Hermux Tantamoq, a mild mannered watchmaker, is in hot water. His friend, Merin Stentrill, is having an exhibit of her new paintings. It isn’t the exhibit itself, but the subject matter of the art — CATS!

It doesn’t matter the Pinchester Museum is putting it on. It is the fact that the citizenry of Pinchester are rodents! Besides, it is well known that cats are a myth.

During this time, an old chipmunk shows up looking for Hermux’s father. The chipmunk had made a discovery many years ago, and his research has verified it is real. He wants to discuss it with his old friend, Hermux’s father. Instead, he has to settle for Hermux, as Hermux’s father has been dead for a time.

Hermux finds himself on an adventure to locate the location the old chipmunk had found. The catch is to locate the place before another group does. ( )

A nice straightforward adventure. The prose is a little simple and repetitive, but the heroes are so appealing (and the villains so much fun to root against) that I didn't really mind. I'm looking forward to more escapades with Hermux and his friends. ( )

Could have been a cute story (mouse investigates the mythical creature called "cat"; adventures ensue), but it was really disjointed. A lot of references to the previous book (which I didn't read) that seemed unnecessary and didn't add anything to this particular story. I actually skimmed about 3/4 of the book just to get it finished and I don't think I missed anything. Could be a good one for kids just learning to read longer books on their own (chapters are only a few pages long), but I don't think it's one that would entertain parents reading to kids, or adults reading on their own. ( )

The Sands of Time is the second of four books in Michael Hoeye’s “Hermux Tantamoq Adventure” series, and contains the best story of the lot. It tells of Hermux Tantamoq, a mouse who is also a skilled watchmaker. A mysterious chipmunk appears in his shop one afternoon, and needs his help and mechanical skills to uncover the secrets of a lost civilization of cats, which is buried in a desert canyon. Unfortunately, dangerous “mouse supremacists” are determined to stop them, since their discoveries might reveal some truths about mouse history that could threaten the social order. Hoeye’s quirky and satirical sense of humor pervades the book, which is full of uproarious characters like cosmetics magnate Tucka Mertslin, who wears a dress made of live flies. ( )