Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel DEALS
It’s been a while since I picked up a book that made me forget about the clock entirely… Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel by Nicholas Sansbury Smith had me reading into the late hours of the night, before work, and until 2 am during the last few chapters.
I am not kidding when I say I was pacing around the house at 1:30 am, book in hand, in a reading frenzy.
Nicholas Sansbury Smith transports us to the desperate early days of the Hell Divers universe, before the skies became humanity’s last refuge, when the Machine War was tearing the world apart. It’s gripping, it’s gut-punching, full of action, and characters you deeply care about.
More than a prequel, it’s the pulse-pounding spark that ignites the Hell Divers saga.
So far, this is hands-down the best book I’ve read in 2025.
Thank you to Blackstone Publishing for the continuous collaboration and the ARC.
Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel Summary
To be considered as book 0 of the Hell Divers series, Into The Storms gives a solid and thorough backstory into the Hell Divers universe.
Set 250 years before the main events of the first Hell Divers novel, Into The Storms dives deep into the story of what happened before everything went to hell.
The story follows three main characters;
- Tyron Red: CEO of the ITC Corporation. ITC Corp. is the largest corporation in the world, with a presence in nearly every aspect of technology on earth, ranging from transportation to medicine to the military. After he discovered a special plant in the deep jungles of the Amazon, he took over the corporation as the CEO after his father’s passing. The plant he discovered, which cost the life of his best friend, has special properties that push the ITC to new discoveries for treating radiation.
- Santiago Rodriguez: Ancestor of X from the Hell Divers series, he is trying to settle back into a normal civilian life. He has served and ended the war with the machines and the Triton’s military (a military coalition formed in Korea). However, he is pulled back for a quick and easy paycheck that becomes nothing close to that.
- Cecil Pepper: A key character leading up to the events of the main series, he is saved by Hell Squad (Rodriguez’s party) and returns home to work in the police. However, he is pulled into an underworld of gangsters and violence, trying to save his and his wife’s lives.
The story is tightly intertwined between the characters and paints a picture leading up to the main events of the Hell Divers series.
The Machine War is over, and the world is healing with the help of the ITC Corporation. All of the AI machines have been banned by an international committee, except for Orion. Orion is the most advanced AI built by ITC, which is helping Tyron make technological advancements to clear the nuclear storms in Korea and help the land become habitable once again.
But as the machine grew smarter, greedy corporations put profits first. AI replaced humans in every facet of business and industry, from the factory floor to the corner office, leading to rampant unemployment and global depression by which even the darkest days of the twentieth century paled in comparison.
Santiago is pulled back into the nuclear zone for a simple security mission that turns out to be nothing like. A new threat is emerging from beneath the ground; the Tritons could be returning.
At the same time, Cecil is dealing with a growing gangster’s threat at home, who are taking over North Carolina.
As the story develops, things start to converge and escalate. What started as a simple mission to make the world better and a quick security detail paycheck becomes the worst case scenario for the main characters as well as Earth.
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Why This Book Worked For Me – Strengths
Pacing
One of the first things to mention is the perfect pacing of the story. You jump straight into the action with all three characters. At first, the chapters are centered on each of the characters’ development, but eventually, chapters get mixed in, and the characters’ stories start to converge.
There is not a single dull moment, and every chapter has a point, advances the story, and is full of important, action-packed events.
Once you start Into the Storms, you won’t stop until the final, explosive page.
Characters
There are three main characters, and each of them serves a purpose. Each of the characters has their own backstory that is vital to the main overarching storyline.
There is more of a focus on Tyron and Santiago as they are the main characters of the novels and are the precursors to the big events of the story.
The characters are well fleshed out and make you really feel and care for them. In Into the Storms, every hero, antihero, and survivor feels painfully, thrillingly real.
… nothing would compare to the nuclear wastelands in Korea, but to see the city he called home burning in hundreds of locations was almost as shocking.
Story
Without having to read the initial Hell Divers novels, the story of Into The Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel sets a perfect world-building and backstory of the world of Hell Divers. It is rich, compelling, and draws you in right away.
What makes the story so compelling is how it balances large-scale devastation with deeply personal battles. Every mission, every escape, every confrontation feels earned, building toward a climax that’s as emotionally charged as it is explosive. Even knowing where the Hell Divers timeline eventually leads, the journey here feels unpredictable and alive.
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Subscribe to our weekly newsletterWriting Style & World-building
Nicholas Sansbury Smith has a way of giving the reader exposition without it being in your face. It makes sense with the story and is perfectly woven into the narrative.
This is one of the many things I love about the writing style. It is easy to read, quick-paced paced and feels almost cinematic. At times (if not most of the time), it feels as if Nicholas Smith is filming a movie: every action sequence is sharp, fast, and easy to picture, yet he still carves out space for quiet, emotional aspects of the characters.
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Additionally, the switch in perspective and stories is very seamless. Every chapter follows the story of the different characters and jumps back and forth between the three perspectives and actions. However, it is not confusing, and each voice is distinct enough that you could tell who’s speaking without name tags.
The world of Into the Storms isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a living, breathing force that shapes every decision the characters make. Nicholas Sansbury Smith captures the Machine War era with such detail that you can almost hear the distant whir of drones and smell the acrid sting of scorched earth.
From radioactive wastelands to dangerous pockets of civilian life, every setting feels purposeful, each detail pulling you deeper into a world on the brink.
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Final Verdict
Into The Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel is one of those perfect blends of science fiction novels that mixes a rich post-apocalyptic world with compelling characters and an action-packed story.
Nicholas Sansbury Smith delivers a prequel that stands tall on its own while deepening the lore for long-time fans, blending explosive action with emotional weight in a way that few sci-fi thrillers manage.
For me, Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel is an easy 5/5 stars and my top read of 2025 so far. Whether you’re new to Hell Divers or already a fan, this is one storm you’ll want to walk straight into.
*Disclosure: We only recommend books that we love and would read ourselves. This post contains affiliate links, as we are part of the Amazon Services LCC Associate Program and others, which may earn us a small commission, at no additional cost to you.
The Review
Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel
For me, Into the Storms: A Hell Divers Prequel is an easy 5/5 stars and my top read of 2025 so far. Whether you’re new to Hell Divers or already a fan, this is one storm you’ll want to walk straight into.
PROS
- Compelling story
- Fast-paced action
- Deep characters
- Seamless perspective shifts
- Cinematic feel
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