THE RED WINTER by Cameron Sullivan – Review

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan
Published by Tor Books on February 24 2026
Genres: Adult, Fantasy
Pages: 529
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
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The nitty-gritty: An ambitious debut that combines history, magic, mythology and thrilling action, The Red Winter is a heady mix of  horror and humor.

“What a night of monsters it was for the good people at the Bow and Brace.”

I’ll admit The Red Winter isn’t the kind of book I usually pick up, but the promise of a historical fantasy about the first werewolf intrigued me, so here we are. And I’m very glad I took a chance on it. This is Cameron Sullivan’s debut novel, and I’m so impressed by the quality of writing and storytelling. The story alternates among three different timelines, and at times it’s hard to keep track of the many events in each one, but overall it was a success. This is an epic tale spanning centuries, full of magic, violence, friendship, demons, love and betrayal, narrated by a wizard named Sebastian whose life spans the entire scope of the story. It’s also extremely funny, despite the serious nature of the Beast’s killings. I think it was this unexpected lighter tone that won me over in the end.

Sebastian Grave tells his story through several timelines. In 1785 France (what I’ll call the “present”) he is approached one day by a young man named Jacques d’Ocerne, who just happens to be the son of Antoine, a man Sebastian fell in love with twenty years before. The two were part of a group of hunters who were trying to find and kill the elusive Beast of Gévaudan, a creature who terrorized the area and slaughtered hundreds during an event known as the Red Winter. Jacques claims that the Beast has returned, and he wants Sebastian’s help to stop it.

Sebastian reluctantly agrees, and as they travel, Jacques encourages him to tell the story of how he and Antoine met and their adventures together. This second timeline takes place in 1766 as Sebastian recounts the horrifying events surrounding the Beast, as well as the passionate affair that developed between him and Antoine. But it doesn’t take long for Sebastian to realize there is something wrong with Jacques, a terrible curse that can only be lifted with arcane magic.

Much of the charm in The Red Winter comes from the characters, particularly Sebastian and a demon named Sarmodel who “possesses” Sebastian due to a deal they made centuries ago (although “possession” isn’t quite the right term since Sebastian controls everything Sarmodel does). Sarmodel speaks in Sebastian’s head but is also able to project a physical manifestation whenever he wants to. The book is full of their banter, and their relationship is unique because Sarmodel is able to “eat” the essence of the dying as well as feed off sexual acts. I know, it sounds nuts and I’m probably not explaining it very well, but the point is, these two are great together, and I spent quite a bit of time laughing at their antics. 

I mentioned the multiple timelines, a format I always enjoy. Sullivan does a very good job juggling the 1766 and the 1785 timelines, and his short, punchy chapters make the story flow nicely. There is a third timeline that takes place in the 1400s that didn’t work quiet as well for me. In this timeline, we follow Jehanne d’Arc (Joan of Arc) and the lead up to her death (being burned at the stake). I loved the idea of incorporating real history into the story, and the author did figure out a way to tie Jehanne’s story to Sebastian’s (in a round about way!), but to be honest, this whole timeline could have been left out and it wouldn’t have affected the story much at all.

The author also uses plenty of footnotes, and most of them did one of two things: emphasized Sebastian’s snarky personality or explained in great detail the ins and outs of the very complex magic system. I’ll admit I stopped reading them after a while, and because they don’t do anything for the plot, I found I didn’t miss them much. But for readers who love in depth explanations about world building, you will have a lot of fun.

The story is packed with side characters and many different elements from religion, mythology and history (Michael the Archangel and Gilles de Rais are just two figures you might be familiar with), and because of this, the plot becomes confusing at times. There are demons who seem to jump from one body to another, a succubus named Livia who is not only part of Jehanne’s timeline, but is also connected to Sebastian, and even creatures akin to the fae. If I have any complaints, it’s that the story tries to do too much, and the best parts are sometimes muddied by these extra plotlines and characters. 

But the scenes involving the Beast are thrilling, especially as we get to know more about what the Beast is. The magic system is fascinating and well developed, and of course, the characters keep the story humming along. There is even a suggestion in the author’s acknowledgments that this might be the start of a series, and if so, I will definitely be there for the next book!

Big thanks to the publisher for providing a review copy.