Sue Lynn Tan's Immortal is a standalone romantic fantasy that immerses readers in a world of forbidden magic, political intrigue, and passionate alliances. The story follows Liyen, the heir to Tianxia, who, after surviving an assassination attempt, ascends the throne amid political turmoil. In a bid to protect her kingdom, she ventures into the Immortal Realm, forming an uneasy alliance with the enigmatic God of War. ​

Tan's world-building is rich and immersive, drawing heavily from Chinese mythology to create a vivid and enchanting setting. The complex relationship between Liyen and the God of War adds depth to the narrative, blending elements of enemies-to-lovers tropes with political maneuvering. However, some readers have found the pacing uneven, with certain plot developments feeling rushed or lacking depth. Discussions on platforms like Reddit reflect this sentiment, with readers expressing mixed reactions to the story's execution. ​

Overall, Immortal offers a captivating blend of romance and fantasy, with a richly constructed world and complex characters. While it may not resonate with every reader, those who appreciate mythological retellings and romantic fantasy may find it a worthwhile read.

Sue Lynn Tan is quickly becoming one of my favorite fantasy authors. Everything she writes just leaps off the page like magic. I feel as though I'm lost in some beautiful mountain village listening to ethereal music as I feel the wind in my hair and the buzz of opportunity in the air. It's such an amazing feeling. The characters are likable but also problematic at times but you find yourself unable to look away and drawn deeper and deeper into the story. Alive seems almost not enough to describe this story. I want to be in this world, to taste the food, to smell the smells, to experience it. I finished this book and immediately wanted another. I know wonderful books take time but these stories make me greedy for more.

I really enjoyed this book! It hooked me early on and kept my attention throughout. I liked that it was different than many of the prior fantasy books I have read.

Five stars, officially will read anything by this author! The writing is beautiful, the love story is wonderful. I really enjoyed the way Sue Lynn Tan took the expected broody general/war captain and twisted it. Just everything about this book was great!

Another solid fantasy read from Sue Lynn Tan! I found myself completely engrossed in the story between Liyen and the God of War. When I thought I had things figured out, there would be a plot twist I didn’t see coming. I felt completely transported to these wonderful worlds once again, and the chemistry between the leads was 🔥.

The reason I bumped a star off the rating is because there were quite a few repetitive parts and I felt like I was being told over and over in the first part by Liyen how she shouldn’t trust The God of War just too many times it was distracting. Then later in the book, some plot points repeated as well.

Huge thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for letting me read this one early!
Immortal takes place in the same world and Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but in a different kingdom and following different characters all based on Chinese Mythology. Just like in her other books, Sue Lynn Tan explores themes of honor, duty, destiny, and love (romantic and familiar) while putting the reader into a fantastical world full of magic and lore.
If you love “touch her and you die” and “who hurt you” tropes, you are going to love following this twisty love story.

An adventurous romance and a whimsical adventure! Liyen is summoned to the immortal realm. Dark forces closing in around them! She decides to risk everything to save her people. She will do whatever it takes, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal or even losing her heart. Liyen is brave! No one can mess with her. This book was thrilling and fast paced! Sue knows how to write an amazing book. The world build is so good.

I can’t recommend this book enough!

Published: January 7 2025
Rating: ✨✨✨✨

Thank you NetGalley, Sue and Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC!!

#Immortal #NetGalley

This book was everything. The twists, and the journey were amazing. I truly don’t know how Sue writes such amazing worlds and stories. I really feel like I am there with the characters. There was so much character growth with Liyen was wild, she seemed so young and naive in the beginning but she really changed throughout the book. I loved the love story as well and how she was automatically drawn to the god of war. Then the enemies to lovers back to enemies and then back to lovers again was so unique, I loved it. She is becoming one of my favorite romantasy authors

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is the latest installment of The Celestial Kingdom world, though it is a standalone romantasy novel that does not require reading her previous works to understand. This book draws upon Chinese celestial and underworld mythology, a slightly different direction than her previous works.

Liyen unexpectedly ascends to the throne of the mortal kingdom of Tianxia following her beloved grandfather's untimely passing, and seeks to free her people from the Celestials that rule them. She has a contentious relationship with the God of War, Lord Zhangwei; sparks almost immediately fly between them. Soon, Liyen finds herself drawn into not only a (sort of) enemies-to-lovers romance, but also a political conflict more complicated than she'd ever expected....

If you have ever watched a period romance C-drama, many of the vibes of this book will be instantly familiar. Tan's strength as a writer is in her descriptions--clothes, settings, appearances--the scenes she describes are very reminiscent of C-drama visuals. As someone who enjoys both the stunning (and sometimes cheesy) VFX of C-dramas, I applaud this, as well as her retellings of specifically Chinese mythology. Tan is also very good at hooking the audience during the spicy romance scenes, which were some of the most engaging parts of the book; she leans heavily into the "romance" part of the "romantasy" genre. Should Tan ever write a contemporary romance novel, a fashion/interior design setting seems like it would be right up her alley!

However, Tan's books tend to be a bit too drawn out--this story would have been twice as effective with half the pages. Part One does drag, but the plot picks up in Part Two; given certain plot points that are revealed later, I would have liked Part Three to be developed further, or certain elements hinted at more in Part One to build up intrigue and reader engagement. That said, I am very glad that there was no love triangle in this book, and I am big fan of Chengyin--he's definitely my favorite character in this novel!

Fans of Immortal may also enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's other works in The Celestial Kingdom series, beginning with The Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Fans of East Asian mythology/history retellings may also enjoy the works of Xiran Jay Zhao, Axie Oh, Joan He, Sophie Kim, and Amélie Wen Zhao, just to name a few (of many!).

DNF around 50%

Sadly, I really did not enjoy this book. It had a lot of potential in its premise, but from the start I feel the quality of writing is not very good, even compared to the author's previous works. The execution of all the awesome ideas falls flat in every way possible.

Tan failed to establish the two main characters' personalities or their attraction to one another in a compelling way. Since this is supposed to be a romance between those two, you'd think there would be something a bit deeper than what's presented here. Liyen, the main female character, is a particularly frustrating narrator to read. The start of her relationship (in the general sense, not yet romantic) with Zhangwei feels like instalust. She makes repetitive and unnecessary observations in her internal narration, which all feels like one big run on sentence that lasts 400+ pages. I find myself wanting to skip loads of overly descriptive sensory details from Liyen.

The dialogue all feels like filler like it's an imperative to squeeze as many life lessons about love and loss into Liyen and Zhangwei's conversations as possible. I can't imagine anyone actually speaking like this. Yes, even in C-dramas, because I'm sure this book is advertized to the period-drama loving crowd!

The plot, while all over the place in pracftice, is rather simple, thankfully. If I continue this book later on, it's really only to find out what happens at the end. I was very excited to finally read this book and it bothered me a little more than it should that Immortal has little to no substance. I'm gonna need romantasy books to step up their game.

Thanks to the publisher for prioviding an eARC for review!

I hated everything about this book because it was very mainstream-romantasy. Sue Lynn Tan's previously beautiful writing was knocked down by her desire to adhere to a flat, uninteresting plot and romantic pair that was full of drama. Drama that could have been solved with them simply talking to each other. Also, there was some retcon when it came to the magic system that was established in the Celestial Kingdom, and changed in Immortal to simply fit to the plot. I really wanted to DNF this book, but I pushed through.

My one problem with this book is that it had to end. The writing in this story depicted the scenes so meticulously that I felt fully immersed in the story's world and didn't want to leave. I enjoyed the Beauty and the Beast feel in parts of the book, but the mysteries and the twists and turns in the plot gave the story its own originality. The layers of emotion woven into the character's actions and reactions are sure to tug at your heart strings at least once before you reach the end of the book.

In true Sue Lynn Tan nature, we have an incredibly beautiful romance, with her unique storytelling. I enjoyed her previous duopogy and I had high hopes for this book, however I think I enjoy her books better in audiobook form rather than physically reading.
I still greatly enjoyed this love story even though I have become accustomed to Sue Lynn taking more of a slow burn approach and this one felt like it moved just a little fast, but regardless I enjoyed.

I received an advanced copy of Immortal from Netgalley and the publisher and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Immortal was everything I could ever want in a book: great world-building, a fast-paced action plot, a beautiful romance, and unforgettable characters full of depth. It was an all-around fantastic book. Even the parts I didn't like, I ended up liking them because Sue Lynn Tan did such an amazing job of weaving this story together.

Despite Immortal being set in the world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, you don't need to have read the previous books to be able to jump right into this one. While they offer some background on people and places mentioned briefly in this book, Immortal does a perfect job of building the world we already know with the new areas featured here. It helps create a world of ever-expanding history that can stand independently (I highly recommend you read them, though, as they are also amazing.) This world is so rich in lore and beauty. Despite the amount of information I received, I never once felt like it was too much. Everything I learned just added to the depth of the world, and it all felt seamless. I can truly see the amount of love and dedication the author put into this story, which takes my breath away.

Once the plot got started, it did not stop. This story had me in a chokehold from the first page, and I did not want to put it down. Every part had a purpose. Nothing felt like filler. And those twists? Beautifully executed. I didn't see any of them coming, and I was here for it.

The characters and their growth were written so well. I loved seeing Liyen go from a timid girl to a fierce ruler. Even Zhangwei's growth was evident, though it was more a growth of how Liyen sees him. The romance felt rushed in the beginning, but then! Oh my goodness. I won't say anything more about that because of spoilers, but that part made my jaw drop. I was shocked. Shooketh, if you will. Actually, there are two parts these statements could refer to, and I mean it for both of them. Those plot twists, man.

If you're looking for a book with incredible world-building, characters, depth, and beautiful writing, I highly recommend Immortal. If it isn't already on your TBR, it absolutely should be. I cannot praise this book highly enough.

Immortal is set in the same world as the Celestial Kingdom duology. I love the duology and am so happy to have another story set in this gorgeous world. It is completely unrelated though, so you don't need to read the duology to read this.

Things open up on a pretty hectic scene, so it pulls you in right away. But then it slows down for a bit. Right as I was starting to wish more would happen, it picked up and was pretty quick paced through the rest of the book.

And the plot is so chaotic in the best way. Like in the Celestial Kingdom duology, there's just a lot going on. I love the way Sue Lynn Tan layered so much into this story.

Liyen's journey is very satisfying and I found her really compelling as a main character. And the God of War, Zhangwei, was enigmatic and confident. I did think their romance came on a little too quickly (I love a slow burn) but it grew on me. And I think that is all I can say about the romance without spoiling anything.

I did listen to some of the audiobook and it is fantastic. If you are an audiobook person, I highly recommend it.

Sue Lynn Tan is one of my auto-buy authors for a reason. She is writing for me. She is infiltrating my dreams and subconscious thoughts and writing exactly what I want to read. Immortal will certainly be one of my favorite books of the year. I can't wait for whatever she writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the advance reader copy! As always, all opinions are my own.

I was looking forward to Sue Lynn's Tan new fantasy book after having read the Daughter of the Moon Goddess series, but I wish I enjoyed it as much as I had hoped. It's been a while since I read the Daughter of the Moon Goddess, so maybe it would've helped if I had a refresher before reading Immortal since I know the books take place in the same universe, but I couldn't identify much of a crossover except for some mentions of the celestial kingdom. So maybe in that sense, it's not required to have knowledge about Daughter of the Moon Goddess but could maybe provide some background information about the setting/worldbuilding. I enjoyed reading it overall, but I felt like the pacing wasn't very consistent. The beginning felt rather slow, and I felt like a lot was happening in the narration but not a lot of action was occurring. It almost felt like the book could've been condensed but at the same time it felt like all the information was important. The plot twists/reveals felt very reminiscent of the way the ones in DotMG were crafted, but I enjoyed the characters and the plot concept even if it wasn't the most unique especially regarding the villains and the resolution.

When I tell you it's been a minute since a romance has left me absolutely breathless, Immortal quite possibly delivered everything I wanted it to be. Set in the same world as Sue Lynn Tan's Celestial Kingdoms duology, we follow Liyen as she ascends the throne after her grandfather's death and her journey to free her people from the centuries-old agreement with the immortals that puts Tianxia under the Golden Desert's control. What started as a trip tino the Immortal Realm to pledge her loyalty turns into a bigger political conflict when forgotten enemy forces start slipping through the cracks of their prison and secrets begin to unravel.

Immortal has everything I loved in Sue Lynn Tan's debut duology minus the love triangle which made it instantly better because that was hands down my least favorite part. It has also been such a long time since I've fallen in love with a fictional couple and rooted so hard for the male love interested. As the General of War, Zhangwei has sass and depth that made me instantly root for him. He also pulls out the "touch her and you'll die" line and actually backed it up with action. Seriously, the lines that he says to Liyen made me actually want to cry (case in point the quote below).

Characters aside, Sue Lynn Tan continues to write a vast and complex story whose plot feels like an entire C-drama. We get to explore more of the Immortal Realms as well as delve into the history of Tianxia's existence and purpose. There are so many twists that reveal how sometimes there is truth behind both sides of the story and a hero can be a villain (and vice versa) depending on who is telling the tale. Incredibly rich and beautiful in both plot and writing, Immortal truly ticked all the boxes for becoming an instant favorite and I'm so glad I loved it.

I was so excited and loving the first part of this book. I was anticipating giving this book a 5 star rating, but I don't know what happened. The subsequent parts totally lost me. I did not feel like I was reading the same book. It felt like the author wrote the first part put it away and it picked up again and was not in the same mood/train of thoughts. I found the plot twist a little far fetched and it did not fit nor make sense. I am so disappointed because the first part was intriguing and immaculate.

Absolutely loved IMMORTAL. it has lush writing, a well-crafted permise. So excited for what comes next from this author.

standalone book from the author who wrote the daughter of the moon goddess series.

premise: main character is the newly appointed ruler of her quaint town in the mortal realm. they're under the rule and servitude to the immortals for protection from ye olden war time. she harbors a secret: our mc was poisoned and saved by an enchanted lotus that the immortal empress wanted. mc goes to the immortal realm to try to save her people and restore their freedom by breaking out of servitude from the immortals. there she meets and bristles against immortal realm military leader, the god of war.

cue enemies to lovers ~

thing about how this author writes is that it is a bit of a slog at first to build the world. then plot happens for our mc before i even realize it happened/is happening and even though some things are predictable like of course her disdain for the smarmy but handsome god of war means that's her love interest the later plot twists are well done to subvert my expectations. half way or two-thirds in i was like ugh does this author just have a thing "professor snape types" (which i don't care for. broody emo noncommunicative dudes are the worst.) but the plot twists brought me back in.

i like how author centers young heroines thrust into positions of leadership or responsibility and how they make their own path + grow confidence in themselves. as third party observers we're always like omg duh of course you are competent and skilled and good but it's harder to acknowledge this for yourself in first person than in others.