Definitely not my favorite of Sue Lynn Tan's book:( I struggle to finish this book esp at the beginning and ended up just want to get it over with.

Liyen, the FMC, is very pretentious and trying to hard to be savage but it just doesn't work. It felt very one dimentional in the end. Lead to to take unnecessary bad decision and lead to hurt other.

Her relationship with the God of War also lacking chemistry. The God of War has no personality than try to win Liyen over. No showing of his real power.

The political kingdom intricts seem promising at the beginning but turned out to be flat throughout the book.

The twists at the half end is such a plot armor and sudden burst of love just not working for me.

It was very potential and I understand how people might like it but it's just not for me this time.

Unfortunately, Immortal did not live up to the Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

Liyen is a sickly mortal ruler who has just been poisoned. Going against the Immortals that their mortal kingdom bows to, her grandfather givers her the Lotus, healing her. Unfortunately, the Immortals are also looking for the Lotus and Liyen has to figure out how to free her people from the Immortal's patronage and make sure they don't figure out that she has the Lotus. When the ever handsome God of War comes to her doorstep she has to deny the draw he has on her.

After the cheating trope there are two that I wholly dislike: insta-love and miscommunication. In Immortal not only is there insta-love but the lack of communication between the love interests for the first half of the book left me extremely frustrated. I understand why some details were left out of the story, but if I wasn't invested in Sue Lynn Tan as an author there is a very high likelihood that I would have not finished this book. That being said there were many twists and turns in the last third that make me happy that I continued reading, but there wasn't much about this book that made it feel overly special.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Netgalley.

Sue Lynn Tan’s prose is poetry—gorgeous, immersive, and soaked in myth. This edition is so beautiful I could cry and eat it like a snack. It felt like stepping into a dreamscape where heartbreak and magic are always flirting.

Omg this world. Ok I think this is my first book by this author and wow. I do own more of her books but haven’t read them yet, and now im kicking myself for ot. Let’s get back to this book. The story telling is phenomenal . I love how it was very well set up at the beginning and it only grows from there. I like the dynamic of both of our main characters. The way she does the myths and the balance on this book is phenomenal. I was hooked from the first page . Now im extremely exited to read the other books as this one is connected.

Thank you netgalley for letting me have an arc copy of this book!
Sue Lynn Tan is solidifying her place of if she writes it I will read it. I really liked this story! The politics is a great aspect and I appreciate the bits that I did not actually predict! This goes beyond a regular enemies to lovers which is impressive to me! I do wonder if the world in this book is tied at all to daughter of the moon goddess’s world because there is mention of the celestial king and I’m curious of a future where she ties these two together? It’s also just curiosity about what else she might write.
I did a cross of regular reading and listening to the audiobook when I couldn’t just sit and read which I will admit I’ve done this with heart of the sun warrior as well and I think she’s just a need to sit down and read her books kind of writer because I miss too much when I’m listening to her books (whether this is a pro con or neutral I’m unsure depends on my mood I guess) but I think I’m the future I need to remember that unless I have the physical or ebook as well her books aren’t a audiobook alone writer for me.

I enjoyed this, but I wish I had realized it was set in the world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess before I started it. That’s a me problem though.
You can read this without having read it the other 3 books. I’ve had the others on my TBR and this has just made me want to push them up.

The world building is lush and the Asian type fantasy setting is beautiful and has potential but the dialogue and characters feel stiff, and I couldn't get into the story.

Thank you Net Galley for this eARC!

This standalone fantasy was fantastic, fast paced, the characters were incredible, the romance and banter was unbelievable. I also fell in love with the world building and the writing of Sue Lynn Tan, and is now an immediate rebuy author for me.

DNF at 77%

The beginning was interesting and I was really hooked, but it slowly became boring and I felt like there were a lot of unnecessary scenes/strange timing of scenes.

I thought the world building was good and I could see an amazing setting, with costumes, and beasts, but the descriptions sometimes ran a little too long. I was pulled out of the story and the dialogue too much by the many paragraphs of description.

Liyen is rude all the time, even when the MMC is risking his life to save her constantly. She’s very critical, even though she doesn’t have any real skills herself.

There were a few scenes where they would be under threat from an enemy, but instead of jumping into action, they would have a conversation. The characters even have a reunion in the bedroom (closed door) in the enemies home where one of them is a prisoner. Like, come on. I rarely felt the sense of urgency, and the pace never felt fast enough during those “intense” scenes.

The romance felt very forced and unnatural, like they had awkward crushes on each other rather than being in love. It just didn’t feel right.

At 77% the story was just dull and boring. I finally got to the big twist in the plot, but even though I still have 10 chapters to go, I don’t care enough to read the ending.

This book was lacking. At first it was intriguing but the fmc was annoying. She literally was in possession of the stolen item and she acted all self-righteous. I wasn’t a fan of the relationship, but then the book started getting interesting. When she is kidnapped it started getting interesting and I thought the book was turning around. But instead they together and there is still a significant part of the book left and everything worked out neatly in the end,

In Immortal, Sue Lynn Tan weaves a captivating tale of Liyen, the Lady of Tianxia, who confronts immortals and forbidden magic to protect her kingdom. Her journey intertwines with the enigmatic God of War, leading to a slow-burning romance set against a backdrop of political intrigue and magical realms. Tan's lush prose and intricate world-building immerse readers in a rich, mythological fantasy. While some passages may feel densely descriptive, the novel's compelling characters and unexpected plot twists make it a memorable read for fans of romantic fantasy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was my first time reading anything by Sue Lynn Tan, and now I’m even more excited to finally pick up Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Her writing is beautiful and I was hooked right from the start. The world she’s created is so rich and I loved the way mythology is layered into the story. It felt almost cinematic with so many stunning visual moments that I could picture clearly as I read.

There’s a good mix of action and emotional tension in this story. I thought the romance had great buildup, though I found myself wanting a little more from it emotionally. Still, I was invested and rooting for them the whole time.

If I had one small critique, it’s that the pacing felt a little uneven. The beginning pulls you in fast, but the middle slowed down more than I expected. This was a really enjoyable read overall and I’m so glad I picked it up!

Before I start, I have to say this. While I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this book, long before that I pre-ordered the gorgeous physical copy. Sue Lynn Tan is one of the few authors who is on my auto "need to read ASAP" list. Every book I read prior to Immortal was so well thought out and immersive. I still think about the characters every once in a while and loved the audiobook editions of each book. The narrator was the perfect fit for the books. While I haven't listened to Immortal on audiobook (yet), I'm sure that will be on my to do list in the future.

If you love gods, goddesses, mythology, and well thought out plots, Immortal is the book for you. The novel follows the story of Liyen, a woman who is tasked with saving her kingdom. The book follows her journey, and adds an element of romance throughout. It's not just a romance novel though, it really delves into Liyen's journey and struggles. The reader learns about Liyen in her own words and thoughts. The book is set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but is a standalone. You don't have to have read the duology before reading this standalone, but it can help with understanding the magic and some of how this fits in the broader world that's already been built in the prior novels.

The God of War is the love interest of the story. I enjoyed the interplay between the two characters, and how their relationship built throughout the novel. I really love how elements of Chinese mythology are pulled into the book. It's definitely the author's own world and imagination, but there are many elements of existing mythology throughout the book. The book is immersive, and I as sucked in throughout the story. The world building alone was enough to draw me in. I'm also a fan of books that emphasize that children should not be judged or held responsible for their parents and their parents' actions.

If you're thinking of picking up a copy for yourself, I know I'm partial to physical books. I'll still obviously read ebooks and audiobooks, but I really recommend if you can get. a copy of this book that you try and find the deluxe edition. The physical book is gorgeous, and I'm loving the trend of sprayed edges. The online pictures do not do it justice, and it's a great addition to any library.

Please be advised I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Having read The Celestial Kingdom series by Sue Lynn Tan, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was ecstatic to read Immortal. Not only is the cover of this book stunning (just as stunning as her other previous books), but the story within matches it perfectly. Immortal was a beautiful slow burn romance paired very well with fantasy. It was filled with action, battles, and political conflict with everything intricately woven together so the story never fell flat. I liked the slow burn romance and I think Sue Lynn Tan does a really good job in her books of not making the romance the primary focal point. Even though this book is set in the same world as the books from The Celestial Kingdom series, you can read this book as a separate experience and enjoy it without having read the previous books. Overall, this was a fantastic book that I'd recommend to anyone.

I loved the Celestial Kingdom series. But this wasn't nearly as good. I liked it at first, but around 40% though it went downhill for me. The romance was developing too quickly for such a long book and when she was supposed to hate him. I'm still looking forward to reading anything else this author writes though.

Summary:
In Immortal, we follow Liyen, a mortal heir who rises to power after the death of her grandfather. Determined to break her kingdom’s ancient ties to the immortals, she steps into the unknown, only to form a dangerous alliance with the ruthless (and ridiculously magnetic) God of War ⚔️. As secrets unravel and sparks fly ✨, Liyen must risk everything to protect her people, even if it means losing her heart ❤️.

Thoughts:
Why did I wait so long to read this?! This book is outside my usual genre. I don’t read much romantasy but WOW. The writing is lush, poetic, and completely immersive. I felt like I was there in the Immortal Realm, wrapped up in the magic, the mystery, and the tension.

Liyen is a fierce, relatable heroine and the God of War? Let’s just say he made it very hard to put this book down 🔥. The twists and turns kept me glued to the page, and I read this in just over 24 hours, even though it’s a chunky one!

Also… this book is GORGEOUS. If you’re a collector, the physical copy is a must-have. Think sprayed edges, illustrated endpapers, and major shelf appeal.

This story is filled with heart, heat, and high stakes. Sue Lynn Tan has created something truly magical here, and I’m so glad I gave this book a chance 🖤.

This was fine but it didn’t live up to my expectations after loving the Celestial Kingdom duology. It was worth reading but didn’t leave a lasting impression.

3.5/5
A good story with a lot of Asian mythological references. Sometimes the story did seem a little hasty at times and the flashbacks came out of nowhere too.

I DNF this book. I tried so hard to get into it but these characters fall flat and just couldn't get me to connect with them. Toys book has potential but just not fit me.

Another masterpiece by Sue Lynn Tan! I am a huge fan of their previous series, and when I saw that they were releasing a new book, I knew it was going to be immaculate. She is truly a talented writer and is able to craft such beautiful and immersive worlds. The mythology was unique and stunning. The romance was solid, though not as captivating as expected. What really drew me in and kept me there was the world. She does know how create a stunning world and interesting plot lines.