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GoneGodWorld, Episode One

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The gods are gone. All of them.
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.

Caught in the middle is Jean-Luc, a struggling hotelier who (reluctantly) promised to help these wayward 'Others' live in this new GoneGod world. But taking care of his guests, keeping his hotel afloat and dealing with the constant drama of the Others' lives is figuratively killing him. And now that an unusually strange Other is in town, his figurative demise might soon become more literal.

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


For a limited time only - EPISODE ONE is only 0.99c or completely FREE on Kindle Unlimited!
PLUS BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE SPECIAL BONUS BEING OFFERED IN THE FRONT OF THE BOOK!

80 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 29, 2015

53 people are currently reading
265 people want to read

About the author

R.E. Vance

13 books351 followers
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.

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5 stars
61 (40%)
4 stars
46 (30%)
3 stars
25 (16%)
2 stars
13 (8%)
1 star
6 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
Profile Image for Marianne.
1,315 reviews152 followers
November 16, 2016
"Thank you for believing in us, but it's not enough. We're leaving. Good luck."

With the gods gone, angels, demons, dragons, vampires, werewolves, trolls, goblins, fairies - creatures from every conciveable religion - have been forced from their homes to live on the mortal plane - as mortals.

In this brave new world, inn-keeper Jean-Luc Matthias is managing the One Spire Hotel. His tenants include a fairy that lives in a miniature replica of Castle Grayskull, a prostitute succubus who's constantly hosting orgies, a prudish ghost of a mother-in-law and drunk fallen angel.

As one would expect, not all of these former immortals are coping too well... I shouldn't be this entertained by their misery, but well... Mea (I can't help myself) Culpa.

Looking for hilarious situations? Look no for further. If you're not entertained by
1. how these once proud creatures are defeated by a formidable foe; human bureaucracy
2. how baffling the need for regular bowel movements can be
3. why a headache probably isn't the wrath of an angry demon when you haven't slept for weeks...
4. why it's hard to pick up a human man when you've got a head-full of snakes
5. former angels who take comments regarding holy crap far too literally...

Well, my unknown, fellow Goodreads member, then I'm sad to say you lack a sense of humor;-)

Stir in some homicidal gangbangers who want the Others gone from the face of the Earth, an old man's final words of wisdom, and you have a recipe for a delicious serial I plan to indulge myself in.

GoneGodDamn, I was completely charmed by this story. Given it's short length, I didn't want to give it 5 stars, but I just couldn't help myself. And better still, the first two episodes are free, so you don't have to spend money to prove me wrong.

I could quote half of this book, but just to give you an idea of what you can expect, I'll leave you with one of my favorite quotes from GodGodWorld - Episode 1:

"Give me the Black Death over a Victorian prude any day. At least the dying screw like it's their last day on earth."

Yes, Meigan, there is a succubus in this story, and she's funny;-)

There are even Star Trek references...

Hellelujah!
Profile Image for Clare O'Beara.
Author 25 books372 followers
April 5, 2017
This is a story about chaos - that chaos which descends if there are no gods and no celestial rules. We could take it as an allegory for life after the certainty and order of the medieval religious dominated world was overturned.

To me the setting feels a little vague because it is a town in a stereotypical mountainous wooded area seemingly in America (or Canada). I can tell it's America because of clues in the text like 'parking lot' and 'cabin' rather than from natural environment. The author has chosen to focus on the people and beings, and their impulsive and conflicting movements.

This is one of those tales like the Suki Stackhouse series in which many supernatural beings have appeared like weres and gnomes, gorgons and demigods. The trigger was the abrupt and dismaying departure of all the gods, apparently. Hidden creatures emerged into plain sight and as it happened, the town of Paradise Lot was in the path of the fall of angels. Archangel Michael is now Chief of Police, having worked his way up, and he is kept busy.

Our protagonist is a man called Jean-Luc. To start he is something of a blank page, busy telling us about everything that has changed around him, including his wife having been killed and his hotel being haunted by his late mother in law. We later discover his army career which began after the ripples of chaos made it clear that defence would be needed. But for now, he's got the weird and wonderful staying in his hotel. The Others are not all bad. But some of them are very bad indeed.

My enjoyment would have been greater if the book had actually got its teeth into a story and completed it, but instead we get setups for storylines to come in the next chapters and it ends at a moment of danger and destruction. I don't like reading by instalment but the author made two parts free to download so I gave them a try. They're not that long and can be made shorter if you're like me and skip over the gory bits. I recommend the tale for adults who enjoy dark urban fantasy and don't mind cliffhangers.

This is an unbiased review.
Profile Image for Ellen.
448 reviews34 followers
April 20, 2017
I've just finished Paradise Lot by RE Vance and absolutely loved it. The Gods are gone and all immortals have fallen to Earth and become like us..almost. The three Billy Goats Gruff are working in the local police station along with Medusa, angels work in the hospital and human Jean runs the One Spire Hotel which is home to a fairy, his mother-in-law's poltergeist and a succubus to name just a few!! An urban fantasy filled with fun, darkness and moments of beauty.
I will definitely be buying the rest of the series!
Profile Image for David Caldwell.
1,673 reviews35 followers
July 7, 2015
God and all of the other gods decide to leave for parts unknown. All of their servants from the Billy Goats Gruff to Medusa to the Archangel Michael are left behind. Stripped of their continual power sources, these once immortal entities find themselves merely mortal now. Can former immortals and humans learn to live together in this new gonegod world?

Notice this is part one of a serial. That means it is short (about 80 pages) and isn't a complete story. You can think of it like some TV shows or a comic book series without pictures. The author says he has 30 installments planned and each installment will be coming out monthly. He also has planned some side short stories to go along with the serial. So it is going to be a huge investment in time and money. The full story will take two and a half years and it looks like each installment will cost $2.99. (If you buy part three, the author has a link to get parts one and two for free.) You do need to read the installments in order.

This first installment is basically an introduction of the setting and some of the main characters. There is a lot great interaction between the characters. The main thing is you get a feel for the potential of this series. I will definitely be reading more of the series.
31 reviews1 follower
June 11, 2015
Wonderful characters

Loved this 5 stars fantasy. This is an adult tale filled with gnomes, fairies and angels, and beings from mythology and fairy tales. It is also a murder mystery. The main character, Jean - Luc Matthias, who lost his wife by murder, tries to find the clues. The hotel he runs is inhabited by colorful beings. A stranger checks in one night making a game of guess what he is...but something happens to him. What a fun story and it ended with a bang which is to be continued in the next book. I think for anyone who likes mythical creatures, fairies, angels, and gnomes, this grown up murder mystery is a treat.
Profile Image for Scott Allan.
Author 34 books55 followers
June 15, 2015
A Great Start To a New Series You Don't Want To Miss Out On!

From Author R.E. Vance comes a compelling story of Gods and “Others” as myth-like creatures come to Earth to try living as mortals. Helped out by the hero of the story, you get to know the creatures as struggling participants cast down to an Earth-like state. I personally thought the story was unique and had enough cool characters to keep it moving through to the end. The author is creating a series of books so really looking forward to the other releases. A recommended read with solid writing and believable characters!
1,268 reviews7 followers
June 2, 2015
I saw this book as a sponsored ad on Facebook. This is a story about fallen and revealed angels, demons, goblins, mythical creatures- Others- and how they cope with mortality. Since this is written as a serial, it's short and pulls you in immediately with a diverse and interesting cast of characters. The " gang" is persuasive, and I'm hoping Vance is able to release the next books in the series sooner than monthly. Looking forward to the rest of the story!
34 reviews
June 14, 2015
Excellent!

Once I began reading,there was no putting it down. It's an incredible story that has me excited about episode two,and beyond. Have yourself some fun and give it a read. I'm sure that you'll be entertained.
Profile Image for Hope Gerhardstein.
506 reviews
May 20, 2017
A quick read with a slight religious tone. Mythical creatures and angels have to deal with their mortality since they are no longer immortal. A different take on racism (or in this case otherism).
Profile Image for Lindsay.
1,175 reviews
May 19, 2017
Great start to a series

A man Jean runs a hotel for Others who have come to earth now the Gods have abandoned all of them.
Meet succubus, fallen angels, angels and many more creatures that Jean interacts with.
1 review
May 2, 2017
Good

Interesting concept I hope it pans out. I'm intrigued looks like it'll be quite the fun ride lets go see
Profile Image for Shelley.
195 reviews2 followers
July 26, 2017
It took me a bit to get into as I was trying to wrap my mine around all the weirdness of it all. But it was fun and interesting reading about immortals becoming mortals and trying to make it without magic. The end left me in tears and Joseph is one of my favorite mythical animals. It broke my heart.
Profile Image for Damian Patterson.
24 reviews14 followers
February 3, 2016
I’m not sure if it’s my age that’s making me lower my lofty requirements for fiction or my better understanding of the craft of writing. Seems as late I’m more hesitant to review book with my usual poisonous bit because I’m aware that one shall reap what he sows.

A couple of days ago I found myself out of ideal reading material so I dug out my Nook from the junk drawer and plugged it in. After I had upgraded my phone to and Apple Iphone I had become a negligent daddy to the little bugger and left it to wither away like a houseplant in a closet. I was quick to download something with very little expectations of it actually being any good.

This week I managed to read “Paradise Lot” by R.E. Vance and I’m left feeling all the better in doing so. My decision was based on it being free and not erotica. Seems like the only free books that were on the Nook -when it was last charged- was horribly written fiction, erotica, or horribly written fiction that was changed into erotica. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was neither.

The story is the first episode about Jean Luc Matthias, a hotel owner, which houses fallen myths and legends whom are coping with new found mortality after the gods have abandoned them. The ambiance of the story is an odd hue of grey dystopia with a splash of color from famous –or infamous- creatures. They all drudge through existence on an island city/fairy tale ghetto known as Paradise Lot.

Now, I usually reduce five or six points from Gryffindor if I have to go online and figure out what the author is referencing, however, I found myself having a bit of fun looking up some of the more obscure noted mythical beings. With all the borrowed intellectual properties in this story it really reminds me of “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline. That, right there, is ten points for Gryffindor.

The story flowed really well. There was never a point that I was confused on who was talking. The dialogue had good rhythm and flow. Even the structural editing was nicely done. The back drop wasn’t described to death and the character details were vague enough that I had the freedom to mentally cast the story how I saw fit. It was truly a reader friendly prose.

The only real negative flaws I could see were more minor issues that are rooted in personal taste than to actual construction. Take for instance, the predictable “succubus being a prostitute once mortal” gambit. In my opinion that choice- and making an Angel a doctor- seemed too trope. I’m just hoping that the protagonist isn’t a Chosen One character; with all the foreshadowing I fear I’ll be disappointed. Keep in mind, I understand the use of clichés are unavoidable in all fiction, however, the world of “Paradise Lot” seemed like the perfect venue to parade a trusted character formula and set it on its head. These creatures have been fired from their lofty platitudes and now have the opportunity to do something different. I just feel that –so far- it’s a squandered opportunity. However, this was only the first installment.

In closing, for a free novelette that promises more books it was written way better than I expected and I’m willing to buckle up for the ride. On the business side, Vance set the hooks so deep he could sell episode two... right after I download it. Having been a fan of dystopia, Sandman, and Preacher, R.E. Vance just put chocolate in my peanut butter. I just hope that this tale doesn’t offer too many more telegraphed punches that Stevie Wonder could see.
Profile Image for Marcus.
764 reviews4 followers
March 3, 2017
This is a funny book. The title actually tells you everything you need to know about the story. It is full of all the mythical creatures you have ever heard of and a few you haven't. It's funny, interesting, and cute. A very very good read.
Profile Image for mandy sheehan.
10 reviews
July 14, 2017
Episode one was absolutely brilliant,loved it from the start.Amazing story so far 5 stars
Profile Image for P.A. Wilson.
Author 63 books39 followers
July 2, 2015
Imagine a world where all of the gods just left - kind of like the dolphins in Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. It might have been easier if they'd taken all of their, servants, minions, and assorted beings with them. But they didn't.

Angels crashed down from heaven, demons rose from hell, and genies, ghosts, and fairies among others all suddenly appeared. Is this Armageddon? No, that seems to be coming.

The first episode is a great read - I did want more. Vance is releasing each episode as a separate volume - I'm hoping for a collection because it's hard to wait for the next one.

If you like dystopian tales that are about more than a zombie storm, you'll enjoy this one.
Profile Image for Monique.
907 reviews1 follower
June 24, 2017
An interesting concept...I really liked it, original, witty and cleverly done. Now off to read the second episode!
43 reviews
July 27, 2016
This isn't a full length book, so if you are expecting that, you will need to be prepared for something else.

This book and the next episode are written like eipsodes in a serial TV show. It is an interesting premise, with the gods leaving (basically giving Earth and humanity the collective finger), and supernatural creatures now trying to live on Earth. The overarching story looks very promising. I look forward to reading more of this series.
Profile Image for Laura.
11 reviews
April 20, 2016
I was extremely pleased by this story. The characterization, worldbuilding, and dialogue were all well executed. My only reason for the 4 stars would be the nature of the length. The episode is short, and ends right while the action is getting started. To the author's credit, it ends in a natural place, it's just a bit odd. This series is set up like a Kindle Serial.
24 reviews
June 28, 2015
Very original

This is a very original idea for a series. I looked forward to being able to read more each day.
Profile Image for NaTaya Hastings .
665 reviews20 followers
May 27, 2016
Decent read. Cliffhanger ending. HORRIBLY RIDDEN WITH TYPOS AND GRAMMATICAL ERRORS. Could seriously benefit from having me as an editor.
Profile Image for Ronda  Newton.
25 reviews14 followers
December 10, 2016
Unique Plot & a great read

I love this world! The characters are well-written and loveable. I don't give spoilers so I won't give anything away, read the blurb and give it a try.
20 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2017
Great start to a funny new series!
R.E. Vance has a wry sense of humor, easily evidenced by the last message from the gods; “Thank you for believing in us, but it is not enough. We’re leaving. Good luck.” It immediately brought to mind Douglas Adams’ “So Long and Thanks for All the Fish.” I’m not saying the stories are anything alike, just the type of humor that’s employed.

Paradise Lot is the first “episode” in the serial book “Gone God World” so it’s short. I read this rather quickly and then immediately had to get the book in its entirety. Truthfully, I enjoyed Paradise Lot so much I’ve read all of the books in the series and can’t wait for the next one.

At the current price of ***FREE*** on Amazon, why not give it a try!
Profile Image for David Wright.
393 reviews4 followers
December 16, 2017
I have never read anything like this before! My first impression was that this was just TOO ridiculous to read. You are introduced to a policeman who has Medusa on the front desk and one of the Billy Goats Gruff as an officer. Once I adapted to my initial surprise, fairies living in Castle Greyskull seemed normal. This fantasy story introduces a plethora of characters from a wide range of legends, religion and more. The general gist is that the Gods have given up and left and chaos reigns. A series of murders are being committed and the colourful cast of characters are there to help (and hinder) along the way. If this first instalment is anything to go by, the rest of these books will have you questioning your sanity. For people who love quirky, chaotic madness.
163 reviews5 followers
May 31, 2018
I loved this book. It's clever, funny, poignant, and informative. Who knew half of the mythological creatures that pop up in the story - and they're all real - mythologically speaking that is. It reminded me of Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series, only more exciting because I haven't read Paradise Lot 25 times already. I can see that I might though, eventually. It also highlights real-world issues like racism and refugeeism, which is where the poignancy comes in. Can't wait to get my hands on Episode Two.
Profile Image for Gay Deputee.
244 reviews3 followers
September 14, 2020
I bought this book with all 4 parts in the same book. As with other GoneGod World books I have read, Ramy Vance keeps me spellbound from the first page to the last, keeping me always hungering for more.

This story doesn't disappoint as it is intriguing, fast paced, totally fascinating and the characters are humorous and lovable.
Profile Image for Stanley.
510 reviews6 followers
September 1, 2017
What a fun read

I enjoyed this book after a little bit of a slow start the authors style and plot had me thinking and turning pages wondering what next. I loved his use of mythology and myth to make it real.
12.6k reviews189 followers
April 14, 2017
A not to bad tale of mythology, that keeps your interest. It's not very long, so it's quick reading. All about gods not happy and leaving.
Profile Image for Monica.
274 reviews3 followers
April 18, 2017
3,5 stars
I received this book via instaFreebie.
I liked it. Interesting concept. It's short, but good start to a series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews

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