I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own. 

A young girl and her siblings trying to escape the horrors of WWII, including their Nazi father, stumble upon a world only glimpsed in the stories of their youth and discover the horrors of war can never be fully escaped in author Steffanie Costigan’s “Land of the Dragon,” the first book in the series of the same name.

The Synopsis

They had not even started to fight, yet I already could smell blood in the air…

I am a traitor, victim, fighter, survivor, sister, and daughter of a Nazi. I am Eleanor Kuhn. I will not be indoctrinated by Hitler. I fight for the truth my world has forgotten and ignored. Upon escaping the country, I stumbled into a whole new world, and I soon realized that war is everywhere you look.

With nothing but the clothes on my back and five siblings in tow, I wash up on the coast of a world I’d only glimpsed in books and the clouds of dreams: Land of the Dragon. But there’s something about this new world that rings with familiarity. Or perhaps someone . . .

Land of the Dragon is a historic fantasy layered with details and rich symbolism a Eric Hoffer Award nominee and Literary Titan Award winner book. If you like details in stories, magic, adventure, romance, and dragons this book is a read you will enjoy time and time again. With each read, you may uncover more details layered throughout the book that you didn’t originally recognize. This book is brought to you from Reading Dream Press where stories come alive.

The Review

This was a powerful and thoughtful fantasy read. The blend of historical fiction and fantasy was incredible, effortlessly merging the theme of war and its impact on those caught in its gravity into our world and the Land of the Dragon. The world-building, layered mythos surrounding the realm, and the depth of various creatures, from dragons to unicorns and even werewolves, allowed readers to get lost in this world altogether.

The emotional core of this story rests in Eleanor’s story, both her past and the adventure she finds herself on. The heartbreaking reality of the impact of WWII, from her father’s fate after helping Jewish members of his community escape from Nazi control to the never-ending fight to keep her family safe, at least the family she had left when she swore to keep her siblings alive. Her experiences’ impact and heart on the narrative will stay with readers long after the book ends.

The Verdict

Heartfelt, adventurous, and engaging author Steffanie Costigan’s “Land of the Dragon” is a must-read historical fiction and fantasy story and a grand entry into a new series. The twists and turns in the story, the emotional toll the protagonist’s experiences take, and the wealth of mythology poured into this story will keep readers invested in the narrative. If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab your copy today!

Rating: 10/10

About the Author

Steffanie Costigan has always held a strong passion for writing despite her severe disability with dyslexia. She is currently living in Canada, Alberta, with her husband and three children.

Steffanie is a journalist and hopes to continue her passion for writing books and her dream of continuing as a journalist.

Steffanie studied creative writing and took her program in digital communications and media at Lethbridge College. She hopes her writing will resonate with people and inspire those that read her writings. This novel is her life’s work as she started writing this book at the young age of 12 years old and didn’t stop until publication.

Her passion for writing started at the young age of three years old; She has also written plays and had the opportunity to direct one of her written plays, “A Stoney Gaze,” in 2021. Steffanie met the love of her life Jarom Costigan in Adelaide, Australia. They soon married in March 2015. The love between the two protagonist characters within this novel was strongly inspired by Steffanie’s own experience meeting her husband. If it is something Steffanie believes in, it’s love at first sight, as that is the experience, she, and her husband both share with one another.