, the world is revealed as necessary for the story and the lore does a wonderful job of carrying a propulsive narrative on its shoulders while leaving me wanting more, actively interested in how deep the rabbit hole goes. The use of multiple storylines kept the pacing feeling quite active and tense. The way that the three storylines related to each other and informed one another meant the story never felt like it was getting off track, we were constantly learning more about the world and history and our main characters, even while the immediate quest may not be moving forward. It was a good balance of building narrative tension while expanding the depth of the world and keeping the actual story moving. I loved the characters. I can’t say they were remarkably unique, the time-wearied, misunderstood, snarky anti-hero and his mischievous, much-more-dangerous-than-he-appears familiar have variations across all fantasy realms, but they work perfectly in this world. They feel multidimensional and I enjoyed spending time with them. The ancillary characters are equally interesting, and none feel like mere plot contrivances, there is a sense of authenticity across all of them.
The story touches on a lot of interesting ideas and themes, though it doesn’t linger too much on any of them. It touches on grief and loss, love and longing, responsibility, power, and more. There are questions about what the powerful owe to the weak, (if anything), what it means to repair damage done, and whether that is possible or not, and others of a similar vein. We don’t necessarily get a lot of reflection on the page about these ideas, and I would not have minded there to be a little be more actual internal wrestling with these, but even just seeding the story with them gives the reader a lot to think about. I should also say that I have seen some reviews that say they didn’t feel like the romance element/subplot was necessary, and I would have to disagree. The way that the romance is worked into the story is effective and really important for us to understand the contours of our main character. The use of a romantic subplot as it is done here again isn’t some wildly new narrative device, but it is daring and bold in its confrontation with expectations and uses romance and desire in ways that make the story stronger. I more often than not find romantic subplots unnecessary, cliché, or at best distractions, and I was prepared to just overlook it here, and instead found it surprisingly additive to the story and to understanding the depths of the main character.
The story touches on a lot of interesting ideas and themes, though it doesn’t linger too much on any of them. It touches on grief and loss, love and longing, responsibility, power, and more. There are questions about what the powerful owe to the weak, (if anything), what it means to repair damage done, and whether that is possible or not, and others of a similar vein. We don’t necessarily get a lot of reflection on the page about these ideas, and I would not have minded there to be a little be more actual internal wrestling with these, but even just seeding the story with them gives the reader a lot to think about. I should also say that I have seen some reviews that say they didn’t feel like the romance element/subplot was necessary, and I would have to disagree. The way that the romance is worked into the story is effective and really important for us to understand the contours of our main character. The use of a romantic subplot as it is done here again isn’t some wildly new narrative device, but it is daring and bold in its confrontation with expectations and uses romance and desire in ways that make the story stronger. I more often than not find romantic subplots unnecessary, cliché, or at best distractions, and I was prepared to just overlook it here, and instead found it surprisingly additive to the story and to understanding the depths of the main character.
January 20, 2026
Whoa, this ish was wild.
It starts off feeling sort of Sherlock-ish, but Sullivan’s voice morphs it into something unique and refreshing. This sort of Robert Jackson Bennett vibes, but it’s hard to compare this book to books.
This is Sullivan’s debut and he comes out swinging in this crazy mashup. Mythology, historical fiction, horror, humor, fantasy, folk lore and love is love is love?
Just, yes- more please.
This kinda what I wanted The Devils to be last year.
Livia stole the show for me- but tbh- all the characters are just as strong as the impressive world building.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC. The dual narration felt like a theatrical experience.
I hope we see more of this world- because this desperately needs a sequel. 🤞
4.5/5
Audio narration 5/5
It starts off feeling sort of Sherlock-ish, but Sullivan’s voice morphs it into something unique and refreshing. This sort of Robert Jackson Bennett vibes, but it’s hard to compare this book to books.
This is Sullivan’s debut and he comes out swinging in this crazy mashup. Mythology, historical fiction, horror, humor, fantasy, folk lore and love is love is love?
Just, yes- more please.
This kinda what I wanted The Devils to be last year.
Livia stole the show for me- but tbh- all the characters are just as strong as the impressive world building.
Thank you Macmillan Audio for this audiobook ARC. The dual narration felt like a theatrical experience.
I hope we see more of this world- because this desperately needs a sequel. 🤞
4.5/5
Audio narration 5/5
March 27, 2026
okay it got a little messy at the end and I'm equally excited and annoyed to hear there will be more adventures to follow (damn you i wanted a standalone! but I'll also follow sebastian anywhere). i stand by my earlier update, I need a feral fan base to grow with fanart up the wazoo because this was cinematic as fuck! i definitely see shades of iwtv (tv show). additionally the writing is immensely impressive for a debut! somehow dark, scary, and hilarious all at once.
until we meet again sarmodel and sebastian!
until we meet again sarmodel and sebastian!
March 8, 2026
My interest was caught by the words: " Beast of Gevaudan" which was first encountered in the French movie " Le pacte des Loups" (The Brotherhood of the wolf". This grand actioner peaked my interest.
So when I encountered the description of this novel I immediately ordered it. And it is no werewolf tale, it is a far more complicated world which is created by this writer in his first book. The world created by Cameron Sullivan is an interesting one as shown by the various timelines in which Professor Sebastian Grave who is the host of an entity called Sarmodel who live together for quite some time, showcase their skills and shown their opponents.
The story starts with the professor being asked by the son of the man he knew 20 years earlier in Gevaudan where a monster killed a lot of people to Come back because the monster has returned.
While travelling back to Gevaudan Sebastian tells the tale of mayhem that took place 20 years earlier. Which has a part in the current affairs. And then there is separate story-line about the history of this socalled monster.
The writing is an absolute delight, the subject matter is quite dark and full of gore and yet mr. Sullivan does find some dark sense of humor to liven up his story that does not outstay its welcome. Actually you end up looking forward to a next book about this club of seemingly immortal creatures.
This fantasy book shows a different world history and tells an exciting story which will keep you reading.
An absolute & unexpected pleasure outside my comfort-zone reading wise, but it convinced me while I was reading the book.
So when I encountered the description of this novel I immediately ordered it. And it is no werewolf tale, it is a far more complicated world which is created by this writer in his first book. The world created by Cameron Sullivan is an interesting one as shown by the various timelines in which Professor Sebastian Grave who is the host of an entity called Sarmodel who live together for quite some time, showcase their skills and shown their opponents.
The story starts with the professor being asked by the son of the man he knew 20 years earlier in Gevaudan where a monster killed a lot of people to Come back because the monster has returned.
While travelling back to Gevaudan Sebastian tells the tale of mayhem that took place 20 years earlier. Which has a part in the current affairs. And then there is separate story-line about the history of this socalled monster.
The writing is an absolute delight, the subject matter is quite dark and full of gore and yet mr. Sullivan does find some dark sense of humor to liven up his story that does not outstay its welcome. Actually you end up looking forward to a next book about this club of seemingly immortal creatures.
This fantasy book shows a different world history and tells an exciting story which will keep you reading.
An absolute & unexpected pleasure outside my comfort-zone reading wise, but it convinced me while I was reading the book.
March 17, 2026
I haven't read a fantasy novel this good in awhile. What amazing world building, character development, political intrigue, creatures, magic, witchcraft, and heroism all packed into one wonderful fantastical story!
I can't believe this is Cameron Sullivan's first published book. I will definitely be reading any future books they publish. Their ability to weave words together is musical and poetic, almost like they're casting a spell over the reader like a siren. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of Red Winter, narrated by Imogen Church and Rory Barnett, to hear what I'm talking about. It's worth hearing how musical and beautiful Cameron Sullivan's eirting is, and it truly does add to the fantastical and mythic nature of the books setting and plot.
What an absolute joy this book was to read. I'm not surprised that it's already become a bestseller so quickly!
Huge thank you to Netgalley, TOR Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review.
I can't believe this is Cameron Sullivan's first published book. I will definitely be reading any future books they publish. Their ability to weave words together is musical and poetic, almost like they're casting a spell over the reader like a siren. I highly recommend listening to the audiobook of Red Winter, narrated by Imogen Church and Rory Barnett, to hear what I'm talking about. It's worth hearing how musical and beautiful Cameron Sullivan's eirting is, and it truly does add to the fantastical and mythic nature of the books setting and plot.
What an absolute joy this book was to read. I'm not surprised that it's already become a bestseller so quickly!
Huge thank you to Netgalley, TOR Books and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC in exchange for my honest review.
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