Ronan

Mate's Mark, Book 1

De: G. Eilsel

Narrado por: Zachary Zaba, Declan Winters

It's been almost a century since the veil fell and monsters invaded the world.

We didn't give the humans an opportunity to retaliate as we charged in and took over, and I was at the head of the front lines with my sword in hand. A perfect soldier, fighting the battles that ultimately put my people in charge of this planet. Half of humanity was slaughtered, and in the decades since the invasion, things have only gotten worse. Tensions between the rebel humans and monsters grew as the climate changed, and temperatures rose as resources dwindled. The sun scorched away plants and trees, leaving behind a husk of a planet where everyone fights for survival.

The Fates were furious at our violence, and now we're trapped inside the hell we created.

We've all heard the tale of the Mate's Mark, and how we're destined to find our fated mate. One human, one monster foretold to be the cure to this cursed world, and to repair the damage that has been done. What was once the cause of curiosity and intrigue has turned into nothing more than a mockery. Decades have passed, and not a single pair of fated mates has been found.

Until now.

Until me.

Until the night I pull off my armor and find the mark staring back.

Ronan is a first-person dual POV MM monster romance series. It is the first in a series that will have an overarching storyline carried over between books. While this series ends with a guaranteed HEA, individual books end on more of an HFN basis. The featured couple's story will be resolved, though there will be some unanswered questions and mild cliffhangers that lead into the next in the series.

Contains mature content. A complete list of content warnings can be found on the author's website.

©2025 G. Eilsel (P)2025 Podium Audio

Nicely done

Good wish it was duet but over all they did a great job with this book.

I knew this was going to be amazing

You know when you’re only a couple of chapters in and you can already tell you’re about to become obsessed?

That was me with Ronan.

This is book one in the Mate’s Mark series, a dystopian MM monster romance where monsters conquered Earth nearly a century ago. Humanity is barely surviving, the world is falling apart, and a prophecy says a human and a monster fated mate could save it all.

I was hooked immediately. The atmosphere, the world-building, the action, the characters… everything just clicked.

One thing I especially loved is that, even though this is a fated mates romance, destiny doesn’t magically solve everything. Ronan and Cameron still have to earn each other’s trust. They get frustrated, they argue, they misunderstand each other, and honestly, I loved that. It made their relationship feel real instead of insta-perfect.

Ronan is this grumpy, intimidating monster warrior who’s secretly the biggest softie, while Cameron is stubborn, sarcastic, and determined to survive no matter what. Their banter had me smiling the entire time.

Now…

Is this insta-love?
Absolutely.

Do I care?
Not even a little.

Because the emotional journey still feels earned.

And the spice…
Virgin MC.
Self-lubricating appendages.
Creative monster anatomy.
Possessive “You’re MINE” moments
Need I say more?

The sexy scenes were HOT. They had me completely engaged and, at times, wonderfully uncomfortable in the best possible way. Monster romance readers… you’re going to eat this up.

I also have to mention the audiobook because the narration was fantastic. It pulled me into the story from the very beginning and made both the emotional moments and the chemistry hit even harder.

By the end of this book I’d already fallen in love with at least four side characters, and I desperately need all of their books.

Fantastic world-building, lovable characters, incredible chemistry, creative spice, and a series I already know I’m going to be obsessed with.

READ IT. READ IT. READ IT.

Just what I needed

I love a good snarky main character mixed with grumpiness and we are at peak romance. It was just sappy enough for me to go awwww but not so much I was rolling my eyes. Trust me just give this book a try.

Had me in the first half.

At the beginning it was very well done. getting information about the world and the characters quickly but not overwhelming the reader/listener. But once they know each other, it gets very weird. Like, their relationship is just odd. It trys the mean but love each other but it just doesnt hit it at all. Its not that great after that. I stopped on chapter 16 because I didnt pay for this, but its just, idk, just not great with their relationship. The human literally had no certain personality, like it tries to give the mean people but is actually insecure, but its not doing a good job. If the relationship and how they interact was better written and focused on then this would have been a great book that I could finish.

Some monsters you want to find under your bed

MM Monster Romance – Fated Mates – Human/Monster Couple – Grumpy/Grumpy – Dual POV/1st – Plenty Spice – Different Couples Series – Overarching Plot

I had the audiobook release date marked in my calendar and I am so excited the wait is over! MM monster romance usually isn't my first choice of subgenre but I am a sucker for fated mates and hot spice and I had heard so much good about this series (and the author, who was new to me) that I was curious.

The world-building was fantastic! The setting, the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, the lore, it sucked me right in. I also loved the dual point of view as that made for a lot of fun as neither Ronan nor Cameron really knew what they were doing. Due to being different species and from different cultures they interpreted things said (or not said) differently, which was both hilarious and irritating. While not being too heavy on the humor, it's not a rom-com or anything like that, there were a lot of funny parts. Like when Cameron listed all his proof for Ronan being a drama queen. 😂

I was a bit worried as I had read that Cameron would be super bratty and I really dislikes brats. After listening, I wouldn't describe him as overly bratty though as it was obvious how all his blustering and acting indifferent and cocky was a defense mechanism and came from all his fears and insecurities. I loved how much of his behavior first didn't make sense to Ronan and was a repeated source of frustrations, but when Cameron opened up bit by bit and he got where Cameron was coming from he immediately made reassuring him a priority.

The more they opened up and learnt to trust both themselves and each other, the more I bought their chemistry. In the beginning I wasn't sure I'd get there but I sure did. I loved every time they had a heart-to-heart or cleared the air after a cultural clash, how understanding and supportive they were. Ronan was exactly what Cameron needed, someone who put him first, who cherished him and didn't see leaving him behind as an option. And Cameron gave Ronan a much needed purpose. 🥰

"Thank you," he whispers. I tilt my head curiously as I pull back. "What are you thanking me for?" "Wanting me. Choosing me." he whispers. And just like that my anger is gone, replaced with blinding affection for the man in front of me. "You were the only choice I have ever made with my whole heart, Cameron. And the choice I will continue to make every single day I wake up in this life."

A part of me wanted for them to stay forever at their first hiding place and live happily ever after but of course, that would have been a rather short and boring book.

I liked the writing style, the writing felt natural and fluent, the pace was mostly reasonable. I didn't feel like the slower parts dragged or anything. Ronan and Cameron spent most of the time on their own so the side cast wasn't huge. The side characters we did meet though were well enough developed that I am looking forward to seeing them again and learning more about them. Ronan ends with a HFN for him and Cameron, the overarching plot ends on a cliffhanger. Speaking of the ending, I did not see the twist at the end, when they reached their goal, coming!

Ronan seems to be compared to Lily Mayne's Soul Eater quite often. I haven't read much MM monster romance but I have listened to Soul Eater, which I liked well enough. I did like the plot and the pacing in this one better though. I also liked Elas more than Edin and will definitely continue the Mate's Mark series when the next book comes out as audiobook. And Nyx. Their story is probably going to be gut wrenching.

And a shout-out to Zachary Zaba and Declan Winters! Two great narrators, both on their own and as duo, they really made both Ronan and Cameron come to live perfectly!

.....................................

CAWPILE-inspired rating system (original CAWPILE system by Book Roast on YouTube).

Characters 9/10
Relationships 9/10
Plot & Structure 8/10
Atmosphere & Setting (Worldbuilding) 9/10
Writing Style & Language 9/10
Intrigue & Interest 8/10
Logic & Conclusion 8/10
Enjoyment & Experience 9/10

Average Score 8.63/10
The StoryGraph Rating ☆ 4.5/5

Narration 4/5
Cover 4/5
Amount of Steam 5/5
.....................................