Source: Netgalley – Thank you to the publisher!
TL;DR: A big improvement for me over book one! I really didn’t want to put this one down!
Plot: We follow both Cego at the academy and Sol out in the world itself as they both search for answers about their families (plus one mystery character I will not spoil)
Characters: We get a more nuanced and interesting view of some of our characters, especially Murray. And I genuinely enjoyed our new PoV characters and their stories
Setting: The academy was much the same as in book one but Sol gave us a much needed look at the world outside, and that was delightful. Not to mention a new PoV character who WOW. I can’t wait for more.
Magic: We get more cultural insights and views into the world, though no ‘hard magic’ seems to show yet, there are teases of it.
Thoughts:
If I was a Tiktok reviewer the most applicable sound I can think of for this book is the one that goes ‘How do you go from this (Combat Codes), to THIS? (Grievar’s Blood)’. This was a huge step up for me from Mr. Darwin, and I loved this. Grievar’s Blood picks up shortly after Combat Codes, so go in prepared. We quickly find out Sol has left the academy to attempt to retrieve her father and Cego and the others are still there. Murray has gone Deep again, drinking himself into a stupor.
All of my complaints that really bothered me about Combat Codes were resolved out in this volume. Murray and his black and white thinking becomes so much more fleshed out in this book. He started to loosen by the end of book one and in this volume we really see that, and his plot was great. Sol also becomes a point of view character and I LOVED her. She takes no prisoners and goes for what she wants, but in a smart way. In fact Grievar’s Blood really stepped up the game, giving us quite a few more female characters than in book one (where it was almost entirely men everywhere).
Finally the pacing and the story in this was fast. I remember feeling bored by segments of The Combat Codes, it wasn’t terrible but it dragged. Grievar’s Blood dragged nothing but bloody remains behind it. This book is violent, fast, and heartbreaking. One of my favorite side characters dies, but one of my most hated characters also dies. You win some and loose some. My husband pointed out, it’s just like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
That brings me to my final point. As a fan of the sport, with a husband with over a decade of experience, I absolutely loved all the Jiu-Jitsu in this. Movements and maneuvers were name dropped and brutality but thoughtfulness of the sport was on full display. Overall, for me this was worth the admission. Combat Codes lacked but this more than made up for it to me. I’ve already asked for the books for Christmas and I intend on a full reread before Blacklight Born.
4.5 Omoplatas
P.S. I loved this but Orbit, I still think the covers were better than before. I would kill to get my paws on those old covers.
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