Sandstorm

A Sigma Force Novel, Book 1

By: James Rollins

Narrated by: John Meagher

Length: 16 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2004 Jim Czajkowski (P)2010 HarperCollins Publishers

A special effects extravaganza !

An enticing story with intellectual elements.
The performer made an effort to give character to each of the players.
Overall a worthy listen

Great story

This was a great read! From the beginning to end you are entranced in the story and can’t put the book down. If you are looking for adventure and excitement this is the book!

Great story, great narration

A fun adventure, well written and well narrated. Really enjoyable and not so serious that you can’t multitask.

Liking James Rollins and his scientific mind!

My hubby and I listen to books while driving in the car every week-end (we drive 5.5 hours each way so we like something to pass the time!). We really LOVE Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child and have read all of their books so we were looking for a similar type author and seem to have found it with James Rollins!
James writes a few different books and many are in series, so if you are like me check online and read them in order (I prefer to read them in order)!
This book Sandstorm is the first in this series and we enjoyed it! James has a scientific mind and does get a little detailed in some of his description which is what my hubby loves and I am not as fond of it but he does do a good job without going too far in depth (for me)!
The narrator, which this is the first and only time I have heard him, was not as easy for me to listen to. He did a great job with each character having different voices and personalities but he did seem to have a little lisp or something when he said things with an "s" that was a little grating on my ears. I am hoping that in future books, if he is the same narrator that maybe things will be a little different!
I think that if you like Preston and Child and especially their Pendergast series, then you will probably enjoy James Rollins!
Enjoy!

Interesting topics, good story, atrocious narrator

What did you like best about Sandstorm? What did you like least?

Great set of topics, conspiracy, history, "secret agent" stuff, a good portion of weapon and tactical nerdiness (even though he makes some mistakes referencing various arms and calibers), and finally with some good 'ol mystical magic and spirituality for good measure.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Interesting non-perfect characters with their individual flaws and excellence, surprising turn of events and some unusual settings.

What didn’t you like about John Meagher’s performance?

Simply a terrible reader who does not appear to be excited about what he reads, with a too young a voice to match the depth of the topics and simply with a poor acting ability. A narrator has to have a much more sophisticated disposition and mastery of accents to match the breadth of the characters in the international settings in this story.

Do you think Sandstorm needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

I would love to hear more in the series but since it's the same narrator in the second book I'm going to read it instead. I really cant stand that narrator. In fact, I couldn't even finish the first book on audio. It really is an unfortunate match.

Nice mix of historical fiction

This is the first of a series about Sigma Force, an undercover team of military operatives. I chose this book not because of the military theme but because of the slightly supernatural archaeological theme. I was not disappointed, there seemed to be just the right amount of military ops without overshadowing the other aspects of the story. I will be trying out the next book to see if I have found another new series.

James Rollins all the way...

Narrator John Meagher is beyond excellent! This series may be some of Rollins best work yet! The mysteries of ancient Arabia clashing with what may be anti-matter forces are perfectly juxtapositioned as Omaha, Sofia,Kara, Cora, the Hodja, et. al. seek the answers to the disappearance of the lost city of the "Desert Atlantis", Ubar. Was this once the Garden of Eden? What are the "gifts" the Hodja refers to? Is Sofia indeed the Sufi?

This book moves fast! I lost much sleep wanting to hear more! Pure entertainment - great story! Onto Book 2....

Great book!!

This is the first book from James Rollins that I have read. It was great! I honestly felt like I was watching all of this take place. His descriptions are detailed enough to set the stage but not so much that you zone out. Highly recommend. The reader took me a bit to get used to but he grew on me.

why are you reading this instead of the book?

if you are one of the few people who haven't read a rollins book you're missing out. this was a perfect blend of myth history and science (mostly fact with a bit of theory mixed in). top great research off with compelling characters and a thrilling plot and you got yourself one hell of an adventure.
j. meagher is a pretty good reader. there were a couple of hiccups like when he said "barak" i heard "the rock" and when they shared dialogue it was sometimes hard to distinguish his Saphia and Kara voices. minor hiccups in the grand scheme.

Too technical for me

this was a good story but I'm just not Savvy enough to understand all the technical but if you like Tech it's a good story get this book