Book reviews

Sandstorm
James Rollins Book Review

Read a book review online (click here to search reviews)
Books Movies  
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Mystery/Thriller Literature Romance Biography History
James Rollins Books
New book search
James Rollins Message Board
Get more information about this book
Plot Summary of Sandstorm
"

Morrow, Jul 2004, 24.95, 446 pp.
ISBN: 0060580666

An explosion destroyed much of the Kensington Gallery antiquities collection of the British Museum when a bluish light struck the Iron Camel artifact killing guard Harry Masterson in the blast. Various people and government agencies want to know what caused the detonation.

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.

In Connecticut DARPA Agent Painter Crowe is working an operation when his assignment is changed. His superiors show him the British Museum video and hand him 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.

As these four people and others head to Ubar, none comes close to conjecturing what awaits them in Ubar: a force that could destroy humanity. Those ruthlessly guarding this force believe the outsiders are the wrong hands because they want to control the secrets.


Harriet Klausner

"

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Sandstorm
Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Tech./$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - info about lifeform(s)/society/phenomena
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - government investigator
Age: - 20's-30's
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's
Profession/status: - mastermind
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century)
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - some scientific explanation
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript
Most similar books to Sandstorm
Starfist: A World of Hurt by David Sherman and Dan Cragg
The Child Goddess by Louise Marley
Beyond Infinity by Gregory Benford
Coalescent - Destiny’s Children 1 by Stephen Baxter
Operation Roswell by Kevin Randle


Click here for more information about this book


James Rollins Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:
  
kmosstx  

SCHOLARS:
Harriet Klausner  


Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
Three ways to search for Science Fiction books!

1) One-click plot searches! Simply click on a plot or subplot below!

Animal Story

Clones

Coming of age

Cultural problems, alien culture

Explore/1st contact/ enviro story

Family relations

GIANT monster(s)

Horror story?

Inner Struggle

Lifeform altered?

Mental/magical powers focus

Parody

Political power play

Religious overtones?

Repressive society story

Robots, Computers, VR

Romance

Spying & Investigations

Tech./$$$/Info hunt

Time Travel story?

Training/Apprent.

War or Invasion



or 2) Simple lookup
(title or author)

or
3) Even more search options available with a Detailed Booksearch (click here)

Use our site!
Feedback
About us
Bribe your congressman!
Rudy Giuliani



Most recent discussions:

General Book Talk
Book writing discussion
Off-topic message board
.
Lynn and Gilbert Morris 10:28:16 PM
Charlotte Vale Allen 10:01:03 PM
Charlotte Vale Allen 9:59:10 PM
Mary Downing Hahn 7:18:08 PM
Suzanne Weyn 5:37:37 PM
Suzanne Collins 3:45:18 PM
Charlaine Harris 3:37:46 PM
Deric Longden 2:26:59 PM
V.C. Andrews 2:24:44 PM
J.D. Robb 2:18:51 PM
Margaret Peterson Haddix 12:17:33 PM
Anne Schraff 12:01:20 PM
Lilian Jackson Braun 9:27:35 AM
Barbara Michaels 8:54:55 PM
Terry Goodkind 8:40:36 PM
Scott O'Dell 6:00:22 PM
David Pelzer 3:00:02 PM
Martina Cole 2:50:58 PM
Bob Brier 1:50:52 PM
Stephen King 8:34:20 AM

More message boards