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The Red Winter
Not yet published
Expected 24 Feb 26A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears the terrible Beast of Gévaudan 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 Gévaudan 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 Gévaudan. 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.
“An absolute feast of a rich, red, sinfully delicious. I've rarely been this satisfied—or this hungry for more.” —Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
“So bloody good. The Red Winter is absolute ripper entertainment—miss it at your peril!” —Shelley Parker-Chan, bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun
“A gorgeous tangle of history and fresh-made myth. You'll eat this one up.” —Cassandra Khaw, bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
“Charming, haunting, ambitious, and a great deal of fun.” —T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author of A Sorceress Comes to Call
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears the terrible Beast of Gévaudan 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 Gévaudan 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 Gévaudan. 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.
“An absolute feast of a rich, red, sinfully delicious. I've rarely been this satisfied—or this hungry for more.” —Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House
“So bloody good. The Red Winter is absolute ripper entertainment—miss it at your peril!” —Shelley Parker-Chan, bestselling author of She Who Became the Sun
“A gorgeous tangle of history and fresh-made myth. You'll eat this one up.” —Cassandra Khaw, bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth
“Charming, haunting, ambitious, and a great deal of fun.” —T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author of A Sorceress Comes to Call
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Kindle Edition
Expected publication February 24, 2026
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July 11, 2025
Oh my god, I am so unwell. This I finish this book or did it finish me?
The Red Winter is a queer, dark, historical fantasy (and is easily going to be one of my favourite reads of the year oh my god it consumed me). From Tor:
“Written as a memoir by the immortal narrator Sebastian, it’s full of sorcery, demons and debauchery, but most of all it’s a love story about one man who will live for ever and the nobleman he fell in love with, but may have made into a monster.”
This one is for the readers who:
· have an interest in the mythological origins of gods and the occult
· prefer books about love, rather than romances
· like books where the author trusts the reader
· enjoy morally complicated characters
· like queer love stories that emotionally devastate you
· are drawn to genre-defying books
We follow Sebastian, a man who willingly shares his body with a demon. Sebastian is recounting his and Antoine's story, which is also the story of The Red Winter and the hunt for the Beast that plagues Antoine's village. I could talk for days about the world building and magic system here tbh. I genuinely enjoyed every part of it and the scope of the world Sullivan created, but the characters stole the show for me. The dynamics between the characters are messy, nuanced, and unique. I want to say more about the world and characters, but there is so much mystery and intrigue and longing and foreboding tragedy in the story that it's best to uncover this for yourself.
Sebastian's character is driven by his and Sarmodel's need to feed off of spiritual energy, but his narration still remains so full of humanity; Sarmodel is very much not human, but is still full of love for Sebastian. And the dynamic between them! Genuinely hilarious duo that also had me weeping at the bond between them at one point.
(It also contains one of my favourite tropes: Sebastian and Sarmodel dont seem particularly threatening from their own first person POV, but when we swap POVs for part of the story, we see just how intimidating and ruthless they can be.)
Apart from this book ripping my heart out, this was such a beautifully crafted story. The prose left me hanging on every word, the themes really worked for me, and it featured incredibly tight plot work (which, considering there were 3 alternating timelines and a few subplots in each, is impressive). It also dabbles in so many different genres: an epic fantasy feel, historical fiction setting, a heart-wrenching romance, horror elements, a unique tone with well-delivered with and humour. I have absolutely no idea how this is Sullivan's debut book, but I am distraught I can't read more of his work.
While this was Antoine's story, and the romance between Sebastian and Antoine is truly the heart of it, there is definitely scope for more in this universe and Sebastian certainly has a lot more to tell us. I am nicely requesting/pledging my anima to whichever entity will listen that there will be more!
Thank you SO much to Tor for the ARC! The Red Winter releases on the 24th of February 2026.
The Red Winter is a queer, dark, historical fantasy (and is easily going to be one of my favourite reads of the year oh my god it consumed me). From Tor:
“Written as a memoir by the immortal narrator Sebastian, it’s full of sorcery, demons and debauchery, but most of all it’s a love story about one man who will live for ever and the nobleman he fell in love with, but may have made into a monster.”
This one is for the readers who:
· have an interest in the mythological origins of gods and the occult
· prefer books about love, rather than romances
· like books where the author trusts the reader
· enjoy morally complicated characters
· like queer love stories that emotionally devastate you
· are drawn to genre-defying books
We follow Sebastian, a man who willingly shares his body with a demon. Sebastian is recounting his and Antoine's story, which is also the story of The Red Winter and the hunt for the Beast that plagues Antoine's village. I could talk for days about the world building and magic system here tbh. I genuinely enjoyed every part of it and the scope of the world Sullivan created, but the characters stole the show for me. The dynamics between the characters are messy, nuanced, and unique. I want to say more about the world and characters, but there is so much mystery and intrigue and longing and foreboding tragedy in the story that it's best to uncover this for yourself.
Sebastian's character is driven by his and Sarmodel's need to feed off of spiritual energy, but his narration still remains so full of humanity; Sarmodel is very much not human, but is still full of love for Sebastian. And the dynamic between them! Genuinely hilarious duo that also had me weeping at the bond between them at one point.
(It also contains one of my favourite tropes: Sebastian and Sarmodel dont seem particularly threatening from their own first person POV, but when we swap POVs for part of the story, we see just how intimidating and ruthless they can be.)
Apart from this book ripping my heart out, this was such a beautifully crafted story. The prose left me hanging on every word, the themes really worked for me, and it featured incredibly tight plot work (which, considering there were 3 alternating timelines and a few subplots in each, is impressive). It also dabbles in so many different genres: an epic fantasy feel, historical fiction setting, a heart-wrenching romance, horror elements, a unique tone with well-delivered with and humour. I have absolutely no idea how this is Sullivan's debut book, but I am distraught I can't read more of his work.
While this was Antoine's story, and the romance between Sebastian and Antoine is truly the heart of it, there is definitely scope for more in this universe and Sebastian certainly has a lot more to tell us. I am nicely requesting/pledging my anima to whichever entity will listen that there will be more!
Thank you SO much to Tor for the ARC! The Red Winter releases on the 24th of February 2026.
October 31, 2025
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 is a standalone.
Despite my minor qualms, this is an incredible debut. It read like a tried and tested dark fantasy author.
Physical arc gifted by Tor.
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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 is a standalone.
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
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June 5, 2025my favourite book of 2026 just dropped, I can feel it in my bones
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April 7, 2025HELLO?? QUEER HISTORICAL FANTASY BY TOR?
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.
August 25, 2025
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
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
December 20, 2025
This is a unique and quirky book. 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.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Let me fill this wheelbarrow with stars and pour them at the feet of Cameron Sullivan.
A historical fantasy full of horror, doomed love, and unpaid debts. I felt like a fly on the wall with the audio and ebook. The writing style is addicting and the narrators set the perfect tones for each snarky remark.
A historical fantasy full of horror, doomed love, and unpaid debts. I felt like a fly on the wall with the audio and ebook. The writing style is addicting and the narrators set the perfect tones for each snarky remark.
August 19, 2025
SO THIS RULED??????????????????????
I could not put this down, I was looking forward to every lunch break so that I could read more. I have long been interested in the case of la bete du gevaudan, it blends many areas that fascinate me. I was beyond excited to come across a queer historical dark fantasy inspired by the tale, and even more excited that it was SO good. I absolutely loved this.
The vibes? Gothic Terry Pratchett.
I was equally intrigued by all 3 timelines. I found Sebastian to be a wonderful MC, I adored him. Also, I thought it was an very interesting way to incorporate multiple pantheons and mythologies into a cohesively blended human history. Sarmodel -- loveeeee. As much as the love and story between Sebastian and Antoine was emotional and interesting, I was just so in love with the love story between Sebastian and Sarmodel. Their dynamic was everything to me. I know this is such a far out read I should have a more well-thought out and well-written review. But the fact of the matter is that I just loved this so much that I'm kind of speechless.
If you like historical horror, interesting magic systems, doomed love, snarky buddy cop antics, stories that are so grand but are ultimately, at their heart, about human nature and connection -- this one is for you. I cannot recommend it enough. It is definitely my favorite book I've read this year so far.
Thanks to tor and netgalley for an arc in exchange for honest review.
I could not put this down, I was looking forward to every lunch break so that I could read more. I have long been interested in the case of la bete du gevaudan, it blends many areas that fascinate me. I was beyond excited to come across a queer historical dark fantasy inspired by the tale, and even more excited that it was SO good. I absolutely loved this.
The vibes? Gothic Terry Pratchett.
I was equally intrigued by all 3 timelines. I found Sebastian to be a wonderful MC, I adored him. Also, I thought it was an very interesting way to incorporate multiple pantheons and mythologies into a cohesively blended human history. Sarmodel -- loveeeee. As much as the love and story between Sebastian and Antoine was emotional and interesting, I was just so in love with the love story between Sebastian and Sarmodel. Their dynamic was everything to me. I know this is such a far out read I should have a more well-thought out and well-written review. But the fact of the matter is that I just loved this so much that I'm kind of speechless.
If you like historical horror, interesting magic systems, doomed love, snarky buddy cop antics, stories that are so grand but are ultimately, at their heart, about human nature and connection -- this one is for you. I cannot recommend it enough. It is definitely my favorite book I've read this year so far.
Thanks to tor and netgalley for an arc in exchange for honest review.
December 23, 2025
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5stars)
A monster hunter bound to a demon is drawn back into a world of old sins, old loves, and a monstrous threat that has outlived centuries — weaving history with dark fantasy in a brutal, atmospheric tale.
What I Liked
A shockingly strong debut.
I genuinely can’t believe this is a first novel. The author blends historical fiction and dark fantasy with a confidence and grit that feels fully realized. The world is grim, visceral, and full of texture — from plague-ridden towns to blood-soaked forests — yet it never loses its emotional core.
Gothic, gritty, and deeply atmospheric.
The tone hits that perfect mix of brooding Gothic horror, French-Revolution-era tension, and inquisitorial dread. The creatures, possessions, and were-beast elements feel both brutal and strangely grounded in the era’s limited knowledge of science and philosophy.
A fascinating protagonist.
Sebastian Grave is layered, compelling, and intentionally mysterious. Immortal. Possessed. Physician. Magician. Monster hunter. Yet unsure of what he truly is. That tension — the mix of power, guilt, tragedy, and self-denial — makes him one of the more interesting dark-fantasy narrators I’ve read in a while.
Multi-timeline storytelling done well.
The narrative moves between:
• the “present” retrospective voice,
• events in the late 1700s, and
• a deeper storyline reaching back to the 1400s.
The audio made these transitions clearer, and the weaving of historical reinterpretations (including notable figures touched by supernatural influence) added a clever and eerie dimension.
A tragic, forbidden love story at its heart.
Without spoiling anything, the relationship woven throughout the past timeline is tender, haunting, and central to the emotional weight of the book. It gives the story a soul amid the blood, demons, and darkness.
The misfit trio dynamic.
Sebastian, the demon bound to him, and the succubus who works for him form a strangely charming, darkly humorous little “family.” It’s not a cozy dynamic — more like a group of sharp-edged immortals who tolerate and banter their way through centuries — but it adds levity exactly where it’s needed.
What Didn’t Quite Work for Me
Some worldbuilding elements felt under-explained.
There are multiple names for the same demon, multiple origins for the same creature, and a general haze around what many of these entities truly are. Angels, demons, beasts, possessions — the metaphysics stay intentionally murky. It fits the tone, but it can leave you feeling like you wanted just a little more clarity.
The timeline and mythology can get confusing.
It’s ambitious and mostly successful, but there are moments where the narrative jumps or the lore density makes you pause to reorient.
Sebastian’s nature is almost too ambiguous.
Part of the point is that he doesn’t fully understand what he is — but as a reader, you may feel that same uncertainty more than once.
Overall Thoughts & Recommendation
The Red Winter is a brutal, atmospheric, beautifully dark historical fantasy that delivers far more than I expected. It blends horror, history, and gothic mystery with a tragic, emotionally charged love story at the center. The humor and banter keep the grimness from becoming overwhelming, and the concept of a centuries-long battle between possessing entities is genuinely compelling.
If you enjoy:
• gritty gothic fantasy
• monster hunters with emotional depth
• morally ambiguous demons
• multi-timeline storytelling
• tragic love stories
• history reimagined through a dark-fantasy lens
…this is absolutely worth picking up when it releases in February 2026.
I listened to the audiobook and thought it was incredibly well done — I’d happily pick up a physical copy to revisit the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars. Dark, visceral, emotional, and surprisingly tender beneath all the gore.
A monster hunter bound to a demon is drawn back into a world of old sins, old loves, and a monstrous threat that has outlived centuries — weaving history with dark fantasy in a brutal, atmospheric tale.
What I Liked
A shockingly strong debut.
I genuinely can’t believe this is a first novel. The author blends historical fiction and dark fantasy with a confidence and grit that feels fully realized. The world is grim, visceral, and full of texture — from plague-ridden towns to blood-soaked forests — yet it never loses its emotional core.
Gothic, gritty, and deeply atmospheric.
The tone hits that perfect mix of brooding Gothic horror, French-Revolution-era tension, and inquisitorial dread. The creatures, possessions, and were-beast elements feel both brutal and strangely grounded in the era’s limited knowledge of science and philosophy.
A fascinating protagonist.
Sebastian Grave is layered, compelling, and intentionally mysterious. Immortal. Possessed. Physician. Magician. Monster hunter. Yet unsure of what he truly is. That tension — the mix of power, guilt, tragedy, and self-denial — makes him one of the more interesting dark-fantasy narrators I’ve read in a while.
Multi-timeline storytelling done well.
The narrative moves between:
• the “present” retrospective voice,
• events in the late 1700s, and
• a deeper storyline reaching back to the 1400s.
The audio made these transitions clearer, and the weaving of historical reinterpretations (including notable figures touched by supernatural influence) added a clever and eerie dimension.
A tragic, forbidden love story at its heart.
Without spoiling anything, the relationship woven throughout the past timeline is tender, haunting, and central to the emotional weight of the book. It gives the story a soul amid the blood, demons, and darkness.
The misfit trio dynamic.
Sebastian, the demon bound to him, and the succubus who works for him form a strangely charming, darkly humorous little “family.” It’s not a cozy dynamic — more like a group of sharp-edged immortals who tolerate and banter their way through centuries — but it adds levity exactly where it’s needed.
What Didn’t Quite Work for Me
Some worldbuilding elements felt under-explained.
There are multiple names for the same demon, multiple origins for the same creature, and a general haze around what many of these entities truly are. Angels, demons, beasts, possessions — the metaphysics stay intentionally murky. It fits the tone, but it can leave you feeling like you wanted just a little more clarity.
The timeline and mythology can get confusing.
It’s ambitious and mostly successful, but there are moments where the narrative jumps or the lore density makes you pause to reorient.
Sebastian’s nature is almost too ambiguous.
Part of the point is that he doesn’t fully understand what he is — but as a reader, you may feel that same uncertainty more than once.
Overall Thoughts & Recommendation
The Red Winter is a brutal, atmospheric, beautifully dark historical fantasy that delivers far more than I expected. It blends horror, history, and gothic mystery with a tragic, emotionally charged love story at the center. The humor and banter keep the grimness from becoming overwhelming, and the concept of a centuries-long battle between possessing entities is genuinely compelling.
If you enjoy:
• gritty gothic fantasy
• monster hunters with emotional depth
• morally ambiguous demons
• multi-timeline storytelling
• tragic love stories
• history reimagined through a dark-fantasy lens
…this is absolutely worth picking up when it releases in February 2026.
I listened to the audiobook and thought it was incredibly well done — I’d happily pick up a physical copy to revisit the story.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALc of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars. Dark, visceral, emotional, and surprisingly tender beneath all the gore.
December 2, 2025
my rating is 4.5
Wow! I really enjoyed this debut historical epic fantasy story. So big in scope, timelines/POV's and really intriguing characters. The world building is important to the story and is done really well by Sebastian as he looks back on the past during his writing of the memoir.
Sebastian Grave is a killer character. He's queer, a monster hunter and immortal. He has a 'friend' who lives within him. Let's not call that a possesion, joined just sounds better! Sarmodel is a demon and he loves living hearts (eating them, if that wasn't clear). He also has some excellent dialogue, rapport and banter with Sebastian. I love them!
This is a brutal beast hunting story but it's also about love, loss and redemption. It's a little gory and spicy too!
A werewolf has been killing it's way through France and Sebastian has been hired to help. There are many dark twists, battles and shocks that happen, especially toward the end.
I found the emotion and relationship between Sebastian and Antoine so full of longing that it hurt my heart. This has everything I want in an epic fantasy (and a side of horror)
I was so happy to be approved for the ALC of the audiobook for this title. The narrators Rory Barnett and the wonderful Imogen Church brought all the nuanced emotion I could ask for. What a performance!
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this terrific title. My thoughts are my own.
Wow! I really enjoyed this debut historical epic fantasy story. So big in scope, timelines/POV's and really intriguing characters. The world building is important to the story and is done really well by Sebastian as he looks back on the past during his writing of the memoir.
Sebastian Grave is a killer character. He's queer, a monster hunter and immortal. He has a 'friend' who lives within him. Let's not call that a possesion, joined just sounds better! Sarmodel is a demon and he loves living hearts (eating them, if that wasn't clear). He also has some excellent dialogue, rapport and banter with Sebastian. I love them!
This is a brutal beast hunting story but it's also about love, loss and redemption. It's a little gory and spicy too!
A werewolf has been killing it's way through France and Sebastian has been hired to help. There are many dark twists, battles and shocks that happen, especially toward the end.
I found the emotion and relationship between Sebastian and Antoine so full of longing that it hurt my heart. This has everything I want in an epic fantasy (and a side of horror)
I was so happy to be approved for the ALC of the audiobook for this title. The narrators Rory Barnett and the wonderful Imogen Church brought all the nuanced emotion I could ask for. What a performance!
Thank you to NetGalley, Tor and Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen and review this terrific title. My thoughts are my own.
December 5, 2025
Thank you so much to the team at Tor for a physical proof copy of this book!
I haven’t read a proper high fantasy book in a long time and this one really reminded me why I love the genre! It had echoes of ‘The Name of the Wind’ and ‘The Witcher’; set in a fantasy version of France in the 1700s, where demons and spirits walk the land, and a terrible beast is hunting the town of Gevauden.
This book is told in three storylines that converge towards the end - the past, the present and a sideline about Jehenne D’Arc which I didn’t understand the significance of until suddenly I did! The main two story arcs are told from the POV of Professor Sebastian Grave; an immortal human who is possessed by an immensely powerful spirit, Sarmodel. They have this fun, almost lover-like relationship where they banter and sass each other. Whilst this book is definitely not a romance in any way, I had expected the main romantic element to be with Antoine, Sebastian’s human lover, whereas actually, I feel that the true love here is Sebastian and Sarmodel, who reminded me of a married couple who are deeply sick of each other’s shit, but still incredibly devoted 😹 The asides about Jehenne of D’Arc are told by Livia, succubus and Sebastian’s housekeeper. I loved Livia’s bratty ways - constantly winding Sebastian up. She was delightful comic relief and I loved her beautiful turn of phrase; ‘HEY MEATBAG’!
The book spans a whole generation of the Ocerne family and traverses across France. There is a lot of blood and fighting, so if you’re easily squeamish, especially with the death of animals (particularly dogs and horses) go into this with caution.
There is a lot of scathing commentary on religion and class differences; it draws a lot on the simmering run-up to the French Revolution and I loved the supernatural alternative explanation for it.
The reason this loses a star for me is because throughout the book there are a lot of footnotes, which the author has added to allow Livia and Sebastian to make these little asides; I found these fun at the start of the book, but as I read further they became annoying and pulled me out of the story and by the end I’d just stopped reading them. Who knows how much information I missed 😹 Also this book is incredibly long and whilst I did feel immersed in places, there were others where I felt it dragged… this however might be a ‘me’ issue though, as I remember feeling the same about The Name of the Wind 😹
Overall a great read and one I’m glad I got the chance to experience! It’s available in Feb 2026 ✨
Read The Red Winter for:
✨ 1700 France, High Fantasy w/magic
✨ Queer main character
✨ Gods, demons and spirits
✨ Non-chronological storytelling
✨ Flawed yet sympathetic MCs
✨ Immortal man and his demon
✨ Bloody and gory
✨ The world’s sassiest succubus
✨ Excellent world-building
I haven’t read a proper high fantasy book in a long time and this one really reminded me why I love the genre! It had echoes of ‘The Name of the Wind’ and ‘The Witcher’; set in a fantasy version of France in the 1700s, where demons and spirits walk the land, and a terrible beast is hunting the town of Gevauden.
This book is told in three storylines that converge towards the end - the past, the present and a sideline about Jehenne D’Arc which I didn’t understand the significance of until suddenly I did! The main two story arcs are told from the POV of Professor Sebastian Grave; an immortal human who is possessed by an immensely powerful spirit, Sarmodel. They have this fun, almost lover-like relationship where they banter and sass each other. Whilst this book is definitely not a romance in any way, I had expected the main romantic element to be with Antoine, Sebastian’s human lover, whereas actually, I feel that the true love here is Sebastian and Sarmodel, who reminded me of a married couple who are deeply sick of each other’s shit, but still incredibly devoted 😹 The asides about Jehenne of D’Arc are told by Livia, succubus and Sebastian’s housekeeper. I loved Livia’s bratty ways - constantly winding Sebastian up. She was delightful comic relief and I loved her beautiful turn of phrase; ‘HEY MEATBAG’!
The book spans a whole generation of the Ocerne family and traverses across France. There is a lot of blood and fighting, so if you’re easily squeamish, especially with the death of animals (particularly dogs and horses) go into this with caution.
There is a lot of scathing commentary on religion and class differences; it draws a lot on the simmering run-up to the French Revolution and I loved the supernatural alternative explanation for it.
The reason this loses a star for me is because throughout the book there are a lot of footnotes, which the author has added to allow Livia and Sebastian to make these little asides; I found these fun at the start of the book, but as I read further they became annoying and pulled me out of the story and by the end I’d just stopped reading them. Who knows how much information I missed 😹 Also this book is incredibly long and whilst I did feel immersed in places, there were others where I felt it dragged… this however might be a ‘me’ issue though, as I remember feeling the same about The Name of the Wind 😹
Overall a great read and one I’m glad I got the chance to experience! It’s available in Feb 2026 ✨
Read The Red Winter for:
✨ 1700 France, High Fantasy w/magic
✨ Queer main character
✨ Gods, demons and spirits
✨ Non-chronological storytelling
✨ Flawed yet sympathetic MCs
✨ Immortal man and his demon
✨ Bloody and gory
✨ The world’s sassiest succubus
✨ Excellent world-building
Want to read
August 9, 2025okay I was already very interested in this, but I just saw it on edelweiss and one of the comps is interview with the vampire.. the television series... i'm sat until further notice
December 3, 2025
Thanks to Macmillan Audio, Tor, and NetGalley for this Advanced Reader Copy.
5/5 Stars.
An absolutely stunning debut novel by Cameron Sullivan that has left me yearning for more from his masterfully crafted world. This book was everything I did not know I needed; I adored pretty much all faucets of it: the world building, the characters, the plot, and the devastating relationships throughout. Sullivan quickly had me in love with his cast of characters and the love-hate relationship they all shared. I especially fell in love with Sarmodel as the demon’s snarky attitude had me chuckling and understanding the frustration of being a powerful demon trapped with a frustratingly (mostly) decent human. Specifically, Sarmodel made me realize that this book, in a way, is an adult version of the Bartimaeus Sequence, which I adored as a kid partly due to those same reasons. I had forgotten how much I love the relationship between powerful demons and mortals who they still must, regretfully, overly rely on at times. Sullivan filled the longing that I did not know I had in this book while intertwining it with a tragic story of love and mistakes as Sebastian’s desires and morals continually clash in the midst of slaughter. I was devastated by the ending both for finishing way too soon but also for Sebastian’s final choice. I sincerely hope that Sullivan will continue to write in this world he has created as it is one of the best I have been graced to know in a good while.
I also want to take a second to compliment both Rory Barnett and Imogen Church for how fantastic they were with their narration: they revealed an aspect that I believe could possibly go above the heads of physical readers in the shift of Sebastian and Sarmodel’s tone in Livia’s portions of the novel, revealing the way others viewed the two of them. Besides that nuanced point, both Barnett and Church in general did such a fantastic job and have my thanks for their performance. I eagerly await the next book that Sullivan blesses us with.
5/5 Stars.
An absolutely stunning debut novel by Cameron Sullivan that has left me yearning for more from his masterfully crafted world. This book was everything I did not know I needed; I adored pretty much all faucets of it: the world building, the characters, the plot, and the devastating relationships throughout. Sullivan quickly had me in love with his cast of characters and the love-hate relationship they all shared. I especially fell in love with Sarmodel as the demon’s snarky attitude had me chuckling and understanding the frustration of being a powerful demon trapped with a frustratingly (mostly) decent human. Specifically, Sarmodel made me realize that this book, in a way, is an adult version of the Bartimaeus Sequence, which I adored as a kid partly due to those same reasons. I had forgotten how much I love the relationship between powerful demons and mortals who they still must, regretfully, overly rely on at times. Sullivan filled the longing that I did not know I had in this book while intertwining it with a tragic story of love and mistakes as Sebastian’s desires and morals continually clash in the midst of slaughter. I was devastated by the ending both for finishing way too soon but also for Sebastian’s final choice. I sincerely hope that Sullivan will continue to write in this world he has created as it is one of the best I have been graced to know in a good while.
I also want to take a second to compliment both Rory Barnett and Imogen Church for how fantastic they were with their narration: they revealed an aspect that I believe could possibly go above the heads of physical readers in the shift of Sebastian and Sarmodel’s tone in Livia’s portions of the novel, revealing the way others viewed the two of them. Besides that nuanced point, both Barnett and Church in general did such a fantastic job and have my thanks for their performance. I eagerly await the next book that Sullivan blesses us with.
June 30, 2025
This was nothing that I expected, but an excellent read. The prose is beautiful, it's filled with humor and wit, and the monsters aren't all that you'd expect. While I was hoping for a touch more horror, since that's where I found the book through Netgalley, I was entranced with how wonderfully written this was and burned through it in three days. The dual inhabiting concept with the demon was masterfully done, and the relationship between them both poignant and terrifying. I've never read anything from Sullivan before this, but will be watching closely to see where he goes from here.
November 21, 2025
As a mash-up of historical fantasy with a queer relationship, and a touch of horror this was not what I was expecting. This novel is being billed as an origin story of the werewolf. I suppose, to a degree, it is. In reality, this was entertaining, a bit gory and quite amusing. The footnotes were especially fun/funny if you enjoy snark and I do. While the story is resolved there many loose ends that lead me to believe that this debut author is not finished with these characters and I’m glad of it.
November 19, 2025
There were a lot of things I liked about this book, even though it turned out to be a bit different from what I’d expected. For some reason, I went into it thinking the story would take place during the French Revolution, only to discover that it actually happens earlier, right around the first sparks that would eventually lead to it.
The novel follows Sebastian, a sorcerer/magician/professor who is possessed by a demon named Sarmodel and therefore cannot die. After twenty years away, he returns to a small village where decades earlier he’d been asked to confront a Beast that was terrorizing the local population. The book takes inspiration from the tale of the Beast of Gévaudan. The narrative moves across several timelines in which Sebastian encounters the creature: one in the 1780s, another during the first hunt in the 1760s, and a third in the 1400s that follows a Joan of Arc–adjacent character.
I really enjoyed the beast hunting and magic infused atmosphere that reminded me of The Witcher series. The mystery surrounding the identity of the Beast is handled well enough to keep the reader engaged. However, the book does get noticeably gorier as it progresses, so if that isn’t your thing, consider yourself warned.
Since the plot is quite straightforward and mostly follows the protagonist as he hunts the Beast, what truly elevates the story are the interactions between the characters. The dynamic between Sebastian and Sarmodel will be be a highlight for many readers because it is funny and full of banter. I also enjoyed his exchanges with the other central characters, including Antoine, the love interest from the 1760s, and Jacques, Antoine’s son in the 1780s. The romance is present and surprisingly emotional. Overall, the author balances humor and more serious themes in a way that makes the book compelling.
Moving to what didn’t work for me, I did struggle with the chapters set during the time of Joan of Arc. Although I had a nice reading experience overall, those flashbacks felt weaker in terms of character development and pacing, and they did not seem essential for understanding what was happening in the other two timelines.
I imagine some readers may take issue with the ending, since it’s quite open and there is no sequel announced. To be honest, I liked it. With a virtually immortal protagonist, an open ending feels natural. After all, we are only getting a small glimpse into his very long life.
All in all, this is a strong debut and a fantastic treat for readers who enjoy old school monster hunting fantasy with a dark edge. I recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The novel follows Sebastian, a sorcerer/magician/professor who is possessed by a demon named Sarmodel and therefore cannot die. After twenty years away, he returns to a small village where decades earlier he’d been asked to confront a Beast that was terrorizing the local population. The book takes inspiration from the tale of the Beast of Gévaudan. The narrative moves across several timelines in which Sebastian encounters the creature: one in the 1780s, another during the first hunt in the 1760s, and a third in the 1400s that follows a Joan of Arc–adjacent character.
I really enjoyed the beast hunting and magic infused atmosphere that reminded me of The Witcher series. The mystery surrounding the identity of the Beast is handled well enough to keep the reader engaged. However, the book does get noticeably gorier as it progresses, so if that isn’t your thing, consider yourself warned.
Since the plot is quite straightforward and mostly follows the protagonist as he hunts the Beast, what truly elevates the story are the interactions between the characters. The dynamic between Sebastian and Sarmodel will be be a highlight for many readers because it is funny and full of banter. I also enjoyed his exchanges with the other central characters, including Antoine, the love interest from the 1760s, and Jacques, Antoine’s son in the 1780s. The romance is present and surprisingly emotional. Overall, the author balances humor and more serious themes in a way that makes the book compelling.
Moving to what didn’t work for me, I did struggle with the chapters set during the time of Joan of Arc. Although I had a nice reading experience overall, those flashbacks felt weaker in terms of character development and pacing, and they did not seem essential for understanding what was happening in the other two timelines.
I imagine some readers may take issue with the ending, since it’s quite open and there is no sequel announced. To be honest, I liked it. With a virtually immortal protagonist, an open ending feels natural. After all, we are only getting a small glimpse into his very long life.
All in all, this is a strong debut and a fantastic treat for readers who enjoy old school monster hunting fantasy with a dark edge. I recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
November 10, 2025
It’s here, it’s queer, and it may be one of the best books I’ve read all year. I don’t know that any description I provide of these characters will begin to do justice to just how compelling and fascinating they were. I *devoured* this book and I so, so hope that Cameron Sullivan will return to these characters and this wonderful little arcane twist on history he’s created. Let moral ambiguity and the existential horrors of existence commence!
I also have to shout out the POV changes in narration, Livia’s perspective is dryly humorous and contrasts the much more serious subtexts of Sebastian’s chapters. I also found myself pleasantly surprised with how well written the chapters from Sebastian’s POV were as we jumped back and forth in time. I felt like the transitions were well done, I was never confused by what I was reading, and I was usually always left wanting to know more. Without spoiling anything, it was sort of like receiving three stories in one book; and each story was extremely well written, tightly interlocked, and well paced.
I also have to praise the horror elements of the novel because it seems a true rarity to find horror that’s written as exquisitely as this. There were all the elements of blood and gore a reader could want, paired with a sense of tastefulness from the fact that these scenes served a true purpose in advancing the plot or our understanding of the characters. The gruesome scenes bookend well with the existentialism Sebastian confronts throughout the novel, as facets of his history and character are carefully revealed to the reader. Truly, a 10/10 reading experience. I will be eagerly waiting for whatever Cameron Sullivan puts out next.
I also have to shout out the POV changes in narration, Livia’s perspective is dryly humorous and contrasts the much more serious subtexts of Sebastian’s chapters. I also found myself pleasantly surprised with how well written the chapters from Sebastian’s POV were as we jumped back and forth in time. I felt like the transitions were well done, I was never confused by what I was reading, and I was usually always left wanting to know more. Without spoiling anything, it was sort of like receiving three stories in one book; and each story was extremely well written, tightly interlocked, and well paced.
I also have to praise the horror elements of the novel because it seems a true rarity to find horror that’s written as exquisitely as this. There were all the elements of blood and gore a reader could want, paired with a sense of tastefulness from the fact that these scenes served a true purpose in advancing the plot or our understanding of the characters. The gruesome scenes bookend well with the existentialism Sebastian confronts throughout the novel, as facets of his history and character are carefully revealed to the reader. Truly, a 10/10 reading experience. I will be eagerly waiting for whatever Cameron Sullivan puts out next.
November 6, 2025
This was fun and gross and absolutely immersive. My only complaint is that there are three very similar stories happening across three timelines and sometimes it's hard to keep things straight or remember what happened right before the cut. it's VERY Witcher in terms of pacing and atmosphere.
I loved Sebastian and Sarmodel and they're going to be living in my brain for a while, though.
I loved Sebastian and Sarmodel and they're going to be living in my brain for a while, though.
Want to read
December 2, 2025Making this note I have the ARC sitting in my living room.
November 28, 2025
Well-written sprawling historical fiction. Lots of blood lust, more than I like frankly. While I admire the craft of this tale, I found it disappointing in terms of actual historical context; the history bits are basically separate from the main plot and, while interesting, do little to elevate the story overall and could have been omitted entirely with little impact on the story itself. Best for people who like blood and lust as primary drivers of story.
Thank you to Tor for gifting me an ARC for review.
Thank you to Tor for gifting me an ARC for review.
June 21, 2025
The tagline for this book is “Power is a Hungry Beast”, but I accidentally saw the German cover first and now can only think of it as “Power is eine Hungry Beastie”, and all of this to say I am actually eine hungry beastie because I want more writing from Cameron Sullivan and I don’t care what I have to bargain with to get it.
Despite its sharp humor and clever commentaries, The Red Winter packs a devastating emotional punch. It is laugh-out-loud funny, and also one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. (I should add a disclaimer that if those two characteristics make it sound light at all, it is not. There is QUITE a bit of gore, and a few moving dog deaths. Proceed with caution.)
I cannot stop thinking about Sullivan’s history and mythology, all of it presented in a way that feels deeply emotional and character-driven. If you’ve ever found yourself lost in thought about how different mythologies/religions could interact in a world beyond our ken, this is a book for you.
There are other reviews that go into much greater detail on why this book is so good, but I cannot go on without devolving into completely chaotic rambling, so I’ll leave it with a quote:
“What is war if not slaughter in the streets, decorated with a banner? Rome was built on it.”
I am OBSESSED and deeply indebted to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC.
Despite its sharp humor and clever commentaries, The Red Winter packs a devastating emotional punch. It is laugh-out-loud funny, and also one of the most romantic things I’ve ever read. (I should add a disclaimer that if those two characteristics make it sound light at all, it is not. There is QUITE a bit of gore, and a few moving dog deaths. Proceed with caution.)
I cannot stop thinking about Sullivan’s history and mythology, all of it presented in a way that feels deeply emotional and character-driven. If you’ve ever found yourself lost in thought about how different mythologies/religions could interact in a world beyond our ken, this is a book for you.
There are other reviews that go into much greater detail on why this book is so good, but I cannot go on without devolving into completely chaotic rambling, so I’ll leave it with a quote:
“What is war if not slaughter in the streets, decorated with a banner? Rome was built on it.”
I am OBSESSED and deeply indebted to Tor and NetGalley for this ARC.
June 12, 2025
The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan completely blew me away - what an amazing and well-written debut!
Written in first-person limited singular POV, the book contains three alternating timelines: current day, recent past as it relates to the current day, and an ancient past as it relates to the current day. Overall, it is a recounting of past events in the life of the narrator. There are infrequent interspersions of a second POV, but this is in a note-taking sort of capacity. There are FOOTNOTES and I loved them; I can see how some people would find them distracting, especially when reading the e-book, but I found them delightful.
A dark, queer, historical fantasy, it focuses on the ravages of the Beast of Gévaudan and how Sebastien, our warlock-antihero and his accompanying demonic allies, are wrapped up it in. The writing is crisp, cynical, with an acerbic, self-effacing humor that fits the characters and story well. I literally did not want to put this book down and got irrationally mad at my husband when he tried to interrupt my reading.
Our MMC Sebastien is accompanied by Livia, a succubus, and Sarmodel, a demon who bonded Sebastien when he was a child and resides in him, fueling his more spectacular Arcane abilities. Sebastien is bisexual, and the romantic subplot between him and another MC does heavy plot work, informing Sebastien’s motivations and actions. This is not a “spice” book, as the relationship more so than the consummation of the relationship is the focus - that being said there is mild same-sex sexual content.
Our story starts 20 years prior, c 1765, when, suspecting that the Beast currently rampaging through the countryside and consuming the hearts of the slain was an Arcane creature and thus in need of an Arcane solution, Sebastien arrives in the barony of Gévaudan and quickly falls in with Antoine, the heir to the barony and a dissolute rake. This storyline could be considered the main of the three as the bulk of the plot-work occurs here.
The story flashes forward to c 1785 when Jacques, the son of Antoine, comes to find Sebastien and to beg his help, as the beast has returned to ravage his family’s lands once more. Sebastien agrees, over the objections of Sarmodel, and soon uncovers horrors and betrayals tied to events 20 years prior.
The third timeline is set c 1430 in the time of Jehanne d’Arc and while hitting that timeline was initially jarring, the information contained is relevant and does solid plot work. I also probably enjoyed the world-building and tone of this one the most.
The author does an excellent job of weaving all three together, and I felt that the alternation helped maintain tension versus interrupting the flow. I was excited for each timeline, and enjoyed them equally. The world-building and characterizations are both phenomenal, and I really enjoyed how the author layered in information throughout versus a front-loaded information dump. I really really enjoyed the magic system, being an interesting mish mash of historical occult practices, ancient Greco-Roman mythology, as well as Judeo-Christian religion. The world itself is definitely our world, just overlaid with magic.
I definitely see the potential for serial installments in the misadventures of Sebastien, et. al., and I will anxiously await additional volumes. I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait for my hard copy to arrive. B&N has a sprayed edge edition, and I will be acquiring it for the shelf. Highest of recommends, extremely enjoyable.
Written in first-person limited singular POV, the book contains three alternating timelines: current day, recent past as it relates to the current day, and an ancient past as it relates to the current day. Overall, it is a recounting of past events in the life of the narrator. There are infrequent interspersions of a second POV, but this is in a note-taking sort of capacity. There are FOOTNOTES and I loved them; I can see how some people would find them distracting, especially when reading the e-book, but I found them delightful.
A dark, queer, historical fantasy, it focuses on the ravages of the Beast of Gévaudan and how Sebastien, our warlock-antihero and his accompanying demonic allies, are wrapped up it in. The writing is crisp, cynical, with an acerbic, self-effacing humor that fits the characters and story well. I literally did not want to put this book down and got irrationally mad at my husband when he tried to interrupt my reading.
Our MMC Sebastien is accompanied by Livia, a succubus, and Sarmodel, a demon who bonded Sebastien when he was a child and resides in him, fueling his more spectacular Arcane abilities. Sebastien is bisexual, and the romantic subplot between him and another MC does heavy plot work, informing Sebastien’s motivations and actions. This is not a “spice” book, as the relationship more so than the consummation of the relationship is the focus - that being said there is mild same-sex sexual content.
Our story starts 20 years prior, c 1765, when, suspecting that the Beast currently rampaging through the countryside and consuming the hearts of the slain was an Arcane creature and thus in need of an Arcane solution, Sebastien arrives in the barony of Gévaudan and quickly falls in with Antoine, the heir to the barony and a dissolute rake. This storyline could be considered the main of the three as the bulk of the plot-work occurs here.
The story flashes forward to c 1785 when Jacques, the son of Antoine, comes to find Sebastien and to beg his help, as the beast has returned to ravage his family’s lands once more. Sebastien agrees, over the objections of Sarmodel, and soon uncovers horrors and betrayals tied to events 20 years prior.
The third timeline is set c 1430 in the time of Jehanne d’Arc and while hitting that timeline was initially jarring, the information contained is relevant and does solid plot work. I also probably enjoyed the world-building and tone of this one the most.
The author does an excellent job of weaving all three together, and I felt that the alternation helped maintain tension versus interrupting the flow. I was excited for each timeline, and enjoyed them equally. The world-building and characterizations are both phenomenal, and I really enjoyed how the author layered in information throughout versus a front-loaded information dump. I really really enjoyed the magic system, being an interesting mish mash of historical occult practices, ancient Greco-Roman mythology, as well as Judeo-Christian religion. The world itself is definitely our world, just overlaid with magic.
I definitely see the potential for serial installments in the misadventures of Sebastien, et. al., and I will anxiously await additional volumes. I absolutely loved this book, and I can’t wait for my hard copy to arrive. B&N has a sprayed edge edition, and I will be acquiring it for the shelf. Highest of recommends, extremely enjoyable.
June 29, 2025
I received a free copy from Tor Books via Netgalley in exchange for a fair review. Publish date 24 February.
I was intrigued by this book's striking cover and historical fiction horror premise. In The Red Winter, immortal demon-possessed magician Sebastian Grave is dragged back to rural France confront the Beast he failed to kill twenty years ago. But can Sebastian survive confronting the demon that killed hundreds, the lover he left behind him, or the fatal mistakes he made decades ago?
The Red Winter is told through a series of three timelines: the current-day one set in 1760s France and two flashback timelines, one to what happened with the Beast twenty years before in Gevaudan, and another recounting how Sebastian first encountered the Beast in the time of Joan of Arc. The chapters are relatively short and switch timelines fluently, which serves to keep the plot moving despite the fact that the meat of the story is the near-past timeline, with very little happening in the present day except a road trip and Sebastian confronting the consequences of what he left undone twenty years before.
The magic system underpinning the worldbuilding is well-constructed, if relatively familiar. Demons feed on human anima to grow stronger, and since Sebastian is host to a demon, he must feed on demon and human "souls"--thus his interest in hunting a particularly powerful demon. In this setting, Christian and Greco-Roman mythology are incorporated as just another kind of demon, and one of Sebastian's major antagonists is the Archangel Michael, who's hunting the Beast as well as human souls to feed to his sleeping god.
However, Sebastian's position as an immortal magician older than Rome lends a detachment to his narration that isn't entirely to my taste. Not to mention his sense of superiority towards other humans exacerbated by the fact that his closest companion is a demon who refers to people as disposable "meatbags." This cruelty serves as an effective reminder that Sebastian is, after all, a monster who eats people, but it's not always a comfortable headspace to be in for over five hundred pages. Likewise, Sebastian's romance with Antoine, lord of Gevaudan, is recounted with a detachment which seems to stem with the text's fascinated disgust with sex, from the contempt for the sex demon Livia who Sebastian keeps enslaved, to the fixation on Joan of Arc's virginity, to the sneering attitude towards marital infidelity.
Not without flaws, but a striking work of historical horror grounded in excellent worldbuilding. The voices clamoring for gorier, more monstrous werewolf fiction will be well satisfied with this book.
I was intrigued by this book's striking cover and historical fiction horror premise. In The Red Winter, immortal demon-possessed magician Sebastian Grave is dragged back to rural France confront the Beast he failed to kill twenty years ago. But can Sebastian survive confronting the demon that killed hundreds, the lover he left behind him, or the fatal mistakes he made decades ago?
The Red Winter is told through a series of three timelines: the current-day one set in 1760s France and two flashback timelines, one to what happened with the Beast twenty years before in Gevaudan, and another recounting how Sebastian first encountered the Beast in the time of Joan of Arc. The chapters are relatively short and switch timelines fluently, which serves to keep the plot moving despite the fact that the meat of the story is the near-past timeline, with very little happening in the present day except a road trip and Sebastian confronting the consequences of what he left undone twenty years before.
The magic system underpinning the worldbuilding is well-constructed, if relatively familiar. Demons feed on human anima to grow stronger, and since Sebastian is host to a demon, he must feed on demon and human "souls"--thus his interest in hunting a particularly powerful demon. In this setting, Christian and Greco-Roman mythology are incorporated as just another kind of demon, and one of Sebastian's major antagonists is the Archangel Michael, who's hunting the Beast as well as human souls to feed to his sleeping god.
However, Sebastian's position as an immortal magician older than Rome lends a detachment to his narration that isn't entirely to my taste. Not to mention his sense of superiority towards other humans exacerbated by the fact that his closest companion is a demon who refers to people as disposable "meatbags." This cruelty serves as an effective reminder that Sebastian is, after all, a monster who eats people, but it's not always a comfortable headspace to be in for over five hundred pages. Likewise, Sebastian's romance with Antoine, lord of Gevaudan, is recounted with a detachment which seems to stem with the text's fascinated disgust with sex, from the contempt for the sex demon Livia who Sebastian keeps enslaved, to the fixation on Joan of Arc's virginity, to the sneering attitude towards marital infidelity.
Not without flaws, but a striking work of historical horror grounded in excellent worldbuilding. The voices clamoring for gorier, more monstrous werewolf fiction will be well satisfied with this book.
October 24, 2025
Thank you to Tor Books and Netgalley for the e-ARC of this book.
If you'd like to read more of my reviews, you can check them out here.
If you've ever heard of the Beast of Gévaudan in any context whatsoever, than you know that in the late 1700's a beast terrorized the French countryside attacking and eating humans without discrimination. To this day, we have no idea what sort of animal it was. It was described as russet-colored, with dark streaks/stripes, a dark stripe down its back, and a tail longer than a wolf's ending in a tuft. Eyewitnesses said it had large teeth and claws, and seemed to be the size of a cow. It sounds, to me, anyway, like a tiger, but what do I know? Most experts seem to think the Beast was a young lion, a hyena, or a wolf. But again, we don't know. What we do know is that 98 of the 113 victims were partially eaten. Gross.
ANYWAY -- The Red Winter takes that true life horror story and turns it into something supernatural. Our main character is a warlock named Sebastian, who is possessed by a demon named Sarmodel. Sarmodel is the source of most of Sebastian's power, and he's incredibly sarcastic. I loved him. Sebastian himself is fun, too, but Sarmodel was the best. Sebastian is brought in to France to lend his expertise to the problem at hand. In the midst of discovering what is causing the attacks, Sebastian falls in love with a lord's son. Yes, surprise, The Red Winter is queer, and lovely for it.
This book was so well done, and so much fun to read. It's very grisly, and kinda gross in some parts, but Cameron Sullivan did a wonderful job blending the magic, gore, and love that is set right in the middle of this book. I do hope that he'll write more in this world, bc it was such a fun ride from start to end.
Four and a half stars, easy.
If you'd like to read more of my reviews, you can check them out here.
If you've ever heard of the Beast of Gévaudan in any context whatsoever, than you know that in the late 1700's a beast terrorized the French countryside attacking and eating humans without discrimination. To this day, we have no idea what sort of animal it was. It was described as russet-colored, with dark streaks/stripes, a dark stripe down its back, and a tail longer than a wolf's ending in a tuft. Eyewitnesses said it had large teeth and claws, and seemed to be the size of a cow. It sounds, to me, anyway, like a tiger, but what do I know? Most experts seem to think the Beast was a young lion, a hyena, or a wolf. But again, we don't know. What we do know is that 98 of the 113 victims were partially eaten. Gross.
ANYWAY -- The Red Winter takes that true life horror story and turns it into something supernatural. Our main character is a warlock named Sebastian, who is possessed by a demon named Sarmodel. Sarmodel is the source of most of Sebastian's power, and he's incredibly sarcastic. I loved him. Sebastian himself is fun, too, but Sarmodel was the best. Sebastian is brought in to France to lend his expertise to the problem at hand. In the midst of discovering what is causing the attacks, Sebastian falls in love with a lord's son. Yes, surprise, The Red Winter is queer, and lovely for it.
This book was so well done, and so much fun to read. It's very grisly, and kinda gross in some parts, but Cameron Sullivan did a wonderful job blending the magic, gore, and love that is set right in the middle of this book. I do hope that he'll write more in this world, bc it was such a fun ride from start to end.
Four and a half stars, easy.
July 6, 2025
This was an incredible and unexpected adventure. I went into it thinking it would be a “normal” historical-epic fantasy, but I was pleasantly surprised! This book is part adventure, part romance, part horror, part comedy, and part historical fantasy, a really ambitious mix.
I picked up the first chapter on a whim, just to get a feel for the book, and I was so entertained and engrossed that I dropped all the other books to keep reading.
It’s incredible that this is a debut. The author did an amazing job creating a rich, complex world and compelling characters. I especially loved the bond between the protagonist and the inhuman entity only Sebastian can see and communicate with, it reminded me a lot of Sancia and Clef in Foundryside, The daek comedy is gold, the plot, worldbuilding, and magic system are all intriguing and well-developed.
The only real issue I had was with the pacing and the narrative direction. Just when I thought I understood where the story was going, it shifted, again and again. I expected the present timeline to be the main focus, but we spent most of the book in the past. I thought it would be an adventure story, then it pivoted to focus on romance, and so on. These shifts weren’t badly done, but they threw me off. Also, I personally didn’t enjoy the Joan of Arc storyline.
4.25/4.5 rounded down. Thank you Tor, the author and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I loved this and I'm curious to see what else Cameron Sullivan will write.
I picked up the first chapter on a whim, just to get a feel for the book, and I was so entertained and engrossed that I dropped all the other books to keep reading.
It’s incredible that this is a debut. The author did an amazing job creating a rich, complex world and compelling characters. I especially loved the bond between the protagonist and the inhuman entity only Sebastian can see and communicate with, it reminded me a lot of Sancia and Clef in Foundryside, The daek comedy is gold, the plot, worldbuilding, and magic system are all intriguing and well-developed.
The only real issue I had was with the pacing and the narrative direction. Just when I thought I understood where the story was going, it shifted, again and again. I expected the present timeline to be the main focus, but we spent most of the book in the past. I thought it would be an adventure story, then it pivoted to focus on romance, and so on. These shifts weren’t badly done, but they threw me off. Also, I personally didn’t enjoy the Joan of Arc storyline.
4.25/4.5 rounded down. Thank you Tor, the author and netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review. I loved this and I'm curious to see what else Cameron Sullivan will write.
December 1, 2025
I don’t usually reach for historical fiction, especially when it comes in a tome as hefty as this one, but The Red Winter was ultimately impossible for me to resist. Marketed as the origin story of the very first werewolf — “a tragic love story, a bewitching twist on history, and a blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption” — it delivers all that and more.
Set against the backdrop of the late 1700s and the French Revolution, the novel unfolds as the memoir of Sebastian, an immortal narrator whose morally grey complexity makes him as magnetic as he is unpredictable. He thrives on mystery and mayhem, and Sullivan captures his voice with a mix of menace and wit that keeps the pages turning.
What struck me most was how well balanced it was: it’s dark, queer, and gloriously gory, yet cheeky enough not to drown in its own seriousness. Sullivan juggles three timelines and multiple subplots with the ease of a seasoned storyteller, weaving them into a narrative that feels both epic and intimate. I found myself loathe to put it down, wishing that I didn't have to tend to my real life responsibilities until I had fully devoured it.
For a debut, this is nothing short of smashing — a bold, blood-soaked, and irresistibly entertaining entry into the genre. Cameron Sullivan has announced himself with a howl, and I can’t wait to see what he conjures next.
If you fell hard for Alex Grecian's Red Rabbit, Karen Russell's The Antidote, or Keith Rosson's Coffin Moon, I think you would love this!
Set against the backdrop of the late 1700s and the French Revolution, the novel unfolds as the memoir of Sebastian, an immortal narrator whose morally grey complexity makes him as magnetic as he is unpredictable. He thrives on mystery and mayhem, and Sullivan captures his voice with a mix of menace and wit that keeps the pages turning.
What struck me most was how well balanced it was: it’s dark, queer, and gloriously gory, yet cheeky enough not to drown in its own seriousness. Sullivan juggles three timelines and multiple subplots with the ease of a seasoned storyteller, weaving them into a narrative that feels both epic and intimate. I found myself loathe to put it down, wishing that I didn't have to tend to my real life responsibilities until I had fully devoured it.
For a debut, this is nothing short of smashing — a bold, blood-soaked, and irresistibly entertaining entry into the genre. Cameron Sullivan has announced himself with a howl, and I can’t wait to see what he conjures next.
If you fell hard for Alex Grecian's Red Rabbit, Karen Russell's The Antidote, or Keith Rosson's Coffin Moon, I think you would love this!
November 27, 2025
Many thanks to Tor and Macmillan Audio for the preview. All opinions are my own.
Wow, this was nothing like what I expected, but I’m not mad about it. I’ve seen comps to Empire of the Vampire, especially on narrative structure, but it also very much reminded me of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It’s dark (grimdark really), gory, irreverent, at times funny, at times tragic, but definitely an entertaining time.
We have multiple timelines that the story jumps between. Sometimes these can get confusing, especially if you forget which year you’re in mid-action (guilty). We also have interludes told by Sebastian’s succubus Lizzie. There’s a ton of mythology and angels and demons too, which is sometimes overwhelming.
My favorite part of the story was the kind of middle timeline looking back at Sebastian’s relationship with Antoine.
The audio for this is fantastic. Truly it’s the best way to read the book. The 2 narrators do such an amazing job with the performance and add so much to the experience. I think a lot of the wit wouldn’t hit as well had I read it with my eyes.
I did get emotional at the end. It’s not a feel good happy story, and there are absolutely some tragic moments. But it makes sense for the story. It feels like the book is left open for more potential stories from Sebastian too. I wouldn’t mind hearing more from him in the future!
Wow, this was nothing like what I expected, but I’m not mad about it. I’ve seen comps to Empire of the Vampire, especially on narrative structure, but it also very much reminded me of The Devils by Joe Abercrombie. It’s dark (grimdark really), gory, irreverent, at times funny, at times tragic, but definitely an entertaining time.
We have multiple timelines that the story jumps between. Sometimes these can get confusing, especially if you forget which year you’re in mid-action (guilty). We also have interludes told by Sebastian’s succubus Lizzie. There’s a ton of mythology and angels and demons too, which is sometimes overwhelming.
My favorite part of the story was the kind of middle timeline looking back at Sebastian’s relationship with Antoine.
The audio for this is fantastic. Truly it’s the best way to read the book. The 2 narrators do such an amazing job with the performance and add so much to the experience. I think a lot of the wit wouldn’t hit as well had I read it with my eyes.
I did get emotional at the end. It’s not a feel good happy story, and there are absolutely some tragic moments. But it makes sense for the story. It feels like the book is left open for more potential stories from Sebastian too. I wouldn’t mind hearing more from him in the future!
November 15, 2025
I'm stunned that this was a debut, as it was an absolute masterpiece of queer, historical, dark fantasy deeply embedded with horror elements. As someone low-key obsessed with history, this book was drenched in it, from retelling the legend of the beast of Gévaudan, Joan of Arc, and even incorporating Gille de Rais, the serial killer thought to be the inspiration behind the dark fairytale Bluebeard. The dark fantasy blended with horror and history was done to perfection as well, making The Red Winter an enthralling read and probably my favorite of the year. And while the story was a complete tale, the author left it open for a potential sequel of which I'll be more than happy to read. Bravo, Cameron Sullivan! This was everything an avid reader of fantasy and horror could ask for.
Thank you to Tor for sending me an advanced reading copy on exchange for a fair and honest review.
Thank you to Tor for sending me an advanced reading copy on exchange for a fair and honest review.
November 1, 2025
This might be my top read of the year.
This book has everything:
A timeless, possessed magician;
A bound succubus;
Cursed noblemen;
French werewolves;
The Old Ones; and
Joan of Arc.
What an absolutely inspired and imaginative debut by this author. It supposedly took 10 years to finish writing this dark tale, and I see why with its interwoven story and lush world building. Although the story centers around a decades-long queer love story, there’s so much more that could be told about the contracts and exploits undertaken by Sebastian and Sarmodel as they fight monsters and aid the dead, and I’m begging to learn more. Please!
This book is The Witcher meets Jonathan Strange, with maybe a dash of Song of Achilles? Prepare yourself for some tears.
Thank you to Tor for the ARC.
This book has everything:
A timeless, possessed magician;
A bound succubus;
Cursed noblemen;
French werewolves;
The Old Ones; and
Joan of Arc.
What an absolutely inspired and imaginative debut by this author. It supposedly took 10 years to finish writing this dark tale, and I see why with its interwoven story and lush world building. Although the story centers around a decades-long queer love story, there’s so much more that could be told about the contracts and exploits undertaken by Sebastian and Sarmodel as they fight monsters and aid the dead, and I’m begging to learn more. Please!
This book is The Witcher meets Jonathan Strange, with maybe a dash of Song of Achilles? Prepare yourself for some tears.
Thank you to Tor for the ARC.
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