Rosalind Dando (Contributor of Achten Tan)

Rosalind Dando is now following robinbbooks and Jennifer Gadd
Oct 27, 2025 10:42AM
Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing The Power of the Wouivre: Fiorenza: A historical time travel adventure into medieval Tuscany: two worlds, bound by time – of adventure, love, betrayal, and self-discovery by Emma Hine (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The Power of the Wouivre: Fiorenza is, at its heart, a detailed, solidly-crafted historical novel where Hine’s love of mediaeval Italy shines through in spades. The depth of research and care for the time period is evident throughout, without ever fe ...more
Oct 02, 2025 04:29AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Power of the Wouivre by Emma Hine. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Power of the Wouivre by Emma Hine <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing Bloody Spade by Brittany M. Willows (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I first read Bloody Spade when it originally came out, and it was my book of the year, so this was an exciting re-read and my first listen to the audiobook. I absolutely adore the world and characters Brittany M. Willows has created here, and even mo ...more
Sep 28, 2025 07:26AM · like · see review
Rosalind Dando wants to read The Moon is a Door: A Witchy YA Dark Academia Novel (Deighton Academy Book 1) by Samantha B. Cummings (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 20, 2025 11:40AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Moon is a Door by Samantha B. Cummings. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Moon is a Door by Samantha B. Cummings <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing Storm Captain (Storm Captain #1) by E.L. Reeves (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Storm Captain by E. L. Reeves was one of those books I found after asking for recommendations following a disappointing read – and WOW did it deliver. This book ticked every single box I needed it to: good gender balance, strong characters, found fam ...more
Aug 18, 2025 04:26AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Storm Captain by E.L. Reeves. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Storm Captain by E.L. Reeves <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Rosalind Dando liked robinbbooks's review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2): "ARC review! Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book. I am literally grinning writing this because this was an excellent follow up to A Gift of Words and I’m so sad it’s over and I had such a good time reading this, and also " Read more of this review »
Aug 17, 2025 05:39AM · see review
Rosalind Dando and 1 other person liked Jennifer Gadd's review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2): "After reading the first book in the series and learning that the second featured Cameron’s best friend, Alice Hawthorn, I have been desperate to get my hands on it. Now my wait is over, and, hoo-boy, was it worth it! Alice, having moved from her wildl" Read more of this review »
Aug 15, 2025 08:48AM · see review
Rosalind Dando and 1 other person liked Dustin R.'s review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2): "A Gift of Wild was a worthy second installment to this series. I enjoyed the storytelling, the pacing and the inner dialogue of the protagonist. Dando takes great care in portraying the trials and tribulations of her adolescent characters, while leav" Read more of this review »
Aug 15, 2025 08:48AM · see review
Rosalind Dando wants to read A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2) by Rosalind Dando (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Jun 06, 2025 04:23AM · like

Rosalind Dando is now following robinbbooks and Jennifer Gadd

Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing

The Power of the Wouivre: Fiorenza: A historical time travel adventure into medieval Tuscany: two worlds, bound by time – of adventure, love, betrayal, and self-discovery
by Emma Hine (Goodreads Author)

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The Power of the Wouivre: Fiorenza is, at its heart, a detailed, solidly-crafted historical novel where Hine’s love of mediaeval Italy shines through in spades. The depth of research and care for the time period is evident throughout, without ever fe The Power of the Wouivre: Fiorenza is, at its heart, a detailed, solidly-crafted historical novel where Hine’s love of mediaeval Italy shines through in spades. The depth of research and care for the time period is evident throughout, without ever feeling like the author’s research notes have accidentally made it onto the page. As someone who grew up reading books by Cynthia Harnett and Alison Uttley amongst many others, this was a real delight.

We follow two main characters through the story, although the plot is heavily weighted to Guidaloste, our Italian protagonist who starts the story in his late teens, and much of the book revolves around the challenges and threats he faces in his new home of Fiorenza (what is now known as Florence). Hines captures the atmosphere of this period in great detail, with elements of humour (a scene in an apothecary’s shop made me laugh out loud). There is some focus on religion, but less than you might expect for the period, as the plot revolves around a clay disc featuring the wouivre – shown on the book’s cover.

Guidaloste wrestles with his newly revealed heritage, discoveries about his new family, burgeoning love for a girl below his station, and potential betrayal and back-stabbing from a great many people. Mediaeval Italy is filled with revenge, murder, and warring interests, and Guidaloste is tangled up in it all.

Our second protagonist, Thomas, is a teenager in Cornwall. The book is not-quite-time-travel, as he travels in his mind, rather than physically. Avoiding spoilers, it is fascinating to see how Thomas comes to terms with this ability, and how he can eventually control and influence events. I would have liked to see more of Thomas, but I can see why the author chose to focus mainly on Guidaloste’s story. I hope we get more of Thomas in future books as I enjoyed his arc immensely!

The language in the book is fairly complex, although there is no swearing and very little in the way of romance, so it would be suitable for advanced readers of 11+ looking to get their teeth into something with depth. It is also definitely suitable for adults, especially those who enjoy different periods of history. Slow-paced with lots of intrigue, this is not a quick read, but one to savour. ...more

Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing

Bloody Spade
by Brittany M. Willows (Goodreads Author)

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I first read Bloody Spade when it originally came out, and it was my book of the year, so this was an exciting re-read and my first listen to the audiobook. I absolutely adore the world and characters Brittany M. Willows has created here, and even mo ...more

Rosalind Dando wants to read

The Moon is a Door by Samantha B. Cummings

The Moon is a Door: A Witchy YA Dark Academia Novel (Deighton Academy Book 1)
by Samantha B. Cummings (Goodreads Author)

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Rosalind Dando rated a book it was amazing

Storm Captain (Storm Captain #1)
by E.L. Reeves (Goodreads Author)

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Storm Captain by E. L. Reeves was one of those books I found after asking for recommendations following a disappointing read – and WOW did it deliver. This book ticked every single box I needed it to: good gender balance, strong characters, found fam Storm Captain by E. L. Reeves was one of those books I found after asking for recommendations following a disappointing read – and WOW did it deliver. This book ticked every single box I needed it to: good gender balance, strong characters, found family, positive disability rep (one character signs and one has a missing limb), no spice, and a world-hopping ship captained by a badass lightning wielder (who is constantly being looked after by her knife-bearing wife). What more could you ask for?! Oh, you want a chaotic new bestie whose energy and enthusiasm could pretty much power the ship? Yup, he’s there, too.

This book introduced me to my favourite characters: Benji and Jonathan, Zeb and Vera, and the Captain and Alyssa. Seeing Benji go from his start as a runaway slave to becoming part of the crew for real and beginning to demonstrate his skills (no spoilers) as he slowly accepts his new place in the world was an absolute delight. And we all need a Jonathan in our lives for his endless positivity. This is the first in a series, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The writing quality is spot-on, and Reeves’s narratorial voice is light-hearted with emotional depth to scenes where necessary. I have such a clear picture of every single character, without everything feeling over-described. Everyone manages to feel familiar without being a cliché, and the stakes are mid – there’s nothing world-ending here, which is a refreshing change.

Although the title is Storm Captain, the titular character remains somewhat of a mystery, with various clues and hints of her backstory (and future-story) dotted throughout. These raise the right number of questions, keeping me hooked in the world but without the book feeling unfinished at its conclusion (although the very last few pages raise a huge future plot in a big way, which was hinted at from the very start, and I love it!).

Definitely one I would recommend to anyone seeking an easy-going adult fantasy, although this would be suitable for any readers aged 14+. ...more

Rosalind Dando liked robinbbooks's review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2):

"ARC review! Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book.

I am literally grinning writing this because this was an excellent follow up to A Gift of Words and I’m so sad it’s over and I had such a good time reading this, and also " Read more of this review »

Rosalind Dando and 1 other person liked Jennifer Gadd's review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2):

"After reading the first book in the series and learning that the second featured Cameron’s best friend, Alice Hawthorn, I have been desperate to get my hands on it. Now my wait is over, and, hoo-boy, was it worth it!

Alice, having moved from her wildl" Read more of this review »

Rosalind Dando and 1 other person liked Dustin R.'s review of A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2):

"A Gift of Wild was a worthy second installment to this series. I enjoyed the storytelling, the pacing and the inner dialogue of the protagonist. Dando takes great care in portraying the trials and tribulations of her adolescent characters, while leav" Read more of this review »

Rosalind Dando wants to read

A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2)
by Rosalind Dando (Goodreads Author)

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	Achten Tan: Land of Dust and Bone by C. Vandyke (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Gabrielle Awe (Contributor), Jesse Nolan Bailey (Goodreads Author) (Contributor) 4.32 avg rating — 28 ratings — published 2020 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Gift of Words (The Gifts Trilogy Book 1) 4.88 avg rating — 17 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	A Gift of Wild (The Gifts Trilogy, #2) it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 4 ratings — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Adventures in 1787 (Chronicles of New Albion, #1) by C. Vandyke (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Diana Gagliardi (Contributor), E.S Gibson (Contributor) 3.20 avg rating — 5 ratings — published 2022 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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