A Review of The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

This title will be published on February 24, 2026 by Tor Publishing Group.

*SPOILER ALERT* This review contains plot details of The Red Winter.

Twenty years after what he thought was his final encounter with the terrible Beast of Gevaudan, the mysterious and unaging Professor Sebastian Grave is summoned back to the French countryside by an estranged lover to face the Beast—and plenty of other unfinished business—again. Readers follow Sebastian not only on his journey back to Gevaudan, but through his memories as he reflects on his history with the Beast, which began long before its gleeful rampage in Gevaudan. Accompanied by Sarmodel, the ravenou s demon co-habiting his body, Sebastian is forced to confront past failures in this bloody debut from Cameron Sullivan. Sullivan invites the audience to peek behind the curtain of one of Europe’s most mysterious werewolf stories as he blends history and fantasy in The Red Winter.

One of this novel’s greatest strengths is its entertaining use of footnotes.The Red Winter is initially framed as Sebastian’s reflection on his increasingly violent confrontations with the Beast over several centuries. The footnotes are written from Sebastian’s present-day point of view and containadditional context about the world’s magic system and the different historical/mythological figures that appear throughout the novel. Alongside occasional commentary on the story itself, these footnotes are delivered as witty asides by a much older Sebastian. Some of the novel’s most amusing moments come from present-day Sebastian congratulating his past self on a pun he is still proud of or offering his opinions on the various historical figures encountered throughout his long, strange life.Aside from the occasional levity and the helpful worldbuilding, the footnotes create an interesting duality in Sebastian’s point of view that isn’t present in many other novels; readers get to see many versions of this character, including one that has already processed the plot of the novel itself.

Sebastian’s character, in general, is another stand-out element of this novel.Due to his near immortality and inability to age, he’s forced to adapt to a constantly evolving world but is never able to truly live as part of it.He is accustomed to outliving those he comes to care about and that knowledge makes connecting with people difficult. Additionally, Sebastian must continuously feed on anima, or the essence, of other living creatures to sate Sarmodel’s endless hunger.Sarmodel is the only constant in Sebastian’s seemingly endless life, and despite his hunger and occasional moodiness, this demon possesses an incredible insight into Sebastian’s psyche, as he’s been with Sebastian every bloody step of the way. Their relationship is strange and requires delicate balance, but Sarmodel offers a truly unique foil to Sebastian’s character. For example, he often advocates impulsivity where Sebastian favors restraint. Ironic, considering it’s Sarmodel who is the ancient, unfathomably old demon—you’d expect him to have learned patience at some point! Both characters have such strong, individual personalities despite co-habiting the same body for centuries that the moments when they flip and lean into traits associated more with the other are especially impactful.

Despite the dark, inhuman existence he is forced to lead, Sebastian still manages to maintain his humanity and a genuine respect for life even in moments when it would be easier not to.One example comes when he chooses to mercy kill an ancient water nymph cursed by the Beast.While Sarmodel revels in the feast of anima her death provides, Sebastian has a very different reaction: “I covered my ears and screamed to hide Sarmodel’s triumphant howl as he claimed her essence. I could not bear it.”In addition to being a former ally, this water nymph was potentially the last of her kind; however, she had been corrupted by the Beast’s curse and sentenced to a dark, painful existence. While Sarmodel saw her largely as a meal and a way to increase his power, Sebastian’s decision to kill her was made of a desire to end her suffering.Sebastian’s ability to maintain that respect for life despite needing to feed off it is an intriguing layer to his character. It wouldn’t be as impactful without the contrast between him and Sarmodel. Despite the centuries they’ve spent co-existing in the same body, they remain very different people.

For the most part, The Red Winter succeeds in balancing its complex narrative within a complicated and multilayered story structure—with one exception.While most of the novel is told from Sebastian’s point of view, there are a few chapters from the perspective of Livia, a succubus bound to his service through a magical contract.Livia is a fun character—she’s quippy and helps introduce readers to another side of the novel’s magic system—but there are several times her point of view feels untethered from the rest of the story.Her character is not as well developed as Sebastian’s or even some of the non-POV characters and she plays such a small role within the story that suddenly being thrust into her perspective is jarring.Part of this issue comes from her motivations; while hunting the Beast evolves from an exciting challenge to a personal mission for Sebastian, Livia is only compelled to participate in the hunt because she is ordered to through their contract. That’s a fine reason, but it makes her far less impactful to the story.She doesn’t grow like Sebastian does and her chapters are so short it’s difficult to get invested in her side of the story.I would’ve liked to see her fleshed out more. Perhaps that will be a possibility in future books, as the novel’s ending is left open for a sequel.

Overall, The Red Winter is an exciting addition to the historical fantasy genre and a dynamic debut into the literary scene from Cameron Sullivan.While this novel is not a light read, Sullivan manages to inject it with enough levity to balance out its truly dark moments without undermining the spookier elements.This novel is perfect for fans of European history and stories that blur the lines between fantasy and horror.