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Hell Divers #1
Hell Divers
More than two centuries after World War III poisoned the planet, the final bastion of humanity lives on massive airships circling the globe in search of a habitable area to call home. Aging and outdated, most of the ships plummeted back to earth long ago. The only thing keeping the two surviving lifeboats in the sky are Hell Divers—men and women who risk their lives by skydiving to the surface to scavenge for parts the ships desperately need.
When one of the remaining airships is damaged in an electrical storm, a Hell Diver team is deployed to a hostile zone called Hades. But there’s something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past—something that threatens the fragile future of humanity.
When one of the remaining airships is damaged in an electrical storm, a Hell Diver team is deployed to a hostile zone called Hades. But there’s something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past—something that threatens the fragile future of humanity.
Audiobook
First published July 19, 2016
1,963 people are currently reading
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About the author
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
127 books2,250 followersNicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than forty novels with two million copies sold. Before his writing career, he served at Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, a background that inspired many of his story concepts. A two time Ironman triathlete, he enjoys running, biking, and hiking. Nicholas also loves traveling, especially to his cabin in Northern Minnesota where he weaves his tales. He lives in Iowa with his wonderful wife and their son and daughter.
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Note: Nicholas is no longer an active user on Goodreads and does not use the platform. If you want to connect with him on social media here are some links. He would love to hear from you.
Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSSFa...
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicholassans...
Website: nicholassansburysmith.com
Instagram: instagram.com/author_sansbury/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,519 reviews
September 6, 2016
Wow, I was blown away to see all these high ratings. I loved the concept of scavenging the ruined earth from airships, but that's about it. The unremitting despair in this novel leaps beyond "Grimdark" into self parody territory. Every single THING mentioned comes with its own misery index. Enter a room? BAD, BAD room. Meet a new person? DYING, of course. How are things going in engineering? The WORST ever, duh. Oh, a child? STARVING child. I couldn't help but imagine the author as a whiny Goth teenager after a while. I've read desperate books before, but the writers knew to include something worth saving. No such instincts here. So congrats, Mr Smith, on successfully convincing me that everyone in your book would be happier dead. Quite the accomplishment.
September 9, 2024
Heart Taking!
Out of electric parts (as usual), X and his team have to dive down to Earth to get the necessary supplies they need to stay afloat.
Getting to the supplies mean going into dangerous territory. Not only is the dive dangerous, but so is the surprise that’s waiting for them.
Hell Divers is the perfect name for the men and women doing the job…💀
Five stars for the drama series. 💫💫💫💫💫
Out of electric parts (as usual), X and his team have to dive down to Earth to get the necessary supplies they need to stay afloat.
Getting to the supplies mean going into dangerous territory. Not only is the dive dangerous, but so is the surprise that’s waiting for them.
Hell Divers is the perfect name for the men and women doing the job…💀
Five stars for the drama series. 💫💫💫💫💫
February 12, 2021
So aggravating. It’s Impossible to buy into a post-apocalyptic action story when the worldbuilding is as fundamentally broken as this one.
Setting: a couple hundred years ago WWIII incinerated the Earth. Some people survived on giant airships similar to the ones that dropped the world-ending bombs. Now scavengers from the airships parachute down to the wrecked surface to find parts for the decaying airships.
Okay, the setup doesn’t make much sense. Why would huge dirigibles drop bombs? Maybe that’s an unreliable narrator thing, as this is said by a character who grew up on said airship. We’ll let this one go as our one big buy-in.
But it gets worse.
The surface is a radioactive hellscape of gargantuan snowstorms and electrical discharges, as well as actual monsters. Hence the book title. The parachutists dive into hell.
But if the world is so inimical, how are there still usable supplies left after at least two centuries? Radiation corrodes everything, from metal to cement. And if a huge thermonuclear bomb was dropped near enough to a city for there to be lingering radioactivity, that would imply searing heat and shockwaves to destroy everything. I’ll buy that they might be scavenging outside of the various grounds zero, *except* they literally traverse a crater in Chicago and the radiation is off the charts. Which means the heart of the nuclear explosion was right there. Plus all the weather. Come on.
There are monsters, too. Huge flying dinobatdragon things that are blind and eat (?) radiation. This is nonsensical bullshit. What do these things eat? Radioactive dirt? It’s just super stupid. These critters are straight out of the Riddick movies, except dumber. In Pitch Black one could at least assume the monsters have an entire underground ecosystem and it was just bad luck the hapless travelers landed on their planet the one day every millennium that the multiple suns are blocked, casting darkness over the place that allows the flying biters to venture out onto the surface. (Don’t listen to the commentary: director David Twohy makes it stupider.) But here these things don’t make sense.
I’m already balking at the idea these monstrosities evolved after just two centuries; this attraction to energy sources is a bridge too far. I can’t just shrug and go, “Eh, it’s all just fantasy, let it go,” because the story presents itself as a hardnosed tech-based tale. Which implies a modicum of science. Which implies a modicum of realism.
And the airships... wtf? These things must be gargantuan. Early on it’s said there are ~560 people on board. Lifted by helium. (We’ll get to the helium in a moment.) There is, for some reason, a class structure on the craft. Above decks versus below decks. Why? There are only 560 people! You would need every single person working around the clock to keep a 200-year-old airship flying. Also, how is it that our hero Xavier runs into someone he doesn’t recognize? There are only 560 people! They all live in what is essentially a single apartment building! You’re going to run into everyone eventually. Even if you don’t know everyone’s name, you will at least recognize them just by living in the same enclosed space for YOUR ENTIRE GODDAMN LIFE.
They also have farms to feed these people, plus animals like cows and goats. How big are these fakakta ships? It takes about a quarter-acre of land to produce enough food for one person. Which implies 140 acres of food. We can probably cut that by 3/4 if we assume a super-efficient hydroponic growing situation — which isn’t the case here, because at one point a kid runs through a corn field. A corn field. On a damn airship. Plus the animals. It takes a lot more space to house and to feed animals just to turn them into food and clothes. This thing must be miles long and hundreds of feet tall just to accommodate the bare essentials.
The last two dogs are there, too. Huskies. Just in cages. They don’t eat the dogs and Smith doesn’t kill them, which is good by me, but why are they there? At some point they would’ve been eaten, given that people are literally starving to death. At the very least they wouldn’t keep useless animals around. Just more mouths to feed. Historically, every time explorers got stranded, they eventually ate their dogs and horses. With great regret, I’m sure, but there comes a time when pragmatism and hunger wins out over emotional attachments to your beloved pets.
They can’t see the sun, so where are they getting the lights for the plants, plus all the other places? Is it all from helldivers? Riiight. The ships are powered by several nuclear reactors, which leak, causing cancer among the below decks crowd. Why are there several reactors? One should be fine. And why do they leak? Just to cause drama between the privileged above-deckers and shat-upon below-deckers. (It doesn’t escape notice that the below decks group is black and the above decks group is white. If this is social commentary, it is the stupidest version of it ever. Even Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape makes more sense than this, and that story is ridiculous. But it works just fine as a metaphor, because it unapologetically leans into the metaphor.)
The helium: they make it. Except you can’t. Even with the vague handwavium employed here, the fact is that you Can’t. Make. Helium. Well, okay, technically you could, but it requires massive building-sized equipment and shit-tons of radiation from nuclear fusion. Radiation they’ve got, but not everything else. Helium is essentially only created inside of a star. They would only be able to make minuscule amounts of it, not the extraordinary volumes to float a sky-town.
And those volumes would have to be INCREDIBLE to lift all those people, animals, acres of dirt and crops, water, and all the other stuff needed for this floating city in the sky. A cubic meter of helium can lift a little over a kilogram. How much does a small town with 560 people, animals, engines, nuclear reactors, and farms weigh? A hundred million kilos? That’s more helium than exists on Earth. (We’re running out of helium now, by the way. And wasting it on party balloons.)
The dumbest part of this is that hydrogen is easy to make, using just water and electricity, *plus* it’s only half as dense as helium *and* has about 8% more lift. AND it is explosive, creating yet another dramatic danger the characters could face, without changing anything else about the story.
See what I mean about aggravating?
It seems pretty clear to me that Smith wanted to tell an entire story about the one cool scene from the 2014 Godzilla movie, namely the HALO jump featured in the trailers. This one: https://youtu.be/lmZJiBZtahk The cover of the book literally looks like a screen grab from that scene. He also enjoyed the 2000 dragon movie Reign of Fire, which has a similar scene, and he shamelessly steals it for the climax: https://youtu.be/ZTCMyCniENM. (Seriously, the denouement is exactly that scene. Like some of us wouldn’t notice.) Setting it with the flying version of Mortal Engines is just the natural outgrowth of that desire.
Except it just doesn’t work.
I don’t even care that the characters are stock tropes who say stock phrases and act in a stock manner. Those would be fine if the worldbuilding were cool enough. Even the most amazing characters with spectacular writing couldn’t save this story, though.
—
Edit - I posted this review August 7th, 2020. Today, February 11th, 2021, I saw a cool video on YouTube uploaded last week:
“Up IRL -VFX Artist Simulates Pixar but with Real Physics.”
https://youtu.be/dZsp1tgXkUI
He goes into the science of lifting the house in Up with helium balloons. Lots of neat science stuff, including a vacuum balloon (watch the vid) that’s suitable for kids and gets across the math in a fun way. Which serves to prove my point that this Helldivers book is annoyingly dumb.
Setting: a couple hundred years ago WWIII incinerated the Earth. Some people survived on giant airships similar to the ones that dropped the world-ending bombs. Now scavengers from the airships parachute down to the wrecked surface to find parts for the decaying airships.
Okay, the setup doesn’t make much sense. Why would huge dirigibles drop bombs? Maybe that’s an unreliable narrator thing, as this is said by a character who grew up on said airship. We’ll let this one go as our one big buy-in.
But it gets worse.
The surface is a radioactive hellscape of gargantuan snowstorms and electrical discharges, as well as actual monsters. Hence the book title. The parachutists dive into hell.
But if the world is so inimical, how are there still usable supplies left after at least two centuries? Radiation corrodes everything, from metal to cement. And if a huge thermonuclear bomb was dropped near enough to a city for there to be lingering radioactivity, that would imply searing heat and shockwaves to destroy everything. I’ll buy that they might be scavenging outside of the various grounds zero, *except* they literally traverse a crater in Chicago and the radiation is off the charts. Which means the heart of the nuclear explosion was right there. Plus all the weather. Come on.
There are monsters, too. Huge flying dinobatdragon things that are blind and eat (?) radiation. This is nonsensical bullshit. What do these things eat? Radioactive dirt? It’s just super stupid. These critters are straight out of the Riddick movies, except dumber. In Pitch Black one could at least assume the monsters have an entire underground ecosystem and it was just bad luck the hapless travelers landed on their planet the one day every millennium that the multiple suns are blocked, casting darkness over the place that allows the flying biters to venture out onto the surface. (Don’t listen to the commentary: director David Twohy makes it stupider.) But here these things don’t make sense.
I’m already balking at the idea these monstrosities evolved after just two centuries; this attraction to energy sources is a bridge too far. I can’t just shrug and go, “Eh, it’s all just fantasy, let it go,” because the story presents itself as a hardnosed tech-based tale. Which implies a modicum of science. Which implies a modicum of realism.
And the airships... wtf? These things must be gargantuan. Early on it’s said there are ~560 people on board. Lifted by helium. (We’ll get to the helium in a moment.) There is, for some reason, a class structure on the craft. Above decks versus below decks. Why? There are only 560 people! You would need every single person working around the clock to keep a 200-year-old airship flying. Also, how is it that our hero Xavier runs into someone he doesn’t recognize? There are only 560 people! They all live in what is essentially a single apartment building! You’re going to run into everyone eventually. Even if you don’t know everyone’s name, you will at least recognize them just by living in the same enclosed space for YOUR ENTIRE GODDAMN LIFE.
They also have farms to feed these people, plus animals like cows and goats. How big are these fakakta ships? It takes about a quarter-acre of land to produce enough food for one person. Which implies 140 acres of food. We can probably cut that by 3/4 if we assume a super-efficient hydroponic growing situation — which isn’t the case here, because at one point a kid runs through a corn field. A corn field. On a damn airship. Plus the animals. It takes a lot more space to house and to feed animals just to turn them into food and clothes. This thing must be miles long and hundreds of feet tall just to accommodate the bare essentials.
The last two dogs are there, too. Huskies. Just in cages. They don’t eat the dogs and Smith doesn’t kill them, which is good by me, but why are they there? At some point they would’ve been eaten, given that people are literally starving to death. At the very least they wouldn’t keep useless animals around. Just more mouths to feed. Historically, every time explorers got stranded, they eventually ate their dogs and horses. With great regret, I’m sure, but there comes a time when pragmatism and hunger wins out over emotional attachments to your beloved pets.
They can’t see the sun, so where are they getting the lights for the plants, plus all the other places? Is it all from helldivers? Riiight. The ships are powered by several nuclear reactors, which leak, causing cancer among the below decks crowd. Why are there several reactors? One should be fine. And why do they leak? Just to cause drama between the privileged above-deckers and shat-upon below-deckers. (It doesn’t escape notice that the below decks group is black and the above decks group is white. If this is social commentary, it is the stupidest version of it ever. Even Snowpiercer, Vol. 1: The Escape makes more sense than this, and that story is ridiculous. But it works just fine as a metaphor, because it unapologetically leans into the metaphor.)
The helium: they make it. Except you can’t. Even with the vague handwavium employed here, the fact is that you Can’t. Make. Helium. Well, okay, technically you could, but it requires massive building-sized equipment and shit-tons of radiation from nuclear fusion. Radiation they’ve got, but not everything else. Helium is essentially only created inside of a star. They would only be able to make minuscule amounts of it, not the extraordinary volumes to float a sky-town.
And those volumes would have to be INCREDIBLE to lift all those people, animals, acres of dirt and crops, water, and all the other stuff needed for this floating city in the sky. A cubic meter of helium can lift a little over a kilogram. How much does a small town with 560 people, animals, engines, nuclear reactors, and farms weigh? A hundred million kilos? That’s more helium than exists on Earth. (We’re running out of helium now, by the way. And wasting it on party balloons.)
The dumbest part of this is that hydrogen is easy to make, using just water and electricity, *plus* it’s only half as dense as helium *and* has about 8% more lift. AND it is explosive, creating yet another dramatic danger the characters could face, without changing anything else about the story.
See what I mean about aggravating?
It seems pretty clear to me that Smith wanted to tell an entire story about the one cool scene from the 2014 Godzilla movie, namely the HALO jump featured in the trailers. This one: https://youtu.be/lmZJiBZtahk The cover of the book literally looks like a screen grab from that scene. He also enjoyed the 2000 dragon movie Reign of Fire, which has a similar scene, and he shamelessly steals it for the climax: https://youtu.be/ZTCMyCniENM. (Seriously, the denouement is exactly that scene. Like some of us wouldn’t notice.) Setting it with the flying version of Mortal Engines is just the natural outgrowth of that desire.
Except it just doesn’t work.
I don’t even care that the characters are stock tropes who say stock phrases and act in a stock manner. Those would be fine if the worldbuilding were cool enough. Even the most amazing characters with spectacular writing couldn’t save this story, though.
—
Edit - I posted this review August 7th, 2020. Today, February 11th, 2021, I saw a cool video on YouTube uploaded last week:
“Up IRL -VFX Artist Simulates Pixar but with Real Physics.”
https://youtu.be/dZsp1tgXkUI
He goes into the science of lifting the house in Up with helium balloons. Lots of neat science stuff, including a vacuum balloon (watch the vid) that’s suitable for kids and gets across the math in a fun way. Which serves to prove my point that this Helldivers book is annoyingly dumb.
August 9, 2017
Very satisfying post-apocalyptic scifi. While there are some minor plot holes, the book really delivers a satisfying, summer blockbuster feel. If this was turned into a movie, I'd be in the theater on opening night.
In simple terms, HELL DIVERS is a monster story, a tale of survival. Humanity is pushed to the very brink of extinction, magnifying the potential impact of every character's actions and decisions. Smith does a great job of using two literary devices, the "option lock," where character have no choice but to fulfill a particular option if they want to survive, and the "time lock," a.k.a. the ticking countdown timer of a bomb. Both devices add significant tension, and when Smith combines them, I was on the edge of my seat.
Overall, this is a strong work. I loved it.
In simple terms, HELL DIVERS is a monster story, a tale of survival. Humanity is pushed to the very brink of extinction, magnifying the potential impact of every character's actions and decisions. Smith does a great job of using two literary devices, the "option lock," where character have no choice but to fulfill a particular option if they want to survive, and the "time lock," a.k.a. the ticking countdown timer of a bomb. Both devices add significant tension, and when Smith combines them, I was on the edge of my seat.
Overall, this is a strong work. I loved it.
February 15, 2018
Hell Divers
The Hell Divers Series, Book 1
By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
This is one of my favorite books. It is so exciting with sci-fi and the fantasy part. Suspense, intrigue, nail biting moments, and creatures! Oh yeah! I loved this! What if the only people left on Earth was in ships that floated about the Earth, down to only two ships now. Now one needs help.... your ship is the only one left and the only one that can help...all supplies are on Earth that is contaminated, lightning storms between you and Earth, and creatures on the Earth that are growing in number. So exciting!
The narrator is the great RC Bray! My favorite narrator! He makes any book better! The emotions, voices, and inflections are perfect. The suspense is doubled. So intense! Wonderful as usual!!!
The Hell Divers Series, Book 1
By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrated by: R. C. Bray
This is one of my favorite books. It is so exciting with sci-fi and the fantasy part. Suspense, intrigue, nail biting moments, and creatures! Oh yeah! I loved this! What if the only people left on Earth was in ships that floated about the Earth, down to only two ships now. Now one needs help.... your ship is the only one left and the only one that can help...all supplies are on Earth that is contaminated, lightning storms between you and Earth, and creatures on the Earth that are growing in number. So exciting!
The narrator is the great RC Bray! My favorite narrator! He makes any book better! The emotions, voices, and inflections are perfect. The suspense is doubled. So intense! Wonderful as usual!!!
June 6, 2018
If u don't mind some mindless action and adventure by putting away all sense of logic and reasoning behind carried out by cardboard cut out chatacters, then dive right in! Pun totally intended.
To be honest I somewhat did indeed enjoy reading this book. So 3.25 stars for sheer frivolous-ness factor amidst all my heavy reads.
To be honest I somewhat did indeed enjoy reading this book. So 3.25 stars for sheer frivolous-ness factor amidst all my heavy reads.
December 6, 2022
Hell Divers was even better than (based on all the great reviews I read prior) I already expected.
An absolutely amazing thrill ride start to finish, with well developed, multidimensional, realistic characters. I was familiar with Sansbury Smith's work from his "Extinction Horizon" (Zombie) series, and went through them one after the other, till I had to wait for his newest release, and preordered that one.
This book had it all. . . mystery, suspense, nonstop thrills and horror all mixed in. I did not read the synopsis of book #2 for this series until I finished this one, so was surprised by the ending, and thought it was perfect.
Looking forward to moving onto #2 in this series soon, and cannot recommend Mr. Sansbury Smith's work highly enough. He is definitely not a one hit wonder, and is (quite honestly) just terrifically talented, and gets what readers enjoy and seek in thrillers/horror books.
It goes without saying that R.C. Bray was amazing as the narrator. Whenever I see his name listed as the person who narrated a book, I know the listening experience will be well beyond expectations.
An absolutely amazing thrill ride start to finish, with well developed, multidimensional, realistic characters. I was familiar with Sansbury Smith's work from his "Extinction Horizon" (Zombie) series, and went through them one after the other, till I had to wait for his newest release, and preordered that one.
This book had it all. . . mystery, suspense, nonstop thrills and horror all mixed in. I did not read the synopsis of book #2 for this series until I finished this one, so was surprised by the ending, and thought it was perfect.
Looking forward to moving onto #2 in this series soon, and cannot recommend Mr. Sansbury Smith's work highly enough. He is definitely not a one hit wonder, and is (quite honestly) just terrifically talented, and gets what readers enjoy and seek in thrillers/horror books.
It goes without saying that R.C. Bray was amazing as the narrator. Whenever I see his name listed as the person who narrated a book, I know the listening experience will be well beyond expectations.
November 8, 2016
Listened to this- I enjoyed the world, but felt the author did not think things through.
There appeared to be no prey for the Sirens to eat, yet there were appeared to be endless swarms of them. And if the Sirens were some how living off radiation, why did they evolve to be super predators?
Also if the humans lived on the airships and were always in need of supplies, Why were the Helldivers able to just throw away things like parachutes, crates, guns, boosters, armor and all sorts of other things.
Also were did they get zip ties?
There appeared to be no prey for the Sirens to eat, yet there were appeared to be endless swarms of them. And if the Sirens were some how living off radiation, why did they evolve to be super predators?
Also if the humans lived on the airships and were always in need of supplies, Why were the Helldivers able to just throw away things like parachutes, crates, guns, boosters, armor and all sorts of other things.
Also were did they get zip ties?
December 21, 2020
DNF.
Even the most outlandish science fiction must include some actual science at some point.
If you want a floating city, you can totally have a floating city. But don't try to float it on helium. Or if you do, be sure to explain the millions of cubic feet of helium required to lift an small city. You cannot skip over that part.
If you want the human race to be reduced to 500 people, you do that. But you better come up with some cool sci-fi trick to explain away the genetic damage of that kind of inbreeding.
If you want the city-ship to leak so much radiation that it give most of the citizens cancer, you can do that too. But now you need to make your genetic damage trick work twice as hard.
And so on....
Bottom line: there is no magic in science fiction. Even the most miraculous technology requires a plausible sounding explanation.
Even the most outlandish science fiction must include some actual science at some point.
If you want a floating city, you can totally have a floating city. But don't try to float it on helium. Or if you do, be sure to explain the millions of cubic feet of helium required to lift an small city. You cannot skip over that part.
If you want the human race to be reduced to 500 people, you do that. But you better come up with some cool sci-fi trick to explain away the genetic damage of that kind of inbreeding.
If you want the city-ship to leak so much radiation that it give most of the citizens cancer, you can do that too. But now you need to make your genetic damage trick work twice as hard.
And so on....
Bottom line: there is no magic in science fiction. Even the most miraculous technology requires a plausible sounding explanation.
September 21, 2020
"We dive so humanity survives!"
I would rather die in World War III than to live in Hell Divers world. 😉
After the war what's left of humanity lives on airships that circle earth. Teams of courageous men and women have to "dive" down to earth for supplies. These dives are very dangerous with high death rate. Electrical storms, radiation and hungry mutated monsters live on the surface. Great characters and fun story!
I would rather die in World War III than to live in Hell Divers world. 😉
After the war what's left of humanity lives on airships that circle earth. Teams of courageous men and women have to "dive" down to earth for supplies. These dives are very dangerous with high death rate. Electrical storms, radiation and hungry mutated monsters live on the surface. Great characters and fun story!
July 19, 2016
After five Extinction Cycle novels (and a sixth on the way!), Hell Divers, the first installment in a brand-new series from Nicholas Sansbury Smith, is a refreshing change of pace. While it has all the hallmarks of Smith’s usual brand of brimstone and bullets, its premise goes a long way in making this a distinct entry in this author’s oeuvre.
In both the Orbs and Extinction Cycle books, Smith approaches his doomsday scenarios as fresh threats to humanity on the brink of destruction with The End Of The World As We Know It just right around the corner or rapidly in progress. In Hell Divers, the apocalypse has already happened and, two hundred yearsafter Trump’s presidency later, mankind has been reduced to roughly a thousand souls spread out across two airships, the Ares and the Hive. The Earth below them is a radioactive wasteland, the skies treacherous with the constant threat of electrical storms. After Ares is damaged, the Hell Divers (think futuristic paratroopers with wildly short lifespans) aboard the Hive are sent on a rescue mission. Soon enough, they find out the ground is not as lifeless as they thought, as marauding bands of vicious creatures they dub Sirens are out to get them.
One thing Smith does exceptionally well are action scenes, and there’s plenty of those to go around here as Xavier Rodriguez (otherwise known as X) and his team do battle across frozen wastelands, and the shipboard Militia stave off homegrown threats, as well as more elemental troubles. When the Divers do their diving, there’s some legitimate excitement to the sequences and Smith does a terrific job describing this horrific adrenaline rush. Ground combat is equally fierce, although the Sirens could use a little more oomph. As a fan of the Extinction Cycle series, I didn’t find these mutant killers quite as intriguing as the Variants. However, with two more books on the way, Smith certainly has plenty of space left to flesh out the concepts introduced here.
On the character front, X is the strong dashing male hero, and Captain Ash is the strong-willed woman in charge of the Hive – both are great characters, and get their own moments to shine. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about these characters, as well as their lives aboard ship, and the ten-year-old Tin has all the makings of a heroic prodigy if he survives all the threats life in the skies brings.
There’s a lot about Hell Divers that feels comfortably familiar, but Smith freshens it up with a new coat of paint and shakes up the formula of his previous series enough to avoid feeling derivative of his other apocalyptic military thrillers. I think he’s on to the start of something that could be pretty bold here, and I’m excited to see what he has in store for the Hive, and readers, with future installments. Onward and upward!
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title for review from the publisher via NetGalley.]
In both the Orbs and Extinction Cycle books, Smith approaches his doomsday scenarios as fresh threats to humanity on the brink of destruction with The End Of The World As We Know It just right around the corner or rapidly in progress. In Hell Divers, the apocalypse has already happened and, two hundred years
One thing Smith does exceptionally well are action scenes, and there’s plenty of those to go around here as Xavier Rodriguez (otherwise known as X) and his team do battle across frozen wastelands, and the shipboard Militia stave off homegrown threats, as well as more elemental troubles. When the Divers do their diving, there’s some legitimate excitement to the sequences and Smith does a terrific job describing this horrific adrenaline rush. Ground combat is equally fierce, although the Sirens could use a little more oomph. As a fan of the Extinction Cycle series, I didn’t find these mutant killers quite as intriguing as the Variants. However, with two more books on the way, Smith certainly has plenty of space left to flesh out the concepts introduced here.
On the character front, X is the strong dashing male hero, and Captain Ash is the strong-willed woman in charge of the Hive – both are great characters, and get their own moments to shine. I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about these characters, as well as their lives aboard ship, and the ten-year-old Tin has all the makings of a heroic prodigy if he survives all the threats life in the skies brings.
There’s a lot about Hell Divers that feels comfortably familiar, but Smith freshens it up with a new coat of paint and shakes up the formula of his previous series enough to avoid feeling derivative of his other apocalyptic military thrillers. I think he’s on to the start of something that could be pretty bold here, and I’m excited to see what he has in store for the Hive, and readers, with future installments. Onward and upward!
[Note: I received an advanced copy of this title for review from the publisher via NetGalley.]
October 12, 2020
I had never heard of this author before, but he can certainly write an exciting story. In this post apocalyptic novel, the remainder of the human race has been relegated to two ancient spacecrafts where they are faced with class warfare, scant resources, electrical storms and carnivorous mutant humanoid creatures.
Teams of hell divers plummet 20,000 feet, from the spacecraft called the Hive, to land on the poisoned surface of the Old World in order to scavenge for critical supplies. The Earth has been radioactive for centuries and is subject to both monstrous blizzards and those killer electrical storms and creatures.
The action takes place both on the Hive and on the Old World, especially a particularly dangerous portion of it called Hades. Perhaps it was a formatting problem in the advance digital copy of the book that I read, but sometimes it was confusing telling exactly where the action was taking place. However, the action (wherever it occurred) was really thrilling. This is not exactly a character driven book, and the only ones we really get to know in any detail are X (a veteran hell diver), Tin (an intelligent and resourceful 10-year-old boy) and Captain Maria Ash the leader of the Hive and it was easy to root for all three of them.
I did not realize that this was the first book of a new trilogy and the book ends on what may be a cliffhanger, which I found somewhat annoying. Nevertheless, I really liked this book and I will probably read book two.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Teams of hell divers plummet 20,000 feet, from the spacecraft called the Hive, to land on the poisoned surface of the Old World in order to scavenge for critical supplies. The Earth has been radioactive for centuries and is subject to both monstrous blizzards and those killer electrical storms and creatures.
The action takes place both on the Hive and on the Old World, especially a particularly dangerous portion of it called Hades. Perhaps it was a formatting problem in the advance digital copy of the book that I read, but sometimes it was confusing telling exactly where the action was taking place. However, the action (wherever it occurred) was really thrilling. This is not exactly a character driven book, and the only ones we really get to know in any detail are X (a veteran hell diver), Tin (an intelligent and resourceful 10-year-old boy) and Captain Maria Ash the leader of the Hive and it was easy to root for all three of them.
I did not realize that this was the first book of a new trilogy and the book ends on what may be a cliffhanger, which I found somewhat annoying. Nevertheless, I really liked this book and I will probably read book two.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
June 30, 2022
This book was written for mindless action junkies. I say mindless because as soon as you think about anything going on in this fictional world you can't stop finding things wrong with it. Even the origin story makes no sense. Nuclear bombs were dropped from 2 airships that caused the end of the world as we know it. If that's the case, how come there were so many people on board? Why were bomber airships the size of cities? If the population is about 500 people per ship then how does everyone not already know everyone? How did they get so much helium and how do they keep getting more? How is anything on Earth usable with hundreds of years of radioactive damage? The list goes on.
I am willing to check out the sequel. The ending was intriguing enough to spark my interest to see what happens with the various characters. It was a barebones experience, but I wouldn't call it boring. I'm hoping the sequel answers a bunch of questions and feels like a much more satisfying experience in terms of world building and character development.
I am willing to check out the sequel. The ending was intriguing enough to spark my interest to see what happens with the various characters. It was a barebones experience, but I wouldn't call it boring. I'm hoping the sequel answers a bunch of questions and feels like a much more satisfying experience in terms of world building and character development.
March 7, 2022
Five HUGE "HELL YEAH" Stars!
Ahhhh my love for Hell Divers was an insta-love bigger and more obsessive than of one of a sparkly teenager fanger!
And to think this ARC has been silently waiting for me for months! What a freakantastic surprise!
Can we talk about how freakantastic this book is pleeeeeease????
Yes? YES! Let's talk about it. Get comfy because I got lots to tell you. This is gonna take a while.
Let's talk about first impressions, OK?
Hell Divers was a first impressions feast!
This ARC caught my attention in Netgalley because of the title. “HELL DIVERS” How is that for a title, huh?
The Cover: daredevils in futuristic suits diving through a hellish sky to an even more hellish earth. How is that for a cover???
The opening line...
HOW IS THAT FOR AN OPENING LINE????? That got the gears of my imagination spinning wildly and screeching like exorcised hellions!
Ahhhh my love for Hell Divers was an insta-love bigger and more obsessive than of one of a sparkly teenager fanger!
And to think this ARC has been silently waiting for me for months! What a freakantastic surprise!
Can we talk about how freakantastic this book is pleeeeeease????
Yes? YES! Let's talk about it. Get comfy because I got lots to tell you. This is gonna take a while.
Let's talk about first impressions, OK?
Hell Divers was a first impressions feast!
This ARC caught my attention in Netgalley because of the title. “HELL DIVERS” How is that for a title, huh?
The Cover: daredevils in futuristic suits diving through a hellish sky to an even more hellish earth. How is that for a cover???
The opening line...
The average life expectancy for a Hell Diver was fifteen jumps
HOW IS THAT FOR AN OPENING LINE????? That got the gears of my imagination spinning wildly and screeching like exorcised hellions!
How is that for an opening line???
Then, in page 1..."Ash turned a blind eye to the diver teams’ debauchery; after all, she was dropping them into the apocalypse to scavenge for parts on the poisoned surface of the Old World."
How is that for a theme??
HELLOOOOO. Pffffffff say NO MORE. I'm yours! I’m ALL yours! You have me! I'm drooling at page 1!
Daredevils diving into a poisoned apocalyptic world. A thousand HELL YEAHS!
But even before we dive into Hell with them, let's talk about the Hive, the massive airship where they live. The Hive is such Steampunk treat! I imagine it as an oversized, more sophisticated version of La Minerve...
Don't you just profoundly adore my visual image of the Hive???
Now... Let's talk about the overpopulated, claustrophobic, disease-ridden, life in The Hive... There is social inequality, famine, rebellion... holy s$&@!... There is everything that there should be.
And let's talk about the fact that the captain is a woman, and a very respected and capable captain who is shouldering the responsibility of the survival of the remains of humanity [five hundred and so souls] under these impossible conditions. HELL YEAH, GIRL POWER! Nice touch Nick. I will forever be your biggest fan for making this awesome captain a woman. [hummmm.... Nicholas I think I'll call you “Nick” now that I am like this oversized fan. Please let me know if it's not OK and I'll stop. But please let me know in writing. Please enclose the formal request in an autographed hardcover and mail it, yes? ]
So let's talk about these daredevils especially the MC. Call him X please. Short for Xavier Rodriguez but really short for eXtremely eXtraordinary and seXy.
So I was there, like... gaping, like... sighing like an idiot... “ooooohhhh his name is X. Like the Xmen I adore?. Like Wolverine? [giggling moment] and the last name is Rodriguez as in "latin stud" Rodriguez maybe? [gasping moment].
Whatever! Who cares? X is perfect. X is one badass daredevil "diving so humanity can survive" [sigh] [sigh] [sigh]
I'm in love with this X guy, just so you know. This is the guy you want to be stranded with in a desert island when the ship sinks.
Though he is a totally flawed drunken asshole [well, he lives in the Hive people] he is also awesomely brave and selfless.
Well X, you are right up there with Darrow from Red Rising now. You two are the Apex of my heroes' pyramid.
All other heroes, come here please. I need to talk to you.
CALLING ALL THE OTHER HEROESYes, YOU, so called Alpha Males. Don’t play dumb. Come here. You too, controlling sparkly vampire. And you too, controlling kinky billionaire. ALL OF YOU. Please gather around. Ok. Everyone Here? All of you? Thanks! Thank you gents. Ahem, excuse me. OK. OK. Silence.
Hellooooo...quiet all of you!
X is the real deal, gents. The real McCoy
The standard by which you all will be measured from now on
And now… let's talk about Nick's writing. His writing is like... well.. like an overnight FedEx package... HERE! BAM! Package delivered! Simple, streamlined. AWESOME. The way the multiple POVs are handled so you get all the different perspectives of the life in The Hive… BRILLIANT. NICK IS A GENIUS. That’s it. I said it.
Let's talk about the world Nick builds! This is dystopian/apocalyptic readers' Disneyland where all dreams come true. So I just learned this because I, of course, stalked Nick's webpage… Nick worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation [giggling] [giggling] [giggling] soooooo this world is soooooooo well thought and described down to every possible detail: The poisoned Earth, the crazy climate, the wastelands, the ruins of the abandoned cities, the technical specs of the divers’ suits and of the airships. The life in the Hive, how they farm, how they manage their waste, how they deal with sickness and crime. Family relationships, friendships, love affairs... political and personal dramas brewing everywhere… love, hatred, loyalty, betrayal. You name it... Nick thought of it!
And let's talk about the nonstop action. The diving through the perpetual electrical storms of this apocalyptic sky. The landing in the radioactive wasteland that Earth is. The trekking through the dangerous ruins of decayed cities... Holy hellish hecatomb!
And let's talk about the hellions of mutants that inhabit Earth. Holy hell, these beasts are so deliciously horrible, terrifying and despicable.
Someone please tell me WHY on earth this is not already a freaking humongous major motion picture, surely a blockbuster????
May 16, 2016
"Today we dive so humanity survives!" That is the motto of the Hell Divers who risk their lives to dive to the earth's surface to scavenge for parts to keep their last two surviving airships in the air. Pretty cool slogan huh?! I think it is-I love it! The whole book was awesome and I have a huge book hangover right now!
I totally loved the airship setting and the dives to the surface. It was creative and intense and there was never a dull moment. I got so wrapped up in the story I felt like I was immersed in this whole other world for a little while. Another thing I loved about the story, there was hardly any cheesy romance in it. There were a few, very minor scenes but that was it. The plot stayed focus on the divers and the survival of the airships. The ending though had the mother of all cliffhangers but I'm not going to truly accept what happened at the end until I read the next book to see for myself. Which sucks for me because the next book has not even been written yet and I need that book right now!
I've come across several of the authors books before but I've never read any until this one. I can't believe I waited so long. I plan to read them now though, while I'm waiting for the next book in this series to release. If you like post-apocalyptic stories, you should definitely give this one a try.
*I received this ARC from NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!
I totally loved the airship setting and the dives to the surface. It was creative and intense and there was never a dull moment. I got so wrapped up in the story I felt like I was immersed in this whole other world for a little while. Another thing I loved about the story, there was hardly any cheesy romance in it. There were a few, very minor scenes but that was it. The plot stayed focus on the divers and the survival of the airships. The ending though had the mother of all cliffhangers but I'm not going to truly accept what happened at the end until I read the next book to see for myself. Which sucks for me because the next book has not even been written yet and I need that book right now!
I've come across several of the authors books before but I've never read any until this one. I can't believe I waited so long. I plan to read them now though, while I'm waiting for the next book in this series to release. If you like post-apocalyptic stories, you should definitely give this one a try.
*I received this ARC from NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!
July 4, 2022
5 out of 5!
I loved this book from beginning until the end!
My daughter chose this for me to read and I'm so glad she did.
This is my kind of sci-fi/horror!
-Action packed
-Creepy/scary creatures
-Some comedy
-Great character development (loved X & Captain Ash)
-Some social commentary
I also hybrid read this with the audiobook and I highly recommend it!
R.C. Bray does an excellent job as the audiobook narrator! It was like listening to a movie.
So, I am now hooked on this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.
Detailed Review: https://youtu.be/9w5zKxtgLUg
I loved this book from beginning until the end!
My daughter chose this for me to read and I'm so glad she did.
This is my kind of sci-fi/horror!
-Action packed
-Creepy/scary creatures
-Some comedy
-Great character development (loved X & Captain Ash)
-Some social commentary
I also hybrid read this with the audiobook and I highly recommend it!
R.C. Bray does an excellent job as the audiobook narrator! It was like listening to a movie.
So, I am now hooked on this series and can't wait to see where it goes next.
Detailed Review: https://youtu.be/9w5zKxtgLUg
July 21, 2018
Check out more reviews @ Perspective of a Writer...
Read my discussion if you want to know more about why my opinion is unpopular!
I ADORED AND LOVED AND RAVED about the first 20% of this book. That opening scene and battle and jump.... GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! Seriously I LOVED it that much. I was certain I had stumbled onto a 5 star book and I TOTALLY didn't care that the creatures were ridiculous and didn't make much sense... if that is the only plot hole I thought I will take it and run to the hills so I can admire this dystopia from a safe place...
Then I hit the 35% mark and nothing much was happening that I was compelled by... I kept reading hoping we would get to more cool badassery but alas we got a fat drunk instead. *sigh* The more time we spent in the air and not on the ground the less I believed and the more the world started to burn around me... I did love the kid and I enjoyed all the running around once we were back on the ground but it lost a lot of its luster with all the unbelievable world building on the ship.
-Can't have a food crisis AND be making booze...DUH!
-No chemicals to make drugs, especially since so much time has passed and they aren't salvaging and hauling a lot up off the ground.
-If they have cancer and NO cure AND food shortage... they be tossed off the ship!
-There would be NO BRIG for long term offenders... remember the food shortage.
-NO FAT people... The upper decks would be healthy but still NOT fat. Limited resources would simply mean they get the unrotted stuff.
-Why is X so lucky but everyone else so unlucky?
-No need for belowdecks at all. Only people who work would be allowed to stay. Seriously, they'd toss they over the side.
I may be really harsh but the END OF THE FREAKIN' WORLD is a harsh time and there is no vice or pussy footin around. You work, you eat, you die. Rinse, repeat. Anything else gets tossed off the edge because a being who doesn't keep the ship afloat is just garbage.
Hell Divers was a super fun premise and I really liked X, a diverse man who went through some tough times and had the unlucky luck to be lucky. If you can take HUGE holes in your world building it is certainly a place you haven't been before.
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ Authenticity
⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐⭐ Writing Style
⋆ ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot & Pacing
⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⭐⭐ World Building
______________________
You can find this review and many others on my book blog @ Perspective of a Writer. See my special perspective at the bottom of my reviews under the typewriter...
March 7, 2022
(Minor Spoilers) This book begs to be enjoyed while shoveling popcorn, as it reads like a summer action flick.
Mercifully, unlike every other summer blockbuster it does not star Tom Cruise.
THE GOOD
Get to the Choppa! Like any good action movie, this book never lets up for long. There are a few short reprieves from the action, but it all snowballs into a grand action sequence at the end. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who would make it out alive. Also, I discovered it’s uncomfortable to sit on the edge of a seat for very long. My butt fell asleep.
This place is a (Hell) Dive: The story is very easy to get into, as there is very little world building, just action. All you really need to know is that humanity destroyed the planet, and there are two airships full of survivors left. Elite paratroopers called Hell Divers drop down to the hellscape surface to scavenge parts. Most of the time they die from either intense weather, or strange beasts that may or may not be mutated humans.
So yeah, it’s basically like living in Florida.
THE BAD
Holy Plot-holes Batman! Riddle me this: how can an entire new species evolve in the course of only two hundred years, reach massive population numbers, yet somehow go undiscovered for over two hundred years? Better yet, does evolution even work that way?
These are some of the many questions you really shouldn’t be asking yourself if you want to enjoy this book.
THE UGLY
Hello Darkness My Old Friend: Despite the closing sentences of the book literally talking about the sun, the ending certainly isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. If you aren’t in the mood for a melancholy ending, this book ain’t for you.
Maybe read A Wizards Guide To Defensive Baking instead? Bob the sourdough starter is such a lovable scamp!
THE VERDICT
Bring a dump truck: Perhaps the plotholes I perceived will be “backfilled” by the author in future books and it’ll all make sense. I guess I’ll find out because I’m interested enough to check out book two.
Recommended for anyone looking for a mindless good time, except maybe not the people living in Florida. It would probably hit too close to home.
Mercifully, unlike every other summer blockbuster it does not star Tom Cruise.
THE GOOD
Get to the Choppa! Like any good action movie, this book never lets up for long. There are a few short reprieves from the action, but it all snowballs into a grand action sequence at the end. I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see who would make it out alive. Also, I discovered it’s uncomfortable to sit on the edge of a seat for very long. My butt fell asleep.
This place is a (Hell) Dive: The story is very easy to get into, as there is very little world building, just action. All you really need to know is that humanity destroyed the planet, and there are two airships full of survivors left. Elite paratroopers called Hell Divers drop down to the hellscape surface to scavenge parts. Most of the time they die from either intense weather, or strange beasts that may or may not be mutated humans.
So yeah, it’s basically like living in Florida.
THE BAD
Holy Plot-holes Batman! Riddle me this: how can an entire new species evolve in the course of only two hundred years, reach massive population numbers, yet somehow go undiscovered for over two hundred years? Better yet, does evolution even work that way?
These are some of the many questions you really shouldn’t be asking yourself if you want to enjoy this book.
THE UGLY
Hello Darkness My Old Friend: Despite the closing sentences of the book literally talking about the sun, the ending certainly isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. If you aren’t in the mood for a melancholy ending, this book ain’t for you.
Maybe read A Wizards Guide To Defensive Baking instead? Bob the sourdough starter is such a lovable scamp!
THE VERDICT
Bring a dump truck: Perhaps the plotholes I perceived will be “backfilled” by the author in future books and it’ll all make sense. I guess I’ll find out because I’m interested enough to check out book two.
Recommended for anyone looking for a mindless good time, except maybe not the people living in Florida. It would probably hit too close to home.
March 16, 2018
Very mixed bag with this one.
Tension/Drama 4-5 stars - on the edge of my seat frequently, the lone bright spot.
Characters 2-3 stars, they were just too cookie cutter and many of their personal strifes just didn't seem to affect them as much as they should.
World building 0 stars - clearly this where I had the most problems. As I age, my suspension of disbelief powers seem to be getting weaker. I just couldn't get past the way Smith used the ever so tired nuclear war apocolypse to create a completely unbelievable world. 500 people on an ark/airship yet the death rate seems like it would kill all of them within 10 years. Farms aboard this airship to feed 500 people in which 2/3 of them are starving and they have cows and goats??? Not bloody likely. Warm blooded monsters that live in -30F temperatures and feed on radiation? You need a magic system to support that.
Plus the ending sucked and it was generally just depressing without redemption.
Not worth your time.
Tension/Drama 4-5 stars - on the edge of my seat frequently, the lone bright spot.
Characters 2-3 stars, they were just too cookie cutter and many of their personal strifes just didn't seem to affect them as much as they should.
World building 0 stars - clearly this where I had the most problems. As I age, my suspension of disbelief powers seem to be getting weaker. I just couldn't get past the way Smith used the ever so tired nuclear war apocolypse to create a completely unbelievable world. 500 people on an ark/airship yet the death rate seems like it would kill all of them within 10 years. Farms aboard this airship to feed 500 people in which 2/3 of them are starving and they have cows and goats??? Not bloody likely. Warm blooded monsters that live in -30F temperatures and feed on radiation? You need a magic system to support that.
Plus the ending sucked and it was generally just depressing without redemption.
Not worth your time.
October 20, 2020
So, I’m a solid 3.89/5.0 stars here, rounded to 4. Oddly specific you might think...well, yes it might be. I felt that I enjoyed it just a little bit more than the goodreads rating said, which was 3.85 when I read it. Anyway, so I almost went with a lower rating than that. See, this was one of those books where I read it, felt one way, then started reading other reviews and started to question myself if I really felt the way I initially did. To explain that a little better, I bought the audiobook version of this with the hope that it was an action packed thriller, perfect for a road trip I was taking. It is set in a post-apocalyptic future, where humanity survives in giant airships and relies on a group called hell divers, who skydive to the surface to scavenge necessary supplies to keep things going. I was not disappointed. It was fun, filled with one action scene after another, some of it edge-of-your-seat even. I enjoyed it for what I hoped it would be. When I got done, I read several reviews that fit my feelings, but then read a few reviews where they were very thorough in pointing out all of the scientific errors that were made in the story. Some of these items I’d noticed while listening, others I’d not, and at that point I started to agree with the lower ratings these reviewers were giving. However, after thinking about it for a couple of days, I decided that the scientific accuracy here really didn’t have an impact on my enjoyment. A few changes to the story to improve its science would not have changed how I felt, which was that it was a good read that kept me entertained. Now, I’m not in anyway knocking these other reviews for pointing those items out, or for not enjoying it because of them. I can see that. It’s just not how I felt this time. So bottom line for me was that I enjoyed it, the whole idea is intriguing, and I thought well executed - so much so, that I’ve already downloaded the second one. Good luck if you give it a shot!
February 15, 2018
I was not impressed with this book. Most of the problem was with the horrible engineering and science concepts used. I know SiFi goes beyond actual science but there were to many basic scientific goofs used for me to enjoy the book. I would not recommended this to anyone unless you really want to suspend all reality as you read. The author has another series I will try to see if it was just this trilogy I don't like but no more of these for me
August 6, 2023
2.5 Stars
This is a fast paced action packed story that never stops. I wish it had slowed down for some character development and worldbuilding. This kind of story just does not hold my attention.
This is a fast paced action packed story that never stops. I wish it had slowed down for some character development and worldbuilding. This kind of story just does not hold my attention.
September 26, 2016
Stunning apocalyptic action. A cracking read from one of military horror's best writers working right now.
October 7, 2016
This is my kind of book, a “what if?” type of book with a dark, tormented protagonist. The surface of the earth is completely inhospitable, the last remnants of life (or so they thought) have taken to the skies.
Hell Divers has a great concept; people living on massive airships who would still need supplies from the earth. These brave individuals, Hell Divers, parachute to the surface and face a plethora of challenges to keep humanity alive. Nicholas Sansbury Smith takes us deep into the life of one of these insane…I mean…brave men.
“The average life expectancy for a Hell Diver was fifteen jumps. This was Xavier Rodriguez’s ninety-sixth, and he was about to do it with a hangover.”
This is our introduction to X, a man who is one part brave, two parts skilled, with a smattering of luck and a whole lot of crazy. As I read Hell Divers, I was pulled into his life, I began to understand the why’s and how’s of X. I love a tragic hero, no one wants Mr. Perfect to win, we prefer to root for the underdog. A tragic hero like X always makes the story better.
I had a few minor issues with the story. I found myself wondering: why do they do it like that? I really don’t think that’s logical; but let’s be honest, this is science fiction. Why do I read science fiction? For a getaway, an escape and to have some fun.
In the end, Hell Divers was an exciting edge-of-my-seat experience with an incredible protagonist that was based on a well-developed, intricate concept. It was a hell of a lot of fun. Sign me up for the next Hell Divers Team!
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Hell Divers has a great concept; people living on massive airships who would still need supplies from the earth. These brave individuals, Hell Divers, parachute to the surface and face a plethora of challenges to keep humanity alive. Nicholas Sansbury Smith takes us deep into the life of one of these insane…I mean…brave men.
“The average life expectancy for a Hell Diver was fifteen jumps. This was Xavier Rodriguez’s ninety-sixth, and he was about to do it with a hangover.”
This is our introduction to X, a man who is one part brave, two parts skilled, with a smattering of luck and a whole lot of crazy. As I read Hell Divers, I was pulled into his life, I began to understand the why’s and how’s of X. I love a tragic hero, no one wants Mr. Perfect to win, we prefer to root for the underdog. A tragic hero like X always makes the story better.
I had a few minor issues with the story. I found myself wondering: why do they do it like that? I really don’t think that’s logical; but let’s be honest, this is science fiction. Why do I read science fiction? For a getaway, an escape and to have some fun.
In the end, Hell Divers was an exciting edge-of-my-seat experience with an incredible protagonist that was based on a well-developed, intricate concept. It was a hell of a lot of fun. Sign me up for the next Hell Divers Team!
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Read
October 30, 2016Meh. Flat characters, bad science, really inconsistent world building. The writing was good, and the concept intriguing, but it felt half baked. If you want a story about future people scavenging earth for resources check out Time Salvager instead.
November 16, 2022
I'm ashamed to say that I assumed this was going to be a poorly written and cheesy book solely based on the title - it reminded me of a bad horror flick.
Boy was I wrong!
Excellent dystopian tale with complex characters that leaves you wanting more. Good thing it's a 10 book series!
**included in audible membership until 11/30/22**
Boy was I wrong!
Excellent dystopian tale with complex characters that leaves you wanting more. Good thing it's a 10 book series!
**included in audible membership until 11/30/22**
October 24, 2016
Note: Received a copy of this book from NetGalley
As I was reading this, around the middle of the book, I kind of already had a rating set in my head, and it was around a 2.5 or 3 star. But I realized I was comparing it to other books that it really had no business being compared to. Is this the next 'A Little Life'? No absolutely not, but it's not trying to be. What it is is an action-packed, fun, entertaining science fiction treat that was a really, really great ride.
There were still some things that I think could have been a bit better, like I found Tin's acceptance of X felt really rushed? All of a sudden because he managed to get his class into the farms he starts talking to him again and everything is totally fine... it could have had more weight behind it. Also the introduction of Katrina irked me a little just because I'm so tired of the whole "she was beautiful but she was also ~strong and just as good as any man" business. That doesn't really need to be said. X could have been attracted to her for her strength and competence, her looks don't even need to be brought up.
Aside from that it was a really enjoyable and exciting read! I especially loved the creepy Sirens, and I pictured them as being very Silent Hill-esque which was great. Honestly it felt like watching a movie and I really do think it would make a fantastic film. The diving was so intense with all the lightning and the uncertainty of who would make it to the surface, and then who would survive once they got down there. I loved Weaver's solo adventure on the surface too, all the ingenuity he had and his ability to survive, and I adored Captain Ash who was basically President Roslin from BSG. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of things like Pitch Black or Starship Troopers.
As I was reading this, around the middle of the book, I kind of already had a rating set in my head, and it was around a 2.5 or 3 star. But I realized I was comparing it to other books that it really had no business being compared to. Is this the next 'A Little Life'? No absolutely not, but it's not trying to be. What it is is an action-packed, fun, entertaining science fiction treat that was a really, really great ride.
There were still some things that I think could have been a bit better, like I found Tin's acceptance of X felt really rushed? All of a sudden because he managed to get his class into the farms he starts talking to him again and everything is totally fine... it could have had more weight behind it. Also the introduction of Katrina irked me a little just because I'm so tired of the whole "she was beautiful but she was also ~strong and just as good as any man" business. That doesn't really need to be said. X could have been attracted to her for her strength and competence, her looks don't even need to be brought up.
Aside from that it was a really enjoyable and exciting read! I especially loved the creepy Sirens, and I pictured them as being very Silent Hill-esque which was great. Honestly it felt like watching a movie and I really do think it would make a fantastic film. The diving was so intense with all the lightning and the uncertainty of who would make it to the surface, and then who would survive once they got down there. I loved Weaver's solo adventure on the surface too, all the ingenuity he had and his ability to survive, and I adored Captain Ash who was basically President Roslin from BSG. Would definitely recommend this to anyone who was a fan of things like Pitch Black or Starship Troopers.
October 7, 2016
That ending! I was all...and then I adjusted to...but then it...aargh! Somewhere in our future mankind has done a pretty thorough job of ruining the planet and humans teeter on the brink of extinction. Unable to live on the scorched and radioactive surface, the last of humanity, around 1000 people, is divided between two airships which have been flying for far longer than their original designers intended. Death and danger are a part and parcel of life in this bleak, post - apocalyptic world. The author pulls no punches, lobs no softballs as the survivors go from one crisis to another.
I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did an excellent job distinguishing the voices and conveying the emotion of the characters. His voice had a bit of a gravelly quality that really seemed to fit the setting and tone of the book.
I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did an excellent job distinguishing the voices and conveying the emotion of the characters. His voice had a bit of a gravelly quality that really seemed to fit the setting and tone of the book.
February 17, 2020
A bad B-movie that serves up a heavy ham sammich with extra cheese. Cliches and tropes in every bite. Mehhh
June 16, 2022
Looking for a cozy relaxing read? Move on. This Series is SF Thriller with suspense, tension, dread ratcheted to the max! Imagine you held the fate of humanity, the last survivors of the human species! It's enough to drive a sane leader insane; and additionally, you've got to maintain cruising speed in a former warship constructed 250 years ago! There's no access to the surface, which is radioactive and barren. The only access to the surface is via "Hell Divers," intrepid if not fearless individuals who sky dive from the airborne ships, to periodically scour abandoned ruins for essentials like fuel cells and pressure valves for the ship's nuclear reactors.
Every dive means the possibility of death, in the constant electrical storms, in potential equipment failure, and from the unexpected mutations on the surface. Never is a pause to breathe or relax. Readers won't relax either.
Every dive means the possibility of death, in the constant electrical storms, in potential equipment failure, and from the unexpected mutations on the surface. Never is a pause to breathe or relax. Readers won't relax either.
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