A man-eating beast stalks the impoverished countryside of Gévaudan, France. Only Professor Sebastian Grave, who defeated it once before, knows the beast’s true nature and why it seems to have returned. Cameron Sullivan crafts a brilliant reimagining of the historical legend of the Beast of Gévaudan, inspiration for many a modern werewolf tale, in his impressive debut fantasy, The Red Winter, out tomorrow from Tor!
Florence, 2013: Sebastian Grave, an immortal occultist who shares his mind with the demon Sarmodel, is thrust into memories of the past as he sorts through an old trunk of his belongings. What follows is his attempt to commemorate his lost love Antoine by tracing a cosmic battle played out across centuries, which brought them together and then ultimately tore them apart. In the 1430s, a young peasant girl named Jehanne digs up a Roman relic and begins to hear a voice in her head that she believes to be the Archangel Michael. In reality, her divine visitor is a much darker entity, determined to set France on a path toward endless war and arousing the attention of the real Archangel Michael in the process. In 1766, a Beast appears in Gévaudan, leaving a trail of mutilated corpses wherever it roams. The Baron d’Ocerne summons hunters from across the country, promising a generous reward for whichever man can defeat the Beast. Lured by the reward money and the possibility of monstrous anima for Sarmodel to devour, Professor Sebastian Grave joins the hunt, teaming up with the baron’s charming son Antoine. But as Sebastian learns more about the Beast, he realizes this is no simple monster hunt and far more powerful forces are at play. Two decades later, in 1785, Antoine’s son Jacques tracks Sebastian down and summons him back to Ocerne. The Beast has returned and unrest among the decimated and impoverished population of Gévaudan is nearly at a breaking point. Sebastian will have to tease out the loose ends—and regrets—he left behind after his last confrontation with the Beast if he is to have any hope of preventing a bloodbath.
In a world where powerful supernatural entities abound—whether demons, ancient gods, angels, or nature spirits—those who dare to treat with them are in danger of entering into a Faustian bargain. Mortal beings who play at sorcery can summon such entities and enter into contracts with them. Other humans, ignorant of the supernatural world, may unknowingly become possessed by or under the influence of a power they cannot comprehend. Such relationships usually don’t end well for the human involved—with one unique exception: Sebastian and Sarmodel seem to have for the most part found contentment, and even love, within their eternal bond. Sebastian has also managed to forge a mostly positive, if also sharp-tongued and precarious, relationship with Livia, the succubus he tamed and who now acts as his housekeeper, secretary, and assistant. Others are not so lucky. Obviously, dealings with the violent power behind the Beast are bound to be ill-fated, but even contracts with seemingly beneficent beings can backfire. The d’Ocernes are ultimately plagued with a family curse after reneging on a bargain. Even the Archangel Michael’s chosen heroes, though they may succeed in their quests, tend to find it a pyrrhic victory.
Sebastian’s unique relationship with Sarmodel makes him an interesting twist on the Gothic character archetype of the cursed immortal wanderer. Is he cursed? He’s certainly immortal, having grown up in Ancient Rome and being close enough to unkillable that he’s made it this long. And like most immortals who do not age, he can’t stay in one place for too long or he risks being put on trial for witchcraft (a lesson he has had to learn the hard way multiple times). While some immortal wanderers in Gothic literature find themselves in the role of Watcher—observing great historical events from the sidelines, Sebastian can’t help getting involved. This tendency is usually motivated by Sarmodel’s desire to hunt down powerful monsters to consume. Thus, Sebastian becomes entangled with Joan of Arc and finds himself entering the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan. Sarmodel’s hunger for anima is endless, which means Sebastian will always find himself running head-first into danger. However, Sebastian does not seem to resent these circumstances or consider himself to be cursed.
Sebastian and Sarmodel seem like they will have many thrilling adventures ahead of them, and I’m excited to see if Cameron Sullivan will continue this book into a series. In the meantime, if you like high-concept fantasy novels with queer characters and immersive historical settings, definitely check out The Red Winter! You can find it on shelves tomorrow at your favorite local retailer, or order it online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. Once you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!