Synopsis
The second book in an action-packed science fiction trilogy set on a far future world where the fate of nations is determined by battle-hardened warriors who are trained to compete in brutal single combat.
In a world where single combat determines the fate of nations, the Grievar fight in the Circles so that the rest can remain at peace. But given the stakes, things are never so simple. The Daimyo govern from the shadows and plot to gain an edge by unnaturally enhancing their Grievar Knights.
Cego and his team return to the world’s most prestigious combat school, The Lyceum. Though he’d like to focus on his martial studies, Cego feels the pull of his mysterious past and two missing brothers.
Solara Halberd, daughter of the fighting legend, embarks on her own quest to bury the past. She must utilize every lesson her father taught her to explore unknown lands where evil lurks in the shadows.
Review
Returning to the magnificent and martial arts inspired world of The Combat Codes by Alexander Darwin, Grievar’s Blood picks up where we were left brutally hanging in book one. Some time has passed between the events that had my jaw on the floor in The Combat Codes, but we still find ourselves discovering where our favorite characters wound up after those events. Ultimately, the game has changed and the world they know begins to break and the stakes have never been higher.
Darwin is a brilliant storyteller. Despite the differences between our world and this one, I still found myself enraptured and on the edge of my seat as if watching a real sparing match in person. Book one held a sense of discovery and wonder as we got to know this world for the first time, yet the sequel grabs you by the balls, gives you a twist, and takes you on a journey that is unexpected but truly exciting. It has me anxiously awaiting book three! I immediately messaged the author once I finished and demanded he send the next installment to me haha (he blatantly ignored my demand but was excited that I enjoyed it)
Now that my obvious enjoyment and praise for these books has spilled out of me let’s get down to the nitty gritty. Should you continue this trilogy? Or leave well enough alone and move onto other things? Not to mention, what is successful in this sequel and what did not appeal to me as I read?
I’ll start with the positives. What I loved about Grievar’s Blood was how it completely took me off guard with some of the directions that it took. By that I just mean some of plot choices were a welcomed surprise. I won’t tell you any of them just to let you savor those surprises like I did. (I hate spoilers)
Second, the introduction of a new main POV was a really great addition to the story for me. It helped flush out the world and some of our character’s histories. Not to mention they are a badass and I can’t wait to see where the story takes them in book three.
Third, the action scenes in this novel really took it up a notch. I’m not sure if there were quite as many as book one but the ones that do exist are certainly of higher stakes! So if this was a requirement for you to pick up book two then you’re good to go!
Some of the negatives that I have for this sequel are fairly minor. However, they did force me to lower my rating compared to book one solely for the fact that I enjoyed book one more than its’ sequel. Let me briefly mention these.
First, while reading I felt that the character friendships that were so important in book one were left on the sidelines a little bit because of each main POV’s internal dilemmas. This is not true in every characters case but I wish there had been more relationship developing elements between Cego and his friends. This especially is true for a major moment towards the end of the story. It failed to catch me in what I believe to have been the author’s intended purpose.
Second, these novels have very interesting characters as well as really fun subplots. What I struggled with is that I believe we did not get enough Cego. The other POVs were great but the lack of a strong character ARC for Cego, despite him going through some very intense moments, had me grasping for more. What could have helped Cego’s plot line was more growth so that the major conflicts and their outcomes would have been more impactful. Hopefully that makes sense without giving anything away for those who have not read it yet!
These two criticisms are my main negatives for this book. There might have been a couple other small things but overall I really enjoyed it! Grievar’s Blood was filled with action, exciting surprises, and just a whole lot of fun so please take the time to read book two of this series when it comes out December 2023! It is worth the read. And if you have yet to read The Combat Codes you still have plenty of time to get your hands on it before book two comes out!
A huge thanks to author Alexander Darwin for sending me his ebook to review! It was an honor!
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