Book 1), Hell Divers (Hell Divers Series

What a great book!! I caught the excerpt from the last Extinction Cycle book and pre ordered this one back in April. I've been looking forward to this novel ever since. It was release to me yesterday and I've read it non-stop till I finished it....and boy o boy it is good! Action packed and full of twists and turns. I look forward to the next in the series. Albeit I have to wait a whole year now. Thank you Mr. Sansbury Smith for another wonderful series to look forward to and getting lost in imagination

I've read a fair share of science fiction in times past, but over the last several years, I've stuck to historical nonfiction and autobiographies. The genre of Sci-fi had, for me, become very stale, one-dimensional, and unimaginative. Which brings me to Hell Divers. I decided to take a chance based on the book's unique description and high reviews. It made me hopeful that it could tell a different kind of sci-fi story. I was not disappointed.

Without giving too much away, Hell Divers is a multifaceted tale. It is part post-apocalyptic survival, part horror, part social and economic examination, and contains heavy doses of action and suspense. I was hooked within the first chapter. I think the real surprise about Hell Divers was how balanced all of the elements were. The backstory and character development were well thought out, but without burdening the pace of the story. The action wasn't cartoonish, but was very believable. Every chapter had me wondering what was going to happen next. Granted, a few parts of the story were predictable for me, but they may not be for others. Also, in future installments of the series, I would personally love to hear more history of how the nuclear war on earth began. But that's just the history buff in me talking.

In conclusion, this is not a good story. This is a GREAT story that begs to be continued. My highest compliments to the author, and also to the publisher for taking a chance on this different kind of sci-fi. It's going to be hard to wait for the next story to be released. For anyone who is tired of the same old "human's surviving in space" science fiction, this book is well worth the investment of time and coin.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has outdone himself with this one! The title really says it all! I don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but this is one wild Hell Ride! I can't wait to sink my eyes into book 2!

When reading a new series by an author you love there's always a tiny worry that the new series won't be a draw for you and you'll be conflicted since you love the authors work, but the new story just doesn't do it for you. This story line destroyed that worry. Creative, fast paced and with characters struggling internally and externally to survive and maintain their humanity and humanity as a whole. I'll be grabbing every book of the series as soon as it is released.

Once again, Nicholas Sansbury Smith has knocked it out of the park! Two thumbs up Nick!! This book was so good it drove me crazy to have to put it down. The story grabs you, you get lost in it and before you know it time has flown by. Loved the characters and the imagination of the scenario. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what happens in the next installment! If you've not read any of this authors work yet- you need to get on board, fasten your seatbelt and hang on! He's got mad skills that will take you on a hell of a ride!

Absolutely unique twist on the apocalypse full of endearing characters and kickass action. I had a difficult time putting this book down when I started reading it. Following X and Captain Ash proved to be an exciting and thrilling adventure. I love the world that Mr. Smith created. Airships following apart--humanity's sole refuge in an utterly devastated world--circling above a scorched earth in search of supplies to sustain themselves in an increasingly difficult battle for survival...not to mention the terrifying creatures at odds with the humans. If you enjoy the apocalypse at all, this one is well worth checking out!

This book creates one of the most vivid portraits of a post-apocalyptic earth I have ever read. Earth has literally turned into hell due to a nuclear war that occurred centuries in the past. The only remaining humans live in airships circling the earth. When the airships need spare parts, men and women known as "Hell Divers" take the plunge to the radioactive, nuclear winter earth to find them.

Hell Divers do not have long careers, but "X", Xavier, is nearing his 100th mission. He has seen many friends and team members die, but he continues to jump for the sake of humanity. Even though a book like this could concentrate only on the action sequences (which are awesome), this one also creates interesting characters and you learn what motivates them to continue.

There is also a story about the "haves" vs. the "have-nots", or in this case, the people living in the lower decks. "Have-not" is relative, considering the only alternative is death. No one on the airship lives very well. The airships were originally designed as weapons and were responsible for the destruction of the planet. The hell divers pretty much jump from one version of hell to another.

Many books would depict the earth as healing two centuries after the war, but not this one. The conditions on the planet are a testament to the human ability to destroy what it has created. Although the captain believes she will find somewhere that is still habitable for humans, the radiation, storms, nuclear winter, and massive avalanches may prove her wrong. Earth is no longer the domain of humans.

I recommend the book. You feel the fear and loss of the characters and you wonder what started this war that destroyed the planet because you want to try to relate it to today. You don't want to believe it can happen here and now, but, deep down, you know it very easily can. This is a very scary book.

I loved this book; however it reminded me of The 100. Still, it is a great read. I'll read the next installment. The characters were engaging, but could have used a little more backstory of who they were. But overall, I would recommend this book. This is one talented writer. I'm giving my honest opinion of the book without any spoilers. Read the book for yourself and decide. It was well worth the money.

Another great story with a lot of thought a bout what could d happen if man Isn't careful with the environment. Having read the other books by Nicholas Smith, I find that mutation and adaptation to the environment is Mr. Smith's forte. I look forward to the continuing adventures to the Hell Divers trilogy.

After reading all of the books in the Extinction series, I approached this book with trepidation. I just couldn't imagine how this author could create a new series without repetition of some sort. All I can say is that I'm so glad I read it. New, well drafted characters, human emotions so raw and believable, and the action kept at an unbelievable pace - loved it! Can't wait for the next book!

Great story....the premise of the story is very thought provoking....I worried about the Hell Divers when I put the book down to do other things...had to hurry back....X and the other Hell Divers are heroes...A very fast paced read...loved every minute...not a second ft wasted...

Every once in a while you stumble across a new book or series by complete accident and by an author you never heard of, and suddenly a whole new world of fantastic fiction is unveiled to your unsuspecting consciousness. Not only did I find Hell Divers engrossing, highly original and well thought out, but the character development is superb. Nicholas has a gift for creating a dark and highly suspenseful atmosphere, and I lay in bed at night shuddering at such a possible apocalyptic future. I am looking forward to reading more of Nicholas' dystopian works. Bravo.

The Extinction Cycle was epic but Hell Divers takes it to an entire new level with a unique premise of skydiving into the apocalypse. Great characters, especially X and Tin. This is one of the best Post Apocalyptic books of the year because it's fast paced, frightening and breathtaking at times!

I got hooked on Nick's work through the extinction series (can't wait for book six) and was anxiously awaiting for something new. In Hell Divers he continues his apocalyptic story telling through the story of a new hero set in different type of post war world. For any fan of this genre, He'll Divers will have you hooked immediately.

Found this story from N S Smith hard to get into for the first 3 or 4 chapters but as the story progressed found it hard to put down. Don't think this story is as good as his others I have read (Orbs and Trackers) but still good enough to look forward to book 2 in the series.

Another great book from this author.

Hell Divers is a very unique story in the apocalyptic, science fiction genre. The last of civilization, flying in the clouds, kept sustained by brave men and women who search the dangerous surface to keep man alive. Intriguing, exciting, and, at times, heart wrenching, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This one took me by surprise. The detailed descriptions of places and events is amazing. One would truly believe Mr. Smith had walked in radioactive snow, had fought with the very monsters that he describes. I can hardly wait to start on number two!

I have read the extinction cycle books and loved them, I just finished Hell Divers and I cannot wait until the next one the story is great and the characters draw you in and you just don't want to put the book down. Without giving anything away all I can say is awesome, cliffhanger that leaves you just wanting the next book right away. Loved it's!,,

This is a very well-written story. It captures the reader's interest and keeps you engrossed in the action. You want to stay up and see what happens next - forget about going to bed! I will definitely read the rest of this series.

I thought this was a really interesting story. I love end-of-the-world tales and this was exceptionally good. I really got into the storyline and the characters were well written with great backstories. Can't wait until the sequel comes out next year..

This was the second book I've read from this author. While I do like The Extinction Cycle series better this book is no slouch! It's a solid story that will draw you in and have you imagining what life would be like if.........

The concept for this book is pretty cool. It's a post-apocalyptic world in which the planet Earth is completed irradiated and uninhabitable. The survivors have taken to the skies and live in old military airships, the very ones which dropped the bombs that ended life on Earth. The ship's descriptions gives off a cool, steampunk vibe. I'd have liked to hear more about the ship. You do get to see some of the inner workings of how 500 people live and work aboard, and there's a secondary story line of rebellion among the "lower" deck folks, the ones in steerage essentially.

The bravest of the ship are the Hell Divers. These people parachute to the irradiated surface in search of supplies. Along the way they encounter what's left on the surface. Which is where things started to fall apart for me.

There's not much exploration of what they are, but the creatures on the surface are humanoid, flesh eating, eye-less monsters that for some reason have developed the ability to fly like bats. They appear to feed on radioactive materials, can sense energy, and are the only thing alive on the surface. Oh, and there's millions of them, but the humans have never seen them prior to the events in this book. Seemed a little odd that there would be literally hordes of thousands of these things, but they didn't know they existed, like they just popped up out of nowhere. Not only that, but aside from brief glimpses that maybe these things survive on "eating" fissionable material, there's really no explanation for how the beings are able to live (a flying humanoid creature would need a lot of energy) or what they are (are they irradiate/evolved humans?). And if they only eat radioactive materials, why do they giving a flying fig about people and want to ravenously consume their flesh. It's like saying that squirrels suddenly developed an overpowering taste for human meat, but they haven't given up nuts completely.

The characters are alright, with some depth and likability. They have their faults as humans, and several of them die in the air and on the ground. Would people be able to survive a parachute drop through a gnarly thunderstorm? Google one Col. William Rankin and you'll see it's at least possible, if not something you'd want to make a career out of. I get that the Hell Divers are the best of the best, but the survivability of the profession alone seems to require a near constant stream of new bodies. Since the ship doesn't ever connect with other ships, except by radio, there's not much exploration of where these people come from or how they are trained.

The worst part for me was the descriptions of the ship being blown apart by lightning strikes. This is pure fantasy. First, airplanes are frequently hit by lightning with only minimal effect. Estimates are that planes are hit about once a year on average, and the last known plane crash attributable to a strike was in the 60's. So to say that the ship would start to explode from lightning strikes, or that lightning would be its worst enemy is without much merit. Especially since it is well established that the ship was a military vessel, one that dropped the nuclear bombs. Military aircraft are well insulated against electromagnetic pulses (EMP). Particularly bomber craft that are designed to be in close proximity to a nuclear weapon's EMP, as this ship would surely be. So for this ex-miliary bomb-carrying air ship, lightning would be literally nothing to it.

First I thank the author for taking the time to write for an audience. I spent the money, and time reading this book but it just wasn't my cuppa tea if you will. This genre should be targeted towards a younger generation.

This is a fantastic book. Well written, fast paced, and a lot of fun to read. I have read a lot of Nicholas Sansbury Smith's books and have enjoyed them all, but I think this is his best work, by far. Can't wait for the next Hell Divers book.

I got hooked on Nick's work through the extinction series (can't wait for book six) and was anxiously awaiting for something new. In Hell Divers he continues his apocalyptic story telling through the story of a new hero set in different type of post war world. For any fan of this genre, He'll Divers will have you hooked immediately.

Found this story from N S Smith hard to get into for the first 3 or 4 chapters but as the story progressed found it hard to put down. Don't think this story is as good as his others I have read (Orbs and Trackers) but still good enough to look forward to book 2 in the series.

Another great book from this author.

Hell Divers is a very unique story in the apocalyptic, science fiction genre. The last of civilization, flying in the clouds, kept sustained by brave men and women who search the dangerous surface to keep man alive. Intriguing, exciting, and, at times, heart wrenching, this book will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This one took me by surprise. The detailed descriptions of places and events is amazing. One would truly believe Mr. Smith had walked in radioactive snow, had fought with the very monsters that he describes. I can hardly wait to start on number two!

I have read the extinction cycle books and loved them, I just finished Hell Divers and I cannot wait until the next one the story is great and the characters draw you in and you just don't want to put the book down. Without giving anything away all I can say is awesome, cliffhanger that leaves you just wanting the next book right away. Loved it's!,,

This is a very well-written story. It captures the reader's interest and keeps you engrossed in the action. You want to stay up and see what happens next - forget about going to bed! I will definitely read the rest of this series.

I thought this was a really interesting story. I love end-of-the-world tales and this was exceptionally good. I really got into the storyline and the characters were well written with great backstories. Can't wait until the sequel comes out next year..

This was the second book I've read from this author. While I do like The Extinction Cycle series better this book is no slouch! It's a solid story that will draw you in and have you imagining what life would be like if.........

The concept for this book is pretty cool. It's a post-apocalyptic world in which the planet Earth is completed irradiated and uninhabitable. The survivors have taken to the skies and live in old military airships, the very ones which dropped the bombs that ended life on Earth. The ship's descriptions gives off a cool, steampunk vibe. I'd have liked to hear more about the ship. You do get to see some of the inner workings of how 500 people live and work aboard, and there's a secondary story line of rebellion among the "lower" deck folks, the ones in steerage essentially.

The bravest of the ship are the Hell Divers. These people parachute to the irradiated surface in search of supplies. Along the way they encounter what's left on the surface. Which is where things started to fall apart for me.

There's not much exploration of what they are, but the creatures on the surface are humanoid, flesh eating, eye-less monsters that for some reason have developed the ability to fly like bats. They appear to feed on radioactive materials, can sense energy, and are the only thing alive on the surface. Oh, and there's millions of them, but the humans have never seen them prior to the events in this book. Seemed a little odd that there would be literally hordes of thousands of these things, but they didn't know they existed, like they just popped up out of nowhere. Not only that, but aside from brief glimpses that maybe these things survive on "eating" fissionable material, there's really no explanation for how the beings are able to live (a flying humanoid creature would need a lot of energy) or what they are (are they irradiate/evolved humans?). And if they only eat radioactive materials, why do they giving a flying fig about people and want to ravenously consume their flesh. It's like saying that squirrels suddenly developed an overpowering taste for human meat, but they haven't given up nuts completely.

The characters are alright, with some depth and likability. They have their faults as humans, and several of them die in the air and on the ground. Would people be able to survive a parachute drop through a gnarly thunderstorm? Google one Col. William Rankin and you'll see it's at least possible, if not something you'd want to make a career out of. I get that the Hell Divers are the best of the best, but the survivability of the profession alone seems to require a near constant stream of new bodies. Since the ship doesn't ever connect with other ships, except by radio, there's not much exploration of where these people come from or how they are trained.

The worst part for me was the descriptions of the ship being blown apart by lightning strikes. This is pure fantasy. First, airplanes are frequently hit by lightning with only minimal effect. Estimates are that planes are hit about once a year on average, and the last known plane crash attributable to a strike was in the 60's. So to say that the ship would start to explode from lightning strikes, or that lightning would be its worst enemy is without much merit. Especially since it is well established that the ship was a military vessel, one that dropped the nuclear bombs. Military aircraft are well insulated against electromagnetic pulses (EMP). Particularly bomber craft that are designed to be in close proximity to a nuclear weapon's EMP, as this ship would surely be. So for this ex-miliary bomb-carrying air ship, lightning would be literally nothing to it.

First I thank the author for taking the time to write for an audience. I spent the money, and time reading this book but it just wasn't my cuppa tea if you will. This genre should be targeted towards a younger generation.

This is a fantastic book. Well written, fast paced, and a lot of fun to read. I have read a lot of Nicholas Sansbury Smith's books and have enjoyed them all, but I think this is his best work, by far. Can't wait for the next Hell Divers book.

Awesome book! Loved the whole thing! I actually got this book because RC Bray was the narrator, but am so glad I did! Can't wait to read the next one. This would make a great movie! Be sure to pick up the audio version as well!

The last remnants of the human race live on airships as the surface of the planet is no longer habitable. As the airships age, Hell Divers are dispatched to hunt for the materials needed to keep the airships afloat. "X" Rodriguez is the best of the Hell Divers and leads diving teams to locate these materials. While the surface of the planet is full of dangers, life on the airships is fraught with unhappy survivors due to harsh living conditions.

Nick takes us on a wild, adrenaline filled ride throughout the book. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat and the only bad thing about the book was that it ended! And wow, the ending literally left me hanging! I can't wait for the second book in the trilogy to come out! Remember the team motto:

We dive so humanity survives!

I've read all of Nick's other books, Extinction Cycle, Orbs, and The Tissian Chronicles. None of these disappoint and Nick delivered another fantastic read!

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has done it again. Hell Divers is a very well written post-apocalyptic story that grabs your attention and won't let you put it down. I found the author through his Extinction Cycle series and am happy to say that I will continue to be a loyal reader. Great book for any fan of sci-fi or post-apocalyptic reading!

Do you like this author? Do you like post-apocalyptic fiction? Then you'll be entertained by this book.

Now for some of the issues I found. The main thing that bugged me throughout the book were some of the incredibly poor choices made by individuals who are supposed to have experience, are leaders, or frankly are just survivors. Without getting into specific details, at one point the main character of the book ignores every sign that someone is alive. They literally come upon what is obviously a situation where supplies were scavenged, and the author has this genius say "I have no idea what happened." Really? Hmm, who could use specific supplies (such as a suit battery), and who he knows were dropped in the area. At the same time, they can't accept that their sensors are literally detecting a suit beacon in the area, heading towards their supply crate. The author has them continually explaining away ideas that make sense (maybe a suit beacon means someone in a suit?), and throwing out theories instead.

In addition, the diver teams are so poorly led and disciplined it's laughable. Here you have the select few that the last of humanity has to rely on, and not only do they all (including the badass main character) get plastered the night before and show up hungover for the jump, when they are on the surface they act scared, and argue about what to do all the time. Is there no chain of command? I get that the divers are these cool wildcards, but they really aren't taught and trained that the team leader is just that, the Leader?

In another example of these laughable divers, at one point they need to pick up assault rifles from a supply crate as the (creatures) are getting closer. The main character yells for them to load up with rifles and ammo. So what happens with this crack team of experienced daredevils? One of them stands frozen, and she yells to him "I'm not good with guns!" with panic in her voice. Oh good. I'm glad humanity chose you to be part of it's last ditch effort to prevent extinction.

Great concept and a decent book, way too much unbelievable behavior to make it a great one.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was a relatively quick read due to the fact that I couldn't put it down. I ended up reading until midnight to see how it ended. It was interesting how vividly I could imagine all the different landscapes and monsters in my mind. The author did a fantastic job on his descriptions.

An exhilarating ride thru space to save the last humans. Nick Smith has again proven he can tell an amazing imaginative story. Xavier (X) and his band of Hell Divers leave their flying fortress Ares, home to the last known 600 people to "dive so humanity survives." They jump in the storm ridden skies as they descend to the radiation filled remnants of earth to find the life saving pressure valves and nuclear cells needed for survival. As the ship Ares is fighting rebellion in the skies, X and his other Hell Divers are fighting their way through horrendous snow storms, winds, lightening and flying mutated monsters called Sirens. It's a story that doesn't give you time to breathe, keeps you immersed and engrossed. Wonderful job Nick!

The basis for the story is quite interesting and, in it's specifics, afaik is original. Pertually flying lifeboat for humankind has to risk people to grab parts & supplies ti keep surviving. Looked great. But then the story derails.
The overall action is, imho, good enough. Decent pacing and writing, with the main characters detailed just enough for us to care about them. But the ship itself and it's environment is very badly described. We are told that the ship has been flying around for 200 years... but has a crew of only a little over 500. This, simply put, is completely impossible. Setting aside the problems of DNA diversity, inter-family marriage, etc, the sheer casualty rate from the diver's own activity, plus all the fatalities from cancer we are shown, would wipe out such a small crew in a few generations. And the ship's size is also very poorly represented; we are told these 500 live cramped, with barely enough space for a farm and animal area... and yet the ship is powered by EIGHT reactors. Even a modern USN carrier has only 2, and carries over 5000 people, so 8 reactors points to a gigantic ship, something like Galactica... so why so few people? It makes no sense, and it stuck with me as I read the book and saw people dying left and right. And the problem is made even worse by the separation between upper and lower deck staff, which apparently leaves only a handfull of people to actually work the ship! A crew of 5000-10000 would solve all these problems, and would give the author a lot more leeway. Forget any problems related with making the ship last 200 years, finding parts, etc; the ship would run out of crew long before it became worn out...

This book will make for a blockbuster movie, as will his award -winning Extinction Cycle series and Orbs trilogy! As much as I loved his other books, Hell Divers is definitely Nicholas Sansbury Smith's best. His imagination knows no bounds, his writing is crisp, fast-paced and the suspense does not end!. If you like all those features, you are going to love Hell Divers and the characters the author has populated this book with. In two airships live the remainder of the human race, some of whom have never set foot on Earth - an Earth that is in ruins, radioactive, unrecognizable, and with...well I don't want to spoil the effect for you as you discover the twists and surprises that await not only you, the reader, but the Hell Divers, as they dive from the airships down to Earth to try and find the various parts needed to keep the ships in good repair and in the air. I don't want to say too much as I think you will appreciate discovering on your own all the things that make the authors' characters not only come to life but become relatable to you, as well as all the plot twists and suspenseful, life-threatening happenings on the ships, during the dives, and on Earth. Will the Hell Divers succeed in their missions? Will humanity survive? You.Will.Enjoy.This.book! I was recently and unexpectedly hospitalized and made my son go home and get my Kindle so I could keep reading this book! Does that tell you anything?! Buy this book - you won't be sorry!

I did not have very high expectations really for the book, but I trusted the reviews enough to give it a shot. I was positively surprised. Good pace, compact story with gritty realism without overdoing it. I would not label it as military sci-fi as such, although it has some aspects in common.

Don't bother if you have already read the Extinction series. Instead of Team Ghost leaving Plum Island and going off to find whatever and fighting and getting killed by Variants, it's Team Raptor leaving the Hive and going off to find whatever and fighting and getting killed by Sirens. I wouldn't call the book bad, it's just if you read Extinction then you have already read Hell Divers. There's many scenes where you could just substitute Ghost for Raptor, Beckham for X or Variant for Siren and you would think it's just another Extinction book. The two series are pretty much identical, at least so far.

The Gist:
Set 250 years after World War 3 has all but decimated humanity, A brave few live on Airships. Surviving on scraps and constantly battling furious storms to keep afloat, They send down to the surface Hell divers so humanity can survive.

What works:
This is an exceptionally thrilling and well crafted book, the action never lets up. The characters are suitable flawed but with good hearts, we have monsters that prowl the surface, villains and heroes.
The author wrote the best selling extinction cycle series and he steps it up several notches with this new exciting book.
The book is fast paced but gives you some breathers, the dialogue expertly captures the bleak and haunting nuclear wasteland, I loved the way the author describes what the character's see and feel, it really transported me into the nightmare.
When you create a post apocalyptic world it needs to be believable and it totally is.

What doesn’t work:
I simply can not fault this book, I tried to get pedantic over something but couldn’t.

Overall:

A perfectly crafted post apocalyptic thrill ride, with plenty of action and military bangs and even a few jump scares.
An epic movie in the making, Just call me for the casting.
You’ll love it.

Hands down one of the best books I’ve had the pleasure of reading.

5 out of 5 stars.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. Record reading time for me. I received the book on the 19th and finished it the afternoon of the 20th. It is an absolute must read.

Just. Read it! [Insert Shia LaBeouf meme]
Seriously, I've been completely captured by the atmosphere depicted and didn't want to stop reading. Full of suspense and surprises. Exceeded my expectations.

Ok so this is a great book. Well thought out story and great characters with plenty of action and mystery. So with that being said why are we having to wait a year between releases. I read this book about 6 months ago and the new one finally came out and is only 285 pages and the next installment won't be out till July 2018. That is a huge turnoff. It shouldn't take any author a full year to write less than 300 pages. If I were you I would def hold off on buying it until the next one is out as that's what I am doing and in fact I regret buying the first one now too. A year between releases is just dumb unless a book is 600 plus pages. Very poor choice by this otherwise great author although if it takes him a full year just to write 300 pages then how good of an author can he really be.

This is one of the most drawn out and predictable books ever. It had its moments, but it’s one of those “oh they’re going to die” like 2 lines after they’re introduced. Way too over the top and cheesy to a fault.

There are much more poorly written books out there, but that's a pretty low hurdle. The writing in this story is often clumsy and full of too many similies, but the story was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end.

The biggest flaw, is that the ship floats with hydrogen but supposedly only when that hydrogen is in certain containers and not in others. If their balloons burst, they lose altitude, even if they have more hydrogen elsewhere on the ship that they could supposedly fill them with when repaired to gain altitude again. Frustrating.

Pretty pedestrian and largely not "believable" not the environment, but you have a community of about 500 people and we have big groups of people who just don't know each other? That is a pretty small town...

Engaging writing, intriguing story, but dirigibles do not fly on helium. Add to that the NPR stories about our dwindling helium reserves and that manufacturing helium is difficult. i am finding it difficult to want to continue reading on this basis alone. A little bit a research and a keen eyed editor could have saved this book from that kind of silly mistake. Maybe it gets better, but if the helium leaks into the passenger area I am pretty much going to pee my pants laughing at all these serious stuff and people with squeaky voices.

There are much more poorly written books out there, but that's a pretty low hurdle. The writing in this story is often clumsy and full of too many similies, but the story was interesting enough to keep me reading to the end.

The biggest flaw, is that the ship floats with hydrogen but supposedly only when that hydrogen is in certain containers and not in others. If their balloons burst, they lose altitude, even if they have more hydrogen elsewhere on the ship that they could supposedly fill them with when repaired to gain altitude again. Frustrating.

Pretty pedestrian and largely not "believable" not the environment, but you have a community of about 500 people and we have big groups of people who just don't know each other? That is a pretty small town...

Engaging writing, intriguing story, but dirigibles do not fly on helium. Add to that the NPR stories about our dwindling helium reserves and that manufacturing helium is difficult. i am finding it difficult to want to continue reading on this basis alone. A little bit a research and a keen eyed editor could have saved this book from that kind of silly mistake. Maybe it gets better, but if the helium leaks into the passenger area I am pretty much going to pee my pants laughing at all these serious stuff and people with squeaky voices.

I am not a writer so I hate giving less than stellar reviews to those brave people who do write, and even more so those who write well. So when I say that Nicholas Sansbury Smith is in the latter category you can imagine how much I hate having to say I really didn't enjoy this first volume of what I sincerely hope is a ever improving series. What's worse is I am not sure how to describe why I didn't like it except to say I just figured out where the first book was going long before it got there and that took the fun out of reading it. I realize that the next book may be a game changer with some twists and surprises and some fleshing out of characters and I hope it is because I did so enjoy The Extinction Cycle and ORBS.

Lastly from the looks of the great ratings so far, I am obviously in the minority in my review of this book. And I am fine with that as I wish Smith all the luck in the world.

Let me start by saying I loved the author's Extinction Cycle series of books so I was eager to read this new trilogy. The story was, at first, engaging and the premise exciting. Loved most of the characters. Even pictured Vin Diesel in the role of X. However, I found myself getting bored rather early in the book. The action was slowed by unnecessary repetitive dialogue. Each "Dive" seemed to be the same. I was looking for more action and less talk...seemingly the same talk repeated. I must admit that I skimmed much of the narrative to get to the action sequences. I do hate overly long, adjective based writing. Definitely got the overview of Hades the first go round. Then again & again! I would love to see this author tighten up his descriptive prose and tell the story without repeating the same boring details. Will I read the next installment? Not sure at this time.

"the bombs dropped by his ancestors hadn't just destroyed the Old World - they had created a new one and populated it with monsters."

UPDATE: June 29, 2017
I just re-read and finished this first book of the HELL DIVERS series to refresh my memory before starting on an Advanced Reading Copy of HELL DIVERS II: GHOSTS. I enjoyed it just as much the second time around and am very anxious to "dive" right into GHOSTS.

I don't know why I enjoy post-apocalyptic novels as much as I do (crazy, warped, have a death wish - or a mixture of all three attributes) but I was thrilled to hear that author Nick Smith has started a new series. I am a huge fan of his EXTINCTION series and after reading this first book in his new series, I don't want to wait around for the second book to come out. It is that good.

The book starts out 250 years in the future - after World War III has decimated the Earth. The only survivors live on two huge airships - the Hive and the Ares - and roam the skies looking for someplace on Earth where it would be safe to land.

After so many years, the airships aren't in the greatest shape and Hell Divers jump from the airships down to a very dangerous Earth to find parts to fix the airships. The Hell Diver who has been doing this the longest is Commander Xavier Rodriguez, aka "X".

The average life expectancy of a Hell Diver is 15 jumps. X has made close to 100 jumps.

I loved the world building author Smith does in this tale. He brought me into the Hive, showed me the different classes of people that live on the ship, introduced me to interesting, desperate people doing what is needed to survive under horrendous conditions.

This is an exciting look at what "might be" in our future. Scary but also hopeful - I recommend it to those who like post-apocalyptic thrillers, science fiction, horror, monsters, blood, guts and gore.

I received this book from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for my unbiased review.

***Since I discuss some plot elements in my review below, I'm issuing a light SPOILER WARNING here.***

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 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.]

SPOILERS BELOW.

The dialogue was repetitive and cliched. Major unrealistic plot devices.

The book involves a blimp/airship that is hardened against nuclear EMP but is vulnerable to lightning strikes.
The monsters eat radioactive material but have left the nuclear cells alone for centuries.
Buildings that have survived for centuries happen to fall when the characters are around.
Only two things ever seem to break or run out: pressure valves and nuclear cells.

I got all the way to the end of this book, closed it and yelled 'SERIOUSLY?'.
That pretty much sums up how I feel about this entire book.
The ending was a complete cop out and more than a little like the reader got bitchslapped.

I had such high hopes. The descriptions were beautifully done, the emotions clearly conveyed, the plot was a bit all over the place at times, but fairly easily followed. The premise was awesome, and it was a good read.

And then there was the 'conclusion'. The second book hasn't come out yet, so I can't say if it continues that story or not, but without giving spoilers, I HIGHLY doubt it.

Is the author a good writer for getting me so pissed off and riled up about how it ended? Maybe. I enjoyed it up to the last chapter.

Having written that ending differently, I would have given this book at least 4 stars.

However it didn't, and I don't see myself getting the second in the series.

I keep sitting down to write this review, and I keep stepping back, unsure of what words could possibly describe this book. I hope you can bear with me, and if my words aren't enough, just buy the book and read it for yourself. Then we can talk about it. ;)

So, it turns out that Sansbury Smith isn't a newbie author. He's actually got a huge arsenal of books under his belt. I got really excited after finishing Hell Divers to read something else by him, and I certainly have a lot to choose from. But... I can also see why I may have overlooked his books in the past. They all look very... military? I've never really been interested in reading books that involve a heavy military plot, but if they're anything like Hell Divers, then you bet your knickers that I'll be reading them! His Extinction Cycle series comes highly recommended, so I think that sounds like a good place to start.

The intensity level of this book is off the charts! There is literally danger at every turn, and you know that not every character is going to make it out alive, because that would be too unbelievable, and quite honestly, this just isn't one of those books. There won't be any rainbows or fluffy kittens, and I actually prepared myself for a devastating ending. Because seriously. This book delves into the dark. It's violent and bloody, and definitely for a mature audience. Even saying that, I never felt like it crossed that line into the gratuitous. The story called for gore, plain and simple.

There are multiple POVs told in the third person, but essentially, the main character is X. He's brooding and mysterious, recovering from his own emotional baggage. He has suffered loss, just like every other remaining member of the human race. Radiation poisoning and cancer, malnutrition and poverty. Everyday life aboard the Hive is rough.The Hive is described as a giant airship, though my imagination seems lacking when it comes to drawing the mental picture for it. Is it a blimp? It's held aloft with helium and propellers, that's all we need to know. Even after reading the book, I'm not sure if X is talented or just lucky. Either way, he has stayed alive longer than he should have. He is a Hell Diver, whose job is to skydive out of the Hive to retrieve resources from the ravaged surface. Part of me really wants to tell you what's going on down on the surface, every spine-tingling detail. But then there is part of me that knows spoilers are wrong. *sigh* I hope you appreciate the effort I'm putting in here.

Our other main characters include the captain of the ship, Ash, and Tin, the son of a fallen comrade. These character choices allow a huge variety of perspective throughout the story. We can see the political choices being made, but also get the simple and honest opinion of a child. The POV changes also allow the elimination of any potential boring filler scenes. Seriously, that pace, dude.

The world was so solid, I swear I could see it when I closed my eyes at night. Though the world building was never obvious, it was always just... there. In the way the air smelled, in the texture of the Sirens' skin. It was very three dimensional. Together with the characters and the plot, Sansbury Smith has created a full-bodied sci-fi novel, and by far, one of the most entertaining reads of the year for me. Annnnnd the ending? I am so not having any of it. How long until the sequel? A YEAR?! No. Just... no.

A copy of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

The problem with writing a book like this is that one can't really rely on new science as very futuristic science fiction books can (e.g., warp drive). I realize many readers don't give a whit about scientific or engineering reality, but I do (these are almost uncountable, but to give just one example, having man-sized creatures being able to fly with wings that fold into their backs is just so ridiculous, never mind that mutations of this sort happening in a few generations is as well). I can forgive some lapses as almost all fiction has them. But in this case the unreality is ludicrous so that alone ruins it for me. Even setting this aside, I find the characterizations mediocre, and the action is of the class where the hero can shoot man tens of beasts (that are lightning quick) without harm puts this book firmly in the fantasy and shoot-em-up categories.

Interesting premise. Awkwardly written. Like Extinction it has useless chapters. Annoyingly the story jumps way too often. Seemingly every chapter is a cliffhanger. If you dig constant "meanwhile, back at the ranch" tempo you'll like this. Like other stuff this guy writes, there is no real win for the characters. All their lives REALLY suck. They just scratch by between beatings and it gets old.

Weak overall story and pedestrian dialogue at best. Another book where the writer mails it in - no effort to provide a plot twist, develop a character with more than one dimension, or create palpable intrigue. Boring.

I will not trust any reviews on the store books under 500 reviews from now on. Must be a better way to find quality.

If you paid attention in to your high school science lessons, then this book will read as nonsense.
Also, like others have stated... within the book the ship is 250 years old and has a population of 500 people. Yet some how they are strangers to each other. Even the Hell Divers act like they hardly know each other.

However, if you don't know the difference between hydrogen and helium, don't care about how long evolution takes, have no idea about minimum breeding populations, or are unfamiliar with human social structures... you might find some fun action here.

Hell Divers, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, promises a lot from the onset
Post-apocalyptic setting - check.
Heroes diving into the battered remnants of the old world to support humanity - check.
Conflict - check!
But does it deliver? I mean really deliver? I won't make you read all the way to the end of this review to find out. The answer is, hell yes (pun intended).

The premise for this series was easily enough to hook me. The remnant of humanity lives in giant lighter-than-air platforms, floating above a war ravaged earth. And this really is the last bits of humanity. The premise also is Hell Divers' greatest attribute and Achilles heel, as it takes some really big risks. But in my experience, the authors willing to take those risks are usually the ones worth following!

Big questions plague our protagonists from the onset - our home is a giant, floating platform in the sky, so we need to either grow, build, or generate everything we need to survive, or (big “or”) we need to somehow scavenge it from the surface. Here's where the thrills and chills come in. Skydiving sounds thrilling and treacherous enough, but skydiving into a radiation blasted, war-torn wasteland sounds almost like lunacy. Enter the Hell Divers. Smith did a wonderful job establishing these characters. Yes they are heroes to their people. Yes they perform heroic deeds, but they are also complicated people, sometimes broken by the sheer magnitude of their task (they dive so humanity survives – could you imagine having that pressure hovering over your head?). Plus, they've got a shorter than normal life expectancy. Enter X, our main character, a diver who's spit at the odds and survived more jumps than any other diver - by a mile. Without spoiling the plot, adversity sets in, forcing humanity to start taking some real risks...like dive into a place nicknamed Hades, or mankind joins the extinction list. It really is as compelling as it sounds.

Life on the surface is more complicated and dangerous for the Hell Divers than we might at first believe. After all, they have to survive freak electrical storms just to get to the surface, where they are faced with erratic ice storms, unpredictable temperatures, and off the charts radiation. Does the science get a little light in places? Yes, but in this kind of novel, the plot doesn’t live or die off the science, so it works. We don’t need to know the exact chemical or mechanical processes for separating and collecting helium, we only need know that these people have a method, and that it works. X and his fellow divers are forced to jump to the surface for items such as reactor fuel cores and pressure valves – the kind of tech needed to keep their way-out-of-date platform in the sky. This felt like a little bit of Fallout (which might have been why I liked it so much), as X and the divers are forced to pick through the rubble of the old work, looking for just enough tech to prize humanity another week, or month. But they discover that the danger on the surface has evolved, literally. Now, a predatory race of creatures is roaming the landscape, hunting…well, anything and everything. These creatures make each dive that much more dangerous, each diver that much more important, and the lynchpin for humanity’s survival even more difficult to obtain.

Hell Divers is a riveting book. Smith crafts quality characters, with just enough personality and depth for us to genuinely come to care for them. This is rare in books of this genre, as the pacing affords very little time for backstory or character development. The conflict and peril feels real, too, as we are propelled through the story, driven to find out how this remnant of humanity will survive. In the end, this is a thrilling, fast-paced adventure that will leave you wanting more. I really enjoyed Hell Divers, by Nicholas Sansbury Smith, and recommend that you give it a try!

Footnote – I was perusing the reviews of this book before I started it and was generally disappointed with some of the notes left by others (more than likely trolls). One such reviewers scorned Hell Divers, stating the author obviously didn’t pay attention in High School science class, as a floating ship full of Helium in an electricity storm sounds like a very bad idea. I think this particular reviewer had confused Helium for Hydrogen, and forgotten that Helium, is in fact, not explosive. They might want to jump back into their history book and read up on the Hindenburg disaster. Please disregard these reviewers, as I found their arguments lacked any credible foundation. These are just my unbiased thought, and I hope they help.

This is one fantastic story! Hell Divers combines the best of what sci-fi and post-apocalypse stories have to offer. You follow the story of the Hell Divers, the elite teams living in giant airships with the rest of humanity after a nuclear war ruined the world. Every day on those ships is a fight for survival (they are hundreds of years old) and the world bellow and in the skies is even more dangerous. Nicholas Smith's writing is excellent! The way he describes the world of the story and the characters will really give you a feeling that you are seeing the story through his eyes. The action is written in such a good way that you really feel like you are in the fight with the characters. As you read this (or listen in audio book) and you can't help but see it as a full length movie in your head. Really glad I found this at my local library!

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.

This was such a great start to a new series by one of my favorite authors right now! This book definitely ends on a cliffy so if that really bothers you, you may want to wait for the series to be done.

X is a Hell Diver. Years ago the world destroyed itself through nuclear war and now only about 1,000 people remain. Two airships that hover just over the cloudy atmosphere of our world, each holding only 500 remaining survivors. It is the job of the Hell Jumpers to risk their lives going down to the radioactive world below to rummage for supplies that they need to keep their airships up.

As Nick is known to do, there are multiple deaths within the first chapter of the book. He knows how to immediately get you into his world and is phenomenal and fleshing out his characters and really providing great world-building. I had absolutely no problem picturing our world this way in the future.

Of course, while there are dangers on the Earth’s surface (high levels of radiation, dust/snow storms that are the size of apocalyptic tsunamis, and monsters that appear to be rather human like, but that feed on the radiation left behind – including the natural radiation that every human being has), there are troubles going on in the airship as well. They are slowly descending, a collision with the Earth’s surface only a matter of time, when a bunch of rebels decide they are going to take some people ransom and try to change the politics of the airship. Everything is hitting the fan, but our main protagonist X, can’t do anything about it. He’s too busy trying to survive on the planet’s surface, and find the much needed supplies that will ensure their airship doesn’t crash to the ground.

I don’t want to say anything else because I don’t want to spoil the story. However, the ending nearly brought me to tears. What a gut-puncher. X is seriously “The Man”, and we could only hope to have someone like that on our side at the end of days.

Copy received for free from the author in exchange for my honest review.

After reading the Extinction series, I had high hopes for Hell Divers. I can say without question the book more than lived up to my expectations.

You can find plot summaries in other reviews, so I'll stick with commenting on what I liked about the book. The male lead, X, is a complex person who deals with epic amounts of survivors' guilt from years of seeing team members die around him. This makes for a layered, three-dimensional character it was easy to root for. He is surrounded by solid, if not hugely developed, secondary characters (the most notable exceptions being Captain Ash and fellow diver Rick Weaver, whose back stories come out, and who are among the only characters besides X whom the reader gets to follow directly). I'm hopeful that in the volumes to come we see more of X and Tin together. The scene where X has to tell Tin he's diving again moments after making it back home was powerful, maybe the best scene I've read from NSS. I'd love to see more of that.

The ending was exciting, with a great cliffhanger to set up volume 2. I'm looking forward to it.

I've tried to think of a criticism, and I can't really come up with one. The closest is that I thought Tin seemed to go from being a smart kid with potential to an instant life saving hero with no real education in the interim to speak of. Oh well. This book had a lot of balls in the air at once, with several story lines going simultaneously, so a little suspension of disbelief is no big deal.

“Those things control the surface but we control the sky”. As humanity stands on the edge of extinction, barely surviving by going up in the air for a long time now, a group of elite soldiers from The Hive has the task of diving down to earth and maintain the old and messed up ship on the air. I really liked the fast pacing of the book even tough you know the author didn’t rush the story. And another thing was the author did an amazing job depicting the wasteland down on earth. There’s one thing: I’m still wondering what else is on earth. I’d like to know more about the story of earth. How it came to be like that. If there’s any survivors down there and more about the wasteland in general. I hope those things are discussed in future books.

I can't believe the author of this boring story also wrote the _Trackers_ series. The characters are dull and I didn't care if any died. There's lots of pointless action, but with no investment in the characters, all of it was fluff. This book was a big disappointment.

An interesting perspective on the future survival of humanity, with a little flavor of Aliens (minus Sigourney Weaver). I like how the author shows multiple perspectives by visiting the minds of several characters; which wasn't done disjointedly like other books I've read. In fact, it helped to garner sympathy from a character one might otherwise consider a "bad guy." There's a dark and serious undertone, making this a bad read for those looking for more happy and uplifting material. While the ending wasn't my favorite, it does fit with the overall tone. I personally enjoyed the tale and plan to check out the next book in the series.

Stumbled on Hell Divers as a recommendation from Audible after reading the first Extinction Horizon.

Absolutely excellent book. The genre for post-apocalyptic stories is getting inundated with stories that are vastly similar even if they are still very good. Smith brings in a very unique story with skyships and all sorts of mutants that deviate from the popular zombies antagonist. Smith is no stranger to post-apocalyptic writing and this story proved as easy to get sucked into as Extinction Horizon.

Characters are great and easy to connect with, the action is intense, and Smith does a great job at writing to where you hate to lose any characters. It's a book that is, by my estimation, a unique look at a popular genre and if you love post apocalyptic writings, you'll love this one and wind up buying the second book. At least, that's what's happened to me and now I'm getting ready to start Trackers.

I have a lot of books that I've loved that didn't necessarily make me a fan of the authors writings. Smith's book series have made me a fan of his work. You won't regret buying Hell Divers. We dive so humanity survives!!!

I thought decrepit airships above a decimated, post-WWIII Earth were a living dystopian Hell until I saw what these last remaining souls were floating above. When you fill out the application as a Hell Diver, you get to see Hades first hand if you're lucky enough to make it through the daily electrical storms plaguing the atmosphere in this first installation of Hell Divers.
Hell diving is more or less the medieval equivalent of the signing up for the Night's Watch and we get to ride along with a no-nonsense veteran and luckiest parachuting bastard in the world, Commander "X" who discovers everything isn't dead after all on the surface.

The story's pacing is blistering and gives us a small piece of Nick's world and the immediate new threats that may end all of humanity. I expect the next book to dig more into the geo politics and war that caused all of this as well as some new technological options in keeping the human species alive. It's now time to bring a few more mags on the next jump!

Very entertaining and unique picture of a post war future. Great audiobook production that kicked off with a fascinating idea of divers who visit the surface to retrieve vital supplies to keep humanity's survivors floating above the destroyed and poisonous remains of our world. I had moments where I wanted to see more of the world below, and that was mostly satisfied by the end. There was a little bit of a let down when I didn't get the adventure on the surface that I thought I was in for, though I enjoyed the personal aspect involved in the sub plots taking place on the ship. I wondered if I liked the main character enough, but by the end I was glad to have read his story. He's not the only one I cared for, so overall a very good story. Great climax that didn't give us an easy out, and added to the emotional impact, as well as my interest reading the next book.

So intense. Dark and dreadful. Desperately hopeful.

The settings were haunting. The characters were flawed and lovable. The story was simplistic, but action packed.

My biggest complaint was that for as much technology as there seemed to be, there didn't seem to be much thought given to one's ability to withstand being hit by electricity. It seemed like a convenient way to kill off a bunch of people at once, more than anything. Other than that, there was some more room for character development... especially with those characters that must be in the next book... since there's not a lot of people left to continue the story...

But, all in all, Smith's world was mesmerizing. Don't get me wrong. I did not enjoy this book. Characters I wanted to live, died. Ships I wanted to stay afloat, crashed. Socio-economic conflict I wanted to resolve, worsened.

X's fate could easily be ours. I'm not sure I want to think about it.

I received this title free from netgalley.

This book is all about action. High paced action. If you want people fighting to stay alive against mutant monsters in a radiation filled Earth, this book is for you and ignore the rest of my review.

Beyond the action and interesting setting, I have a TON of problems with several aspects of this story. First of all... where did these mutant monsters come from. No one had ever seen them and then suddenly they are popping up all over the world. Secondly, the airships these people live on for generations house only around 550 people (if I read correctly). But over and over again Nicholas Smith brings up interactions where people have never met each other. I would expect that if the population is so small, everyone would know one another. Also, with the population, how do they have enough students to feed a special Engineering program where they have several classes a day. This engineering program has many first year students but its only for an elite few. I did the math and if the average life was 40 years on the ship, every single person would pass through this program... Its just an odd discrepancy of world building I could not get past.

Other aspects I did not admire were the character building. Its ok, but these are like Bruce Willis in Die Hard, it doesn't get deeper than that. I also didn't think the multi person story telling was done very well. It could have been better if Smith had followed just a single character and varied the story structure to tell the points of views of others. The entire rebellion on board of second class citizens was kind of goofy in creation.

So while this book reads like a fun B grade action movie, its not well written, the characters are 2 dimensional, and the writing style is sloppy. Not sure why its getting such stellar reviews.

I recently finished the Trackers Series and wanted to read more from this author. I purchased Hell Driver and was just blown away by this book. The love, loss, fear and strength that these divers face to save what little of humanity is left is amazing. There will always be bad guys in every world sadly because there must be balance. As soon as the last page was turned I immediately purchased Hell Drivers II. I am looking forward to what the world and X have in store for the future. Lots of unanswered questions. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Hell Divers is a interesting look at post apocalyptic life but it wasn’t for me. The plot doesn’t really go anywhere. The majority of the time is spent on the mission to save the Hive but since its meant to be a series I feel like we’re missing much of the overall story and how it will end, which is one of my pet peeves. The flip side is that characters are interesting and engaging and helped rescue the story a bit. I have the next two books in the series, so I’ll move on in the short term but I’m not sure what to expect.

As darkness surrounds you and drags you into the storm brewing above the wasteland that once was a beautiful planet teeming with life. Your pulse quickens as as the lightning flashes through the sky, making the hair on the back of your neck stand with every crack. You want to close your eyes as you plummet to earth but you can't look away, there's no stopping for you....don't blink.

Nicholas has done it again, with heart pounding, blood pumping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I recently finished all of the available extinction cycle series or should I say recovered from it. Just like real life the heroes don't always win or get the girl, bad thinks happen and good people die. That's what makes his stories more powerful, they build you up then crush your hopes then build it up again. It's never an easy mission or cake walk in Nick's world and that's what I love about his work. It's grimy and gritty. I've never been a real sci-fi person but Hell Divers isn't really that type of story. It's a balls to the wall, nut up or shut up action packed thriller that will keep you begging for more. And I'm sure his gonna hate me for this and I don't blame him but I feel it's an extension of the extinction cycle. And that's not a bad thing because I love the extinction cycle and I feel that in some way this is what happen to that world. The variants evolved into the sirens and some how Kate and Beckham's great great great grandson is Commander Xavier and that brings me a great deal of joy.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did and continue with the rest of Nicholas' work. Also try the audio versions with R.C. Bray who is an incredibly gifted voice actor.

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.
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.

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.
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!

This book will appeal to readers who enjoy gritty military 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.

Received from Blackstone Publishing in exchange for a completed unbiased review.

Hell Divers is the first book I've read by author Nicholas Sansbury Smith and all I can say is thank you. One, for writing probably the most enthralling piece of literature I've read in years, but for also introducing me to the smooth vocals of R.C. Bray. That man can read an obituary and I'd be on the edge of my seat! This book features my favorite character from all his books, Xavier Rodriguez. Xavier Rodriguez is the dude we all are after 8 beers and a whiskey who isn't afraid of anything and can take on the world. Except that "X" doesn't need the libations! He's just a badass and on top of that, the story is so layered yet easy to read, I finished in 3 days! What a series!

So this book was... interesting. I had this as an Audiobook and I think it still was interesting.

The story is not unique and quite messy. I have read similar stories and books that is much better than this was. The problem is there is not enough depth in the main story and to much in the side story, which has nothing to do with the Hell Divers but with other things. I wish it was more about Hell Divers and their jumps and what they where doing.

There where to many "main characters". At first I thought it was just a small number but in the end it was to many and to many sides of the story so it got messy and hard to keep track off. Who was related to whom and who did what and also some people we got to see their side from but they still had a very small part of the story. Maybe they will have a bigger part in book 2 or so but they distracted me from the main story.

the character development wasnt that great either. Very stale character without depth and real personality. Like they where shells that pretends to be humans, and they acted like that and sort of felt for others like that. I couldnt really feel for anyone in the story even if there where a few character that you are meant to feel for.

It is an okay Sci-Fy story but it dont bring anything new. It is a dystopi of earth and human kind who try to survive in airships that is getting old and broken.

The narrator was maybe not the best either. He had a very calm voice which is great for audiobook, I like audio books, BUT he was to calm and didnt change tone often enough which had the effect I got tired and almost fell asleep a few time. Part of me wants to know what is gonna happen in this series but I dont have the energy or the will to read or even listen to the rest parts in the series. Maybe later on but not at this point.

Hell Divers
Nicholas Sansbury Smith
read by R. C. Bray

Incredible start to the TrilogyJanuary 3, 2017
Sean from Ashland
This book starts off at 122 miles an hour right out of the gate.
(See what I did there?)
I was engrossed from the very beginning and didn't want to do anything else but find out what happens to Team Raptor.
I was on a business trip when I began listening to this book. Honest truth I never left my hotel until I finished the book.

At first, I was thrown off a little by the gruff voice reading the book but as the characters begin to develop, I realize that the performance of the reading couldn't be better.
There is so much action in Hell Divers. At times, there is a moment to catch your breath, but just a breath as I found myself holding it through the next sequences of impossible circumstances.

That's another thing, the characters are easy to care for.
Nicholas Sansbury Smith pays close attention to detail and nuances that bring them to life. Even from the first chapter I cared about the outcome of the characters. I felt emotionally connected almost right away!
NSS has a true gift at creating scary creatures as well. (read any of the Extinction Series and you'll see what I mean.)

This was my first introduction to Nicholas Sansbury Smith. I have now listened to almost all of the Extinction Cycle and will be reviewing each book.

After World War III has decimated the planet the surviors live on satellites orbiting the Earth. Unfortunately they are not meant to be used for as long as they have and most have crashed. Hell divers dive down to Earth to get supplies needed to keep the ships in orbit until the planet is safe again.It is a very interesting premise. Society uses the band aid of escaping to space once we detroyed the planet but again lack of planning still puts us on the brink of extinction. Enough of that though. This book is very high paced it will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. I just found it was a trilogy so I guess my reading queue just got longer.

This book was recommended to me by Audible, so I used a credit to get it. The plot caught my attention instantly. As a fan of the Fallout games, post-apocalyptic stories are some of my favorite to explore. Hell Divers took the post-apocalypse to a new level. The surface of the planet is uninhabitable and the near-extinct human race clings to blimps that are falling apart. It's up to the Hell Divers to recover from the surface the much needed parts to keep humanity alive. The politics of The Hive are as dangerous as the beastly Sirens roaming the surface. You never know who has a secret, or what they would do to protect it.
To anyone that has already read this: Who is your favorite character? And why is it Tin?

Really great story of a futuristic view of the apocalypse and the last surviving humans. The book really leaves you wanting more as you read it and the action is gripping. I love the plot and how discoveries are uncovered throughout the story gradually uncovering the mysteries of the story. Very excited for the release of Deliverance and some reunions of characters!

Nicholas set the bar very high for himself with his "Extinction" series. Having read them all (except the last one which has not yet been published), I was greatly anticipating the launch of the new "Hell Divers" series. I can say without hesitation, that he comfortably cleared that bar.

He is a master of post-apocalyptic storytelling, and has the ability to immerse the reader completely in the situations he describes, which are alarmingly credible. The writing is fast-paced, and his characters are real. A rollercoaster ride of elation, disappointment and excitement, sometimes alternating and sometimes simultaneous, is where you will find yourself from beginning to end. The book grabs you and simply does not let go.

This one really is a must-have. Even if you aren't a fan of this genre, I highly recommend giving this fine author a try.

"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?!! Well that's just a taste of a very amazing book!

It was creative and intense and there was never a dull moment. I totally loved the airship setting and the dives to the surface. Smith paints such a vivid picture that I felt like I was transported to another world for a little while. Another thing I loved about the story- there weren't any cheesy love triangles in it. The plot stayed focus on the divers and the survival of the airships. This story really just hit all of the right notes with me and is one of the best books I've read this year.

If you like post-apocalyptic stories, then you don't want to miss this one! The author is truly at the top of his game and I can't wait to see what he has planned for the rest of the series!

*I received this ARC from NetGalley & Blackstone Publishing in exchange for an honest review! Thank you!

"The average life expectancy for a Hell Diver was fifteen jumps. This was Xavier Rodriquez's ninety-sixth, and he was about to do it with a hangover."

I've heard the name Nicolas Sansbury Smith often exemplified as a self-publishing success story but until Hell Divers I had not read a single page of his work. However, from the opening sentence of Hell Divers I was hooked. Unfortunately I quickly began losing interest. What starting as an interesting sci-fi thriller became a formulaic struggle to even finish. In fact, it took me almost four months.

The prose itself was exceptional but what caused this story to ultimately fall apart was it's plot pacing. After catching on to the formula its of action and plot progression Hell Divers felt like 70% fluff, 30% plot. The characters also took too long to develop and by the time I began to care about them it didn't matter. I don't see how Sansbury can realistically sustain this series as trilogy especially with the current formula and pacing.

All in all there were some really great moments but in the end it just didn't do it for me. It's a shame because with some pacing adjustments and a shaving off 75-100 pages Hell Divers could have really been a fantastic title. I don't plan on writing off Sansbury Smith any time soon, I intend on checking out Orbs and The Extinction Cycle but I don't think I'll be back for Hell Divers: Ghosts.

I "read" this book in the form of an Audiobook, and I must say it's about as fantastic as a book can get. The whole time I was listening I was on edge, always wondering what would come next. I've read quite a few post apocalyptic books in my time, and it has most certainly come out on top. I got a very Snowpiercer and Fallout (post-apoc video game) feeling from it, which I absolutely love! You feel like you are right by the characters every second of the way, feeling every bit of the heart pounding action that this book is filled to the brim with. Everything in this book will leave a lasting impression on you, from the brave Hell Divers team itself, to the haunting sirens. You won't want to pass up this book, I promise you. Nicholas Smith is a fantastic author, a d is bringing new life to the post apocalyptic genre. Everyone, dive in!!

In Hell Divers the action starts in the very first pages. WWIII destroyed the earth making it a radiactive inferno, what's left of mankind lives in two airships in hopes of finding a clean spot to land. These airships, The Hive and Ares have long ago exceeded their useful lives so the Hell Divers must jump and explore destroyed cities to find the parts the ships need in order not to collapse to the ground.

Life is hard, when the story begins The Hive is on the brink of rebellion, food is scarce and diseases run rampant but at least they are still airborne. The same cannot be said of Ares. When the airship fails its commander begs The Hive for help.

The electric storms and radiation are nothing compared to the mutant creatures that roam the earth. The Hell Divers face their most important and urgent task.

Once again Mr. Smith has created an intense plot, memorable characters and terrifying creatures. Fast paced is an understatement.

Dive in and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

This book is amazing.I own this authors Extinction series,yet haven't found time to read it yet.After finishing Hell Divers it is now at the top of my TBR list.The world now consists of two airships that contain the remainder of the entire human race.The Hell Divers parachute down to the destroyed earth to retrieve desperately needed parts for the airships.The characters are extremely well developed and the author has created a really frightening future they reside in.The book finishes with a cliffhanger which is expected in a series and has me anxious for the release of book two.I am definitely hooked on this series.I received a copy of this book from the author via NetGalley in exchange do for an honest review.

Aaaah, what it is to pick up a book by Nicholas. Even knowing you're going to go on a hell-ride (no pun intended...) with him, you pick it up and read it, because it's going to be that good. And Hell Divers is no less. Oh no. Within a sentence or two Smith had sucked me right in to X's world and life on board the Hive - one of the last two airships floating above a devastated Earth.

And what a fascinating scenario. Humanity survives solely in huge airships that fly around above a totally devastated, radioactive Earth. These airships are far from airworthy, and are pretty much staying up there by their bootstraps. To keep these massive colonies in the skies, Hell Divers must parachute to the surface of the devastated Earth for supplies, then ride back up to their airships on helium balloons. As the book opens, we meet X, by far the most experienced Hell Diver on his ship with a total of 95 jumps to his name. It's clearly pointed out that the average most divers make is 15 jumps. This man surely knows his stuff. And the motto of the Hell Divers is one of the coolest I've come across: "We dive so humanity survives." That's their whole existence right there, in a nutshell.

It's really difficult to make any sort of comment on this book without heading into the realm of spoilers, so I'm going to keep to the bare minimum. One of the things I really liked about this novel was how Smith introduced various threads, and how those threads developed as the story progressed. Another thing I really liked was this, and I quote:
That was the thing about extinction: every move became a life-or-death decision, with the fate of entire species on the line.

That particularly caught my eye, having recently seen a documentary on the extinction of the northern white rhinoceros, and how that was precisely the issue - every move made becomes a critical decision.

This book has one of the most beautiful covers I've seen in a good long while. Very relevant to the story, and puts one quite in the scene for what happens in the book. Great fusion there.

Without a doubt, Smith is becoming a master storyteller. I guess that begins to happen when one has more than ten novels under one's belt. Each successive book of his that I read is a step up from the previous one, and his ideas are no less inventive. I look forward to picking up the next Hell Divers novel. Please get writing!

I’m a huge fan of Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s books. The Hell Divers book one introduces you to a post apocalyptic world that could only have come from the author’s creative imagination. The story follows the last of humanity who are struggling to survivie among the clouds in airships. The earth’s surface is uninhabitable because of strong radiation caused by war. The bravest among the human race serve as hell divers who travel to the surface in search of supplies.

I first read the book via kindle and then later listened to the audiobook. Let me tell you, R. C. Bray is an incredible narrator! The story came alive in a whole new way, and I felt more connected to it because of the narration.

I highly recommend not just the book, but also the audiobook. If you’re looking for a unique world and story line to get lost in- this is it.

I listened to the audiobook, and I loved R.C. Bray's reading. I usually tell people, when talking about audiobooks, that the narrator can make or break a book. Bray does a great job relating what Nicholas Sansbury Smith wrote.

The story and characters took a little bit for me to get into, but if you get past the introductory stuff then the book gets a lot better. Xavier Rodriguez is one of my favorite characters that Sansbury Smith has developed and I really enjoyed following his character arc.

I've only listened to books 1 and 2 in the Hell Divers series, but it would make a great series on Netflix/Prime/Hulu, to allow the characters and situations to play out and develop

Keep up the good work NSS

I had never read a Nicholas Sansbury Smith book until Hell Divers but I had to go on a trip so I wanted a book to take with me. I was skimming potential books and Hell Divers sounded interesting so I took a shot at it. Wow. I got lucky and found my new favorite author. Hell Divers is fast paced action at a neck breaking speed. There is definitely no fluff writing. Once I started reading this book it was hard to put down. The characters popped out at me and I was always on edge with the plot twists.

Very exciting. Well written. Would love to see a HBO series on Hell Divers. Great characters, you end up caring for each one rooting them on. Mankind's last hopes. I would love to see an HBO or AMC series based on HELL DIVERS. They could spread out this story over 10 episodes and really get into the story. One of the best Sci-Fi stories I have read this year. I will sure jump on the 2nd book when it comes out in July of 2017.

First of all, I enjoyed this book. There were some things that grated on me though. First of all the main character Xavier, why call him X? It seems like the author was trying too hard to make him cool when he didn't have to! The story supported his being a bad mofo. I don't know why it bothered me so much but it did - every time I saw it. Secondly, while I realize this was science fiction, some of the science just didn't fit (spoilers ahead). 250 years to evolve a whole new species? Electronics that are centuries old which were within a short run from a major nuclear blast site and they still work? Just two examples of many that I was shaking my head at. I guess I like my science fiction to be researched a little better. You got to make me believe it's possible! I'll probably read book 2, but I am a whole lot less excited about it now.

Hugh Howey meets Michael Crichton in Nicholas Smith's latest post-apocalyptic thriller. Earth has turned into a post-apocalyptic Jurassic Park, where the few surviving humans have fled into a handful of airships -- self-sufficient ecosystems that constantly fight the weather elements and deadly storms. The heroes that make this possible are the Hell Divers, men and women who periodically dive into the hell below in order to retrieve technology without which the ships would not survive. But not even the highly trained Hell Divers are ready for what's hiding inside Hades, the stormiest and most dangerous spot on ground level. Once again, Nick Smith dominates the post-apocalyptic genre with this riveting, nail-biting adventure that will grip you from the first chapter.

I simply could not stop listening (Audible) to this book. I ended up finishing the first three books (Book IV has just been announced) in 10 days! The story is action-packed and each chapter ended with great cliffhangers that encouraged you to keep read/listening. It really is the action that keeps the narrative going. Admittedly characters are archetypical to quickly convey to the reader what their role is —you can tell who is wearing the dreaded Star Trek Redshirt. As the books continue the author adds more depth to the characters but still doesn't DIVE too deep. And that's ok. I picked up the book on a whim because I wanted action and that's what I got. Think of it as like watching the Expendables. Nobody went to see the movie expecting Oscar-worthy performances. This is supposed to be a fun read, he is not seeking literary merit.

Omg! This book I think I finished in a day it was such a page turner!! Nicholas Sansbury Smith again with another amazing story. From the start your going to be severly hooked. And its ending, holy poop, it'll leave your craving for more. I was dreaming about sirens for goodness sakes, or should I say nightmares!! This author truly has a gift, superman skills when it comes to writing. Such exciting, suspenseful, and unforgettable stories!! Well done again Nicholas! I cannot wait for book 2 and other works you have trapped in that amazing brain of yours!! Bring it on!

Potential Spoiler Warning!

First and foremost, I am not a reviewer. This is, I believe, the first time I've ever put down what might be called a review. I simply like what I like and I have a hard time putting that down coherently, so I don't usually. I'm trying something new :)

I loved this book! It hit on all cylinders for me and I had a great time with it. I will also say that this is the first book I've read from Mr. Smith, but it will not be the last. This is great action adventure right from the start and it does not let up. I sincerely hope this book gets optioned for a film as I think it would be great on the big screen.

It took me about 100 pages in before it clicked as far as what Hell Divers reminded me of. If you're old enough to remember the disaster films of the 70's I got to see them at the drive-in) you'll have a feel for what (I think) Hell Divers does, and does well. In those days we had The Towering Inferno, The Poseidon Adventure, and a slew of Airport movies among others. The entire film was a struggle against impossible odds and just when you thought the situation couldn't get worse BAM! another downward twist to hamper our heroes in their quest just to make it through and save the little band of escapees, in this case the entire remainder of the human race, no big deal ;) I have the image in Poseidon Adventure of Gene Hackman sacrificing himself to save his group of survivors near the end when rescue is just within reach.

The pacing is spot on and I never felt like the book hit a drag and slowed to the point of hoping for some action. Near the end Mr. Smith really ramps things up and we get almost a frantic back and forth among separate scenes happening at the same time. At first I wasn't sure I would like the bouncing back and forth, but it really worked well and I ended up loving that while I was reading what was happening on the ground I was thinking about what was going on in the sky and almost seeing both things played out together.

The characters are all very well fleshed out and I really felt a connection to them. Even the characters that are not around very long are handled well. There are standouts of course like X and Captain Ash, but there are others that I really came to love. Tin breaking out of his shell and becoming the hero and potentially a great main character in future installments. Plucky Magnolia and the new citizen of The Hive, Weaver.

Side note: I really wish X had brought back a lightbulb to fix the sign at The Dragon ;)

The locations were well established and I really felt like I could envision life aboard The Hive. From the massive farm to the cramped lower decks, I could feel like it was a real place. I also just had to locate Hades, which is only establish by coordinates at first. Once I knew where they were I felt a sense of attachment to a place. This wasn't just some random alien landscape. This was a real place I could associate with.

All in all a well done, exciting adventure. And, just like those disaster films of the 70's, there was that "morning after" light at the end, giving a small sense of hope for the future. Just not for everyone ;)

Thank you Nicholas Sansbury Smith for the dive!