If Sue Lynn Tan writes it, you better believe I'm going to come running and Immortal absolutely did not disappoint! This book delivered everything I crave in a romantic fantasy and then some. When I say I want romantic fantasy, this is exactly what I mean!

There was yearning, tension, and oh, the romance! Immortal brought all the court intrigue and emotional tension, betrayal and plot twists that gave me serious Ashes of Love and Ten Miles of Peach Blossom vibes. I was living for every single moment.

While set in the same world as the Celestial Kingdom series, which I also adored, this novel is a complete standalone. That makes it a super easy read, even if you haven't read the other books.

I couldn’t put this book down. I practically devoured it! And can we take a moment to talk about the God of War, aka Lord Zhangwei? Or should I just start calling him the God of Rizz now? Because damn, his dialogue was chef's kiss level fine. I have all his lines highlighted and swooned over them like my life depended on it. The romance and banter hit the spot perfectly, it was everything I needed and more.

I’m so weak for the yearning and forbidden love trope, and Sue Lynn Tan delivered it flawlessly in this book. The dynamics between the characters was intense, emotional, and beautifully written. No spoilers here but let me just say that the romance absolutely HIT.

A huge thank you to @ Harper Voyager @HarperCollins for gifting me a finished copy of Immortal. I’m totally in awe of how stunning it is, the cover is just as beautiful as the story inside.

Put Immortal on your bookshelf ASAP! Or better yet go make yourself acquainted with Lord Zhangwei *swoon*

This was a miss for me. I've read Sue Lynn Tan's other works (the celestial kingdom series) amd loved them. The writing felt flat and the story was missing something.

I have loved Sue Lynn Tan since Daughter of the Moon Goddess and this one was no exception! Her writing has the most beautiful poetic quality to it, that truly embraces the settings for her stories. This one captured my heart from the first page reading about a young ruler and her desire for her people to see freedom. There were so many twists and I found myself emotionally destroyed at parts- but trust the magic. Sue Lynn Tan is a master at weaving the heart back together again.

Immortal is a romantic fantasy standalone. Liyen is the mortal ruler, and Zhangwei is the immortal god of war. Liyen is trying to free her people from immortal rule and so she has to try to convince the God of War to help her cause.

The worldbuilding was interesting. We see the mortal realm, the immortal realm, and the Netherworld. I found Liyen, our narrator, to be pretty annoying as the main character. The enemies to lovers trope was obvious and not believable. The side characters were more interesting than the main characters.

I would recommend this book to romantasy lovers.

3.5 stars// Liyen has been underestimated for her weakness upon being the poisoned princess of Tianxia. Her grandfather sacrifices his good-standing with the Immortals and gifts her the Divine Pearl Lotus to strengthen her to be able to evacuate the palace that is under the Immortals' attack. As she escapes, she sees her grandfather's heart give out at the sight of the anger of not only Queen Caihong, but also the infamous God of War, Lord Zhangwei. The God of War catches up to Liyen and extends the Queen's invitation to be seen and give the kingdom's fealty to her. Constantly drawn to one another, through countless omitted lies and betrayals, Liyen and the God of War must work together to dissolve the rising unrest between immortals and their darker opponents.

I absolutely enjoyed getting to see more into the world that was built in Sue Lynn Tan's last duology and focus and dive into these different characters. There were points where the plot seemed to lull and it took a while to start the main conflict, but I would recommend to those who love fantasy and wish to dive into more diverse books. I can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyager, and Sue Lynn Tan for this ARC

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

Unfortunately, I don't think Sue Lynn Tan is for me. While she has pretty individual sentences, something about the way they come together just BORE me. It's slow and frankly I don't believe a lot of the conflict - Liyen is constantly saying how surprised she is that the God of War isn't awful, and yet there isn't a moment where I'd believe he had been. She's frightened for no reason! This is true of... a lot of things in the book.

There was an interesting twist at around 70%, but it was too late, and everything after that moved slowly as well. If you liked her first duology, you'll like this - I had similar issues, so maybe it's just my taste! It's a shame, the covers are so pretty. I hope romantasy lovers get what they want from this - it has an audience, it just isn't me.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up

First of all while Immortal is set in the world of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, you could read this without having read that duology as from what I could tell they don’t spoil each other in the slightest. That out of the way, this book does read like a soap opera, and that usually doesn’t work very well for me. BUT, somehow the luscious world and the pining and angst just worked for me in this context. The immortal politics putting the human realm in danger also served as the perfect vehicle for the unfolding love story…I was just eating it all up. If you at all are excited by fantasy romance but want less of the insta lust and more genuine relationship development, while still being HIGH on the melodrama….look no further.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy to review via NetGalley.

-This is my second book I read from Sue Lynn Tan (the first being Daughter of the Moon Goddess) and now I want to read her other books too! The world building was immaculate - the magic, the myth, the gods, the betrayal - everything was stunning! I love how Liyen’s and Zhangwei’s (the God of War) relationship was built - enemies to lovers, swoon worthy, and the banter was oh so good. Liyen is an amazing female main character - stubborn, loyal, and fierce, and I love Zhangwei’s slightly morally gray character. Overall, a great mythological story with stunning world building and nice character growth

Thank you NetGalley, HarperVoyagerUS, and SueLynnTan for the arc.

This book was really good. You are left questioning again and again who the villain is in the story. You are wondering throughout the story “how is this going to work out?” It had easy to follow world building, enough to picture but not so much to where I was drowning in it. So many characters are misjudged and leaves your head spinning. I could see this turning into a duology, as the ending she is with the love interest but still waiting to return to where she came from. Where does this leave her and her husband since one is not the same as the other?

4.5
I enjoyed this so much. The romance, the characters, the writing are all so beautiful.
This fantasy standalone where there are mortals that live under the rule of immortals, our main character becomes queen and tries to fight for mortal independence. All while trying to not fall in love with the god of war. It’s amazing.
I could see where people would have issues, the romance isn’t enemies to lovers as it’s marketed. Our main character tends to not think when saying some things and the pacing can go a little all over the place. But it was still fun for me.
I can’t waiting to try reading her other books again.

This book was absolutely beautiful. If Sue Lynn Tan wrote it then Im going to read it. This book blew me away with the beautiful writing descriptions and the lovely characters. The whole story was amazing. It’s books like these that I genuinely get upset that it’s a stand alone. I would love to read another book with these characters . 10 out of 10 recommend

um hello to the best book ever! wow im
SPEECHLESS. It’s the perfect fantasy novel.
ALSO THE CHEMISTRY??????? Liyen and Zhangwei redefine chemistry. I’m truly amazed by how amazing this book truly is in just one book how it takes me across such a journey. Not to mention but the cover is gorgeous.

I enjoyed reading the book. I like the world the story took place. The main character was strong female lead. I look forward to reading more by Sue Lynn Tan.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC and an honest review. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book. At all. I found the female main character to be very annoying. The plot was very weak and the story just wasn’t compelling enough. The romance between her and the god of war was also unbelievable as there was no build up and little chemistry. I wanted to like this book but ended up not finishing it at about 66% because I couldn’t force myself to read it anymore.

SUE LYNN TAN YOU GORGEOUS WOMAN. This is SUCH a lush, romantic story and I loved every single second of it. It was exactly what I'd expect from Ms. Tan and her impeccable writing skills. The God of War was just soooo swoony and I was kicking my feet reading the entire book!

It was a good read I felt it was a bit rushed in certain places but an easy read and the ending was sweet

Immortal is more of what you love from Sue Lynn Tan, but not the same as the Celestial Kingdoms books that first drew me to her. I think I liked this novel a little bit less than the CK books, but that equates to giving this a 4 rating when I gave both DotMG/HotSW 5 stars. Diving into a more adult storyline filled with political machinations, gods and mortals, and star-crossed lovers, this book felt like some of my favorite xianxia Chinese dramas! The best character was, without a doubt, Chengyin. Something about being the "best friend/political sidekick" to Liyen really gave him so much room to show his personality; the main leads in Chinese dramas tend to be so perfect that even if they aren't bland, they're still predictable, but that's where the supporting cast can add a breath of fresh air to a story that we aren't reading for its unpredictable twists.

Speaking of, the plot isn't anything terribly groundbreaking if you're familiar with CDramas or high fantasy romances; it *is* a romantasy in one sense, but don't go in expecting the God of War to be another Shadow Daddy. If you like it though, you should definitely try out more Chinese media! The tropes and worldbuilding are different from Western fantasy, the romances are portrayed differently, and the plots go WILD sometimes with how dramatic they get! Tan does a good job blending Chinese and Western fantasy romance in this novel, so even though I wish it was a little longer I continue to look forward to what she will write next!

Immortal is an enchanting romantic fantasy that drew me into its intricate world of dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and intense alliances. The journey follows Liyen, the young heir to the Tianxia throne, who must navigate the treacherous political landscape after her grandfather's death. Her quest to free her kingdom from the grasp of the immortals leads to an unexpected alliance with the enigmatic God of War, Zhangwei.
What truly captivated me about this book was the rich world-building and the depth of its characters. Liyen's transformation from a vulnerable, sickly child to a determined ruler is beautifully portrayed, and her evolving relationship with Zhangwei is both passionate and heart-wrenching. The chemistry between them is palpable, and their slow-burn romance kept me eagerly turning the pages. Sue Lynn Tan's writing is vivid and immersive, making me feel every twist and turn of the plot alongside the characters. The themes of loyalty, vengeance, and love are explored with great nuance and depth, adding layers to the story that left a lasting impression.

"It was harder to look inward, but in the end, this was how we healed."

There is something so rewarding about finding an author who just knows how to write grief and take you into its heart breaking clutches. Sue Lynn Tan has never let me down in that, and I am grateful for knowing I will never be alone in that pain.

This book in particular seemed to hit deeper because of the several different types of grief that follow our main character around. She constantly questions the cold emotions of those around her, not understanding or recognizing that maybe they act like that for their own grief and pain. Their own losses over something she will never be able to grasp.

Watching her come into herself, find herself, re-find herself, and stand up for her beliefs despite what history asks of her... it was powerful and not lost on anything. I am so overjoyed I was given the opportunity to read such a wonderful story about an emotion so little people know how to do justice.

Sue Lynn Tan's writing is utterly enchanting and rich—perfect for tales based on mythology and lore. I love being immersed in her fairytale worlds because they always feel fast paced to me, but have deep introspection from the characters and unique love stories. Immortal is no different! I loved the twists and turns in the plot that make the story feel original and fresh. I also loved the romance. The love story was not what I was expecting at all. I was completely swept away.

I will say that Sue Lynn Tan's writing style may make you feel a bit removed from the characters. I feel like her writing has the same vibes as the Grimm brothers, or other classic fairytales or myths. I think that's maybe why her books can be a miss for some people. But for me, her writing feels nostalgic. I loved reading old fairytales and myths as a kid, and Immortal gave me that same nostalgic feeling but with her own spin on it (and more romance!).

Writing Aesthetic/Style: 5
Plot/Movement: 5
Character Development: 5
Overall: 5

Thank you, Harper Voyager, for the arc!

Content Warnings: fade to black