Rhino: The Rise of a Warrior DEALS
Nicholas Sansbury Smith, the USA TODAY bestselling author known for his post-apocalyptic Hell Divers series, has a new book coming out! We had the chance to get an ARC to review from Blackstone Publishing of his new novel Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior: A Hells Diver novel.
Set in the same universe of the Hell Divers series, Rhino brings the action to the ground of the post-apocalyptic world from Hell Divers.
Set against the volatile backdrop of a dystopian future ravaged by the Third World War, Smith crafts an emotionally charged origin story that introduces the readers to Rhino, a character whose physical strength is matched only by the compelling depth of his moral compass, most of the time…
Blending vivid action sequences with deep storytelling, this novel offers a gripping portrait of resilience and the relentless spirit required to survive – and protect – in a world teetering on the brink.
Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior: A Hells Diver Novel Summary
What started as a peaceful life in an underground silo (fans of the Silo TV show might like that) quickly devolves into an action-packed, horror filled story of survival in a world where everything tries to kill you.
Nick Baker, the main character, is born into a world without a mother, who died during his birth. Known as the runt of the silo, he is small and weak. This, however, does not stop him from trying to become a better version of himself by any means necessary.
What he lacks in physical strength and appearance, he makes up for in spirit, determination, and character. As the years pass, he, more than anything, wants to go outside and learn about the world. He wants to become a Ranger.
The outside world is toxic from the remnants of a nuclear Third World War. Scouting parties go outside every few years to see if it has gotten better, but it never does…
One day, outside communication is established with what seems to be a friendly ship. The Rangers of the silo are tasked with making contact with the survivors. This becomes Nick’s chance to prove himself and sneak outside.
During the contact mission, both parties are ambushed by savages known as Cazadores. Cazadores only know two things: kill and take over territories by any means necessary.
Nick and his friends become slaves to the brutal Cazadores. Nick’s goal to prove himself and save his friend, Sofia, becomes a life goal. He must endure the brutalism of the Cazadores and rise through the ranks of the canibalistic army from his slave status to become a feared and respected warrior.
We follow the story of Nick throughout the years as he becomes a man, growing into a beast via various conquests, brutal surviving, and having to make tough decisions in order to survive another day and save Sofia.
Rhino is an adrenaline-fueled exploration of the grit, loyalty, and sacrifices demanded by combat and brotherhood, to not miss!
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The Characters
This is a novel that is led by its characters, and it does an amazing job of doing so. The main characters, Nick and Mac (his mentor), are fully fleshed out and developed during the different year jumps of the novel.
We very easily see the progress of Nick, rising from being a simple runt slave to a feared and brutal warrior. The mental and physical descriptions build the characters during their adventures, and you can feel how much of a toll everything takes on them and how much that changes the characters in the novel.
The runt born in the bunker was dead. Nick Baker had transformed, too, and, without noticing, earned what he always wanted: respect. He was as warrior, a lieutenant of the greatest fighting force left in the known world.
And it made him feel sick to his stomach.
Was this what he wanted?
The main characters are easy to connect with, even if the horrors they experience are things no one probably would have in their everyday lives.
The villains, the Cazadores, are hateable but also somehow become people you cheer for and care about.
This is the power of Nicholas Sansbury Smith’s character writing and development.
The Setting & World Building
The setting of Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior is not just a simple post-apocalyptic world where survival is the only goal. Smith builds a vast world, with different factions, different cultures, and a brutal depiction of what would happen after over 200 years into a post-nuclear world war.
The societies are brutal, each with its own way of approaching survival in a barren wasteland, but each one has its own peculiarities and differences. The in-depth development of the setting is what makes the novel so immersive and interesting to get sucked into.
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Pacing
The pacing of the novel was a breath of fresh (not radioactive) air that broke the novel into beautifully developed sections.
Four and a half years after his capture from the bunker in Texas, he hardly recognized his own body. Not just the scars but the musculature. Weighing almost 240 pounds, he was more than twice the size when he first came here.
This fast-paced pacing allows for deep character development, fueling the fears as well as the ultimate goals and wants of the characters. It also allows for the novel to jump to different locations and dangerous situations in a much easier and logical way.
Immersive Action
Along with the pacing of the novel, the action sequences are immersive and adrenaline-fueled. The dynamic battle scenes are vivid and highly realistic, placing the reader right in the middle of those intense confrontations.
The tank fired in front of the open hangar doors, sending dirt and debris exploding outward. Machine-gun fire clattered from all directions as Nick got back down. Through the smoke, he saw two of the orange visors from the machines moving. They returned fire with energy rifles that cut through the bulky Cazador armor like arrows through fat.
Given the brutal world that Smith has created with Rhino, the action is almost non-stop. Whether it is because of the unforgiving jungle full of giant and mutated animals that are looking for their next prey or the conquest raids that the main characters have to suffer through, adrenaline-charged moments are a plenty and keep the reader engaged at the edge of their seat.
It certainly had me hooked and flipping through the pages to see what happened next!
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What I Disliked About Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior
To be completely honest, the novel was so immersive and deep that it is hard for me to find something that I disliked about the book.
One thing that I would have loved to see and read more about was the life and what happened to Sofia. I wanted to understand more about how she had survived all these years and how she built the emotional connection to Nick.
Maybe this is something that could be explored in the later novels of his new (potential) series.
Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior Takeaways
Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior is not just a high-octane, post-apocalyptic novel. It is also a gritty story of survival, brotherhood, and sacrifice. Through the character’s adventure, we learn what it really takes to face seemingly impossible situations.
Under the main story of Rhino, we uncover deeper themes of the cost of survival, the moral complexity of war, the impact of trauma, and inner strength.
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In Closing
Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior is a compelling, vividly depicted journey that blends relentless combat scenes with emotional depth. Fans of military thrillers, dystopian fiction, and action-packed narratives will find themselves fully immersed in Rhino’s gripping origin story.
Rhino: The Rise Of A Warrior releases on April 1st, 2025, everywhere you purchase your books. Make sure to get your copy when you can!
*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
Rhino: The Rise of a Warrior
Blending vivid action sequences with deep storytelling, this novel offers a gripping portrait of resilience and the relentless spirit required to survive - and protect - in a world teetering on the brink.
PROS
- Story
- Characters
- World-building
CONS
- Side character's story
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