ARC Review: Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow

Title: Scorched Skies
Author: E.J. Mellow
Series: Way of Wings #1
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: April 15, 2025
Edition: Digital
Source: NetGalley
Pre-Order: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop | Powell's | 

Synopsis:

   In the divided world of Cādra, where the winged Volari rule over the earthbound Süra, Tanwen has never relished her life of secrecy, but hiding is her only means of survival. As the child of a forbidden union, her very existence is punishable by death.
    As the Crown Prince, Zolya is forced to fulfill his father’s every whim. Acting on orders, he captures Tanwen’s father and brother, whisking them away to his kingdom in the sky. Determined to save her family, Tanwen infiltrates the royal court disguised as a servant.
   Amid the palace’s intrigue, she realizes there’s more to save than just her family and more to Prince Zolya than meets the eye. As their worlds collide, their star-crossed relationship intensifies under the king’s oppression. With their loyalties pulling them in opposite directions, Tanwen and Zolya must decide if their love can bridge the divide or if they have flown too close to the sun.

From the award-winning author of the Mousai series comes book one in an epic duology inspired by the Icarus myth, about an outcast woman and a winged prince torn between forbidden love and born duty.

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 This book is the Romantasy we all deserve. The enemies to lovers we all deserve. I loved this book so much, aside from some small pacing issues, and maybe some parts that felt over written from time to time, I have no complaints. The romance didn't feel forced, their interactions felt real, and it didn't over shadow the larger plot of saving her family. If anything it added to the tension because it added a layer of complications. Oh, and a refreshing bonus there are no humans in this book. The romance is between two non-humans, which is a nice change. There's still an age-gap that I didn't think needed to be there, but at least she's over 20, which is also a nice change.

Tanwen, at first I was worried that she was going to be similar to other FMC's in romantasy, but she isn't. Sure, there are some common tropes that are part of her character, but with how they're used it doesn't feel tired, or like a cliché. I like the magic she has, it wasn't used in any deep way in this book, but I am curious how it will be used in later books.

 

Zolya, it was nice that the MMC wasn't a jerk. He loves his sister, he loves his mother, his biggest "crime" is that he's complicit in what his father does. Which doesn't make him a bad person, but he also doesn't really think there's anything he can or should do to change anything. He has the most character development in this book as he starts to see how bad things are under his father's rule. How it effects not only the Süra, but also the women Volari, like his sister and mother. And even the Mütra, and how messed up it was to damn a whole race for simply existing. Granted, it is a little strange that this guy who's been around supposedly for 80 years and has never once thought it was bad the mixed race of beings were killed basically on sight until he met one he thought was pretty. But I digress. 

 

The lore and the magic take more of a back seat than I would like for a fantasy story that has no human equivalent. There are two moons for starters, and as I already mentioned no humans in this world. The Gods talk to the people of this world when they feel like it at least. But I don't really understand the pantheon as of this book. Hopefully the future books will explain it more.