Book 8 - Sandstorm

Sandstorm (Sigma Force Novels) by James Rollins is fantastic read packed with suspense and action. Painter Crowe, former Special Forces, is part of an elite DOD group protecting cutting edge technology. Minutes after discovering that his partner is a traitor, he is picked up and dispatched to the British Museum in London to investigate a recent explosion in the north wing of an ancient artifact believed to contain antimatter. He and his new partner save Safia al-Maaz, the curator, from a ruthless group of attackers seeking to steal an iron heart discovered after the explosion in a broken sand sculpture from the lost city of Ubar. The Americans, hoping to find and secure a source of antimatter, then join Lady Kensington and Safia on an expedition to Oman with the added expertise of Omaha Dunn, and Indiana Jones type archaeologist, and an elite group of Omani special forces for protection; but they are up against a well-funded group of ruthless mercenaries with inside information and an approaching mega sandstorm. They must find the secret of the city of Ubar before time runs out.

The first book in Rollin's Sigma Force series, Sandstorm was excellently written. Some reviewers have complained that the plot is unrealistic because of the antimatter and the rather unique guardians of the city, but I though Rollins did an excellent job of making all the pieces sound plausible and consider it an excellent piece of fiction. I will definitely be reading the remaining books in the series over the course of the year as I get a chance. I would recommend it for ages 16 and up.