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Way of Wings #1
Scorched Skies
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.
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.
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.
541 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2025
252 people are currently reading
9,182 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Mellow
10books1,092followersE.J. Mellow is an award-winning and Amazon bestselling author of magical mayhem. Her work has been translated into multiple languages, appeared on Best Of lists such as Buzzfeed and Gizmodo and has reached #1 in multiple Amazon categories, as well as received medals from eLit Book Awards and Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Readers have said her "lyrical, vibrant, and imaginative" writing sweeps them into "stunning worlds". E.J. is also the co-founder of She Is Booked, a literary themed fundraising organization that supports women’s charities.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
April 15, 2025
જ⁀� 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Happy publishing day to !
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ �
I did it everyone; I finished this eARC before the publishing date! 541 pages later and here we are! I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I actually enjoyed this. This is a 3.5-star-rated book, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, which I'll get to in a little bit.
Tanwen Coslett is a Mütra, the daughter of a winged Volari father and a horned Süra mother. She lives in Cādra, where the rich Volari and their High Gods rule the skies and live decadent lives while the Süra and their Low Gods live on the earth and work for the Volari. Mütras are the result of a forbidden relationship, and if anyone finds out that she and her twin brother, Aberthol, are Mütra, they could be sentenced to death.
The Crown Prince of the Volari, Zoyla, has been raised to become a carbon copy of his father, the king. When he has orders to find a former Volari court engineer that's allegedly been disguised as a Mütra--aka Tanwen's father, Gabreel--he takes both her father and Aberthol as captive for the king to make him design a new mine for the Süra to work in. It's up to Tanwen to infiltrate the once place she said she would never go to rescue her family.
Scorched Skies was everything I've been looking for in a high/epic fantasy. Greek mythology-inspired? Check. Royal courts and political intrigue? Check. Headstrong FMC? Check. MMC who respects women? Check. Lovable side characters that care about Tanwen? Also check. Forbidden romance? Check, check, check.
In case you haven't figured out already from my version of the synopsis of the story, I want to emphasize that this is an epic/high fantasy. Sure, E.J. Mellow based this story off of the classic Icarus myth from Greek mythology, but you can tell that it was merely a baseline idea that the story was based on and a lot of the plot and worldbuilding were completely original, as with any typical high fantasy story. I was intimidated by the whole glossary of terms, a whole list of the High and Low Gods in the story, a map, and even pictures of what horns the Süra have based on what clan they're from. These were all found at the beginning of the eARC before the story even started!
With that being said, it was VERY difficult to get into at first. I found the beginning to be very slow and dry; admittedly, I almost DNF'ed the eARC but pushed through because I know that with any new fantasy series, you have to push through the worldbuilding to get to the action. For me, I didn't really feel like the plot picked up until around the 35-40% mark of the story, so you have to commit and push through the worldbuilding and exposition to get to the good parts. But holy crap, once I pushed through, I felt like I couldn't stop turning the pages. (Well, swiping them, since I was reading the eARC on my phone. You get the idea.)
E.J. Mellow did NOT hold back when it came to the character development with Tanwen and Zolya. Both, in their own ways, felt held back and were taught to do as they were told because society told them to. Tanwen was raised not to draw attention to herself because she could be exposed as a Mütra at any point while Zolya was raised to follow in his tyrannical father's footsteps. Both had to break their molds of obedience to make a change and take charge of their own fates: Tanwen infiltrating the Volari's society and lifestyles to rescue her family and Zolya breaking the mold to do what was best for his sister, Azla, and the sexist, oppressive, society his father created by silencing Volari women. There was a lot of good discussion about classism, racism, and sexism. all of which are rampant under Zolya and Azla's father's rule, and it was so interesting to see Zolya's character development throughout the story as he struggles with his cognitive dissonance to obey his father's wishes but also knowing that if he were king, that things would be totally different because he doesn't agree with his father's morals.
The only thing I have a critique on is Tanwen and Zolya's relationship. Sure, it's a forbidden romance, so if you like that trope, it's there! The only thing about it though is that there was no buildup to their relationship at all. Zolya's so busy with his royal duties while Tanwen is busy with the duties of her job and trying to figure out a plan to rescue her father and brother that they hardly have any meaningful interactions with each other that deepen and develop their relationship until about the halfway point of the book, which I feel like is way too far into the book for something like that to develop. Even with that, the relationship felt like it came out of nowhere. I can't go into that further without spoiling part of the plot, but all I'll say is that at no point did I go through a "giggling and kicking my feet in the air" phase where I was swooning over their interactions with each other. I actually stopped reading and went, "Huh?" before continuing because that's how out of left field it came.
The action-packed ending of the story came with so many twists and turns that it left me wanting more. Not only did E.J. Mellow keep her characters on their toes, but she kept ME on my toes as well! The book doesn't end on any major cliffhangers, but I have so many questions that I need answered. I'll be patiently waiting for the second book in the duology to come out!
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ �
Trigger warnings (provided by the author at the beginning of the eARC!): mature language, violence, sexual assault, substance use, death, animal cruelty, racism, classism, explicit sexual content, grief
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒Ю𝒹: I either have two moods: read all my ARCs weeks or months ahead of time, or panic reading them less than a week before they're about to be published. This one is the latter. I'm a sucker for anything Greek mythology-related or a retelling of anything mythology or fairy-tale related so this seems right up my alley! This also sounds like a high fantasy and I don't think I've read a high fantasy novel in a while so let's see how this goes🤞🏼🍀🔥☁️
Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Happy publishing day to !
"In all my years, I have never been so bewitched. You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home, to you."
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ �
I did it everyone; I finished this eARC before the publishing date! 541 pages later and here we are! I was pleasantly surprised as to how much I actually enjoyed this. This is a 3.5-star-rated book, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, which I'll get to in a little bit.
Tanwen Coslett is a Mütra, the daughter of a winged Volari father and a horned Süra mother. She lives in Cādra, where the rich Volari and their High Gods rule the skies and live decadent lives while the Süra and their Low Gods live on the earth and work for the Volari. Mütras are the result of a forbidden relationship, and if anyone finds out that she and her twin brother, Aberthol, are Mütra, they could be sentenced to death.
The Crown Prince of the Volari, Zoyla, has been raised to become a carbon copy of his father, the king. When he has orders to find a former Volari court engineer that's allegedly been disguised as a Mütra--aka Tanwen's father, Gabreel--he takes both her father and Aberthol as captive for the king to make him design a new mine for the Süra to work in. It's up to Tanwen to infiltrate the once place she said she would never go to rescue her family.
Scorched Skies was everything I've been looking for in a high/epic fantasy. Greek mythology-inspired? Check. Royal courts and political intrigue? Check. Headstrong FMC? Check. MMC who respects women? Check. Lovable side characters that care about Tanwen? Also check. Forbidden romance? Check, check, check.
In case you haven't figured out already from my version of the synopsis of the story, I want to emphasize that this is an epic/high fantasy. Sure, E.J. Mellow based this story off of the classic Icarus myth from Greek mythology, but you can tell that it was merely a baseline idea that the story was based on and a lot of the plot and worldbuilding were completely original, as with any typical high fantasy story. I was intimidated by the whole glossary of terms, a whole list of the High and Low Gods in the story, a map, and even pictures of what horns the Süra have based on what clan they're from. These were all found at the beginning of the eARC before the story even started!
With that being said, it was VERY difficult to get into at first. I found the beginning to be very slow and dry; admittedly, I almost DNF'ed the eARC but pushed through because I know that with any new fantasy series, you have to push through the worldbuilding to get to the action. For me, I didn't really feel like the plot picked up until around the 35-40% mark of the story, so you have to commit and push through the worldbuilding and exposition to get to the good parts. But holy crap, once I pushed through, I felt like I couldn't stop turning the pages. (Well, swiping them, since I was reading the eARC on my phone. You get the idea.)
E.J. Mellow did NOT hold back when it came to the character development with Tanwen and Zolya. Both, in their own ways, felt held back and were taught to do as they were told because society told them to. Tanwen was raised not to draw attention to herself because she could be exposed as a Mütra at any point while Zolya was raised to follow in his tyrannical father's footsteps. Both had to break their molds of obedience to make a change and take charge of their own fates: Tanwen infiltrating the Volari's society and lifestyles to rescue her family and Zolya breaking the mold to do what was best for his sister, Azla, and the sexist, oppressive, society his father created by silencing Volari women. There was a lot of good discussion about classism, racism, and sexism. all of which are rampant under Zolya and Azla's father's rule, and it was so interesting to see Zolya's character development throughout the story as he struggles with his cognitive dissonance to obey his father's wishes but also knowing that if he were king, that things would be totally different because he doesn't agree with his father's morals.
The only thing I have a critique on is Tanwen and Zolya's relationship. Sure, it's a forbidden romance, so if you like that trope, it's there! The only thing about it though is that there was no buildup to their relationship at all. Zolya's so busy with his royal duties while Tanwen is busy with the duties of her job and trying to figure out a plan to rescue her father and brother that they hardly have any meaningful interactions with each other that deepen and develop their relationship until about the halfway point of the book, which I feel like is way too far into the book for something like that to develop. Even with that, the relationship felt like it came out of nowhere. I can't go into that further without spoiling part of the plot, but all I'll say is that at no point did I go through a "giggling and kicking my feet in the air" phase where I was swooning over their interactions with each other. I actually stopped reading and went, "Huh?" before continuing because that's how out of left field it came.
The action-packed ending of the story came with so many twists and turns that it left me wanting more. Not only did E.J. Mellow keep her characters on their toes, but she kept ME on my toes as well! The book doesn't end on any major cliffhangers, but I have so many questions that I need answered. I'll be patiently waiting for the second book in the duology to come out!
⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ � ⋆｡ ﾟ☁︎｡ ⋆｡ ﾟ☀︎｡ ⋆｡ �
Trigger warnings (provided by the author at the beginning of the eARC!): mature language, violence, sexual assault, substance use, death, animal cruelty, racism, classism, explicit sexual content, grief
⋆˙⟡ 𝒫𝓇𝑒-𝓇𝑒Ю𝒹: I either have two moods: read all my ARCs weeks or months ahead of time, or panic reading them less than a week before they're about to be published. This one is the latter. I'm a sucker for anything Greek mythology-related or a retelling of anything mythology or fairy-tale related so this seems right up my alley! This also sounds like a high fantasy and I don't think I've read a high fantasy novel in a while so let's see how this goes🤞🏼🍀🔥☁️
April 10, 2025
this one’s for those who love forbidden romance, slow burn and vast world building. we follow two main characters: Tanwen and Zolya.. Tanwen is a Mütra, which makes her an “abomination�, while Zolya is the crown prince under the harsh scrutiny of his father. when Tanwen’s father is taken from their home and forced to work under the king, she becomes determined to infiltrate the castle to retrieve both him and her brother. im glad the author included a glossary at the start of the book cause there’s a lot of terminology that would’ve went over my head without it, cant even lie.
“In all my years, I have never been so bewitched. You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home, to you.�
it took me a while to get into the story, but once i did i was so invested in how everything would unravel. the stakes are very high and the author is unforgiving when it comes to putting immense pressure on the characters. Tanwen and Zolya were both likable on their own and together. Zolya was a lot different than i was expecting for a prince, he kind of stays in the background while assisting where he can. i hated his father so much, but i loved the side characters� especially Zolya’s sister. the sense of urgency as things hit the fan at the end of the book made me so anxious, there’s still so many things that still need to be resolved. i will definitely be reading the next book whenever it comes out cause i just want them all to be happy.
� many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Montlake Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
“In all my years, I have never been so bewitched. You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home, to you.�
it took me a while to get into the story, but once i did i was so invested in how everything would unravel. the stakes are very high and the author is unforgiving when it comes to putting immense pressure on the characters. Tanwen and Zolya were both likable on their own and together. Zolya was a lot different than i was expecting for a prince, he kind of stays in the background while assisting where he can. i hated his father so much, but i loved the side characters� especially Zolya’s sister. the sense of urgency as things hit the fan at the end of the book made me so anxious, there’s still so many things that still need to be resolved. i will definitely be reading the next book whenever it comes out cause i just want them all to be happy.
� many thanks to NetGalley, the author and Montlake Publishing for the arc, all opinions are my own.
January 3, 2025
5 �'s
�.�tropes:
🌿 forbidden romance
🪽 enemies to lovers
🌿 slow burn
🪽 dual pov
🌿 prince falls for a commoner�
🪽 winged hero�/horned heroine
🌿 icarus myth inspired
🪽 no cliffhanger
・⸝�
�.�mini blurb:
in a world divided where volari rule over earthbound süra, tawen and her family live in hiding. as the child of a forbidden union, her existence is punishable by death.
prince zolya is forced to fulfill his father’s every wish. acting on orders, he captures tanwen’s father and brother taking them to his kingdom. determined to rescue her family, tawen infiltrates the royal court disguised as a servant.
tawen realizes there’s more to save than just her family and more to prince zolya than meets the eye. 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.
�.�my thoughts:
i wish i could write a long eloquent review but i fear anything i say won't do this beautiful book justice.
romance was the perfect forbidden slow burn.
the glances across the room,
the finger brushing,
the yearning and longing.
・⸝�
writing was outstanding with solid plot and immersive worldbuilding. great characters and a beautiful love story.
i truly believe this book deserves lots of hype and would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy/romantasy. cannot wait for the next book!!
�.�tropes:
🌿 forbidden romance
🪽 enemies to lovers
🌿 slow burn
🪽 dual pov
🌿 prince falls for a commoner�
🪽 winged hero�/horned heroine
🌿 icarus myth inspired
🪽 no cliffhanger
・⸝�
� I thirst for the taste of you on my tongue, for the feel of you beneath my palms. In all my years, I have never been so bewitched. You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home, to you. �
�.�mini blurb:
in a world divided where volari rule over earthbound süra, tawen and her family live in hiding. as the child of a forbidden union, her existence is punishable by death.
prince zolya is forced to fulfill his father’s every wish. acting on orders, he captures tanwen’s father and brother taking them to his kingdom. determined to rescue her family, tawen infiltrates the royal court disguised as a servant.
tawen realizes there’s more to save than just her family and more to prince zolya than meets the eye. 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.
�.�my thoughts:
i wish i could write a long eloquent review but i fear anything i say won't do this beautiful book justice.
romance was the perfect forbidden slow burn.
the glances across the room,
the finger brushing,
the yearning and longing.
・⸝�
� A woman—no, a servant—who had literally brought him to his knees. �
writing was outstanding with solid plot and immersive worldbuilding. great characters and a beautiful love story.
i truly believe this book deserves lots of hype and would recommend to anyone who likes fantasy/romantasy. cannot wait for the next book!!
February 3, 2025
Having finished the book only moments ago, I struggle with getting my thoughts in order and the urge to tell everyone about this book immediately. First and foremost, if you read nothing else past this, this was a 6-star read and a new favourite.
I would classify this book as more of a romantic fantasy. The fantasy elements are the core focus of the book, while the romance itself is supportive of the overall plot. While there are a handful of intimate scenes, they do not feel like they are for fan service but rather for the logical growth and development of the relationship.
If you come to the romantic fantasy/fantasy romance genre with more of a high or epic fantasy background, you may find this is an easier entry point. The world-building is well done and is the focus of the first portion of the book. Stay with it though, even if you think the book is moving too slowly or if the world-building and character-building feel too confusing. You will settle in in the 30-50% mark. After that, the plot completely takes over and you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough. I can honestly say that I don't remember the last time my heart was beating that quickly through the final chapters.
Tanwen is one of my new favourite FMCs. We all have that one superpower that we wish we could have. Such as invisibility, flying, etc. Mine is communicating with animals. So when I realized that this was Tanwen's magic, I was SOLD. Immediately. The scene in the orchard (IYKYK) was one of my favourite scenes I've ever read and is burned in my memory.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are looking for a romantic fantasy that steers clear of silly goofy territory, modern language, and simple writing styles, and want something a bit more lyrical without being purple, realistic characters who don't make face-palm choices, and a rich world of magic, political intrigue, and commentary on real-world issues (namely, misogyny, racism, and classism), then please do not hesitate to pick this book up.
Big thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I would classify this book as more of a romantic fantasy. The fantasy elements are the core focus of the book, while the romance itself is supportive of the overall plot. While there are a handful of intimate scenes, they do not feel like they are for fan service but rather for the logical growth and development of the relationship.
If you come to the romantic fantasy/fantasy romance genre with more of a high or epic fantasy background, you may find this is an easier entry point. The world-building is well done and is the focus of the first portion of the book. Stay with it though, even if you think the book is moving too slowly or if the world-building and character-building feel too confusing. You will settle in in the 30-50% mark. After that, the plot completely takes over and you won't be able to turn the pages fast enough. I can honestly say that I don't remember the last time my heart was beating that quickly through the final chapters.
Tanwen is one of my new favourite FMCs. We all have that one superpower that we wish we could have. Such as invisibility, flying, etc. Mine is communicating with animals. So when I realized that this was Tanwen's magic, I was SOLD. Immediately. The scene in the orchard (IYKYK) was one of my favourite scenes I've ever read and is burned in my memory.
I cannot recommend this book enough. If you are looking for a romantic fantasy that steers clear of silly goofy territory, modern language, and simple writing styles, and want something a bit more lyrical without being purple, realistic characters who don't make face-palm choices, and a rich world of magic, political intrigue, and commentary on real-world issues (namely, misogyny, racism, and classism), then please do not hesitate to pick this book up.
Big thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Want to read
December 29, 2024WE'RE SO BACK
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March 24, 2025AN ICARUS ROMANTASY RETELLING?! YES PLEASE
December 31, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. I loved everything about it.
The take on the Icarus myth, the world building, the characters, the politics, the family dynamics. ALL OF IT. I cannot find a single flaw.
The pace was perfect, explaining the world and introducing the players and their thoughts/motivations in the beginning, and then really letting it rip once the stage was set.
The writing was excellent; it flowed incredibly well, the dialogue was realistic, and everything regarding the gods/the magic system/the various races all was very easy to understand.
The love story was beautiful and heartbreaking, two people with the same views and desire for a better world but forced to be on opposing sides of a conflict due to circumstance and duty.
I can’t even believe this doesn’t come out until April 2025 because I’m DYING for the sequel already, but PLEASE I beg of you, read this when it’s out.
And thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!!
The take on the Icarus myth, the world building, the characters, the politics, the family dynamics. ALL OF IT. I cannot find a single flaw.
The pace was perfect, explaining the world and introducing the players and their thoughts/motivations in the beginning, and then really letting it rip once the stage was set.
The writing was excellent; it flowed incredibly well, the dialogue was realistic, and everything regarding the gods/the magic system/the various races all was very easy to understand.
The love story was beautiful and heartbreaking, two people with the same views and desire for a better world but forced to be on opposing sides of a conflict due to circumstance and duty.
I can’t even believe this doesn’t come out until April 2025 because I’m DYING for the sequel already, but PLEASE I beg of you, read this when it’s out.
And thank you to NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!!
March 29, 2025
Wow, Scorched Skies, wow.
I was curious about this book when I first read its synopsis, but nothing prepared me for the tidal wave of emotion that would overwhelm me upon experiencing this journey. I was stunned, numbed, awed, beat down, and I still flew to the highest of highs. I entered this story with no expectations, yet the narrative somehow still surpassed, exceeded, transcended them all. Scorched Skies took my breath away. It went from a story I knew nothing about, to a story I want to know everything about.
This fantasy romance is set in world where winged people called Volari rule in the skies above the earthbound people Süra. The Volari rule all, and they certainly are not meant to mix in any way with the Süra below; for such a union is deemed criminal. And yet products of this very union exist and grow, and come into magic they are told is impossible. Our heroine Tanwen is one of these impossibilities. Her family must live in hiding to survive, but when her once winged father and brother are taken by the prince of the sky to serve the kingdom above, Tanwen will do whatever it takes to get them back. Under the shroud of servant in new employment, Tanwen enters the kingdom with one goal, but unexpectedly discovers far more than ever intended. And Zolya, prince and captor, is at the heart of this unexpected discovery.
What follows is a delicate forbidden romance, a high stakes plot, and a journey that will change the very core of our leads.
Tanwen is a wonderful heroine. Her nature is to heal, to help, to live. And the guilt she feels at the captivity of her father and brother drives her to infiltrate the enemy in order to reunite her family. That drive highlights her courage and resolve. Her goal is single-minded, but life is anything but. Tanwen comes to know her fellow workers and forge into tentative friendships. She comes to know the princess she serves, and sees a kindred soul who yearns for more just as she. And she comes to know Zolya, the prince, seeing him not as the captor of her nightmares, but as a man who is in his own prison, and who possess a kindness that is most unexpected. It did not take me long to sympathize with Zolya. He must navigate a fine line, between trying to do what he find is morally right, to protecting his sister, and to begrudgingly acquiescing to the demands of his tyrant father. He is not in a position to be selfish, and yet when he comes to meet Tanwen, he, for the first time, wants something all of his own. The connection between Tanwen and him is electric, impossible, and inescapable.
What a romance! This is a truly forbidden love story. Tanwen's very existence is the result of such a union and it's left her family hiding in the dark. There is a tangible danger with what brews between Tanwen and Zolya, yet they cannot stay away from one another. They are like magnets, pulling towards each other at every turn of the page. I will say, if I could change one tiny thing is, I wish there had been a touch of more romancing. I also felt some discomfort when the first romantic interlude took place, given what had just occurred prior. Nevertheless, I absolutely relished the yearning, longing, and fiery desire felt between Tanwen and Zolya. Their connection is poignant and powerful, and it's one every reader will want to see fortified, and one every reader will beg to see triumph.
The plot kept me on my toes, it's filled with high tension, pulse-racing action, swoon-worthy romance, jaw-dropping surprise, and tremendous, heartbreaking loss. Oh how that loss that had me truly mourning. In fact the first significant loss had me needing to put my kindle down to wipe the tears blinding my vision, rolling down my cheeks. I so rarely cry during reads, I'll get misty-eyed and my heart will cry, but the cheeks stay dry more often than not. That wasn't the case here at all. I had to bring out the tissues, I had to calm my erratically beating heart. I felt so pained by what I read, and yet with that loss came the understanding this plot is sincerely high stakes. No one, no thing, no absolutely anything is safe. What is to come cannot be so easily predicted, and that charges the air with a true sense of fear and worry. I was so scared for the characters I loved, especially our leads. I was literally at the edge of my seat. That’s the kind of feeling that stays with you well past the turn of the final page.
It’s the way I need the sequel like I need air. I need it so badly, I need it right now! I'm not sure how to move on from this ending without knowing what comes next. It's going to be a tough wait, I'm going to be impatient, but I know whatever wait is ahead will be worth it.
What an incredible read, it surprised me in the very best way, even when it made me sob. I loved this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily. 4.5
Audiobook ARC Review: Added March 29, 2025
My first audiobook ARC experience and it was a phenomenal experience!
I am not one to commonly listen to audiobooks, but I simply could not pass up the opportunity to tune into the audiobook ARC for Scorched Skies. I was lucky enough to read the digital ARC this past month, and now have had the pleasure to listening its tale this past week.
It’s so incredibly well narrated. It’s a duet narration, and both narrators elevate an already soaring material to new heights. I was immersed in unexpected ways. I caught onto details I overlooked in my initial reading, gaining new appreciation. I thought I would be readily prepared for the most heartbreaking scenes and yet I grieved as if I did not know those moments were coming. And the moments of intimacy and romance had me swooning and blushing like the first time around.
The narrators' voices created a movie that played in my mind in all its brilliant, vivid colors. If reading the digital arc was like an epic high definition film, the audiobook made it a 4k experience. I’m someone who tends to read quickly, but the audiobook forced me to slow down. Slowing down gifted me newfound appreciation for this book I already loved so much.
What a triumph!
This experience fortified all I already felt about this gorgeous read.
Thank youEJ's Mellow Misfits Facebook Group and Brilliance Publishing for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
I was curious about this book when I first read its synopsis, but nothing prepared me for the tidal wave of emotion that would overwhelm me upon experiencing this journey. I was stunned, numbed, awed, beat down, and I still flew to the highest of highs. I entered this story with no expectations, yet the narrative somehow still surpassed, exceeded, transcended them all. Scorched Skies took my breath away. It went from a story I knew nothing about, to a story I want to know everything about.
This fantasy romance is set in world where winged people called Volari rule in the skies above the earthbound people Süra. The Volari rule all, and they certainly are not meant to mix in any way with the Süra below; for such a union is deemed criminal. And yet products of this very union exist and grow, and come into magic they are told is impossible. Our heroine Tanwen is one of these impossibilities. Her family must live in hiding to survive, but when her once winged father and brother are taken by the prince of the sky to serve the kingdom above, Tanwen will do whatever it takes to get them back. Under the shroud of servant in new employment, Tanwen enters the kingdom with one goal, but unexpectedly discovers far more than ever intended. And Zolya, prince and captor, is at the heart of this unexpected discovery.
What follows is a delicate forbidden romance, a high stakes plot, and a journey that will change the very core of our leads.
Tanwen is a wonderful heroine. Her nature is to heal, to help, to live. And the guilt she feels at the captivity of her father and brother drives her to infiltrate the enemy in order to reunite her family. That drive highlights her courage and resolve. Her goal is single-minded, but life is anything but. Tanwen comes to know her fellow workers and forge into tentative friendships. She comes to know the princess she serves, and sees a kindred soul who yearns for more just as she. And she comes to know Zolya, the prince, seeing him not as the captor of her nightmares, but as a man who is in his own prison, and who possess a kindness that is most unexpected. It did not take me long to sympathize with Zolya. He must navigate a fine line, between trying to do what he find is morally right, to protecting his sister, and to begrudgingly acquiescing to the demands of his tyrant father. He is not in a position to be selfish, and yet when he comes to meet Tanwen, he, for the first time, wants something all of his own. The connection between Tanwen and him is electric, impossible, and inescapable.
What a romance! This is a truly forbidden love story. Tanwen's very existence is the result of such a union and it's left her family hiding in the dark. There is a tangible danger with what brews between Tanwen and Zolya, yet they cannot stay away from one another. They are like magnets, pulling towards each other at every turn of the page. I will say, if I could change one tiny thing is, I wish there had been a touch of more romancing. I also felt some discomfort when the first romantic interlude took place, given what had just occurred prior. Nevertheless, I absolutely relished the yearning, longing, and fiery desire felt between Tanwen and Zolya. Their connection is poignant and powerful, and it's one every reader will want to see fortified, and one every reader will beg to see triumph.
The plot kept me on my toes, it's filled with high tension, pulse-racing action, swoon-worthy romance, jaw-dropping surprise, and tremendous, heartbreaking loss. Oh how that loss that had me truly mourning. In fact the first significant loss had me needing to put my kindle down to wipe the tears blinding my vision, rolling down my cheeks. I so rarely cry during reads, I'll get misty-eyed and my heart will cry, but the cheeks stay dry more often than not. That wasn't the case here at all. I had to bring out the tissues, I had to calm my erratically beating heart. I felt so pained by what I read, and yet with that loss came the understanding this plot is sincerely high stakes. No one, no thing, no absolutely anything is safe. What is to come cannot be so easily predicted, and that charges the air with a true sense of fear and worry. I was so scared for the characters I loved, especially our leads. I was literally at the edge of my seat. That’s the kind of feeling that stays with you well past the turn of the final page.
It’s the way I need the sequel like I need air. I need it so badly, I need it right now! I'm not sure how to move on from this ending without knowing what comes next. It's going to be a tough wait, I'm going to be impatient, but I know whatever wait is ahead will be worth it.
What an incredible read, it surprised me in the very best way, even when it made me sob. I loved this one.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily. 4.5
Audiobook ARC Review: Added March 29, 2025
My first audiobook ARC experience and it was a phenomenal experience!
I am not one to commonly listen to audiobooks, but I simply could not pass up the opportunity to tune into the audiobook ARC for Scorched Skies. I was lucky enough to read the digital ARC this past month, and now have had the pleasure to listening its tale this past week.
It’s so incredibly well narrated. It’s a duet narration, and both narrators elevate an already soaring material to new heights. I was immersed in unexpected ways. I caught onto details I overlooked in my initial reading, gaining new appreciation. I thought I would be readily prepared for the most heartbreaking scenes and yet I grieved as if I did not know those moments were coming. And the moments of intimacy and romance had me swooning and blushing like the first time around.
The narrators' voices created a movie that played in my mind in all its brilliant, vivid colors. If reading the digital arc was like an epic high definition film, the audiobook made it a 4k experience. I’m someone who tends to read quickly, but the audiobook forced me to slow down. Slowing down gifted me newfound appreciation for this book I already loved so much.
What a triumph!
This experience fortified all I already felt about this gorgeous read.
Thank youEJ's Mellow Misfits Facebook Group and Brilliance Publishing for this advanced complimentary copy, I leave this honest review voluntarily.
January 22, 2025
Thank you Netgalley and Montlake for this arc.
Starting my reading year on a low note.
Unfortunately, Scorched Skies was one of my most anticipated books of the year. and I was delighted to have gotten an arc and didn't think it would be a disappointing read.
Tanwen, our heroine, didn’t shine through. She loses sight of her goals as soon as the prince makes doe eyes at her, her resolves were weak as shit. She was very lacking as a main character. Zolya's, The hero, thirst for his father’s approval made him overlook so many injustices, discriminating laws and even the selling of his own sister as if she was some sort of object to be traded. That was one of the few plot points where I felt there was a an emotional dilemma and looking forward to the unraveling of it. However, Zolya does not act upon what he feels right and just lets things happen around him. Plus, I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple, it was quite bland.
The MC was SA’ed and that was instantly disregard as if it’s never happened. Makes you think that the point of the scene was to make the hero look good by saving her!!! That was some really effed up shit that happened to her. She should’ve been affected way more than that. Oh and there was a smut scene right after she was nearly R worded. At that point I mentally checked out of the book.
While It definitely took its time with the world building and setting the lore, which were some of the few redeeming parts of the book. It was obvious that the characters were not flushed out and didn't have depths. Lastly, there was an unnecessary death at the end that just didn't make sense and was abrupt.
This is a duology and I don't if I'm intrigued enough to read the sequel.
—ĔĔ�
I got an arc!!! Can’t wait to start it! 🙌🏻
Starting my reading year on a low note.
Unfortunately, Scorched Skies was one of my most anticipated books of the year. and I was delighted to have gotten an arc and didn't think it would be a disappointing read.
Tanwen, our heroine, didn’t shine through. She loses sight of her goals as soon as the prince makes doe eyes at her, her resolves were weak as shit. She was very lacking as a main character. Zolya's, The hero, thirst for his father’s approval made him overlook so many injustices, discriminating laws and even the selling of his own sister as if she was some sort of object to be traded. That was one of the few plot points where I felt there was a an emotional dilemma and looking forward to the unraveling of it. However, Zolya does not act upon what he feels right and just lets things happen around him. Plus, I didn't feel the chemistry between the main couple, it was quite bland.
The MC was SA’ed and that was instantly disregard as if it’s never happened. Makes you think that the point of the scene was to make the hero look good by saving her!!! That was some really effed up shit that happened to her. She should’ve been affected way more than that. Oh and there was a smut scene right after she was nearly R worded. At that point I mentally checked out of the book.
While It definitely took its time with the world building and setting the lore, which were some of the few redeeming parts of the book. It was obvious that the characters were not flushed out and didn't have depths. Lastly, there was an unnecessary death at the end that just didn't make sense and was abrupt.
This is a duology and I don't if I'm intrigued enough to read the sequel.
—ĔĔ�
I got an arc!!! Can’t wait to start it! 🙌🏻
January 2, 2025
I absolutely devoured this book. I completely fell in love with Tanwen and Zolya. They complimented one another so well. I loved seeing how vulnerable and supportive they were with one another other. Also, Eli and Huw are the sweetest and deserve everything. I really appreciated seeing how each character grew throughout the story with the help of the others.
I loved how developed each of the characters felt. The fast yet thoughtful pace and thoughtful and intricate world building made it fun to read.
This book felt like the perfect ending to a great year of reading. I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!
Thanks NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!
I loved how developed each of the characters felt. The fast yet thoughtful pace and thoughtful and intricate world building made it fun to read.
This book felt like the perfect ending to a great year of reading. I can’t wait to see what comes next for these characters!
Thanks NetGalley and Montlake for the ARC!
January 7, 2025
This book was amazing. The Icarus retelling, the hierarchical society, power imbalances and female rage were so well done in Scorched Skies. I was raging right alongside Tamwen throughout the book. She is such a strong female protagonist and a nice change from the dagger wielding warrior type.
I don't tend to get emotional when reading books, but there were two specific instances in this novel where I was misty and overwhelmed with emotion with how E.J. Mellow described the circumstances. My heart broke for Tamwen over and over again.
It was very interesting with the structure of the high and low gods and the thought that perhaps what was happening was actually not in anyone's control at all. The influences these gods had could have been exerting may have been even more than what was apparent.
The love story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Two people on two separate sides of a kingdom who just wanted to be together, unable to be due to circumstance and duty. I suspect our hearts will break further in book 2 before being put together again. Highly recommend reading when it comes out April 2025.
I don't tend to get emotional when reading books, but there were two specific instances in this novel where I was misty and overwhelmed with emotion with how E.J. Mellow described the circumstances. My heart broke for Tamwen over and over again.
It was very interesting with the structure of the high and low gods and the thought that perhaps what was happening was actually not in anyone's control at all. The influences these gods had could have been exerting may have been even more than what was apparent.
The love story was beautiful and heartbreaking. Two people on two separate sides of a kingdom who just wanted to be together, unable to be due to circumstance and duty. I suspect our hearts will break further in book 2 before being put together again. Highly recommend reading when it comes out April 2025.
January 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this arc ahead of publication. EJ Mellow is a new author to me, and oh BOY am I excited to have found her! I read this entire book in one day. This story was excellent. It was a unique take on some common themes including forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, and a slow burn, plus the beautiful references to the Icarus myth. The world-building was unique and very well done - intricate without feeling heavy or slow. The story was gripping from the very first page and it built in a way that made sense, with the action speeding up as we went along. By the time we got to the crescendo my heart was POUNDING because I was so invested in the story. There was a little more telling than showing in some areas, and I wish we had gotten to know some of the side characters better. I am excited to see where this goes in the next book (how am I going to wait for that?!) and hopeful that we'll get to see some of the supporting characters and their motivations.
January 10, 2025
� Book Review: Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow �
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for this advanced reader’s copy!
From the divided world of Cādra to the soaring Volari skies, Scorched Skies is a mesmerizing blend of forbidden love, court intrigue, and high-stakes action. E.J. Mellow delivers a spellbinding reimagining of the Icarus myth with Tanwen, an outcast fighting to save her family, and Zolya, a prince caught between duty and desire. Their chemistry? Electric. Their dilemmas? Heart-wrenching.
Admittedly, the heavy use of third-person references to Tanwen was a little jarring at first, but the narrative found its stride halfway through—and WOW. Zolya’s lines had me absolutely swooning! I loved the tension, the stakes, and the vivid worldbuilding.
Trigger warnings: There are some scenes involving unwanted physical touch and an attempted assault, so please read mindfully.
I’m already counting the days until book two of this duology because I NEED to know what happens next! If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, winged princes, and epic stakes, don’t miss Scorched Skies. E.J. Mellow has outdone herself!
Rating: 4.5/5 Stars
Thank you, NetGalley and Montlake, for this advanced reader’s copy!
From the divided world of Cādra to the soaring Volari skies, Scorched Skies is a mesmerizing blend of forbidden love, court intrigue, and high-stakes action. E.J. Mellow delivers a spellbinding reimagining of the Icarus myth with Tanwen, an outcast fighting to save her family, and Zolya, a prince caught between duty and desire. Their chemistry? Electric. Their dilemmas? Heart-wrenching.
Admittedly, the heavy use of third-person references to Tanwen was a little jarring at first, but the narrative found its stride halfway through—and WOW. Zolya’s lines had me absolutely swooning! I loved the tension, the stakes, and the vivid worldbuilding.
Trigger warnings: There are some scenes involving unwanted physical touch and an attempted assault, so please read mindfully.
I’m already counting the days until book two of this duology because I NEED to know what happens next! If you’re a fan of slow-burn romance, winged princes, and epic stakes, don’t miss Scorched Skies. E.J. Mellow has outdone herself!
April 13, 2025
I couldn't pass up this book after seeing the gorgeous cover! It instantly made me intrigued to see this new fantasy world. The world building is definitely a highlight of this book and the world is quite unique. I definitely enjoyed those aspects.
Unfortunately, I did not feel a strong connection with the characters and felt that most of their relationships seemed quite shallow. I felt very little chemistry between the main love interests and there was almost no tension leading up to their romantic relations. It just fell flat for me.
This was still a decent book and it has definitely set up the second book in the duology to be a good political fantasy. I would recommend to people who enjoy romantasy with unique worlds and intricate world building. I also listened to the audiobook while reading this, and really enjoyed the narrators.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
Unfortunately, I did not feel a strong connection with the characters and felt that most of their relationships seemed quite shallow. I felt very little chemistry between the main love interests and there was almost no tension leading up to their romantic relations. It just fell flat for me.
This was still a decent book and it has definitely set up the second book in the duology to be a good political fantasy. I would recommend to people who enjoy romantasy with unique worlds and intricate world building. I also listened to the audiobook while reading this, and really enjoyed the narrators.
Thank you to Montlake and NetGalley for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for my review.
April 15, 2025
I am so thankful to have gotten the opportunity to read this book early.
.
“His wingspan was as terrifying as it was magnificent.�
I loved how original and imaginative this story was. It felt so new while reading. I kept wanting to learn more about this world and the characters in it. EJ Mellow has created a beautiful new world for us. Filled with magic, Gods, multiple POVs, clans, and winged beings. She never stops bringing a creative, engaging story to life. Let’s get into some tropes:
Forbidden Love (Prince and Servant)
Undercover Mission
Who did this?
Say my Name
Prince against his Father
Supposed to be enemies to lovers
I also got to listen to the audiobook as well. I loved having multiple POVs. You have your FMC, MMC, and the FMC’s father. That was an interesting POV to have, but made so much sense to the story and added to it. I really enjoyed the cast for the audiobook as their voices flowed throughout the story.
The story starts with her father and brother’s capture which leads Tanwen on a new journey that she may not return from. This journey leads her closer to the prince, who she hates. However, he is beautiful and has piercing blue eyes. He seems he could be different, but is he worth the risk? She’s here to save her family from the very people that took them. The prince would only be a problem in a well thought out plan.
If you love EJ Mellow’s past works you will love this. If you love fantasy, winged men, new worlds with an original story, Greek mythology, forbidden love, and say my name trope this is a story for you.
.
“His wingspan was as terrifying as it was magnificent.�
I loved how original and imaginative this story was. It felt so new while reading. I kept wanting to learn more about this world and the characters in it. EJ Mellow has created a beautiful new world for us. Filled with magic, Gods, multiple POVs, clans, and winged beings. She never stops bringing a creative, engaging story to life. Let’s get into some tropes:
Forbidden Love (Prince and Servant)
Undercover Mission
Who did this?
Say my Name
Prince against his Father
Supposed to be enemies to lovers
I also got to listen to the audiobook as well. I loved having multiple POVs. You have your FMC, MMC, and the FMC’s father. That was an interesting POV to have, but made so much sense to the story and added to it. I really enjoyed the cast for the audiobook as their voices flowed throughout the story.
The story starts with her father and brother’s capture which leads Tanwen on a new journey that she may not return from. This journey leads her closer to the prince, who she hates. However, he is beautiful and has piercing blue eyes. He seems he could be different, but is he worth the risk? She’s here to save her family from the very people that took them. The prince would only be a problem in a well thought out plan.
If you love EJ Mellow’s past works you will love this. If you love fantasy, winged men, new worlds with an original story, Greek mythology, forbidden love, and say my name trope this is a story for you.
April 16, 2025
Happy release week to this beauty.
An amazing introduction to this new series, with very high stakes and unforgiving characters
I enjoyed so much the retelling of the Icarus myth, a very intricate work
I loved the introduction to the story, absolutely brilliantly done
The characters on their own are so likeable, that i fear i was pretty upset when the book ended.
The romance is pure delight�.. the forbidden part, both of them from different worlds and with a lot to carry on their shoulders THE LONGING IT WAS SO GOOD, we may have a new book boyfriend on the horizon, and he is yearning yearning
You don’t even know when it’s over, you’re left scrambling for more. I am looking forward to finding out what is in store for the next instalment, my heart was in pieces at the end
If you are looking to start a new fantasy that is easy to read and has the forbidden trope than you have to pick this one asap, it’s out already
Thank you to the publisher for the arc
An amazing introduction to this new series, with very high stakes and unforgiving characters
I enjoyed so much the retelling of the Icarus myth, a very intricate work
I loved the introduction to the story, absolutely brilliantly done
The characters on their own are so likeable, that i fear i was pretty upset when the book ended.
The romance is pure delight�.. the forbidden part, both of them from different worlds and with a lot to carry on their shoulders THE LONGING IT WAS SO GOOD, we may have a new book boyfriend on the horizon, and he is yearning yearning
You don’t even know when it’s over, you’re left scrambling for more. I am looking forward to finding out what is in store for the next instalment, my heart was in pieces at the end
If you are looking to start a new fantasy that is easy to read and has the forbidden trope than you have to pick this one asap, it’s out already
Thank you to the publisher for the arc
April 23, 2025
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ALC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Another romantic heavy fantasy, intriguing world building but I did not care whatsoever about the romance, it tried to push the idea that it was slow burn and oh so forbidden but I guess our main characters did not get the memo.
Tanwen was alright, everything just happen to work out for her no matter what, but she did tug on my heartstrings sometimes. Zolya on the other hand was insufferable. I'm so tired of the prince that does everything their evil dad tells them to do but no don't worry he is actually so good because he doesn't actually like it, arc type. News flash he is just a coward, and he remains one the entire story. Anyways terrible character development since there was none.
Everytime anyone mention the sister-cousin thing (which was numerous times) I just remembered how flabbergasted I was with that information.
The last death that happened in this book was so utterly stupid that I just laughed.
It started promising but quickly stopped being it.
Another romantic heavy fantasy, intriguing world building but I did not care whatsoever about the romance, it tried to push the idea that it was slow burn and oh so forbidden but I guess our main characters did not get the memo.
Tanwen was alright, everything just happen to work out for her no matter what, but she did tug on my heartstrings sometimes. Zolya on the other hand was insufferable. I'm so tired of the prince that does everything their evil dad tells them to do but no don't worry he is actually so good because he doesn't actually like it, arc type. News flash he is just a coward, and he remains one the entire story. Anyways terrible character development since there was none.
Everytime anyone mention the sister-cousin thing (which was numerous times) I just remembered how flabbergasted I was with that information.
The last death that happened in this book was so utterly stupid that I just laughed.
It started promising but quickly stopped being it.
April 15, 2025
As a huge fan of E.J. Mellow’s Mousai series I was so excited to see she was starting a new romantasy duo. Scorched Skies is a fast paced, engaging, and emotional start to her new duo the Way of Wings inspired by the Icarus Myth.
This book takes us on a rollercoaster. My emotions were all over the place and this book definitely brings us some pretty bleak moments. The world of Cādra is divided. Crown Prince Zolya is forced to fulfill his cruel father’s every whim. When Tanwen’s father and brother are captured by Zolya, Tanwen disguises herself as a servant to infiltrate the palace where she discovers there’s more to save than just her family.
I thought this story was a great blend of many beloved tropes and E.J. Mellow does a great job balancing the forbidden romance and the Prince falls for a commoner trope but the enemies to lovers is my favorite part. It feels unique while still familiar. I enjoyed Tanwen and Zolya’s story and slow burn relationship. Their anger and hatred towards each other felt realistic. Mostly on Tanwen’s side but her reasons are understandable and it creates such tension seeing her warring with her romantic feelings and feelings of disgust with what Zolya represents. I will say though if you’re an animal lover please check the trigger warnings. This book can be intense and heartbreaking at times.
Overall this was a great start to a new romantasy duo. I think fans of fantasy’s that aren’t all rainbows and happy times will enjoy this one. The characters really do face some very difficult times and choices. Im excited for book 2 and what will happen next!
Huge thank you to E.J. Mellow and her team for gifting me this ARC
This book takes us on a rollercoaster. My emotions were all over the place and this book definitely brings us some pretty bleak moments. The world of Cādra is divided. Crown Prince Zolya is forced to fulfill his cruel father’s every whim. When Tanwen’s father and brother are captured by Zolya, Tanwen disguises herself as a servant to infiltrate the palace where she discovers there’s more to save than just her family.
I thought this story was a great blend of many beloved tropes and E.J. Mellow does a great job balancing the forbidden romance and the Prince falls for a commoner trope but the enemies to lovers is my favorite part. It feels unique while still familiar. I enjoyed Tanwen and Zolya’s story and slow burn relationship. Their anger and hatred towards each other felt realistic. Mostly on Tanwen’s side but her reasons are understandable and it creates such tension seeing her warring with her romantic feelings and feelings of disgust with what Zolya represents. I will say though if you’re an animal lover please check the trigger warnings. This book can be intense and heartbreaking at times.
Overall this was a great start to a new romantasy duo. I think fans of fantasy’s that aren’t all rainbows and happy times will enjoy this one. The characters really do face some very difficult times and choices. Im excited for book 2 and what will happen next!
Huge thank you to E.J. Mellow and her team for gifting me this ARC
April 19, 2025
3.5 stars
After some consideration, I’ve decided to give this book a 3.5 stars rating, I was looking for a 4 at first but I think this rating is better for me. It’s not a bad rating, this book has a lot of good things -which I’ll mention in a moment- that made me enjoy my reading time a lot and I can see a lot of people loving this book because of those but in my opinion, there were a lot of things that made me feel like “okay, this could have been better� or “this was not necessary� or “this is silly� or “maybe not the best decision� and maybe those things stayed with me because I know E.J Mellow can give me those things I was asking for because she delivered them in her Mousai trilogy. Anyways, enough of this, let’s go to the review.
As I said before, there are a lot of things to like here and one of the things that stand up over the rest is the magnificent writing style. I was enamored by it from page one. It is incredible how this writing pulls you into the story, makes you feel like you are in this world, how it doesn’t feel silly but actually magical. I don’t know how to explain it but sometimes, some writers try to use this fancy writing style and it comes out cheap or it pulls you out of the story because it’s not natural but thank God, that was not the case with this book, and it gives extra points to the plot and story.
Another thing that I liked was the angle we get from the characters. At first, I thought it was going to be Tanwen’s pov the entire book, and then when we got Zolya’s pov I was happy for it BUT THEN we got and extra pov that made the book so MUCH more gut punching. Connected to this point, we have different struggles that make the story much heavier than usual. Normally we sympathize with the main character (whether it’s a man or a woman) but here we have a girl (Tanwen) trying to pull free from the constant fear of being discovered, from the constant rules her parents have given her and trying to actually live a life that is worth living. On the other hand, we have a man (Zolya) that wishes to be able to show his real self and that is tired on the masks he has to wear with his people, a man that doesn’t want to follow the cruel orders of his king. Then we have a father (a character you will get to know) trying to save his son’s life and man, did that story hit me, it was extraordinary how E.J mellow succeeded in transmitting this father’s desperation over what was being done to his son. Then we have a princess, trapped by the way she came into the world, a princess that wishes to live outside of the customs of her people, wishes to be more than it was designed for her to be. We have a story of a little friend that it is there no matter what, willing to help, support, make laugh and care -this characters is the best of the best by the way- So yes, we have more than one thing to care for in this story -and they are not necessarily on the same side, which makes this even more interesting- and how they all connect made the reading not heavy, usually when we have a lot of characters we need a balance that will make us care for all of them but at the same time, writers need to be careful on how they deliver because if they give too much it can make the story tiresome. So, perfect delivery on that front.
I love my Greek myths -don’t know why, I just love them- and when I discovered we would have a glimpse of Icarus’s story here I was all in. In a way, yes, our boy Zolya gets dangerously close to some revolutionary ideas but the Icarus part was more in the side of women in this book. This is a main point in the story, how they rebel against what they are suppose to be or do what they are willing to do to be free of the leashes their culture or society has put on them. I can see how a lot of women can resonate with this part, personally, it wasn’t a big of a punch but I do admire how it was delivered, I wished it would have been shown in a better way and I say this because I wanted to get punched by that part of the plot but we still have a second book coming, so I’ll wait on that.
The main plot or mission is for Tanwen to save her family and in the way, many other things happen. This part was something that I liked, there’s no way we set out to do something and other things don’t get in the way of that so I liked that. Another thing that hooked me RIGHT AWAY was how chapter one ended and following on its heels, how chapter two ended, it was a clever way to complicate things and make them interesting at the same time.
There’s something about this book that I found nice and that’s the many new names a lot of things have in this world, like literally, a lot of new words. At the beginning it was exhausting, trying to remember all of them or having them in mind just in case they appeared again but after a while I got used to them, so that was good. -there is a point here that I didn’t like but I’ll finish the good things first-
With the romance, I have mixed feelings. It happened fast, after like, two or three encounters, they were completely smitten with each other and even though I was not bothered by that at all -because we have A LOT of books doing that right now- I still wished for more. They came to care for the other very quickly and it was done in a way that didn’t upset me -which was great- but I know E.J Mellow can give that slow burn -or fast burn- that makes me think: “oh, this is possible� because she already did with her Mousai trilogy so I was kind of disappointed that Tanwen and Zolya had an insta love instead of something that was built over something solid.
And here are my issues with the book. I want to clarify this is my opinion. To be honest I can see how many readers right now can enjoy the things I didn’t like -or simply don’t pay them any mind- so yes, my opinion.
� Since I just spoke about the romance, I’ll start with that. I wish for it to have been more than just “he’s incredible gorgeous� and “I can’t get her out of my mind� kind of romance. Again, it’s a good thing I really enjoyed their moments together BUT I just wished for depth between them. At the end it just felt like their attraction was solely physical and the quote of “I wanted it to be you� didn’t really have an impact and in that moment, it felt empty.
� With the names, I understand the need of having a new fantastical world but there were words that didn’t need to be changed. Thank God it only happened with two words but sadly those words were repetitive so it made me roll my eyes every time I read them -not in a cruel way, but in a “okay, I get it� kind of way-
� At first, Tanwen made some incredibly childish decisions, and I have in my notes the wanting to know her age because ‘helloooooo, what are you doing???� but then I understood the place she came from in making those decision so this one is a 50/50 and in fact the writer made a point to show how young and unexperienced Tanwen was and how her mother made her understand that, so yes, 50/50.
� The Volari people felt really immature at times, this is something small in comparison with the whole book but it did bother me. They were said to be aggressive and evil but it felt more like overgrown children doing tantrums because people didn’t think like they did or people didn’t do what they did. The good thing is that this didn’t happen with all characters but it is made to be like everyone is like this when in reality it was not.
� Something that bothered me was that, at times, Tanwen would get distracted by things that held no importance whatsoever, I remember this part where she’s agonizing over Zolya not having a shirt and I was like “girl you have bigger problems that a guy with no shirt� so on that front, I wish we had a more mature relationship between them, not only physical and I would have liked to have her focus on those important things more often.
� Another thing I realized after finishing the book was that Zolya wasn’t really shown to be a great character, he was there for the people he loves, he was shown to have his own beliefs, he was capable of great intelligence but at the same time he was shown to be a coward that was not acting to help others, he stood on the sidelines of injustices and lacked the WOW factor some male characters have. I was sad to realize this, again, I noticed this after finishing the book and thinking back on it so my wish is to have him grow as a character in book two.
� And my last point is difficult to express. I liked this book a lot, I laughed, hurt over some characters, was surprised by some events, excited by others, I learned some lessons while reading the book but half way through the book I realized that there’s nothing groundbreaking about this book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but I noticed it’s more of the same, again, I can see a lot of readers liking this but it felt like more of what we already have.
To complete this last point, I know E.J Mellow is capable of upping her game with book two because in all honesty I enjoyed this book but there’s something missing, that something that will make it stand-out over other books, over other characters, over other stories.
All in all, a good book with a lot of characters to care for and a lot of potential. For me this book reached its 60% percent of it but I need that something extra.
So, if you are intrigued by all of this, go pick your copy up and enjoy!!
Edit: ohhhhhh another thing I just realized is that I really looooced how the story of the book connects with the cover of the book, genius!!
----
I am incredibly grateful to E.J Mellow for the opportunity to have this amazing book as an ARC (box) I have been in love with the stories she creates ever since I read The Song of the Forever Rains and let me tell you, since the moment I heard about this book I just knew it was going to be wonderful. What is there not to like? Greek myths -which I love by the way- a sort of retelling/inspired story of Icarus? Lessons to last me for days? A wonderful and spellbound writing style that lets you wishing for more? so yes, a good book (with some things I dind't like but still good)
I will write my full review and post it this week, because I usually write too much and then I need to reread and check a couple of time so yes!!!! Go grab your copy and enjoy!!
After some consideration, I’ve decided to give this book a 3.5 stars rating, I was looking for a 4 at first but I think this rating is better for me. It’s not a bad rating, this book has a lot of good things -which I’ll mention in a moment- that made me enjoy my reading time a lot and I can see a lot of people loving this book because of those but in my opinion, there were a lot of things that made me feel like “okay, this could have been better� or “this was not necessary� or “this is silly� or “maybe not the best decision� and maybe those things stayed with me because I know E.J Mellow can give me those things I was asking for because she delivered them in her Mousai trilogy. Anyways, enough of this, let’s go to the review.
As I said before, there are a lot of things to like here and one of the things that stand up over the rest is the magnificent writing style. I was enamored by it from page one. It is incredible how this writing pulls you into the story, makes you feel like you are in this world, how it doesn’t feel silly but actually magical. I don’t know how to explain it but sometimes, some writers try to use this fancy writing style and it comes out cheap or it pulls you out of the story because it’s not natural but thank God, that was not the case with this book, and it gives extra points to the plot and story.
Another thing that I liked was the angle we get from the characters. At first, I thought it was going to be Tanwen’s pov the entire book, and then when we got Zolya’s pov I was happy for it BUT THEN we got and extra pov that made the book so MUCH more gut punching. Connected to this point, we have different struggles that make the story much heavier than usual. Normally we sympathize with the main character (whether it’s a man or a woman) but here we have a girl (Tanwen) trying to pull free from the constant fear of being discovered, from the constant rules her parents have given her and trying to actually live a life that is worth living. On the other hand, we have a man (Zolya) that wishes to be able to show his real self and that is tired on the masks he has to wear with his people, a man that doesn’t want to follow the cruel orders of his king. Then we have a father (a character you will get to know) trying to save his son’s life and man, did that story hit me, it was extraordinary how E.J mellow succeeded in transmitting this father’s desperation over what was being done to his son. Then we have a princess, trapped by the way she came into the world, a princess that wishes to live outside of the customs of her people, wishes to be more than it was designed for her to be. We have a story of a little friend that it is there no matter what, willing to help, support, make laugh and care -this characters is the best of the best by the way- So yes, we have more than one thing to care for in this story -and they are not necessarily on the same side, which makes this even more interesting- and how they all connect made the reading not heavy, usually when we have a lot of characters we need a balance that will make us care for all of them but at the same time, writers need to be careful on how they deliver because if they give too much it can make the story tiresome. So, perfect delivery on that front.
I love my Greek myths -don’t know why, I just love them- and when I discovered we would have a glimpse of Icarus’s story here I was all in. In a way, yes, our boy Zolya gets dangerously close to some revolutionary ideas but the Icarus part was more in the side of women in this book. This is a main point in the story, how they rebel against what they are suppose to be or do what they are willing to do to be free of the leashes their culture or society has put on them. I can see how a lot of women can resonate with this part, personally, it wasn’t a big of a punch but I do admire how it was delivered, I wished it would have been shown in a better way and I say this because I wanted to get punched by that part of the plot but we still have a second book coming, so I’ll wait on that.
The main plot or mission is for Tanwen to save her family and in the way, many other things happen. This part was something that I liked, there’s no way we set out to do something and other things don’t get in the way of that so I liked that. Another thing that hooked me RIGHT AWAY was how chapter one ended and following on its heels, how chapter two ended, it was a clever way to complicate things and make them interesting at the same time.
There’s something about this book that I found nice and that’s the many new names a lot of things have in this world, like literally, a lot of new words. At the beginning it was exhausting, trying to remember all of them or having them in mind just in case they appeared again but after a while I got used to them, so that was good. -there is a point here that I didn’t like but I’ll finish the good things first-
With the romance, I have mixed feelings. It happened fast, after like, two or three encounters, they were completely smitten with each other and even though I was not bothered by that at all -because we have A LOT of books doing that right now- I still wished for more. They came to care for the other very quickly and it was done in a way that didn’t upset me -which was great- but I know E.J Mellow can give that slow burn -or fast burn- that makes me think: “oh, this is possible� because she already did with her Mousai trilogy so I was kind of disappointed that Tanwen and Zolya had an insta love instead of something that was built over something solid.
And here are my issues with the book. I want to clarify this is my opinion. To be honest I can see how many readers right now can enjoy the things I didn’t like -or simply don’t pay them any mind- so yes, my opinion.
� Since I just spoke about the romance, I’ll start with that. I wish for it to have been more than just “he’s incredible gorgeous� and “I can’t get her out of my mind� kind of romance. Again, it’s a good thing I really enjoyed their moments together BUT I just wished for depth between them. At the end it just felt like their attraction was solely physical and the quote of “I wanted it to be you� didn’t really have an impact and in that moment, it felt empty.
� With the names, I understand the need of having a new fantastical world but there were words that didn’t need to be changed. Thank God it only happened with two words but sadly those words were repetitive so it made me roll my eyes every time I read them -not in a cruel way, but in a “okay, I get it� kind of way-
� At first, Tanwen made some incredibly childish decisions, and I have in my notes the wanting to know her age because ‘helloooooo, what are you doing???� but then I understood the place she came from in making those decision so this one is a 50/50 and in fact the writer made a point to show how young and unexperienced Tanwen was and how her mother made her understand that, so yes, 50/50.
� The Volari people felt really immature at times, this is something small in comparison with the whole book but it did bother me. They were said to be aggressive and evil but it felt more like overgrown children doing tantrums because people didn’t think like they did or people didn’t do what they did. The good thing is that this didn’t happen with all characters but it is made to be like everyone is like this when in reality it was not.
� Something that bothered me was that, at times, Tanwen would get distracted by things that held no importance whatsoever, I remember this part where she’s agonizing over Zolya not having a shirt and I was like “girl you have bigger problems that a guy with no shirt� so on that front, I wish we had a more mature relationship between them, not only physical and I would have liked to have her focus on those important things more often.
� Another thing I realized after finishing the book was that Zolya wasn’t really shown to be a great character, he was there for the people he loves, he was shown to have his own beliefs, he was capable of great intelligence but at the same time he was shown to be a coward that was not acting to help others, he stood on the sidelines of injustices and lacked the WOW factor some male characters have. I was sad to realize this, again, I noticed this after finishing the book and thinking back on it so my wish is to have him grow as a character in book two.
� And my last point is difficult to express. I liked this book a lot, I laughed, hurt over some characters, was surprised by some events, excited by others, I learned some lessons while reading the book but half way through the book I realized that there’s nothing groundbreaking about this book. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book, but I noticed it’s more of the same, again, I can see a lot of readers liking this but it felt like more of what we already have.
To complete this last point, I know E.J Mellow is capable of upping her game with book two because in all honesty I enjoyed this book but there’s something missing, that something that will make it stand-out over other books, over other characters, over other stories.
All in all, a good book with a lot of characters to care for and a lot of potential. For me this book reached its 60% percent of it but I need that something extra.
So, if you are intrigued by all of this, go pick your copy up and enjoy!!
Edit: ohhhhhh another thing I just realized is that I really looooced how the story of the book connects with the cover of the book, genius!!
----
I am incredibly grateful to E.J Mellow for the opportunity to have this amazing book as an ARC (box) I have been in love with the stories she creates ever since I read The Song of the Forever Rains and let me tell you, since the moment I heard about this book I just knew it was going to be wonderful. What is there not to like? Greek myths -which I love by the way- a sort of retelling/inspired story of Icarus? Lessons to last me for days? A wonderful and spellbound writing style that lets you wishing for more? so yes, a good book (with some things I dind't like but still good)
I will write my full review and post it this week, because I usually write too much and then I need to reread and check a couple of time so yes!!!! Go grab your copy and enjoy!!
March 22, 2025
I really wish I could say I enjoyed this book, but to be honest, I struggled with it.
After having read and enjoyed the ‘Mousai� series by the same author, and having an appreciation for tales like Icarus, I came into this book with high hopes that it would be a new favourite. However, I found the characters hard to relate to, I felt scenes dragged for a long time, and, for our main love interests, there wasn’t the relationship build-up that I was hoping for. Yes, there was attraction on both sides, but the dialogue pre-relationship was lacking something. Also, I can’t get behind the circumstances in which they first get together.
Saying that though, I appreciate the amount of work that has gone into the world-building and magical systems in this book.
After having read and enjoyed the ‘Mousai� series by the same author, and having an appreciation for tales like Icarus, I came into this book with high hopes that it would be a new favourite. However, I found the characters hard to relate to, I felt scenes dragged for a long time, and, for our main love interests, there wasn’t the relationship build-up that I was hoping for. Yes, there was attraction on both sides, but the dialogue pre-relationship was lacking something. Also, I can’t get behind the circumstances in which they first get together.
Saying that though, I appreciate the amount of work that has gone into the world-building and magical systems in this book.
April 20, 2025
Review originally posted on my blog, .
Rating: 3.5 of 5
“Perhaps then you will learn how dangerous delicate can be.�
This book had me SO stressed. But in a good way. Maybe. I think? Because when has stress been good for anyone?!
Scorched Skies was an immensely enjoyable read. The world of Cādra was both beautiful and terrifyingly brutal. The magic system was intriguing. The forbidden love was� forbidding. And the storyline had me hooked from the start. Although it did feel a little too long the last 5%. I still can’t accept what happened to *redacted*. It felt so unnecessary. But I can understand how grief and trauma can push people to the extreme.
Tanwen is my kind of FMC. A little reckless, a little brave, who will do anything for family.
I did not agree with some of Prince Zolya’s choices. Or lack thereof? I liked him well enough but it seemed to me like being a prince was wasted on him. No hate. I’m just honestly a tiny bit disappointed by the inaction. I really feel bad for him though. He needs a loyal friend he can confide in. Fantasy MCs always have that one true friend who is of no blood relation but is loyal to the core. It is sacrilege that Zolya has no one.
I don’t know what the sequel (and finale) will bring. It isn’t easy to change one’s century-long way of thinking much less a nation’s. Book two is going to be a perfectly chaotic mess I just know it.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.
Rating: 3.5 of 5
“Perhaps then you will learn how dangerous delicate can be.�
This book had me SO stressed. But in a good way. Maybe. I think? Because when has stress been good for anyone?!
Scorched Skies was an immensely enjoyable read. The world of Cādra was both beautiful and terrifyingly brutal. The magic system was intriguing. The forbidden love was� forbidding. And the storyline had me hooked from the start. Although it did feel a little too long the last 5%. I still can’t accept what happened to *redacted*. It felt so unnecessary. But I can understand how grief and trauma can push people to the extreme.
Tanwen is my kind of FMC. A little reckless, a little brave, who will do anything for family.
I did not agree with some of Prince Zolya’s choices. Or lack thereof? I liked him well enough but it seemed to me like being a prince was wasted on him. No hate. I’m just honestly a tiny bit disappointed by the inaction. I really feel bad for him though. He needs a loyal friend he can confide in. Fantasy MCs always have that one true friend who is of no blood relation but is loyal to the core. It is sacrilege that Zolya has no one.
I don’t know what the sequel (and finale) will bring. It isn’t easy to change one’s century-long way of thinking much less a nation’s. Book two is going to be a perfectly chaotic mess I just know it.
I received an ARC from the publisher via Netgalley to read and review. Quoted excerpt/s may change in the final print.
April 6, 2025
I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow is a third person multi-POV enemies-to-lover fantasy romance. Tanwen and her brother’s existence has been illegal for centuries. The child of a father connected to the sky and a mother connected to the Earth, children like Tanwen and Thol have been tortured and killed for the crime of being born. When Prince Zolya finds Tanwen’s father, who is the former architect of the king, he kidnaps her father and Thol, leaving behind Tanwen and her mother. Tanwen will do whatever she must to save her family.
This is exactly what I am looking for when I’m looking for enemies-to-lovers. Zolya is Tanwen’s enemy but he doesn’t remember that she was present when he took in her father and he never sees them together in the same room after so he doesn’t put two and two together. Meanwhile, Tanwen is determined to hate him but she sees his kinder and more understanding side when she becomes a servant for his sister. It’s messy and complicated but goes behind physical attraction and takes the time to build up the ways in which Tanwen is conflicted while Zolya is openly attracted to her but respects her boundaries.
The worldbuilding is on the darker end though I wouldn’t quite call this a dark fantasy. Besides the already horrific conditions that interracial relationships and children are living in, there is sexual assault of servants, sexism that refuses to recognize the autonomy of women, and the continued torture of Thol at the hands of the king, with him even being referred to as a ‘toy.� The reader is given room to take these things in and process them, but we aren’t allowed to forget that they are happening for long.
Another thing I thought was really interesting is that the gods are closely connected to the royal family of the winged Volari and we do see gods and goddesses running around. After the recent explosion of Greek myths, it’s nice to see a totally new patheon that’s doing some similar things (such as commanding mortals to commit acts of revenge and having domains, like the arts) but is also doing new things, like making deals with a king for a god to marry a princess. I hope the second book explores this new pantheon in more depth and either brings them down or finds new ways to mess with their plans.
Content warning for depictions of sexual assault, mentions of addiction, and torture
I would recommend this to fans of the enemies-to-lovers dynamic who loved Heartless Hunter and readers of Romantasy who want a bit more worldbuilding and multiple fantasy races, including leads with wings and horns
Scorched Skies by E.J. Mellow is a third person multi-POV enemies-to-lover fantasy romance. Tanwen and her brother’s existence has been illegal for centuries. The child of a father connected to the sky and a mother connected to the Earth, children like Tanwen and Thol have been tortured and killed for the crime of being born. When Prince Zolya finds Tanwen’s father, who is the former architect of the king, he kidnaps her father and Thol, leaving behind Tanwen and her mother. Tanwen will do whatever she must to save her family.
This is exactly what I am looking for when I’m looking for enemies-to-lovers. Zolya is Tanwen’s enemy but he doesn’t remember that she was present when he took in her father and he never sees them together in the same room after so he doesn’t put two and two together. Meanwhile, Tanwen is determined to hate him but she sees his kinder and more understanding side when she becomes a servant for his sister. It’s messy and complicated but goes behind physical attraction and takes the time to build up the ways in which Tanwen is conflicted while Zolya is openly attracted to her but respects her boundaries.
The worldbuilding is on the darker end though I wouldn’t quite call this a dark fantasy. Besides the already horrific conditions that interracial relationships and children are living in, there is sexual assault of servants, sexism that refuses to recognize the autonomy of women, and the continued torture of Thol at the hands of the king, with him even being referred to as a ‘toy.� The reader is given room to take these things in and process them, but we aren’t allowed to forget that they are happening for long.
Another thing I thought was really interesting is that the gods are closely connected to the royal family of the winged Volari and we do see gods and goddesses running around. After the recent explosion of Greek myths, it’s nice to see a totally new patheon that’s doing some similar things (such as commanding mortals to commit acts of revenge and having domains, like the arts) but is also doing new things, like making deals with a king for a god to marry a princess. I hope the second book explores this new pantheon in more depth and either brings them down or finds new ways to mess with their plans.
Content warning for depictions of sexual assault, mentions of addiction, and torture
I would recommend this to fans of the enemies-to-lovers dynamic who loved Heartless Hunter and readers of Romantasy who want a bit more worldbuilding and multiple fantasy races, including leads with wings and horns
April 23, 2025
every single character in this book was so…tame and submissive. they were bland, just letting the plot go on around them without them doing much about it. go kill a bitch, commit arson, DO SOMETHING.
now, for the “enemies to lovers� (if you can call this watered down half-assed example that). these two had exactly THREE previous conversations that weren’t one-sided. only one of them being one where either of them actually told the other something about themselves.
of course, even though all they knew about each other was an estimated guess of the other’s age, they still got all handsy with each other, ending up with the male lead telling her “you are my devastation, tanwen� (i know. rolled my eyes so hard i saw the past. barf.)
i must also say that this smut scene was JUST after there was an attempted rape on the protagonist. nothing much was said about that attempted rape, which seemed to have been put in this book only to show how valiant the male lead is by coming at just the right time to save her. not that he did much of course. he let those rapists go with a slap on the wrist. how brave, her knight in shining armor.
how, exactly, is she your devastation prince zolya? the fact that if they caught you feeling up the half-breed your dad would’ve killed her and then you? how you wouldn’t have done a single thing about it as you have kept doing your entire life? zolya is a wishy-washy man. i literally cannot explain it in a different way, since even though i continue not shutting my opinionated ass up to trash talk the books i read, i am not a writer.
he has a moral code i guess, he just does nothing to follow it. our dear zolya suffers from a severe case of marzipan backbone. soft and pliable. it’s terminal.
if the subject of zolya’s abuse throughout his life in the hands of his father had been written in a better way, i might have understood his sense of helplessness towards everything his father did, but it wasn’t. every emotion he felt was one dimensional, which is the same problem i had with tanwen.
i don’t even wanna talk about tanwen. she tires me just by thinking of her.
then a bunch of characters were killed in like the span of 20 pages with not much depth to it. boohoo, cry cry, so sad. it was all a fiery pile of garbage.
things i liked: huw, he was a fun character. that’s about it, i guess.
i think the reason why i’m being so harsh towards this book is because of how much love i have for the mousai trilogy. i truly cannot believe that the same writer who created such a beautiful, artistic, magical world with incredible family bonds and love stories, was able to create this…cliché romantasy mess.
i had been waiting 2 years for this book to come out. another release that disappointed me immensely. womp womp.
now, for the “enemies to lovers� (if you can call this watered down half-assed example that). these two had exactly THREE previous conversations that weren’t one-sided. only one of them being one where either of them actually told the other something about themselves.
of course, even though all they knew about each other was an estimated guess of the other’s age, they still got all handsy with each other, ending up with the male lead telling her “you are my devastation, tanwen� (i know. rolled my eyes so hard i saw the past. barf.)
i must also say that this smut scene was JUST after there was an attempted rape on the protagonist. nothing much was said about that attempted rape, which seemed to have been put in this book only to show how valiant the male lead is by coming at just the right time to save her. not that he did much of course. he let those rapists go with a slap on the wrist. how brave, her knight in shining armor.
how, exactly, is she your devastation prince zolya? the fact that if they caught you feeling up the half-breed your dad would’ve killed her and then you? how you wouldn’t have done a single thing about it as you have kept doing your entire life? zolya is a wishy-washy man. i literally cannot explain it in a different way, since even though i continue not shutting my opinionated ass up to trash talk the books i read, i am not a writer.
he has a moral code i guess, he just does nothing to follow it. our dear zolya suffers from a severe case of marzipan backbone. soft and pliable. it’s terminal.
if the subject of zolya’s abuse throughout his life in the hands of his father had been written in a better way, i might have understood his sense of helplessness towards everything his father did, but it wasn’t. every emotion he felt was one dimensional, which is the same problem i had with tanwen.
i don’t even wanna talk about tanwen. she tires me just by thinking of her.
then a bunch of characters were killed in like the span of 20 pages with not much depth to it. boohoo, cry cry, so sad. it was all a fiery pile of garbage.
things i liked: huw, he was a fun character. that’s about it, i guess.
i think the reason why i’m being so harsh towards this book is because of how much love i have for the mousai trilogy. i truly cannot believe that the same writer who created such a beautiful, artistic, magical world with incredible family bonds and love stories, was able to create this…cliché romantasy mess.
i had been waiting 2 years for this book to come out. another release that disappointed me immensely. womp womp.
January 7, 2025
5�
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC!
Scorched Skies is the first installment in E. J. Mellow's brand new romantic fantasy duology 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, a retelling of the Greek myth of Icarus.
Mellow created a world so whimsical, masterfully crafted romantasy, with extraordinary world-building, compelling characters, immersive political intrigue, emotional stakes, with some subtle nods to the original myth.
The pacing was perfect, explaining the world and introducing the characters in a flow. The writing style was whimsical and alluring, drowning the readers in the character's perspectives.
The love story could be the most beautiful and heartbreaking story I have read. Two people have similar views but are from different races who desire better for the world and are forced to be on the opposing sides of the conflict bound by circumstances and duty. Their love was forbidden by their laws but they went against those odds and the slow burn paid off well.
The last few chapters were heartbreaking but ethereally beautiful. It does not end on a 'traditional' cliffhanger but several ties are loose, setting up for the second installment.
Overall, it was an emotional story, going through the various societal norms that were frustrating, diving into forbidden romance and the political intrigue.
Thank you NetGalley and Montlake for the eARC!
Scorched Skies is the first installment in E. J. Mellow's brand new romantic fantasy duology 𝘞𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, a retelling of the Greek myth of Icarus.
Mellow created a world so whimsical, masterfully crafted romantasy, with extraordinary world-building, compelling characters, immersive political intrigue, emotional stakes, with some subtle nods to the original myth.
The pacing was perfect, explaining the world and introducing the characters in a flow. The writing style was whimsical and alluring, drowning the readers in the character's perspectives.
The love story could be the most beautiful and heartbreaking story I have read. Two people have similar views but are from different races who desire better for the world and are forced to be on the opposing sides of the conflict bound by circumstances and duty. Their love was forbidden by their laws but they went against those odds and the slow burn paid off well.
The last few chapters were heartbreaking but ethereally beautiful. It does not end on a 'traditional' cliffhanger but several ties are loose, setting up for the second installment.
Overall, it was an emotional story, going through the various societal norms that were frustrating, diving into forbidden romance and the political intrigue.
March 25, 2025
Many thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for the preview. All opinions are my own.
4.5 stars
“You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home to you.�
Oh this was so GOOD! We’ve got enemies to star-crossed lovers, an evil king, an Icarus/Daedalus retelling, palace intrigues and plotting, gods and magic, and SO MUCH ANGST AND YEARNING! Not to mention the tension, the emotion, and the edge-of-your-seat action at the end. I’m already rabid for the next book.
Tanwen and Zolya were great MCs. Both were frustrating at times, both made questionable but understandable decisions, but their chemistry was off the charts. There was definitely a major power imbalance between them, but it was handled well. I loved Zolya’s journey the most as he realizes how many more injustices those around him have been suffering than he knew. He’s in between a rock and a hard place the entire book, and I wish he could have defied his father openly, but I get that he probably would have been unalived if he did.
I loved the additional relationships Tanwen builds with Azla and Huw. Hopefully they’ll have a bigger role in the next book too.
There’s so much to love here. If you liked the Mousai sisters books, or if you’re a fan of emotional star-crossed love stories, I highly recommend.
TW for attempted SA, attempted suicide, and animal death.
4.5 stars
“You are the brightest constellation in my sky, and I forever find myself searching for a way home to you.�
Oh this was so GOOD! We’ve got enemies to star-crossed lovers, an evil king, an Icarus/Daedalus retelling, palace intrigues and plotting, gods and magic, and SO MUCH ANGST AND YEARNING! Not to mention the tension, the emotion, and the edge-of-your-seat action at the end. I’m already rabid for the next book.
Tanwen and Zolya were great MCs. Both were frustrating at times, both made questionable but understandable decisions, but their chemistry was off the charts. There was definitely a major power imbalance between them, but it was handled well. I loved Zolya’s journey the most as he realizes how many more injustices those around him have been suffering than he knew. He’s in between a rock and a hard place the entire book, and I wish he could have defied his father openly, but I get that he probably would have been unalived if he did.
I loved the additional relationships Tanwen builds with Azla and Huw. Hopefully they’ll have a bigger role in the next book too.
There’s so much to love here. If you liked the Mousai sisters books, or if you’re a fan of emotional star-crossed love stories, I highly recommend.
TW for attempted SA, attempted suicide, and animal death.
April 19, 2025
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted ALC!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was such a wonderful read!! It was hard for me to get into at first, but once the plot really started I was hooked!
This world is so unique and I had so much fun learning about it! I was especially drawn to the political side of this book and seeing our MCs slowly start to fight back against the injustices in this world!
I wasn’t sure how I felt about tanwen at first, but quickly started to love her! She is such a strong and resilient woman who would stop at nothing to help those in need.
At first, I thought there was no way I would like Zolya, but oh my gods 🤌 the way he was head over heels for tanwen was so stunning. And we love a man who learns from his mistakes!
The romance is a stunning slow burn and forbidden love story! The tension and anticipation was everything 😌
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was such a wonderful read!! It was hard for me to get into at first, but once the plot really started I was hooked!
This world is so unique and I had so much fun learning about it! I was especially drawn to the political side of this book and seeing our MCs slowly start to fight back against the injustices in this world!
I wasn’t sure how I felt about tanwen at first, but quickly started to love her! She is such a strong and resilient woman who would stop at nothing to help those in need.
At first, I thought there was no way I would like Zolya, but oh my gods 🤌 the way he was head over heels for tanwen was so stunning. And we love a man who learns from his mistakes!
The romance is a stunning slow burn and forbidden love story! The tension and anticipation was everything 😌
April 14, 2025
If I could give this more than five stars? I would. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this book. Maybe when I get my hands on the second one? But then I’ll go through the spectacular journey with these absolutely amazing characters J dreamed up, this gorgeous world that I felt like I could see and explore� And then I’ll have to go through the misery of finishing again and be sad to say goodbye all over. I sobbed, I laughed, it was magical. This whole book honestly couldn’t have been more perfect, I can’t think of a single thing I would change. I ate it up. Even the heartbreaks.
April 20, 2025
Thank you Brilliance Audio and NetGalley for the ARC!
This was a solid 3.5 star read for me.
Scorched Skies is an Icarus retelling that follows an FMC on a quest to reunite her family while dealing with discrimination in various forms. There are strong elements of forbidden love between characters who are looking to make change.
The narrators for the audiobook did a great job and were easy to listen to! Another thing I greatly appreciated was that it didn't fall prey to the "resolution in the last 3 chapters" problem or have the type of pacing problems I have seen in many new releases lately. The end made sense and wasn't rushed, and there are still plenty of answers to be found in the sequel!
This was a solid 3.5 star read for me.
Scorched Skies is an Icarus retelling that follows an FMC on a quest to reunite her family while dealing with discrimination in various forms. There are strong elements of forbidden love between characters who are looking to make change.
The narrators for the audiobook did a great job and were easy to listen to! Another thing I greatly appreciated was that it didn't fall prey to the "resolution in the last 3 chapters" problem or have the type of pacing problems I have seen in many new releases lately. The end made sense and wasn't rushed, and there are still plenty of answers to be found in the sequel!
January 6, 2025
4.5⭐️ Okay i loved this book so much. The world is unique. The characters so well fleshed out. The found family aspect of it all tugs at your heartstrings—im still recovering from some of the events of this book. The ending is so well done. The story is complete but it leaves you wanting more.
February 15, 2025
Really adored this one from E.J Mellow. I loved her previous series and am so happy with the start of Way of Wings! This is fantasy romance but I would say more epic/high fantasy. There is a lot happening, a LOT of politics, but the romance that's there is beautiful (and forbidden-my favorite!!)
Can't wait to see what happens next in this incredibly immersive world.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC~
Can't wait to see what happens next in this incredibly immersive world.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC~
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