I can't believe the Combat Codes is out today. Knowing readers, librarians and booksellers are finding a little place on their shelves for this story means so much to me. To all who have supported this decade-long journey, you know who you are and have my deepest gratitude.
Available wherever books are sold.
Alexander Darwin
I was extremely pleased to discover the Combat Codes recently had fantastic reviews come in from both Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews. It’s a bit stressful getting trade reviews, as you don’t know who the reviewer will be and whether they will “sync” with your book. But these two reviews turned out to be wonderful:
Publishers Weekly said: “Martial arts trainer Darwin skillfully deploys his expertise in this impressive debut and series launch… perfect setup for the next volume and will especially appeal to fans of Pierce Brown’s Red Rising series.”
And Kirkus said: “This dark tale of martial arts and ancient Codes in a fallen world will captivate readers who crave action.”
But I was totally floored to find out that the Combat Codes had recieved a STARRED REVIEW from Library Journal. Library Journal is the primary source of reviews and news for librarians across the US, and is distinguished in its ability to pick out upcoming hit books that the nation’s reading population will enjoy. Not only is it difficult to get a review at all from LJ, but getting a starred review is a next level badge of honor:
"As the underdog and the washed-up, Cego and Murray are remarkable characters who stay true to the codes despite others’ perversion of them, and it’s impossible not to root for the pair. This is a perfect blend of fantasy, cyberpunk, and mixed martial arts that is enhanced by flawless action sequences and ideals that are still worth fighting for. With surprising depth and touching relationships, this debut packs a punch and sets up a fascinating foundation for the rest of the series.” - Library Journal, Starred Review of The Combat Codes
I don’t expect all reviews to be positive, as every reviewer has their own tastes, however this is certainly a great start!
I’m excited to unveal the new cover from the Orbit Books version of Combat Codes! Thank you to the entire art team there for putting this incredible piece together, I think it perfectly captures the “brutal and relentless science fantasy martial arts extravaganza” vibe of the story. And the new version of the book, due out on June 13th, 2023, is available for pre-order on the Hachette / Orbit site.
I’m so excited for everyone to read this. We’ve added 30,000 extra words full of worldbuilding, break-neck action scenes, and character development. This version is truly a different beast. Here's a quote from an author I absolutely adore (I could barely keep it together while she was reading it):
“A brutal and relentless science fantasy martial arts extravaganza, set in a world where the fate of nations rests on the perfect counterpunch or rear naked choke. The Combat Codes is that rare book that fully satisfies me as an action fan.” -Fonda Lee, author of Jade City
It's been so hard to keep this news under wraps... I am darkin' thrilled to work with Orbit Books (Hachette Book Group) to get the COMBAT CODES out to the world! The series has been acquired by Orbit US / UK
I started Combat Codes in 2015 with the idea: what if disputes between nations were resolved with 1v1 combat instead of wars? From that seed grew the world I lived in, the characters I talked to, the story I told for so long.
When Orbit told me they wanted to expand on CC's world / characters, I was elated to jump back in. I'm already in the thick of edits, with the team at Orbit giving me support to take this to the next level. We are gonna pack a serious punch for both new & old readers.
We fight (and write) alone in the ring, but it is our friends on the outside who carry us. There are so many who have carried CC (so far!). Authors, artists, agents, bloggers, editors, podcasters, booktubers, narrators, beta readers, friends, family.
The book bloggers who gave Combat Codes a chance, especially the #SPFBO folks and Mark Lawrence who put the contest together. SPFBO really is a legendary launchpad for indie authors (whether it's getting the eyes of new readers or opening up trad publishing doors)
My agent Ed Wilson who realized CC's potential and has put up with my pestering (so far!) Hillary Sames who first championed it & my editor Bradley Englert who is now firmly holding my hand through the editing process. And the entire Orbit Books US (& UK) team - I'm so excited to work with you!
This is just the beginning though... More big news on the horizon to be kept quiet and already brewing CC sequels & side stories (after the trilogy gets proper attention). Most of all, thank you to the readers who have embraced Combat Codes (so far!) The best is yet to come.
I’m very excited to announce I'm now represented by Ed Wilson of Johnson & Alcock.
Ed is an agent I have admired for quite some time, and he represents several SFF authors that I’m fans of including RJ Barker, Cameron Johnston and Jackson Ford.
I’m eager to utilize Ed’s expertise in navigating the world of traditional publishing. I believe this relationship will allow my work to reach a wider audience within the US, UK and all the foreign markets which I’ve been largely unexposed to so far.
Ed very much impressed me with his commitment to an author’s career, not just a push for any single specific project. I’d seen the fun, ambitious and committed relationships Ed had formed with his clients which was exactly what I was looking for.
Ed has already imparted invaluable guidance, including recipes for a primo gin-tonic and how to stay sane while my three little humans run amok at home (same recipe for both!)
Seriously though, we’ve already got some really fun stuff cooking that I’m very excited to reveal.
You can find Ed on Twitter @literarywhore
The following excerpt is from the acknowledgements section of Combat Codes Book Three, Blacklight Born, which was released on July 14th, 2021 (kindle and paperback)
I thought that writing a book during a pandemic, forced inside for most days, would be easier. Unfortunately, I discovered this was not the case. Not only were the troubling circumstances of the world a constant distraction, but the lack of human contact (in specific the grappling sort) seemed to stifle any creativity I could muster.
In addition, I put quite a bit of pressure on myself to give the Combat Codes saga a strong finish. These characters – Murray, Cego, Sol, Silas – they feel like old friends that I’m saying goodbye to and I wanted to give them a proper send off.
Despite the circumstances, I believe I succeeded in doing so, for myself at least, and I sincerely hope that if you made it this far you enjoyed the final book in the series. I can’t put to words how appreciative I am to all the readers who have supported the Combat Codes. You’ve given me the confidence as a new author to continue this journey.
I’d like to thank my entire family for their unending support. Katie for listening to my many impromptu (and inopportune) brainstorms, my girls, Natalie and Jane, for showing me what true creativity looks like every day. Mom and dad, I appreciate both of you for instilling in me a drive to read and learn. And thank you to Mike and Kathy for the many celebratory cakes and hugs at each milestone.
I cannot overstate how important the blogs and reviewers have been to me, those incredible SFF super-fans who gave the Combat Codes a chance. I’d like to appreciate Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) and all the judges working on the 6th year of the contest: you have been an incredible asset to help get the Combat Codes in front of new readers.
A big thanks to the dynamic cover artist & designer duo – Felix Ortiz and Shawn T. King – without your vision and skill many might not be reading this right now.
And thank you to the many SFF authors that have welcomed, inspired and helped me, both with the craft and business savvy to sell books. In particular, thank you to my two fellow authors and beta readers – David and Joe – you were there right when I needed you.
Finally, I’d like to give thanks to those in the Brazilian jiu jitsu and martial arts communities that have supported Combat Codes so enthusiastically along the way. You were the spark that lit the fire and have continued to provide me with inspiration in my training and writing every day.
For those that are still off the mats, away from your place of tranquility, I hope you find you way back soon. And to all the martial arts schools that have closed or operated at a deficit during these times, know that you have been missed. As adults living in the modern world, we severely need a place to learn and play, test limits, develop camaraderie and seek solace in combat.
I'm extremely excited to unveil the updated cover for the Combat Codes!. This new cover was created by the famed, dynamic duo: Felix Ortiz with the artwork and Shawn T. King with the design.
The old cover was... okay. I liked how it was simple and displayed some Jiu Jitsu techniques but it seemed that not many people really 'got it'. Most actually thought it was a Hunger Games rip-off (which I can't deny).
This new cover though... it's something else.
I'm so happy with how it turned out. One huge asset was that Felix had actually read both books in the Combat Codes series and loved them. He's a Muay Thai kickboxing practitioner and so really dug the martial arts aspects of the story. It didn't take much to convey to Felix what I was looking for, which was a way to show off some of the dynamic characters as well as the 'lo-fi' dystopian setting. We both love old-school Star Wars posters and this cover pays homage to those. It also captures the unarmed, single combat aspect of the world which is so vital. We made sure to include the famous first verse of the Combat Codes: "We fight so that the rest shall not have to."
Shawn did an incredible job fusing Felix's artwork with a cohesive design that furthered all those themes. I love his hand-created titles and the way he framed the action. I'm salivating to get my hands on the physical copy of this book, Shawn did such great work with the full paperback & hardcover spreads.
And speaking of hardcovers... Yes, we'll have hardcovers (the sort without the jacket) available for this new version of Combat Codes directly from Amazon!
I'm also excited to announce that Felix and Shawn will continue to work on the Combat Codes trilogy moving forward. Here's the tentative release schedule:
Book Two, Grievar's Blood - Cover Update: March 2021
Book Three, Grievar's War (working title) - Full Release: June 2021
Above excerpt taken from a cover reveal blog post on Fantasy Book Critic .
I’m extremely honored to have Combat Codes chosen as a finalist is this year’s SPFBO (Self Publishing Fantasy Blog Off) contest, run by author Mark Lawrence. The contest has 10 prominent SFF blogs review 300 novel entrants. Of those 300 books, 10 finalists are chosen. Sort of like a fantasy book kumite.
I think Combat Codes is one of the first finalists over the past five years that blurs the lines a bit between sci-fi and fantasy, which should be interesting going into the final judging stage. It asks the question: what is fantasy? Does Combat Codes belong in a fantasy book contest?
Of course, I’d say yes, given my roots are in fantasy and there are a menagerie of fantasy elements in Combat Codes. I suppose what makes people think sci-fi is the inclusion of various technological elements in the place of magic. However, the tech in Combat Codes is very akin to magic, in that I never go into great detail into how it works. I don’t make a huge effort to bridge the gap between our ‘real world’ and the world of the Combat Codes. Much like I’d consider the world of Final Fantasy 6 markedly fantasy, despite Magitek and Steampunk influences, and I’d also deem the Star Wars universe as space fantasy, I consider Combat Codes to be fantasy.
Anyhow, I’m so very excited to be included among a battalion of fantastic fantasy authors (both in the past semi-finals and now in the finals) of SPFBO. Thank you to all my readers!
Hello!
I’m excited to announce that the second book of the Combat Codes, Grievar’s Blood is finally here!
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 enter year two at 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.
I’m very excited for everyone to check this out, and sorry for the long wait!
The jiu jitsu community seems to be in a perpetual self-defense vs. sport debate. Of course, it's inevitable we ask this question: "why do we practice jiu jitsu?"
Some train with the goal of defending themselves and their family. Some train to medal in competition, striving to stand on top of that podium.
However, in our goal oriented world, we often overlook the experience of training itself. What really brings us back to the mats every day? What invisible force propels practitioners to drive hours in traffic, often bruised and broken, sometimes scheduling work and family around their training habits? For most, it is neither the danger of a street attack nor the prospect of glory through competition that brings them to the mats on a regular basis.
We've all heard of the benefits of jiu jitsu: health, confidence, comraderie, mental clarity, etc. However, these benefits are often relegated into the land of "you can find this sort of thing with any hobby." Indeed, you can find friendship within a cross-fit team, lose significant weight on a road bike, get that sought after endorphin rush by rock climbing, and gain great confidence training muay thai.
Jiu Jitsu is unique though. Something else separates it from these other activities.
Some describe it as a "flow experience" that makes time disappear. Others call it "entering the zone," a mental state where all of life's troubles float away.
But can't similar flow experiences be found elsewhere as well? When we've dislocated a rib and are off the mats for a month we certainly try to convince ourselves that we get that same great feeling running, swimming or doing yoga.
Deep down, we know it isn't the same though. Those who have experienced the joy that comes from a great roll know that nothing provides the same experience as jiu jitsu.
So what makes jiu jitsu different than any other sport, martial art, or even style of grappling?
Play.
Animals play. More specifically, mammals grapple.
We've seen videos of bears pummeling for underhooks, kangaroos securing chokes and cats performing back takes. It's more than these YouTube sensations though.
Image From National Geographic
From a young age, most mammals engage in some form of play fighting. Though clawing and biting are certainly involved, the mainstay of mammalian play involves a frenetic battle for positional dominance - grappling. Playmates don't often seek to seriously injure one another, they move from one exchange to another with curiosity, as if they were training.
Though it's most often in good fun, play is certainly costly as a behavior from an evolutionary standpoint: it consumes valuable caloric energy and can be dangerous at times, accidental injury and even death are not out of the question. So, play behavior must be very beneficial to have persisted in any genetic pool, otherwise natural selection would have weeded it out.
As far as theories as to why mammals play, preparation is a central theme. Rough housing prepares young combatants for the vigor of the real world: battling for mates, defending offspring, hunting prey and escaping predators.
However, some studies have shown play provides something more than survival training. Rats, one of the most playful of all mammalian species, were shown to have decreased levels of stress with regular bouts of play. From Scientific American: "... thwart a young rat’s zeal for play (by rearing it alone or with drugged companions that won’t play) and you create an adult that loses its cool in social situations. When things start getting edgy, play-deprived rats either succumb to rat-rage or scarper, quaking, to a corner... there’s also evidence that primates (including humans) behave in the same way."
There's a reason jiu jitsu is truly unique. It connects us to an innate mammalian behavior, a deep truth that most of us haven't felt since we were children. When we are fully engrossed on the mats, unthinking, tumbling, attacking and escaping, letting our bodies engage in a kinetic conversation, we are truly at play.
Striking arts such as muay thai or boxing are the creations of our higher consciousness. These are precise and accurate arts, honed tools to incapacitate or injure. Though we can certainly spar lightly, perhaps even playfully, this is not the same as play.
Other grappling arts like wrestling and judo engage our bodies in many similar ways to playing, but they are strict in their rulesets, limiting the variety of movements we might attempt to explore otherwise. They lack the creativity and curiosity of play.
Only the art of jiu jitsu allows for the dynamic and creative style of mammalian play. Play requires an uninhibited curiosity for movement, an unbounded fluidity in attack and defense. Jiu jitsu provides a framework for this a sort of play, however, only if practiced in a particular manner.
I'm not claiming that I know the correct way to do jiu jitsu. Far from that. I'm simply stating that not all methods and mindsets of training allow for true play. Training purely for self-defense, particularly with a concentration on situational drills, certainly won't provide a springboard to the fluidity required for playful rolling. Likewise, training for competition and looking to score points by holding static positions also doesn't facilitate play.
Playing won't make you the best competitor or the best at defending yourself on the streets. Play won't even necessarily make you better at jiu jitsu (although I do believe it can greatly improve the capacity to learn). Play is not a means to an end, some novel method of training to take your game to the next level. Play is the experience; it is the end.
Those who do play on the mats know the feeling. The giggle you can't contain after a whirlwind back-and-forth exchange of submission attempts and escapes. The childlike curiosity that washes over you after discovering some strange new sweep in the middle of a roll.
It is our deeply ingrained need for play that gives us these unique feelings on the mat. We're doing something we were meant to do. This is why we feel fully stress free after a great session. This is why jiu jitsu practitioners have the reputation for being 'chill.' This is why the jiu jitsu 'lifestyle' is something more than practicing a martial art, sport, or hobby. Regular play connects us to something deeper than any of these intelligible constructs.
Perhaps you don't feel any of these things. Maybe you do see jiu jitsu as just another hobby. You go into class, learn some new techniques, get a good sweat going during the sparring portion, and head home. You're learning, likely improving, but then again, you could be doing the same with any workout. You could replace your jiu jitsu with weight lifting or acro-yoga and feel just the same.
If that's the case, try and consider your time on the mats. Are you playing?
It's well known that UFC events held around the world vary in many ways. The size of the arena, the vibe of the crowd and the pre-fight facilities / locker rooms are all variables that can positively or negatively affect a fighter heading into the Octagon.
In the world of the Combat Codes, a Grievar faces an even stauncher test when stepping into the Circle. Every Circle messes with a Grievar's head differently: Auralite amplifies a crowd's boos and cheers, Rubellium makes a fighter feel cocky, Emeralyis inspires unforeseen creativity in a combatant.
Do any UFC venues remind you of specific Circle classes from the Combat Codes?
Here are a few off the top of my head:
- Saitama Super Arena, Toyko Japan: Japanese crowds are notoriously quiet, almost never booing a fighter like western crowds. They are also very knowledgeable of the intricacies of MMA. I can still vividly remember watching the fans at Saitama cheering on Minotauro in Pride, whenever he hit a technical sweep or attacked a submission from the bottom. We almost never see the same enthusiasm for technique in most UFC bouts held in the US or Europe.
For this reason, I'd say fighting at Saitama would be the equivalent of fighting within a Emeralyis Circle. Because the Japanese fans appreciate technique in a way most fans do not, fighters at Saitama often were more creative with their attacks, prompting some of the first rolling leg attacks, spinning TKD kicks, and leaping punches that have since become legendary (see Ryo Chonan vs. Anderson Silva).
- Rio Arena (HSBC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: One unforgettable moment in MMA history was Jose Aldo's win over Chad Mendes at Rio Arena at UFC 142. The Brazilian crowd was booming that day for every fight on the main card, and for Aldo, they were thunderous, reaching their crescendo when the champ jumped into the stands to celebrate with the fans.
This is why Rio Arena would likely possess the crowd-push effect of an Auralite Circle. Auralite amplifies the cheers or jeers of a crowd, sinking into the head of a Grievar and making them feel like a puppet at the strings of the fans. This crowd-push is nowhere more apparent that in Brazil, where the crowd nearly works as an active participant in every bout due to its tremendous energy.
I wrote the Combat Codes because I couldn't find any fiction out there that integrated mixed martial arts in an accurate and satisfying manner. A current search for 'MMA fiction' on Amazon provides less than satisfactory results.
I wanted to write story that represented the millions of MMA, brazilian jiu jitsu, judo, boxing and muay thai fans out there. A novel that appreciated the grace of a well-timed osoto gari sweep or the dull thud of a devastating leg kick. A book that captured the many nuances of MMA that have made it the fastest growing international sport in the world.
Throw that passion for unarmed combat into the sci-fi worlds that I inhabited throughout my childhood... and you have the Combat Codes.
