4.5 stars

Immortal is a standalone romantic fantasy set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, one of my FAVORITE duologies of all time. It does not have any spoilers for that series and can be read on its own if you've not yet read the duology (although you definitely should).

Immortal tells the tale of Liyen, heir to Tianxia, who must save her people from the wrath of the Immortal Queen and the other gods. To do so, she must find a way to break the treaty her kingdom has with the Immortals, which once protected them from vicious enemies outside their walls, but now is just as dangerous.

Upon her grandfathers death, she ascends the throne and is summoned to the Immortal Realm. There, she is determined to find a way to learn their secrets and end the treaty, but to do so she must form an alliance with the ruthless God of War.

As dark forces continue to threaten and with the fate of her kingdom on her hands, Liyen must risk everything to save them from danger, even if it means losing her heart in the process.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

This book is filled with fierce characters, a high paced plot, and phenomenal world building! I am convinced everything I read from SLT is her best work until the next thing comes out and then I'm floored again!

Liyen and Zhangwei are everything to me. I loved their tension and hatred and how it blossomed into a love that surpassed worlds. Tan always manages to give me the warm and fuzzies with her love stories, and this one was just another to add to the list of favorites.

I listened to this one on audio and Natalie did as superb a job as ever. She is one of my favorite narrators and she always brings Sue's stories to life! Between Sue's beautifully lyrical writing and Natalie's soothing voice, you cannot go wrong with doing this on audio!

I strongly recommend reading this book and her Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. She's a favorite of mine for a reason and I can't wait for everyone to get to meet Liyen and the God of War!

Immortal
by: Sue Lynn Tan

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sue Lynn Tan does it again with her latest installment! Liyen is our leading lady and is heir to Tianxia, a mortal nation that is beholden to the Immortals for reasons that you learn in the story. When the God of War and Liyen are brought together by unforeseen circumstances, their attraction to each other is undeniable. Both the main characters are fully fleshed out and well written, making the love story just as rewarding as the main plot.

This was a gripping romantic tale of self discovery, forbidden love, and overall just an epic adventure. If you love a romance heavy plot that still delivers with the fantasy elements, this one is for you! This was Sue Lynn Tan’s most romantic book yet! ♥️


A must read if you like:
🪷 Forbidden Love
🗡️ Found Family
🪷 “Who did this to you?”
🗡️ Political Intrigue
🪷 Star Crossed Romance
🗡️ Chinese Mythology

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to read Immortal by @suelynntan, who wrote the Celestial Kingdom duology, one of my all-time favorite fantasy romances. And I'm pleased to report it did not disappoint. Immortal takes place in the same world, but you can definitely read it without reading the duology. I love Sue Lynn's writing ! It's flowery, romantic and oh so swoonworthy.

3.75! I will never say no to a book by Sue Lynn Tan. I love her writing and how she brings Chinese mythology to life. While slow at times, I liked reading Immortal and was glad to be back in the Celestial Kingdom.

If Sue Lynn Tan writes it, I’m going to read it. The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology is in my top fantasy series of all time and this standalone in the same world DID NOT DISAPPOINT! While this is set in the same world, you can completely read on its own! So if this one calls to you and you haven’t read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, don’t be afraid to pick it up.

This story truly made me swoon. It’s deeply romantic but also ACTION PACKED from the very beginning. Tan’s world building is absolutely stunning. The way this story flows and comes together is so beautiful. Honestly, it’s one of those books that I think I could reread right awhile and loved it even more the second time. There is a deeply rooted love story in these pages and it comes together so perfectly.

Broody God of War. Need I say more?

I can’t recommend anything Sue Lynn Tan writes enough.

✨A Spellbinding Journey Through Love, War, and Destiny ✨

Wow, where do I even start? Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan completely swept me off my feet! From its stunning world-building rooted in Chinese mythology to the slow-burn romance that had me glued to every page, this book was nothing short of magical.

The story begins in the mortal realm of Tianxia, where Liyen leads her people to freedom from the Immortals. Liyen, who epitomizes stubbornness, frailty, vulnerability, and yet fearless determination, is willing to do anything to save her people and her kingdom. What makes her story truly admirable is her tremendous character growth—it was absolutely lit!

Then she meets the God of War, Lord Zhangwei, a swoon-worthy character. Everything about him is lovable. He is willing to do anything and everything for Liyen. Liyen and Zhangwei's chemistry is pure fire! Every conversation crackles with emotion. I was patiently waiting for them to give in, and when they finally did—oh my god—it was soooo worth the wait! Their chemistry is simply unmatched!

Another thing I loved about this book is the world-building! Sue Lynn Tan’s writing beautifully brought the setting to life. I could vividly picture the palace of Tianxia and fell in love with the Immortal world—the descriptions were so perfectly imaginable.

And let’s not forget those high-stakes moments! The forced deception, impossible choices, jaw-dropping plot twists, heart-pounding action, and defiance of destiny kept me on edge. The story made me laugh, brought tears to my eyes, and even made me feel giddy at times. I wish there were a sequel; this story deserves more!

If you’re a fan of epic fantasy, heart-melting romance, and heart-tugging stories, Immortal is a must-read. It’s a book that lingers long after the last page and leaves you aching for more. Sue Lynn Tan has firmly cemented her place as one of my favorite fantasy authors, and I can’t wait to see what she brings us next!

A huge thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for giving me the golden opportunity to read this swoon-worthy and unforgettable story of Liyen.

✨WHAT I LIKED:
📌 The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance (It’s definitely worth the wait!)
📌 Liyen’s incredible character growth from frail to unstoppable
📌 The vivid, mythology-inspired world that felt like stepping into a dream
📌 Zhangwei’s protectiveness energy (urghhh, my heart 💖)
📌 The emotional, tear-jerking moments that left me reeling!

✨TROPES:
📌 Enemies to Lovers
📌 Slow - Burn Romance
📌 Forbidden Romance
📌 Strong Female Protagonist
📌 Forced Proximity
📌 Found Family
📌 A Moderate Amount of Spice

🖥️ GOODREADS REVIEW: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7180811120

💻 BLOG REVIEW: https://kimthebookdragon.com/2025/01/13/arc-review-immortal/

⭐️: 4.25
Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan was a fun and engaging read. While I love book series, it is also nice to have some standalones. Even though this would have made the book longer, I would have liked more flash backs to events of the past (being vague to diminish potential spoilers). I also felt like some of the last section was rushed. I would have liked that to be flushed out more. But then it probably would not have been a standalone.

Can we just go ahead and say book of the year? Is it too soon? It's going to be really hard to top. This needs to be on every fantasy lovers TBR immediately!

•⚡️🌸⚡️•
✨𝗕•𝗢•𝗢•𝗞 𝗥•𝗘•𝗩•𝗜•𝗘•𝗪✨

“‘𝗜’𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲.’

‘𝗪𝗵𝘆?’

I’d wondered before why he’d not chosen violence.

‘𝓓𝓪𝔀𝓷 𝔀𝓸𝓾𝓵𝓭 𝓫𝓮 𝓭𝓪𝓻𝓴 𝔀𝓲𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓾𝓽 𝔂𝓸𝓾.’ He smiled. ‘𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓶𝓪𝓴𝓮 𝓵𝓲𝓯𝓮 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮 𝓲𝓷𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰.’”

✨➳──────✨★✨──────➳✨
𝑀𝑦 𝑇ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑠💭:
Thank you so much to @suelynntan , @harpervoyagerus , and @netgalley for my eARC of 𝘐𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘭! This review is comprised entirely of my own thoughts & opinions, & is based on the copy I received.

This was my first read by Sue Lynn Tan but it definitely won’t be my last! Immortal was thoroughly captivating and though it’s set in the same world as the Celestial Kingdom books, this can be read completely independently as it’s a standalone focused on different characters!

This book was so beautiful - the writing and the plot and the romance between Liyen and Zhangwei was so beautifully written, I couldn’t put it down! I loved the chemistry between them, and how Liyen was never afraid to say what exactly was on her mind, even though Zhangwei is the fearsome and broody God of War. I loved unraveling the mystery surrounding them, and thought that the romance was really beautifully woven into the plot of the book!

The plot was super fast paced and there was so much intricate world building - there were gods and goddesses and mythical creatures like phoenixes - it was truly such a magical book and I loved everything about it!

✨➳──────✨★✨──────➳✨

Another netgalley win!

The land of Tianxia once stood with the immortals of the Golden Dessert against their enemies. For their troubles, they were cut off from the rest of the mortal world to help defend the immortals at any time. Liyen grew up weak and sickly, but always knowing that her eventual place would be as the leader of Tianxia and dreams of freeing her people. When Liyen is poisoned, her beloved grandfather defies the immortals to steal the cure and save her life, setting her on a journey that will change everything about her life.

Uh, this book was so good. I love a standalone so much, and this one had such a fast pace and fantastic banter that it took me along. I know my synopsis doesn't make it sound like much, but this was also a really good love story and a little spicier than the celestial kingdom duology. There so many examinations of love in this book, whether its family or friendship or romantic There so many examinations of love in this book, whether its family or friendship or romantic and i loved how liyen reflected on each of them in turn, and how special they are in a lifetime. liyen is such a strong character and quick wit, you can't help but root for her

Thanks, netgalley and avon and harper voyager for this ARC!

#netgalley #suelynntan #immortal #harpervoyager #ARC #reading

Immortal is a standalone novel set in The Celestial Kingdom universe. I love that duology so much, and I was very excited to read this book. I really enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's writing style; she has created a wonderfully atmospheric world. The romance in the story is incredible as well, and I found myself rooting for the characters. If you've read the Celestial Kingdom books and want more, definitely pick up Immortal. You can read this book as a standalone without spoiling the other books, but I highly recommend reading them too. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was grateful to receive an ebook ARC edition of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan, and I was also able to listen to the audiobook version as well. I have always heard amazing things about Sue Lynn Tan's books and have not had a chance to read her Celestial Kingdom series but after reading Immortal, I am looking forward to adding that series to my TBR. Natalie Naudus also did an outstanding job narrating this book.

Immortal is a very beautifully written story that had me engaged from the beginning. While the first couple chapters are a little slow, after that, the story and plot flow quickly and keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I have nothing else bad to say about this book other than the slow start. Sue knows how to engage the reader and keep you wanting to know what happens next. The plot is a bit different than what I normally read and while I thought I could see the twist coming, I was wrong.

Our FMC, Liyen, goes on a long journey to discover who she is and what she must do in order to save & protect her kingdom after the sudden death of her beloved grandfather, the king of Tianxia. Begrudgingly, she sides with the God of War, Zhangwei, to try and mend relations between the mortal and immortal worlds. A tale of politics, family and love, this story will captivate you and keep you wondering what will happen next. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30% of the book.

I wouldn't say this book is as heavy on the romance as the typical romance/romantasy that I read, so if you're looking for open door scenes, or a high spice scale, you won't find it here. What you will find, is the love that transcends time and space, the love that you would find with fated souls, tethered hearts.. it's honestly beautiful.


Plot: 5 ⭐
Characters/character development: 4.5 ⭐
Storytelling/writing style: 5 ⭐
Spice level: .5 🌶️

Big thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager for granting me access to the ARC of this book. It truly was an amazing book and I highly recommend it.

The setting and Chinese mythology are the details that got me through this book. In every other way, this read was mediocre and forgettable.

The characters and plot are underdeveloped and the dialogue stiff, unnatural; neither had any subtlety. Constant exposition of the FMC’s emotions and plans made for a mostly boring read, but it had its moments.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

3.75⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for sending me an advanced copy for review! I am forever grateful.

"Wow, Sue Lynn Tan writes the most beautiful stories! This is set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I absolutely loved being back in that world. The twists and turns in this book were wild—I NEVER would have guessed any of the reveals.

Also, I don’t know what this says about me, but we meet the God of War literally 5% in, and he said, 'Who hurt you?' I folded immediately. IMMEDIATELY, I SAY! The MCs are both imperfect, which made them feel so much more real to me (though I won’t lie, the FMC really pissed me off in the beginning).

I’d say the plot didn’t really pick up until about 30%, but the world-building was necessary since it’s set in a completely different part of the world than DOTMG. I also loved that the HEA wasn’t a cut-and-dry decision. The ending isn’t the perfect one tied up in a neat little bow, but it made total sense for the story—it was the ending that was meant to happen.

It did take me a bit to fully get into it, and I think some of the pacing, especially early on, was rough—especially since it’s a standalone, and there’s only so much time to move the plot along. But if you love stories with twists, betrayals, and MCs who go from rivals to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, then this is absolutely for you!"

This book cements my love for Sue Lynn Tan’s writing. Immortal is a standalone romantasy novel set in the same world as her debut, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Her beautiful prose transports the reader to a mythical world imbued with xian-xia elements. The plot is impeccable and I’m glad the synopsis didn’t give much away because I was on the edge of my seat through out the book.

Liyen and Zhangwei as a couple had me in a chokehold. I love a good enemies to lovers and seeing their relationship blossom was definitely a highlight of the book. That said, I need an extended epilogue or perhaps another set of novellas because I already miss these characters!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this gorgeous ARC! This is one I went in rather blindly; I made sure it was closed-door(my personal preference) and I loved the cover, so I took a shot and requested it. I was thrilled to be accepted, and was not at all disappointed in its contents. This was my first novel by Sue Lynn Tan, and WOW. I need to add her other books to my TBR immediately.

I've been reading a lot of contemporary romance and fiction lately, so I was STARVING for a well-written romantasy, and this one Did. Not. Miss. The world-building was spot-on, transporting me to the magical and dangerous world between worlds. I loved the character development of Liyen, as she learns more about her misconceptions, the people around her, and herself. Its amazing to see her growing compassion for the Immortals and Wuxin, as her eyes are opened to the reality that all creatures are simply trying to protect those they love. She seems to fall in and out of love with Zhangwei, the great God of War, but destiny and choice continue to bring them together, again and again.

This was an easy 5-star read for me, but if I had to critique anything it is the very ending. I felt it ended a little TOO perfectly, and it makes me wish there was a promised sequel. As this is advertised as a standalone, I don't think that particular wish will be granted. I also grew antsy with Liyen's swaying feelings about Zhangwei and why he even cared about her in the first place...but those were both answered by the end thankfully. The pacing was perfect, starting with intense action and emotion in the first chapter and never relenting until the end.

I ended up ordering the hardcover, because this book truly is beautiful inside AND out, and I couldn't resist having one on my shelf to return to in the future. :)

Sorry to be a few days late with my review but I definitely enjoyed this standalone Celestial Kingdom romantasy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan. All opinions are my own.

This book was a wild ride! In full transparency, I started off this book wondering if I would end up DNFing, but I am SO GLAD I stuck with it. Despite having heard nothing but good things about Sue Lynn Tan's series, The Celestial Kingdom, it has gotten a bit lost in my TBR so I was ecstatic to read a stand-alone within the same universe.

I think I struggled with the start of the book due to how it jumped into the plot and I found myself confused about the magic system and wanting to more about the characters. It also took a beat for me to get used to Sue Lynn Tan's writing style, but once I was into it-- I WAS IN. The setting was so vivid and I found myself immersed in the landscape as well as with each of the characters by the end. I'm curious if I would have felt similar if I read The Celestial Kingdom series prior.

The writing, while immersive, had some dialogue that felt a bit heavy handed to me, but all in all I really enjoyed reading this book and will be moving up The Celestial Kingdom in my TBR!

Now for the plot and characters:

Liyen frustrated me at the start, but I started to relate to her as the book went on and found myself cheering her on. Instant attraction is really tricky for me, but I loved that this book was truly a slow burn despite the attraction between our two main characters. Everytime I thought I knew what was about to happen, this book had a turn and I was absorbed in peeling apart the layers that Sue Lynn Tan built for us.

If you're looking for a HEA stand-alone romantasy with politics, twists, and war, this is one you might want to check out!

As the biggest daughter of the moon goddess fan I AM SO OBSESSED. Liyen and Zhangwei are literal perfection together and I have no other notes except that this was beautifully and exceptionally written. Sue Lynn Tan is a phenomenal writer.

Immortal is a stand-alone YA fantasy book written by the author of the Celestial Kingdom Duology, and takes place in the same world, and just as I expected from a Sue Lynn Tan book, I enjoyed every second of it.

From the beginning, Liyen starts off as having an illness that has made her weak. After absorbing the Divine Pearl Lotus that she is given by her grandfather, the man who raised her, she has healed. However, that Lotus was supposed to be handed over to the Queen, and her grandfather, knowing he would be punished, used it to save Liyen instead of turning it over. Now, Liyen must rise up to take her family's throne, while attempting to free her people from the control of the immortals, including the same Queen, who is now out to take the Lotus back from Liyen. During this time, she is confronted by the God of War, Zhangwei, who is under the employ of the Queen, and the two form a pact and the two become closer as they spend more time together.

The characters had so many layers and so well written. Our main characters are both strong, brave, caring, and willing to do anything for each other, even die. Liyen is just kind of thrown into the mix after not really being raised or trained to rule over her people, but she sure does take that job extremely seriously by immediately doing her best to free her people, which no one before her had done. She immediately took on the role, and killed it

At first, Zhangwei, as the God of War, comes across as a ruthless, brutal killer, who will do anything to shed blood. Or, at least that's what our FMC thinks of him. However, pretty quickly, we start to see that is not actually the case. I really appreciated Zhangwei and the love that he had for our FMC, and the fact that he was never willing to abandon her and he was always willing to take anything that was thrown at her. There were INSANE "touch her and die" vibes everywhere throughout this book and I was here for it all.

The romance was SUCH a slow burn, but it was so perfectly done. The pacing of everything and the build up led to such a beautiful love story, one that transcends time and space. The banter, even at the beginning was perfect and it was a very natural development, which I appreciated. At first, there were subtle changes, but as more information was discovered, everything made so much more sense. The amount of thought and depth that went into everything was incredible.

I absolutely loved this world that Sue Lynn Tan built. The immortals holding so much power and the mortals that just wanted freedom, the magic, I could just picture it all while I was reading. There was so much detail that allowed for me to imagine the world in my head and it was wonderful.

And the ending, was the best part of the story, so much better than I thought that it would be. Honestly, everything just got better and better as the story went on.

Thank you to Sue Lynn Tan, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.