Another absolutely beautiful story from Sue Lynn Tan. If you enjoyed the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, you will fall in love with this one too. This is a standalone book set in the Celestial Kingdom universe. The setting was very atmospheric and dreamy. It brings in various elements of Chinese mythology and philosophy. It is more heavy on the political side than the adventurous side of the fantasy genre. The plot kept me interested but I was here for our main characters. The banter between the FMC and MMC (chef's kiss).

While this was full of classic romantasy tropes that I love ("who hurt you," "touch her and die"), it still felt very unique. We need more standalones like this, I am so burnt out on long series, so this was refreshing.

The cover art- stunning. I purchased the first edition with the pink edges, so beautiful on my shelves. Thank you to NetGalley and for providing a digital ARC of this book.

This story enveloped me in the beautiful, fantasy world and the love interest was sweet. It was a little slow to start for me but more comes out later on in the story that made me need to finish it. This is the perfect story for readers who enjoy and atmospheric world with lovable characters and story to remember. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this title.

Once again Sue Lynn Tan has outdone herself. I absolutely adored the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, and I'm happy to say that Immortal is just as enjoyable. I really liked that this book was a bit darker than DotMG. Liyen's friendship with Chengyin was so nice to see, and the realm of the gods was absolutely beautiful.

I’m not going to even pretend I don’t love everything Sue Lynn Tan writes. IMMORTAL was no exception. I love the way she weaves mythology into her stories but also makes it her own as well as crafts mythology within the mythological worlds she made. She gives the back story and world building such richness you feel like you’re living the story with the characters.

There’s nothing about this book that I didn’t love.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3⭐️

I ended up dnfing this book. I just couldn't get into the story unfortunately. I'm du3re others will enjoy it but it just wasn't for me.

Easily one of the best books ive gotten the opportunity to get my hands on. It captivated me from the very beginning until the last sentence. Listening to it on audio was a bigger treat. Im happy to be able to drive to bookstores and see it happily displayed amongst bookstore reader favorites.

Immortal was a book I was fairly excited for but was unfortunately not for me. I originally picked this up due to the intriguing description and setting - plus the beautiful cover, but I just couldn't get into the story. It took me a few months to finish as I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters. The romance between our two main characters, Liyen and Zhangwei, didn't feel believable to me. There is a plot point at about 75% that revels more about our main characters past which further explains her relationship with the MMC. I wish we would have gotten glimpses of her past earlier in the story (if not the beginning - maybe even a prologue chapter?), as I think it would have been interesting to see her interactions with the other immortals. I may have connected with Liyen more knowing about her past.

Overall I thought the book was ok. I still really liked the setting, and I enjoyed the writing, but I had some issues with not being able to connect with the characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC in exchange for a honest review!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)
Immortal is a sweeping, emotionally charged tale set in the lush celestial realm that fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess will instantly recognize—yet it stands firmly on its own with a darker tone, higher stakes, and new, complex characters. At first, I struggled to connect with Liyen. She’s proud, guarded, and harsh in her judgments—making it difficult to root for her. But as the story unfolds, especially in the final act, something shifts. Her walls begin to crack, and so did mine.

Plot twists were definitely crazy and I never saw these coming! But so worth the wait!

The enemies-to-lovers dynamic between Liyen and the God of War is a beautifully slow burn—layered with tension, suspicion, and aching vulnerability.

Sue Lynn Tan delivers rich political intrigue, dangerous alliances, and poetic prose, all while weaving in powerful themes of duty, loss, and sacrifice. There’s so much depth in this story!

By the end, I found myself fully invested—both in the characters and their fates. While the start was slow and at times hard to follow, the payoff was absolutely worth it.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for the e-ARC!

One thing Sue Lynn Tan is going to do is give us beautiful writing and a beautiful world. I love the world building and the overall story.

While Liyen was a bit frustrating at times I loved how she didn't compromise her beliefs and stood up for what she felt was right. It was refreshing to see an FMC who was smart, compassionate and could also admit mistakes.

The romance between Liyen and Zhangwei was sweet, I enjoyed the banter. While I was annoyed sometimes simply because I wanted a tad bit faster romance pace, I can appreciate how it all unfolded.

The story overall was pretty predictable but it didn't take away my enjoyment,

I definitely recommend!

Ngl, I got like 15% into this book and started reading reviews to see if other people were feeling the same way I was about Liyen. Poor, unfortunate, philosophical girl. Woe is her 😭 I was 🤏 this close to DNFing and I’ve never DNF’d a book in my whole entire existence. But, I pushed thru and the waxing poetic got less, and the action got more.

I really liked the little plot twists the fed the story and grew it into what it was. Not whiplash-eqsue twists but subtle foreshadowing?

Anyway, after I got thru that first 15%, it was all downhill from there, baybeeee. I really enjoy their authors writing style and the romance really hurt my feelings because like, where’s my OWN God of War, huh?? 4/5 recommend if you maybe wanna cry a little bit because a fictional couple has the most romantic story I’ve read in quite some time. kbyeeee

**I received this digital ARC FROM NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this opportunity!*

I wanted to love this one - I’m obsessed with books inspired by Asian mythologies, but Immortal fell a bit flat. The pacing was odd, and some parts of the book felt like they came way too quickly. I did like all of the characters, though. Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the eARC

Sue Lynn Tan weaves such magical and whimsical stories that immediately draw me in. I loved being back in this world and seeing a different part of it. I had a feeling there was going to be a moment of an immortal becoming mortal for a time like the end of heart of the sun warrior.

I will read anything Sue writes. Auto buy author since DOTMG.

Liyen is Xingyin part two but worse.

I like Sue Lynn Tan, but I agree when people say this book is boring. The only good thing I can highlight is the perfect and detailed xianxia world building. As always, the descriptions are written very vividly and perfectly. Typical of Sue Lynn's writing.

But the characterization here is really boring. The premise is also strange. Like, what do you mean we have an immortal world guarded by mortals? Any way you look at it and justify it, it just sounds wrong. The huge power difference between mortals and enemies makes the main premise even more absurd.

Liyen changes easily. At the beginning of the story, we can see that she is devastated by her grandfather's death. However, the goal of revenge does not appear again in the middle of the story until the end. The origin of the immortal flower is also unclear.

Romance? Don't talk to me.

This is the stiffest romance in Sue Lynn Tan's writing history. It's predictable, shallow and childish. However, I do appreciate the drama-filled storyline here. It does feel like watching a Chinese drama. Both good and bad.

Thank you for the ARC.

I really do enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's writing and I love the Celestial Kingdom series. There is something so lush about her worldbuilding and it's nice to see her improve with each book (not that she was bad before). I've always loved when authors take mythology and put their own spin on it and this is no different.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan takes place in the beautifully crafted Celestial Kingdom. If you’ve read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Heart of the Sun Warrior, and Tales of the Celestial Kingdom, then you’ll be familiar with this world but don’t worry, Immortal stands perfectly fine on its own as a novella. It’s set in the same universe, but it’s a new story with a new set of characters and stakes.

This time we follow Liyen, our FMC, as she’s thrown into a journey of literal and emotional self-discovery, all while being caught in the middle of an immortal war. She’s carrying the weight of betrayal and heartbreak, yet still has to make impossible choices for the sake of her people in Tianxia.

She’s not alone, though. The God of War himself, Lord Zhangwei, joins her as she pledges loyalty… or beg for freedom (of protection) to Immortal Queen Caihong, a tradition the people of Tianxia have followed for centuries in exchange for protection from the Wuxin.

Just like with Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I found myself loving the way Sue Lynn Tan writes with so much depth and intention. Her storytelling always holds space for reflection. There are so many little pieces of philosophy and thought brought into her writing. I found myself just sitting with certain lines.

The romance in this one was beautiful. It was fierce, gentle, slow, and emotional. There’s barely any spice, but honestly, it doesn’t need it. The connection between the characters speaks louder than anything else, and it never overshadows the story.

I seriously have to SPEAK on this twist! I genuinely didn’t see it coming. A lot of the time, you can sense when an author is setting you up for something big, but this one hit me out of nowhere. I was so invested in what was happening that I didn’t even realize a twist was possible. It caught me completely off guard in the best way.

It took me a while to finish this one, not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because it’s slow-to-medium paced, and there’s a lot of world-building and background. You kind of have to sit with it. But honestly, it was worth every page.

Also, thank you so much to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this early (though I’m incredibly late on the review… I was planning a cross country move as a mother and wife😭) I’m truly grateful.

I loved this book. I enjoyed being back in this world. The writing is beautiful and poetic. The action is just where it needs to be. I really would recommend this one to others who love this world. It is just something about the writing in this one that makes you not want to go anywhere else.

Sue Lynn Tan is an auto-buy favorite author of mine. I’ve been excited for this book since she announced it. The writing style is beautiful and the world building was lush. “I was my past and my present- and I would forge my own future.”

This book had it all:
Rivals to lovers to enemies to lovers, beautiful mythology, different worlds, and a headstrong FMC.

Highly recommend this book and anything written by her.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC for my honest review.

I love anything written by Sue Lynn Tan and Immortal did not disappoint. It was a beautiful story full of action, love, and hope. While some sad parts I really really enjoyed it. Built in with some great twists and turns for the reader.

I thought this was advertised as a romance but the romantic side of this story felt weak to me. The story is interesting but I wasn’t fully invested in it until later on. I think if I knew of the twist earlier on I may have looked at the story differently and enjoyed it more.

3.5 stars. I adore Sue Lyn Tan’s writing. Her words never fail to pull me into another world. I didn’t find this book as strong as her other series. It took longer to get attached to characters and the relationship felt rushed. I feel like the second half of the book helped explain this but it was a bit difficult to connect with early on.