First published 2025
Nicholas sits in his study in Methone, surrounded by manuscripts that could change how Byzantium understands the world. The year is somewhere in the twelfth century, and he has obtained copies of Proclus, the ancient Neoplatonist whose ideas about reality and the divine challenge everything Nicholas learned in his Christian education. As he translates and interprets these pagan texts, Nicholas must navigate the dangerous waters between intellectual curiosity and religious orthodoxy. His fellow scholars watch him with suspicion. Church authorities question his methods. Yet Nicholas cannot abandon his work. The philosophy of Proclus offers insights into the nature of existence that both illuminate and complicate his Christian beliefs. Robinson follows Nicholas through his scholarly journey as he attempts to reconcile ancient wisdom with medieval faith, showing how one man's pursuit of knowledge becomes a test of courage in a world where the wrong interpretation could mean exile or worse.
Genres: biography, philosophy, christian, historical-fiction, ancient, academic
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, reconciliation
Setting: Byzantium, Methone
Period: 12th Century
460 pages · Hardcover · Brill