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).

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 don't 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.

Thank you SO much to Tor & NetGalley for the ARC! This book is all I can think about.

A wonderful blend of historical, mythical, and fantasy fiction, this is a highly enjoyable debut novel centered around the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan.

Professor Sebastian Grave is drawn back into the hunt for the beast twenty years after he first believed he had defeated it. But Sebastian is not all he seems—centuries, perhaps even millennia old, he wields arcane powers enhanced by Sarmodel, his in-house demon. The dynamic between Sebastian and Sarmodel is fantastic; their internal struggles add real depth and energy to the story.

The narrative moves fluidly between the present day—where Sebastian faces an old foe—and the time of the original hunt, gradually revealing what transpired between Sebastian, Antoine, and in the present, his son Jacques. The inclusion of footnotes adds interesting context, though at times I found they interrupted the flow a little.

A secondary storyline from Livia’s perspective weaves in more of Sebastian and Sarmodel’s mysterious past, enriching the overall narrative.

The characters are wonderfully developed, and as another reviewer noted, there are definite shades of Empire of Vampire in the storytelling but without the cringe thankfully

More of Sebastian, Sarmodel, and Livia, please!

Dark, atmospheric, and beautifully feral. The Red Winter takes the legend of the Beast of Gévaudan and spins it into a queer, blood-soaked fantasy full of longing, regret, and dangerous magic. Sullivan’s prose is lush and immersive, steeped in winter forests, old wounds, and the kind of ache that comes from unfinished business.

Sebastian is a fascinating narrator—old, weary, sharpened by centuries of hunting—and the return of the Beast forces him to confront both the monster that nearly killed him and the man he once loved. The bond between Sebastian and Antoine adds emotional depth to a story already thick with dread and desire, and the presence of Sarmodel gives the narrative a delicious demonic edge.

A compelling pick for readers who enjoy queer gothic fantasy, myth-twisted history, and stories where monsters and men are equally haunting.

The Red Winter pulled me in right away with its haunting setting and slow-burn tension. Cameron Sullivan’s writing is sharp and evocative — every scene feels cold, raw, and vividly real. The story balances survival, grief, and resilience in a way that feels deeply human, even as the world around the characters grows harsher and stranger.

At times the pacing drifts a bit, but the emotional weight and strong character work more than make up for it. There’s a sense of melancholy beauty that lingers after the last page.

A powerful, immersive read — not flashy, but quietly devastating in all the right ways.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan (Tor) for the E-ARC.

Genre: Historical fantasy/dark fantasy
Audience: Adult
Themes:
- queer
- angels, demons and arcane magic
- morally grey MMC trying to do his best with the hand he's been dealt

Where to start with this. First of all, the fact that this is a debut is so damn impressive. It's wonderfully written and researched, has excellent pacing and storytelling and is so immersive I lost myself in it.

I'd also like to preface by saying I've never read much about the original story of the Beast of Gévaudan so I can't speak to how much it sticks to that, but the overall story was very enjoyable, and its ties to the French revolution were a very interesting spin.

I absolutely loved Sebastian as a main character, and his relationship with Sarmodel and Livia was so fun to experience and explore. The inclusion of footnotes was a great addition and really allowed the characters personalities to shine through without breaking the flow of the main story, and they had me belly laughing at times which took me by surprise.

I absolutely adore angels and demons as part of stories and the way they were described and explored in this story were amazing. The descriptions were so visceral yet so clear and easy to follow and understand. There were some lines I had to read twice because of how beautifully they were written.

I will say upfront as well, don't go into this expecting a happy tale and a good time. It's romantic, and beautiful but very tragic, yet it feels so right for it to be that way.

If you love folklore, arcane magic and demons, and tales of Gods that aren't quite what you would expect; you'll love this. It's lusty and seductive, raw and visceral and it's going to be a book I reccomend to no end on release!

I thought that this was a really good debut filled with mythical beasts, horror elements and humour. It had similar vibes to Empire of the Vampire with it’s darker tone and the type of story telling and I was quickly invested in the story as the different timelines started to unravel , even though some were stronger than others

I liked the character dynamics as they were a little messy but it only added to the story, the demon possessed main character and the dialogue sections were a highlight. I also thought that this was a great standalone, it had a satisfying ending in some ways but it did leave me wanting more.