Title: Ghosts | Series: Hell Divers II | Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith | Publisher: Blackstone Audio | Pub. Date: 2017-7-18 | Pages: 288 / 8 hrs 13 min | ASIN: B01I5ZZDQW | Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 3 out of 5 | Source: Received a copy from the publisher for review consideration
Hell Divers II: Ghosts
Ten years ago, Hell Diver Xavier “X” Rodriguez fell to Earth. Those he left behind went on without him aboard the airship he once called home.
Michael Everheart — the boy once known as Tin — has grown into a man and the commander of Hell Diver Raptor Team. While Michael dives to help keep the Hive in the air, Captain Leon Jordan rules with an iron fist at the helm of the ship. But unrest stirs under his strict leadership as a prophecy of hope sweeps the lower decks.
When a mysterious distress signal calls the Hell Divers to the surface, Michael and his loyal team begin to uncover long-buried truths and the secrets Captain Jordan will do anything to keep. They dive so humanity survives… but will they survive the ultimate betrayal?
Hell Divers II: Ghosts Review
I have mixed feelings about Ghosts. On one hand, I liked the action and loved hating on the new Captain. On the other hand, there was hardly mention of the one character from the first book that I really liked, most of the story focused around minor characters from it that I didn’t particularly care about, and the crazy got old pretty fast. I spent most of my time waiting for the author to get back around to the characters I wanted to hear about, and that just didn’t happen. However, I will say the POV choice regarding the Captain, given the issues involved, was a good one.
The Hell Divers series is an interesting one. I love the concept that Nicholas Sansbury Smith created these novels from. A post-apocalyptic Earth is nothing new. But generally humans have migrated to the stars, or they’re wandering the earth in small patches. A world where the last remaining humans are floating above the earth in giant airships? Yes, I like this! I want to read more!
Ghosts is a book filled with emotions that run the gamut from obsession to vengeance. The first book left us with a sense of hope for humanity. This one not so much. I suppose there is something to be said from the introduction at the end of the book, but the situation still feels very bleak. Readers can only hope that the author delivers a pulse-pounding return to hope and victory in the final book.
R.C. Bray does a good job narrating Ghosts. While Bray’s vocal range isn’t very wide, his voice is a pleasant rasp to listen to, and he is able to communicate emotions (particularly sarcasm) clearly. His delivery is well-paced and nicely suited to the science fiction and horror genres.
Overall, Ghosts was a well-written book but it didn’t particularly satisfy me. It, like so many other middle-of-the-trilogy books, suffers just a bit because of it’s role. I have no doubt that Nicholas Sansbury Smith is going to pull something epic in the final book, though, that will make up for the bridge that Ghosts is. And I can’t wait.
Oh no. I enjoyed your review for the first book and recently grabbed it for a Halloween post. This middle of the series downer makes me sad. At least it wasn’t terrible, right:)
Definitely wasn’t terrible. Just wasn’t what I was hoping for.