Paleon: Echoes of an Empire
Memoirs of Brother Alfanus - Book One
Architectural designer Nikolai "Nick" Paleon lives a quiet, carefully ordered life in Connecticut-until anonymous packages begin to arrive. Inside each lies a cryptic clue: a gravestone photograph, a cemetery map, and letters written in Greek from the 1930s. Every discovery pulls him closer to a forgotten grave in Bridgeport and to a family secret buried beneath generations of silence.
Nick's Americanized surname,
Paleon
, conceals his true heritage family name
Palevych
, a bloodline reaching back to the Byzantine Empire. Drawn into a mystery that spans continents, he finds his search awakening questions of identity, purpose, and faith he can no longer ignore.
His path soon crosses that of a determined historian from Istanbul's Rum (Greek Orthodox) community, who is convinced that Nick's bloodline is bound to a sacred oath sworn during Byzantium's final hours. Her conviction draws him into a quest that will test both their faith and their understanding of what endures.
From a Connecticut graveyard to an Alaskan Orthodox church, from the ruins of Mystras to the catacombs of Kyiv's Pechersk Lavra, Nick and Elena chase a legacy guarded for centuries. Together they uncover the story of Vasyl Palevych, a priest who defied the Soviet regime and carried the last thread of an empire's promise, a thread others seek to exploit for power.
As ancient vows and modern ambitions collide, Nick must decide whether to protect the past or let geopolitical necessity consume it.
A sweeping blend of historical fiction, mystery, and spiritual discovery,
explores identity, heritage, and the enduring power of memory. Blending modern suspense with deep historical resonance, it invites readers into a world where architecture, archaeology, and belief intersect, and where the quiet call of conscience can still reshape destiny.
Key themes and settings:
The Byzantine Empire and its survivors after 1453
Bridgeport and Alaska as contemporary crossroads of faith and memory
Orthodox Christian heritage, providence, and the search for purpose
Greece (Mystras & Athens) and Ukraine (Kyiv Lavra) as living links to Byzantium
For readers of
The Historian
,
The Rule of Four
, and
The Name of the Rose
, this debut novel combines historical depth with a reflective spiritual core. Its heart is not conquest, but stewardship-the understanding that some legacies endure only when they are guarded rather than grasped.