It was originally serialised in The Windsor Magazine : An Illustrated Monthly for Men and Women over 8 issues in 1896, and in The Argus newspaper in Melbourne before it was then published in book form in the United Kingdom by Ward, Lock and Bowden in the same year.

[1] "In Dr. Nikola the doctor and one Wilfred Bruce, a young Australian, go through a series of 'hair-raising' adventures in their endeavour to get to a certain Buddhist monastery in the heart of China.

[6] A reviewer in The Herald in Melbourne was quite taken with the novel: "One thing is certain, that the man who takes up Doctor Nikola to read as a 'time passer,' will not readily put it down again.

There is, doubtless, in the general style of the author, especially in the descriptive portions of the narrative, a touch of Rider Haggard's peculiarities, but there is neither plagiarism nor copyism.

"[7] Similarly the reviewer in the Australian Town and Country Journal: "For adventure and marvel, such as are now so largely in demand, the tale is not easily to be surpassed, and is told with the simple directness of style that Mr. Boothby effectively employs to give an air of reality to his wildest imaginings.