#45 in Romance
New out February 24, 2026
The Red Winter
- 536
- Pages
- about 10 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“The Red Winter” is a bloody, inventive retelling of the Beast of Gévaudan, wrapped around a love story that carries real weight. In 1785 the monster-slayer Sebastian Grave, host to a demon paid in living hearts, is recalled to hunt a beast he once barely defeated. Some readers stay on edge across its two timelines; others relish the gore and humour but find the middle slower than the opening and close.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
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.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.3 across 57 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 28% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Romance average of 7.6. That is how 8.1 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 57 | 100% |
Frequently asked
How long is The Red Winter?
It has 536 pages — longer than 52% of the ranked books in Romance.
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You will also find this book on the New books page, with the other titles of the last twelve months.
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