Reviews of Cambria Books titles

We have listed here some of the most recent reviews of our books from sources such as Net Galley, Good Reads, Amazon and by purchasers from the site.

Recent Book Reviews

Average rating: 5 based on 6 reviews

Iant-Steve Blandford

Iant

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Blandford creates characters and situations that come to life, and if you’re one who loves war stories, especially ones of love and lost innocence, then read this review.

Resolution of Stars

Resolution of Stars

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I am so excited to have been given the chance to review this book, as I read and reviewed the first installment, "Doom of Stars". Both of them are incredible books - Resolution of Stars is a highly worthy sequel.

Betsy Roberts

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The many excellent reviews of Betsy Roberts from a recent blog tour can be downloaded here

The Mondegreen Affair

The Mondegreen Affair

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I like this slightly surreal, trippy journey, with Luke Mondegreen. He’s eccentric and weird and finds himself hilarious. Alive with comedic voices and hand-led by a wink and cheeky quip, The Mondegreen Affair is a yarn well spun; I think I shared the smirks the spinner grinned, whilst spinning it. Interestingly, the depths of thought continued in me, long after the smiles had faded, and I found myself going back to find certain things to go over a second or third time.

The Wedding Thief

The Wedding Thief

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“A beautifully observed, moving and engrossing novel - at times hilarious and at other times heartbreaking. I was captivated.”

Strength and Tenderness

Strength and Tenderness

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Doug Constable’s fine volume ‘Strength and Tenderness’ is the product of a fine mind and a deeply felt Christian sensibility- as anyone who has experienced his dignified, sincere and dedicated ministry can attest.
This is a substantial volume of hymns, songs and poems that reflect several sides of his musical and literary talents and all underlined by a fundimentally decent and devout Christianity.
The musical settings reflect or embrace many styles and varied harmonies from the simplicity of (say) the Teilo Magnificat to often jazz tinged piquant harmony and the neo -organum like Morley. Similarly the poems and hymns reflect a life long meditation on the Christian faith in all its magnificent variety. This is a valuable addition to the repertoire of Christian music and literature - one that will make the individual think as well as praise and contemplate.

Iant-Steve Blandford

Iant

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First novel Iant by @SteveBlandford5 is a very fluent and enjoyable read. I like the way Steve details everyday life and specificity of a small part of Wales in the 1920s and 1930s. The emotional foundation is laid by the overwhelming experience of being at war in Greece in 1916. https://t.co/bL5ZxVctOJ

The Mondegreen Affair

The Mondegreen Affair

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The problem with ‘The Mondegreen Affair’ by Lloyd Rees was it spoiled the next two books I attempted to read – far too bland and conventional by comparison! I loved how this was a different kind of read, keeping me thinking, feeling rather smug when I had worked out the layered plot, or when I got the joke. Clever. Educational even, but funny and entertaining throughout. I also loved the insight into the mind of a writer, albeit one as ‘off the wall’ as Luke Mondegreen. I finished the book already looking forward to the next installment!

Doom of Stars

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I loved reading 'Doom of Stars' by Martyn Rhys Vaughan. He writes great scifi novels. This book was so well done with great characters.

Doom of Stars

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While Doom of Stars is futuristic, it echoes some of the unsettling realities that humanity faces and makes for the most relevant read for contemporary readers. Themes of science, climate change, love, sexuality, and extreme, inclement weather are deftly developed. The author succeeds to force readers to reflect on the fate of the Earth faced with an environmental crisis. Read full review

A Swansea Child

A Swansea Child

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Gripping…satisfyingly complex…intricately plotted

Hymns and Barriers

Hymns and Barriers

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5.0 out of 5 stars An era and its personalities captured perfectly and the dilemmas encountered along the way.
Well developed main characters in both familiar and unfamiliar settings with whom I related. I was eager to know more about how their story unfolded and empathised with them in the difficult situation within which they found themselves. The author has perfectly captured the life and personalities of a Welsh valleys town of the era and this contrasts with the equally vividly portrayed narrative of life in post war Burma. A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking read.

The Mondegreen Affair

The Mondegreen Affair

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5.0 out of 5 stars Witty and engaging
This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It is witty and intelligent and elegantly written. It is a story that opens up rather like Russian dolls – or at least Belarusian dolls - with stories within stories. It is very accomplished and a highly skilled piece of work, with impressive narrative shifts and convincing voices.

Iant-Steve Blandford

Iant

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5.0 out of 5 stars Iant: Beautifully and sensitively written.
It's a very long time since I've read into the depths of night but I found that the sensitivity with which Iant is written struck deep and demanded several re-readings of pertinent paragraphs. This is beautifully written and takes an ordinary life making it extraordinary and immensely relatable. Iant is very moving in its simplicity.

Strength and Tenderness

Strength and Tenderness

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“Doug Constable’s hymn-writing has come out of the encounter between an unusually fresh imagination and a series of very specific pastoral contexts; and this means that it is exploratory, genuinely celebratory, challenging, and mercifully free of cliché – both traditional and contemporary cliché. These are humane, candid compositions, and they will be a real gift to all who are looking for words and music that are neither frozen in inherited attitudes nor labouring for an emotional quick fix. I hope they will be welcomed, used and loved.”