Select delivery location
See All Buying Options
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Nicholas Sansbury Smith
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Hell Divers (Hell Divers Series, Book 1) (Hell Divers, 1) Paperback – January 3, 2017

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 6,540 ratings
See all formats and editions

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling series

They dive so humanity survives …

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 Aging and outdated, most of the ships plummeted back to earth long ago.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 is something down there far worse than the mutated creatures discovered on dives in the past -- something that threatens the fragile future of humanity.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 12
    Hell Divers
  2. Print length
    399 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Blackstone Publishing
  5. Publication date
    January 3, 2017
  6. Dimensions
    4.5 x 1 x 7.5 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1455115983
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1455115983
  9. See all details
Next page
Books with Buzz
Books with Buzz
Discover the latest buzz-worthy books, from mysteries and romance to humor and nonfiction. Explore more

From the Publisher

hell divers nicholas sansbury smith

The Hell Divers Series

Hell Divers

Hell Divers

Hell Divers

A Postapocalyptic Earth

Two hundred and fifty years after World War III went nuclear, the surface of the planet is still uninhabitable. Devastating weapons left behind a barren, radioactive wasteland. Electrical storms block out the sun, and cities have been reclaimed by nature. No one remembers how the war started, or why, but the survivors living in the sky have seen the aftermath and know the truth—there’s no returning to the surface any time soon.

“If this was turned into a movie, I’d be there on opening night.” — Scott Sigler, New York Times bestselling author

The Airships

What remains of humankind exists on two massive flying airships: the Hive and Ares. The ships circle the globe, the crews tirelessly searching for areas to raid on the ground and holding out hope that someday they will find a habitable place to set down.

Betrayal and sacrifice in the skies...

On the Hive, there is tension among the lower decks, where the passengers face starvation and disease. A militia is tasked with keeping order, but growing unrest threatens the fragile peace.

The Hell Divers

They dive so humanity survives...

Hell Divers are the courageous few that accept the dangerous duty of sky diving to the surface, where they search for the parts essential to keeping their floating homes in the air. After diving twenty thousand feet through electrical storms, they face further danger as they navigate the deadly ruins of civilization, in order to save what’s left of humanity and recover fuel so desperately needed by the airships.

The surface is a deadly place, but the Hell Divers think they are trained for anything—until they encounter a threat no one has survived to describe. In a race against time, the Hell Diver teams must fight their way across the surface and uncover mysteries from the past. The very future of the human race will depend on their bravery.

“I couldn’t stop reading.” — Orson Scott Card, New York Times bestselling author

Hell Divers

“Put on your helmet, you’re about to dive into the apocalypse in the award winning and bestselling Hell Divers saga..."

  • New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Series
  • 2016 Indie Forward Review Gold Winner for best Science Fiction
  • 2016 Audible Science Fiction Best of 2016
  • Audible Editor’s Pick

Hell Divers

Thrilling audiobooks brought to life by legendary narrator R.C. Bray!

“R.C. Bray plays his voice as if it were a musical instrument…He embraces the book and allows the book and its characters to shine. It is riveting!” — AudioBook Reviewer

Hell Divers X: Renegades (Hell Divers Series Book 11)

Editorial Reviews

Review

''Relentless action and danger in a gritty postapocalyptic world where survival depends on a few brave men and women. Hell Divers is one hell of a page-turner!'' --Bob Mayer, New York Times bestselling author

''Literally skydiving into the apocalypse, Hell Divers delivers more of Smith's trademark breakneck action and suspense. Amazing settings, great characters, the end of the world shouldn't be this much fun!'' --Matthew Mather, bestselling author of CyberStorm

''An action-packed page-turner. All humanity's hope for survival rests on the shoulders of a handful of daring men and women. The odds are stacked against them, but they have no choice but to try. You won't be able to put this book down until the last searing page. And then you'll want the next book.'' --Mike Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author of the Kris Longknife series

''An action-packed page-turner...You won't be able to put this book down until the last searing page. And then you'll want the next book.'' --Mike Shepherd, New York Times bestselling author

''An exciting new take on the end of the world and a thrilling race to survive...Sure to delight fans of survival and postapocalyptic thrillers.'' --A. G. Riddle, bestselling author of The Atlantis Gene

''X marks the spot in Nicholas Sansbury Smith's Hell Divers, a cross between Waterworld and Snowpiercer...but with monsters and airships. It's a terrific blend of high-concept and wild action, all tied together with tough-as-nails characters that you care for as they face impossible odds. A must for fans of smart postapocalyptic storytelling.'' --Sam Sisavath, bestselling author of the Purge of Babylon series

''Hugh Howey meets Michael Crichton in Nicholas Smith's latest postapocalyptic thriller...Once again, Nicholas Smith dominates the postapocalyptic genre with this riveting, nail-biting adventure that will grip you from the first chapter.'' --E. E. Giorgi, bestselling author of Gene Cards

''Hell Divers is an engaging story that holds one s attention from start to finish and will certainly satisfy the readers' need for adventure in a postapocalyptic scenario. The kind of book that can keep you awake till the small hours.'' --Space and Sorcery

''I have to confess: Hell Divers is my favorite series Smith has written thus far...Hell Divers is written well, and the whole book flows at a nice pace...If you're any kind of fan of science fiction or postapocalyptic fiction, then this is a book you have to check out. Smith once again raises the bar for himself, and I'm eager to see what he does next.'' --Shattered Ravings

''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.'' --Silk & Serif

''Hell Divers is action-packed, gritty, and wholly original. A rare combination of a high premise, solid storytelling, and heart.'' --Daniel Arenson, USA Today bestselling author

''This book for me is a solid six stars as Nicholas Sansbury Smith delivers yet again. Hell Divers unbelievably takes it another notch above his excellent Extinction Cycle series...The author has crafted yet another engrossing apocalyptic world in which we are plunged...If Hell Divers is anything to go by then this (series) is destined to become a classic.'' --The Lazy Book Reviewer

''The intensity level of this book is off the charts!...The world was so solid, I swear I could see it when I closed my eyes at night...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.'' --Contagious Reads

''Original, riveting, and exceptionally well written from first page to last, Hell Divers showcases author Nicholas Sansbury Smith as an impressively skilled storyteller and a master of the science fiction genre...Enthusiastically recommended.'' --Midwest Book Review

''Hell Divers offers genre fans everything they could ask for, from fresh takes on the post-apocalypse to social commentary reminiscent of Snowpiercer, and plenty of action.'' --Shelf Awareness

''The action writing is very good. It's always clear what s going on, even though the weapons, the enemies, and the settings are all unfamiliar...[and] Smith manages to keep it fresh and alive... '' --Orson Scott Card, New York Times bestselling author

About the Author

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Hell Divers series, the Orbs series, the Trackers series, the Extinction Cycle series, the Sons of War series, and the new E-Day series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on storytelling. When he isn’t writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world. He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his wife, daughter, and their dogs.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Blackstone Publishing; Unabridged edition (January 3, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 399 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1455115983
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1455115983
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.5 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.5 x 1 x 7.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 6,540 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Hell Divers series, the Orbs series, the Trackers series, the Extinction Cycle series, the Sons of War series, and the new E-Day series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on storytelling. When he isn’t writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world. He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his wife, daughter, and their dogs.

Sign up for Nicholas’s spam-free newsletter to learn more about future releases, how to claim a book patch, special offers, and bonus content. Subscribers will also receive access to exclusive giveaways. https://nicholassansburysmith.com/newsletter/

Are you a Nicholas Sansbury Smith fan? Join him on social media. He would love to hear from you!

Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NSSFanclub/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/nicholassansburysmith/

Twitter: twitter.com/greatwaveink

Website: nicholassansburysmith.com

Instagram: instagram.com/author_sansbury/

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
6,540 global ratings
Thrilling
5 Stars
Thrilling
In Nicholas Sansbury Smith's post-apocalyptic thriller "Hell Divers," humanity clings to survival on airships after WWIII ravaged Earth. These "Hell Divers" risk their lives scavenging the surface for parts to keep the ships afloat. The gripping 10-book series is getting a film adaptation based on the first three books, with Korean star Don Lee attached to produce and star. Buckle up for a thrilling ride!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

JJCEO
5.0 out of 5 stars Doing what they must do - to save the last people on the Earth!
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2016
Verified Purchase
There are only two left in the world. Large flying war machines that are part helium airship and, hover craft with the ability to fly and they are powered with nuclear power packs. They are hundreds of years old and they survived through the efforts of the hell divers. The brave men and women that are shot out of the craft to dive down to the war torn and demolished Earth to find the parts necessary to repair the craft and keep them flying.

The two craft contain all of the remaining living human beings on earth. One of the ships is catastrophically damaged by a storm and the hell divers they send down are all dead but one. They are killed by falling through the massive storms or from being attacked by the mutant monsters that roam the earth and fly in the sky. The aircraft named “The Hive” gets the distress call and rushes to try to help rescue their sister craft. Can they arrive in time to save half the human race or will they meet with disaster also……

I am a huge fan of the author Nicholas Smith. I have read all of his series of books of the Extinction series and enjoyed them all. This book, Hell Divers, is the first book of a new series. It is about a post apocalyptic world where life is rough and barely surviving is a daily challenge. Hell Divers as the bravest of the brave and their life expectancy is only about 15 dives. Horrible electrical storms, nuclear winter, radiation and mutant killers combine to take their toll on the Hell Divers.

The author has the skill to take you 250 years into the future and show you what life would be like after mankind has destroyed themselves and their planet. He also builds strong characters that you like and want to survive. This is a good book and it is full of action and suspense. I rated it 5 stars. I am already hooked on this new series and I am waiting for the next book to be released.

The next book in the series is released and it is an excellent book also. Great series to read and enjoy! The books are full of action and I like reading them a lot. This author is becoming one of my favorites. His books are entertaining and I just enjoy reading them! Hell Divers II is released and it is a very good story, Hell Divers III will be released soon and I believe this series of stories is getting better with each new book release. This series is well worth reading.

This is the first book of the series and it is a must read to lay the ground work for the story of how the apocalypse came about and the dire situation that humanity is in.

This book is well written and it paints a picture of an Earth devastated by nuclear war with very few human survivors left! It also leaves the world a nuclear wasteland inhabited by mutant creatures and plants that hunt the few living people on the surface of the earth.

The imagination of Nicholas Sansbury Smith is what makes this series of stories interesting and exciting. This part of a great series and it is a good story. I have heard that it may be made into a movie or a TV series.

A great book that holds your interest and keeps you reading the book as you can’t stop!
51 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ellkay Kay
4.0 out of 5 stars Sad, Exciting, Depressing, Enthralling Story
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2017
Verified Purchase
I gave this book 4, rather than 5, stars because I don't really think it great and enduring literature. I do, however, think it most of the other positive things I could say about a book.

It is a convincing and frightening parable of our own future, should we continue along the path we seem to be following now. And it is a clearly painted and tremendously dark picture of that future. A dark vision? Oh Yes. If "every man's death diminishes me," never have those words been so literally true. In a post-apocalyptic world where the numbers of surviving humanity are as incredibly limited as they are here, every death clearly diminishes the chances of every remaining human just to have any kind of future. And many people die in the course of this book.

As much as I appreciated this novel (I started to say "enjoyed this novel," but one really cannot use the word "enjoy" to describe any part of this work), I found myself putting it aside for periods of time because every element, every succeeding event, just showed the future as seemingly more and more inevitably bleak than the present pretty horrific state of affairs. I needed time to recover before plunging back in. Dark as it was, I found it clearly persuasive.

If the story-telling was convincing, so too was the characterization. I thought at first that the main character--X--was pretty much a caricature, but soon I found him much more believable. As a team leader who had out-lived how many of his teams? As a 90-something "hell-dive" survivor in a career where 15 was the average life expectancy, how could he not have problems? Survivor's guilt? As the pretty healthy widower, who dove often into the radiation-filled cities of the ex-earth, who had also watched his wife die of cancer, how could he be unaffected? Sadness? Loneliness? More Survivor's Guilt?

In any case, I found this a compelling and exciting story, which leads me to look forward to the next in the projected trilogy.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
Terry and dog
5.0 out of 5 stars The future is bleak, it's always bleak.
Reviewed in Canada on February 15, 2024
Verified Purchase
This reads like it should be a movie. I really got sucked in. I don't know why but all the futures in the books I choose, are bleak, and this is very true with this story. There is a solid group of characters, mainly strong, dedicated people, a diver named X is the main one, and then another that will draw you in, is a young boy named Tin. Their relationship is something I expect to see more of in future books. Lots of action, brutal monsters and dire situations. Good stuff.
Report
Lucas Nogueira
5.0 out of 5 stars Um livro excepcional de ação!
Reviewed in Brazil on June 5, 2020
Verified Purchase
Para aqueles que não conhecem o jogo, leiam o livro. Para aqueles que já jogaram, por favor, LEIA. A. LIVROS.
É tão magnífico que um autor realmente fez uma grande história tão grande e tão longa !!

9/10
Report
Swords and Spectres
5.0 out of 5 stars Great sci-fi action!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 20, 2019
Verified Purchase
Hell Divers takes place two-hundred and fifty years after World War Three effectively destroyed the Earth; rendering it an uninhabitable world to live on. The only option was for humanity to live in vast airships (ironically, the very same airships that had dropped the bombs that doomed the Earth). These airships were not designed for long-term habitation. The only way to keep these ships afloat is by sending teams of divers down to Earth's surface to find the resources from the ancient factories the ships were built in.

The concept was one that hooked me straight away. I love the whole idea of having to dive through the clouds back down to a radioactive surface in search of ship parts to keep humanity afloat. The novel pretty much delivered a darn awesome experience from start to finish. I am not the world's fastest reader (mainly due to work and other commitments) but I managed to rip through this one in about four days (I only grab an hour or so a night, a little more if I'm lucky. Oh, if only I was a speed reader).

The action scenes were particularly good. The pacing of the battles were great and I could really feel my adrenaline pulsing when the Hell Divers got themselves in trouble. The author did a great job of building that anxious feeling of knowing something was just about to happen. 

If I had to pick a couple of downsides to Hell Divers, I would say that, at times, certain character's motivations/choices felt a bit strange given what they had going on in their lives. Some of the choices felt a tad forced. I also hated the fact that the main character was called Xavier. I really like that name, but I hate with an absolute passion the abbreviation 'X'. I thought I was going to struggle reading it due to every other line having 'X' written on it but, to my surprise, it grew on me (or I at least was able to ignore it)

The ending was also the sort of ending that was both good and not what I wanted. It left me with a few different emotions ranging from happiness to feeling as though life was just incredibly unfair. I'm not saying it was a bad ending (it wasn't) I just totally wasn't expecting it. This goes back to the author's skill of making you think something was going to happen only to just full deliver you a last minute gut-punch of a surprise.

I am really looking forward to getting stuck into the next in the series.
2 people found this helpful
 Report
Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
Reviewed in Australia on March 16, 2024
Verified Purchase
Definitely worth the read for all dystopian lovers. I'm so stoked to have to found this series and will be continuing on with the next books.
Report
Jon Spielman
5.0 out of 5 stars Hang ON!!
Reviewed in Germany on July 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
This was a great new twist to the Dystopian, end of the world style books. Full of fresh ideas, great characters, and if you have read anything else from this Author, you know that the storyline, and plot are all first class as well. Beautiful descriptive writing, that will draw you into the story, and not let you go. Don't start this book, if you don't have some time on your hands.. Because once you do, you will not be able to put it down.
Report