First off, Ted Dekker is not qualified to write this novel. He is neither an expert in physics nor an expert in Saudi Arabia. It was almost insulting that he puts on the front of having deep insight into either. Second, the use of seeing the future as a plot device felt like a huge cop out. Dekker takes the supposedly smartest man in the world and instead of using his intellect, he uses magic to get out of the random sticky situations he finds himself in. Don't get me wrong, there is a place for magic in literature... It just belongs in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. The main character Seth is certainly no Kwisatz Haderach who can be many places at once. On a final note, the religious message of this book feels completely forced. The characters practically sit down and take a break to shove Dekker's religious views about Islam and Christianity down our throats. Now I don't mind religion in books, but Dekker doesn't even try to blend it into the story as thematic or symbolic elements.

Sure this book is a fast paced page turner, but that doesn't excuse it's many flaws. The 'story', while unbelievable is somewhat intriguing. But eventually I just got tired of checking my brain at the door, and no amount of story was going to make the book worth the time.