Just Excellent
5 out of 5 stars
I mean, at this point, I’m not surprised that Smith was able to not only write another amazing book but, eight books in, still knock my socks off. I should have gone into this story barefoot knowing he was going to blow them off.
Normally by eight books into a series, the surprises are over. The things that the main character(s) go through are pretty much a replayed versions of what they’ve already been through. That’s not the case with King of the Wastes. Smith was able to create new and unique things in the later books (finding the Vanguard Islands for example) and then once they found them there was a whole new set of challenges. Now, a storm is blowing in and lots of other things seem to be happening at the same time.
King of the Wastes might be the longest book in the series but it felt like one of the shortest. I distinctly remember hearing Bray read “Epilogue” and I looked up from what I was doing and said out loud to myself “No… already”. Now, this is 13 plus hours into the book already. I couldn’t believe it was coming to an end. I’m used to the fast-paced action-packed stories that Smith writes, but this one stands out as one of the fastest and most action-packed.
We’re introduced to new enemies and new challenges as well. The “monsters” that they come across and the backstories that Smith was able to sneak into this story were nothing short of amazing. I love that even eight books in I’m still learning more about the Wastes since the characters are still learning more. Add in the incredible narration by R.C. Bray and you have my favorite series. Hell Divers hasn’t let me down yet and I think it’s because they haven’t let themselves down yet. They dive so humanity survives. And as long as they’re still diving, these stories will keep getting better and better.
See my review of the rest of the series here.
Hell Divers
Hell Divers II: Ghosts
Hell Divers III: Deliverance
Hell Divers IV: Wolves
Hell Divers V: Captives
Hell Divers VI: Allegiance
Hell Divers VII: Warriors
Book Description:
The New York Times and USA Today best-selling series
Face the uncertain future without fear….
A year has passed since the Hell Divers defeated the machines at Kilimanjaro. The freed captives have settled into their new home at the Vanguard Islands, joining survivors from around the world. But extreme weather and failed crops have raised the specter of famine. Ships must push deeper into dangerous red zones, only to come back with less loot – and fewer soldiers.
When the Hell Divers discover a scroll on a raid, King Xavier is faced with a long-buried truth that threatens the future of his people and all of humanity. The Vanguard Islands are not the salvation the sky people thought them to be. To survive, they must venture through the Panama Canal and into the wastes beyond.
With the future at stake, the Immortal once again dons his armor. But there is a reason the great Cazador armies never returned from the canal, and this time not even the King of the Wastes is prepared for what awaits them.
Hell Divers VIII: King of the Wastes by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrator: R.C. Bray
Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
Series: Hell Divers #8
Published by Blackstone Audio on September 14th 2021
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic
Format: Audiobook
Buy from Audible
Also by this author: Extinction Horizon, Extinction Edge, The Extinction Cycle, Extinction Age
Also in this series: Hell Divers, Hell Divers II: Ghosts, Hell Divers III: Deliverance, Hell Divers IV: Wolves
