She and her crew have to fight for every scrap of food, every drop of water and whatever shelter they can find. Life in post-apocalyptic Nashville is hard. What a great follow-up, Grievar’s Blood makes me want to jump right into the next book to see what new and interesting ways Alexander Darwin will take this story to its conclusion.In a world where reports of violence have become all too commonplace, life is no longer about building a future it’s about surviving the day.Ĭlaudia knows something’s not right. The Combat Codes Saga has been such a readable series and as I said in the first book, it has so much heart to it. And to be as vague as possible, Cego’s story takes a side-turn that gives us a broader understanding of how their society works, and let me tell you, this was one plot turn that I didn’t expect at all. Onto a new year school, Cego is feeling the absence of his mentor, while grappling (wink, wink) with the truths about his past. Her friendship with Mauri was a massive highlight for me (I always say fantasy needs more women friendships) and I enjoyed learning more about the world through Sol’s parts of the story.Ĭego, has quite a road ahead of him. I really enjoyed Sol’s sections, seeing her grow as a character, overcoming obstacles and proving that labelled smart girl from book one, has more substance than we had a chance to see. The events from the end of the last book have hit Sol and Cego hard, both are dealing with the aftermath of that final battle, and the repercussions it brought to their lives and both character’s POVs have some surprising moments. One that lets us really get to know the world they inhabit, and one that gave me a huge new reason to love this series, in the form of Solara – one of the whelps from Cego’s team. But Grievar’s Blood went above and beyond my expectations, surprising me by taking a chance and going in a whole new direction. I admit, I enjoyed the characters enough that I wasn’t even minding the possibility of more the same because The Combat Codes was just so much fun. They can either elevate the story, or when a series takes place in a learning/institution kind of setting, it can stick to the tried and true and go the safe route, with a rehash of the first book’s formula.

Ok, wow, this series! I have said it before but second books really are the best showcases of a series for me.

The aftermath by jen alexander