James Rollins Sandstorm Epub Format
An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum, setting off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world. And now the search for answers is leading Lady Kara Kensington; her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's brilliant and beautiful curator; and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed exi An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum, setting off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world. And now the search for answers is leading Lady Kara Kensington; her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's brilliant and beautiful curator; and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, into a world they never dreamed existed: a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. But others are being drawn there as well, some with dark and sinister purposes. And the many perils of a death-defying trek deep into the savage heart of the Arabian Peninsula pale before the nightmare waiting to be unearthed at journey's end: an ageless and awesome power that could create a utopia. Or destroy everything humankind has built over countless millennia. Sandstorm started out in London with a literal bang and ended with a storm of supposedly epic proportions in an ancient desert city.
But by the time it did, I didn't care anymore. All I saw was a swirly world of sand, glass, and static electricity populated by cardboard characters. The good ones would probably survive and the bad ones wouldn't and so what. What happened in between was pedestrian and predictable thriller fare with too many guns and action and not enough thrill. Bucky Sandstorm started out in London with a literal bang and ended with a storm of supposedly epic proportions in an ancient desert city. But by the time it did, I didn't care anymore. All I saw was a swirly world of sand, glass, and static electricity populated by cardboard characters.
Sep 19, 2013. Sigma Force series by james rollins 10 books so far. Sigma Force, an elite covert arm ofthe US Defense Department made up of former Special Forces officers trained as experts in various scientific fields: 1) sandstorm [IMG] 2) map of bones [IMG] 3) black order [IMG] 4) judas strain [IMG] 5) last oracle [IMG].
The good ones would probably survive and the bad ones wouldn't and so what. What happened in between was pedestrian and predictable thriller fare with too many guns and action and not enough thrill. Underground cities? It all adds up to too much to suspend disbelief. More like 'Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls' than 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', if you want an Indiana Jones comparison (and Rollins apparently does, naming one character 'Omaha' and having another repeatedly calling him 'Indiana').
The characters never really clicked for me, although the settings were pretty vivid. The plot started unraveling for me when the big puzzle turned into a simple map to a city that wasn't lost, but sealed. If you intentionally hide a city, why do you leave a map to it? And if you do, why do you make it a puzzle? In the end, there was absolutely no point for anyone to go there, anyway. Which is pretty much how I felt. Well, if you're going to have insomnia, this is one heck of a book to have handy.
It took me a long time to finish this book because I had so many irons in the fire towards the end of last year. I am so glad that I did pick it up now, because it turned out to be a very rewarding read. Just a few of Danielle's Late Night Review Observations: 1) James Rollins writes detail-oriented, science heavy action/adventure. It took me a bit to get used to his writing style, but I have to say it really worked Well, if you're going to have insomnia, this is one heck of a book to have handy. It took me a long time to finish this book because I had so many irons in the fire towards the end of last year. I am so glad that I did pick it up now, because it turned out to be a very rewarding read. Just a few of Danielle's Late Night Review Observations: 1) James Rollins writes detail-oriented, science heavy action/adventure.
It took me a bit to get used to his writing style, but I have to say it really worked for me. Since I am a self-admitted science nerd, I found the scientific aspects quite interesting, and it usually didn't go too far over my head.
I loved Coral Novak's character. A tough as nails special forces operative, who is also a serious brainiac. Which leads me to my next point. 2) I think Mr.
Rollins really loves and respects women. Painter Crowe and Omaha Dunn are strong, pivotal characters in this novel, but the women really carry the show. This novel is underscored and wrapped in the depths and characterization of women, from the shy, introverted, scholarly, tortured Safia, to her more outgoing adoptive sister, Lady Kara, who is equally tortured, to the seriously twisted villain character (a major spoiler) if you haven't read the book, and then there are the mysterious women of the Ubar descent who trace their origins back to the Queen of Sheba. Although I thought that Lady Kara could have been more fleshed out, I think overall Rollins did a great job of rounding out this book with incredible women. 3)Painter Crowe and Omaha Dunn surprise you, because they are a lot more emotional than I would expect tough guy action heroes to be. Painter actually gets choked up a few times.
And I loved the image of him running around in his boxers. (I'm a bit boy crazy, I freely admit) I like a man who can be free with his emotions.
Omaha is in the Indiana Jones vein, but with a soft-hearted depth that Jones doesn't quite show with women; he's never fallen out of love with Safia, even with the bad mistakes he made. That's another plus with this novel that Rollins is unafraid to stray from gender conventions, and dare I say, stereotypes. 4)Going back to point 1, (forgive me, it's almost four am, and my brain is muzzy), I like that Rollins does his research to write a story that is about the possible and the plausible. I loved the fact that he built this imaginative science/fantastical adventure on a foundation of real life facts. 5)The action in this book is hot and heavy. When I said it was detailed in the science facts, don't let that scare you away. Porsche Serial Number Search.
Rollins doesn't let his readers down when it comes to things blowing up, characters in serious jeopardy, and yes, violent, gruesome deaths. Nothing gratuitous mind you. If you like all the hardware and high tech action meeting the ancient treasure hunting motif, you'll be a happy camper with this novel. Wrapping my wobbly thoughts together, I thought this would just be a four star novel because of the fact it took a while to get into the book.
However, I have talked myself into a higher rating during this review, actually as I read the incredible imagery in this book at its climax. I was mentally reading with my mouth wide open. A guy who can write with this kind of depth and imagination is a man I want to read more of. I have to give this book 4.5 stars at the minimum.
Highly recommended! This is the first of James Rollins's 'Sigma Force' novels. This is different than most of the books that are in my book list, quite different in some cases. It's basically an action movie in book form, but it's a good one, like Indiana Jones style. And Rollins seems to know that it's that kind of adventure. One of the characters is referred to as 'Indiana Jones' occasionally.
It's the kind of humor I like in books, the wink to the audience that everything is kind tounge in cheek. But even with it This is the first of James Rollins's 'Sigma Force' novels. This is different than most of the books that are in my book list, quite different in some cases. It's basically an action movie in book form, but it's a good one, like Indiana Jones style. And Rollins seems to know that it's that kind of adventure. One of the characters is referred to as 'Indiana Jones' occasionally. It's the kind of humor I like in books, the wink to the audience that everything is kind tounge in cheek.
But even with it being not in the same class of book as Hitchhiker's Guide or Lost In A Good Book, it's a lot of fun. I usually read one of these after I've read something by George R.R.
Martin, because I know that it's going to be fast paced and fun with action, explosions, humor and completely ridiculous science. And that's one of the things I like about the Sigma Force novels, there's always a scientific reason behind everything, and it looks like James Rollins actually does a lot of research into these subjects. It may not always be totally believeable, but I enjoyed Jurasic Park and I doubt I'd actually enjoy being chased by dinosaurs across a tropical island. Er, that means that it's good enough for me.
Not nearly as good as I expected., I read & loved Map of Bones, Rollins most recent release, so I picked up this book thinking it would be just as good. I moved backwards to this predecessor because I had not heard of Rollins before.
I cannot start a book & not finish it & I don't like to read more than one book at a time; personal quirks I live with. Usually I read a book a week, because I usually find good reads based on reviews, research & sales. There was nothing to Not nearly as good as I expected., I read & loved Map of Bones, Rollins most recent release, so I picked up this book thinking it would be just as good.
I moved backwards to this predecessor because I had not heard of Rollins before. I cannot start a book & not finish it & I don't like to read more than one book at a time; personal quirks I live with. Usually I read a book a week, because I usually find good reads based on reviews, research & sales.
There was nothing to suggest that I wouldn't like this. Reviews of the book were good, sales were good, & the story seemed enthralling.
My formula did not work. This was a month long marathon of torture.
I felt like I was back in high school or college reading a book that I hated but had to read to complete a report or take a test to pass the course. What a disaster of a novel. The book is over 500 pages long for 1 very simple reason: this guy can drag out the description of a piece of dirt for at least a page. It would also appear that Rollins pulled out a thesaurus the day he started writing this book, picked out five to ten words that are not often used in conversation, & regurgitated those five to ten words over and over again. The Island By Athol Fugard Pdf To Jpg. I don't know. The story and the facts supporting it are promising, intriguing.
It involves anti-matter (yes, the same stuff in 'Angels & Demons'), the lost city of Ubar (the queen of Sheba and the Garden of Eden), & the potential for world domination based on some long-buried secret. A good formula for a scientific & historical thriller. To top it off, Rollins attempts to add a love story (you could call it a love triangle) to this train wreck of a novel, which only further bogs down the story.
Some of the characters (described in full as if they will be a major player) exist for no apparent reason other than to add a line of dialogue, and the dialogue is bad throughout. One character, who appears in the first chapter & is described with enough detail that you can assume he will be a key character, never returns. It's a muddled mess. The main characters are unemotional & unresponsive, almost lifeless, considering that they are facing life-and-death situations. The dialogue is ridiculous: calm conversations about scientific realities & falsehoods in the midst of a gunfight taking place under the so-called sand-storm of the century; attempted witty banter between two characters that have not had an ounce of chemistry; run-on, endless dialogue about scientific facts without a pause or interruption.
I was thoroughly disappointed in this book & I won't be reading any of Rollins' earlier works. I may attempt the follow up to 'Map of Bones', if one is released. Maybe that was the turning point for Rollins, the place where he found his writing niche. I'm not sure if I will, but I might. I am sure that there are many people who truly enjoyed this novel, but I found it to be trite & cliche, a drudgery.
I hope anyone who buys this book enjoys it, I just want to let you know that you may want to think twice before believing the great reviews. For the sake of relativity, I will provide a list of some of my favorite books in this genre so you can decide whether or not my opinion matters to you: The Last Templar by Khoury, The Third Secret & The Romanov Prophecy by Berry, Obsessed by Dekker, Brethren by Young, Labyrinth by Mosse, and The First Horseman & The Genesis Code by Case. Here's the thing about James Rollins - his books are utterly predictable and he is just unable to create any type of suspense or intrigue. I've read multiple Rollins books and they are all pretty much the same.
They are the epitome of the books that you see on endcaps at your local pharmacy or grocery store and that's about the type of reading level they are as well. I just can't read any more of his novels. This one was another disappointment - a wannabe Michael Crichton/Clive Cussler type of s Here's the thing about James Rollins - his books are utterly predictable and he is just unable to create any type of suspense or intrigue. I've read multiple Rollins books and they are all pretty much the same. They are the epitome of the books that you see on endcaps at your local pharmacy or grocery store and that's about the type of reading level they are as well. I just can't read any more of his novels.
This one was another disappointment - a wannabe Michael Crichton/Clive Cussler type of story but nowhere near the skill to pull it off the way that thoose two excellent authors can. I'm sure this will rub some the wrong way because his books sell millions and millions of copies (see Dan Brown), but I have to be honest. This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, This is one of those stories I felt that I should’ve liked, but didn’t.
The plot needed some editing – it reached the part I felt should’ve been the exciting climax and then kept going, building to the level of absurdity – and then the characters killed it. I liked Safia for all of about one page after she was introduced, after which my opinion of her started to wane. After a chapter of her, I was sincerely hoping she’d get killed off, so I was very disappointed to learn that not only would she n This is one of those stories I felt that I should’ve liked, but didn’t.
The plot needed some editing – it reached the part I felt should’ve been the exciting climax and then kept going, building to the level of absurdity – and then the characters killed it. I liked Safia for all of about one page after she was introduced, after which my opinion of her started to wane. After a chapter of her, I was sincerely hoping she’d get killed off, so I was very disappointed to learn that not only would she not get killed off, but that she was crucial to the story. All of the characters make observations about how “strong” Safia is, which is interesting, since I never saw Safia being strong. In fact, if it wasn’t for the other characters beating me over the head with how strong and admirable Safia was, I would’ve pegged her as being kinda pathetic, seeing as how she kept having panic attacks and angsting over her not-so-terrible terrible past. I kinda liked Painter Crowe, up until his infatuation with Safia, at which point I started to lose some respect for him.
Then later in the book there was some terrible line about how Safia’s wonderful, womanly vulnerability called out the man in him and I very nearly stopped reading. The first Sigma Force Novel. A freak explosion in the Meuseum of Natural History in London sets off a chain reaction of events. A race to find out what caused the explosion and find the source begins, with deadly consequences for the civilized world.
Painter Crow, hardened CIA operative takes a job at DARPA in the newly organized 'Sigma Force.' Their first mission takes them into the scalding Saudi desert in search of the unknown. The answers may be older than Christ and rooted in obscure script The first Sigma Force Novel. A freak explosion in the Meuseum of Natural History in London sets off a chain reaction of events. A race to find out what caused the explosion and find the source begins, with deadly consequences for the civilized world.
Painter Crow, hardened CIA operative takes a job at DARPA in the newly organized 'Sigma Force.' Their first mission takes them into the scalding Saudi desert in search of the unknown. The answers may be older than Christ and rooted in obscure scripture from the Old Testament and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the truth could shake the pillars of Christianity itself. Fun charachters. I Found Painter Crow 'Hard around the edges' but in a way that I liked. In the finest tradion of Action Adventure, Rollins starts fast and ends at a crazy fast pace. I've read the entire Sigma force series (well listened to the audio books for some) and this is another just plain fun read.
And just when you think this is all too good to be believed, James Rollins comes out after the story and tells you what he invented and what really exists, along with references. You would be amazed at what we can do these days. Yahhhhh loved it, 4* read, t'rrific Harry!:) It's all there, has the right formulae for a good read & glad I finally got around to this series. Starts with a BANG, a mystery evolves, scientists & government agencies come to the fore as the lead protagonists, many with obvious sterotypical flaws which is all good fun, a nemesis comes into the fray. You'll see, there's a few good scientific leaps which are kinda viable if not plausible, there's the Oh yeah that Yahhhhh loved it, 4* read, t'rrific Harry!:) It's all there, has the right formulae for a good read & glad I finally got around to this series.
Starts with a BANG, a mystery evolves, scientists & government agencies come to the fore as the lead protagonists, many with obvious sterotypical flaws which is all good fun, a nemesis comes into the fray. You'll see, there's a few good scientific leaps which are kinda viable if not plausible, there's the Oh yeah thats clever alright moment which bridges the story nicely & it finishes with a.! There's even an Indiana Jones style character called.wait for it. Moments of tongue in cheek & recommend to all who've not come across this series before, will be adding Sigma 2 to my trl.
Simply put, I love this guy's work. Less 'bromantic' than Clive Cussler and more accessible than Micheal Crichton, both of whom I do enjoy, his tales are just fun, adventurous, and often educational. I wanted to read the Sigma Force books in order, so it took me a while until I could track down the first in the series - and I wasn't disappointed.
With any literature of this type, you have to be able to muster up a certain suspension of belief. Sigma Force, in itself, is a wild concept - scientist Simply put, I love this guy's work. Less 'bromantic' than Clive Cussler and more accessible than Micheal Crichton, both of whom I do enjoy, his tales are just fun, adventurous, and often educational. I wanted to read the Sigma Force books in order, so it took me a while until I could track down the first in the series - and I wasn't disappointed. With any literature of this type, you have to be able to muster up a certain suspension of belief. Sigma Force, in itself, is a wild concept - scientist soldiers running around acquiring deadly tech for DARPA. We're not even going to get into the near meta-physics that pop up in every book.
The thing is. None of that matters. You don't read these books looking for an accurate portrayal of our impact in socio-economic politics - you read these books for sexy spies, crazy weapons, secret societies, and stuff blowing up!
And oh, oh does Rollins give it to us. So yes, I'm hooked. Painter Crowe and the whole crew are awesome.
I think I'm on the 4th book now. And seriously. Gray Pierce would beat 'The DaVinci Code's' Robert Langdon into a stain with one fist.
This is essentially exactly what I've been looking for: a smart action-adventure techno-thriller with interesting characters (and heroes I cared enough about to fully root for - unlike Robert Langdon, Jack Reacher, Dirk Pitt, Pike Logan, Mitch Rapp, and the rest to date), involving ancient mysteries, theoretical science, and a splash of the supernatural. Indiana Jones and the Uncharted games were my baseline for the kind of story I was in the mood to read. It was fairly hard to lock down that sp This is essentially exactly what I've been looking for: a smart action-adventure techno-thriller with interesting characters (and heroes I cared enough about to fully root for - unlike Robert Langdon, Jack Reacher, Dirk Pitt, Pike Logan, Mitch Rapp, and the rest to date), involving ancient mysteries, theoretical science, and a splash of the supernatural. Indiana Jones and the Uncharted games were my baseline for the kind of story I was in the mood to read. It was fairly hard to lock down that specific sub-genre, considering most books of that type would be filed under 'thriller' or 'pulp', both of which cover a wide variety of more specific genres of fiction.
But with Sandstorm, I think I found it. In fact, Sandstorm and Raiders of the Lost Ark have quite a bit in common, from the 'mirror image' bad guy, to the shady evil organization, to the archeological arms race, to the various artifact plot coupons, to the desert setting and the similar religious sites that the action flows through, to the dramatic and epic climax. Sandstorm's similarity with the video game Uncharted 3 is even more clear, as they both focus on finding the lost city of Ubar. Raiders, UC3, and Sandstorm are all part of their respective series, and Sandstorm is notable for being the first of Rollins' Sigma Force series.
Sandstorm has several main characters, but primarily follows Doctor Painter Crowe, team leader within DARPA's technology-focused special forces team dubbed Sigma Force, as he works with an independent team of archeological experts and financiers to race against a ruthless former Sigma teammate to secure a potential mass destruction weapon hidden in the lost city of Ubar. The characters and their relationships were well fleshed out for this kind of story, and I was pretty impressed with scientific explanations behind the puzzles and spectacles that came at a satisfying pace. Lots of action, gunplay, some decent bad guys, and a crescendo of an ending that did its job and is propelling me to the next in the series.
I had a couple of relatively minor issues with the romantic subplot (which I largely enjoyed) and the lack of real humor, but these paled next to the overall race to Ubar. I don't usually read thrillers.
OK, I did read 'The Da Vinci Code' along with 12 million other people. And I enjoyed reading it, just because I wanted to know what happened next. In retrospect, it's pretty silly.
Anyway, I read an interview of James Rollins in a recent writing magazine ('The Writer') and was intrigued by the protagonists in a series he writes. The Sigma Force is a team of special operatives who are also scientists. Rollins calls them 'scientists with guns.' Anyway, I downloaded I don't usually read thrillers. OK, I did read 'The Da Vinci Code' along with 12 million other people. And I enjoyed reading it, just because I wanted to know what happened next. In retrospect, it's pretty silly.
Anyway, I read an interview of James Rollins in a recent writing magazine ('The Writer') and was intrigued by the protagonists in a series he writes. The Sigma Force is a team of special operatives who are also scientists. Rollins calls them 'scientists with guns.' Anyway, I downloaded 'Sandstorm,' the first book in the series onto my Kindle for $3.49 today and got totally sucked into the story. It started with ball lightning in the British Museum and a big explosion and went on from there.
Fast-paced is an understatement. Very plot-driven, but engaging characters. Plus some legitimate science underpinnings: buckeyballs and antimatter. Thoroughly enjoyed the book, even the underground city of glass part.
Definitely light reading, but still a fun read. I've already downloaded the next three books in the series onto my Kindle. I've been reading a lot of science and academic books recently, so this was an enjoyable break. It's 4 stars for action, adventure, and the historical/mythological fun.
3 stars for the writing. 'Once again, she was surprised by his astute intuitiveness' And how many wells are there? Well of strength, well of grief, well of loss, well of strength and vulnerability, well of ice, well of water, well of corruption, well of warm feelings, well of deeper emotion. Seriously, that's even worse than I thought!
I believe these things were a bit more jarring because I was listening to the 3.5 stars. It's 4 stars for action, adventure, and the historical/mythological fun. 3 stars for the writing. 'Once again, she was surprised by his astute intuitiveness' And how many wells are there? Well of strength, well of grief, well of loss, well of strength and vulnerability, well of ice, well of water, well of corruption, well of warm feelings, well of deeper emotion. Seriously, that's even worse than I thought!
I believe these things were a bit more jarring because I was listening to the audio. Nonetheless, I fully intend to read and most likely listen to the next.
The story itself was a hell of a lot of fun. For action adventure with Arabian and biblical mythology, along with more than one kick ass fight scene, you really can't do much better. 2/12/2016 3 stars.
The last time I read this, it took me almost a week to get through it, and it felt like it was never going to end. This time, for some baffling reason, I sped through its nearly 600 pages in less than 48 hours. And the faster reading time definitely made it a more enjoyable read for me. Other than that, everything I said last time still stands. I used to really love James Rollins' books. They're still enjoyable, yes, but I'm not enjoying them nearly as much 2/12/2016 3 stars.
The last time I read this, it took me almost a week to get through it, and it felt like it was never going to end. This time, for some baffling reason, I sped through its nearly 600 pages in less than 48 hours. And the faster reading time definitely made it a more enjoyable read for me. Other than that, everything I said last time still stands. I used to really love James Rollins' books.
They're still enjoyable, yes, but I'm not enjoying them nearly as much on reread as I did in the past. They just seem to drag on forever, and I can never fully get into the story. Anyway, this is.fine, I guess?
It's a pretty cool concept for a story, and I liked the science behind it. And I like Painter Crowe. He's a pretty fabulous character. But I wasn't really a big fan of the rest of the characters, and adding in the unrequited insta-love Painter felt for Safia was more than a little ridiculous and totally unnecessary. It didn't add anything to his character, and it served only to boost tension between Painter and Omaha (can we stop with the ridiculous names already OMG). In short, it started out brilliantly, and the settings throughout were very cool.
But the characters weren't great, and the plot dragged on for longer than it had to. But with the storyline here, it should be FUN as well, and it really wasn't. I don't read a lot of pure Action/Adventure books. Usually I read science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and horror stories with a fair amount of action and adventure in them. But straight up Action/Adventure? In fact, I had to create an Action/Adventure bookshelf in my Goodreads app just for this book and others that may follow. In this first installment of the Sigma Force series, Painter Crowe takes on a mission that takes him from London to the Arabian Dessert.
His task is threefold: I don't read a lot of pure Action/Adventure books. Usually I read science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, and horror stories with a fair amount of action and adventure in them. But straight up Action/Adventure? In fact, I had to create an Action/Adventure bookshelf in my Goodreads app just for this book and others that may follow.
In this first installment of the Sigma Force series, Painter Crowe takes on a mission that takes him from London to the Arabian Dessert. His task is threefold: outwit his former partner turned enemy, insert himself and his new partner into the lives of a museum curator and her entourage, and to find what the US government believes to be a stable form of antimatter. This book reminded me of movies like Sahara, Indiana Jones, The DaVinci Code, and National Treasure. Each of these stories had a historical artifact at it's center. So, too, does Sandstorm.
In this case, the mystery centers on the legend surrounding the Queen of Sheba. I enjoyed this enough that I'm glad I made an impulse decision to buy the first three books in this series when they were on sale. I will definitely pick up the next one very soon!
Much of what is in the blurb is what I was going to describe in this review so I will try to be brief. Aside from a couple of far fetched incidents during gunfights and wounds, most of the physics, chemistry, cities and tribes described in this story are factual.
However, the ‘underground city’ is not. However, the way Rollins blended his facts and fiction make is seem real and adventurous throughout. I love reading about archaeological digs in books when they are coupled with imagination and fi Much of what is in the blurb is what I was going to describe in this review so I will try to be brief. Aside from a couple of far fetched incidents during gunfights and wounds, most of the physics, chemistry, cities and tribes described in this story are factual. However, the ‘underground city’ is not.
However, the way Rollins blended his facts and fiction make is seem real and adventurous throughout. I love reading about archaeological digs in books when they are coupled with imagination and fictional characters and yes, I loved watching Indiana Jones. The characters are plenty and full of diverse personalities.
Sigma, being protagonist Painter Crowe and his partner Coral were exciting to visualize while they struggled to save not only Dr. Safia al-Maaz but all of Arabia and it’s surrounding cities from a catastrophe. It was when Cassandra Sanchez, who betrayed Painter, and was a secret spy for an evil society group called the Guild, was miraculously able to obtain all her weapons, commandos and vehicles fruitfully supplied and promptly distributed on site, by the Minister, that I had to roll my eyes a bit and say “Okay, enough is enough, Rollins, you’re not playing fair here”. Painter Crowe had only his partner and no outside support, odds were definitely against them.
Safia, Kara’s adopted sister, are very close and I liked that about the two. Especially when secrets were revealed toward the end. Kara’s dad sure had a few. Supporting characters, Omaha Dunn, Clay, and Danny (Omaha’s brother), were terrific! Placed just right, with a little bit of immaturity and humor to make the book that much more exciting and fun to read. The suspense was slow throughout the entire book and built up momentum in a few places that had me on the edge of my seat, but it was not an intense read. Lots of action and enough cloak and dagger stuff to keep you reading.
I think I liked the setting the most because it was smack in the middle of desert terrain with lots of sand and dunes to imagine and play with. I sometimes actually felt like I was in the desert with them all. Rollins did his homework thoroughly enough for me to become curious to the point that I had to look up these cities and terrains on maps and study them a bit. The physics was believable but not exciting enough for me to go researching it. Rollins did it for me.
A great, fun and adventurous read with moderate action, plenty of dialogue and a hot, sandy, dry dry setting. I say come search for the treasure with them, you won’t be disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, action-packed thriller/adventure novel that is the first in his series of the SIGMA Force and Painter Crowe.
This one begins with an explosion of an antiquities collection of a London museum. Lady Kara Kensington's family paid to found the gallery that is now in ruins. In search of answers, she and her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's curator, embark on a quest to Ubar, a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. But these two women and their guide, Dr. I thoroughly enjoyed this fast paced, action-packed thriller/adventure novel that is the first in his series of the SIGMA Force and Painter Crowe.
This one begins with an explosion of an antiquities collection of a London museum. Lady Kara Kensington's family paid to found the gallery that is now in ruins. In search of answers, she and her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's curator, embark on a quest to Ubar, a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert. But these two women and their guide, Dr. Omaha Dunn, are not the only ones in search of answers; 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 whose trail is pointing right toward Ubar. I love how Rollins seamlessly blends facts with fiction, and creates a highly entertaining and engaging story.
Perhaps some of his plot devices are a bit difficult to chew, but if you’re a fan of Indiana Jones, or a reader of Clive Cussler or Micheal Crichton, I think you’d enjoy this tale of adventure. Like I said, I always enjoy Rollins books, and I will certainly be reading more in the future. There are so many series to follow that I guess I require a writer to hit the ground running from the first book.no second chances. At a bare minimum I expect the author to do a bit of homework when he sets a scene and not present something which is totally inane and illogical. Don't get me wrong.I love the imagination of a Clive Cussler, but don't suspend the laws of physics, redefine geopolitics and rearrange geography into the process!
Here's how the author introduces the Indiana Jones ty There are so many series to follow that I guess I require a writer to hit the ground running from the first book.no second chances. At a bare minimum I expect the author to do a bit of homework when he sets a scene and not present something which is totally inane and illogical. Don't get me wrong.I love the imagination of a Clive Cussler, but don't suspend the laws of physics, redefine geopolitics and rearrange geography into the process! Here's how the author introduces the Indiana Jones type main character: 1. The girl protagonist phones him on her cell from London and gets him on a boat in the Three Gorges area of Sichuan, China. IJ is in a New Zealand jet boat which he somehow was able to get into China. IJ has just stolen some dinosaur eggs from the Gobi Desert -- forget the fact that the Gobi is half a country away from the Three Gorges.
IJ is in a heap of trouble so, (and this one made me laugh and throw the book away!) she (basically a museum wallah!) sends a helicopter into the middle of China to rescue him. This isn't a book for adults.maybe for pre-teens. When reading this I didn't realize it was the first in the series, as I have read a couple others but that certainly explains a few things. A freak lightning storm causes an explosion at a London museum which in turns sends all kinds of people racing to the Omani desert in search of the lost city of Ubar. You have a few DARPA representatives (Painter Crowe and Coral Novak), a Guild operative (Cassandra Sanchez), a millionaire with ties to Oman, the museum curator born in Oman, a few archeologist When reading this I didn't realize it was the first in the series, as I have read a couple others but that certainly explains a few things. A freak lightning storm causes an explosion at a London museum which in turns sends all kinds of people racing to the Omani desert in search of the lost city of Ubar. You have a few DARPA representatives (Painter Crowe and Coral Novak), a Guild operative (Cassandra Sanchez), a millionaire with ties to Oman, the museum curator born in Oman, a few archeologists (a la Indiana Jones) and a mysterious frenemy.
All working against each other to claim the ultimate prize. The pacing is excellent with plenty of action and adventure along with biblical legends and science. Oh and lets not forget technology and lots and lots of weapons. Oh sure you have your unbelievable aspects but when reading something of this nature, you really do just have to throw reality out the window. This is a terrific start to the Sigma Force series and a truly enjoyable read.