The novel was republished in January 2015 in anticipation of the upcoming film release, but Punke's role as an ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) prevented him from participating in pre-release publicity.

Publishers Weekly described the novel as "Told in simple expository language, this is a spellbinding tale of heroism and obsessive retribution.

"[2] Similarly, Kirkus Reviews called the novel "A good adventure yarn, with plenty of historical atmosphere and local color.

[5] Jones also described the novel's subtitle "A Novel of Revenge", as misrepresentative, claiming the novel's real plot device "is actually more prosaic: He wants his stuff back.

"[5] A review of the same edition by Library Journal, called the novel "A must-read for fans of Westerns and frontier fiction and recommended for anyone interested in stories that test the limit of how much the human body and spirit can endure.

[11] Weed Road Pictures, New Regency Productions, Anonymous Content, and 20th Century Fox supported development and distribution of the film.