Sandstorm

Action/Adventure
Written by James Rollins
Reviewed by D. Williams
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Thousands of years ago, in the Rub al-Khali Desert, there was a thriving trading post called Ubar, which prospered with the passing of merchants.  But this wealthy city vanished without a trace, causing explorers to search for the ruins over the centuries.  One explorer, a rich British financier, disappeared in a strange event, a type of electrical storm, near where the ruins were supposed to be.  Many years later, the man’s daughter, Kara, sets up an expedition to find Ubar, hoping to discover what happened to her father along the way.  Accompanying her are Safia, Kara’s long-time friend, Omaha, an American explorer, and Painter Crowe, an agent of the global Sigma Force.  Sigma Force is a branch of the U.S. Department of Defense that is made up of incredibly smart, and incredibly deadly, agents, who are as good at science as they are with weapons.  Painter, along with his partner Coral Novak, have different but just as important reasons to accompany the expedition.  But when a team member is kidnapped by one of Painter’s enemies, the race to Ubar becomes much more important.  And in Ubar, a deadly secret has been lying dormant, just waiting to be discovered.

Sandstorm is a masterfully written, well-developed story, incorporating many literary elements, like foreshadowing and irony.  The book is historically accurate, and it uses many different historical details to enrich the plot.  These details are a crucial part of the story, helping the characters to solve the puzzles left by the ancient people whose trail they are following.  Also, the characters all feel like real people who are put into extraordinary situations.  All of Rollin’s books are very realistic, usually incorporating only one part that could never happen in real life.  This book is very violent, and I would not recommend it to younger kids.  If you like well-written adventures with incredible plot twists and suspense around every corner, then this is the book for you.