Book Review: The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.

The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy

Series: Book 1 of The Combat Codes Saga

Publisher: Orbit (June 13, 2023)

Length: 464 pages

Author Information: Website | Twitter

An interesting mashup of sci-fi and fantasy that also reads like a love letter to martial arts, The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin whisks readers off to a war-ravaged world where fighting is life and life is a fight—that is, if you are a Grievar Knight.

After a war which nearly brought them all to ruin, the nations of the world decided on an armistice. Rather than launching full-scale invasions and weapons of mass destruction, they would select the most elite warriors as their champions to represent them in a system which replaces traditional warfare with single hand-to-hand combat. These are the Grievars, who live by the code to fight so that the rest shall not have to.

For Murray, who was a legend amongst the Grievar Knights until a devastating loss knocked him out of commission, his new role as a recruiter meant that he must scout out the most promising young fighters to train in the Lyceum, a premiere combat school. In one of the many no-holds-barred underground fight clubs, Murray believes he has found his champion in a 13-year-old slave named Cego after he witnesses the boy emerge victorious in a vicious bout against a much stronger opponent. But Cego has a troubled past and may have his own reasons for taking Murray’s offer other than the opportunity to study at the prestigious Lyceum.

If you like action in your SFF, then this is the book for you. Darwin, a practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, brings his martial arts knowledge as well as his love for old-school action movies to this first volume of The Combat Codes saga. I have to say, it stands out amidst other fantasy warrior school novels for its hyper realistic and believable descriptions of the fight scenes, which play out like an MMA match in your mind. As someone who has trained in martial arts, recognizing many of the moves and submissions as they were being described on the page, it wasn’t difficult to become completely immersed (and there a few times I even winced in sympathy for some of the characters). Even if you aren’t a martial arts enthusiast, it’s easy to get sucked in because the author is so good at keeping the blow-by-blows engaging and the details are never overbearing.

Another reason not to worry is that, despite the heavy martial arts content, at the heart of The Combat Codes is very much a character-centric tale. I enjoyed reading about Cego’s journey, and his determination to unravel his mysterious past made it even more intriguing. He can’t remember much about his life before the Lyceum like how he ended up in the underground as a slave, but even in the face of hardships and obstacles, he never stops doing the right thing. He believes strongly in the Grievar’s Combat Codes and strives to live by them, protecting the weaker boys from bullies even if it means taking on all the ridicule and violence by himself. To those who help and support him, he is also a fiercely loyal friend.

If there is one weaker aspect of this novel though, I think it’s the world-building. Sometimes the setting feels like fantasy, sometimes it feels like sci-fi—in the end, it’s probably a bit of both. Still, trying to picture the world of The Combat Codes felt a bit like trying to see through smudged glasses. Part of this may be due to the limited scope we are proffered, as for the most part of the story takes place within the narrow confines of the Lyceum and is focused on Grievar culture.  While advanced technology is frequently mentioned and every now and then we get glimpses of the dystopia that is the outside world, the overall picture is still fuzzy, and it is my hope that we’ll see the later books in this series expand upon the world-building aspect.

Speaking of which, I’m looking forward to picking up the sequel, Grievar’s Blood. All in all, The Combat Codes was a cracking good read, delivering an entertaining if not groundbreaking experience. This first book has set us up for some big things, and I’m looking forward to what’s coming next.