Rila’s TaleGuardians of the Moonlit Vines
Some mountains keep silence.
Rila keeps memory.
And it chooses who may find it.
Some go looking to protect it.
One means to own it.
42°07′56.6″N · 23°08′11.1″E
A story you read, sip, and follow in real life.
THE CALL
Some secrets
take root.
In a monastery library, Father Atanas finds words he cannot leave alone: “the vine from Driska.” The last monk who followed them never came back. Atanas breaks fifteen years of obedience and walks out the gate anyway — into the path of strangers who turn out to have been waiting for him, and an industrialist who has learned that everything sacred can be bought, broken, or built over.
Follow Atanas ↗
Real roads. Real people. Real history. And a drop or two of the impossible.For readers of The Alchemist and The Name of the Rose.
THE GROUND BENEATH THE STORY
The mountain is real.
Every road in this book is a road I walked.
Now walk it with me.
The illustrations.
Inspired by the places, memories and stories behind the novel.
The characters’ faces are yours to imagine.
Illustrations created by Momtchil Dimitrov using AI tools.
Explore the illustrations ↗
THE FOUNDING READERS
Take the first watch.
A signed, numbered Founder's copy of the English edition, a crown-cross-vine bookmark, and a personal note from me. Fifty of them, for the readers who came before the book did.
An Evening with Rila’s Tale
The same collection, plus a gathering with me: a reading, a conversation, a Bulgarian table, and a guided tasting. I’ll announce dates and places once I know how many of you would like to join me.
Please leave your details and I’ll contact you when prices and dates are set.
Wherever you are, ask. I'll confirm delivery and cost before anything is paid.
The mountain is waiting.
BEYOND THE PAGES
Rila on film
From the monastery to the lakes, valleys and high mountain.