Author Archives: Roseanna

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About Roseanna

A London-based reviewer mainly interested in scifi and fantasy, but occasionally prone to dabble in historical and mythological fiction. Currently an editor at Hugo and Ignyte award-winning fanzine Nerds of a Feather. When not reading, can be found playing rugby, collecting too many crafting hobbies or attempting to learn how to fight with a longsword.

The Everlasting – Alix E. Harrow

Posted on 30/03/2026 by Roseanna

In the acknowledgments of The Everlasting, Alix E. Harrow writes: This statement is simultaneously entirely true, while also being a large part of the problem with this story, right down to its very bones. The Everlasting is indeed a book … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Fantasy, History/Myth | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Close Reading of LotR – Episode 11 – Speed Herons

Posted on 16/03/2026 by Roseanna

Today we covered chapters VI – The King of the Golden Hall, VII – Helm’s Deep and VIII – The Road to Isengard. These were fun, pacy chapters, and ones that prompted particular levels of book/film comparison, given that there’s … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Fantasy, Not A Review | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

On the Calculation of Volume III – Solvej Balle (tr. Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell)

Posted on 10/03/2026 by Roseanna

Recently, Ada Palmer had an essay published in Strange Horizons, talking about how writers within SF are also historians. I disagreed with several things in the essay, but have to admit it has been a great conversation starter. Especially as … Continue reading →

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A Close Reading of LotR – Episode 10 – Two Beardy Bois

Posted on 28/02/2026 by Roseanna

Only two chapters today, IV – Treebeard and V – The White Rider, but still plenty to mull over (harum barum), so we shouldn’t be hasty. Joking aside, while Chapter IV at least is pretty sizeable, for me at least, … Continue reading →

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On the Calculation of Volume II – Solvej Balle (tr. Barbara J. Haveland)

Posted on 16/02/2026 by Roseanna

I didn’t review the first book of On the Calculation of Volume, and that was a mistake. It was exceptionally good, following an antiquarian bookseller called Tara Selter as she finds herself trapped in a timeloop, reliving one November day … Continue reading →

Posted in Awesome, Else, Literary, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

A Close Reading of LotR – Episode 9 – People and Peoples

Posted on 15/02/2026 by Roseanna

After a little yuletide gap of mulling things over (or loafing about eating cheese, delete as appropriate), Ed and I have come back to our The Lord of the Rings reread, picking up now with The Two Towers. In the … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Fantasy, Not A Review | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Hav – Jan Morris

Posted on 14/02/2026 by Roseanna

Did I write a whole ass essay on genre for Strange Horizons? Perhaps. But that hasn’t stopped me thinking about it. And only more so since I read Hav by Jan Morris, for which any decisions I make about genre … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Awesome, Else, Fantasy, Literary, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

What I Read On My Holiday – 2026

Posted on 11/02/2026 by Roseanna

Reading holiday has once again been and gone in triumph. This year, we booked a cottage in the middle of nowhere in Wales and it was more precipitously in the middle of nowhere than we necessarily bargained for. However, after … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Detective/Mystery, Else, Fantasy, Literary, Poetry, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Eligibility Post – 2025 Edition

Posted on 27/01/2026 by Roseanna

‘Tis the season once again, back on the awards rollercoaster, and back offering up my work from 2025 for your nomination consideration. In 2025 I wrote 43 reviews and 25 review-adjacent objects, totalling 153,540 words because I know neither shame … Continue reading →

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2025 in Books

Posted on 31/12/2025 by Roseanna

I’m writing this a day early, because I have plans for the last day of the year that aren’t sit and home under a blanket thinking about books and stats. Madness. Despite setting myself the slightly more achievable goal of … Continue reading →

Posted in All, Else, Not A Review, Off-Topic | Tagged , | 1 Comment