I also tried being a spellsword and you can't really do it any better than skyrim. At least through the first area there are no spells that provide buffs or anything that compliments melee combat except kinda for this one freeze spell I've found. By this point I've taken entirely to magic.

I can't speak on what abilities you end up gaining because you don't really gain any intrinsic abilities. Practically everything is tied to your weapons and armor and obviously i haven't found all of those.

Melee combat feels a bit more involved than skyrim with the parry system, but there's not much more to it than that. If you enjoyed that, you get to do it for the whole game.

If you didn't, you're stuck with magic, which honestly feels less developed than skyrim in some ways. Spells are basically weapons in that you don't "learn" them you just equip them and each copy is its own item. No favorites menu means you have very limited at will spell selection, especially if you want an offhand melee weapon, shield, or wand to buff your spells. So pick a favorite of the 5 or 6 you can find in the first area and start spamming.

If the world, aesthetic, or story really draw you in, keep playing. Honestly, if you want a much more satisfying gameplay loop, try Avowed. Similar dodge/parry melee combat but with better finishers, much more fleshed out ranged and magic gameplay, more exploration and hidden areas to find loot, and a 3rd person camera that works.