The novel explores themes of power, totalitarianism, ecological threats, and colonialism, critiquing the sociopolitical dynamics of its fictional setting and reflecting Cold War-era Polish perceptions of Africa.

He suggested that the central message becomes obscured by the abundance of narrative threads and characters, making it challenging for readers to follow, and noted dissatisfaction with the conclusion.

[7] Similarly, Miłosz Cybowski characterized the book as both nostalgic and ambitious but found it more flawed than successful, weighed down by dense and verbose dialogue, the unnecessary inclusion of unresolved plotlines, and the author's lack of focus on a primary narrative thread, which he argued left the story feeling directionless.

[8] In Fantastyka socjologiczna: poetyka i myślenie utopijne (2008), Mariusz Maciej Leś wrote that "Boruń's novel is an example of combining investigation and intrigue, with the former predominating".

[5] He observed that the thriller thread quickly takes a back seat, and the book becomes a philosophical "sequence of simulated discussions, masked lectures [where] paranoid knowledge takes the form of scenarios multiplying uncontrollably" (regarding the origin and control of Vortex P, according to various theories, responsibility lies with aliens, demons, corporations, scientists, Western countries (in particular, the CIA), communist countries, Islamic forces, and local authorities and their guerrilla opponents).

[4] The country depicted in the book is largely inspired by South Africa – it is technologically advanced but racist, dominated by whites who exploit the local black population.

The book critiques colonialism, but nonetheless "hope for Africa" comes from external factors – the mysterious vortex, as well as activists from anti-colonial movements and socialist-communist European countries.