The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin || The Hunger Games Meets MMA Fighting

The Combat Codes (The Combat Codes, 1)

In a world long ago ravaged by war, the nations have sworn an armistice never to use weapons of mass destruction again. Instead, highly-skilled warriors known as Grievar Knights represent their nations’ interests in brutal hand-to-hand combat.

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.

In underground and ruthless combat rings, an orphaned boy called Cego is making a name for himself. Murray believes Cego has what it takes to thrive in the world's most prestigious combat academy – but first, Cego must prove himself in the vicious arenas of the underworld. And survival isn’t guaranteed.

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Perfect for readers who want:

• MMA-style fighting including techniques and strategies
• The Hunger Games type stakes with corrupt governments and the minority fighting so the rest won’t have to
• A dark world filled with conflict and strife
• An adorable squad of youngsters who are easy to root for

Many thanks to the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Not gonna lie, I was completely won over by the fierce looking metal dragon on the cover. The dragon is a little bit a lie . . . but not really. It makes sense about halfway through the book, in a way that I was satisfied with. Be aware that while there are no dragons in this book, there are certainly monsters and fierce beasts alike. Just . . . of the more human variety. Still, I couldn’t resist picking up a book that sounded like an adult Hunger Games with MMA-style fighting and strategy!

The Combat Codes is an homage to MMA fighting and the skill it takes, filled with older protagonists still kicking ass and taking names, daily struggles, honor codes, and a heartfelt squad.

I enjoyed this book, but it did wane for me towards the middle. Fans of MMA fighting will likely enjoy this one more than I did, as the author focuses a lot on technique and strategy (and he would know!). However, I’m really not that interested in MMA, so for me, the hyperfocus on the fighting bogged the story down for me a bit. What seems slow for me will be a gem for another reader, though, which is why I mention it! The attention to detail in that regard was really well done, though, and I absolutely loved the main characters and was hooked on the mystery of their past (and, of course, their future).

Welcome to a rough dystopian world where the few fight so the rest don’t have to. Unfortunately for the characters in this book, they’re the few . . . and fighting isn’t as glorious a profession as it used to be.

The author of this book is into martial arts, and it shows through the meticulous attention to detail. Grievars are born to fight, but the training they go through is grueling and not everyone makes the cut. There are numerous detailed fights in The Combat Codes. Fans of fighting will appreciate the technique and strategy detailed throughout the story. However, I found that it slowed the plot down a little bit for me, as someone who isn’t as much into MMA and who doesn’t care as much.

The basic premise of this story is reminiscent of The Hunger Games, but for an adult audience and with an MMA focus. Justice is laid at the Grievars feet, who fight to settle disputes. The entire justice system depends on these fighters being able to do their job. Except, of course, there are machinations behind the scenes that are, shall we say, less than honest? You know, like the dystopian world it is.

There are two main characters of this story: one is Murray, who is an old washed-up Grievar who has since been assigned a new fluff position, and the other is Cego, a scrappy lad who has unknown potential and a mysterious history who was always meant to fight.

I enjoyed the dual dynamic here. As I’m sure many of you know already, I’m a sucker for older protagonists. As my own age ticks up there, I’ve become more sympathetic to the fact that you don’t need to be in your 20s to have an adventure and still have merit. Murray is the epitome of this. He was a famous Grievar in his day, with some major wins under his belt . . . but he’s since washed up and become a Scout, which he finds to be a degrading position. Don’t let that fool you, though! Murray is still a Grievar, through and through, and he does not back down from a fight. He also lives by a very rigid moral code with a clear delineation of right and wrong as he fights for a future that seems to be getting more improbable all the time.

Cego, on the other hand, is the typical underdog that you can’t help but root for . . . except with a mystery past and plenty of secrets he’s keeping close to his chest. He’s definitely a mystery, both to others and to himself as he tries to figure out who he really is and where he’s from, and why he was raised to fight and taught lessons that are suspiciously similar to the Combat Codes. Cego’s a kid with heart, and a lot like Murray in terms of knowing right from wrong. Which isn’t as positive as it sounds in a dystopian world where kindness is seen as a form of weakness.

Despite the fact that people are pitted against each other and, on the surface, are forced into enemies, Cego defies the odds and manages to form his own little squad anyway.

Which is part of why I loved him so much, the little cinnamon roll! There are a lot of antagonists in this book, and certainly people working against Cego. But that doesn’t diminish from the support group he manages to build around himself. As I’ve said, it’s frigging hard not to root for these kids, especially as you learn more about them and where they come from and what they’re hoping to achieve. One of my favorite things about this book is the way the characters are handed the crappiest hands but are still determined to survive and make the best of it, in spite of a world that tries to keep them down.

This book is very heavy on fighting technique, training, and basically “fighting montages” as Cego moves from one opponent to the next and gets stronger.

This is not necessarily a sticking point, and certainly won’t be for everyone, but it is for me. Going in, I guess I didn’t realize that the fights and training and MMA would occupy so much of this book. Fight scenes and even training scenes are incredibly detailed, which will highly appeal to those who enjoy that, but for me, I just felt compelled to skim the fight scenes and the training seemed to slow things down a lot for me. As it turns out, I may be scrappy, but I’m just not cut out to be a fighter. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

About halfway in, the book also switched to be more of an official training setting (akin to a school), which I had not been expecting, and that’s a trope that I tend not to love as much, just as a personal preference. I will say that at the same time, Murray’s plot line got super interesting, so there was a good balance there that still pulled me in.

About Alexander Darwin

Alexander Darwin is an author living near Boston with his wife and three daughters. Outside of writing, he teaches and trains martial arts (Brazilian Jiu Jitsu). He’s inspired by old-school Hong Kong action flicks, jRPGs, underdog stories and bibimbap bowls.

Outside of writing fiction, Alexander has written for publications such as Rolling Stone Magazine, Jiu Jitsu Style and SF Signal. His latest piece, The Lost Diary of Anthony Bourdain, was a featured piece in Rolling Stone’s January 2022 Issue.

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