Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow
Way of Wings #1
Fantasy Romance
April 15, 2025- Montlake

Review by Angela

The cover for Scorched Skies caught my eye first, and since I’ve been reading A LOT of romantic fantasy lately, I decided to add it to my reading list. I’ve never read E.J. Mellow before, but I have seen other books by this author while searching and doing deals and new release posts, so I was excited to dive in. This is one of those books that I really, really wanted to like it more than I did. The premise is interesting, and the world building is well done. I think it all boils down to pacing.

Cādra is a world where the winged Volari are the ruling class and the Süra are forced to be earthbound and subjugated. Tanwen is a woman who was born from an outlawed union, her father was once a great Volari engineer and her mother a Süra healer. They fell in love and had twins, Tanwen and her brother. Since that time, the family has moved from town to town, always avoiding attention and deeply aware that they aren’t really safe anywhere.

Zolya is the Crown Prince who always follows his father’s orders. He comes across Tanwen while searching for her father. Not realizing her actual identity, he is intrigued, and their meeting leads to him and his soldiers locating her father and capturing him and Tanwen’s brother to take back to his father. The family now wrenched apart, Tanwen decides to infiltrate the city in the sky by signing up to be a worker. She is determined to save her father and brother.

I think I anticipated more action and less low-key political maneuvering. The worldbuilding is interesting to be sure, and I really enjoyed the secondary characters and how they fit into the world. I think my issues rise from Tanwen’s actions once she reaches the city. Which is pretty much nothing, to me there didn’t seem to be any real sense of urgency. Oh, she does end up locating her family members with the help of her mouse friend, but in the meantime, she works around the palace and discovers she has sexual feelings for the crown prince, and skulks around. All while her father is a broken man, watching his son being tortured by the king and his minions, trying to balance his need to resist creating another dangerous situation for the vulnerable in the city but still keeping his son safe.

I wasn’t a big fan of Zolya, he is a weak man who isn’t proactive about keeping those he loves safe. He only does the right thing after being confronted by his sister and Tanwen and their dire situations. And his actions are more inaction than anything. He is drawn to Tanwen, and his forming a connection with her seems to be the only thing he really does to rebel against his father. The relationship between Tanwen and Zolya feels kind of like instalove, but there seems to be an underlying theme of Volari and Süra being fated, which would explain their instant attraction to each other and being unable to resist that attraction.

All in all, this was an okay read. I was more invested in Tanwen’s father and brother’s situations and Zolya’s sister’s despair at her upcoming nuptials. I do plan on reading the next book in the series, the ending of this book leads me to believe there will be quite a bit more involvement between the higher and lower gods, and I’m hoping the Zolya grows a spine and ends up being a true romantic hero.

Grade- C