In the first volume of The Hieromonk's Tale fantasy trilogy, set in an alternate history in the year 1205, Father Afanasy begins searching for clues surrounding the carefully-hidden secret of his birth, Melanthrix the Mage gains much influence at the court of Korynthia, a killer viciously murders members of the government, and someone-or something-seems to be pushing the kingdom steadily towards all-out war with Pommerelia, its neighbor to the west.
