{"product_id":"paleon-kregg-m-gabor-9798993756400","title":"Paleon: Echoes of an Empire","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ePaleon: Echoes of an Empire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMemoirs of Brother Alfanus - Book One\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eArchitectural 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNick's Americanized surname, \u003cem\u003ePaleon\u003c\/em\u003e, conceals his true heritage family name \u003cem\u003ePalevych\u003c\/em\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHis 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrom 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs ancient vows and modern ambitions collide, Nick must decide whether to protect the past or let geopolitical necessity consume it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA sweeping blend of historical fiction, mystery, and spiritual discovery, \u003cem\u003ePaleon: Echoes of an Empire\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eKey themes and settings: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Byzantine Empire and its survivors after 1453\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBridgeport and Alaska as contemporary crossroads of faith and memory\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOrthodox Christian heritage, providence, and the search for purpose\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGreece (Mystras \u0026amp; Athens) and Ukraine (Kyiv Lavra) as living links to Byzantium\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor readers of \u003cem\u003eThe Historian\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eThe Rule of Four\u003c\/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eThe Name of the Rose\u003c\/em\u003e, 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Kregg M. Gabor\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798993756400\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Paleonechoes Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/08\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 278\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.83lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.58d","brand":"Kregg M. Gabor","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48852657504511,"sku":"9798993756400","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/paleon-kregg-m-gabor-9798993756400","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}