I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)

this was such an amazing read! it's heavily focused on martial arts (which i absolutely love), which makes the fighting scenes THAT much better. the world and the magic system that Alexander created was so interesting to read about and easily immersive. now, i'm a sucker for political intrigue, and let me tell you that i ate that up!! it was beyond intriguing that it was impossible to put down.
the pacing was perfect, the plot twists and the mystery was top notch.
the characters were so interesting and compelling, and the friendships between them was so beautiful to read about.
definitely recommend this!

The Combat Codes brilliantly combines martial arts with the genres of sci-fi AND fantasy in an explosion of action and self discovery. Imagine if Rocky, Ender’s Game, and The Karate Kid were shoved into a mixer and shaken up. The Combat Codes would be close to what you’d find inside. The story is set in a futuristic world that uses magic auras embedded into battle rings (similar to martial arts competition rings) where warriors fight to the death in one-on-one combat to settle disputes between their nations. This story follows a teenager with no memory of how he arrived in an underground city and a disgraced warrior stuck drinking away his past, as they seek to understand who they. Should you read The Combat Codes? Let’s talk about it.

Alexander Darwin is new to the traditionally published industry but certainly not in the indie world. The Combat Codes originally was self-published in 2015 with two sequels following after it. It was later picked up by Orbit Books and was released as a new edition just this month! (June 2023) I say all this to make the point that this series is worth reading and readers knew it before the publishers did!

Alex’s world building is unique in the fact that I have never heard of a world built around hand to hand combat, magic and technology. While there isn’t necessarily much detail given to the physical world itself, you can’t help but get sucked into this universe and want to know more while you read. No matter if you enjoy sci-fi or fantasy, you’ll enjoy his world building for his ability to integrate the two.

This novel is certainly character driven. It is a multi point of view story focusing on both a teenager, Cego, and an older gentlemen, Murray. Some standard tropes are used in The Combat Codes such as mentor with a hard past trains a mentee who’s exceptionally skilled in his discipline as well as a school scenario where the most gifted teenage fighters go to train to be knights. However, I really enjoyed Alexander’s take on these and found that they were so different from what I have read in the past that I still felt like I was reading something completely new.

Cego and Murray themselves were very enjoyable to get to know. Murray being my favorite between the two. My one complaint is Cego didn’t really go through any profound character arch. Murray definitely did, but Cego, who I took to be the primary protagonist of the story, was mostly the same until right up until the end. Which if you are a visual person might have looked more like a straight line right up until the end where it suddenly jerks. However, since this is just book one of a saga I hope to see a more dramatic character arch take place for his character.

Finally, some of the major themes of The Combat Codes fall into a couple main categories. First, lessons from your past should be taken seriously. Second, learn from your mistakes and use that to shape your future. Third, just because someone is skilled in one area, this does not mean they are inadequate in others. Fourth, there is more to life than just facts and science. Finally, friendship and loyalty can help get you through anything. While there were certainly others, these were the ones that have stuck with me the longest after finishing the novel.

There are so many other things I could say about this novel. I could talk about the kickass action scenes, the different species of persons who get divided into classes based on their skill sets including weird fragile creatures that live in robotic exoskeletons and are the brains of their society, or even the magical tattoos that literally move and react to the world around them. Yet, I really believe you should discover most of these things yourself. Please give this book a chance! If anything above sounds interesting to you then I can guarantee you’ll love this novel. Go buy it!

A big thank you to Alexander for sending me a copy of his book to review. It was an honor getting to read it and I can’t wait to share more about it on TikTok! (@neilthebookguy and while you are there follow Alex at @combatcodes)

THE COMBAT CODES is a martial arts coming of age story.

The book can be split into three distinct sections - Cego in the slave rings, Cego learning at the military school, and Cego planning to rescue a friend. The slave rings are perhaps the first third of the book, setting up key relationships for later as much of the final third sits on understanding why he'd want to rescue this friend despite their actions.

There are new characters introduced in the second third, classmates at Grievar school. They are built up very quickly, building a solid team. I liked their interactions, the easy dynamics that spring up and convince you that these people really did spend a lot of time together.

Murray acted as a great counterbalance to Cego's lack of experience and worldliness, a weary man who was trying to hold to his principles in a world that is leaving them far behind. He was a nice foil to Cego's energy and hopefulness - and also so nice to see an older protagonist who feels the years and injuries.

This inclusion also helped the book to feel that bit different to many other coming of age in a warrior school books, as this other perspective wasn't in the school. He was on the outside, getting drawn into the murky secrets and power trading games of the bureaucratic elite. A plot line which forced him to consider his own relationship to his principles, and whether they could - or should - bend.

I really enjoyed the central mystery of Cego's life. He knows two distinct parts of it, but not how he got from one to the other. The way that was explored was very engaging, pulling me forward, wanting to know the answer to all the little inconsistencies.

It's a strong start to a series, and Murray's chapters in particular hint at the challenges awaiting the world in later books.

Love an academy setting and a fight scene? The disillusioned hero and promising new apprentice? Underground clubs, a brutal dystopian setting, brutes you’ll love to hate and an underdog to root for? This book is jam packed with all of this and more.

As soon as you meet Cego - a mysterious boy with a mysterious past - you’ll be invested in his journey. Thrust into a strange new underground world, which is introduced to the reader along with Cego, he must prove himself: but how far will he have to go?

Meanwhile, seeking to discover the truth behind what’s going on in the Academy - is Murray, a former Grievar Knight now out of his prime, but willing to step up to the plate to find answers: and for Cego. The boy he’s risked everything for.

Darwin’s martial arts know-how is obvious as he expertly renders the scenes, but the language is easy to understand. Far from being tripped up by jargon, the reader is launched into the centre of the fight. But there’s a bigger picture, too, with a history of colonialism and subjugation to be charted, and mysterious forces to be reckoned with, including the strange influence of the spectral lights.

“Why do we fight?”
“We fight so the rest shall not have to.”

Featuring:
- Found family
- Top-notch fight-scenes
- Academy setting incl. rivals & team bonding
- Surprising twists and mysteries
- Menacing upper class
- Fairly male-centric
- Zero romance
- Secrets and betrayals

A well-paced and action-packed tale that I hugely enjoyed - looking forward to the next!

In a world were one on one combat replaced wars, what you will find is Knights in a Sci-Fi setting. Our two main characters are a Knight turned Scout, and a boy far from home fighting underground. The boy is a mystery, because even he doesn’t know where he came from, and his knowledge of the codes is uncommon outside of Lyceum.

This book focuses on the Martial Arts philosophy and fighting techniques. The fighting scenes were really well written. I know I am not the first to say it’s perfect for fans of Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee, but that’s all I thought about since I started reading it.

I found the characters a little flat, and often similar to characters from other martial arts stories. There is also a fantasy element, the fights occur in circles that use alloys and lights which affect the fighters mentally and emotionally.

Beware of child abuse, brutal death and unsavory descriptions.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read The Combat Codes..

Please see my post for review. Blog tour - http://ramblingmads.uk/2023/06/15/blog-tour-the-combat-codes-alexander-darwin/

One day, Cego was living on his quiet island home with his teacher and two brothers, and the next, he found himself in a gloomy world of slavery and desperate fights for survival.

Murray was once a champion fighter for the ruling caste, who based decisions of laws and justice by the wins or losses of their champions. Now, Murray is a shadow of the world famous fighter he once was. Broken in body and spirit, he now works as a scout, finding kids to recruit to an elite warrior school. When he finds Cego, an orphaned kid fighting in slave circles, Murray knows he's struck gold. But in order to help Cego, Murray needs to find the strength and fighting spirit he lost years ago.

This book had a lot of martial arts scenes, and it's obvious that the author knows the topic very well. I'm not a big fan of books that spend too many words on each sword slash, but the writing here had a great balance between fighting scenes with plenty of martial arts terms and character, plot, and setting building. While there was a lot of fighting (and I mean *a lot), it didn't overwhelm the other elements of the story.

Cego and Murray were great foils for each other. Both share similar values and life purposes, but they each come at it from different angles. Murray sees his world from the perspective of an older man, disillusioned with his heroes and leaders, and now fighting to uncover the truth buried under corruption. Cego is young and at the beginning of his fighting career. His fights are all physical, and he still believes in the morals he grew up with.

While Cego fights his challengers in battle school, learning to fight better, making friends, and striving to move on from the mysteries of his past, Murray walks back into a world that once revered his name, in order to find the answers both he and Cego seek. But some questions are better left unasked, and the answers may reveal some unpleasant secrets.

Oh man, I cannot wait to read the second book! This reminded me of both Red Rising and Jade City, which are two of my all time favorite books/series. The martial arts was pretty cool even if I feel like a few of the fight/training scenes did drag on a tad bit. But I enjoyed the book as a whole and am ready for more. I do wish there was more female characters so hopefully that happens in the next book.

This book is the perfect blend of martial arts with fantasy and sci-fi.
Well paced plot with a few twists and turns, compelling characters and amazing fight scenes.
Can't wait for the sequel.

ARC review. Impressive debut blending martial arts, fantasy and sci-fi, with a well plotted story, compelling main characters and rich lore, which I always enjoy. As someone who does Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I applaud the author for a realistic portrayal of hand to hand combat while capturing and somehow articulating the essence and beauty of the martial art itself. Surprisingly strong in themes while being an action packed story, I was left feeling a blend of Ender’s Game and Rocky - which is pretty cool if you ask me.

Review:

The Combat Codes was a fantastic novel! I cannot wait to get to the next one. I found myself fully immersed from the beginning. I have had a tough time with fantasy reads this year because I think I overdid it in the past few years. My brain has been rebelling! So when I started reading The Combat Codes and didn’t want to stop, I was thrilled. I began with an ebook copy gifted to me via Orbit and then I actually reached out to Hachette Audio to see if they had an audio code, as I didn’t want to stop my journey within this novel. I was able to completely get lost into all this book had to offer without interruption between the two.

I found both experiences absolutely lovely. The audio was helpful for name pronunciations and the ebook allowed me to highlight and really get the subtle qualities down. The Combat Codes was enthralling and the audio production was paired perfection.

As for the writing, you can tell that Alexander Darwin is extremely passionate about martial arts and the people who practice it. He writes the fight scenes with expertise and I found these scenes to be very engaging. Through Murray and Cego, we see compassion for others, rage against injustice, and a will to change the world. The prose was straightforward and light. I think this was exactly the novel I needed at this time. Though serious things are happening, it was fun and easy to read.

I think we got to know Cego and Murray pretty well. I think some of the sides characters, we could stand to learn a bit more about and hopefully will do so in the next book.

We are left with a bit of a cliffhanging revelation, yet the novel tidied up nicely at the end otherwise. The ending promises a building of these characters and their journeys. I’m eager to see where Darwin takes us in the next book.

Thanks again to Mihir from Fantasy Book Critic and the author, Alexander Darwin, for having me on the blog tour. Also, to Orbit and Hachette Audio for the gifted copies.

8.75/10

The Combat Codes will be published traditionally via Orbit on June 13 2023. It was previously self-published and a finalist for SPFBO.

I got an ARC of Combat Codes from NetGalley for an honest review!
Rating: 3.5/5
All in all I actually enjoyed this book. It was generally fast paced and didn’t take long to get into the action which I loved. You can tell Alexander Darwin has Jiu Jitsu experience when you’re reading for sure. The fights were described so well in my opinion (but that may also be because I do have a bit of Jiu Jitsu knowledge from when I briefly did it myself). But the flow of the book was just seamless and it was really engaging to read.
I LOVED the actual premise of the book. Fighting to settle any and all disputes? Tell me that isn’t fun. The world building was a bit confusing at first because you just jump right into the story but it was easy enough to understand after a bit. I think the social hierarchy between the daimyo, grievar, and healer people is still a little unclear but there’s enough information to get through the book so that’s enough for me.
Moving on to the characters, I love Murray and his grumpy old man persona. I wish we got more time with him, especially because he’s technically one of the main characters, but there was enough for decent insight on his character. Cego was def a cool character but came off as a bit over powered at first. But then yk, you read on and then you realize why he’s so good so it makes sense all things considered. Honestly his flashbacks seemed so irrelevant. I had no idea what they were adding to the story at a certain point. Those were so slow and hard to get through.
And to my main problem, I was not able to connect with most of the characters. Most of their relationships with each other fall very flat and seem superficial. Murray and Cego only knew each other for what? A few weeks max? And then Cego was going on abt how much he missed Murray while in the Lyceum. The character death that was supposed to be the big moment for Cego held no real emotional impact over me because that character really wasn’t developed before. Yeah we got a bit of his story but not enough time with him to make me emotionally invested with him, being Fr, I thought he was annoying for most of the time he was alive.
Generally though, it was a good book and fun to read. Im def reading book 2!

I truly enjoyed this read. I received it as an arc and in exchange this is my honest review:

This book took me by surprise and I loved it. In this world all conflict is solved by single warrior combat-even between nations. We follow a disgraced champion of these fights and a young boy with mysterious origins and an unusual strength in combat. Our older, disgraced champion is disillusioned with the shape and hierarchy of his world, but our young fighter might just be able to upset the status quo. The world building of this novel is delectable, I was entrenched from the first chapter. The combat is well written and the author is obviously knowledgeable on martial arts. There’s a level of brutality shown that is equaled by elegance, I must give the author praise for this balance. I would’ve liked to see more character development and growth from our young champion, in many ways he felt like he had a fully formed view of his own ethics that was rarely challenged by his environment. I also wanted to see more of the other castes of people and understand how they lived and operated—I think this will show up and be explored in the next books. This book reminded me of Enders game, red rising, and the hunger games, as well as shows like the mandolorian where there’s a strong adoptive father and a young talented ward against the world. I recommend this book.

I have to confess that when Alexander Darwin contacted me about reading and reviewing The Combat Codes I was initially dubious because of the martial arts angle which features prominently in the story, since it’s not exactly my cup of tea, but a swift research online showed me that there was a good measure of character development in the book, and that was enough for me to take the proverbial plunge. Now I’m very glad I accepted because this novel offered much more than I expected, both story-wise and where characters are concerned.

The world in which the story is set has a long, bloody history of violent wars between nations; presently they have been set aside thanks to Grievar Knights, dedicated warriors who act as champions for the various factions: they meet in ritual combat in the arena and any dispute is settled with the outcome of the fight.

“We fight, so the rest shall not have to.”

Grievars follow a set of rules, the Codes (each chapter starts with a quote from them, and is relevant to the events that take place in the story): they dictate not only the kind of moves allowed in combat, but also the moral tenets every fighter must adhere to, and these rules have been rigorously followed for a long time, but in recent times they have been abandoned in favor of more “modern” techniques and more performative physical enhancements.

Murray Pearson is a former Grievar Knight, once famous and powerful, now fallen into almost oblivion: he spends his days drinking and scouting for talent to be turned into Grievar champions in the prestigious Lyceum, the city’s academy where fighters’ skills are honed to perfection. Cego is a young boy barely surviving in the depths of the city: he has no memory of how he ended there, only flashes of a former life on a remote island, where he and his two brothers were taught the way of the Grievar by an old mentor. Captured and forced to fight in the slave pits, a travesty of the Grievar arenas, he catches Murray’s eye who sees an enormous potential in the boy and manages to get him enrolled in the Lyceum.

While he grows as a fighter and future Grievar, Cego starts to learn more about himself and his abilities, forms bonds of friendship with his team-mates and also deals with some unsavory characters who test his temperament and his respect for the Codes. Meanwhile, Murray is conducting something of an investigation into the dealings at the Lyceum, and both his search and Cego’s journey will take the readers toward a surprising revelation that will certainly lead to new and intriguing narrative paths in the next books of the series.

Where the novel’s structure holds a certain kind of familiarity - the old mentor, the young apprentice learning new skills, the school setting with its challenges, the adversarial bully, and so on - the story is carried by a very engaging prose that makes for a compelling reading, aided by the slow revelation of a very complex world in which elements of fantasy and science fiction seamlessly blend together to build the intriguing picture of a dystopian background in which technology and magic live side by side. One of the details I found most intriguing is the link between the Circles (the fighting arenas) and the substance from which they are built: depending on the base element, the Circle takes on a specific color and can exert an equally specific influence on the fighters - either in mind or body - and therefore influence the outcome of a fight.

Another intriguing facet comes from the “present” evolution of the fighting rules: the Codes seem to be slowly losing their impact on the style and mindset of the Grievars, the use of enhancing drugs taking the place of more intensive training or as a way of increasing stamina. Older Knights, like Murray, perceive this phenomenon as a departure from the honorable way of fighting they were taught, while the younger generations see it as a way of gaining an edge against their opponents. It’s interesting to see how a young person like Cego feels a compelling need to remain faithful to the Codes, while feeling the pressure to perform better and better and therefore be an asset for his nation - a dichotomy that will take an interesting turn as the story goes on…

And speaking of Cego, I enjoyed his coming-of-age journey, from the grim depths of the slave pits to the excellence of the Lyceum, from the loneliness of the outcast to the glory of championship and the rewards of friendship and found family: throughout all these experiences, he manages to retain a certain form of candor, a deep capacity for honesty and appreciation for friendship that quickly endeared him to me and made me follow his progress with keen interest. And since this leads to discussion of the combat itself, I have to say that I appreciated these descriptions as well, to my surprise: as I mentioned at the beginning of the review, martial arts are not within my sphere of interest, but I found the depictions of Grievar fights very well detailed and quite cinematic, so that it was not hard to see them in my mind’s eye and they ended adding to my enjoyment of the novel.

The momentous revelation at the end of the book represented a big surprise for me and while it did not close the story on an actual cliffhanger (for which I’m very grateful…), it did promise interesting developments for the future, so that I’m more than looking forward to the continuation of this series.

This was a DNF for me. While I found the combination of high tech and feudal society intriguing, it was hard to care about a world that was built so much on essentially MMA fighting. The characters are stock classics - the older fighter who is jaded until he finds a student, the young prodigy raised in hiding who is just ever so much better than everyone else, even the villainous high society that allows others to die for their comforts, could have come out of any novel and never feel like they belong here. If move-by-move descriptions of hand-to-hand combat are your thing, you'll likely enjoy the book more than I did, but otherwise it isn't worth the time.

Thank you NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing this advance review copy of Alexander Darwin's THE COMBAT CODES! The opinions expressed below are mine alone and bear no influence from the publisher or NetGalley.

One of my distinct memories as a youth in 1960s America was the idea floated by young anti-war demonstrators that, instead of throwing away the lives of their precious youth in wars, the leaders of warring nations should meet in single combat to decide their disputes. Despite the fact that US presidents Richard Nixon or Lyndon Johnson, if they accepted such a proposition, would probably lose their battles and thus our very freedom, the anti-war contingent never considered the more likely alternative: training our best youths to enter the arena of single combat the same as they were used en masse against opposing armies, albeit through more intensive and focused training.

In THE COMBAT CODES, Alexander Darwin depicts a society that does just that. Territorial disputes are decided by pitting each faction’s finest warriors against one another, and to the victor goes the spoils. To make things more interesting, Darwin posits a Progression-style training regimen ranging from underground (literally underground) life-and-death contests to formal training academies on the surface, a bit more restrained yet still immensely brutal. In the former, combatants live as slaves forced to fight for the profit of their masters, every one hoping one day to be sold upward into one of the surface academies where they still must fight, but are treated somewhat more like human beings, and encouraged, though rarely required, to learn cooperative techniques as well as individual skills.

Darwin adds a magical or technical component to the arenas of both venues: fighting takes place within circles constructed to attract differing types of light that exude a controlling influence over each fighter’s psyche, causing them to act at least partly against their own wills. The most common type of light simply infects the combatants with the will of the crowd, exciting them to not only fight more viciously but to sometimes deliver killing blows to already defeated fighters. With the thought that this is enough to tantalize potential readers, I’ll leave further details (and there are many) for them to discover by reading this excellently conceived story.

Cego is a young man who finds himself waking on the streets of the underground with no memories beyond his past on an isolated island. There he remembers being the middle of a trio of brothers training in hand to hand combat under a master who diligently teaches them in a formalized manner which later gives Cego an advantage in his bouts as a slave fighter. These memories will play a key part in later reveals about Darwin's world.

This ultimately brings Cego to the attention of Murray Pearson, a sort of combat broker and former champion among the Greivar Knights who represent his nation in the bouts with other countries. Still beloved above-ground by old fans of his former life as a champion Grievar, Murray has fallen from grace among those who oversee the most prestigious combat academy, and needs to find a combatant with the raw talent to rival his own past accomplishments to please his own masters.

I’ve only scratched the surface here of the magical/technical aspects of combat in this world, or the politics and wider aspects of a system of combat that is falling by the wayside in favor of new ways. Darwin weaves numerous complications and reveals into Murray’s and Cego’s story while depicting an academic scenario that most fantasy or sf readers and fans of Progression narratives will find more comfortably familiar.

I look forward to continuing this trilogy to discover where Darwin will go with the wider story revealed by the end of THE COMBAT CODES, and give this initial entry a 4 star rating, or 8/10, recommending it wholeheartedly to fans of hand to hand combat, academy training, arcane training and combat aids, and Progression style narratives. I believe fans of the latter will be the most comfortable with this series, while those not familiar with this popular sub-genre should find it an easy and intriguing introduction to the concept.

<b>3.5-4</b>

What a wild ride! Combat Codes steps into the circle and throws punches in the first few chapters, dropping us into a world where political grievances, territorial disputes, and everything else are decided not with armies, but with brutal one on one matches between fighters called Grievar.

Darwin's experience in martial arts is a foundational piece of this story, and the attention to detail and the realistic portrayal of combat is incredibly focused. I will say that there were some moments where I felt like the technical detail took away from the story a little, which simply comes down to me not having the same foundational knowledge and experience as the author or other readers who come from a martial arts background.

At the onset, I was expecting the story to be told primarily from the point of view of Murray, a former Grievar hero who ended his career on a negative note. Murray does play a major role in the story, but the primary focus is on the young man he takes under his wing, Cego.

Because of this, the first book takes more of a coming of age vibe than I was expecting. While I enjoyed Cego and the motley crew he slowly gathers throughout the story, there was a lot of "schoolyard bully" aspect to his journey that I did grow a bit tired of. The characterization of many of the side antagonists felt a bit shallow and frustrating. And there were a few times when motives were muddy or convenient.

That being said, Cego's character and the motley crew of characters around him I quite enjoyed. The reveals that Darwin drops in the end of the book really bring everything full circle and were well done.

Definitely a solid read for anyone who is looking for a fast-paced, action heavy coming of age story with heartwarming characters, found family themes, and great ending reveals.

Murray Pearson was once a famed Knight until he suffered a loss that crippled his homeland — but now he’s on the hunt to discover the next champion. Murray is a fun character to dig into and get to know. He's vulnerable but determined to find the next champion of the realm and he finds an altruistic lad named Cego. Cego is fighting in an underground combat ring unlike any you have ever read about. This book is brutally vicious, and will have you spinning until its last page.

I was surprised (and delighted) by how much I found myself enjoying "The Combat Codes." From some of the reviews I was afraid that it would be bogged down with dry descriptions of fights and martial arts terminology that would go over my head.
This was not the case AT ALL!
While it was, unsurprisingly, a world steeped in violence the more technical descriptions and background on fighting was woven seamlessly into the story, so even a martial arts novice such as myself did not find it detracting from the story at all. It added a layer of interest to it I hadn't realized I would appreciate so much.
While the author clearly knows his way around the martial arts world, he also knows how to tell a story.

Cego, a street kid, scooped up for his golden eyes that indicate he has the Greiver blood that could make him a champion, finds himself fighting in the Underground. With little to no memory of his past, but an innate fighting ability he draws the attention of Greiver scout, and former Knight, Murray.
From there Cego must make his way through the Lyceum, a training school for Greiver Knights. Here we meet more potential knights, and other students (I particularly enjoyed the med student Cego befriended) and learn more secrets.

This was such an interesting world Darwin built. The Greiver Knights "fight so others don't have to." and in doing so nations are won and lost, on the backs on these single Knights.

ARC provided by the Negalley in exchange for honest and fair review