City of Ellora: Infinitium White (Cruelty) features fantasy, thrills, and adventure and is the first book in the series. The work is best suited to mature young adult and adult readers owing to the use of explicit language throughout, scenes of graphic fantasy violence, and some brief scenes of sexual nature. In this novel penned by Jimmy Tran, we follow the ensemble cast from Scarlet Spring as devastation reigns supreme everywhere they turn. As a search for a monstrous killer turns into even more carnage, the lines are blurred between purposeful warring and the desire for pure chaos. The world of Torsamel will never be the same again.

Jimmy Tran has crafted a masterful work of action-packed fantasy with plenty of highs and lows to keep you transfixed from cover to cover. This work develops along a clear path toward devastation and although you know it’s unlikely that there will be a happy conclusion to this first part of Cruelty, you still keep battling on just as the characters do. That’s a special connection to craft with a reader. The world-building was also a huge boon, and Tran sets up his world superbly well with intricate details about the past of Torsamel and the dangerous forces leading it toward an inevitably chaotic future. City of Ellora is a fantastic primer for exploring the mind of a highly creative author, and I cannot wait to see what more the saga will deliver after this blockbuster opening.

City of Ellora by Jimmy Tran sets itself in Torsamel, a realm of conflict where the promise of heroism arises from the surprisingly young Scarlet Party. Initially, their quest is to stop the deadly Dandy Man from taking more lives and that does remain the overriding plot; however, what is unknown until the journey begins is how discordance has bred pockets of uprisings that force the parties, and others, into bloody battles that are worse than any one anomaly they expect to be pitted against. Theirs is not the only quest nor are the battles they fight that pluck members of their party, and parties they ally with, to rebuild the group where nobody among them is safe. Shocking hand-to-hand combat, the foretelling of worse to come, and the memory of lost friends haunt them. But as it is often repeated, we must embrace pain and burn it as fuel for our journey.

City of Ellora by Jimmy Tran has truly epic world-building and vivid descriptions that transcend the diversity of tundra and their surrounding cities, villages, and forests. The parallel hero journeys between the protagonist groups put some in places like glorious temples and small camps that have equal attention paid to their place in these spaces. Tran's strength lies in battle scenes that create a sense of realism and allow readers to visualize what transpires with a rawness that anyone who has been so unfortunate as to have seen war firsthand will recognize as being unvarnished. Momentum and the building of anticipation for the book's grisly finale are balanced between moments of intense action and introspective dialogue and emotional loss. Overall, City of Ellora is a strong start to its forthcoming series. Recommended.

In the land of Torsamel, the thrilling narrative of City of Ellora by Jimmy Tran takes readers on an extraordinary journey through the deeply dangerous world he has created. Led by the determined Roland, the Scarlet Spring party embarks on a quest to capture the notorious serial killer, Dandy Man, while the lands they traverse are a hotbed of growing tensions among its diverse inhabitants. As the party confronts formidable adversaries like the zot'bak and the Screaming Ravagers, Roland's past intertwines with the enigmatic Seraphina, resulting in a series of encounters that push their limits. Meanwhile, the resilient adventurers of the White Wyvern group, including Lance and Erihma, face their own challenges and navigate the complex dynamics not just amongst themselves, but with other rival parties. The narrative culminates in one of the most violent showdowns I've encountered in the young adult genre, leading to tragic consequences that propel the conclusion toward its thrilling climax, and the next book in the series.

Jimmy Tran holds nothing back when it comes to bloodshed, torture, outright murder, and even the butchery of children in the City of Ellora, the brutality of which heightens themes of camaraderie, sacrifice, and the relentless pursuit of justice. Tran's writing skillfully immerses readers in a richly crafted world, deftly blending elements of fantasy, adventure, and good old-fashioned combat. The character development is top notch and Tran goes many steps further by digging into the relationships in the Scarlet Spring party and the White Wyvern group to add depth and emotional resonance to their arcs while exploring the complexities of loyalty, trust, and personal growth. The transitioning point of view keeps the multiple storylines straight and allows each individual the time and space to show us their distinct motivations and backstories. The landscape is gorgeous, like the mystical temples to the war-torn city of Fiore, and the creatures and gods are unique, the Zodiac warriors being the standout. The body count is very high and characters we love fall, but the fact that this bothers me is a testament to Tran's ability to connect a reader to his characters. Now I just need to know what happens next.

If dark fantasy adventure stories are your jam, grab a copy of author Jimmy Tran's City of Ellora: Infinium White (Cruelty). Jump into an epic adventure in the sprawling world of Torsamel, where danger lurks in every nook and cranny, and monsters, men, humanoids, and other creatures try to get one up over the other in a brutal game of survival. Scarlet Spring is one of the Adamantine adventurer groups from Ellora in search of the dreaded Dandy Man, a serial killer who leaves a trail of bloodshed and carnage wherever he goes. But they are not the only ones on his heels, and soon the band of misfits finds themselves caught amid warring cities, meddling gods, ferocious monsters, and demons while coping with the loss of friends and loved ones.

Dark, gritty, and filled with action and mayhem, City of Ellora feels like an untamed monster of a book free from its shackles. With a large cast of characters and a plot as unpredictable as it's absorbing, Jimmy Tran crafts a dark fantasy tale you will remember long after finishing the book. Ambitious and epic in scale, Tran's narrative is immersive and rich in lore and worldbuilding. The continent of Torsamel feels grand, with a diverse terrain full of monsters, rogue gods, and demons wreaking havoc all over the place. The elf child Gumdrop and Seraphina the Celestial were two of my favorite characters from the bunch. Recommended to fantasy aficionados who love dark adventure stories.