The novel's locations include the Croatian island of Mljet, a Los Angeles threatened by a supervolcano, and the wastes of Central Asia.
It was eventually bought for £294,009 (including an £108,000 Art Fund grant and other money from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the British Museum Friends and the Caryatids of the Greek and Roman Department) - this would have been higher had it gone onto the open market and through the usual sales processes, or if the Museum had not been able to respond as rapidly as it could due to the Nicopolis discovery.