Sons of the Olympian Gods (The Ambrosia Trilogy Book 1)

Netherlands author Beatrice Sand makes her literary debut with the paranormal romance trilogy Ambrosia. Fascinated by mythology and the concept of demigods (defined as a male being, often the offspring of a god and a mortal, who has some but not all of the powers of a god, or an inferior deity; a minor god, or a deified man). She weaves her characters for this trilogy with grace and a profound respect for that part of life about which we understand little. Placing a demigod in an urban setting with the resultant consequences establishes a new field of literary exploration for he reader – and for the subsequent books in her planned trilogy.

Vancouver Island is the setting and we first meet Laurel who in the first few lines shares her mental state about the scene where the action will occur – ‘Some say it’s rough, unspoiled and adventurous out here. I don’t. I find the spooky wilderness where I’ve ended up to be boring, gray, and more than anything, dangerous. No one in his right mind would move voluntarily to an inhospitable island with desolate beaches, savage animals, and infinitely thick fog. And yet, that’s exactly what I have done with no other explanation than some sort of feeling, an urge, a sense of just having to be here. So here I am, sitting at the kitchen table, trying to figure out what on earth I’m doing here. Because to be honest, it’s hard to picture myself building a life on this island completely enveloped in fog.’

The story is revealed through alternating chapters with the points of view of Laurel whom we have met and Sampson whose strange presence is slowly revealed. Or as Beatrice’s summary states- ‘Dangerous ancestry. Dark rituals. Damaging love. I met him in my father’s restaurant where I waited on his table. He and his so-called dog threw me off balance. Now I know why. At first I thought he was just an ordinary guy – well, ordinary is probably not the correct word when someone is heartbreakingly beautiful, slightly arrogant and plays in a rock-band when he’s not attending school – but I was misled. Now I know why I moved to this island to live with my estranged father and stepfamily. Now I know why I was destined to meet Sampson and his friends. I just didn’t comply with the premonition their gods had for me in store. I fell in love with the wrong demigod. And now I suffer the consequences. They will do whatever it takes in order for the vision to become reality, no matter who gets hurt in the process. A vision in which I give birth to a demigod by the God of darkness. As soon as I turn nineteen.'

There are a number of interesting parallels (Laurel is from the Netherlands as is the author) that make this romance at first feel like family dissection and then the entry of Sampson alters the landscape and mindscape in a manner that explains whey the paranormal aspects of the story make it feel so genuine. It seems Beatrice has stuck gold (or might that be Valhalla?). A fine start to a sound adventure, written in eloquent prose. Grady Harp, November 16

I fell in love with these characters. I found myself experiencing tons of emotion...one minute I was sad, happy,angry then blushing to my hairroots!
I can hardly remember ever being engaged in a trilogy like this! I dread the last word of the last book!?
Bravo Ms Sand....delightful read!

I love this book. It gave me conflicting emotions between Sam and Laurel. The push and pull off there love. Made me about cry one minute and frustrated the next but it was worth reading. If u are into the God's and Goddesses of mythology this would be the best book for u.

I completely adore this book! I literally finished it in 24 hours, there was nothing I disliked! 5 stars isn’t enough to describe how well this book is written and how you get sucked in by the undying romance. Truly amazing

This book started out slow paced but picked up. I found my self being sucked deep into the story and wondering about the characters, before I knew it I was done with the first book. I really enjoyed this bookS

It's okay... it is really repetitive and there is too much of the same event happening over and over with only minor change to story. I won't be reading the next in the series. With some serious editing and downsizing it could be amazing.

I loved this book. Sure the theme of forbidden love is cliche but who doesn't love a good story of forbidden love? Great characters although Laurel sometimes acted like a sniveling child wasting precious time. Nonetheless the writing was good and the storyline engaging.

MoMo’s Book Diary enjoyed "Destined" and gladly recommends this as a 4 star read. If you enjoyed the Twilight saga you will love The Ambrosia Trilogy!

Beatrice Sand's debut novel "Destined" is the first part of The Ambrosia Trilogy. It is a truly awesome suspense read which kept me up until the early hours.

The author introduces the characters with emotion and describes each scene perfectly. There is a continuous thread throughout the book luring you into the mystery. You know there is so much unspoken but its not until around half-way that you start to get the full picture and I found my mind sparking off in different directions at what could happen next. I laughed, I cried, I sat up until the early hours trying to breathe with Laurel as she finds her way...

This sexy and mysterious tale focuses on 17 year old Laurel who has recently moved back to Vancouver Island where her father, Martin, owns his own restaurant to live with him and his wife, Mia and her daughter, Renee, who is also 17. Laurel and Renee could not be any more different and Laurel feels that Mia is constantly expecting her to morph into Renee - which she will certainly not be doing! Laurel is hoping to build a relationship with her father but it is difficult finding time to get to know each other.

I enjoyed that the author tells the story from Laurel's perspective in the main, with a few chapters from Sam, where we get insight into his world. Sam is struggling with leading the life he knows is set out before him and these new feelings that he has for Laurel. The more he stays away the more he is drawn to be there when she finds herself in trouble.

There is an undeniable attraction between Laurel and Sam, which the author beautifully introduces at their first meeting, and builds each time they meet. They share some sensual scenes although there is nothing too "adult" in nature in this teenage/ young adult novel. I will not give any more of the story away but it is not a straightforward new adult romance.

This book will appeal to anyone who enjoys the mystery of a sexy, dangerous story and although it is not a thriller it is certainly a thrilling read. I can't wait to read the second book, Sacrifice, which is due for release in 2017 with the third and final part, Ambrosia, following on from that.

I would like to thank the author, Beatrice Sand, for the opportunity to read and review this book prior to its release date.

‘Dangerous ancestry. Dark rituals. Damaging love’.

I think that description suits perfectly with the book, yes I hate that there are

some similarities with Twilight, and yes, it is a teen romantic drama with some

mythology stuff, but everything about it feels so fresh and engaging.

Two souls, one a demigod, the other one an ordinary being, they were

supposed to meet and fell in love and the result of that love shall born soon, but

not everything happen in that order, and the outcome of each step will decide

the fate of all of us.

The story is full with mysteries, you can sense it between the dialogue and

some scenes, that there are some bigger concerns out there and a lot of history

forgotten; it’s nice that this is a confirmed trilogy because I can’t wait to read

and find out more about this new and fascinating world. I won’t say much about

the characters, they are interesting and very relatable, find out more and read

this book!

Mythology, angel, demigods, mortals....

Laurel wants to return home to her father and step-sister. A desire within her is calling her home, like a siren song. Destiny brought her home and is laying out the dangerous path of her life. It is there that she learns that Sam is her protector. The Gods are not happy and are trying to sabotage everything. What do you do when your life is already written out? Can you change it? Or is it already wrote that way??

This is a great first book to the series. My only issue is I hope that Laurel grows up and isn't so naive. I love strong female leads who are assured in what they are doing. I do understand that this is a YA book, but why can't she be strong? Ms. Sands really did her research when it came to Greek Mythology. It was amazing and a high part of the book.

Unusual concepts that took over half the book to work out what exactly Sam and his friends were. All that teenage angst and misconception and lack of confidence, it did feel very Young Adult but I just believe that Beatrice Sand nailed the characters perfectly in that age group.
Interesting insight into Greek Mythology, intriguing read look forward to reading the rest of the series

This book was a fun, exciting, heartbreaking ride. If you thought you loved Twilight your in for a surprise, vampires aren't the only interesting thing a mortal can fall in love with, try demigods. I would gladly take Sam over Edward any day. The author not being from or placing this story in the U.S. also adds to the intrigue factor. The characters also approach life and general situations realistically and the supernatural element that uses Greek mythology to tell the story is a refreshing break from the overpopulation of vampire tales that exist this day and age. So, if you are in for a fun new supernatural read that breaks from the norm, this is the book for you. I can't wait to get o copy of the next 2 books in the trilogy.

I really enjoyed this trilogy, the characters were great and the plot was unique. The titans and Olympians twist was great. I could not get enough of laurel and Sam, their relationship went against many odds. I liked how the author matured laurel in the series, and as she grew up her relationship changed too. I was hesitant about reading about an 18 year old, but luckily this was not a true "ya" book and does have sex in the 2nd and 3rd book. I was happy about that, I mean come on, hot Greek men, we all need our fantasy! Get the books, you will not be disappointed, and of course they must be read in order.

I was unfamiliar with Greek mythology, but this book did an excellent job educating the reader as the story unfolded. Beatrice Sand does a fantastic job merging demigods with mortals in this young adult romance. She brings about a scenario of what it could be like if the teenage son of Apollo fell in love with just a mortal girl.
Destined: Lured into the Shadow is just the first book in a trilogy that finds several teenagers fighting their destiny so they can be with the one they love, but it is difficult when a god is challenging each step they take. Sam is preordained to protect Laurel. By protecting her he puts them both into danger.
I was enthralled with this book. My favorite part was when Laurel and her step-sister started bonding through the difficult relationships they experienced. And of course, when Sam defended Laurel when she was attached.

The author in the series paints an extravagant picture of the characters in the story with such detail that it captivates you into their lives. Every emotion possible is experienced. An excellent book you won't be disappointed.

Destined: Lured into the Shadow (The Ambrosia Trilogy Book 1) written by Beatrice Sand is a wonderful mystery novel. The book is targeted to more of a teen audience; although I am older than the target audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I love Greek Mythology, and was thrilled at how well the author incorporated it into the plot and story. The main character, Laurel, is a teen girl who is going through rough patches in her young life, and she happens to meet a bad boy, who happens to be more than he appears. The story line is very well thought out, and the writing is quite descriptive. This story was something new to me, meaning I have not come across a book with this type of story line, it was refreshing. I highly recommend this novel, as it has everything a reader could want: romance, mystery, Keepers, magic, Gods, and Demi Gods. Wonderful story!

I normally like this subject matter, but this book turned out to be very disappointing. I felt it got bogged down, and I didn't like the direction it was going. I have no desire to read the sequels.