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.

Being new to the world I was slow to understand and fully sink into the story, but once I did it was worth it. The scenery and setting were so beautiful and vibrantly crafted, from the surroundings, to the clothing to the food everything was so vivid.

Liyen is such an interesting character. She is stubborn to the core, loyal and fantastically angry— slow to forgive. But she’s also vulnerable and compassionate even when faced with those who have opposed her. She isn’t afraid to forge her own path and make her own decisions.

The chemistry between herself and Zhangwei, the God of War, seems quick to begin and develop, but that does make more sense the further into the story you get.
It’s almost enemies to lovers but isn’t at the same time(?). I wish we got more development and context in their relationship when you reach certain (specific) parts of the plot. Saying this, they did make me smile more often than not. The romance was very sweet, and had a “touch her and die” moment.

The pacing threw me at times, it was very quick in some parts but does slow down in others, and repeats that pattern. But! This was a really good time. I really enjoyed the side characters and their relationships with Liyen, some of their jokes and interactions really gave the story life. The plot was fun, and the world was beautiful.

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for providing me the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review! ⭐️

ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴏᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴛʜɪɴɢ sᴏ ᴇʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴ ᴏғ sᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴡᴀʀ
ᴛʜɪs ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏsᴛ ɪᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ʙᴀᴛᴛʟᴇ ɪ’ᴅ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ғᴏᴜɢʜᴛ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴏɴᴇ ғᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ, ᴏᴜʀ ʟɪᴠᴇs, ᴏᴜʀ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ

If you love Chinese mythology, adventure, romance and an enchanting world this is your book.

To win the God of War’s favour was wise.
To fall in love with him would ruin me

This was such a magical book. I loved exploring more of the world of “Daughter of the Moon Goddess” but with new characters.

The Chinese mythology was very present in the book and I love it as well as a personal twist from the author.

[A deadly betrayal…
When Liyen ascends the throne of Tianxia she vows to end her kingdom's obligation to the fickle immortals who once protected them.
A dangerous alliance…
She must learn their secrets to protect her people, but to do this she will have to forge a tenuous alliance with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War.]

I am down bad for the God of War and I regret nothing.
Liyen is such a strong character. Since she’s been very weak since a kid all her strength is in her knowledge. She was never be able to train but she’s always use what she knows to her best advantage. And that’s how she gets an alliance with the god of war.

After her grandpa death she meets the god of war and as a new heir she’s forced to go the queen to pledge her mandate.
Because of this, she will spent lot of time with the god of war whose she’s not very found of.
Only problem is she is not sure what to trust and if they are really starting to get closer or if he has other reasons (like she does at the begging)

The romance in the book with the slow burn and the forced proximity was perfection. They way they are attracted to each other and they put themselves in danger to safe the other when they are not even friends.
Also the attentions to details. Like everytime he looked at her and knows her deeply.

Also the plot twist I didn’t set it coming at all. And I’m obsessed but it.
As well as everything he does to regain her trust again.

First I was worried as I hadn’t read any of the other books from this author but this is a stand alone book so it was perfect. The characters develop at a good pace as you read. I really enjoyed the world building and character interactions .

I do need all the C-drama and silk punk in my life. And I was eager to dive back into the Celestial Kingdom.

Immortal is a standalone in this world, so don't worry if you have not yet read the other books by the author.

The writing style is so very engaging, and it takes about a page or two to get immersed into this lush worldbuilding.

There's insta-lust which usually bores me. But in this case I can assure you that it will pay back if you hang on and just let it develop.

As with the other books by Sue Lynn Tan, I love the story and everything about it, even though the last emotional kick is missing to make it a highlight.

4/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @hapercollins @harpervoyager_uk for the eARC!

#Immortal #CelestialKingdoms #Netgalley #Bookstagram

In this standalone romantic fantasy, we follow mortal Liyen, who ascends to the throne of Tianxia after being saved from poisoning. With her kingdom under threat, Liyen is forced to confront the immortals, bringing her face-to-face with the fearsome God of War. As they draw closer to each other, darker forces loom, not only threatening their precarious relationship but also the fate of the entire realm ✨

WOW! As I’m sure you all already know, I’m a very big fan of the Celestial Kingdom series which is one of my all-time favourites! Immortal is my most anticipated read for 2025 and it was everything I could’ve hoped for and more 🥰

I loved returning to the captivating world of the Celestial Kingdom. Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is lyrical, bringing to life the magic of this world. While this was set in the same world, Immortal is completely independent to the Celestial Kingdom Series, and we got to venture to parts of the realm that haven’t been explored previously. This work truly is breath-taking in its own right.

Going in, I thought this was a seemingly simple story that would unfold predictably. However, I’m thrilled to share that I was proven wrong! With the unravelling of secrets and betrayal, many unexpected twists and turns had me screaming at times 😅

The story was intricately woven together to create a profound tale of the power of love. I appreciated how Sue Lynn Tan explored not only romantic love, but platonic love and the love that accompanies grief. I particularly resonated with the passages relating to grief, and some moments moved me to tears 😭

Even if you’re not a big fan of romantasy, I highly recommend checking this 5⭐️ read out, as it’s so much more 🤍

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins UK and HarperFiction for my digital ARC 💌

"Immortal" by Sue Lynn Tan is an Asian romantasy that immerses us in the world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess, where forbidden magic, dangerous secrets, passion, and intertwined destinies come together. The book will be released on January 16th in its original language, and I thank NetGalley for allowing me to read it in advance.

Being a fan of this type of novel, I was not disappointed. The author once again takes us into a rich and sometimes complex mythological world, where characters travel on clouds, ride magical creatures, engage in battles that resemble graceful dances, and experience passionate love.

I must say it felt like I read two books in one. The first part seemed too simple and fast-paced, but around 40%, an event shifts everything into perspective, plunging us deeper into the main plot. Liyen is a young mortal queen seeking to free her kingdom from the control and servitude imposed by the Immortals. She encounters one of them, and not just any Immortal—it’s Zhangwei, the God of War.

Their enemies-to-lovers relationship is fantastic. Their interactions are sharp, filled with tension, and I loved every bit of it, giggling by myself in my chair, haha.

The plot and world-building are quite dense, and that’s the only mixed point for me. Around 70%, it felt really heavy and a bit stagnant. However, this richness is also its strength. The abundance of locations, landscapes, characters, their emotions, the magic, and beliefs—it’s all impressive. But after all, I think that’s also the essence of these Asian fantasy novels.

In the end, it remains a wonderful read, worthy of an excellent C-drama. If you love this type of universe, don’t hesitate to dive in!