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 hardcopies to arrive. B&N has a sprayed edge edition, and TBB is doing a special edition, and I will be acquiring both for the shelf. Highest of recommends, extremely enjoyable.

From the moment the reader immerses themselves in this extraordinary book, it begins to bewitch and captivate. It starts with a clever historical fairytale nod, gracefully stepping through time with a delightful dash of horror and dark humor, creating an atmosphere so utterly enchanting it pulls you right into its whimsical embrace. This novel is a truly mesmerizing, romantic, and mysterious experience. It leads with the distinct feelings of oral traditions told by a storyteller around a campfire brimming with familiar whispers of folklore. The protagonist, Sebastian, and his demon, Sarmodel, are mischievous and dangerous, with a dash of humor surrounding their storied life of dark deeds.

As the tale spins on, it blossoms into something truly profound and deeply moving. For history enthusiasts, prepare to wander through a landscape adorned with seamless whispers of Roman and Christian themes.
Author Cameron Sullivan's The Red Winter weaves emotional threads that tug at your heart with a staggering impact by the time you reach its final flourish. This story is imbued with enigma and caustic humor that perfectly mirrors the delightfully messy complexities of the human experience. I wholeheartedly, with a skip and a grin, recommend this enchanting read!

Thank you to author Cameron Sullivan, publisher Tor Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to ARC read this remarkable book.

Really enjoyed this one, great characters, a story that pulled me in, and writing that felt super easy to sink into. It was hard to put down and stuck with me after I finished.

Sebastian Grave has a story to tell. Actually, after living for thousands of years, no doubt he has many. Here he tells just one, but the listener suspects this is the one closest to his ancient heart: that of the Beast of Gévaudan, the young nobleman with whom he hunted it in the Red Winter of 1766, and the events of 1785, when the nobleman's son came to tell him the Beast had returned.

His meandering story wends its way back and forth through the events these two periods, and flashes back to other times, in particular the 1400s and the life of Jeanne D'arc. Sebastian's throwaway mentions of ancient people, places, and gods implies his own history goes back perhaps as far as the Minoan era, although one never quite knows for sure. The pace is therefore necessarily slow, but in a way that truly feels like someone spinning out a story to a rapt audience.

By turns haunting, hilarious, and semi-historical (with a liberal application of magic, demons, and even angels), The Red Winter is a tale told beside a roaring fire by a brilliant storyteller of questionable honesty but undeniable charisma. The footnotes made me laugh out loud, and then final chapters made me weep. A truly remarkable novel and a frankly stunning debut.

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan, well written. I found the premise intriguing, but ultimately the book was not for me. I do think others will enjoy it. Thank you for giving me a chance with this book.

This was a DNF at about 60%. I ultimately decided that I would be better off moving on rather than trying to trudge through this 18th century history lesson any further. I had wanted more of a lighter history lesson, although the prose was certainly a draw, the character we follow was ultimately a bore. May be worth revisiting on a book club venture with others that would help get through the pitfalls and dips this book takes.

I loved this enthralling, "tell me a story" novel, with its many familiar folklore elements presented in an engaging and unique voice. The relationship between Sebastian and the demon Sarmodel, centuries old, lined with monstrous acts, resonates with love, tenderness, and playfulness---like an enduring marriage. Sebastian's love of the human Antoine is fanciful and even reckless; but what is love except both folly and the ultimate purpose of existence? This is at the heart of Sullivan's tale.

History readers will appreciate the many references to Roman and Christian history, and Sullivan's clever intertwining of characters like Joan of Arc with Mars and the archangel Michael. This is a smart and intellectual retelling but it's also sensual, downright funny, and altogether human. Would highly recommend.

If you are wanting to brush up on some 18th century french lore with paranormal liberties this may be the book for you.

Pacing of the book was easier in the two modern point-of-views. Slipping back to the archaic explanation of some of the magics and relics did abruptly stop the flow and left me at a cliff hanger at times when I just wanted to push on with the action.

The main character wasn't entirely trustworthy but it worked out well as I continued to battle between who was good and evil as they play a heavy theme in 18th century French countryside living.
The banter our Magician and his shoulder devil provided more than just comedic relief. Many times it seems to finally help our main character make a decision.
The achillean romance was believable yet just out of reach. Antoine seemed to struggle the most of the idiocity of such a relationship which I feel detracted from the story as a whole. I wanted to say just get over it and love. Alas. It draggged out.

Most stories I read, can tidy up everything neatly by the end. This one still left a few holes left for the wondering mind. I was done with the wondering and wanted some finality.

Overall, t historical fiction x dark achillean fantasy was a well-written and continued to draw me in. Before I knew it I was half done and then I couldn't put it down and finished the last-half in a day. Whoops! Lots of adventure and some great character surprises.

This advanced reader copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

The prose was peculiar and special. I was expecting more lush and extensive historical descriptions and research, but maybe I wasn't the right audience. The story had a sarcastic, humoristic charm. 2 stars

I was drawn to the Red Winter from the moment I saw the initial announcment because the author uses several tropes that really resonate with me. There's the immortal hero, the monster hunting, the historical setting, and blend of mythology and real historical events as a foundation of the story. The author weaves all of these elements together into a gripping, suspenseful narrative that packs an emotional punch.

The main characters, Sebastian and his supernatural companion Sarmodel, are both vivid and unforgettable. Cameron Sullivan does a fantastic job of immersing readers in different time periods, skillfully using famous stories like the life of Joan of Arc or hunt for beast of Gévaudan as an inspiration for the story of his own, that feels familiar and original at the same time.

The only part that didn’t quite work for me was the development of the relationship between Sebastian and Antoine. The shift from acquaintances to persons who share a deep bond felt a bit too rushed.

While The Red Winter wraps up its plot nicely, it’s clear the author is leaving space for possible future installments. I’d definitely love to meet Sebastian and Sarmodel again, in another book.

dnf @ 59%


This was one of my most-anticipated books on my TBR, but alas it didn't quite work for me -- all for reasons that are me-related.

If you're looking for a dark academia-ish historical novel with occult elements, this is 100% the book for you. I found the narrative style to be quite engaging -- we're reading an account from our narrator written in the 21st century, following his memories of events that unfolded in 18th century France. There's a solid mix of magic and creatures and lore, but all presented in a way that feels approachable and draws you in.

The things that didn't work for me -- interpersonal development and lack of suspense -- are unfortunately the things I want in a dark/horror novel, and while the author did a fine job with the way he told his story, he didn't have these elements in the ways that I prefer. The main character is very well-developed, but the interpersonal aspects weren't as strong as I prefer. Additionally, while this book leans more into darkness than real horror, I felt rather unaffected by that darkness -- I had hoped for some suspense or disgust, but unfortunately did not find it here. And while I thought other aspects of the book were quite good, its lack of these two meant I didn't feel compelled to finish.

That being said, I absolutely will be recommending this to my library -- I think it is an engrossing tale that many of our readers will enjoy.

I AM SICK. I AM SO UNWELL. THIS BOOK WAS SO SO GOOD THAT I AM STILL THINKING ABOUT IT. The writing was both beautiful and fun but the story??? THE STORY???? PLEASE.