The Sands of Time

The Sands of Time - A Thriller Trapped in Slow Motion

Sidney Sheldon's The Sands of Time proves that not all great books translate equally well to the audiobook format. What should have been a pulse-racing thriller became a test of patience, even when cranked up to 1.5x speed.

The story itself is a fast-paced narrative set against the dramatic backdrop of Spanish political unrest, packed with enough twists to keep you engaged. The plot zips along with intrigue, revolutionary tensions, and interconnected character arcs that are classic Sheldon territory. On paper, this would likely be a page-turner that keeps you up well past midnight.

Sheldon's typically dynamic storytelling gets bogged down by a reading style that seems to miss the inherent energy of the narrative. Each dramatic moment, each plot twist that would snap and crackle on the printed page, instead feels like it's wading through molasses.

My advice? Stick to the paper version. This is a book that wants to be devoured quickly, with pages turning rapidly, not parsed out in a slow, methodical audio performance.