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--- There is a time for everything in a gentleman’s life. First lover. First zombie kill. ---
In 1887, history changed course. A new Plague turned the infected into flesh-eating monsters and bound the population to overcrowded cities. The rapid advance in technology creates opportunities for the rich, but also helps to spread new social ideas which challenge traditional Victorian morality.
James Hurst is a man of obligation and good morals. After most of his family perished as a result of the new, horrific illness, he didn’t hesitate to live up to his new responsibilities. A few years later, he is married to his childhood sweetheart, with whom he has a son and his political career is going smoothly. Unfortunately, most of his family lands had been overridden by the undead and therefore, bring no more profit. Facing bankruptcy, he decides to risk it all and try to get the jewels hidden in his family manor…
In order to get there, he will need to leave the safe city walls and cross a region swarming with ghouls. He hires Ira Russell, a man whose skill at recovering valuables from lost territories has earned him a small fortune. From the moment James first saw Ira, he knew the man was dangerous, but he could have never predicted just how much of a danger he would be to all that James had always believed in.
*
"Scavengers: July" is the first book in a three part series and is set in the universe of “Zombie Gentlemen”.
*
WARNING: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes, gore, zombies, violence, angst, light BDSM and a confident, tattooed ex-sailor.
Length: ~23,000 words
Genre: erotic romance, adventure, gore
In 1887, history changed course. A new Plague turned the infected into flesh-eating monsters and bound the population to overcrowded cities. The rapid advance in technology creates opportunities for the rich, but also helps to spread new social ideas which challenge traditional Victorian morality.
James Hurst is a man of obligation and good morals. After most of his family perished as a result of the new, horrific illness, he didn’t hesitate to live up to his new responsibilities. A few years later, he is married to his childhood sweetheart, with whom he has a son and his political career is going smoothly. Unfortunately, most of his family lands had been overridden by the undead and therefore, bring no more profit. Facing bankruptcy, he decides to risk it all and try to get the jewels hidden in his family manor…
In order to get there, he will need to leave the safe city walls and cross a region swarming with ghouls. He hires Ira Russell, a man whose skill at recovering valuables from lost territories has earned him a small fortune. From the moment James first saw Ira, he knew the man was dangerous, but he could have never predicted just how much of a danger he would be to all that James had always believed in.
*
"Scavengers: July" is the first book in a three part series and is set in the universe of “Zombie Gentlemen”.
*
WARNING: Contains graphic m/m sex scenes, gore, zombies, violence, angst, light BDSM and a confident, tattooed ex-sailor.
Length: ~23,000 words
Genre: erotic romance, adventure, gore
77 pages, ebook
First published May 27, 2012
2 people are currently reading
395 people want to read
About the author
K.A. Merikan
130 books3,029 followers(Goodreads profile run by Kat)
K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.
K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.
e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com
More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan
K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain.
Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.
K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.
e-mail: kamerikan@gmail.com
More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:
K.A. Merikan’s author page: http://kamerikan.com
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/kamerikan
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 reviews
July 13, 2017
Horror. Zombies. Neo-Victorian London. MM romance between an aristocrat and a commoner. I loved the idea and the execution.
Read
October 25, 2016I'm not interested in this anymore. Maybe I'll try one day.
March 26, 2014
Freaky zombie slashing, eyeball stabbing adventure with a young noble and his hired mercenary. Aesthetic gore and a romance blooming. Fun.
July 15, 2012
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Wow! Scavengers: July is a roller coaster full of action, adventure, horror and romance! I was immediately swept up into the fast-paced storyline and the interesting setting of the story itself. To my knowledge, I’ve never read a historically set, Zombie romance, so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the story. I’m glad I took a chance and read this book because for such a short story, it really pacts a lot of punch and I loved every minute of it. Since I believe the blurb does an outstanding job describing the book, I won’t rehash it, but I will explain the reasons why I really enjoyed this novella.
I thought the storyline was very creative and well-told. I like the author’s descriptive storytelling ability, and I thought the setting itself is almost like a character in the book. It’s definitely not the way I’ve pictured a historical setting and I loved it. It can be dark, scary and dreary, and although there is definitely a horror aspect to the story, it’s not totally overwhelmed by it. There is still a fairly strong romantic aspect to it also.
Another reason I really loved this book was the two main characters. At first glance, both heroes look to be totally opposite, and I wondered how they would really relate to each other. But as the storyline progressed, the chemistry between them becomes very strong and intense between them. I like that they truly began to trust in each other and both men are very likeable and sexy in their own way. Also, the sexual tension between them was smoldering throughout the book, and when they finally give into their desires, I swear my computer screen practically steamed up! To me they’re almost like two wrongs that make a right and I loved every moment they had together in the story.
I end of the book definitely left me wanting more! I can’t wait to read more about these characters and see how everything turned out. This is definitely one of the most interesting and creative series I’ve read this year and one I could easily become very addicted too.
Wow! Scavengers: July is a roller coaster full of action, adventure, horror and romance! I was immediately swept up into the fast-paced storyline and the interesting setting of the story itself. To my knowledge, I’ve never read a historically set, Zombie romance, so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of the story. I’m glad I took a chance and read this book because for such a short story, it really pacts a lot of punch and I loved every minute of it. Since I believe the blurb does an outstanding job describing the book, I won’t rehash it, but I will explain the reasons why I really enjoyed this novella.
I thought the storyline was very creative and well-told. I like the author’s descriptive storytelling ability, and I thought the setting itself is almost like a character in the book. It’s definitely not the way I’ve pictured a historical setting and I loved it. It can be dark, scary and dreary, and although there is definitely a horror aspect to the story, it’s not totally overwhelmed by it. There is still a fairly strong romantic aspect to it also.
Another reason I really loved this book was the two main characters. At first glance, both heroes look to be totally opposite, and I wondered how they would really relate to each other. But as the storyline progressed, the chemistry between them becomes very strong and intense between them. I like that they truly began to trust in each other and both men are very likeable and sexy in their own way. Also, the sexual tension between them was smoldering throughout the book, and when they finally give into their desires, I swear my computer screen practically steamed up! To me they’re almost like two wrongs that make a right and I loved every moment they had together in the story.
I end of the book definitely left me wanting more! I can’t wait to read more about these characters and see how everything turned out. This is definitely one of the most interesting and creative series I’ve read this year and one I could easily become very addicted too.
March 5, 2018
That was delicious!
Believe me, ladies, I don't usually read steampunk and such but...
James and Ira. Were. Delicious!!!
Believe me, ladies, I don't usually read steampunk and such but...
James and Ira. Were. Delicious!!!
September 2, 2012
Zombies have always been the one thing that scares the crap out of me above all else. I always say, I have a love/hate relationship with them, because I can never just stay away. So when I had the opportunity to read about the creepies, mixed in with the man love. I was on it like white on rice. In all honesty as much as I wanted a bit more, I really did enjoy Scavengers: July.
James Hurst is desperate to replenish his funds when they start to run low, and as the saying goes “desperate times calls for desperate measures”. The time is 1887 and after a devastating plague, most human have become flesh-eating zombies. James must now go off into his lands that are over run with the undead and in order to accomplish his mission he must get the help of mercenary Ira Russell.
The men leave the city walls in search of a fortune hidden in one of James old estates, but before the jewels, there are some other things of value he must get his hands on. Seriously, James should have just head for the jewels. Seems zombies’ wanting to feast on his flesh isn’t nearly as frightening as it should be. While fighting of zombies, and retrieving ‘art of utmost importance’, the men find time to share a sexy interlude (seriously man freaking zombies).
I really did enjoy reading this short, but I had few niggles which knocked the .5 in making this a 4PO. I wanted more background on the plague. I know it was meant as a short offering, but I am curious about the how the plague came along, and how life was before it wiped out almost everyone. I wanted a bit more background on Ira, he’s all clothed in mystery (mercenary I know) but I really want to know if he lost anyone in the plague.
Overall, I really liked it and look forward to reading the next instalment. Scavengers has really captured my interest, and I want to read more about the things I love to hate zombies.
Warning: Do not have sex when you might possibly be attacked by zombies. You might lose some very important parts. No actual parts were lost in this book (luckily).
James Hurst is desperate to replenish his funds when they start to run low, and as the saying goes “desperate times calls for desperate measures”. The time is 1887 and after a devastating plague, most human have become flesh-eating zombies. James must now go off into his lands that are over run with the undead and in order to accomplish his mission he must get the help of mercenary Ira Russell.
The men leave the city walls in search of a fortune hidden in one of James old estates, but before the jewels, there are some other things of value he must get his hands on. Seriously, James should have just head for the jewels. Seems zombies’ wanting to feast on his flesh isn’t nearly as frightening as it should be. While fighting of zombies, and retrieving ‘art of utmost importance’, the men find time to share a sexy interlude (seriously man freaking zombies).
I really did enjoy reading this short, but I had few niggles which knocked the .5 in making this a 4PO. I wanted more background on the plague. I know it was meant as a short offering, but I am curious about the how the plague came along, and how life was before it wiped out almost everyone. I wanted a bit more background on Ira, he’s all clothed in mystery (mercenary I know) but I really want to know if he lost anyone in the plague.
Overall, I really liked it and look forward to reading the next instalment. Scavengers has really captured my interest, and I want to read more about the things I love to hate zombies.
Warning: Do not have sex when you might possibly be attacked by zombies. You might lose some very important parts. No actual parts were lost in this book (luckily).
Want to read
May 30, 2012Steampunk zombies, WHAT?? Free on Amazon for the next couple days.
May 11, 2021
It a nice short steampunk read filled with zombies actions in the 1800s. I like how these different elements went together to form a story centring on James and Ira. James was a closeted aristocrat with a wife and a son. He engaged the services of Ira as a guard and scavenger to his old mansion in the countryside. The countryside was sadly filled with zombies but a necessary expedition for James to recover some treasures to help his family finances. This is the first book of the series and I would have enjoyed it more if it wasn't so short. So I'm gonna continue this series to see how it goes~
July 29, 2013
This M/M erotic short story is set in an alternate Victorian England where a plague has turned many people into zombies forcing the remaining population to live in enclosed cities.
How they (both humans and zombies) manage to survive and get their food is unclear but I suppose it will be explained in other tomes as this is said to be the first instalment not only of a series but in a group of works that will share the same setting.
Details aside this story is incredibly fast paced with a tight rhythm. I only disagree with the first chapter being sort of a teaser/preview of the whole story with the second one taking the plot back by two days but this is a matter of taste, I suppose. Characters are incredibly alive, their dialogues are sparkling and giving many information about their personalities. The two leads are very likeable and I could even put up somehow with their roles in bed being (at least for now) rigidly codified.
Action scenes are generally fast-paced and good, only a bit confused in some sentences where writing does not manage to covey what exactly it is happening. I detected two or three grammar mistakes that must have escaped proofreading, nothing serious.
The story can stand on its own but clearly screams for a sequel.
How they (both humans and zombies) manage to survive and get their food is unclear but I suppose it will be explained in other tomes as this is said to be the first instalment not only of a series but in a group of works that will share the same setting.
Details aside this story is incredibly fast paced with a tight rhythm. I only disagree with the first chapter being sort of a teaser/preview of the whole story with the second one taking the plot back by two days but this is a matter of taste, I suppose. Characters are incredibly alive, their dialogues are sparkling and giving many information about their personalities. The two leads are very likeable and I could even put up somehow with their roles in bed being (at least for now) rigidly codified.
Action scenes are generally fast-paced and good, only a bit confused in some sentences where writing does not manage to covey what exactly it is happening. I detected two or three grammar mistakes that must have escaped proofreading, nothing serious.
The story can stand on its own but clearly screams for a sequel.
July 30, 2017
That totally lived up to my expectations. There's a mix of three of my favorite things : 19th century setting, m-m romance and zombies, what more could I asked? I thought the zombie were scary enough, the sex between James and Ira hot enough and the story was really engaging. I'm so glad I bought the collection and I don't have to wait for the next chapter, I can read it next :). It is always fun to find something as good as it is in so many genres, a marvelous little gem.
July 6, 2014
Aristocrat James Hurst is on a mission to retrieve the family jewels from his estate in the country and he needs the expert skills of ex sailor Ira Russell to get them! Zombies/steampunk/historical fiction, it's got it all!
June 1, 2012
Exciting, delightfully weird, often funny. I can't wait for more. A zombie fighter for hire and a naive young aristocrat connect on a trip to recover lost treasure. No, really! Great fun.
September 6, 2017
I liked this one a lot. Hey, steampunk, zombies and steamy gay sex, what's not to like.
The book is a little short, so the worldbuiling gets left behind a bit. Usually I'm all over a good, in-depth world, but it worked well, regardless. Probably because the basic concepts are so well known already, you don't really need to expand on them to make yourself understood.
Also, the world does not feel lacking or lacklustre so much as just unexplained. Maybe the following books in the series will shed more light.
I liked the characters, they where pretty likeable to me and I adored the contrast between the two. The dynamic is pretty hot and I liked how Ira teases poor James. It's kinda cute, even though Ira doesn't seem the kind of guy who does cute.
The whole affair seems to be ripped out of the rest of the plot a bit, though, like a sex scene got transplanted into a different book it doesn't quite belong to.
But that's probably also due to the shortness of the book.
In any case I'm eager to read the rest of the series.
The book is a little short, so the worldbuiling gets left behind a bit. Usually I'm all over a good, in-depth world, but it worked well, regardless. Probably because the basic concepts are so well known already, you don't really need to expand on them to make yourself understood.
Also, the world does not feel lacking or lacklustre so much as just unexplained. Maybe the following books in the series will shed more light.
I liked the characters, they where pretty likeable to me and I adored the contrast between the two. The dynamic is pretty hot and I liked how Ira teases poor James. It's kinda cute, even though Ira doesn't seem the kind of guy who does cute.
The whole affair seems to be ripped out of the rest of the plot a bit, though, like a sex scene got transplanted into a different book it doesn't quite belong to.
But that's probably also due to the shortness of the book.
In any case I'm eager to read the rest of the series.
June 6, 2015
More like 4.5 stars - Strong and interesting story with great potential.
I never really enjoyed steampunk stories, and zombies weren't my thing either, but this book definitely changed my mind! I'm looking forward to more detailed descriptions of the world after the Plague, but for now I'm quite satisfied with reality created by the author. At first the story seemed a little rushed, but the chemistry between main characters was really good. I can't wait to see what will happen to poor James after his unfortunate encounter with one of the living dead!
I never really enjoyed steampunk stories, and zombies weren't my thing either, but this book definitely changed my mind! I'm looking forward to more detailed descriptions of the world after the Plague, but for now I'm quite satisfied with reality created by the author. At first the story seemed a little rushed, but the chemistry between main characters was really good. I can't wait to see what will happen to poor James after his unfortunate encounter with one of the living dead!
July 30, 2017
Well, I shouldn't have been surprised this team of writers seems to knock the ball out of the park every time. I have to tell you Zombies is not my thing but somehow they combined it with my love of Historical time periods and it works. Of course, they left me hanging so I have to read the next book. I'm sure I'll love it too.
January 8, 2018
really enjoyed this, despite my usually not being a fan of zombie stories, but Merikan as always, manages to make settings i dont like incredibly enjoyable.
August 1, 2023
Read as part of Scavengers: The Collection
December 1, 2023
I'm convinced that the authors didn't want to deal with the cheating, so they just decided to abruptly end the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 12, 2014
Zombies and man on man action. Nice.
April 1, 2016
I really don't do historical books but I had to try it. I love this author and had to give it a try.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 21 reviews