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Mountain Man #4
Well Fed
War pigs. Road savages. And the crumbling asphalt of the open highway. After nearly four years, the zombie epidemic has almost burnt itself out. Gus's new life on a communal farm is peaceful. The daily routine of policing the fields is rarely disrupted by straying undead. His drinking binges are over. Long days have thrown time over the memories of Annapolis. But this will all change. When Gus is asked to search for a group of missing scavengers, he reluctantly agrees. What he finds is a new predator unleashed upon the land, one determined to harvest every last mortal life... And feed it to a ravenous machine.
Well Fed contains coarse language and violence.
Well Fed contains coarse language and violence.
544 pages, Paperback
First published November 20, 2014
150 people are currently reading
614 people want to read
About the author
Keith C. Blackmore
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
June 16, 2023
It's amazing when you find a series that continues to get better as it goes along. As well as introducing new characters so late that become integral to the story and I wonder, why did it take so long - these people rock! Collie and Wallace are top notch folks with such an interesting and well developed story.
I am also enjoying how each iteration seems to be getting longer and more in depth. Really getting a chance to know and love each person and to continue to get to know Gus at a deeper level.
There is also a really great twist about the antagonist that I won't spoil but it took things to a whole new level.
And the end! Oh the end was absolutely the best it could have been. It's so good that the series really could have ended but I'm so glad it didn't. On to book 5!!
I am also enjoying how each iteration seems to be getting longer and more in depth. Really getting a chance to know and love each person and to continue to get to know Gus at a deeper level.
There is also a really great twist about the antagonist that I won't spoil but it took things to a whole new level.
And the end! Oh the end was absolutely the best it could have been. It's so good that the series really could have ended but I'm so glad it didn't. On to book 5!!
December 14, 2014
Well it's official, I have a new favorite horror author and his name is Keith C Blackmore.
This fourth and final (?) installment of the Mountain Man series was just as good as the first three. The story rotates back to Gus the alcoholic zombie slaying madman as he struggles to survive in a world where the zombies are slowing down (plus 5-6 years maybe?) and the real threat are the human monsters.
Lots of cool stuff along the way such as:
- a three story high dump truck from a big drilling operation that has been reinforced with steel plates and armaments. How awesome would that be?
- a sentient zombie soldier
- a boobie trapped mansion in the spirit of Saw loaded with traps and zombies
And of course the usual hodgepodge of moaning undead, marauding bands of evil men, and ass kicking violent good times!
Is this the end? I know there is at least another short out there, a prequel called the Hospital. The way it ended was somewhat loose and could either be final or ongoing.
I will most definitely be checking out other books by the author in the meantime. Always great to find a new author (new to me anyway)!
This fourth and final (?) installment of the Mountain Man series was just as good as the first three. The story rotates back to Gus the alcoholic zombie slaying madman as he struggles to survive in a world where the zombies are slowing down (plus 5-6 years maybe?) and the real threat are the human monsters.
Lots of cool stuff along the way such as:
- a three story high dump truck from a big drilling operation that has been reinforced with steel plates and armaments. How awesome would that be?
- a sentient zombie soldier
- a boobie trapped mansion in the spirit of Saw loaded with traps and zombies
And of course the usual hodgepodge of moaning undead, marauding bands of evil men, and ass kicking violent good times!
Is this the end? I know there is at least another short out there, a prequel called the Hospital. The way it ended was somewhat loose and could either be final or ongoing.
I will most definitely be checking out other books by the author in the meantime. Always great to find a new author (new to me anyway)!
September 26, 2017
Great ending to an excellent series
Once again we find Gus in more trouble than he needs to be, but hey, that's Gus for ya! Another enjoyable read. Love the real live military heroes. This author has some talent, people! Give this series or any of his book a try. Don't think you will be disappointed.
Once again we find Gus in more trouble than he needs to be, but hey, that's Gus for ya! Another enjoyable read. Love the real live military heroes. This author has some talent, people! Give this series or any of his book a try. Don't think you will be disappointed.
May 26, 2015
ABR's full Well Fed audiobook review and many others can be found at Audiobook Reviewer.
SPOILER ALERT. If you have not read “Mountain Man book 1” and “Safari (Mountain Man Book 2)“and “Hellifax (Mountain Man Book 3)” best read them before this one. They are all well worth the time and give you a base for what happens in the following books.
Gus is still at the farm. It has been a year and 8 months sense he burned Annapolis. The burns he suffered have healed but left terrible scars. Now he is content to keep watch over the farm for any zombies or rats. They don’t see very many anymore. That doesn’t mean they don’t have to search for necessary things, like toilet paper. Four men go out to see about a mansion that might yield some goods. They don’t come back. Gus is asked to check up on them. So begins the fourth book. Maybe the best of all.
This was a long one but well worth the time. I had the audio version and was hard put to stop for the night. The characters in this series are so well developed you just have to cheer for them. Gus a lonely man doing his best to survive in a deadly new world. He drinks too much and maybe if he were sober he would not get into so much trouble. He had survived for two years on his lonely mountain. Scavaging from empty houses in the nearby towns. He fought zombies, his favorite weapon is a silver bat. During one foray he saves a man, Scott, from the zombies and nurses him back to health. He meets a woman, falls for her, and ends up killing her. This was after she betrayed him and beat the S____ out of him. He killed a mob of zombies and then an invasion of zombie rats, big ones. He blew up his home and was severly burned. Why is this man not dead?
During the telling of this tale we get a vivid, graphic, bloody look at what very well might happen if we suddenly lost all technology and survivel was a matter of kill or be killed. Blackmore delves into the basic downfall of humanity and how some of the worst make it to the top. Only to fall, hard. He follows the dregs as they happily bring more death to the few survivors. Serial killers flourish, megalomaniacs rise and fall, and some just like to torture for the fun of it.
Mr. Bray did a splended job of bringing this book to life. I didn’t have a problem with his voices and liked the tone of his telling. Everything was clear and easy to understand. Audio production was without fault. I sure hope there is another book coming but the ending of this one was excellent.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
SPOILER ALERT. If you have not read “Mountain Man book 1” and “Safari (Mountain Man Book 2)“and “Hellifax (Mountain Man Book 3)” best read them before this one. They are all well worth the time and give you a base for what happens in the following books.
Gus is still at the farm. It has been a year and 8 months sense he burned Annapolis. The burns he suffered have healed but left terrible scars. Now he is content to keep watch over the farm for any zombies or rats. They don’t see very many anymore. That doesn’t mean they don’t have to search for necessary things, like toilet paper. Four men go out to see about a mansion that might yield some goods. They don’t come back. Gus is asked to check up on them. So begins the fourth book. Maybe the best of all.
This was a long one but well worth the time. I had the audio version and was hard put to stop for the night. The characters in this series are so well developed you just have to cheer for them. Gus a lonely man doing his best to survive in a deadly new world. He drinks too much and maybe if he were sober he would not get into so much trouble. He had survived for two years on his lonely mountain. Scavaging from empty houses in the nearby towns. He fought zombies, his favorite weapon is a silver bat. During one foray he saves a man, Scott, from the zombies and nurses him back to health. He meets a woman, falls for her, and ends up killing her. This was after she betrayed him and beat the S____ out of him. He killed a mob of zombies and then an invasion of zombie rats, big ones. He blew up his home and was severly burned. Why is this man not dead?
During the telling of this tale we get a vivid, graphic, bloody look at what very well might happen if we suddenly lost all technology and survivel was a matter of kill or be killed. Blackmore delves into the basic downfall of humanity and how some of the worst make it to the top. Only to fall, hard. He follows the dregs as they happily bring more death to the few survivors. Serial killers flourish, megalomaniacs rise and fall, and some just like to torture for the fun of it.
Mr. Bray did a splended job of bringing this book to life. I didn’t have a problem with his voices and liked the tone of his telling. Everything was clear and easy to understand. Audio production was without fault. I sure hope there is another book coming but the ending of this one was excellent.
Audiobook purchased for review by ABR.
January 8, 2015
'Too bad a person couldn't pick whom they shared the apocalypse with.'
I hated to finish this book. It is, by far, the longest and the best of the MOUNTAIN MAN series and I savored each page and I believe this is the end of the series.
Gus is back - and I am so glad about that. House painter by trade four years ago when TEOTWAWKI hit, Gus is an average guy who just happens to be a great zombie killer (zombie, Moe, meatbag or whatever you might want to call the shuffling undead).
The meatbags are wearing down - literally - and Gus thinks his life is pretty idyllic on the little community farm where he's living now, where the highlight of his day is to scratch his nether regions. But Gus finds out that zombies aren't necessarily the worst thing this old world now offers - too many of the humans that are left are looney tunes and dangerous beyond imagination.
A mansion full of deadly surprises, road bandits, Ollie and Collie (two characters that are GREAT), Whitecap, Sick and Shovel, and author Blackmore has some interesting surprises in this last book of a stellar series.
Gus matured as a person and as a fighter in WELL FED and all of the characters are well drawn and sometimes too believable. I loved the storyline and I liked how the book ended, with all the loose ends tied up with a big, black, odoriferous bow.
If you are just chancing upon this series, do yourself a favor and start reading it from the beginning.
1/2. "The Hospital" - the short story that starts out this series; also included in "Cauldron Gristle."
1. "Mountain Man"
2. "Safari"
3. "Hellifax"
4. "Well Fed"
Be warned that this isn't a children's series. There is profanity, blood, guts and gore galore.
Thank you, Keith Blackmore for giving me many hours of zombie entertainment in one of the best zombie/post-apocalyptic series out there.
I hated to finish this book. It is, by far, the longest and the best of the MOUNTAIN MAN series and I savored each page and I believe this is the end of the series.
Gus is back - and I am so glad about that. House painter by trade four years ago when TEOTWAWKI hit, Gus is an average guy who just happens to be a great zombie killer (zombie, Moe, meatbag or whatever you might want to call the shuffling undead).
The meatbags are wearing down - literally - and Gus thinks his life is pretty idyllic on the little community farm where he's living now, where the highlight of his day is to scratch his nether regions. But Gus finds out that zombies aren't necessarily the worst thing this old world now offers - too many of the humans that are left are looney tunes and dangerous beyond imagination.
A mansion full of deadly surprises, road bandits, Ollie and Collie (two characters that are GREAT), Whitecap, Sick and Shovel, and author Blackmore has some interesting surprises in this last book of a stellar series.
Gus matured as a person and as a fighter in WELL FED and all of the characters are well drawn and sometimes too believable. I loved the storyline and I liked how the book ended, with all the loose ends tied up with a big, black, odoriferous bow.
If you are just chancing upon this series, do yourself a favor and start reading it from the beginning.
1/2. "The Hospital" - the short story that starts out this series; also included in "Cauldron Gristle."
1. "Mountain Man"
2. "Safari"
3. "Hellifax"
4. "Well Fed"
Be warned that this isn't a children's series. There is profanity, blood, guts and gore galore.
Thank you, Keith Blackmore for giving me many hours of zombie entertainment in one of the best zombie/post-apocalyptic series out there.
November 12, 2016
I'm glad I gave this book a second chance because by the end I'm thrilled to think of how it might go on. I can't say why exactly without spoiling anything, but the reason I first put this down was because the beginning felt ordinary for the zombie genre. Blackmore's prose is excellent, but his characters are where he stands above the rest, and the first 20-30% didn't really have enough to separate it from ordinary zombie bad guys and travel scenarios. Our main character Gus meets some people that really helped lift the story up and adding that to the standard zombie tyrant plotline helped me care about the action and scares to come. R.C. Bray does an outstanding job on the narration, and Podium Publishing maintains their reputation as my favorite audiobook producers. I like when the audiobooks end with a hint of a song to add to the resonance of the ending, but there was none on this, and after getting used to that extra touch, it felt like a slight miss on a solid ending.
This is an epic book, and to think it is book four in the series. For anyone who loves epic post apocalyptic fiction, this one will be a great buy.
This is an epic book, and to think it is book four in the series. For anyone who loves epic post apocalyptic fiction, this one will be a great buy.
June 17, 2017
una delle piu' belle Zombie Saga mai lette.... da non perdersela!!
January 25, 2022
Great series! And a great cliff for the next book, I can't wait! I still can't believe I'm this into a Zombie series. I thought Mountain Man meant something completely different but I'm so glad I tried it. In this one Gus is back! I love Gus. Gus found a home and a community but that is quickly taken from him and he is forced back out on his own where he runs into the some of worst humans the apocalypse has left to offer but Collie and Wallace come to his rescue and they set off together. Only to run into more horrible humans, and good as well, and terrible again only this time with someone from his pre-Zombie life making in charge.
December 16, 2014
Mountain Man fans. A great follow-up.
I am by no means a book reviewers any kind of writer but I am an avid reader of mystery, adventure, and a hair core zombie fan. Having revealed that little tid-bit about my reading habits I will say that I have read enough books in my 72 years to know a good storyteller and writer when I meet the writer between the pages of a good book. Or, in this case, on my Kindle. Blackmore can describe scenes so vividly the reader will feel every emotion of the characters. Mountain Man fans will be very happy with this installment of the series as Gus tangles with and survives pure evil. Someone who Gus knows well, (or thought he did,) becomes a major force of destruction as another, "old friend," that Gus had long ago relied on to bolster his floundering nerves comes back into the story. You will be surprised how this renewed friendship turns out. At the end of this edition we see Scott, whom we have wondered about, come back into the story. I can imagine Scott being reintroduced to play a major role in the next book as Gus backtracked to the farm to bury the remains of those he respected and loved.
I am by no means a book reviewers any kind of writer but I am an avid reader of mystery, adventure, and a hair core zombie fan. Having revealed that little tid-bit about my reading habits I will say that I have read enough books in my 72 years to know a good storyteller and writer when I meet the writer between the pages of a good book. Or, in this case, on my Kindle. Blackmore can describe scenes so vividly the reader will feel every emotion of the characters. Mountain Man fans will be very happy with this installment of the series as Gus tangles with and survives pure evil. Someone who Gus knows well, (or thought he did,) becomes a major force of destruction as another, "old friend," that Gus had long ago relied on to bolster his floundering nerves comes back into the story. You will be surprised how this renewed friendship turns out. At the end of this edition we see Scott, whom we have wondered about, come back into the story. I can imagine Scott being reintroduced to play a major role in the next book as Gus backtracked to the farm to bury the remains of those he respected and loved.
June 13, 2016
The fourth instalment of the incredible Mountain Man series seems like it was the end. It's been a hell of a ride. Keith has written what i truly believe, is one of the finest ZA series i have ever read. This final episode is epic, and i don't mean that lightly. It is a phenomenal read, with absolutely everything you could ask from a post apocalyptic story, and more.
The characters are rock solid, and the action full on.
Simply brilliant.
The characters are rock solid, and the action full on.
Simply brilliant.
April 7, 2017
Such a fantastic ending to a most amazing series. I can't believe that this series is over but I absolutely enjoyed my time following along with Gus, Collie and Wallace.
Reread 2nd time- One of my favourite series to date!
Reread 2nd time- One of my favourite series to date!
January 26, 2017
Read all four books sincerely enjoyed it
Very good four books , will re read , enjoyed it, just enough gore and common sense to make a good survival story
Very good four books , will re read , enjoyed it, just enough gore and common sense to make a good survival story
August 29, 2018
4.5 If I could. Overall a great read. Love the writing style. Very easy to follow and very fun. Uses metric though for measurements so had to think a little there haha. Love the way this ended, perfectly done. While I would love more of these books, wrapped up nicely and would rather have the happily ever after that we get here.
December 23, 2023
I love this series. Gus continues to be drawn to trouble like flies to honey and always finds himself in sticky situations. The humans are the real monsters in this series and Blackmore knows how to write a downright vile character. Plenty of action, gore and nail-biting action will keep readers glued to the pages. And that ending was just so satisfying.
June 30, 2025
This book started off great. Unfortunately, it went downhill after that. It was too long, and a bit repetitive, with Gus going from bad situation to bad situation and can't get himself out without help.
A lot of this book is from other POVs, which I didn't like.
A lot of this book is from other POVs, which I didn't like.
December 8, 2024
Five stars for the intro alone.
December 29, 2024
Good but wth
September 25, 2019
Another fantastic book in the series, in fact this was more like 2 books as the 1st part is almost like a book in itself. Some of the language and descriptions in this is fantastic, some yes is a bit repetetive but time and again I was blown away by Keith's writing and descriptions.
There were a few twists, lots of action, quite a bit of suspense and although its not really a zombie book its a damn good thriller.
Bye Gus, sleep easy Brother.
There were a few twists, lots of action, quite a bit of suspense and although its not really a zombie book its a damn good thriller.
Bye Gus, sleep easy Brother.
May 11, 2017
Does a man not have a right to scratch his balls?
WOW! What a finale. I can say that, without a doubt, this was easily the best entry in the series. After the trials and tribulations of Scott/Amy in book 3, we are now brought back to Gus and his trials on the farm. More evil awaits as Gus has become an integrated part of his new community. As one would expect, the folks at the end of the world who seek to enshrine evil on the planet based on their world view continue to find ways to do so. Gus is brought into partnership one family (led by Adam) and moved to another after a massive tragedy hits his new home. At that point, we are introduced to what I can only describe as a perfect couple for Gus (Colly and Wallace). The title of this review is my favorite quote from the series and it is part of the lead-in for this final entry.
There were so many plot twists I did not expect (although I sort of did as my wife was kind enough to spoil some of them with her over-eagerness to share her knowledge of the story). Gus shows what it truly means to be a hero, a good person, and a leader at several points throughout this story. While the evil folks which always seem to find him continue to showcase the loss of their humanity, Gus continually demonstrates his ability to maintain his own during these trying times.
The ending for this story ties up many other storylines and really brings the series to a great closure. I would still like to see what happens with the rest of the Moes out there. Do they eventually die off? Does their hunger know any limits before the eventually succumb to their final rest? Either way, the ending was very satisfying and lived up to the standards I have come to expect from Mr. Blackmore.
As I said in my last review, this is a great series made even better by the fantastic narration of R.C. Bray. Go grab book one and dive in (or give it a listen on Audible as I did), you will quickly become enamored with Gus and his adventures during a zombie apocalypse.
WOW! What a finale. I can say that, without a doubt, this was easily the best entry in the series. After the trials and tribulations of Scott/Amy in book 3, we are now brought back to Gus and his trials on the farm. More evil awaits as Gus has become an integrated part of his new community. As one would expect, the folks at the end of the world who seek to enshrine evil on the planet based on their world view continue to find ways to do so. Gus is brought into partnership one family (led by Adam) and moved to another after a massive tragedy hits his new home. At that point, we are introduced to what I can only describe as a perfect couple for Gus (Colly and Wallace). The title of this review is my favorite quote from the series and it is part of the lead-in for this final entry.
There were so many plot twists I did not expect (although I sort of did as my wife was kind enough to spoil some of them with her over-eagerness to share her knowledge of the story). Gus shows what it truly means to be a hero, a good person, and a leader at several points throughout this story. While the evil folks which always seem to find him continue to showcase the loss of their humanity, Gus continually demonstrates his ability to maintain his own during these trying times.
The ending for this story ties up many other storylines and really brings the series to a great closure. I would still like to see what happens with the rest of the Moes out there. Do they eventually die off? Does their hunger know any limits before the eventually succumb to their final rest? Either way, the ending was very satisfying and lived up to the standards I have come to expect from Mr. Blackmore.
As I said in my last review, this is a great series made even better by the fantastic narration of R.C. Bray. Go grab book one and dive in (or give it a listen on Audible as I did), you will quickly become enamored with Gus and his adventures during a zombie apocalypse.
December 19, 2018
Another excellent installation in the Mountain Man series. This audiobook is yet another showcase for the talents of R.C. Bray, truly one of the great narrators today. His ability to infuse characters with menace, sadness, regret, longing, hope, and any other emotion is nothing short of jaw-dropping.
You definitely need to read/listen to the first books in this series to get a full understanding of the post-apocalyptic setting and the emotional damage that Gus, the main character, is carrying. Even though this entry in the series is a gorefest like the others preceding it, Blackmore never shortchanges the relationships between the main characters. Collie and Ollie are undoubtedly two of the most memorable characters I've run across this year.
You definitely need to read/listen to the first books in this series to get a full understanding of the post-apocalyptic setting and the emotional damage that Gus, the main character, is carrying. Even though this entry in the series is a gorefest like the others preceding it, Blackmore never shortchanges the relationships between the main characters. Collie and Ollie are undoubtedly two of the most memorable characters I've run across this year.
October 14, 2024
Wasn't a bad read but I feel like Gus has been relegated to a wuss despite his surviving so far in this world and also holding his own against an invasion. Collie and Wallace were also great additions to the story but it got so tiresome having to hear that she's constantly underestimated and awesome because she's a woman.
Mentioning it once was enough but having it repeated by other characters was just cringe. The fact that she's skilled is great and valuable, but elevating her at the expense of Gus really didn't sit well with me. The previous book in the series did the same with Amy and Scott to a lesser degree. Gus's character development really took a hit for me in this one and I honestly hope it doesn't continue. Other than that it's a fairly good read.
Mentioning it once was enough but having it repeated by other characters was just cringe. The fact that she's skilled is great and valuable, but elevating her at the expense of Gus really didn't sit well with me. The previous book in the series did the same with Amy and Scott to a lesser degree. Gus's character development really took a hit for me in this one and I honestly hope it doesn't continue. Other than that it's a fairly good read.
September 22, 2018
Mr. Blackmore knows how to write them! As I have said in in another review of one of his books: King-esque. This story could easily have been 3 very good shorts, so you are getting a 3 for 1 in this book.
At this point in the series, the "walking dead" are becoming less the issue and survivors encountered much more so. Good characters, story, lots of tension, and horror make this book (and series) one not to miss.
At this point in the series, the "walking dead" are becoming less the issue and survivors encountered much more so. Good characters, story, lots of tension, and horror make this book (and series) one not to miss.
November 9, 2018
Rich, dark, bloody and satisfying as a read. About half way through a twist, nearly two thirds in another and by the end you are panting like you just sat through the craziest roller coaster ever.
Well Fed is an awesome addition to the Mountain Man series.
## Full disclosure. I 'read' the audiobook version. The narration by RC Bray is just outstanding and brings additional dimension to the artfully written characters by Blackmore.
Well Fed is an awesome addition to the Mountain Man series.
## Full disclosure. I 'read' the audiobook version. The narration by RC Bray is just outstanding and brings additional dimension to the artfully written characters by Blackmore.
March 23, 2022
This is a long book, I was not expecting that. The first part of the book is awesome, zombies in an actual escape room how fucking cool is that! Then afterwards its standard survival apocalyptic world stuff with good ol' broken Gus who gets himself beaten up lots again ... and again.
Man it really took me a long time to finish this book.
Man it really took me a long time to finish this book.
January 13, 2025
If the first hundred pages rekindled my interest in this series, by going back to the basics (one man against all) I slowly lost my interest along the way.
The fault of a really messy writing, a vocabulary difficult to access for a non-English reader, and an accumulation of improbabilities. It is also much too long.
The end does not encourage to continue the series.
The fault of a really messy writing, a vocabulary difficult to access for a non-English reader, and an accumulation of improbabilities. It is also much too long.
The end does not encourage to continue the series.
March 22, 2017
I loved the whole series! Excellent job by the author and narrator! I highly recommend this series for anyone that enjoys post apocalyptic stories or zombie stories. One hell of a twist in this book though. I hope to see more by this author and narrator again!
January 1, 2018
Full disclosure: zombie apocalypse is my guilty pleasure. Mountain man was one of the most entertaining books in this genre I've ever read and as for the "Well Fed" finale of the series - absolutely stunning! Loved every part of it, nothing more to say :)
October 30, 2016
3.5 stars (4 on Amazon as the ratings mean different things)
Good, enjoyed it, though not quite as much as the rest of the series.
Good, enjoyed it, though not quite as much as the rest of the series.
August 10, 2017
I really enjoyed the book, this whole series was a great reading experience. I will definitely be looking for more books by Keith C. Blackmore.
June 12, 2018
Well fed
I liked this book very much. It was so different from other zombie books. I liked all the characters and especially the ending
I liked this book very much. It was so different from other zombie books. I liked all the characters and especially the ending
Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews