Hell Divers

A cracking and original tale that had me riveted from start to finish!

"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, wow, it was huge and it left me in dire need of having the next 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 really liked this book.
Full review below:

Wow! Hell Divers was my introduction to Nicholas Sansbury Smith, and now I cannot wait for Book 2 of this trilogy to be published. In post-apocalyptic America, two airships carry the only remnants of humanity. Hell Divers literally dive to the radioactive surface of the destroyed world to find parts and other necessities to keep those airships afloat. Book 1 of this trilogy paints a vivid picture of this world, introduces us to some flawed but amazingly courageous men and women, and sets the stage for one action packed, desperate fight to survive. This is a quick, intense read, and the action just never stops. There are also a few truly moving moments. There are a few parts that are not fully fleshed out, a little thin, but for the most part the story and writing are excellent. This is definitely an author to watch. Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for allowing me to read this this exciting novel. I highly recommend this book!

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 years after 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 crashes, 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.]

After a devastating something 250 years ago, humanity's hope rests in two dessicated airships constantly hunting for a safe place to land. X is a Hell Diver, one of the elite few who dive to the desolated Earth's surface to scavenge for the nuclear cores that will keep the airships afloat. X has survived more jumps than anyone, but when faced with a rescue mission into Hades itself, he wonders if this jump just might be his last.

Think Snowpiercer with a hint of the 100 . . . but in airships. It's a gritty, bleak dystopian where the Earth is coated in nuclear winter, complete with nightmarish electric storms, hurricane strength ice-storms and something monstrous.

It's an adult dystopian, so don't expect any self-sacrificing little ninnies running about like headless chickens. Well thought-out (in my humble opinion) and not afraid to delve into the more realistic sides of aging equipment and radiation and what happens to folk confined in small spaces with little food and options. And a bit of a horror-thriller too! Characters are pretty well flushed out. Overall, it was enjoyable, quick and worth 4 stars.

I received this ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

Hell Divers is an adrenaline rush with plenty of bullets, life threatening situations and exceptional world building to make a story that is easily immersive. Plus, the Sirens are seriously creepy.

I suggest reading Hell Divers because it's an extremely exceptional change from the usual post-apocalyptic novels. The synopsis does NOT do it justice!

Imagine that humanity finally started World War 3 and the majority of the Earth fell into nuclear ruin. Now imagine a world where the last vestiges of humanity are living in air ships that float around the world above the nuclear ravaged world below for generations until only two ships remain. This is essentially the plot of Hell Divers from the point of view of X, a member of the illustrious team of men and women who risk their lives venturing into Earth’s nuclear wasteland to retrieve items that the air ships require to stay afloat.

Xavier Rodriguez, the most senior Hell Diver with the most dives survived, has seen almost everything the world could throw at a Hell Diver team, but nothing has prepared him for his most recent jump. It isn’t just the nuclear radiation that could kill them all, but the creatures that X christens Sirens. Sirens are bloodthirsty creatures that have evolved to be impervious to the high levels of radiation that renders Earth uninhabitable. Humanity is not prepared to face creatures made of teeth and speed that particularly seem to enjoy human flesh, but when the Hive is gravely damaged in a storm when attempting to aid the ill-fated sister ship Ares, the Hell Divers have no choice but to visit the most dangerous city on Earth, Hades. Inevitably, it seems, Hades is also monster central. X and his team must rely on Ares Hell Diver Weaver navigated the long forgotten streets of Hades, but can they survive long enough to locate the precious supplies their family and friends above so desperately need?

Meanwhile, in the air, a rebellion breaks out among the lower deckers that threatens to ground the Hive for good. The Hive is losing altitude, a social unrest explodes into violence and the Captain struggles to keep the ship from entering a dangerous electrical storm that imperils everyone aboard. Hell Divers is an action packed ride that delivers a gritty and exciting tale about human survival and desperation.

When I first read the synopsis of Hell Divers my reaction was "meh". The story sounded terribly boring and it had hints of steampunk in the mix (I don't hate steampunk, but it's not really a preferred genre either). I'm incredibly glad that I decided to request Hell Divers on NetGalley since the synopsis definitely did not do this novel justice. This is a novel that fits the military driven horror mold more so than steampunk dsytopian fantasy that the synopsis initially lead me to believe. Smith delivers plenty of suspense and human interest to develop a plot that is exciting, but also has an undercurrent of social commentary. I mean, lower deckers vs upper deckers, the fall of civilization due to nuclear winter, the importance of history and the lack of knowledge about the "world before"? Whether or not Smith meant it, I definitely loved the various aspects of this novel that could have been discerned as slightly more intellectual in nature.

There were a few aspects of Hell Divers that bothered me: The ending was a giant let down for me. Sorry. Also Tin's acceptance of X was too easy and required a bit more struggle for it to be believable. Finally, the love interest was a character that I repeatedly prayed to the literary gods would die a horrible death because of her history with the main character, but thankfully the romance department is tertiary to the actual plot.

I had a positive experience and found Smith's writing both engrossing and entertaining. I enjoyed the unique take on the usual "end-of-the-world" trope and the use of a multiple story line approach to further develop a world that will only become more interesting as the series continues.

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty military SF novels, science fiction, post-apocalyptic novels and strong but flawed male leads. I would definitely call this a dark horror novel because of the Siren creatures that stalk the Hell Divers through Hades. I would not suggest this novel to romance fans, staunch chicklit readers or people easily disturbed by language or adult themes since these aspects are part of the fantastic package that is Hell Divers.

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.

Faced paced roller coaster of adventure! Loved it!

I have no trouble admitting my weakness for post-apocalyptic scenarios (I can lay the blame on Stephen King’s The Stand for this…), so when I saw the synopsis for this novel I was immediately interested: the Earth surface has become uninhabitable after being ravaged by nuclear explosions in World War III, and what remains of humanity dwells on huge airships that have been transformed from instruments of death into arks in which the last survivors barely hang on through increasing difficulties. The ships are old, overcrowded; supplies and foodstuffs are never enough to satisfy everyone’s needs; and the vessels require constant maintenance, achieved through scavenging runs operated by the titular Hell Divers.

These are men and women who dare the dangerous descent toward the radiation-riddled surface in search of spare parts or fuel cells in the abandoned pre-war depots: first they glide down to the surface braving constant electrical storms generated by the massive nuclear explosions of the war, then they have to scour the land for the needed supplies, trying to avoid the dangers and pitfalls on the ravaged ground, the broken-down cities and the hot zones where radiation still runs rampant. As the story opens, a new threat is added to an already terrifying scenario: nightmarish creatures, the result of radiation-induced mutations, prey on the Hell Divers and their already dwindling numbers, adding a new level of hazard to a mortally dangerous profession.

The average life expectancy for a Hell Diver is fifteen runs, but the main character Xavier Rodriguez (simply called “X”) is a veteran with almost a hundred drops under his belt: disillusioned and despondent, he lives only for the scavenging missions, knowing that each one can be his last but apparently not caring either way. He lost his wife to cancer – a common occurrence on the ships, since the residual radiation cannot be shielded with one-hundred percent success, even far above ground – and he feels no anchor to the pitiful remnant of humanity living aboard the Hive, his days spent, like most of his fellow divers, on scavenging missions and the wild drinking bouts in-between each one.

With only two ships remaining afloat – Xavier’s own Hive and the Ares – humanity stands on the brink of extinction, and when Ares suffers a terminal breakdown and crashes to the ground, only X and the remaining Hell Divers stand between this same fate for Hive and the remote possibility of finally finding a landing place where try and rebuild some sort of civilization.

The picture painted in this premise is quite grim, and the most riveting part of the novel resides in the bleakness of the situation and the way in which human society – or what’s left of it – has adapted to the new living conditions: space aboard the ships is at a premium, and a good portion of it is devoted to raising crops and livestock to feed the survivors. Social differences have transcended color and gender and veered toward usefulness to the ship: engineers and farmers are among the privileged, right after the crew members and the Hell Divers, of course. All the others are relegated to the cramped spaces of Below Deck, where illness, malnutrition and resentment run rampant, and where the more industrious manage to eke out a slightly better life through the sale of black market goods or straightforward crime.

Conditions on the ground are even worse: under the constant cover of roiling black clouds, where electrical storms rage in waves and the sun never shines through, the land is covered by the ice of nuclear winter; rubble and the remnants of once-proud skyscrapers dot the landscape and offer a perfect breeding and hiding ground to the Sirens: blind and hungry creatures gifted with razor teeth and an unerring sense for prey – the evolution of some hardy animal or perhaps of those humans who did non perish immediately after the holocaust.

It’s on this unforgiving background that the story develops, starting without preamble with a fateful dive and from there expanding the focus to humanity’s overall situation: it’s a quick, immersive story that captures your attention and keeps it there, with almost no space for a breather. This is more of an action-driven novel, which means that deeper characterization is sacrificed on the altar of pacing and narrative speed: on the plus side, this allows for an almost cinematic quality to the storytelling – and this would indeed make for a great movie with breath-taking visuals, where the Hell Divers’ descent through the cloud layer could work as an amazing opener, and the scenes of the attacking Sirens offer several nerve-wracking moments. Still, I would have liked something more from the characters, that at times tend to be more tropes than people: the disillusioned veteran, the beleaguered captain, the former thief-turned-diver who finds a new meaning in life, and so on. A few events seem a little too convenient as well, like the young orphan who finds himself in Xavier’s care and goes from grieving, sullen silence to affectionate acceptance almost overnight with no visible progression.

Nonetheless, these are simply personal issues and the fact remains that Hell Divers is an engaging story that holds one’s attention from start to finish and will certainly satisfy the readers’ need for adventure in a post-apocalyptic scenario. The kind of book that can keep you awake till the small hours…

Solid sci-fi, brought to mind Snowpiercer and The 100.

Hell Divers is a post-apocalyptic story of humanity's desperate attempts at survival, aboard two giant nuclear-powered airships which float above the surface of the earth. The eponymous hell divers are an elite corps of brave men and women who quite literally dive into the nuclear wasteland which is now the surface of the earth, referred to as Hades. While the airships themselves provide the survivors with enough food and general supplies to keep them alive, the Divers must make regular trips to the surface to locate and retrieve power cells to keep the nuclear reactors running.

Thematically this book instantly reminded me of the movie Snowpiercer, with a broken world outside as a result of a nuclear war between the nations - although this is not particularly well-explained in the books. The airships are run by a quasi-military, which is not always to the satisfaction of the ordinary people who live below decks, who are struggling just to survive.

Xavier (also known as X) is the main character, and leader of one of the Hell Diver teams. He is set to make a dive into Hades when the ship is struck by an electrical storm, which interferes with the jump, and results in the death of most of his team. During this jump he also discovers that the world below is now populated by some sort of mutated creatures, which he names 'Sirens' who will soon prove to the main antagonists of the story. There are a motley cast of characters - from Ash the captain of the airship - through to Tin, a small boy that X takes into his care after his father is killed in a jump. The human antagonists on the airship are a little less well-defined, and serve only to add somewhat artificial tension to the situation as they don't particularly do anything.

In a lot of post-apocalyptic fiction, I find that while the authors do a good job of world building, where they fall down is when it comes to building the logic of how they arrived at the situation described in the book. With Hell Divers, while I enjoyed the atmosphere, I wanted to know more about how they decided that airships were the way to go, why they seem to be burning through fuel cells so quickly... or why there seems to be such a convenient distribution of fuel cells in a post-apocalyptic world. It almost felt a bit video-game like, where the characters were run through a series of levels, each with an end boss or challenge to overcome.

If you can switch your brain off and just enjoy the ride, Hell Divers is an action-filled, tension-filled dive into a world where there really is very little hope for survival, but the people are doing their damnedest to stave off the inevitable for as long as they can. It's not the greatest example of the genre, but it is different enough to stand out.

Surprisingly enjoyable. I started this book prepared to be disappointed with yet another distopian future and was shocked by how much it sucked me in and wouldn't let go. A breath of fresh air in an overdone genre

As a guilty-pleasure lover of the post apocalyptic genre, it's always refreshing when a writer can find some new way to nearly end the world. Hell Divers really brings Sansbury Smith's vision to life: two airships left of humanity, and some bizarre mutated dna left on earth. The writing was descriptive and fun, even if the development for some characters felt incomplete (maybe that will be be what some of book 2 is about?) I went into this book knowing very little about the author or that this was even a new series, so initially the ending felt a bit abrupt. Realizing that this novel is part of a bigger narrative honestly made me like the book even more, and I can't wait for the next part of the series to come out!

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!

*4 Stars

I think the author did a really great job describing the hell that Earth had become. I really felt for these characters and wanted them to survive through all the horrors. The Sirens haunted my nightmares! The only thing I would change would be to make the Hive hear X's call when he made it back up in the air, but I see why the author made this choice. I will definitely read the next installments.

I enjoyed the book and think that others will enjoy it as well. I'm not usually a science fiction fan, but this book would make me one. I look forward to reading more by this author.

This was an absolute thrill ride of a book! End of the World meets Steampunk airships and futuristic paratroopers who risk their lives to dive to the radioactive world below? I'm all in!
Hell Divers is a vast world split between two warships, Ares and The Hive, when something goes wrong, the divers are sent on a rescue mission only to be hunted by the vicious Sirens on the surface.
I love the play on mythology as well as the pulse-pounding action scenes. X and Captain Ash are both incredible characters, each standing out in their own right, and lords I don't need to express how much I love a woman being the leader of the ships.
Hell Divers feels familiar, like a good friend or loved pet but it switches it up just enough to keep you guessing!

Ahhhh my love for Hell Divers was an insta-love bigger and more obsessive than of one of a sparkly teenager fanger! 😍

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 because of the title. “Hell Divers” How is that for a title, huh?

The Cover: Guys in futuristic suits diving through a hellish sky. 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! 😈

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."

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 autograph 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 HEROES

Yes, YOU, so call Alpha Males. Don’t plain 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, streamline. 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 when 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.

I don’t think I ever made as many updates in a Goodreads Progress Report as I did for Hell Divers. I guess I just wanted to read the entire book to my all Goodreads friends. I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!

If you have read any other books by Nicholas Sansbury Smith then you might understand why I was very excited to be reading another. Was I disappointed? No I was taken to Earth in the future, where life continues after it was nuked in WWIII until it was uninhabitable. The human race is surviving in two monster airships circling the globe. The author has an imagination which is credible enough to draw you right in and make you believe it could be reality, whilst supplying you with endless action and thrills. A fantastic book and look forward to reading the next instalment.

A dark, thrilling cautionary tale about what could be waiting for us just around the corner. Excellent world building, stunning characters, and an un-put-downable story.