3⭐️ Interesting and at times very fun. However, it dragged quite a bit throughout the story. The big reveals were somewhat obvious and I’d sit there waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop.

4.75/5 stars!

You know a book is GOOD when you literally don't want to go on tiktok just to see what the author would reveal next. This book kept me so engaged that I read this until almost midnight on a sunday and finished the last part using company time (lol sorry, boss!)

I can safely say that Sue Lynn Tan got me AGAIN with that twist and that ending (I thought i've seen it all when I was squatting and sobbing in my kitchen reading the final part of Heart of the Sun Warrior after work, HA!)

This is another book set in the Celestial Kingdom. We see Liyen, a young girl, develop character and show such care for her people, as she becomes a true leader for Tianxia. The relationship between her and the God of War adds more to the story, as we see how their lives intertwine. Sue Lynn continues the world building around the Celestial Kingdom and makes us want to know more.

Okay, shut up. How was this so freaking good?

Alright, back up for a hot second. I previously read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and while I didn't outright dislike the book, I didn't care much to continue the series either? I knew going in Immortal was a standalone, though, so I figured, why not give a different Celestial Kingdoms story a try.

I'm glad I did. I definitely like this book much better than the author's debut duology, and I think a lot of that stems from the fact that this was a separate, standalone fantasy romance. It was sweet and adorable in all the right ways, but still held enough stakes that had me seated for most of the story.

But this book wasn't just about the romance, and that had me appreciate the characters even more. The politics and the world and the war felt like major players as well, and unlike DOTMG, I was less frustrated over the decisions made by the MC.

But let's also be real: I stayed SEATED because of the God of War himself. Zhangwei is a TREAT, and I am so, SO GLAD for the bonus content in the Fairyloot edition because I needed that chapter to complete me. The relationship between Liyen and Zhangwei was precious and I rooted for them from the tumultuous beginnings to the very end.

I’m so sorry but this felt like an AU of Xingyin and Wenzhi, but not in an exciting way… their dynamics were similar. But this time I didn’t like BOTH of the main characters, so as the result, I didn’t really enjoy the whole book either.

If I had to describe Liyen’s personality in one word, it would be petulant. Her sassiness felt forced and has no depth. Meanwhile Zhangwei was just… there. Sure he’s a good man but more like a textbook example of a good man. Nothing special about him. In short, also surface-level personality. Together, their interactions felt artificial. The chemistry? Is nowhere to be seen.

And since my enjoyment of the book heavily relied on whether i like the main characters or not, I didn’t care about the plot. It’s not bad whatsoever, just okay. Enough to keep me from DNF-ing the book at least. Part of the reason was that i was hoping there would be Xingyin/Wenzhi/Liwei cameo, but apparently there’s none. The Celestial Emperor was mentioned several times but IDK if it’s Liwei or still his father, there’s no connection to the DOTMG series at all, so no way of telling what’s the time setting.

So yeah. Overall it’s just so-so.

Even in fantasy books we can't get just taxation and distribution of weapons to fight supernatural beings. But maybe there is a decent reason for it in "Immortal" by Sue Lynn Tan.

Liyen is having a mixed bag of a day. One one hand her grandfather just gave her something that might cure her long time illness. On the other...immortal beings showed up looking for that plant and are cross, which exacerbated a medical condition killing said grandfather. Now Liyen is on a throne with the snakes coming for her power. And now the immortals are poking around a bit more. Specifically the God of War with his annoying face.

Reasons to read:
-Banter
-Attempting to find compromise instead of starting blasting
-Stabbing when warranted though
-Political leader willing to learn

Cons:
-Real life dread kept impacting my enjoyment

2.5 Stars

This book was beautifully written. It started off with some potential, but by the half way point I had lost all interest and struggled to finish. The fantasy elements were lacking as we’re only told about how the gods and the immortals are all-powerful and feared, but not much is shown. The main female character, Liyen, repeatedly talks about how she’d like to be a good ruler, but she spends almost the entire book away from her land and people and leaves the actually ruling to someone else. The insta-love from the main male character, the God of War, didn’t make much sense until about 70% of the way in, but by that point I had already checked out. There were several reveals towards the end of the book that felt rushed despite the book itself feeling too long. Overall, it was well-written, but entirely forgettable.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy!

Wow - this was quite a read. Sometimes I struggle with fantasy reads if there's too much world building that I have to engage in. But that wasn't the case here - Tan does a beautiful job of weaving the world together, bringing you into the story. I really enjoyed being transported to a completely different world than my own.

Highly recommend!

There are lots of things I love about this book, and just one or two that I docked a star for.

I love that this is a standalone.
Love the ramped up romance - - some scenes were spicy (still closed door but more than what I've grown accustomed from the author).
Vivid descriptions of the food, the setting, etc
Side characters-- Chengyin, you are a cinnamon roll that must be protected at all cost
Enemies to lovers banter

What I wish it had
I wish we could've read more of L&Z's growing up together and not just as a flashback. I think it would've better suited the narrative.

There were also so many times that I wanted to throttle the two of them especially in part one. I even wrote, "didn't know" distrust trope" was a thing! It drove me crazy.

But all in all, a beautiful story, because Sue Lynn Tan is a master at what she does. I cannot wait for her next one!

This book was beautifully written. I loved how the author was able to create the release and emotion just with her words. There were many times I had to reread something because it was a sentence or paragraph that just needed to be appreciated.

The characters were well written. I enjoyed the journey that they took through the different realms. Also the journey the FMC took to discover who she was. While she may have been weak physically due to illness she was a strong woman who had to learn to be a leader to people who didn't want to see a woman rule.

I also enjoyed the romance part of this book. The idea of how strong love is was woven throughout this book. It wasn't just romantic love either. The way the love of family can shape a person.

I recommend this book especially if you are looking for a standalone fantasy. I will definitely be picking up other books by this author to read!

Hi there! Big thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for sending me this ARC! Unfortunately, I did have to soft DNF this read. Even after multiple attempts, I was just unable to connect with this story. Will try again at a later date, as I did love Daughter of the moon goddess!

Thank you for providing me an ARC of this story. Those familiar with Tan's other books will immediately recognize her fondness for introspective characters who fully explain their thoughts and the range of emotions that are produced by such thoughts. Throughout the events of the book, our main characters thoughts and motivations are central to the story. I have mixed feelings about this style of writing. On the one hand, it provides us with a strong narrative voice and it forces readers to interpret what is happening through the main character's unique emotional lens. This makes the book compelling and provides emotional depth. Conversely, a danger in having such emotionally realized characters is there is often repetition on the page that bogs the forward progression down a little bit. This is the issue I occasionally had with this book, but I could be the only one. Overall, the world was very lush. The characters were interesting and had depth. The twists provided intrigue and fantasy and romance fans will definitely enjoy this book.

At the beginning of the book I was very confused and a bit lost. I wanted to fall in love with the book right away, but it took me until 3/4 of the book before I really started to enjoy it. I think it was more of a me issue than the book because fantasy is not a genre I read a lot about.

That being said there were lots of twists and turns that you do not expect. So that will keep you on your toes. The description of the worlds were almost as if you could visualize them and see what they were writing.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC in exchange for my honest review. Sue Lynn Tan is always a joy to read. Wrapped in the same gorgeous backdrop as her previous duology, this standalone novel focuses on the God of War, the heiress of Tianxia, and a fight between the realms. Shrouded in mysteries and twists, “Immortal” is romantically charged from the start. Zhangwei is in her business from the jump and unapologetic about it. Kudos.

My main hold-out with this novel is the pacing. This work is incredibly fast-paced and epic, spanning multiple realms and revelations in the matter of days. Based on the main twist the reader discovers about 80% into this novel, I found this all the more surprising. I wound up enjoying it but readers may feel disjointed for large swaths of the narrative. If you’re able to stick it out to the end, it’s all the more rewarding.

This book once again delivers a very magical and whimsical atmosphere. Sue Lynn Tan has always had one of my favourite writing styles: it's immersive, magical and very detailed.
The characters are also quite realistic and emotional, their feelings resonate with the reader. Liyen's confront with the Gods was super interesting and thrilling, keeping you glued to the pages.

I will eat up literally anything Sue Lynn Tan writes. Her descriptive narrative is absolutely untouched

I really enjoyed reading the daughter of the moon goddess and I was so happy to be able to read the prequel book. And it was amazing! The world building was just as good as the first book in the previous series!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own.

This is my second chance with Sue Lyn Tan. I was not a fan of Daughter of the Moon Goddess but the premise of Immortal was very interesting and I couldn't resist. I'm glad I picked it up. The story is very beautiful and I adore the characters so much. I think the pacing a bit slow at times but overall, this is a very fun read.

Sue Lynn Tan is one of my absolute favorite authors. I recommend Daughter of the Moon Goddess rather forcefully to most people I know, because it is truly a work of art. Immortal takes place in the same world, but a different realm and with new characters and settings.

It was nearly as good as her others- it still had the same magic to it and I will always love reading Sue Lynn Tan’s stunning prose. For some reason, though, I didn’t *quite* connect as much with the romance in this one, and at times it felt both too rushed and too slow.

Overall, however, I still highly recommend this standalone. Particularly if you’ve read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but it can be read as a complete standalone and enjoyed just as much.

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the e-arc!

Set in Sue Lynn Tan's world of the Celestial Kingdom, Immortal is a standalone entry in the midst of the secluded-by-mandate country of Tianxia's invasion by spooky enemies who Should Not Be Here and the Immortals who expect so much but give little in return. We meet Liyue, heir to lead, a woman cursed by a special poison, and the War God Zhangwei, who immediately seems to take to her...

Initially I had a lot of questions and issues here so imagine my surprise when a lot of those questions/issues were actually answered... about 70% into this ~450 page book but I was already so not into the problems I personally had that by the time they were worked out/revealed the book still left me sort of skittishly turning pages like 'Oh boy, I'm not sure about this....' (The one remaining thing was how very biased and presumptive Liyue's mind was toward all Immortals but then how immediately she was like, 'oh, maybe only SOME of them are bad' re: the Wuxia people... aka the people who literally fed off bad vibes and misery and were a generations old enemy to both Tianxia and the Immortal Realm, but never had this regard for the normal Immortal folks up there that had nothing to do with Tianxia's seclusion? Okay.

But! I can see how folks would be into this gritted-teeth Lady arguing with no clout to get what's hers, to make her way into doing what's right with nothing but that determination and the tall dark and handsome Immortal that is into her from the get.... even if it's not my particular cup of tea. I also appreciated the couple of queer characters that were presented like it was a normal part of this world.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for review!