Sands of Time by Sydney Sheldon keeps you hooked till the end despite obvious flaws and loopholes in the plot. Based in the backdrop of Spanish Civil war between the Basques and the Spanish government, 'Sands of Time' is a story of Jaime Miro, a legendary, fearless and most-wanted terrorist, fighting for the rights of the Basque people against the authorities. The Spanish Prime Minister is on a hunt for Miro, and has deployed Colonel Acoca to bring Miro to justice for his crimes against the state. The story thus becomes a game of chess between Miro and Acoca as both try to out think and outdo each other leading to a number of exciting events.
'Sands of Time' opens with a sensational scene at the traditional Bull run festival in Pampalona, where Jaime Miro, hero and freedom fighter to the Basque people is about to carry out a stunning operation to free his mates from the prison cell. This grand scene sets the tone of the novel and is one of the real high points in a story where there are also a few lows.
Jaime Miro and his fellow terrorists must leave the country to escape the Spanish Government. However, even as they plan their escape they are joined by 4 nuns, who had fled from the convent when Col. Acoca had raided it in search of the escaped prisoners/terrorists. This leads to a number of interesting situations as the lives of the sisters intermingle with those of the terrorists, and are changed forever. What makes this transformation interesting is the back story of each of the nuns. They all have chequered pasts and the convent for them was a place of solace and shelter from their miserable lives. But, as they are forced back into the real world they must face their demons again. This conflict could have actually made for an interesting sub-plot but sadly the author fails in doing justice to this aspect of the story. As a result it comes across as superfluous and a mere plot device to add erotic and romantic moments to the plot. Though to be honest, one of the nuns actually plays a critical part in the novel, the others more or less serve the aforementioned purpose.There are also a few other situations that just don't seem plausible. There's one in the end concerning Jaime Miro that is simply too far fetched to believe. All these loopholes weaken the story, making it an average story that promised much better things in the beginning.
Although enjoyable to read and gripping at times, the Sands of Time never manages to rise above the average due to its flaws.
