I received a Netgalley ARC in exchange for an honest review. I also ordered the beautiful hardcover book when it was released. Sue Lynn Tan is one of my new favorite authors after the gorgeous Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. Her latest book is equally as well-written and intriguing. I started this a while ago but got quite sick, so I had to take a reading break. This break may have shaped my thoughts about the book, but I felt like the beginning was slow. However, by the middle, I was utterly hooked. I especially love that as the story unfolds, all is not as it seems--the plot twists are engaging and unexpected but logical and plausible. More details about past events arise as the book progresses, making me want to read the book all over again now with this new knowledge. The Lady of Tianxia is physically weak but possesses a strong moral core as she tries to care for her mortal citizens. The God of War is an immortal deity, and their lives are entwined in more ways than one. The Lady of Tianxia possesses a Divine Lotus Pearl that has healed some of her physical ailments. With its magical properties, the pearl is coveted by many, including the God of War and the Wuxin, who I think of as demons living in the Netherworld. And yet, all is not as it seems.

Ultimately, the Lady of Tianxia balances choices and competing viewpoints in a realistic, feminist way that I loved, taking charge of her path and abandoning the idea of fate and destiny. This book is a beautiful mythology and is excellent for anyone who loves romance, mythology, c-dramas, and fantasy. While many authors are beginning to write in this space of Asian fantasy and romance, Tan's work stands apart from others. Her books have complex, layered plots, multi-faceted characters, and relationships, and her writing--the actual choice of words--is polished and eloquent, making it a joy to read. Sue Lynn, if you ever read this: thank you for your work, and never stop writing. I eagerly await each new release. Your books are some of my favorite books, and I reread them frequently. I secretly hope they will be turned into c-dramas, but perhaps they should stay in their written form because of the fantastic world-building. I don't know that any production could do them justice. Thank you for sharing your gifts with the world.

A Mythical Masterpiece

"Immortal" by Sue Lynn Tan is a breathtaking debut that weaves mythology with a compelling narrative of love and destiny. Tan’s brilliant world-building and rich, poetic language immerse you in a realm of gods and magic, where every page thrills with adventure and emotion. The characters are deeply crafted, making their journeys resonate profoundly with the reader. This book is a must-read for any fantasy enthusiast looking for a story that combines epic storytelling with heart-touching depth. A truly enchanting read!

Immortal was such a fantastic standalone fantasy novel! I loved getting lost in the world of the Celestial Kingdom and will absolutely be reading Sue Lynn Tan’s backlist after this.

This is enemies-to-lovers at its finest, and Liyen and the God of War’s relationship was absolutely swoony. The girls said bring back yearning and Sue Lynn Tan DELIVERED. I loved the political plotline and loved how it intertwined with the romance. Highly recommend!

Thanks to Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the ARC!

This was a beautifully written vibrant world, full of fantastic twists and turns. The world building was well thought out, and our characters go on a fascinating adventure through realms and their own inner selves.

Wow. I actually don't know what to do with myself. This was one of my most anticipated books of 2025. I've even included it in my 25 or 2025 with me labeling it as a five-star prediction.

I hated this.

Where did all the magic go from the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology??? Where did the immaculate writing scurry off to? I am so beyond baffled as to what happened. The writing was poor, the plot was paper thin, the insta-love was cringe, and the characters were caricatures. I felt like I was reading a soap opera and that's insulting to soap operas. Everything was just so over-the-top and absurd along with a plot that barely was holding itself together. I know the ending was supposed to be like "THIS EXPLAINS THE INSTA-LOVE," and it did, but it was still horrid.

I also despise that this was marketed as being in the same world as ADOTMG. There was a WHISPER in this book basically relating to that old series. That was such a gimmick and unnecessary to market it that way.

I actually am just absolutely stunned and questioning my entire life right now.

Absolutely stunning. Sue Lynn Tan books are an instant-buy for me. On top of beautiful prose and charming storytelling, the physical books themselves are GORGEOUS. Even the typesetting is flawless.

This book though? UGH! (In a good way.) Zhangwei?? UGHH! (ALSO in a good way). Every moment I wasn't reading, I was thinking about what was happening in the immortal/ mortal/ netherworld realm. I never expect where Sue Lynn Tan is going to take a story and I'm pleased every time. My only complaint with this one is how foolishly naive Liyen is during the first half of this book. Zero critical thinking skills on her part.

I fell deeply in love with this book and was swept away into this story about forbidden magic, dangerous secrets, and passionate romance.

From the beginning, I was instantly enamored by the beautiful storytelling, vivid descriptions of the multidimensional world, and poetic prose.

I loved all the elements woven into Liyen’s story, from the complex character dynamics to her adventurous journey with the God of War at her side to their quick-witted banter and chemistry-filled connection. Every aspect continued to draw me in, and savoring each chapter of the story.

This novel truly felt like an enchanting, magical reading experience, and I can’t wait to read more books by Sue Lynn Tan.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

Thank you to Avon & Harper Voyager and Sue Lynn Tan for providing me with this review copy. All opinions are honest and my own.

3.5/5

This is exactly as billed - romantasy set in a well developed and beautifully crafted world full of sights, sounds, colors, and sparkle. My preferred recipe for romantasy: politics, gods, banter, and yearning. I’m in awe of Sue Lyn Tan’s writing prowess for this genre, but feel like there’s unrealized potential here. I’m not even mad about the stacked tropes. In fact, I uncharacteristically like the tropes because they are integrated and I’ve read my fair share of disappointing tropey romances.

The main characters, Liyen and Zhangwei, are admittedly not the most interesting or dynamic characters, but man do their interactions bring the story to life. And I’ve come to realize that it’s not necessarily individual characterizations that make a romance / romantic fantasy, but rather the enzymatic reaction between the characters that create depth and dimension to the story. That’s something I’ve had to unlearn from reading literary fiction. So I will say, while the characters DID feel flat at times, their existence near each other combusted the microcosm. Yes, sparks, fireworks, the whole shebang.

God the pacing. I’m sorry but that’s ultimately what took away from the experience. I’m ready to overlook the underdeveloped characters because they work quite well as a pair, but I cannot forgive the pacing - underdeveloped plot, if you will. Things pop up out of nowhere, plot points resolve spontaneously, threads are abandoned. Just generally weird pacing.

I wish the plot was given the same attention as the character chemistry. That’s all I’ll say. But also, I’m picky with my romantasy, so for those that love the genre, I’d still recommend you give this a whirl.

The premise of the book is beautiful and intriguing, but the execution, not so much. The romance is sweet, but it is sometimes dampened by the main character's manipulations and childishness. I understand that she went through loss and is still grieving her grandfather's death, but her growth was not explored and explained well. As much as I am a fan of xianxia, which this book definitely is, there was much too long of "telling" and not enough of "showing". The plot twist was well-done but it would've benefitted from tighter plotting. It made the romance feel somewhat cheap too.

I adored my return to the celestial kingdom. This was such a beautiful story, it was so immersive and I was transported. I loved the writing and the imagery, and although I know this is a standalone, I could read more about these characters. I think readers will fall in love with Immortal.

This is definitely more romance based than fantasy
HOWEVER I absolutely loved it and devoured it! The romance is delicious, the tension, the love/hate relationship is perfect! I need more!

I originally requested this since I enjoyed Sue Lynn Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess. However, my taste/preferences have since changed and I do not think I would enjoy this book based on the premise and tropes mentioned by other reviewers.

DNF

While this standalone takes place in the world of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, it does not need to be read after. HOWEVER, I recommend reading the duology first if you care about how the world building is. Sue Lynn Tan is a skilled enemies-to-lovers, strong intelligent female main characters, and gifted in crafting Chinese Mythology to fit her story how she needs it. I love everything she has made, but I think Immortal is higher than The Daughter of the Moon Goddess Duology which is saying a lot because it was my #2 of best series.
Liyen is one of my favorite characters. Her determination and fight makes me want to fight with her. Zhangwei is a perfect counterpart to her too.
I will say, the beginning is slow, but once you get in--prepare for the ride of a lifetime!

Fans of Daughter of the Moon Goddess will be over the moon with Sue Lynn Tan's newest novel set in the same universe we have come to long. The stakes are high, the angst is palpable and the romance?
The romance will leave you breathless.
This is a book that is deserving of the romantasy title.
The story was fantastic. The action scenes were well played out, with plenty of plot twists and heart-stopping scenes. But the romance truly stole the show. It was even more intense than the one in DotMG. It was wild, it was passionate, it was ethereal.
Just like in her previous dulology, Tan granted us a headstrong, mature, and utterly badass female lead. She was resilient, cunning, and absolutely phenomenal.
The male lead was swoony, a walking green flag, and devastatingly sexy. His devotion to the main character was so refreshing to read and it made me utterly obsessed with him. If there's one thing that left me craving for more (hence the 4 stars) it was more information regarding his background and past experiences.

Overall this was a fantastic read that I will definitely come back to in the future for a reread!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

Loved the fantasy world, romance, forbidden magic, and never ending action.

The fantady world created is full of secrets and so much danger. I read well into the wee hours of the morning immursed in this world.

Highly recommend. Give yourself plenty of uninterrupted reading time. You're not going to want to put it down.

This is a book that gets better the more you read. Part three really turned this around. I was not feeling the beginning. But part three made it all come together and I appreciate the beginning now . I thought it would have more to do with the celestial kingdom duology as it was advertised but it does not. The writing is still Sue Lyn’s beautiful writing. Loved it.

Sue Lynn Tan does it again!! I loved her duology, and i loved this just as much. I wish I could’ve read it faster but school always gets in the way. But I’m so glad to have finished it. I loved Liyen, and the God of War was absolutely perfect. I thought this book had a lot of details, and I absolutely loved it when something was revealed because I never expected it. I loved everything about this book. I can’t wait to read her new book that comes out in September.

Immortal is the first book that I have read by Sue Lynn Tan and I was drawn to it by the gorgeous cover art as well as the intriguing description. According to the author, the setting takes place in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but can be read as a standalone and contains different characters. Our female main character is Liyen, a mortal princess and heir to the throne of the country Tianxia which is in the Mortal Realm. She was poisoned and sickly but was healed by receiving a Divine Pearl Lotus. This restores her health and makes her even stronger, being strengthened by the lotus’s powers. This FMC is admirable as she is very ambitious and remains unyielding despite being strongly disliked by those in power within the kingdom she is thrust into, the Immortal Realm. To secure her crown she has to enter this Immortal Realm and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals, which is something she is not thrilled about. Liyen’s personality is great and I loved her wit and willingness to sacrifice herself for the ones she loves. Our MMC, Zhangwei, is known as the God of War. He comes off as a misunderstood character and is seen as cold and heartless, not caring for mortals but only for strength and death. We come to find that he’s actually quite likable. This book contains as much politics as it does romance, which some readers may not like. Usually I’m not one to like a ton of politics within my reads but I felt that the romance did balance things. The book also started a bit slow, in my opinion. However, that didn’t deter me from reading as my interest was held despite the pacing. There is a lot of concentration on Liyen’s character development. The world building was great and the small details were outstanding. I also really enjoyed the cast of side characters. The plot twists were also wonderful and caught me off guard even when I thought I knew what was coming! I really enjoyed this read and look forward into reading Sue Lynn Tan’s other books. If you’re into romantasy this book is a great choice!

Thank you to Harper Voyager and Avon and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Immortal was my first Sue Lynn Tan book, and it did not disappoint!
The world-building is breathtaking,
the prose beautifully lyrical,
and the slow-burn romance between the MCs is full of tension and depth.

While the pacing starts off a bit slow,
the emotional payoff and stunning conclusion make it well worth the journey.

A must-read for fans of romantic fantasy—I'll definitely be picking up more from Tan!

I knew I would adore this book because I loved The Celestial Kingdom books. I was not disappointed.

This book was captivating since the first page. It is filled with world-building, complex characters, twists and turns, political intrigue, and heart-warming romance.


The FMC, Liyen, is a princess in Tianxia. So loved by her grandfather, he risks it all to give her the gift of the Divine Pearl Lotus to cure her. Upon his death, she is thrust into power and has to make tough decisions to do what is best for her people. Zhangwei, aka the God of War, is the MMC. He is introduced to us as hateful, vicious, and hateful towards mortals. Both characters are complex and go through tremendous character development through the story. Just when you think you have this enemies to lovers tale figured out, Sue Lynn Tan throws in a plot twist that no one could see coming. I can usually predict most plot twists, but I didn’t see any of these coming.

Thank you to Netgalley & Harper Collins for this ARC!