fɪˈoʊnə kˈɛlɛɡən ɡˈeɪv ðə nˈɑːvəl ɐ ɹˈeɪv ɹᵻvjˈuː ɪnðə wˈɑːʃɪŋtən pˈoʊst, sˈeɪɪŋ ðæt dʒˈɛnsən ɹˈaɪts "kˈɑːnfɪdəntli ænd ɛnθɹˈɔːlɪŋli" ænd ðætðə nˈɑːvəl "dɪzˈɜːvz tə tˈeɪk ɪts plˈeɪs...ɪn ɐ hjˈuːɡoʊ nˌɑːmᵻnˈeɪʃən lˈaɪnˈʌp": "bˈeɪb sˈaɪəntɪst dʒˈɪl tˈælkɑːt ænd hɜː dᵻlˈaɪtfəl lˈæb ɐsˈɪstənt nˈeɪt stˈʌmbəl ˌɑːntʊ ɐn ᵻkwˈeɪʒən wɪð lˈɪɾɚɹəli wˈɜːldʃˈeɪkɪŋ ˌɪmplɪkˈeɪʃənz, ænd ðɛɹ ˌʌnɛkspˈɛktᵻd ɐlˈaɪəns wɪð ɐ plˈeɪbɔɪ tˈæblɔɪd dʒˈɜːnəlˌɪst ænd ɐn ˈɔːɹθədˌɑːks ɹˈæbaɪ ɛndˈeɪndʒɚz ˈɔːl fˈoːɹ ænd ðɛɹ mˈɜːdɚɹəs dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv dᵻfˈɛns pɚsˈuːɚ.
Fiona Kelleghan gave the novel a rave review in The Washington Post, saying that Jensen writes "confidently and enthrallingly" and that the novel "deserves to take its place...in a Hugo nomination line-up": "Babe scientist Jill Talcott and her delightful lab assistant Nate stumble onto an equation with literally world-shaking implications, and their unexpected alliance with a playboy tabloid journalist and an Orthodox rabbi endangers all four and their murderous Department of Defense pursuer.