A mysterious explosion at the British Museum in the heart of London sparks of an extraordinary chain of events upon which rests the fate of the world. Dr. Safia Al-Maaz, curator of the destroyed Arabian wing, and Lady Kara Kensington, sponsor of that gallery, are both devastated at the destruction. While Safia mourns the senseless loss of historical artifacts, Kara hopes her experts sifting through the rubble will find in the blast, a reason for her beloved father’s inexplicable disappearance in the Omani desert.

Painter Crowe arrives at the scene ostensibly to do research, but in reality he’s a member of a secret American government organization which wants to locate, and if possible contain, the allegedly incredible source of the powerful explosion. The answer to all their questions lies in the desert land of Oman and the legendary city of Ubar, which disappeared in the sands countless eons ago. With a colossal storm system approaching, both the good guys and the bad converge upon this arid terrain, and it’s a race against time to discover what could potentially annihilate this planet.

Like always, this James Rollins action-adventure story is richly visualized and mind-boggling in intensity. Rollins adroitly integrates authentic scientific facts with imaginative fictional scenarios. The tightly-woven and ingenious plot has the best in historical legends along with enough action, chase sequences, a journey across continents and time, and modern technology to give a Hollywood movie feel to the story, thus keeping the readers engrossed and turning the pages. Even the characters are unforgettable, conflicted and determined as they are. A love triangle, touches of paranormal and almost unbearable suspense further enhance this cliffhanger, elevating Sandstorm from merely riveting to the unforgettable.