Kelsey Rae Barthel's gift for second-to-second description of the action is captivating. There's a reason this much action isn't often seen in a novel, but in the case of "Beyond the Code" it works to great effect. Why? The story begins with a knock-down, drag-out brawl between rival warriors, a fight that defines the relationship between them and plants the seeds of a greater story yet to be told. The first chapter alone is an indication, a definition of this violent world itself, a world I truly look forward to visiting in full when the pages of "Beyond the Code" make their way to my fingertips.