Paradise Lot Interludes

by R.E. Vance

The gods are gone. All of them.


When the gods left, their last message to humanity was: "Thank you for believing in us, but it is not enough. We're leaving. Good luck." At first no one took them seriously. Until, that is, all the denizens of all the heavens and hells started showing up on people's doorsteps.

Creatures that were once thought of as myth are now refugees striving to adapt to life on earth. Trouble is, after eons of living forever, they're not very good at being mortal.

Paradise Lot: Interludes is two such stories, following the trials and tribulations of Other refugees as they do their best to adjust to life in the GoneGod world.

Good Enough:

Aau, the jackal-guard, hates being mortal.
Once he was part of RE the sun god’s elite team of warriors, but now he is forced to live in a slum called Paradise Lot. And what’s worse, Aau must live across the alley from a whining human child who smells of soiled diapers and tears. Aau misses who he was, misses his brother, but most of all misses having a life of purpose … And now that this child is screaming, Aau wonders what he can do to regain his former glory.

Interludes:

Not all the gods are gone. They left behind one of their own.
Seems that Dionysus, the Greek god of revelry, partied a wee bit too hard the night before he was supposed to leave, and was accidently left behind. Alone and mortal on the lowest of all realms—Earth—Dionysus is forced to find meaning. But what meaning can there be for the god of joy and excess, debauchery and drama? Earth is bleak, boring and full of pain. Dionysus is beginning to think it was a mistake for the gods to leave without first ending all life.
A mistake that Dionysus can fix.

Paradise Lot is a new urban fantasy series by R.E. Vance that chronicles the adventures of the humans and 'Others' alike, as they struggle to navigate this strange, new post-apocalyptic godless world.

The Cast:

- The human Jean-Luc;
- The angel Penemue;
- The gorgon Medusa;
- The fairy TinkerBelle;
- The archangel Michael;
- The succubus Astarte;
- The poltergeist Judith;
- The shade Bella...

And introducing Aau, the jackal-guard and Dionysus, the former god of revelry!


As well as many, many more legendary characters from mythology, folklore and fairy tales.

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2015

About the author

Ramy Vance lives in Edinburgh with his wife, recently born child and imaginary dog where he enjoys a beautiful city, whisky (Scottish spelling, not mine) and long walks. All he really wants is to quit his job and write stories based in Paradise Lot. All he really hopes for is that his child is healthy (ten fingers, ten toes and at least two eyes is a good start) and that eventually he can can get a real dog so that he can have an excuse to go on even more long walks.

Reviews

[David Caldwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fifth installment of the ongoing serialized novel.

This time we have 2 stories. The first story features a new character, Aau. Aau was one of the protectors of the Egyptian god, Re, as he traveled through the night. Now, he finds himself stuck in the mortal world without a prupose to drive him and not understanding many mortal customs.

The second story revolves around the Greek god, Dionysus. It seems that Dionysus was drunk when it came time for the gods to leave. This was only natural since he was the god of drunken debauchery. Unfortunately, he hadn't been listening when Zeus told of the exodus (Dionysus planned on just following Athena) so he can't follow. All he can do is go to the mortal world. But what is a god to do when he loses his purpose for being?

Both stories examine the themes of lost purpose and trying to fit into a new world. Anyone that has ever moved to a new town and has to start at a new school or job will understand the feelings these two are going through. Although, with the once immortal, these beings were much more specialized in their reasons. It is one of the main differences between the OnceImmortal and the AlwaysMortal. Humans are highly adaptive and can change relatively easy. The former gods and their servants are much more static and have a hard time changing for the most part.

I know a lot of people don't necessarily like serialized novels because they don't like cliffhangers or having to wait. I grew up reading comic books. The format is very similar. In fact, I think this series is best described as a prose comic.The series is broken up into story arcs where each arc deals with one obstacle (usually a bad guy) that spans several monthly installments. The story arcs may also focus on different characters as well. Finally, you can have short (one installment usually) stories that act as a bridge between the different story arcs, All together, the arcs (and bridges) combine to make an entire world full of rich stories and developed characters. This type of series can grow into a complex story with a deeper history than can even be developed by a series of "full" novels. If you never read comics, think of TV shows. The individual parts would be the weekly episodes and the story arcs would be a season of the show.

You could read this installment as 2 stand alone stories. But, you will get much more out of the stories if you read the whole series in order. Paradise Lot is always a mix of new information about characters we know, new characters, and plenty of action. There is no "filler" to make the story (and series) go longer. Fans of urban fantasy and comic books, especially the Fables series, should love this series.

[Bonnie Dale Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited but was and seems to still be 99 for the trilogy plus the Interludes story, can't really beat that, with Interludes being 2.99 by itself, the rest 2.99 - 4.99 each, though are still 2 not included but will list them below. #1.1 seems to be permafree if you want to check that one out fully, that and the other 2 were written as episodes so may or may not contain the full Gone God World #1 which is not free but is ku}. The review for the 3 plus 1 set is elsewhere.

INTERLUDES (BONUS STORY): Not all the gods are gone. They left behind one of their own. Seems that Dionysus, the Greek god of revelry, partied a wee bit too hard the night before he was supposed to leave, & was accidentally left behind. Alone & mortal on the lowest of all realms—Earth—Dionysus is forced to find meaning. But what meaning can there be for the god of joy and excess, debauchery & drama? Earth is bleak, boring and full of pain. Dionysus is beginning to think it was a mistake for the gods to leave without first ending all life. A mistake that Dionysus can fix.

Paradise Lot: Interludes is two such stories, following the trials and tribulations of Other refugees as they do their best to adjust to life in the GoneGod world.

Good Enough: Aau, the jackal-guard, hates being mortal. Once he was part of RE the sun god’s elite team of warriors, but now he is forced to live in a slum called Paradise Lot. And what’s worse, Aau must live across the alley from a whining human child who smells of soiled diapers and tears. Aau misses who he was, misses his brother, but most of all misses having a life of purpose … And now that this child is screaming, Aau wonders what he can do to regain his former glory.


Gone God World: A Paradise Lot Urban Fantasy (Paradise Lot Novel Book 1)
Keep Evolving: A Paradise Lot Urban Fantasy (Paradise Lot Novel Book 2
Crystal Dreams: A Paradise Lot Urban Fantasy Novel (Paradise Lot Novel Book 3)
Gone God World Urban Fantasy Series: Box Set : (Books 1-3 plus a Bonus Novella)
Interludes: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series)
The Curious Case of the Bone Flute Troll: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series)
Muses Musing: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series)
Gone God World - Episode Four: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series #4) {not ku}
Paradise Lot Novel (3 Book Series)
Paradise Lot (4 Book Series)

Gone God World - Episode One: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series #1) GR 1.1
Gone God World - Episode Two: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series #2) GR 1.2
Gone God World - Episode Three: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series #3) GR 1.3
Gone God World - Episode Four: Paradise Lot (Urban Fantasy Series #4) GR 1.4

[David Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really enjoyable side story, that is almost a precursor to Crystal Dreams - being that the events in this book fall prior to the happenings there.
This is a glimpse into certain 'Other' characters from Paradise Lot and examines their feelings and how they coped when the Gods left. The mood is a lot lighter and the humour is more overt, creating a very easy to read addition to this remarkable series.

[Joe Cain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love that the little glimpses into some other creatures. It is amazing to see how they dealt with the end of the world as they know it.

[Lisa P · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interludes is the 5th book in the series. This book does not pick up exactly where book four left off as much as it's almost like a side story; it has a novella feel to it. Unlike the first four books, the pace is more relaxed.The first story introduces us to a new character from Egyptian mythology, Aau. Although his story is short, it is at once captivating and powerful. Besides taking place in Paradise Lot, so far there really isn't any direct connection with Jean Luc. It will be interesting to see how this character develops in future episodes. The second part of the book is quite entertaining as our frivolous Greek God Dionysus takes center stage. We get to see several of the main characters in more of a "day in the life" kind of way, which is both amusing and also makes you feel more connected to them. If Interludes is the style for in between each season, it's a fantastic idea. Perhaps after the next season there will be a "Nocturns"? (Gaiman fans will understand). Bottom line, you won't be disappointed. The writing is strong, the stories are strong... it's all good.

[Alex McGilvery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paradise Lot
Ramy Vance

Paradise Lot is a collection of novellas detailing the adventures of Jean-Luc in a world in which all the magical, mythical beings have been dumped by the gods into the world when the Gods left. Jean-Luc runs a hotel for Others, including his mother-in-law’s ghost, a drunken fallen angel and more.

Aside from the plot, which weaves around and through Jean-Luc and his promise to his wife to love her in this world and the next (even if there is no next) and to take care of the Others, beings he once hunted down and killed.

I was immediately pulled into the gritty, beautiful world which Vance creates. The system of magic is simple and elegant. The Others can use their powers by burning up the time they have left in the world. That one concept gives rise to triumph and tragedy and sacrifice which had me reading all the books in sequence. I’m looking forward to the next.

If you like urban fantasy, you’ll love this series. If you love magical creatures, or hopeless love stories you’ll love this series. I highly recommend it to all.

[Molly Lyions · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this as an ARC and finished it in two days. This series is amazing. The God's have left and with the grand exodus have left a lot of beings misplaced. They are trying to adapt to the mortal realm and mortality. Humans are trying to adapt to having what once were thought to be "fairy tale" creatures living next door to them. Some are adjusting better than others. Anyone who has ever moved to a new community will understand how these characters feel. We meet two new characters in this fifth installment.

I really love how R.E. blends reality with fantasy in this series. There is always something going on to keep you reading. You really get to know these characters and feel like you are part of the story. There is never a dull moment in Paradise Lot.