“Hell Divers IV: Wolves” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – Waters of the Apocalypse

 

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has created a unique and special world with The Hell Divers series, putting the readers in the midst of a fantastic apocalypse wrought with dangers of all sorts. In the fourth book in the series, titled Hell Divers IV: Wolves, we follow the titular divers as they mount an expedition at sea in search of the legendary Metal Islands.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Inches Closer to the Truth

By definition, the apocalypse implies the end of all living beings, but in literature, it only tends to mark the beginning of the survivors' meaningful journey. In The Hell Divers series, Nicholas Sansbury Smith used the end of the world as the perfect launching pad for his epic science-fiction story, and in the fourth book, titled Hell Divers IV: Wolves, the journey continues as more revelations come to light.

Technically-speaking, it is possible to read each book in this series as a standalone work, largely due to the fact they all have an episodic quality to them. While there is an overarching story to speak of, each novel sets our heroes on the rails of a new adventure, one that can be appreciated without having read the previous book. Nevertheless, I do recommend you start from the beginning, because there are definitely a few moments where knowledge of prior events and familiarity with various characters is more or less expected.

In any case, the adventure continues pretty much where we left off last time, with the legendary Hell Diver Xavier Rodriguez finally rescued by his fellow teammates. He has survived on his lonesome for over a decade on the surface, and with him back at the helm of his team, he prepares to helm a dangerous expedition out at sea. His goal is simple: to find the fabled Metal Islands.

Needless to say, there is no less danger in the water than on land, perhaps even more so. From cannibalistic giant mosquitoes and tentacled sea monsters to surrealistically powerful storms, the tiny crew has their work cut out for them, especially since they only have a rough idea of where they're supposed to be headed.

As is always the case, the monstrosities found on the Earth's surface aren't the only danger the hell divers are made to face. As they plunge deeper on their expedition, they begin to uncover uncomfortable and disturbing truths about humanity's history, and most specifically, about the final war which made the planet uninhabitable.

An Adventure at Sea in Hell Divers IV: Wolves

With the entire Earth being Nicholas Sansbury Smith's playing field in The Hell Divers series, I think it was only a matter of time before the action would take us into the sea. After all, on top of being a story about humanity's last and desperate efforts to survive aboard ships floating miles up in the air, it's also an imaginary excursion through a planet so thoroughly transformed by Man's destructive ambitions that it has become unrecognizable.

In other words, one of the main appeals of this series, for me at least, is seeing what's hiding around the next corner, to be unexpectedly surprised by an Earth which might as well be an alien planet at this stage. While it's not the entire book which takes place in open waters, it's the aspect which most retained my attention.

The crew we're headed on our ambitious expedition with leaves a lot to be desired, being composed of merely Xavier, his hybrid Siberian Husky named Miles, Timothy Pepper the Artificial Intelligence, and Magnolia Katib, a Hell Diver who decided to join in for the sake of humanity. The four of them are about as much of an underdog group as you could have, and the author does an especially remarkable job at depicting the calmer moments of their voyage.

There is plenty of attention to detail in Hell Divers IV: Wolves as we're shown the day-to-day activities the crew has to perform in order to survive, navigate, and circumvent potential dangers before they show up. While certain people might find the scenes where Magnolia measures the radiation in the air or the levels of mercury in the rain to be a little dull, but I personally found they were fascinating world-building details which made the world feel a lot more real.

The idea that at anything could spring up from the water at any moment is perfectly played, slowly building a tension which explodes at just the right moment. I don't think I'll be spoiling much if I say there's also a giant kraken monster chasing after them, making for as memorable of an antagonist as anyone we've met over the course of the series.

A Future in Ruins

While Xavier and his rag-tag seafaring crew are going on their Jules Vernes-style adventure to find the fabled radiation-free Metal Islands, miles above them, up in the air, the remnants of humanity are still struggling hard to secure not even their future, but their immediate survival. With the ships falling apart, repair components running out, and food reserves running low, the new captain of the Hive, Katrina, has her work cut out for her.

The story jumps back and forth between Earth's surface and the airships, allowing us to take more than a few welcome breaks from the action down below with the political games played up above. As always, the greatest threats to humanity tend to come from within, and Katrina is forced to make some extremely difficult decisions to protect those who depend on her.

Despite mankind's best efforts to keep afloat in Hell Divers IV: Wolves, we get the sense that humanity's future is nothing if not ruined, their last days being numbered no matter what efforts they make. Things have only seemingly gone from bad to worse since the start of the series, despite the few successful actions by certain characters here and there.

It is true that this creates a rather bleak tone which won't be everyone's cup of tea, but personally, I think it's the perfect choice for the sort of story Nicholas Sansbury Smith wants to tell... a story of success against quite literally all possible odds. It highlights humanity's perseverance and resilience, ultimately being more inspiring than anything else.

Additionally, the plot surrounding humanity's murky past and the war which led to the catastrophic state of the planet is developed further, adding yet another layer of intrigue to the series. The revelations are far and few in-between, but they are truly meaningful and impactful, setting the stage for something rather dramatic in the next books. It does end on a cliffhanger, but I suppose it's to be expected for a series of this nature.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers IV: Wolves by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is an excellent way to move the series forward, taking us into a new environment on an adventurous and action-packed expedition, while still developing the characters and their various stories, whether they be on the planet's surface or up in the airships.

If you've enjoyed what The Hell Divers books have had to offer thus far, then I can guarantee that you'll love what has, for the moment, been one of the best entries in the entire series.

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Nicholas Sansbury Smith Personal site Nicholas Sansbury Smith is an American author of science-fiction and fantasy novels and former worker for the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management branch in disaster mitigation. He has written a few bestselling series so far, including The Hell Divers and The Extinction Cycle, with prominent works such as Extinction Horizon, Hell Divers and Trackers.