It is a song cycle based on a Hungarian folk tale,[6] written largely by Stemple and his Cats Laughing bandmate Steven Brust several years prior to Boiled in Lead's recording.

[11] Bassist Drew Miller called the change in sound a temporary one related to the album's unusual genesis, since the songs had been written six years earlier, before Stemple had joined Boiled in Lead.

[2] Green Man Review writer Robert M. Tilendis called the album "an absolute gem," praising its "strong narrative component.

"[5] National Public Radio's Anne Williams was positive, saying that the album "maintains Boiled in Lead as one of the most innovative world beat bands today.

"[6] A critical review by AllMusic's Roch Parisien praised Brust's "engrossingly poetic, impressionist story" but called the album's technical aspect "a failure of multimedia integration," in that the novel's 17 chapters were presented as "scrollable text only, which also intersperse some 80 song lyric excerpts that you can play from hot buttons.