Burning Skies by Nicholas Sansbury Smith
From the New York Times bestselling author Nicholas Sansbury Smith comes the second installment of the edge-of-your-seat prequel to the popular Hell Divers series.
The bombs were just the beginning of the nightmare …
Author: Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Title: Burning Skies
Published On: September 8, 2026
Publisher: Blackstone Pages: 456
Genres: Post-Apocalyptic
Narrator: RC Bray
Audiobook Length: 12 hours, 53 minutes
Format: Audiobook, eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
My Rating:
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On the ground, Cecil Pepper and his wife race against radioactive death, searching frantically for a bunker that might spare them from the inferno raining from above. But even if they can find shelter, an inescapable realization dawns: Walls of concrete and steel may shield them from fallout, but not from the horrors evolving in this new, forsaken world.
High above the radioactive surface, Santiago Rodriguez and his family have secured passage aboard the airship Persephone. Their relief is short-lived, however, as massive, violent storms form across the planet. But even if they escape nature’s fury, the sky offers no permanent refuge. As supplies dwindle, an impossible choice emerges: Slowly starve in the clouds, or risk salvaging in the razed wasteland below. To survive, brave soldiers must descend into the irradiated hell that was once Earth, diving through toxic skies to scavenge the ruins of civilization—becoming the first of a new breed of warriors known as the Hell Divers.
About Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the author of several post-apocalyptic books and short stories. He worked for the State of Iowa for nearly 10 years before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t daydreaming about the apocalypse he’s likely racing in triathlons around the Midwest. He lives in Des Moines, Iowa with his family and several rescued animals.
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My review
This book follows the stories of Santiago and his life on the Persephone and Cecil and his family’s search for help from the radiation poisoning. This was perfectly paced and it was a great transaction between the 2 characters views. I love that it was not aburpt or a harsh transition. The characters are wonderful and lovable. I really enjoyed reading about how the Hell Divers began with Santiago. This was book 2 in the Hell Divers Prequels. I like this one better than book one Into the Storms.