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The Red Winter

Cameron Sullivan
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The Red Winter

Cameron Sullivan
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Overall rating: 4.25 / 5 from 4 reviews.

AI Generated Review Summary

Summary topics

Review topics: [debut, characters, audiobook, demons, read, writing, fantasy, magic, beast, book].

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Reviews

Ambitious Debut, A+ Concept, Clunky Execution

"I think this was a very ambitious debut. The concept is A+ but the actual execution felt clunky. Oscillated wildly between being a bloody fun time and a slog. There was a lot going on; three different time lines, a myriad of gods, several complex magic systems, a handful of messy relationships, and footnotes. Even so there was still so much left purposely ambiguous / unexplained. Which led to situations like Livia's character. I never quite grasped why we were suppose to be okay with how Sebastian treats her because we know nothing of their backstory. I know he's suppose to be morally grey, but without context he's not ""complex"" he's just a prick, which makes it hard to root for the guy. The ending in particular was frustrating, it felt so rushed. The audacity to just wrap it up with a ""well that's a story for another time"" and just tell us that everything worked out in the end."

— FeralFuture (3/5)

Excellent Fantasy Historical Fiction!

"Thank you to Torbooks, Macmillan Audio and The Bookshelf for copies of The Red Winter. Here are my thoughts. In this historical fiction, high fantasy novel we follow Professor Sebastian Grave, a monster-hunter. The year is 1785, and Antoine calls upon Sebastian to help him face the Beast of Gevaudan, a terrifying monster that Sebastian tried to conquer twenty years prior. Antoine jumps at the opportunity to help and hopefully rekindle his relationship with Antoine after defeating the beast. But when he arrives, the towns he knows haunt him due to the desolate and desperate changes. Firstly, how is this a debut? The writing feels that of a seasoned pro. I love the genre mix of fantasy and historical fiction. I think it’s such a fun area to play with in writing, to kind of rewrite the past and this was everything. There were new takes on famous people and moments, including Joan of Arc and the French revolution. I listened to this one and read it, and the narrator did such a wonderful job. My favourite character was Sarmodel, who is the demon residing in Sebastian. He brings a dark, humour to a more morose and sadder environment. I loved how unhinged he was but also was sometimes the voice of reason in some scenarios. While this is a long read, it is worth the time. I’ll be keeping an eye out for any future works from Cameron Sullivan. The Red Winter felt like the vibes of Joe Abercrombie, George R. R. Martin and Les Miserables and Sherlock Holmes. So, if you are a fan of any of those works, you need to check this one out!"

— Wes u. (4/5)

A werewolf tale unlike any other rooted in history

"Book review: 4. 5/5 ⭐️ Genre: historical fantasy Themes: werewolves, classism, myths & legends 📖 Read if you like: The Assassin’s Blade This is a love story and a werewolf tale, but it is unlike any you have read before. A Cypriot witch named Sebastian posing as an academic hosting a demon, and a carefree son of a baron named Antoine meet on the hunt and have a good frolic in the woods. There a romance stirs admits a dangerous game of arcane beings of great power while the word only sees a blood thirsty beast. With an archangel, roman deity, water naiad, sucubus and demons there is a supernatural undercurrent that magnifies this story. And yet, it is rooted in a recognizable history with a man who does not age and his constant companion. There is a religious undertaking as France is on the cusp of a revolution in the 18th century where the bulk of this tale takes place. Bouncing between the original hunt with the father Antione and the secondary quest with the son Jacques we come to learn the true history of the beast. Added to this are rememberings from various points in time by both Sebastian and Livia as they confront ancient beings in different hosts making a play for more anima. It manages to take the otherworldly and root it to reality in a magnificent narrative that was funny and dark, gruesome and sweet. There was just the right amount of snark from the succubus Livia and the demon Sarmodel to offset the more serious motifs and the underwear fish catching had been laughing out loud. This was a brilliant debut with atmospheric writing and a creative spin on a well known legend. If you enjoy historical fantasy with folklore retelling, this is certainly not to be missed. I didn’t always understand Sebastian unerring loyalty, especially to the petulant Jacques when his life came eat the cost of so many others, but love is irrational and the demon more than eloquently voiced my opinions on the matter. Highly recommend this one and curious to see where it goes with the open ending. 🎧 Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for an ALC and eARC. The audiobook was fantastic! It did a good job of including the footnotes voiced by Livia, and the characters were all given unique personalities that played out in almost cinematic cohesion. This is one of the best productions I have listened to this year. I did end up reading this full through as well to absorb details at my own pace and also to gain a firmer footing. There is a lot of dark humour in the novel, and I missed a few nuanced moments of sarcasm and some of the finer details while listening that were easier to absorb while reading myself. That being said I would hands down recommend this audiobook though the tandem read was perfect for me."

— Karisbookclub (5/5)

I need a sequel to this YESTERDAY I need more

"First of all, a huge, HUGE thank you to MacMillan audio for the ALC. I feel so blessed to be able to review this book before its publishing. I didn't want this book to end. I wanted it to keep going forever. A wonderful debut. The story follows Professor Sebastian Grave, an immortal man bound to a demon in some mysterious way, as he recounts his participation in the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan — during the Red Winter and 20 years later, when a former lover's son asks for his help in hunting down a returned Beast — and, in addendums, in his search for a relic from Saint Jehanne d'Arc. Accompanied by a colorful cast of characters (including his then-lover, a nobleman's son; his literal inner demon; a succubus; a gold-addicted. . . thing; and a taciturn son of a nobleman's son), Professor Grave is called to save Gevaudan not once, but twice — while, in the background, the French Revolution is brewing. I would first like to address the production of this audiobook with one word: magnificent. The choice of narrators, their tones to convey emotions, different characters and the level of Sass (with a capital S) in this book are out of this world. Listening to this audiobook was a wonderful experience that made me both laugh out loud and cry my eyes out. I went through so many emotions throughout this listen thanks to the wonderful audiobook team. Onto the story itself: I can't believe this is a debut novel. Cameron Sullivan's writing is witty and sarcastic without feeling like it falls too much into the humoristic category. It is, in fact, a wonderful balance of earnest prose and pointed comments. I absolutely loved it, the way I absolutely loved the Bartimaeus trilogy when I was younger — actually, the Red Winter feels like a more adult spiritual successor to it, and I am Here For It. I loved the jumping between three timelines that allowed us to discover more about the spirit that was hunted, Sebastian's background with said spirit, and the way everything was interconnected. I could predict some bits of the story, yes, but never in a way that made me bored; only in ways that made me delighted when I learned I had been right. The magic system and world building fits like a custom-made glove over the hand of our very real world and history. I love a more occult, more mystical take on 'magic' and 'creatures,' so I absolutely loved this. Another more spoilery thing I loved is the character of Antoine. A flawed man who doesn't realize that the little things he does (carousing, IOUs to everyone, not seeing the peasantry's very real problems) inscribed him SO WELL in his role as a noble in a pre-but-very-close-to-French Revolution setting. I absolutely adored him for being so true to the role he had been given in that set time period. As well, the characters of Sebastian and Sarmodel were very endearing in a both funny and tragic way. Sebastian's heartbreak is mine, and I cried with him, and I loved the way him and Salmodel 'deal' with that (iykyk). God I cried so much oflver his love. I need to see more of them. I need more of this. I have already recommended this book to friends, and have pre-purchased my shelf trophy already. I can tell this book is one I will re-read down the road. Thank you so much, MacMillan. And a huge thanks to Cameron Sullivan for sharing this story. This is a review of the audiobook."

— Jaime S. (5/5)

Q&A

  • Published date: Feb 24, 2026
  • Language: English
  • No. of Pages: 544
  • Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
  • ISBN: 9781250362766
  • Dimensions: 5.8" W x 1.6" L x 8.6" H

"Historical horror? Dark fantasy? Queer romance? All of the above!.... A delightful, genre-defying debut." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Truly a fantastic debut." —Booklist

"An enthralling story of morally gray characters, scheming demons, and a bloodthirsty beast that will leave any uneaten hearts aching bittersweetly." —Library Journal

“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

“Charming, haunting, ambitious, and a great deal of fun.” —T. Kingfisher, New York Times bestselling author of A Sorceress Comes to Call

“A gorgeous tangle of history and fresh-made myth, The Red Winter is my platonic ideal of a debut: the moment I was done, I went looking for Sullivan's backlog and let out an actual howl of despair upon realizing there was nothing yet. You'll eat this one up.” —Cassandra Khaw, USA Today bestselling author of Nothing But Blackened Teeth

"The Red Winter is a hell of a debut. An absolute feast of a book: 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

"Dense and ambitious... This sprawling epic is worth the effort." —Publisher's Weekly

Cameron Sullivan was born in Perth, Western Australia. He grew up with the dark fantasy and horror icons of the '80s and went on to study classics and creative writing at the University of Western Australia. After several years working and studying in Italy and the UK, he returned to Australia and settled in Melbourne, which is the best place for Australians who actually enjoy the winter. He works as a copywriter and will easily lose a weekend to a good book, a new recipe or games of any kind, from tabletop DnD to pub trivia.

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