A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption.
In 1785, Professor Sebastian Grave receives the news he fears most: the terrible Beast of Gévaudan has returned, and the French countryside runs red in its wake.
Sebastian knows the Beast. A monster-slayer with centuries of experience, he joined the hunt for the creature twenty years ago and watched it slaughter its way through a long and bloody winter. Even with the help of his indwelling demon, Sarmodel – who takes payment in living hearts – it nearly cost him his life to bring the monster down.
Now, two decades later, Sebastian has been recalled to the hunt by Antoine Avenel d’Ocerne, an estranged lover who shares a dark history with the Beast and a terrible secret with Sebastian. Drawn by both the chance to finish the Beast for good and the promise of a reconciliation with Antoine, Sebastian cannot refuse.
But Gévaudan is not as he remembers it, and Sebastian’s unfinished business is everywhere he looks. Years of misery have driven the people to desperation, and France teeters on the edge of revolution. Sebastian’s arcane activities – not to mention his demonic counterpart – have also attracted the inquisitorial eye of the French clergy. And the Beast is poised to close his jaws around them all and plunge the continent into war.
Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this darkly entertaining retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Lifting the veil on the hidden world behind our own, it reimagines the story of Europe, from Imperial Rome to Saint Jehanne d’Arc, the madness of Gilles de Rais and the first flickers of the French Revolution.
THE FACTS
📙Epic and devastating
📘Immediately added to my “will read again” shelf
📗Clever, engaging and emotional
📕Suspenseful, touching, funny
THE REVIEW
When I got to the end of this story, I felt as though I was crawling out of the Dryad’s pool after being immersed for days. What a remarkable book! And the bonus for me is that I alternated between reading the book and listening to the book. Both are amazing for different reasons, but the audiobook is helmed by two very talented narrators.
This story begins in 2013. Sebastian Graves is wandering in Florence and comes across an antique brooch that has passed through his life once before. He purchases it, intent on repairing it, but is diverted to his memories of the past when he discovers a single, bloodstained glove. The story within the story begins.
“Blemishes of the past are sometimes worth keeping.” – Sebastian Graves
Sebastian Graves is thrust into a situation that forces him to confront the Beast of Gévaudan—a monster he once tried to defeat—when Monsieur Jacques Avenel d’Ocerne, Son of the Baron d’Ocerne arrives to enlist his help. The contract is old, the son is determined to save his home, and Sebastian is convinced to make the journey back to a place… and a person… he thought he’d never see again.
The structure of the novel is entertaining. The Sebastian of 2013 introduces the novel, then the timeline moves cleverly between 1766 and 1785. Jacques knows only that Sebastian may be the only being alive who is able to muster the magic and power to defeat the monster that is destroying his home. He knows little about “The Red Winter” as his father, Antoine has remained tight-lipped and secretive. Sebastian takes it upon himself to tell Jacques the history of the battle and the fallout.
The annotations were a lovely surprise. It’s basically Sebastian from 2013 chiming in to reveal details and tidbits that flesh out the story even more. I found myself looking forward to them. In the audiobook – the characters flawlessly changed their speech patterns to signal the annotations.
Sebastian is a wonderful character. He has a “being” with him, part of him, a creature by whom he is gifted with extra powers: Sarmodel. The internal monologue between them is clever and often humorous. Extra little details about Sebastian and his feelings, his past and his decisions are revealed during these conversations.
Another companion of Sebastian’s is Livia – an incubus with enough attitude for 10 people and an insatiable appetite. Enslaved to Sebastian, she is snarky and grating and I absolutely adored her. At times, I felt as though she and Sarmodelwere lovely foils to one another… exploring both sides of Sebastian’s desires and wishes.
There is an emotional love story, perfectly paced in two timelines. It is everything that I love in a relationship between two characters. It builds slowly, skips forward in moments that come to life on the page and has beautiful, charming and heart-breaking moments. I know there are many differing opinions on what types of relationship should be referred to as “romance” but if you read this story and don’t feel the depth of the connection between Antoine and Sebastian, I would be shocked. It is glorious. Regardless of what you may expect from it… it is romance, love, passion and everything in between.
There is a very satisfying ending complete with little hints that there may be more in store from the author. There are possibilities to be sure, but if this was the end I would still feel completely satisfied.
“Life without death is a miserable gift.” Sebastian
THE LINKS
🖊 Author
I purchased my own copy of “The Red Winter” by Cameron Sullivan and it’s already on my “favourite books” shelf..
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