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The book has been described by Sarah Swain of The Herald as a Scottish-style version of Harry Potter.

The name of male protagonist, 'Matt', was chosen because it is John Barrowman's favourite male Christian name. The name of the female protagonist 'Emily' was chosen for being the middle name of author Carole Barrowman and also the Christian name of the Barrowmans' paternal Grandmother, Emily Barrowman. Since Art and artwork is an important theme in the novel, many of the paintings mentioned are based on or inspired by real-life works of art from artists such as Georges Seurat, William Blake, Vincent van Gogh, Henry Fuseli and Salvador Dalí. Other locations which feature in the novel include Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum and the "Pencil" Monument near Largs. The name Auchinmurn is a tribute to Carole and John's maternal grandmother Murn Butler.

Part of the novel is set on the fictitious island of Auchinmurn, which is inspired by the islands of Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae off the coast of Largs. The "Pencil" monument commemorating the Battle of Largs, which stands just over 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the town centre.