This was my first time reading Sue Lynn Tan. I loved the great world building and character development. I can’t wait to read other books by this author.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyage for this ARC.
My short review is this a delightful boon to the fans of Wuxia and Alchemy of Souls.
My long review is that Sue Lynn Tan keeps upping the game with every books she writes and this book is blatant proof of it.
I adore the strength and courage Liyen has as well as how she never looses the sight of what is most important to her to her but at the same time she learns from every situation. Her characterisation is done so masterfully with her doubts, trials adding another feather in both her and the author's cap.
This book has so many memorable quotes that will leave any reader feeling poignant yet reminding that there is always a choice and it's between wrong, easy and right.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read an advance reader copy of this book. I really enjoyed Sue Lynn Tan's previous duology, The Celestial Kingdom. I found this book to be in the same vein as those books. I love these kinds of stories, ancient Chinese myths and wuxia novels. This book, I found a little dull and formulaic to the previous series that Ms. Tan has written. The main characters could be interchanged between novels because they are so much alike. I do appreciate a strong female main character, and I really did like Liyen, but I found her to be very much like Xingyin. So much so that I became a little bored with the story, because it was somewhat predictable. I ended up skimming lots of the story, because it was not able to hold my interest. Perhaps I read this a little too soon after reading the Celestial Kingdom. The premise is good, but ultimately this one fell a little flat for me.

I was so excited to dive into this, having already loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I could not wait to read this. Sue Lynn Tan is in a league of her own with Immortal. While familiar, this adds an entirely new layer to what we previously know and loved in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Sue's ability to craft such a beautiful story with characters to root for the entire time, is unparalleled. Reading this was such a breath of fresh air in a heavily saturated Fantasy genre. This was so unique and stands a part for really any other Fantasy book I've read this year. I can't wait to reread this, and I think this will be at the top of so many people's 2025 lists.

I've gotta say, "Immortal" by Sue Tan was a really fun read! While I haven't checked out her other books in this universe yet, this one definitely stands on its own. The main character starts off kind of annoying and immature (I may have rolled my eyes a few times), but watching them grow throughout the story was super satisfying.

The plot kept me guessing - there were several moments where I was like "Wait, what?!" in the best possible way. The twists actually made sense though, not just random shock value stuff.

I will definitely be putting the other books on my TBR!

4.5/5 - would definitely recommend! 👍

This book includes:
- war between gods and man
- a sacred covenant
- MMC with a secret
- a magic lotus flower
- Monarch FMC

"Immortal" follows a young woman named Liyen, and her ascent to the throne after her grandfather's sudden death. Her kingdom is in service to the gods and she is determined to free herself and her people from their sacred convent and recuperate her kingdom's autonomy.

Upon first glance, "Immortal" seems like my exact cup of tea. Early and celestial politics, secrets, lies, subterfuge, and even a dash of forbidden romance. However, This book left nearly no impression on me at all. I had to force myself to continue reading the book, despite there being nothing offensively wrong with it.

The book is not bad, but here are a few of the things that weren't quite right:
- pacing (too slow and jumpy
- strong character depth
- very awkward and forced (dare I say non-existent) chemistry between the love interests
- predictable plot without the entertainment factor

That being said, I have a feeling this book will be very well-received and many romantasy readers will enjoy it.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Lynn Tan, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

I received an eARC of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan from NetGalley and Harper Voyager Publishing. Immortal is about Liyen, Princess of Tianxia, ascending her place on the throne after her grandfather dies which is held under the thumb of the Immortal ruler Queen of the Golden Desert. Liyen is determined to not let her grandfather’s death be in vain and swears to herself she will free Tianxia under the rule of Queen of the Golden Desert. When she is summoned to make her pledge to the Immortal Queen, she forms an unexpected alliance with The God of War to help free her people of Tianxia from Immortal rule.

I love Sue Lynn Tan’s Celestial Kingdom books and was ecstatic when Sue Lynn Tan announced a standalone in the Celestial Kingdom universe about The God of War and a mortal enemies to lovers story. The characters, the worlding building, the plot being laid out but then expanded and turned as the story progressed was just incredible storytelling. Liyen was intelligent, empathic, vulnerable, and noble. The God of War’s entrance scene immediately had me swooning and falling faster for him than cautious Liyen. One of the secondary characters, Chengyin, was absolutely adorable and it is always refreshing to have platonic relationships between male and female characters. I felt like this book kept me on my toes with the direction the story was going, and I mean that in the best way. The writing flowed with the plot turns Sue Lynn Tan was taking.

When I received the email from NetGalley saying I received an eARC I couldn’t be how fortunate I was because, like I stated above, I absolutely love these Celestial Kingdom books and I’ll keep following Sue Lynn Tan wherever her writing journey takes her. 5/5 stars and thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this amazing book.

It was a beautiful ya fantasy story that was enjoyable and exciting. I didn’t expect to like it as much as typical I hate ya but the way she writes it it doesn’t feel ya. Very action packed and romantic

This was incredible. Sue Lynn Tan continues to amaze me. Immortal was well written and beautifully crafted which was not surprising to me. The Celestial Kingdom duology was my favorite read of last year, don’t ask me to pick which one was my favorite. I loved seeing the world expand and the characters in Immortal were amazing. I was worried no one could compete with Wenzhi but I loved Zhangwei! Liyen was a wonderful main character she was smart, brave, stubborn, and overall a refreshing character to read from. This book was a wonderful fantasy story where love, not just romantic, is at the center. It also came with twists and turns and dare I say shocks. Sue Lynn Tan is an autobuy author for me and I cannot wait for whatever comes next. Please pick this up, it was a delight.

I admit I don't think I was in the mood for this one. While this type of story is generally right up my alley, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. The story itself was interesting and I enjoyed most of it, especially the second half. However, I had a hard time with Liyen. I did not like her very much and thought she was pretty annoying in the first half of the book. I feel like the inciting incident just didn't hit hard enough for me, and therefore I didn't have very much empathy for her as a character. I did like Zhangwei, the God of War, and his character was ultimately why I finished the book.

I also feel like the pacing could have been a bit better--the first half really dragged for me and the second half felt rushed. The book felt both too long and too short, and I think splitting it into two shorter books would have improved it. I think having more time with Liyen in both parts of the story would probably have made me like her more, though who knows.

Anyway, I found this book to only be okay, and that might have just been because I was not in the mood for it. Still, I want to thank Avon and Harper Voyager, as well as NetGalley, for the eARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book, as it was full of vivid scenery and powerful characters, with plenty of action to keep me on my toes throughout the story. Right from the first page, the author dives us into the chaos (which I love!) and we quickly have to learn of the main character, her backstory, and meet the soon to be love interest, God of War. I had a great time reading this book, and I loved all of the plot twists and action that happened. I liked the romance as well, but the one part I wish was a bit more fleshed out was the emotional connection to the characters. I loved them as characters on the page but didn’t quite get as invested as I could have.

Nevertheless, this is a stunning book and I highly recommend it! I have yet to read the authors previous books (though they sit on my shelves) and I have heard this is in the same world with new characters. I have always looked forward to reading her other books but the world building in this makes me even more eager to pick those up.

I wish I can read Immortal for the first time again. Everything was written beautifully. It was so immersive that I could imagine being in that world. The plot was amazing! It hooked me right from the starts. There was so many scenes of angst, betrayal, heartbreak and so much more. I could not put it down! Once again, Sue creates another beautiful work of art that exceeds my expectations!

This book is a Romantasy set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess with lots of myth. The story blends romance and mythology in a way that feels both magical and exciting. The characters are relatable, and I loved how the myths were woven into the plot, making the world feel vibrant and alive. Overall, it’s a wonderful, engaging read.

I adored Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, so I knew I needed to read this one as well. Her imagery and writing is beyond beautiful. Her world building fully immerses you in the story. Her characters are lovable, flawed, and human (even when immortal!), and they are easy to connect with. One thing I didn't love her previous story was the love triangle (just not a favorite trope of mine) so I was glad that this did not follow that same pattern. Some of the pacing is a little off. Some events happened too quickly, others too slowly.

Overall, Tan is a must read author for me. I love this world, and I am hopefully to read more stories from it - maybe even with a small cameo from some of our beloved characters?!

Thank you Netgalley, the wonderful Sue Lynn Tan, and the publishers for this book.
See more at my bookstagram - @bookish_starry_skies

3.25 ⭐️ the premise of this book was really good and i love fantasy books based off of other cultures and i also think sue lynn tan is a wonderful writer!!! however this book fell a little short for me. the flow was a bit choppy at times and plot points weren’t always clearly explained. i did think the plot twist was cool, but i think the immediate synergy of before and after didn’t really make sense. the characters were enjoyable and i loved watching liyen find herself through confidence, love, and strength + was a big fan of zhangwei as well. again, could have used a little more oomph with them as they got slightly bland at times. there were sections where i just lost interest because i think so much time was spent trying to make the writing flowery and lovely that i stopped caring about what was happening. overall, this is an interesting fantasy and especially the last 40% kept me super engaged, it just could have done some things differently to keep readers enraptured.

Rating: 3.5
***Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ebook. (Contains spoilers)

Things I really enjoyed about the novel: Very in depth and lush atmosphere; wonderful world building, interesting and great political plot twists. Our FMC, Liyen is fierce and determined and a fighter--can't help but root for her most of the time.

Things I didn't enjoy: The romance; it was just not well timed and felt forced. Liyen and the God of War meet briefly (***stay tuned) and there's an instant "connection," that Liyen is trying to avoid. The plot twist that comes reveals a previously established and serious relationship to the both of them. I felt like the author was really trying to have Liyen be deeper and feel things at a soul level often--but these moments just felt flat and not precious or quite where it may be was to be at.


I think is the a wonderful novel, a unique read, and very well done overall. But it did lack depth/feeling for the plot twists that come up; esp. involving Liyen and the God of War.

I had high hopes for this book but unfortunately I ended up DNF’ing it. The writing didn’t flow well for me. Every time I picked the book up and started reading again I just felt a bit bored tbh.

Immortal - a spell binding and spectacular sequel in the Celestial Kingdom!
Sue Lynn Tan reveals her mastery in weaving a story of a young, weakened heir ,who grows into power, and consolidates her destiny in this epic tale of magic, love and what immortality truly means. Liyen is the heir to Tianxia, a human kingdom in the footholds of Kunlun which pays obeisance to the Queen of the Golden Desert, enforced by the ruthless, God of War, Zhangwei.
After her grandfather's sacrifice saves her from a cruel poisoning, and she is expected to pledge devotion to the Immortals. She strives against the magical forces and struggles against the secrets shrouding the Immortals, and is intrigued by the God of War. Liyen soon realizes that all is not what it seems, either in the Celestial abodes nor in the Netherworlds. Plagued by heartache, forgotten memories and political intrigue, Liyen comes to her own and finally embraces her choices. The romance between Zhangwei and Liyen unfolds mellifluously, struck by the notes of uncertainty and percussioned with beats of scorching looks and exchanges.
Tan's understanding of the human nature and it's conflict between mind and heart comes to fore. As a flawed heroine grappling with powers beyond her understanding and a political landscape with undercurrents of loss, freedom and vengeance, Tan builds a masterful tale of enchantment, sorcery and ultimately love in all its forms.
A million thank yous to Harper Voyager, NetGalley and the author herself for the ARC! I certainly devoured this tale and hopefully, you will too!

Immortal is a new installment in Sue Lynn Tan's Celestial Kingdom world, which was established in [book:Daughter of the Moon Goddess|57789637] (which I have read) and its sequel [book:Heart of the Sun Warrior|60461898] (which I have not read). You do not need to have read either of those books to read this one!

The book starts with our protagonist, Liyen, fleeing her burning palace with her grandfather, who is the ruler of the realm of Tianxia. The palace is burning because the immortals to whom Tianxia owes allegiance/fealty ordered Liyen's grandfather to get a McGuffin, which he did, and then he didn't give it to them. The pacing at the beginning is VERY weird. It's this big action scene, with huge consequences for the characters, and yet it keeps stopping to info-dump for paragraphs at a time. Reworking the beginning of the book could have led to a better set-up for this, and a smoother flow of the action without having to constantly stop and explain what was going on. However, once this scene is over, the writing does even out and stays even for the rest of the book.

The book is in three parts. The first part is pretty bland YA romance for most of it; it really hits its stride in Part 2 and gets into the real plot of it all in Part 3. For those who read the other Celestial Kingdom books, the writing is substantively similar. I noted that in DotMG, Tan's writing has a certain distance to it. I thought that fit DotMG fairly well because it's based on a folk tale and had a fairytale-like quality to it. I'm not sure it works as well for what is supposed to be a more straightforward fantasy romance, but if you liked the writing in DotMG, you will like it here, too.

The story wraps up pretty neatly. Not all the problems are solved forever but the characters have completed their immediate goals and are in a good place. There's not a deux ex machina that comes in and solves everything for them, which I appreciated. While I wish Tan's writing had more of an emotional immediacy to it, I think people who have enjoyed her previous books will enjoy this one as well, and I always do appreciate a standalone book in a sea of series.

“Immortal” is a standalone fantasy set in the world of Tan’s popular Celestial Kingdom duology. Liyen is the granddaughter of the Lord of Tianxia, part of a family that rules over a nation divided from the rest of the mortal world as part of an agreement to defend the kingdom of the immortals. The immortal queen Caihong seeks the Divine Pearl Lotus, a powerful treasure which Liyen’s family has carefully hidden. At the start of the book Tianxia is attacked and Liyen is poisoned, and her grandfather places the Divine Pearl Lotus inside her body to heal her as his final act. Liyen is then installed as the unstable ruler over a cracking kingdom, then sent to discuss Tianxia’s ongoing alliance with the immortals in the residence of the God of War.

There were several issues I had while reading this book. The first was the writing itself; it just didn’t seem to flow very well. I also felt that the Divine Pearl Lotus could have been a really interesting plot device, but was somewhat clunkily utilized in very predictable ways. The plot itself wasn’t particularly entertaining, and most of the characters fell flat. I was particularly disappointed that since so much of the story hinges on the relationship between Liyen and the God of War, I just really didn’t buy it. The chemistry between them was forced and I could not for the life of me actually understand why they were interested in each other, from a personality standpoint.

I think it’s very possible that people who were fans of the Celestial Kingdom duology will like this more than I did, and I hope that’s the case. It wasn’t all bad, it just really didn’t hit the mark for me.