3.5-4 stars!

Immortal's a worthy, enjoyable read that still shows its hand a little heavy-handedly here and there in the writing. Much contrast is created with the intimate conflict between Liyen, the God of War (Zhangwei), and the Queen of the Golden Desert and the larger focus on the political tension between the human kingdom Tianxia, the Queen of the Golden Desert's kingdom, and a mysterious Netherworld community. The cast is small, with six characters making up the main and major supporting cast.

While it's packed with charm and Tan's characteristic whimsy, glittery imagery of her physical worlds, the story leans more simplistic in concept than in past works. There's room to grow in terms of exposition, with the endless "why's" Liyen asked being obvious cues for integrating them via dialogue, which made things a bit dry.

Now...the major twists. I'd like to turn my attention to one in particular that was paid off about 2/3rds into the story. The twist was set up with well-placed pieces and responded to certain observations and doubts I had regarding the romance's quick attraction. I have no issue with the specific trope evoked! Yet, I can't help with the nagging feeling that the romance, despite its swift magnetic pull and eventual justification for its pacing and Zhangwei's behaviour a la backstory, might be smoother in immersing and convincing me through more time with and between Liyen and Zhangwei. Sprinkle in an extra scene or two where the danger takes on a sharper, personal edge or the romantic leads get further acquainted without getting swept up in staring at each other every chance they get and the romance would be more well-rounded.

Nonetheless, the consistent characterisation, decent pacing, and, of course, Tan's worldbuilding kept the story afloat.

Thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins UK for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

In Tianxia, a closed-off mortal kingdom at the mercy of immortal gods, new leader Liyen finds herself at odds with the Queen of the Golden Desert, Caihong. The sweeping and fantastical story takes us on a journey of gods, magic, danger and romance, in the author's typical style. Add in the disrespectfully handsome god of war Zhangwei and the looming threat of the dangerous Wuxin and you have a standalone that will have you feeling you've been submerged in a Chinese historical drama. I really enjoyed this read, although it does feel slightly slow to get to the real action - but the very unexpected twists more than made up for that.

A massive thank you to Harper Voyager for gifting me a digital arc of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan. I’ve finished reading it in time to celebrate the 1-month countdown to the release of Immortal and share my review of this stunning book. I’m very excited not only for the release of this stunning book but also for the fact that I’m going to be going to an In Conversation event to meet Sue Lynn Tan!

Immortal is a Chinese mythology-inspired romantasy with a plot of unraveling secrets, betrayals, and an enemies-to-lovers forbidden attraction between a young mortal ruler trying to protect her kingdom and heart from the ravages of the immortal god of war. Sue Lynn Tan has a powerful way of sweeping you off into her story within a page or two, plunging you straight into the heart of her story and immersing you into her enchanting, lush world. Her writing delivers the same evocative, lyrical writing style as her previous books, with her signature divinely descriptive worldbuilding and scene setting.

The characters of this book are so hard to pin down into a couple of descriptive words due to their constantly changing dynamics and hidden facets of their natures. Everyone’s wearing multiple masks and full of more secrets than the stars in the heavens. All the characters will definitely keep you guessing about who and what they are until the very end.
The romantic vibes in Immortal come on very quickly feeling very love at first sight. There is more than meets the eye about the electric connection between Liyan and Zhangwei. As the plot unfurls its secrets, they nosedive into enemies-to-lovers territory with plenty of games, distrust, and betrayals dividing them in a slow-burn dance of force proximity, delicious snippy banter, whispered threats, and plenty of touch-and-die vibes on each other’s behalf when danger knocks.

A stunning standalone romantasy set in the same incredible world of the celestial kingdom as the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. While this is a standalone, I’m going to advise reading Sue Lynn Tan’s earlier books first before picking up Immortal, as parts of the mythology featured in this story are explained in more detail in her other books. It is a perfect 2025 TBR book for anyone who loves Asian-inspired fantasy and a romantasy with more twists than the nine lives of an ally cat.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

IMMORTAL and Sue Lynn Tan have converted me from a loyal series-lover to an irreverently passionate standalone-lover. Whoa, what a story this is!

We follow Liyen, an ambitious mortal ruler who loses her grandfather and becomes the Lady of Tianxia. Since she has struggled with an illness most of her life, many at court saw her as weak and thought that she would be a pushover. However, Liyen quickly dissuaded them from that notion. She is dedicated to her people, resourceful, and persistent in her efforts to free her people from the Immortals that haven't honored their part of the deal. What I really liked about her is that even though she has some preconceived opinions about the various "species", she quickly changes her view once she meets them. She realizes that she has overgeneralized and she doesn't want more bloodshed. I really like characters who learn from their mistakes and evolve, because nobody is infallible.

The God of War has never been this amazing, my fellow bookworms. Like please let me meet him, let my jaw drop at his awesomeness. He is so competent, so knowledgable, and so adorable (in a serious, deadly kind of way lmao). And he is so loyal, so dedicated to his queen and umm in general! He might appear distrustful and he makes his own mistakes, sure, but oh how I loved him! In times, I liked him much more than Liyen.

I also loved the worldbuilding and how beautifully the author set it up. Everything was vivid without being too much or overwhelming. I would love to live in that world.

The plot keeps us engaged and it has the perfect balance of character development, romance, and fantasy elements. I won't say more because I don't want to spoil but don't take much for granted and keep your eyes open! Sue Lynn Tan brings everything upside down!

IMMORTAL is enthralling and captivating in every way! I really, really liked it!

It has a gorgeous Waterstones exclusive edition (those edges are jaw-dropping!) and it is the January adult monthly pick of a box, which I will be renewing! I love the artist doing the design! Not sure if I will keep my WS preorder, though. I don't want more multiples...

I have not read anything from Sue Lynn Tan, even though she has been on my radar for a while, and I’m happy to say that this did not disappoint! I found Immortal to be a great introduction as it is a standalone that included decent world-building, a forbidden romance, and a good blend of political intrigue. Good world-building is generally one element that I look forward to in a fantasy, and I found it to be very descriptive and clearly set the environment of both the mortal and immortal realms. The characters had complexity and were well-developed; I particularly enjoyed Liyen.

There were a few occasions where the pacing felt off, in that some events were moved on from quite quickly. Those parts could have been slowed down a bit. But aside from this, it was a wholly enjoyable and immersive read. Definitely recommend to those who enjoy Asian inspired fantasy, Chinese mythology, and those already a fan of Sue Lynn Tan!

“Power should not be inherited but earned.”

Sue Lynn Tan proves with Immortal that her Daughter of the Moon Goddess debut novel was no fluke. This is truly masterclass writing with a plot so steeped with depth, memorable side characters and worldbuilding it sucked me in from start to finish, solidifying Sue as one of my favorite autobuy authors. There is truly no one doing it like Sue Lynn Tan – she is the Queen of Asian Fantasy in my eyes. This is as good, if not far better than DOTMG on a storytelling level and is so nearly perfect overall.

Sue knows how to establish a scene and reel you in from the first chapter. So much happens to our FMC, Liyen, already as she is faced with a big dilemma from the get go. Liyen is dying, but also heir to Tianxia, her kingdom. Tianxia is under pledge to the immortals who once protected Tanxia from the Wuxin, the enemy kingdom, but Liyen’s main goal is for Tanxia to be free. Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus from the immortals to save her life, enraging them and thus starting our story.

Liyen is such a great, compassionate and strong FMC. I loved her so much, even more than I loved Xingyin from DOTMG. Her character growth throughout the book was so satisfying to read about and I’m really proud of her as she learnt to navigate her way through the throne. She is a great ruler and seeing her do her best to live up to her grandfather’s legacy was immensely satisfying. I loved how Liyen may not be a warrior, but she more than makes up for it with her brains and wit as she schemes around the immortals and Wuxin to get her out of precarious situations.

This book floored me with how much depth the world building had for a standalone and I appreciated how easy it was to follow! The conflict between the Wuxin was easily my favorite part of the novel and was so well written. Even with the Wuxin portrayed as the “enemy”, each character had their own personality and their own moral compass, making them very complex individuals, reflecting reality. You really come to understand their motives and what stemmed all the malice and hatred between the kingdoms. Not everything is black and white and I always adore how Sue’s writing is so philosophical and political – they always convey a great message.

I have to highlight the main villain of the story as the antagonist EASILY made the most impact on me, so villainous yet so tragic, a prime example of power wielded in the wrong hands. I really sympathised with their character and mourned the person they were after more was revealed about their backstory and the internal and external influences that molded them into a villain. I can’t say too much, but I will be thinking about them for a long time…

I appreciated that even though this book is set in the same universe as DOTMG, Sue always finds a way to breathe new life into the Celestial Kingdom, but with familiar fan favorite tropes and all those PLOT TWISTS!! They are BIG, unpredictable, and shake up the story! Really I was only able to predict one. I would say the romance felt like insta love initially, but trust the process yall, sneaky Sue Lynn Tan knows what she’s doing, that’s all I’ll say! Immortal is perfect for both fans of DOTMG and new readers.

Onto my only real flaw with this novel, which was unfortunately the God of War himself and I am genuinely so sad to say that because I was so excited to meet him. Hot take for sure, but he fell a bit flat for me and was a bit generic, really only existing to protect Liyen. Where the storytelling, political intrigue and betrayals truly gripped me, the romance was on and off for me, some romantic beats landed while others did not. I came for the God of War, but stayed for the other side characters who outshined the LI. All the side characters were far better written, with compelling backstories and all you ache for. To me, I would have been fine without the romance, but I did enjoy Liyen’s interactions with the God of War. The verbal sparring was everything and there was never a dull moment between them. I do think I would appreciate the romance more on a second read through though. Still love Sue Lynn Tan though but for now Wenzhi still has my heart!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 stars rounded up!

I liked the story, but I would have liked it more as a duology.
The story was so beautiful that I think it deserved its time to develop and expand more.
There was no time to really get to know the characters very well.

Sue Lynn Tan never misses and this is no exception! Incredibly beautiful and well written as always. Instant but author for me!

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan was such a good book. I loved to read it. I enjoyed every single second of it. I rated it 5 stars. I totally recommend everyone to read this book as fast as they can.

Sue Lynn Tam's writing is some of the most beautiful I have been blessed to read and in this new book, she outdoes herself once again.

So, I'm giving this more of a 3.5

thank you again for giving mr this opportunity to read.
I felt the story was slow to start with but then eventually picked up but then I felt like it dropped but then picked up again and this felt continuous. the writing is beautiful, but for me I felt very lost within the story and where it was going. liyen and the god of wars realationship was a lovely one and very pure. I really did want to love this story but I felt it was more okay.

After absolutely adoring the Celestial Kingdom Duology by Sue Lynn Tan, I was very excited to see a new book by her and I immediately wanted to read it. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite for me.

While it takes place in the same world as said Duology, it can be read completely on its own.

I loved the beginning. I was immediately swept into the story. It started out with lots of action, but mellowed out quickly. At that point, I was almost disappointed as it seemed to be quite a "love at first sight"-storyline, more of a calm, whimsical Romantasy, without very high stakes. But honestly, I was still fine with that, as the writing was simply beautiful and I loved the atmosphere. That's something I can really compliment in this book - it's very atmospheric and the writing is lovely.
But then something happened, that took me completely by surprise and I basically went crazy about it. I don't often get surprised by books, but this one managed it and I couldn't believe that I had fallen for it. I loved it. It made me really excited for how this book would continue as everything I would've thought of got utterly twisted around. Fabulous. I really have to applaud Sue Lynn Tan for that.

Until. Sadly, this surprise didn't keep for long. There were some more revelations that kind of ruined the beginning for me. They didn't really surprise me, but definitely disappointed me. In a way, this book reminded me of When the Moon Hatched, which I didn't enjoy. Everything seemed too forced, too artificial. We get some explanations for the characters' behaviour, but to me, it sounded kind of like a cheap excuse. I really would've preferred it, if the book had stayed in the direction it had been going into.
After some time, the actual plot got revealed and the stakes got even higher, but at that point I had already lost interest. The problem with changing the main theme of a book too many times is that at some point I will definitely stop trusting the storyline and keep my distance, because everything will just get switched around anyway.

The big finale made sense and was a good idea, but again, I couldn't really connect at that point and it didn't surprise me anymore.
The very ending however was quite sweet and pleasant.

I did like the characters, but once again, I would've preferred them to be a bit more consistent. At the beginning, Liyen is something completely different from most main characters - she's weak. Not just in an ordinary way, but because she is sickly. I would've loved to explore a character like that in a fantasy world, where there's usually quite a bit of physical strenght needed due to fighting. But unfortunately, she quickly turned into the usual FMC. It does make sense and she does train to gain more abilities, but I would've preferred to see her as a sickly young woman, trying to keep up with a literal God of War.
Zhangwei could've been an incredible character, but he ended up being kind of boring.
The whole romance was also very back and forth which frustrated the hell out of me. Half the problems could've been solved if they had just been able to talk to each other, or if they had just managed to trust each other and I hate stuff like that. Even if it was for a good cause, there was so much manipulation going on!

But still, the first part of the book really got me. The writing and the world building was gorgeous and I did enjoy it. It was still a very nice read.

Thank you, HarperCollins and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was good. However it was very slow to start off with. I wasn’t really feeling the romance, I feel like I needed more backstory for the romance to hit the right spot. But I loved the writing style of this and some of the descriptions were wonderful.

This was 50/50 for me 50% enjoyment and 50% dislike. But tbh I don’t think I’m in the right mood for this, so I will reread it in a few months and try again. I’m definitely wanting to get this physically as it is something that I think I can really enjoy when I’m feeling it :).

Nothing that really intrigued me making this book unable to give further than 3 stars. The characters were somewhat interesting but got boring quickly and this wasn't enough for me to read through the slow plot and enjoy.

Rating - 4.5⭐️

To sum up this book, it was like a rollercoaster ride!!

The plot, the characters, and the world building was undeniably stamped by Sue Lynn Tan all over it. It definitely had similar yet original vibes from DOTMG. I can see lots of DOTMG fans definitely adoring this novel!!

I think Sue Lynn Tan’s most strongest aspect is her world building and writing style. It really shines through all her novels so far. However, my investment in the plot was fluctuating in some parts of the book but thank goodness the plot twists grabbed my interest again (Hence why it was giving me rollercoaster vibes). I think I’ve just always struggled with Sue Lynn Tan’s plot pacing. Some parts I just REALLY love and some parts I’m tempted to skim through, idk if it’s just me😭.

THE PLOT TWISTS!!! There’s so many good plot twists and I didn’t catch any of them except one🤭. When it clicked into place in my head before the big reveal I was like “woahhhh it all makes sense now” and it felt like a lightbulb moment for me😂.

Liyen’s character growth was great!! At first, I thought she was a bit ridiculous always diving head first into danger in the beginning because girlie thinks she’s a cat with nine lives😭. BUT I loved her ambitiousness and loyalty to her family and people. And her growth, wisdom and lessons she’s learnt was so gratifying.

Now with the romance🤭, I’d say Liyen and Zhangwei are more like forbidden love than enemies to lovers. I did feel like it was a bit insta-lovey BUT YOU GOTTA TRUST PROCESS GUYS!!! Those two characters are perfect for each other🙂‍↕️🫶🏻. Anyways, Zhangwei’s dialogue honestly had me SCREAMING AND CACKLING!!!, I love his broody and bold side. The constant back and forth between Liyen and Zhangwei was so entertaining too.

Overall I loved the ending!! I’m satisfied with how everything wrapped up and it solidified my 4.5 rating.

3,5 stars

I had conflicting feelings while reading this book. The end was beautiful, but it really slumped for me in the middle.

Before diving into this I had never read a book by Sye Lynn Tan. Daughter of the Moon Goddess and its sequel are sitting on my shelves, I’ve just never cracked them open, so I knew absolutely nothing about the world the book is set in. Having now finished Immortal you can definitely read it without having read any of her other books, like I did. Of course I can’t attest to whether it would’ve improved my reading experience, but with such a long TBR I love that I could read this book without having read the others.

Ever since Queen Caihong of the Golden Desert protected the Kingdom of Tianxia after the Wuxin invaded, they’ve been indebted to the Immortals. Cut off from the rest of the mortal realm, Tianxia protects the Kunlun Mountain, and the Divine Lotus Pearl that grows within, while the Immortals of the Golden Desert protect Tianxia from invaders.

As heir to the Kingdom of Tianxia, Liyen knows that when she ascends the throne she must renew the kingdoms pledge to serve the Immortals. However, when she’s poisoned her grandfather steals the Divine Lotus Pearl to save her life, setting in motion a chain of events that leads to his death.

As Liyen ascends to the throne she must journey to the Immortal Realm to secure the mandate to rule by promising to honour the agreement, but Liyen’s greatest desire is to end her kingdom’s obligation, having Tianxia rejoin the mortal realm. When she arrives, Liyen forms a tenuous alliance with the God of War to secure the freedom of her people. As the work together, an attraction begins to grow – one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.
Truth be told, I almost DNF’d this book, but I’m really glad I didn’t.

At the start I was hooked, yet I really struggled with the middle. Immortal is the story of a romance between the mortal queen Liyen and Zhangwei the God of War, but the romance was lacking for most of the book. I couldn’t buy into it, something felt off. It’s not until I was three quarters of the way into the book that a twist was revealed, bringing clarity to the romance. From then on, I could root for it.

Had we known from the start, maybe with a prologue chapter, I would’ve enjoyed the book a lot more. I don’t think we gain anything from not knowing until we’re almost at the end of the book.

Otherwise, I thought the world building was fantastic, and I really enjoyed the surrounding plot and characters.

If you’re not a fan of (almost) insta-love (like me), then either this isn’t the book for you, or just keep reading.

If you like Chinese mythology, adventure, and an intricate world then this is the book for you.

I really enjoyed this beautifully written tale! Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite duologies, so I couldn't wait to be back in the world of the Celestial Kingdom! This story had magical world building, exciting twists and a slow burn romance! Sue Lynn Tan is becoming a new favorite author and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I was nervous going into this one as although I did really enjoy Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I have recently gone completely off Romantasy as far too often its the same characters/basic storyline with minor variations in setting and name. However, I was glad that this was already on my list of requested arcs as this is a rare example of romantasy which genuinely makes me feel something other than rage. I did not see the twist coming at all and I loved how everything clicked into place when it was revealed. I also appreciated the exploration of the dynamics between the three kingdoms and the responsibility of being in power. Very much recommended!

I've really enjoyed Sue Lynn Tan's other novels, so I was eager to give this one a try. However, although it shared the same beautiful,lyrical writing style, I could it much harder to connect with. The characters were flat and I felt no connection to them, although the plot was mostly pretty good. Not a book I'd read again.

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

1.5 ⭐️
DNF’d at 40%

I’m sorry. I tried really hard to push through but I was rage reading the whole time and realised that there were many books out there with so little time to try and finish a book that was not making me feel good.

Initially, the writing threw me off but no big deal. I have had worse. There were notably a lot of dialogues. But the writing was dry and awkward.

Now we talk about Liyen, the female main character. She was the main reason for my rage. This character was annoying, entitled, foolish, arrogant and a hypocrite.
How could you talk about someone hurting your feelings when you were doing the same thing? How did you not think about how that would make them feel? Of course, because you only cared about yourself.
The story repeatedly talked about her grandfather, like we know! We read about his death, we didn’t need a remainder every few paragraphs.
“This was wrong, foolish, and above all, dangerous”
You knew it yourself Liyen, yet your actions didn’t reflect it. You knew you had to secure his support but all you spewed out was venom.
You were told not to enter the South Courtyard, yet you entered it then had the audacity to say it wasn’t a big deal though you didn’t know what significance it had. (On that note, why was it off-limit? Guess we’ll never know because that was another extra detail that was added as a filler to help the plot)
“You stole from me first” - No they did not, you stole their Lotus, one that did not belong to you or your grandfather. Yet here you were, saying that when they tried to take it back
“If I’m a thief, what are you?” - An immortal who was claiming back what was rightly theirs?? Using the same tactic that YOU were using???

Zhangwei, the God of War, were so so flat and so typical of a male character.

I had such high hopes for this because the author’s previous work was praised highly.
This was flat.
The instant attraction and affection were also a turn-off.