LeoZeit: Schatten – the echo of history in Leonberg

LEONBERG — A major literary project has come out of Leonberg: Anna-Mariia Kostiuk, an author who lives in the town, has brought out «LeoZeit: Schatten», the first volume of her fantasy series LeoZeit. The book, a good 350 pages long, has since been published in hardcover.

A journey between two worlds

At the heart of the story is Alicia, who has only recently moved to Leonberg – and already sees what remains hidden from everyone else. Between present-day Leonberg and the year 1614, a mysterious scent of bitter oranges becomes her guide through the centuries. Beyond a wafer-thin border lies a second Leonberg, where it never grows warm – and from which someone has been looking across for four hundred years.

To save a boy trapped in the year 1614 and to separate the two worlds again, Alicia must find seven petals – seven keys, and for each one she pays with something she will never get back. And all of it before the first snow falls.

The historical strand is closely tied to Duchess Sibylla von Anhalt – a real figure from the history of Württemberg. The author found the inspiration for the novel’s atmosphere in Leonberg’s Pomeranzengarten, one of the town’s best-known landmarks.

Artistic collaboration

The book project is a joint effort: the artist Vitalii Kostiuk complements the world of LeoZeit with illustrations and visual design. This collaboration also produced the painting «Wächter Leo», which was presented to Lord Mayor Tobias Degode at the town hall – more on this in a separate article.

Project details

• Genre: Dark parallel-world fantasy / historical adventure
• Length: 350 pages
• Status: Published in hardcover
• Setting: Leonberg and Baden-Württemberg — between the present day and the year 1614