Sandstorm
Written by James Rollins
Narrated by Dennis Boutsikaris
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum and the race begins to determine how it happened, why it happened, and what it means.
Lady Kara Kensington's family paid a high price in money and blood to found the gallery that now lies in ruins. Her search for answers leads Kara and her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's curator, into a world they never dreamed existed. Evidence exposed by the tragedy suggests that Ubar, a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert, is more than mere legend...and that something astonishing is waiting there.
The two extraordinary women and their guide, Omaha Dunn, are not the only ones being drawn to the desert. Former U.S. Navy SEAL Painter Crowe, a covert government operative and head of an elite counter-espionage team, is hunting down a dangerous turncoat and the trail is pointing him toward Ubar.
What is hidden below the sand is more than a valuable relic of ancient history. It is an ageless power that lives and breathes. Many lives have already been destroyed by ruthless agencies dedicated to guarding its mysteries and harnessing its might. The end may be at hand for Kara, Safia, Crowe, and all of the interlopers who wish to expose its mysteries, as it prepares to unleash the most terrible storm of all...
Performed by Dennis Boutsikaris
James Rollins
James Rollins is the author of international thrillers that have been translated into more than forty languages. His Sigma series has been lauded as one of the “top crowd pleasers” (New York Times) and one of the “hottest summer reads” (People magazine). In each novel, acclaimed for its originality, Rollins unveils unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs, and historical secrets—and he does it all at breakneck speed and with stunning insight. He lives in the Sierra Nevada.
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Titles in the series (18)
Sandstorm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Judas Strain: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Doomsday Key: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sandstorm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Map of Bones: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Oracle: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Black Order: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Devil Colony: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Bone Labyrinth: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Eye of God: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bloodline: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The 6th Extinction: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Seventh Plague: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Demon Crown: A Sigma Force Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Crucible: A Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kingdom of Bones: A Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tides of Fire: A Thriller Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Odyssey: A Thriller Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
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Reviews for Sandstorm
716 ratings36 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A techno/ hidden history thriller that has something to do with antimatter, buckyballs, Ubar (an ancient desert city central to the frankincense trade), the Queen of Sheba, secret US government agencies, secret criminal syndicates, weird genetics, and lots and lots and lots of static electricity. Oh, and heavy weather. The plot is totally preposterous, but it held together enough to support an entertaining story. Also, the cast of multi-racial protagonists and the decent characterizations made this more enjoyable than the average example from this genre.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a very interesting book and I enjoyed it very much. It had a mix of history, science, fiction and adventure and had a fast-moving plot and excellent character development. I look forward to read the next book in the Sigma Force series.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Honestly. This was one of the most poorly written books I've encountered in a long time. I continued listening because it was so unfathomably stupid, I couldn't stop listen to see how far it would go. It sounds more like someone attempted to novelize Michael Bay movie than a legitimate attempt a novel.
Amusing primarily due to its utter absurdity, give it a listen if you enjoy listening to the author give more detailed descriptions about each explosion than the motivations or emotions of his poorly developed characters.
Still, kind of funny and amusing in a perverse sort of way.... - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I really enjoyed this audio book. James Rollins always writes a fast paced, action adventure story, where one can escape for a few moments a day.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5It was ok at best. The author wasn't able to create any emotional ties to the plight of the characters. Rent one the Tomb Raider movies, they are more entertaining than this book which has a similar plot. I won't try any more from this author.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Couldn't stop listening.
A fanciful, thrilling tale well told and with terrific narration. - Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5Horrible. This was simply horrible. The leaps the writer expected the reader to make were beyond fiction. Combine that with the rich white family coming to the rescue of the poor little black child which has been done to death, left me feeling as if I’d read this before. Even the shoot outs between the ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ were not illustrated in a believable fashion. I’d like my money back. Oh that’s right, it was free. Well I got what I paid for.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Engaging story with plenty of historical details thrown in to guide the story.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5decent read.. a lot of far fetched ideas that all got mushed in together to make the story... some good characters introduced for possible other stories... Painter and Omaha...
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5upon reading this book I was instantly drawn into this wonderful world written by James Rollins. I quickly became a fan of his SIGMA Force books. upon completing one title I immediately mourn as I know I will have to wait a year or so for further adventures.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5It was ... wow. I loved every minute of it. I loved the history, the science, the different characters. There were times when I thought this novel was journeying into the land of fantasy, only to find myself being brought back to the realm of science. Although some parts were a tad bit hard to swallow, the story line was interesting and the adventurous journey was thrilling. Every angle was covered and new angles were brought to light constantly. I literally could not put this book down. It got to the point where I neglected doing the required readings for my courses and simply focused on this novel. James Rollins channels Michael Crichton in the way he writes and in the way he makes the surreal come to life and I LOVE LOVE LOVE Michael Crichton! READ THIS BOOK, READ THIS BOOK, READ THIS BOOK! IT IS THE COOLEST AND CRAZIEST NOVEL AND WORTH READING!!!! As you can tell, I really liked this book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5With ancient civilisations hidden under the sands of the deserts of Arabia and an archaeologist in the mould of Indiana Jones, along with a rich heiress and a beautiful Professor of Archaeology this has pretty all the required elements of a successful thriller and I have to say that there is all the action you need as the protagonists seek out a source of energy that would make the Arabian oil fields look pretty pointless While I can't comment on most of the settings or the likelihood of the storage of antimatter as presented in the novel, the way the British Museum was invaded, with overhead power lines being brought down, is a bit extreme (and we use underground power lines in the UK mostly)
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5James Rollins is one of my favorite authors and I know the one thing that he truly knows how to do is write a story that that leaves the reader breathless and wanting more. This one did all that but it also had the reader turning page after page, after page after page....699 of them. I loved the story...loved the characters...both good ones and even a few of the bad ones. The history and some of the science was even fascinating...but... I didn't think it was ever going to end. Way too much technical stuff that the average person will have no clue what he's talking about. This excellent story could have been well told in half the time and print. Anyone that loves, history, adventure, and is interested in the technical stuff will absolutely love this book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fast-paced and fun, similar to Tom Clancy or Clive Cussler (though not as long and involved). I'm looking forward to reading more in the Sigma Force series.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Part of me hated parts of this, archaeology with explosives is not good, but it was a light fast-paced thriller that I found a lot of fun to read. However some things should have been left out, particularly the two guys in love with one woman sub-plot, please let that go, it's getting to tired cliche at this stage and it added almost nothing to the story. Let your main character deal with his other issues, first.Our heroes discover that an explosion in the London Gallery was caused by possible Ancient technology and it might be able to cause huge other damage. Cue a sponsored by wealthy patron and government chase to prevent bad guys from getting and abusing the tech.Nothing earth-shattering in the plot, and some of the characters blurred into almost one at times (cull your cast people) and several seemed to be there to just provide people to be saved, but overall it read like the last Indiana Jones movie meets James Bond.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Fast-paced, non-stop action and an easy read, what more could you want? Am looking to reading more books in this series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My third book by James Rolllins and thi was as good if not better than many other stories I have read. While a bit far fetched it is entertaining and contains enough factual information and geographical sites to have readers of this genre enthralled from the first to last page. Definitely a favourite.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is jam packed with action, starting from the first pages and not letting up until the very end. It would be enough for me to leave it at that, but there is so much more to it. While full of action and adventure, there is also real science, geography, history, treachery, betrayal, determination, ingenuity, perseverance, love, and heartbreak. I dare say that there is something to interest everyone in this book. The first book in the SIGMA force series, I am already looking forward to more.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5A nice mix of thriller, science, archaeology, and myth. That is what I like.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5When a mysterious explosion rips apart a wing of the British Museum, a special force of scientist/soldiers is dispatched to the site. If their fears prove true, this explosion could be only a hint of what might happen if the forces that brought this about are triggered again.Thriller that keeps you guessing from start to finish. Lots of archaeology and physics and a storm of action accompany the small group of scientists who race the clock to head off a possible disaster. Their task though, is complicated when it becomes apparent, they have not one, but two mysterious organizations also in pursuit of a scientific breakthrough of enormous potential.And the women are just as kick-ass as the men.Characterization, settings and plot combine to create a great read. I’ll definitely be continuing this series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A superb read. I was genuinely breathless at times! As a veteran reader I'd have to say that I can be a bit blinkered about the genres I read. James Rollins has broken through all barriers though, I'm very happy to say. I've read "Sandstorm" two and a bit times (retreading) and I became a hunter as a consequence: hunting for more Sigma Force books lol.
One complaint only: the ebook suffers from formatting faults! Punctuation is either missing or wrong and some text (mostly dialogue!) is split inappropriately :(. It's a shame that the translation to ebook form wasn't taken advantage of it - to remove type errors that are in the printed book. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I went back to read this, the first of the Sigma Force series, after having read a number of the later books in the series. Surprising to me, it was every bit a good and exciting as the later volumes.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5What's not to like about James Rollins? His Sigma Force series is the tops, combining thrills, Indiana Jones-like archaeology with just the right mix of history, religion and the supernatural. Throw in top secret operatives, romance, technology and science. You get a fun and exciting read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Great action. Great story. I was studying as I read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really love James Rollin's books. I love how he takes a historical tidbit of information and connects it to a slice of science, mixes it all together with a lot of adventure and a dash of romance and voilà!; I'm ready for an enjoyable read~I also love how he points out the facts and the fiction at the end of his stories; more than once I have gotten lost on the internet satisfying my curiosity regarding the history/science he calls to attention there.I think he does a great job with his protagonists, I find most to be really interesting and fleshed out. Sigma Force is a recurring theme in many of his stories and it adds another layer of interest for me, taking the adventure to the next level.Rollin's novels are every bit as enjoyable to me as a big screen summer blockbuster; think I'll go get some popcorn~
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A novel which combines science and technology with an archaeological mystery and overlays that with a spy thriller which ends up as a pretty decent action-adventure yarn.When what appears to be an accident at the British Museum destroys most of the Arabian collection owned by Lady Kara Kensington, her childhood friend and curator of the exhibition, Safia al-Maaz, makes a discovery that will send them on an expedition to Oman looking for the ancient city of Ubar. Putting together a team that will unite Safia with her former fiancé, Omaha Dunn, Kara is forced to accept Painter Crowe and his partner as members of the group. Crowe is an agent of Sigma Force, a secret US Government agency that combines special ops training with scientific knowledge to form an elite cadre of personnel that can handle any situation. They set off to discover where the discovered clue will lead them. Unfortunately for them there are also other interested parties that want to reach the same destination and they'll stop at nothing to get there. Mother Nature also wants to make her presence felt as well with the combination of a giant sandstorm and high pressure system to create a megastorm. Who's going to live through to the end and what will they find when they get there?This book at times reads like an Indiana Jones film with bits of a Dan Brown plot thrown in for good measure but the end result is not bad. The action is plentiful but not really gripping in a kind of will they/won't they survive type of thing. The main characters are well written and you do care when they are up against it but the secondary characters just seem to be along for the ride or used to provide info-dumps on the science involved. I will at least read the next in the series at some point.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For anyone who enjoys Indiana Jones, Clive Cussler, or Dan Brown; James Rollins combines archaeology, anthropology, adventure and suspense to create a great rainy day read. As Rollins' cast of characters travels across the world, they face danger and unexplainable phenomenon that creates a great sense of action and suspense.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My goodness what a fun book to read. I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. The pace was slow at first and at first I thought that it was going to be just another ho-hum thriller novel, but as the book moved on I was pleased to find that while it was another thriller novel, it was so much better than most I've read. Here we have a gov't agency in the Sigma Force against the Guild and mixed in for fun are some scientists, museum types and some ancient protector sects for fun. This book also explains the science behind some of the "super-natural" occurrences, and while true die-hard science fictions fans will think it's light weight, it is explained well enough for the uninitiated to understand and follow why it is important to the novel. The characters are ones that I can't wait to see more of. Some of them I'm sure are not to return in future Sigma Force novels, the ones that do I'm excited to see what new adventures they move on to. Even after just one book, I've got a new favorite author here and will be picking up the rest of his books soon!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I'm not really sure why I ordered this book from the library. I think a friend recommended the author to me, but the last few months have been so hectic that I don't really remember! Ah well, that's life. "Sandstorm" is an adventure thriller in the tradition of Indiana Jones or anything by Clive Cussler. It's not what I read on a daily basis, but it is a genre I enjoy venturing into from time to time! "Sandstorm" is the first book in Rollin's "Sigma Force" series of books. The Sigma Force is a small group of elite operatives designated by the US government to deal with certain problems. In this case, they are investigating a strange museum break in and the weird "lighting" that was associated with it. The search will take us to the Arabian desert, and deep into the lives of two women. Lady Kara Kensington and Safia al-Maaz appear to be very different. Lady Kara is a wealthy heiress with a drive and determination that has taken her inheritance and multiplied it. Safia loves nothing more than spending time studying and preserving ancient artifacts. The two have a lot in common though. Safia grew up as Lady Kara's companion, and both of them have their roots in Arabia, and in this mystery.If your looking for a "can't put it down" action-adventure than this book is perfect for you!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5James Rollins has something in common with Alexandre Dumas, he tells a good story. Sandstorm is one of his best. It is the first of the Sigma Force novels and is classic Rollins. It contains nonstop action, complex characters mixed with an exotic locale and as my friend, Mildred, says "a touch of the weird". He does base most of his "weird" on scientific facts though. I loved it.