Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Trials of the Endless Planes #1

Crossing Serpent's Way

Rate this book
For the last four years, humanity has been facing its greatest challenge yet — a trial known as the Crucible. This harrowing ordeal has tested the mettle and determination of individuals, weeding out the weak and transforming the survivors into warriors. They have been forced to conquer dungeons and battle horrific creatures with magical powers so they themselves could gain abilities of their own. However, the Crucible was merely the beginning. As the trial concludes, the survivors find themselves on the precipice of an entirely new realm — the Endless Planes. Here, magic thrives, and ancient forces shape the destiny of worlds. The Endless Planes, a vast and diverse realm, is home to countless kingdoms, mythical creatures, and formidable challenges. Among the survivors is Kaito Bao, who has been marked by the scars of the Crucible. Once a loving father and husband, he has lost everything dear to him. And now, all that drives him is his unending desire to hunt down more monsters and punish them for ripping his family away from him. In his obsession, he has acquired powerful abilities, accomplished incredible Feats and gained rare Titles. Join Kaito as he explores Serpent’s Way, the bottommost world of the Endless Planes, where all people must begin their climb to the top. Fair This book contains tables, violence, profanity, gore, mature themes, and unorthodox morality.

763 pages, ebook

First published May 27, 2023

Loading...
Loading...

About the author

R.J. Shoke

10 books28 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
590 (63%)
4 stars
218 (23%)
3 stars
84 (9%)
2 stars
26 (2%)
1 star
12 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
41 reviews
June 2, 2023
Infinite Realm with no Zach

Have you read Ivan Kal's infinite Realm series and wished it was only Ryun but not Zach? This is your book. It's literally infinite Realm with no Zach. Instead of an infinite Realm you have an endless plane. They have the same backstory. The same set up. Heck, both Kaito and Ryun are overpowered Asian characters. I'm not saying this is plagiarism but it's an homage to a great series.

Kaito is a great MC. Great action, great story, great pace. My only critique is that the battles can be a little over long. The system is also great. A little different take on a leveling system but still familiar. I recommend reading this. Can't wait for the next one.
2,610 reviews17 followers
August 20, 2023
Another entry in what I’m coming to think of as the ‘clash of the assholes’ genre, in which burly jerks zap each other and bellow about power a lot. The fights are well-written enough that I got most of the way through it, but Christ, what an asshole.
3 reviews
June 30, 2023
good book

I liked the book in general but:

Spoilers a little



I hate when writers do this. They make a character OP but don’t support they statement. If people that have passed the trial can ascend even though they can’t beat a LV 30 monster alone but the MC can do that with ease and can beat a LV 70 even before the extra 115 stat point how is he not ready? Like if we keep using these level gages but our MC is above that and only a few people in history are like him how tf is he not ready. Also the knowledge base??? The first people to ascend didn’t have that either so don’t see a problem. It’s just another way an author try’s to build tension but in doing so it doesn’t follow the rules of the magic system that was built. How is power measures in this system? If it’s by stats then he will be above the average but all others to ascend will be below, if it’s with boons he will be below as the Bonn’s of stronger monsters are better but so will others, if it’s based on class skills he will be average with the boost but can spam them due to his feats and titles while others will be in the same boat without his titles and feats. IF HE IS NOT READY THEN WHO EVER IS? IF HE HAS A TOUGH TIME DO ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO TRY TO ASCEND JUST DIE DAY 1? Like he has way more advantages then others of his realm but other people ascend but he’s not ready. If you make a character strong make them make harder choices like the final dungeon not say you are no longer strong as others will have a level that you already exceed because better realm.
Profile Image for Artrain.
157 reviews11 followers
August 15, 2023
I get really annoyed when authors use Hollywood dialogues as a basis for their own literary work. It makes the book feel so shallow. Hollywood writing is meant to be understood even by a 5th standard failure. Those who read books usually hold themselves to higher yardstick.
268 reviews13 followers
October 9, 2023
Not for me

Its iust all so one dimensional, bad guys bad, earthlings weak, kaito strong, mila useless and nothing every changes. Stats go up but for what purpose? Found it really really hard to finish. Every character felt so flat and kaito is both OP but doesn't care about anything really not sure what I'm supposed to care about as the reader. And on a side note another review said this was better than he who fights with monsters and it's not even close, azarinth healer brings ten times the joy while also being basically just about getting stronger in the same way just so much more depth.
1,246 reviews18 followers
June 25, 2023
better than defiance, better than he who fights with monsters, not as good as the primal hunter but it’s right up there

This is an excellent book. World building, but not excessively, character development that could use a little bit more for the MC, side characters who have their own personalities, but since the book is not about them, will have to see how that develops. I enjoyed the fact of the book was totally action packed at least 90% of the book. There was a little bit of slice of life in the book. Plenty of stats for the stat nerds and all the tropes and things we expect from lit RPG’s. The MC is not overpowered as far as I’m concerned he is smart, intelligent, and makes very few mistakes he learns from his errors and takes no prisoners. He does not suffer fools my only issue is that there are too many emcees, who are pure brawlers lately in these books, you can’t bring a knife, to a gun fight or rifle fight. Brawlers need another form of attack preferably something long range like a sword or bow and arrow. I hope the author decides to make this an audible book because I will definitely purchase it, depending on the narrator this book is better than some of the most recent releases from the major three or five books, that top the charts in lit RPG’s, read this book you will not be disappointed. Just look at my reviews on Goodreads, I give very few books 5 stars this one hits all the spots on the chart.
Profile Image for Jon Svenson.
Author 8 books116 followers
August 22, 2023
This is the first book I've read by this author.

The story starts out well. There is an apocalypse on Earth, and those who do well go to the Endless Planes. Kaito ends up in a dungeon with a couple of other people. As a pugilist, he is merciless to his enemies. He's also unafraid of dying as he lost his wife and kids much earlier in the apocalypse.

I won't deny that this is a brutal story no matter how well told it is. Kaito has a tendency to go off the rails when someone disses him or if things aren't going his way. I won't spoil what happens after the dungeon but it's good.

For my money this is equal if not slightly better than the Primal Hunter. The action doesn't really slow down once it gets going. It reminded me of the first Death: Genesis book in that the main character is single minded in winning every battle. Titles, nobility, skills... none of that matters to him once he starts fighting.

The editing is decent and there are notifications galore. I'm very much looking forward to book two. Recommended 5/5*
Profile Image for Twine & Ribbon.
163 reviews17 followers
July 14, 2023
This was an entertaining read in the litrpg, apocalypse, system genre. I’m giving it 5/5 stars because I can’t really fault it for anything, but I wasn’t particularly happy with all the decisions so here are my nitpicks.

Something I’ve noticed in this genre is that a lot of the initial hook revolves around what class the main character chooses. The class and how it is used gives a lot of personality to the novel and informs the characters decisions and choices regarding how they will tackle hurdles and challenges. This is pretty much absent from the book entirely.

The prelude covers the actual apocalypse and no one even has classes or levels yet, which seems like an odd choice. Then we go through class creation and he intentionally picks the most Vanilla class possible in order to mold himself to whatever he needs to be in the new world. That made total sense to me. The problem was he still hasn’t figured out what that is going to be by the novels end. During the final fight, someone’s still yelling at him to go on and pick a path already and I couldn’t help but agree. It’s not that I dislike OP characters who are good at everything (I do) but I want some flavor to the character’s abilities.

A lot of satisfaction in this genre is derived from the leveling process. Class defines abilities, levels empower those abilities and direct the path of the hero and thereby the pace and plot. This book entirely circumvents both class leveling and attempts to deliver these important elements via other means and I’d argue it mostly works. Grabbing powers from monster cores and titles is pretty cool. I just still miss those traditional tropes from the genre. A litrpg book with no class or levels!? What is this! That’s like a monster movie with no monster! Lol

Additionally, I didn’t really care about any of the side characters.
The main character works fine, but the world feels pretty lonely with just the single well balanced hero to populate it. Besides him, There’s a single rationale human character that is introduced early on and there’s potential there but she’s quickly just sort of lost in the shuffle and relegated to the backdrop. This part really got under my skin after a while, honestly, because besides that everybody else just sucks. Starting out in the first chapter, nearly every member of the human race is portrayed as a small minded hypocritical loser and it’s just a bummer after a while.

Combat, exploration, and leveling are fun but a lot of what makes these heroes memorable is their interaction with their friends and foes. While we had some passable bosses and such, this book was pretty devoid of compelling friends.

Anyway, 5/5 for the genre despite my nitpicks and criticisms.
Profile Image for Thorsten.
384 reviews6 followers
August 27, 2023
Interesting start to a new series, and to echo what others have noted, it's impossible not to see the similarities to Infinite Realm. However, that's not to say that the book borrows heavily beyond the opening. It's just setting the stage for a Pioneer surviving Earth's destruction and moving on to the main event.

The book is not without its flaws. The most glaring is not that the MC is overpowered, though he certainly is; it's that his opponents all feel comparatively incompetent. The local powerhouses have had literal centuries to build their power, while Kaito runs every dungeon once and seems to end up with qualitatively better boons. Combined with the story really being just one long fight scene, having the MC overpower one fight after another just gets pretty dull.

There needs to be more story and some other conflict/tension than just moving between fights.
Profile Image for Urhierefe .
190 reviews
June 27, 2023
Like what the comment that made me read this novel said 'infinite realm without Zach'

But what the comment didn't specify was this MC wasn't Ryun, but the MC wasn't bad, just more emotional than Ryun and all that...

Basically, I didn't enjoy this book because I went into it expecting a knock-off of Ryun 😅

But halfway through the MC, I really began to shine and thank God for that... you see at the beginning of the novel the MC was being held down by a prideful weakling which was just tiring and it made me develop a strong sense of hate for the MC but he redemed himself during the ending grind, which was done solo no baggage and just a butcher who he hungry for the flesh of his pray, because you see he is a butcher and a glutton.
15 reviews1 follower
July 1, 2024
Fucking loved it

Not one to normally write reviews, but some books in this genre really aren't stories, more like observations made of someone posting a video game. Snack, junk food, whatever you want to call it. Fun to read, but not something that ever really draws you in. This is a story. Maybe not everyone's type of story, but it is certainly a well written story of which I thoroughly enjoyed, that just so happened to have the flare of the genre created in. Loved the suttle nods and referencing, like and I maybe reaching here, but I can't help but remark about camp fire's in dungeon crawls that remind me of the souls series in gaming. Either way, fantastic read. Love Tyrox. He is hilarious.
Profile Image for John-Torleif  Harris.
2,732 reviews14 followers
June 27, 2023
I can’t wait to follow more on Kaito’s adventures

Kaito was such an interesting, and complicated, character. He’s ruthless and every time he tries to give his fellow humans the benefit of the doubt, his efforts are rejected and reviled. I’m surprised that he had as much regard for them as he had, to be honest.

I loved the progression that he had during the course of this book, but I’d like to have a clearer understanding of leveling. He spent the entirety of this book at level 0, but his effective level was, naturally, much higher. But that being the case, what is the point of levels at all?
Profile Image for Devan.
629 reviews19 followers
August 5, 2023
Good if you want one big battle

So I loved this at first. The magic system and world building aren’t bad and interested me. I also really enjoyed the battles….until I didn’t.
Don’t get me wrong. It was fun for awhile, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

He did start to briefly dabble in some crafting, but it was kind of disappointing in how simplistic it was. Put some thought into it! You have an awesome and unique kind of crafting to explore dang it! Sadly the crafting portion was short enough that if you blink you might miss it.

Not bad overall, but too one-dimensional for me. Probably won’t pick up book two.
32 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2023
I like it

As others mentioned, MC is a bit murder hobo. However, also keep in mind that most characters are not only really hateful but also lacking in situational awareness. As in most don’t realize that they are way outmatched and continue to spew hate and arrogance like they still have the upper hand. So yes MC kills a lot but most kind of get what is coming to them.

On another note, progression aspect of the story is good as well. The boon system is a breath of fresh air from others. When MC changes his boons, he gets completely new abilities and loses his old ones. So fights usually stay relatively original as well.
Profile Image for Clint Young.
849 reviews
July 18, 2023
KU Review

Wild ride of nonstop action with a truly overpowered main character. Even when he isn’t the strongest he manages to find a way to become it. Definitely dark and harsh at times but I still found myself agreeing with the choices more often than not. Not sure if that’s a mark for the book or a mark against me.

General disclaimer: I want to be clear in that I do not factor cost into any review and as such, this is simply a reflection of my enjoyment of the book and in no way reflects cost to value analysis.
95 reviews3 followers
March 11, 2024
Rough writing

I was forced to skip a lot. I liked the world, magic and story enough, otherwise I doubt I would have finished.

The fights were utterly terrible. Ability spamming the technique names makes for weak action scenes and this book was predominantly action.

The writing is hard to pinpoint what bothered me. Half the paragraphs seemed pointless, or slow to get where I knew it was going, while somehow being so quick that there was no room to breathe. Essentially, half the words were pointless and the other half hardly captured any depth.

192 reviews1 follower
July 7, 2024
I can't say that I hated it...

But I definitely did NOT like it. I could understand the MCs' mentality and even empathize and root for him, but I just couldn't like him.

I understand that it is the experiences that make a person, and he might not even be able to be called a person, but his persona was a hodgepodge of the most depraved mental states resulting in a fecal matter sundae.

That said, the planes were interesting, and I really enjoyed the setting when they first left the dungeon forest.
39 reviews
July 16, 2023
one of the best litrpg books I’ve read

I can’t say enough great things about this, once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. One is the best thing I like about it was, it wasn’t about a hero who feels the need to help everyone no matter what they do to the hero. This book told the story of of a husband/father/son who lost everything and no matter how nice or helpful he was greed always won. Read this you’ll be happy and sad that you have to wait for the next book.
Profile Image for Nathan Taylor.
27 reviews
August 8, 2023
Great start

It started out very similar to the “Infinite Realm” series and at first I was a little disappointed, but once I got past that I really liked the story and the character. I like that the MC isn’t burdened by morals and is kinda just a ruthless killer and owns it. I liked the constant growth of the MC. Also it was refreshing that he didn’t have a worthless character holding him back like so many of these stories do. I can’t wait to read the next book
Profile Image for Jesse Spencer.
26 reviews
November 14, 2023
Suddenly stuff happens.

The characters in this book have zero depth. All of a sudden and suddenly are a common occurrence and people including our hero are constantly referring to him and a monster. It’s got many elements of a Will Wight book but poorly done. I came for the overpowered MC, and while I got one he’s not fun in any real way and neither is anyone else.
I’d say skip this one.
138 reviews
December 11, 2023
This was ok at best sorry say action parts well enough written characters are OK mc is kinda an ass story so-so. World creating was alright.

But did have big problem on my kindle when trying to read this with boxes use for example at 3% wear says: All class brach off from basic three - fighter, mage and scout. Extra. Whole lot didn't fit in box on pg and went of pg at bottom of screen with no way to see what there so all below that point could not be read or see and really wanted to read it so found very frustrating wear boxes not fit whole page this happened.
(Shame could not say highlight click on and then go through it that way as that what most usually do with boxes like this or better yet make them small or not use them.)
& if past pg and went back often words overlapped with offer page's.

Then later in book wear he could change class abilitys to anything he wanted was just 'bad' took out any tension because no matter situation could make any ability needed to defeat it. Also author seems be obsessed with skin colour that got annoying.

Dame this big book lol thanks for sharing hopefully author or ebook people can fix this issue in future releases.
25 reviews1 follower
January 21, 2024
An excellent series start!

Wow the author did a killer job setting up great magic/litrpg system!

Boons - what a great concept! Gives mana cores another dimension that is completely original.


The main character is excellent! Agreat anti hero who crosses the line between hero and villain constantly


I'm excited to see where this story will go it really has unlimited potential! Definitely an excellent read anyone should give it a shit they'll be hooked!
70 reviews
July 19, 2023
Great Beginning

I like this story a lot. It’s similar in flavor to some of the other books Shoke has written. I don’t understand a lot of the criticisms and comparisons. This books has a very interesting world and the potential for some really great character building. I hope the next book is just as good.
434 reviews1 follower
July 29, 2023
My Kind of Book

Let's get it out the way... The MC is very OP, but I have discovered that I like that kind of character. The story is very good, fasted paced, interesting. The only complaint I have is the author jumps from the usual he, she, etc., to they, them for no reason I can see, unless it's just grammatical errors.
I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for William Howe.
1,874 reviews94 followers
August 20, 2023
you’re stuck in here with me

Some similarities to Ivan Kal’s “Infinite Realms”, with the MC being the dominant human left on Earth at the end of the ‘tutorial’. Less insanity, but more buried rage.

This is essentially the first ‘floor’ of a ‘tower’.

Yes, I’m gonna buy the next one.
Profile Image for Mark.
1,030 reviews80 followers
December 15, 2023
In fantasy murder world where the "System" rewards murder, Kaito is the murder-est person from Earth. Most other Earth murderers are mad at him, apparently for being more murder-y??? At least the book is honest about this.

If you like meaningless action, this book is almost all action and almost all of it is meaningless. Give it a try!
Profile Image for Jon Honey.
103 reviews3 followers
January 28, 2024
I only read this because it was described to me as Infinite Realms without Jake. That’s adequate for the opening, but the stories are fairly divergent after that. This book can otherwise stand on its own. It’s a bit more dark fantasy than I expected, but it was fairly well done. Great fleshed out universe, diverse and multidimensional characters.
670 reviews15 followers
June 22, 2023
Wow just wow!!

I really liked this book It was very
entertaining and enjoyable to read, I cannot wait for the second one to come out.Now I will try out the writer's other books, hopefully they'll be as good as this one!!
25 reviews
July 16, 2023
just a binge

I thoroughly enjoyed. It. The fight scenes that were not completed were awesome. They fit into the story like a glove. Very well done writing. I could feel myself in the protagonist shows and fought alongside him. That is a rare feat.
Profile Image for IU_read.
407 reviews
July 19, 2023
~4.5 stars~

Kaito Bao just crazy about fighting. He lost his family during earth crucible, I can understand why he is crazy to kill those monsters and the human guild. This book remind me of primal hunter but there is no "Villy" here.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews