Hell Divers

The Hell Divers Series, Book 1

By: Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Narrated by: R.C. Bray

Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins

Publisher's Summary

2016 Editor's Pick

2016 Audible's Best in Science Fiction

The New York Times and USA Today best-selling series

More than two centuries after World War III poisoned the planet, the final bastion of humanity lives on massive airships circling the globe in search of a habitable area to call home. Aging and outdated, most of the ships plummeted back to Earth long ago. The only thing keeping the two surviving lifeboats in the sky are Hell Divers - men and women who risk their lives by skydiving to the surface to scavenge for parts the ships desperately need.

When one of the remaining airships is damaged in an electrical storm, a Hell Diver team is deployed to a hostile zone called Hades. But there's something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past - something that threatens the fragile future of humanity. 

©2016 Nicholas Sansbury Smith (P)2016 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

A little cliche action hero-y but damn good story anyway

You know how it goes. The Hero who is tragic and damaged, he (insert self destructive vice) too much and can barely hold himself together. He has a chip on his shoulder and is something of a loose cannon - both characteristics that keep him from rising in the ranks while also ensuring he's called on for the most dangerous deploys.

....but it's actually still pretty good. Solid character development, an actual female captain (who's main character arc is actual leadership not a romance with aforementioned Loose Cannon), and it's got plenty of nail biting moments while not being overly predictable or relying on jump scares (can books have jump scares?)

I was mad when it was over and now I'm gonna go download the next in the series.

Came for the dystopia, left with derivation

RC Bray does a wonderful job with introspective strong male protagonists. His narration was spot-on as always.

The plot to hell divers is exactly what you'd expect from the synopsis and cover art. It immerses you in a world not too unlike our own, with little glimpses of how the players of this world view our privileged existence. Beyond the basic premise, I found the writing derivative and expository at times. Lots of plot points are nothing more than they appear on the surface. I couldn't get into any intrigue beyond the fate of the protagonists. The world building ends at the surface level.

That said, the world building is still masterful. Without getting into too much detail, it differs so much from our own that it's shallow skin might make it more believable, avoiding unneeded complication in a very cut-and-dry existence. I look forward to picking up future books to find out if there is more than meets the eye hidden in the next installment.

Meh

I just can’t relate to anything. It’s not really thrilling or scary instead it’s pretty shallow. The “elite” hell divers are pretty rag tag and the plan always falls apart. Well to be fair they don’t really plan or prepare for anything. The mutants kinda don’t make sense. Like how did they evolve in only 250 years? What did they evolve from? How has this ship been in the air for so long but hasn’t found any place to set down? Why are they always out of spare parts except gear for the hell divers? Where is their manufacturing facilities for guns and bullets and parachutes? In the start of the book they drop X’s team into a storm. Like why don’t they look out a stupid window first to see conditions? These were old war ships with apparently no radar to see weather formations in front of them. Why hasn’t the ships used all this free lightning as power? Radiation is pretty much glanced over. Only a problem on the ground but no talk of decon on the ship for all their gear. Apparently the whole lower decks are filled with radiation but we don’t care about that they are lower class. Ok if lower class doesn’t matter why haven’t they just thrown them over board to relieve strain on resources. Sure they are part of the last bit of humanity but you don’t care enough to make sure they survive on the ship safely anyway so what’s the point of keeping them? Why bother with prisoners for that matter? Pretty sure 250 years of living on a radioactive cesspool is more likely to kill off the human race a lot faster than 250 years of evolution producing large humanoid mutating flying monsters. In fact just the problem the ship has of not being able to produce a simple pressure relief valve in a machine shop that has apparently no problem making bullets is likely to kill off the human race. Where did the non radioactive dirt come from for the farms to produce food? Some where they could set down and rebuild civilization maybe? Or maybe the farm uses hydroponics, ok what about clean water? Where does all that come from? Hell where did safe viable animals and seeds come from? This was a originally a military ship not an ark.

I could go on but you get the point, so many questions just glossed over in favor of mediocre action. It is not remotely similar to the Martian or we are bob. It’s mad max. If that’s your thing you’ll probably like it. But don’t expect any substance, world building or character development. The series is a pass for me

Like listening to an apocalyptic action movie

I tried this book on a whim — I love apocalyptic stories but there are a lot of mediocre books out there. This is not one them! The Hell Divers series is original, exciting, and addictive. I’ve literally had to buy more credits as I’ve plowed through listening to the whole series to date in the last month. Be warned: this story will grab you and you won’t want to let go!

Pure entertainment

I can tell you my review of the book, but you may have different tastes in books. So, here is a little of what I like to read... I love Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, Post-Apocalyptic, and Thrillers.

As a kid, many years ago, I loved reading Piers Anthony's; Battle Circle, the Xanth Series, and Bio of a Space Tyrant. I also loved Orson Scott Card's Ender's Series. Fast forward a few decades and I can say my taste in books has not changed too much. Some of my favorite books are from Author’s like; Blake Crouch, Joshua Gayou, and Andrew Fukuda.

Since the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, I have read or listened to 20 books. Some books were good, and some were ok. But I wanted something entertaining. I stumbled upon the Hell Divers series. I was immediately drawn into the story and enthralled into the action. I do not want to give anything away from the story, but this first book will leave you wanting more. I finished all six books within two weeks.

As a side note, I have read some of the negative reviews and many of them attack the probability of the various things. Or how scientifically the survivors could do this or that? Now if you are one of those people, this book may not be for you.

However, if you enjoy action, a fast-paced story that makes you want to listen just another hour, then this is the book f

Best narration I've ever heard for any book.

Just finished book 5 after downloading it yesterday. All of the books are like this.
Post apocalyptic sci-fi was never really my thing, but I guess I can't say that anymore.
The dedication at the beginning of book 5 is to narrator, R.C Bray for giving voice to "X", Xavier Rodriguez - a major character. But R.C. does the same for every character. He's the Jimi Hendrix of narration and absolutely brings this series to life.
Trust the other reviews, saying, "Just buy the book", and appreciate not just the barn burner of a series that could easily make its way into a screen adaptation - but also for the masterful talent of the narrator, who is clearly in his element.

HELL DIVERS: A HEAVENLY THRILLER!

"Hell Divers #1" was even better (based on all the great reviews I read prior) than expected. An absolutely amazing thrill ride, start to finish, with well developed, multidimensional, realistic characters.

I was familiar with Sansbury Smith's work from his "Extinction Horizon" (Zombie) series, and went through them, one after the other, till I had to wait for his newest release, and preordered that one.

This book had it all. . . mystery, suspense, nonstop thrills, and horror all perfectly mixed in. I did not read the synopsis for book #2 for until I finished this one, so was surprised by the ending, and thought it was perfect!

Looking forward to moving onto book #2 in this series soon, and cannot recommend Mr. Sansbury Smith's work highly enough. He is definitely not a one hit wonder, and is (quite honestly) just terrifically talented, and gets what readers/listeners seek in thriller/horror books.

It goes without saying that R.C. Bray was as amazing as the narrator. Whenever I see his name listed as the person who narrated a book, I know the listening experience will be well beyond expectations! :)

This Book Opens with an Explosive Salvo

This book made me feel something, and that is what I look for in a story in any genre!

As for a story synopsis, the Amazon and publisher's information is very good, so I want to focus on the quality of the characters and the writing in general.

I have gone on to buy and read this entire series. It is phenominal! Nicholas Sansbury Smith is so good at creating characters that move you and bring a passion for their world to life.

I find myself emotionally rooting for our all-too-human heroes and mightily "booing and hissing" at the all-too-evil villians and monsters.

These stories are always a roller-coaster ride of thrills, chills, and hairpin turns, big scares, and narrow misses.

Smith is a master at writing and creating a multilayered story with extreme plot twists (upon twists). He blind-sides the reader with GREAT surprises...like at the end of this book! No plot spoiler here!

The narration is amazing as is this book and the series itself.

Do yourself a favor and buy this book! I promise you'll start a new adventure and stick with a new series that never disappoints!

Supreme!!

This book was amazing. R.C. Bray is one of my favorite narrators, he really brought the characters to life.

Unlike any other post-apocalyptic

This was my first Nicolas Sansbury Smith read/ listen, and Ioved it! This is a unique post-apocalyptic story and with the market being completely flooded really says something.

Brilliant!

Years after World War III poisoned the planet, the remaining humans all live in air ships floating above the ground. They relentlessly search the globe for somewhere they can inhabit and rebuild but the world as we knew it is gone. There is only a wasteland there that is radioactive and uninhabitable. Hundreds of years later and humanity is barely hanging on. The 2 remaining airships, Ares and The Hive, are outdated and held together with items that they scavenge. A team of people known as Hell Divers, are the only ones who can scavenge things from earth. They dive down and retrieve power cells to keep the ships afloat. When The Hive receive an SOS call from Ares, they have no choice but to go to the coordinates they sent. Only things is, the place Ares is is called Hades! It's a place that many Hell Divers have dived into but none have returned. Can the team, led by Xavier Rodriguez, known as X, survive?

This book rocked!! What a start to the series!! The idea that the last remnants of humanity are in air ships circling the globe was unique (for me anyway). Usually in Post Apoc books, it's about the preppers and how they survive, here it's people from all walks of life, living in a ship because the earth is poisonous. The only way the ships stay afloat is the fact that men and women dive down to retrieve the necessary resources. It was a fresh and unique look to the PA genre.

I've read quite a few of this authors books and am always amazed with his descriptive writing and how he can pull you in right from the start. The action starts pretty much straight away and never lets up. This author can sure right some intense and exciting action scenes!!! I had no problem, whatsoever, in picturing the harrowing scenes of the wastelands, nor picturing the Hell Divers themselves and what it would feel like to dive towards death! Because that's what it is... very few Hell Divers make it past their 15th (or 19th, can't remember the exact number!) jump and the author is able to portray the way the divers feel perfectly. My heart was in my mouth the whole time!!

Another thing this author has a knack for is writing amazing characters. Xavier Rodriguez is damaged. He lost the love of his life and is just basically going through the motions. He is the head Hell Diver and is very very good at his job. The last dive he was on, he lost someone close to him and became responsible for Tin (Michael). He tries with Tin but X doesn't know how to look after someone else. He is a drunk and only lives so he can dive. I loved X right away. He may be gruff but he is loyal to his fellow divers and does what he can so the ship stays a float. He doesn't hesitate to dive, even when he finds out it Hades!! He is a worthy hero!

Then we have Tin. He loses his father and moves in with X. Tin was awesome!! Such a smart little cookie and not afraid to do whats needed. He wants to be an engineer when he gets older and is interested in fixing everything and anything. He was inquisitive and I loved his character. I really hope we see more of him in the next book. Smith also writes strong females. Captain Ash's cancer is back but she knows she has to stay strong so the ship can stay in the air. She isn't afraid to take chances and make difficult choices, but she is also compassionate. The author knows how to write characters that you will immediately connect to.

In all, this was a book that left me breathless many times! It is non stop and had me on the edge of my seat the whole time!!! I don't know how many times I gasped out loud, but can only imagine it was a lot because so much happens, both on and off the ship! I listened to this in a day because I couldn't stop!! Bring on book 2!!!!

R.C Bray is a master story teller. He brought not only the characters, but the atmosphere to life. I really felt like there was more than one person reading this! He is exceptional and I highly recommend you check his work out.

Boring and Absurd

Well this was disappointing.
Decent premise but utterly boring in reality. Every character was so one-dimensional that I still have no idea who was who, and honestly I don't much care. The general concept was poorly executed, absurd and filled with plotholes.

Hell No

I've never reviewed an audiobook other than the standard star system but with this one I felt the need to share my thoughts.

Good god, this book was boring. Despite its exciting premise Hell Divers never manages to grip you, the first chapter really sets the tone for the rest of the book; clichéd and cringe worthy. For starters the main character is literally called "X" for well over 90% of the book. That's his name, I'm honestly being serious, unless of course on a mission where he prefers to be referred to as Commander X.

Once you get over that edgy hurdle you then come to the dialogue which has a flair of 80s action movie to it. Now, 80s action dialogue I can handle with just the right amount of cheese and self deprecation but this book takes itself way too seriously which unfortunately sucks all the tension out of scenarios and replacing it with a few audible groans of despair. None of the dialogue is really good and the characters saying said dialogue are all flat, boring and for the most part unlikeable. I didn't enjoy any of the characters in this book, nothing they said connected with me and nothing they did excited me.

The worst part about this book is there are some good ideas hidden away behind all the tropes but the execution sucked. How the hell this book was sitting with five stars when I spent my credit on it is a mystery to me so take my advice, don't waste your time or money on this.

I read so humanity survives

This book was amazing it left me wanting more, it was the right balance of scifi with a well this could REALLY HAPPEN.

Nicolas s Smith weaves a story that will leave you routing for your new found friends and feeling every bump and loss they take, his awesome writing with the voice skills of R C Bray make this a tail that is amazing and I have listens to many times since I purchased it.

Once you read it you will order the others straight away

Can't get enough.

Love this series. Can't get enough of it. Exciting on the edge of your seat stuff. Love the narrator too, he just brings the books to life.

Chose because of the Narrator, hooked because of the story!

Brilliant, gripping and totally original story concept.

I found during a search for books narrated by RC Bray as I love the After it Happened series.
Totally worth it. My audible credits are well spent👍🏻

Average

This is my second novel from the same author nick s smith, the first was extinction cycle. If you enjoyed that I think you will enjoy this. I think the problem I have with this author is his writing style its adequate and serviceable but not that exciting. I had the same problem with extinction cycle. So if ur a fan of the author plz get this book you will love it and the narration by RC Bray is amazing. Otherwise if ur looking for a post apocalyptic tale plz listen to Arisen it's beyond amazing (also narrated by RC Bray)

Simple amazing

I put off this series for a few months, but then decided to give it a listen. Mainly due to R C Bray as I love his narration. Wow! Am I glad I did! What an awesome book! Just Abbas to start book two

Clichéd and predictable

Nothing new here. All the characters are basic caricatures. The monsters are generic. The language is repetitive, with tongues being repeatedly bitten, and blood repeatedly steaming from one hole or another. Even the characters die in the same way. The kind of story you would expect from a 14 year old. Despite this it had exciting moments, but it was far from great.

Omg, I mean......wow.

This is one of the best books I have ever listened to. A word of advice though..... don't start listening to this book at night, I couldn't turn it off or fall asleep. So thank you Nicholas Sansbury Smith, its now 9am and I'm an exhausted slobbering mess with spots floating before my eyes, I hope you're happy. Amazing book, but I am now going to fall into a coma. I almost forgot (exhortation) R. C. Bray did an amazing job with this book, honestly couldn't have been done better.