I found myself gobbling up this novel. Mostly I think because I wanted to see if anything relates to engineers or aliens. But there was nothing. I suspect that it was ADF's intention to make the nightmares of the prophet be transmitted by engineers, but Fox probably did not permit that. (Just my conjecture of course). As such, the story falls rather flat.
Mind you the world building and the sheer pace of action redeems the whole thing. Yes perhaps ADF jumped the shark with exploding cattle, but as a whole this was the best depiction of earth in the time of the alien universe we've seen this far... felt very Bladerunner. Even more so after seeing BR49.
