A talky, ponderous, philosophical novel about an incomprehensible alien entity that is somehow supremely dangerous. There were so many things here that did not work for me: the egregious stereotypes, the tell-don't-show approach to everything from emotions to plot points, the annoying naïvete of the main characters, and a central conceit that ultimately did not resonate with me at all. I couldn't find any depth in the mysticism either. Honestly, this felt like the story of an experimental LARP or a low-budget and not particularly good Twilight Zone episode. I didn't really hate the story as much as I was utterly unmoved and uninvested.