The first adventure thriller in the Sigma series (Sigma Force Novels)

From a mil perspective I wish authors would straiten their info out. Their aren't females in ranger batt. and no real operator dual wields pistols...... Sorry, doesn't happen. Entertaining book for the most part.

As with all of James Rollins books, they are wild, freewheeling adventures with a surprise every page. And so it goes with this one. The story line and circumstances are so farfetched they are believable with imaginative little creatures thrown in to up the interest. You will burn the corners of the pages from turning them so fast!

If you love action and adventure...this is the book for you! This is the first book I read from James Rollins and I have been hooked. Since reading this book I have read 5 of his others all within 2 months. I just can't put them down once I start. Amazing imagery and great writing style that keeps you engaged the whole time. Love, love, love!!

I thought I would never finish reading this book. It was tedious, much too long, and too far-fetched scientifically. "Glass is an excellent conductor" speaking of conducting electricity. Excuse me? Why did power companies use glass insulators years ago. Huge amount of suspension of disbelief required to tolerate this book.

Some may say it was long winded. Technical details may not have been necessary for some, but they brought the storyline together.
Old and new, fire and water, earth and sky. I love the references to the ancient history including religions.
I plan on reading every book in the series!! May even buy his other books after that.
James Rollins, I am a fan for life!

My son will love it!! It started off really good. It was good just too much action overload. Just books I am not used to., if you like a ton of action some science balanced out with archeology and never a dull moment. Then I would say it's for you. I like more story and just a bit less actiony.

Try another of his books. the storeIA was OK, ICEHUNT even better.

This one is VERY late to get things going then it fizzles and dies.

Oh, and he may be a vet and I am willing to go the extra mile to get entertained, yet his science is more fiction than fact - and this is put in good use! I mean, if you are to dig-up...buckyballs to enclose ...antimatter - at least use it for more than a couple of explosions and to propel a boat.

My Advice: Pass

James Rollins packs plenty of punch into his action / adventure stories. He does a good job of developing the characters in the story to carry them forward into the later Sigma books. Sandstorm is an action packed, hard to put down read.

Another great James Rollins book. I always learn things from his books while being engrossed in his fast moving plot. I read the later Sigma Force books first, so it was fun to see the characters I knew make their first appearances.

If you love action packed books, this is the novel for you. Starting with an unknown explosion at the London Museum, the book rockets across the globe and doesn't let off the action accelerator until the very end.
Dr. Safia al Maaz, curator of the Kensington collection at the London Museum, is called in after an unknown explosion rocks her wing of the museum. Thought to be anti-matter annihilation, the U.S. government sends in Dr. Painter Crowe, Sigma force operative, who is dealing with a mole in his company by the clandestine organization known as the Guild.
The explosion unearthed an unknown artifact, which moved the search to Oman, home of both Safia and Lady Kara Kensington. Joining them were Painter and his assistant Coral, and Dr. Omaha Dunn along with his brother Danny. For the arch rivals from the Guild, they sent Cassandra, who used to be Painter's partner before she was ferreted out. And yes, there are love interests going on as well. Painter and Safia have feelings, Safia and Omaha were once engaged, and Danny is smitten with Coral.
If that's not enough to keep your interest, add in the private yacht of the Sultan as well as his private guard, a secretive group that claims direct lineage to the queen of Sheba as well as another group descended from the king, and a Sandstorm of the Century. There seems to be something to interest everyone and everything to interest me. I loved the book and at once couldn't wait to reach the end while not wanting the action to end. My only criticism would be that Painter Crowe was almost too unbelievable, like a cross between James Bond and Dirk Pitt, but it was a minor negative to Me.

Loved it! Better than an action packed movie. James Rollins takes you into the action and emotion of the story with the realism of his writing. I looked forward to the end of each day when I could pick up the book again. Can't wait to start the next story in this collection.

After reading The Domsday Key, The devil colony and Bloodline last summer I wanted to know how all of this started so I decided to go back to the beginning and brought this book for my Kindle. I must say that James Rollins takes his story telling skills to a new level in Sandstorm. Sandstorm like all of his previous works is a fast paced, action packed adventure that takes the reader to fabulous locations around the world while keeping the action moving throughout.

In this book Painter Crowe is a Field agent for Sigma who while working on another assignment is ordered to report to back to Sigma headquarters where he is showed the British Museum video and handed a chunk of meteoric iron that came from the Iron Camel explosion. They assign him to learn what caused the explosion with the clues leading to Ubar. Also during this time Lady Kara Kensington, whose family founded the devastated gallery and its curator Safia al-Maaz find clues that lead to Ubar, a city buried beneath the Arabian Desert. They hire renowned explorer Omaha Dunn to escort them to this legendary ancient city.And this is just the beginning Rollin`s in this book pays tribute to Indiana Jones by imamanging him working togeter with a top secrect government agency with its best agent working alongside him as a sidekick.

Imagine Indiana Jones, (his name is Omaha Dunn here), taking-on 'the perfect storm' in the great Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, in central Arabia. In this desert place, beneath the burning sun, hurricane force winds blow up quickly. One can drown in an ocean of sand and remain interred forever. Add to this mix, the obsession to find a great fabled city, and a civilization lost thousands of years ago, now buried beneath the shifting dunes. Ubar, a rich and fabulous trading center of ancient Arabia, ruled by the Queen of Sheba, once rose out of the desert and then mysteriously vanished back into the sands. References to Ubar in the Koran, the Arabian Nights, and countless Bedouin tales told around desert campfires have captivated the imaginations of explorers and archaeologists. But all searches have been fruitless and the city remained lost. The storm, the search for Ubar and for a source of energy strong enough to fuel the entire earth. However as these four people and others head to Ubar, Others follow ruthlessly with the intent to control and use this energy for dark purposes no matter the cost.
This book contains various subplots, no less exciting than the primary adventure, a terrific cast of characters, fascinating historical and scientific information, a love triangle and enough action, suspense and thrills to keep you reading long into the night.

This is one of the most addictive novels I have read in some time. Once I began, I just couldn't put it down. I highly recommind this book for those interested in the Sigma series or are just looking for a new book to read.

I really enjoyed reading this book. There were parts that I kinda glazed over but as a whole it was a great read. He has an ability to bring myth and science together and I love it. There is also romance and action. I've already got the next book in the sigma series.

I really liked Sandstorm. Like all of Rollins’ books, there’s a Sci Fi type plot, but it’s not completely out there. The action is fast paced, the locations exotic, the people interesting, it’s all good. And it’s fun to think that the Sci Fi stuff just might be true!

The plot was uneven, and much of the technology appeared to be more like magic than science. A far cry from the reasoned applications of future technology described by classic science fiction writers like Clark and Asimov. The characters lacked depth, and Mr. Rollins seemed to struggle when it came to finding alternate words for the color blue.

James Rollins, writer, story teller, and always the teacher. Heroes created, are given impossible tasks. Lives depend upon their success. Suspense, action, hard charging. Again, another mystery that you can't put down.

I love reading James Rollins, because his fiction is based on scientific and historical facts. His stories are exciting, and I can count on learning some things as well. The suspense makes me want to read the whole book in one sitting (an impossible task).

Very well written adventure but after reading books like it for 50 years, I recognise the desperation of an author who thought this book would be his last in a series. Luckily, history has proven him wrong.

This book is a fantastic read from start to finish. The ONLY issue I have is that the character Omaha could have been a little less Indiana Jones. Having his name be a State, and the author actually call him "Indiana" by one of the other characters is really not necessary. Other than that, I loved the whole book, and I loved the end. It will hook you in to the Sigma series.

Interesting blend of science and fiction to create a swashbuckling story that heightens interest in the history and geography of the Arabian peninsula. But Painter Crowe carries the story, a truly great character. Five stars, recommend to all.

Riveting page turner. Takes you on an adventure through history in exotic locales. Author's attention to details and connections throughout the chapters flow smoothly. Characters are interesting and well developed. Scientific concepts are easily understood, adding to the overall plot.

This reminded me of an adventure you might see Indiana Jones on! I LOVED this book. I was looking for a change of pace after reading the most recent Alex Cross book from James Patterson so a co worker recommended this one. It had a nice pace to it and a great story. I highly recommend it!

Not on a par with Subterranean and the storeia, my two favorites. The characters were well developed and interesting but the story was just a little too drawn out and became somewhat tiresome. I did finish the book and overall it was a good story that left me feeling satisfied, but I was not nearly as impressed as I was with his earlier books.

Not up to Sigma Force standards. I was looking forward to the usual and enjoyable Sigma Force read. So disappointed after a number of Sigma Force novels. This one is almost TOTAL fantasy and/or science fiction. Definitely NOT worth the time it took to plow my way through this wordy, disjointed and disappointing book. Skip this one and start with number 2 if you're just trying him out. The others far surpass this one. If I had read this one first I never would have gone to any more in the series and that would have been a shame as they're all GOOD reads..

Great story. Great characters. Great read. What more to say?
Adventure, action, interesting plot all lead by characters you like and want to know better make for a fun, enjoyable read. I really like the Sigma Force novels.

After reading several Sigma Force novels, I finally read this, the first in the series. Painter Crowe Is an exciting hero. This is a great adventure, especially for those who enjoy "Indiana Jones" type tales. It kept my imagination stirred.

This book was very entertaining and just pure fun. It is not the best writing out there but it is a fun read. If you enjoy history, science and ancient legends then you will like this book. Indiana Jones fans will definitely want to read this.

The story was a thrill from beginning to end... Twists and turns that are all part of a common thread. The ending was spectacular! I can't say enough good things about this book other than just pick it up and read it - you'll be glad you did!