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Sandstorm by James Rollins
An ancient secret buried beneath desert sands ignites a race across the globe, where science, myth, and ruthless enemies collide. Breakneck action and high-stakes puzzles power every page. Sandstorm delivers a lightning-fast adventure you won’t want to set down.
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In Sandstorm, did you enjoy ...
... the booby-trapped, race-against-the-clock hunt for a world-changing ancient secret?
Seven Deadly Wonders by Matthew Reilly
If you loved how the British Museum explosion hurled Safia al‑Maaz, Painter Crowe, Kara Kensington, and Omaha Dunn into a frenetic chase to Ubar, you’ll click with Jack West Jr.’s sprint to reassemble a legendary artifact before a hard deadline. Like the desert ambushes and trap-laden chambers beneath the Rub’ al Khali in Sandstorm, Reilly throws you into set pieces packed with ingenious ancient defenses—think collapsing ziggurats, sun-driven mechanisms, and deadly puzzles—while rival powers close in.
... an investigation that begins with a museum catastrophe and unspools into code‑breaking and buried orders?
The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
The way Sandstorm kicks off with the British Museum disaster and spirals into decoding clues tied to Ubar and the Guild maps perfectly onto this one’s opening: armored horsemen storm the Met and steal a mysterious device. Archaeologist Tess Chaykin and FBI agent Sean Reilly chase Templar ciphers across continents, mirroring Safia and Painter’s trail of artifacts, secret manuscripts, and shadowy adversaries.
... smart, capable women driving an archaeological expedition into a deadly lost city?
Thunderhead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
If Safia al‑Maaz’s leadership and Kara Kensington’s steel were your highlights in Sandstorm, you’ll appreciate archaeologist Nora Kelly leading a perilous trek into the canyons of the Southwest in search of the Anasazi city of Quivira. Like the Ubar descent—booby traps, lost knowledge, and betrayal—Nora’s expedition uncovers sealed chambers, ritual remnants, and a ruthless threat determined to claim the discovery first.
... multi‑POV cat‑and‑mouse through Europe as clues peel back a historical conspiracy?
The Templar Legacy by Steve Berry
If you enjoyed how Sandstorm shifts among Painter Crowe, Safia’s team, and the Guild’s operatives, Berry’s globe‑trot with Cotton Malone delivers that same rhythm. You’ll move between Malone, Stephanie Nelle, and the menacing Raymond de Roquefort as coded texts and hidden reliquaries propel a chase through monasteries and archives—echoing the layered perspectives and escalating reveals you liked in the hunt for Ubar.
... rich, desert‑set worldbuilding—from sun‑baked survival details to myths of a lost city?
Sahara by Clive Cussler
If the trek across the Rub’ al Khali, the lore of Ubar, and the sand‑scoured ruins in Sandstorm drew you in, Sahara doubles down on that immersion. Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino navigate Tuareg lands, blistering dunes, and buried mysteries—Civil War ironclads marooned in the desert, toxic rivers, and long‑lost expeditions—capturing the same blend of survival savvy and archaeological awe you enjoyed beneath those shifting sands.
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