“Hell Divers VI: Allegiance” by Nicholas Sansbury Smith – The First Country

 

Short Summary

Nicholas Sansbury Smith has taken his divers a very long way from their humble beginning in the skies, having them fight for an unlikely oasis on Earth in the fifth installment. In the sixth one, Hell Divers VI: Allegiance, we follow Xavier as he tries to reign as the reluctant king of the islands, all while a new group of divers tries to locate other survivors on Earth, before hostile android defectors wipe them all out.

Nicholas Sansbury Smith Raises the First Nation

In the previous entry in the Hell Divers series, Nicholas Sansbury Smith finally gave his characters some real hope to look forward to in the form of the Metal Islands, one of the last habitable parts of the planet. They fought long and hard for them, and ultimately, Xavier Rodriguez became their reluctant king, a power put to the test in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance.

Picking up where the last novel left off (and yes, I do recommend you read the books in order, for they tell a continuous story), the story begins with Xavier reigning supreme over the islands, even though it's far from the idyllic existence he imagined for himself and his companions. There are problems aplenty, and it seems like food and water are the least of those.

His main mission is keeping the peace between his own Sky People and the Cazadores, to ensure both factions can coexist while strengthening this new first nation's economy and protecting its borders. Soon enough, he's bound to have a fight on his hands as he learns the estranged son of El Pulpo is returning home to claim the throne.

Meanwhile, the people still living up there in the skies have some drama of their own happening. A communication from Rio de Janeiro prompts Michael Everhart to assemble a new team of rookie divers and to go looking for other pockets of human survivors who might still be out there... and they'd do well to hurry, for a great threat looms large.

A bone-chilling discovery reveals there are dangerous groups of android defectors roaming about, hunting down every last remaining human on the planet, with only one goal in mind: the total eradication of the human genome. What's worse, they're coming very close to accomplishing their goal, and aren't the only ones working in that direction.

The Burden of the King in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance

For a little while now, I was slightly puzzled as to where exactly Nicholas Sansbury Smith was taking the Hell Divers series. On one hand, it is very much defined by the concept of the divers going down to Earth in order to secure the survival of the last sky-bound remnants of humanity. On the other hand, there is only so much one can squeeze out of the concept.

When I was reading the previous book, I was enjoying it, but at the same time, I was starting to feel like it was time to tread some new ground, to move on from the original concept which kept the series afloat until now. Lo and behold, I must assume the author thought the same way I did, because this is exactly what we get in Hell Divers VI: Allegiance.

While there are indeed two main plots in this novel (in some ways, they do converge into one), in my opinion the one following Xavier was the fresher and more intriguing of the two. We finally get to see what it's like for him to have actually achieved his goal, and where he intends on going from there, how he plans on saving his people.

While the author doesn't exactly write a philosophical tome exploring the concept of establishing a society from practically scratch, he does provide a rather eye-opening glimpse into the matter, carefully examining the various difficulties Xavier must deal with. While some of those are expected with predictable solutions, others are more original, and perhaps more importantly, educative.

The author's grasp of human nature is put at the forefront in the sections revolving around Xavier, detailing the various power dynamics at play, and the rather interesting concept of bringing together two societies which could hardly be any more different. If nothing else, it's an extremely compelling argument against becoming a king and shouldering all the responsibilities such a title entails.

The Last Survivors

As much as Hell Divers VI: Allegiance tries to diverge from the path taken by the author until now (and successfully, I might add), we are still in the Hell Divers series, and as such, the overarching focus does remain on humanity's survival in the skies. This time around, we're presented with a new group of divers (the previous ones having more important things to handle), and for the most part, it's a welcome addition by Nicholas Sansbury Smith.

Considering this is already the sixth book in a series spanning ten (as of the time this review is being written), I'd say it's definitely time to inject some new blood into the fold to keep things fresh and interesting. After all, the characters here don't exactly have limitless depths to explore, with this series being primarily a mixture of science-fiction, thriller and horror in parts.

While at first familiarity bias makes it a little more difficult to appreciate this new group (not to mention the lack of mystique surrounding our very first meeting with the original divers), over time they do prove themselves to be unique enough in their own rights. While I wouldn't say they kept me glued to the pages, they were fleshed out sufficiently to give their thoughts and actions an appreciable weight.

What did keep me glued to the pages, however, was the action-packed mission they were sent on, as well as its implications for the last survivors of humankind. The author drives home the critical nature of the situation, making us feel the terror experienced by the characters in the face of an unfeeling enemy mighty close to its goal of destroying our civilization.

As was the case with the previous entry and all the ones before, the action moves along at a remarkably rapid pace, pitting the characters against all sorts of horrible dangers, from human treachery to monsters roaming the surface of the Earth. As always, the conclusion gives us some measure of satisfaction, wrapping up a few plot lines, as well as the promise of an exciting new chapter to follow.

The Final Verdict

Hell Divers VI: Allegiance by Nicholas Sansbury Smith is yet another commendable addition to the Hell Divers series, offering yet another action-packed science-fiction thriller which begins to take things in a new direction, exploring new settings and dynamics without ever losing sight of the main arc.

If you've enjoyed what the series has had to offer until now and are keen to see where it leads, I have no doubt you'll appreciate what the author planned for this one, and be left with the desire to see what the next book has in store.

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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.