Author: Cameron Sullivan
Genre: Horror, Queer Fiction, Adult, Fantasy, romantic and sexual elements but not an erotica, Historical Fiction, Literary fiction
Publisher: Tor Books
Format: Ebook (NetGalley Copy)
Release Date: February 23rd, 2026
TW: Murder, cannibalism, sexual assault (implied) xenophobia, homophobia, religious torture, pedophelia (alluded to), rape threats
This book reached in, pulled out my still beating former Catholic heart and bit into it. And I fucking loved it.
But first, the plot: Sebastian Graves is a millennia old (at least) Magician (one of many titles) a monster hunter and exorcist who has access to both arcane human magics and the power of Spirits. Spirits are most of myth and the gods of our world including the Christian God. Pacts can be made with them, for protection and power. Sebastian has one of those Spirits (a demon) in his head, Sarmodel. They have immense power as a demon but also the need to feed on life force and other fluids and food (including human meat). Sebastian has this hunger as well. When a client of one of his previous cases (and a former lover, named Antone) sends his son asking for his help, he can’t refuse. A Beast is haunting Baron Antone’s family, especially his son Jacques. Can Sebastian keep his hunger in check?
Sebastian is a marvel of a character. A man who holds no truck with the Almighty, due to the Guest in his head, you can feel his aching for love, for a true purpose seeping out of every page. I also love Sarmodel more than is probably healthy and their relationship is a black hole, where they consume each other. I felt the difference in Sebastian’s love for Antone, which was playful and bittersweet. Antone and the BeastI will not mention due to spoilers but they were amazing as well. Lydia, Sebastian’s sucubus familiar is captivating in her own way, and her interlude chapters are a treat.
Speaking of interlude chapters, I love the way this book is structured. There are 3 different storylines all being recollected in the far future, and I had no trouble following them, unlike some other reviewers. (No shade on them, I am decent at keeping track of shifting times, but if you aren’t, be prepared to flip back to the beginning of the segment to find where you are.) There is also liberal use of footnotes ala the Bartimaeus Sequence; and is what drew me to the book in the first place. The footnotes here like in the Sequence are snarky and informative and clever and I really enjoyed them, although they rubbed some people the wrong way. I loved the language of this book, I actually had to look some words up (and was encouraged to by some of the footnotes) which immersed me in the world even more.
The book takes place mostly in 17th century France, as Sebastian tells Jacques how he met his father. The initial hunt is based on the Beast of Gèvaudan, an event that actually took place in real life. The setting is just as harsh and wild as that implies. I appreciate that the author doesn’t shy away from the grimy parts, and this book is positively coated in grime and blood and meat and death. And sex.
Oh boy is there sex. None of the sex scenes are explicit, but sex is used as a threat and as a means of sustenance and a way to seal bargains. It is not erotica but it is still sexually charged. I enjoyed it in a way that you would enjoy looking at an oil slick on a pond, as an Ace person, and these sex scenes were well done if harrowing.
It’s like someone wrote this book explicitly for me. It has all of my favourite elements, intricate magic systems with just enough mystery to imagine the gaps, gods who are twisted reflections of humanity, a troubled monster of a bisexual man who is ultimately good, and a silk voiced seductive demon who loves this man to the point of consumption. This is queer horror fantasy at its best, and I am so glad to have read it.
Mind the trigger warnings people, this is an incredibly gory and terrifying read, but if you let it show you its heart, you’ll be as captivated as I was (I devoured it in one day.) I eagerly await more of Sebastian’s adventures and hope (but not pray) for a sequel. I will probably be buying this for my own collection.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Tor, for the ARC!
Final Rating: 5 stars
Drink Paring: Shui Xian black tea, dark and steaming
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