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Review: The Red Winter by Cameron Sullivan

I’ll be honest with you here, I dove headfirst into The Red Winter without knowing the full story behind the Beast of Gévaudan. I ended up looking up the details after the fact, but mostly because this novel had me so fascinated by the entire concept. So if you’re looking for a darker historical fantasy,…

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Author: Cameron Sullivan
Publisher: Tor Books
Released: February 24, 2026
Received: ARC
Find it on Storygraph | More Horror | Fantasy

Book Summary:

Professor Sebatian Grave has been around for longer than he lets on, so it’s safe to say he’s seen some horrors in his life. One monster in particular haunts him to this day, and it seems that it is not done with this world.

The Beast of Gévaudan has returned to terrorize the French countryside, and Grave is one of the few who know the whole horrible truth of this monster. Or rather, he suspects the truth. He’ll have to head back into the danger zone to get the full truth.

My Review:

I’ll be honest with you here, I dove headfirst into The Red Winter without knowing the full story behind the Beast of Gévaudan. I ended up looking up the details after the fact, but mostly because this novel had me so fascinated by the entire concept. So if you’re looking for a darker historical fantasy, The Red Winter is the read for you.

To be clear, this book does get dark. It doesn’t shy away from the horrors of human nature, and thus depicts gore and worse. There’s also a lot of animal death, but I imagine the concept probably gave that bit away.

The Red Winter is largely split into two perspectives: Graves’ present and his past. The two weave together to tell a comprehensive narrative surrounding the Beast of Gévaudan, though it takes time for the full depth to become clear.

To say that I was captivated by Cameron Sullivan’s writing would be the understatement of the year. While this book is generally a little more graphic than I go for (again, animal death), I absolutely adored reading every moment of it. I couldn’t get enough! I’m so relieved that it is part of a series, because now I have more to look forward to.

Highlights:

  • Historical Fantasy
  • Retelling of the Beast of Gévaudan
  • Dark & Compelling

Trigger Warnings:

  • Graphic Injuries & Gore
  • Animal Death (including dogs)

Thanks to Tor Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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