The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin

The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin has to be one of the best science fiction novels I’ve read in awhile, but more specifically one of the best fighting/martial arts books ever. I was absolutely blown away by how incredible this book was, and I am very much looking forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

Cego lives in the Underground. He has some memories of his early life with his brothers Sam and Silas and their teacher, Farmer. But he doesn’t remember what happened or how he got to the Underground in the first place. All he knows are the words passed down to him, “We fight so others shall not have to.” The world Cego lives in is one that long ago decided that rather than fight wars, they will have two well-trained warriors fight each other.

Murray, a Grievar Knight, used to fight but now he is a Scout for the Grievar Knights, looking for someone with the potential to attend the Lyceum and be trained in the way of fighting. He sees Cego fight in the Underground and is impressed with Cego’s ability to fight well as well as manipulate the different lights of the Circles.

But Cego has to prove himself in the Underground before he can a shot at becoming a Grievar. With a brutal Tasker, Cego and the rest of Crew Nine, such as Dozer, Knees, Weep and Shiar, must undergo some of the most difficult and cruel training, pushing each of them to the limit mentally and physically.

This book is pretty amazing. I absolutely loved it and was hooked from page one. It is obvious that Alexander Darwin knows the ins and outs of fighting (he trains and teaches martial arts) because these were the best fighting scenes I’ve come across. I was barely able to put this book down, and all the twists make for an epic finish that leaves me wanting more. I highly recommend this one; it’s one of my favorite books of the year!