The Story I Was Craving
4.5 out of 5 stars
An unforgettable return to the gritty, emotional heart of Hell Divers.
I’ve been a fan of the Hell Divers series from the jump, pun intended, but The Lost Years gave me something I didn’t realize I’d been craving: the raw, unfiltered story of Commander Xavier “X” Rodriguez’s time on the surface. This is the chapter of his life that was always whispered about in the shadows of other books, and finally getting to walk beside him through it? It hit hard—in all the best ways.
Nicholas Sansbury Smith continues to be a master of character-driven post-apocalyptic storytelling. His writing digs deep into the human condition, and nowhere is that more evident than in X’s solo journey. Even though I know how the broader story plays out, this novella had me on edge, heart thudding, completely caught up in the haunting loneliness and brutal survival. NSS doesn’t need 500 pages to gut-punch you with emotion and tension; he manages it beautifully in this tight, gripping installment.
Hearing the origin of everyone’s favorite pup, who would go on to mean so much in the series, was another layer that brought unexpected emotion. It reminded me just how deeply invested I am in this world and its players. These characters aren’t just survivors; they feel like family, and every little backstory like this makes the broader Hell Divers universe even richer.
R.C. Bray, as always, delivers. His voice is practically synonymous with this series by now, and his narration of X’s descent—both literal and emotional—was filled with a weight and vulnerability that matched the story beat for beat. I could hear the strain, the fatigue, the flickers of hope in every word. It’s no wonder this duo keeps drawing fans back again and again.
If you’re already a Hell Divers fan, listening to The Lost Years is essential. If you’re new to the series… well, buckle up. This novella may be short, but it carries the emotional power and post-apocalyptic grit that make the entire saga so unforgettable.
Book Description:
From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith comes a brand-new novella set in the world of the Hell Divers series.
Before you knew him as the king or the Immortal, he was Commander Xavier “X” Rodriguez—with ninety-six dives under his belt, the most experienced Hell Diver on the airship known as the Hive. Time after time, he dived through the electrical storms, returning with parts to keep his home in the sky. Then, on a jump into Hades, the most hostile environment in North America, he sacrificed everything for mission and team. They returned to the airship with the fuel cells needed to keep the Hive running, but X was left behind.
This is the story of how he becomes the last man on Earth. His will drives him to keep fighting, to survive the monsters and the radiation in the wastes, to find a way back home. But as the days pass, he feels the things that make him human slipping away. He has become a waif, a phantom, with little to live for. Then he stumbles upon something that makes him feel again.
This is the chronicle of those lost years, told for the first time ever.
Hell Divers: The Lost Years by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Narrator: R.C. Bray
Length: 2 hrs and 23 mins
Series: Hell Divers #1.5
Published by Blackstone Audio Genres: Post-Apocalyptic
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
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