Description

By (author) Sullivan, Cameron

Short /annotation:

A queer Witcher meets Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell in this bloody, lusty retelling of The Beast of Gevaudan, the story of the first werewolf, by debut author Cameron Sullivan.

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”Charming, haunting, ambitious”
T. KINGFISHER

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 Gevaudan 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 the demon, Sarmodel, he plays host to, 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.

Some monsters, it seems, simply won”t stay buried…

Review quote:
Charming, haunting, ambitious, and a great deal of fun.

Review quote:
A gorgeous tangle of history and fresh-made myth, The Red Winter is my platonic ideal of a debut: the moment I was done, I went looking for Sullivan”s backlog and let out an actual howl of despair upon realizing there was nothing yet. You”ll eat this one up

Biographical note:
Cameron Sullivan was born in Perth, Western Australia. He grew up with the dark fantasy and horror icons of the 80s and went on to study Classics and Creative Writing at the University of Western Australia. After several years working and studying in Italy and the UK, he returned to Australia and settled in Melbourne, which is the best place for Australians who actually enjoy the winter. He works as a copywriter and will easily lose a weekend to a good book, a new recipe or games of any kind, from tabletop D&D to pub trivia.