A review by teebark
Empires of Sand by David Ball

5.0

An epic story covering two generations and two continents. It starts in 1800's France, with two young boys who narrowly escape death by a wild boar. A passing priest happens on the scene and has the opportunity to have his coach driver shoot the boar before it charges. He orders the driver not to shoot, and the story continues. What? Why would he do that? We find out later, and oh my, is it juicy.

The boys are nephews, connected by a French officer from one side and an expatriate Saharan princess on the other. Their interactions involve a mad nun, a runaway balloon ride, a trip through the catacombs of Paris, and a discovery of illicit sex by one of the parents. After they grow up, we're treated to a dead man's march in the Saharan desert, a Saharan people called Tuaregs, who ambush and massacre a French column, and digging tunnels for water underneath the Sahara desert.

Wild fun--lots of action, violence, sex, betrayal, bravery, and more. And the kicker is at the end of the story--I'll save that as a treat for you to look forward to.