Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In this romantic fantasy book, Sue Lynn Tan crafts a beautiful story between Liyen, the mortal heir of Tianxia, and the powerful God of War, Lord Zhangwei. After ascending the throne, Liyen vows to free her kingdom from the immortal realm's reign. As she strikes a deal and forms an alliance with the ruthless God of War, she finds herself drawn to him, an attraction she fights hard to resist.

I love the development of the romance between Liyen and Zhangwei-from wariness and hatred to that of love and affection. Their chemistry and banter were so good and had me kicking my feet!

Reading this book felt so much like watching a Chinese drama. I love how much the story explores the complicated relationship between the mortal and immortal realm as well as the "evil" realm of Wuxin, which turned out to be not what it seems.

After I finished reading, I found myself wanting for more, maybe even a bonus chapter of their life together after marriage. I hope to see something like that in the future!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is a first person-POV romantic fantasy inspired by Imperial China. Liyen is the granddaughter of the ruler of a mortal kingdom serving directly under the Immortal Realm. When her grandfather defies the Immortal Queen and gives Liyen a magical lotus to heal her, the God of War, Zhangwei, kills her grandfather and sets in motion a chain of events drawing him and Liyen closer together.

There is a kind of Beauty and the Beast vibe going on in the first part between Liyen and Zhangwei. It helps continue to set up the fairy tale/mythology aspects that Sue Lynn Tan is so well-known for, presenting something that Western audiences unfamiliar with Chinese legends could pick up on while also being filled with different creatures and beings that those who grew up with Chinese legends would be familiar with. It is a very fine balancing act and Tan handles it very well.

I loved Liyen and Zhangwei. I’m a big fan of the enemies-to-lovers trope but I’m also so picky. Rivals-to-lovers and annoyed-to-lovers very rarely hit on this trope for me because, when I pick up an enemies-to-lovers, I want to believe that the two could either kill or kiss each other at any given point in time and nobody, including them, knows exactly which one it’s gonna be. Liyen and Zhangwei certainly hit that at different points. I believed that they were enemies as far as Liyen was concerned and was here for her every time she got mad at herself for being attracted to Zhangwei.

I rarely comment on covers, but I have to comment on this one. It does everything I think a cover is supposed to do: tell the reader a story, introduce a character, or, in the case of a romance, the couple, and immediately make the reader go ‘What’s going on here?’ The colors are stunning and the imagery fits other books like it and yet stands out because it’s hitting on more of a hyper-stylization that has a lot of angles and bold lines.

I would recommend this to fans of the enemies-to-lovers trope, readers who love fairy tales looking for a book inspired by Chinese legend, and those looking for a standalone romantic fantasy with strong female characterization

Thank you NetGalley for this arc. I love a good romantasy. And I believe this falls into the category of a great romantasy. It is filled with unexpected twists, enemies to lovers, a fascinating heroine, wonderfully rich world building, and such an epic plot. I loved everything about this story.

Thank you, Harper Voyager and Sue Lynn Tan, for gifting me this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

THIS BOOK. I knew going into it that I was excited for more from the world of the Celestial Kingdom. What I didn’t know, was how much I would want to absorb everything and tuck it into my soul. After the ending of The Heart of the Sun Warrior, I feel like this book is exactly what I needed. And the way that it was executed was *flawless*.

Sue Lynn Tan weaves themes of prejudice and division with various archetypes of leaders, to show how the heart of a leader can determine the prosperity of their people. I found the passion and determination of Liyen, as a leader and an individual, to be inspiring. Though her prejudice of the immortals often leads her to make impulsive choices in the moment, she always puts her people first.

The romance between the God of War and Liyen is so painstakingly and beautifully written, that I just kept wanting more of it. The banter and forced proximity perfectly set the stage for their “I’m supposed to hate you, but fell in love with you along the way” journey.

Another plot line that I immensely enjoyed was the existential question of: Who are the true villains? As each side in this eternal battle does not understand the true cause of the other, and as a result views each other as the enemy in their pain.

Of course, all of this would not be nearly as fantastic without Sue Lynn Tan’s talent with imagery. The way she describes the buildings, landscape, and clothing is so vivid that I can clearly envision each part of the scene. It’s such a joy to read a story that is as beautiful as it is full of life. This is definitely a book that I will have on my shelf as a favorite!

I've read and enjoyed three books by Sue Lynn Tan, so I was very excited about Immortal - and it was everything I wanted, and more.
Liyen is the heir to Tianxia, and when she is poisoned, her grandfather decides to use the magical lotus flower he's supposed to give to the Immortal Queen, to save Liyen's life instead. The Immortal Queen and other gods helped Tianxia once, but have now become their rulers and Liyen ascends the throne wanting to free her people from the gods' tyranny.
Of course, this is not easy, especially when some within her court are plotting against her, but then the God of War, Zhangwei, appears, and his connection with Liyen is immediate. They must work together and somehow make sense of the attraction between them, and honestly, you just need to read this.
Sue Lynn Tan's gorgeous prose and brilliant plotting make this another must-have for my library. While Immortal is set in the same Celestial Kingdoms world of her previous books, it can be read on its own. I absolutely loved it.

✨ R E V I E W ✨

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

PUT 👏🏼 THIS 👏🏼 BOOK 👏🏼 ON 👏🏼 YOUR 👏🏼 TBR 👏🏼 RIGHT 👏🏼 THIS 👏🏼 INSTANT 👏🏼

Holy cow. I just knew I would love Sue Lynn Tan’s Immortal because I love The Celestial Kingdom books so freaking much, but wow. Just wow. I am still thinking about it, more than a week later.

Tan is an absolute MASTER of the enemies to lovers trope and a sweet, sweet slow burn. 🔥 Her characters have so much depth and are downright INSPIRATIONAL. I can’t get over it.

Tan’s writing is absolutely beautiful and gives me chills. I can’t tell y’all how many times I had to just put my kindle down and smile the goofiest smiles. It’s that good. 👏🏼 I cannot wait to get my hands on a physical copy and pour over the pages once again.

Phenomenal.

Spectacular.

Give me 14 of them right now. 🤌🏼

Thank you so, so much to @harpervoyagerus for sending me an advance digital copy! Immortal is available January 7th!

Solid 4 star!!
Immortal is a standalone romantic fantasy set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but it introduces entirely new characters and can be enjoyed independently of the Celestial Kingdom series, without any spoilers.

At its heart, this story explores the theme of love, delving into the complex relationship between Liyen, a driven ruler, and the God of War, a fierce and relentless figure. Despite their stark differences, both are formidable in their own right—each bearing great burdens, unwavering in their determination, and confronting internal and external battles to bridge the gap between them.

Inspired by elements of Chinese mythology, Immortal follows original characters and weaves a tale of ambition, self-discovery, compassion, vengeance, and the deep ties of family and friendship. It is a journey of personal growth and overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles, all set within a richly crafted world.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan immerses you in the lush world of Liyen, who has just taken the throne in a moral realm. Immortals are the true rulers who are pulling all the strings. She needs to break free of the immortals’ clutches and keep her kingdom safe. Liyen meets the God of War, Zhangwei, and feels drawn to him in ways she doesn’t understand.

I would recommend this book for romantasy readers who will be satisfied with the enemies to lovers theme and spice in this novel. Romantasy is not my preferred genre, though the romance does not overtake the main plot of the book. The author has a fantastic way of describing the worlds in this book that make you feel immersed in the story.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I adored Sue Lynn Tan's previous duology and was highly anticipating this one, but I'm afraid Immortal missed the mark for me. It's an enemies to lovers romance, but the enemies part feels forced--our main character hates the God of War (the love interest) and blames him for her grandfather's death despite knowing he is not actually responsible for it, a fact which is pointed out multiple times early on. This feels like a case of the trope taking precedence over story, both in the setup and in later plot points--I think this should appeal to lovers of C-dramas and K-dramas who don't mind if the tropes are forced. I hope to match better with future works from the author, as I really did love her first.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Fantastic world and character building. I loved everything about this book. I will definitely be reading more by this author.

Reading Immortal by @suelynntan felt like being pulled into an epic journey. From the beginning, I was captivated by Liyen—a young woman thrust into leadership who must navigate her kingdom’s complicated ties with the immortals. Her tension-filled relationship with Zhangwei, the God of War, had me hooked. Their slow-burn romance, filled with trust issues and emotional depth, made every interaction feel electric.

I’ll admit, having read Celestial Kingdom Duology first, I knew what the big plot twist would be, but it didn’t lessen the thrill. In fact, watching it unfold and seeing how Liyen and Zhangwei’s relationship developed added even more layers of excitement. Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is absolutely stunning, with vivid world-building that brings this mythological world to life in the most immersive way.

While there were moments that felt a bit drawn out, the payoff was worth it. The ending left me with all sorts of emotions, and I can’t stop thinking about it. If you love fantasy, romance, and complex characters, Immortal is a must-read. This standalone novel will stick with you long after you finish.

What a journey this ARC has been! Thank you so much @avonbooks and @netgalley for letting me read it ahead of time.

This was my first time reading Sue Lynn Tan. I loved the great world building and character development. I can’t wait to read other books by this author.

Thank you Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me an ARC!

I would like to thank NetGalley, Avon and Harper Voyage for this ARC.
My short review is this a delightful boon to the fans of Wuxia and Alchemy of Souls.
My long review is that Sue Lynn Tan keeps upping the game with every books she writes and this book is blatant proof of it.
I adore the strength and courage Liyen has as well as how she never looses the sight of what is most important to her to her but at the same time she learns from every situation. Her characterisation is done so masterfully with her doubts, trials adding another feather in both her and the author's cap.
This book has so many memorable quotes that will leave any reader feeling poignant yet reminding that there is always a choice and it's between wrong, easy and right.

Thanks to NetGalley, I was able to read an advance reader copy of this book. I really enjoyed Sue Lynn Tan's previous duology, The Celestial Kingdom. I found this book to be in the same vein as those books. I love these kinds of stories, ancient Chinese myths and wuxia novels. This book, I found a little dull and formulaic to the previous series that Ms. Tan has written. The main characters could be interchanged between novels because they are so much alike. I do appreciate a strong female main character, and I really did like Liyen, but I found her to be very much like Xingyin. So much so that I became a little bored with the story, because it was somewhat predictable. I ended up skimming lots of the story, because it was not able to hold my interest. Perhaps I read this a little too soon after reading the Celestial Kingdom. The premise is good, but ultimately this one fell a little flat for me.

I was so excited to dive into this, having already loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I could not wait to read this. Sue Lynn Tan is in a league of her own with Immortal. While familiar, this adds an entirely new layer to what we previously know and loved in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Sue's ability to craft such a beautiful story with characters to root for the entire time, is unparalleled. Reading this was such a breath of fresh air in a heavily saturated Fantasy genre. This was so unique and stands a part for really any other Fantasy book I've read this year. I can't wait to reread this, and I think this will be at the top of so many people's 2025 lists.

I've gotta say, "Immortal" by Sue Tan was a really fun read! While I haven't checked out her other books in this universe yet, this one definitely stands on its own. The main character starts off kind of annoying and immature (I may have rolled my eyes a few times), but watching them grow throughout the story was super satisfying.

The plot kept me guessing - there were several moments where I was like "Wait, what?!" in the best possible way. The twists actually made sense though, not just random shock value stuff.

I will definitely be putting the other books on my TBR!

4.5/5 - would definitely recommend! 👍

This book includes:
- war between gods and man
- a sacred covenant
- MMC with a secret
- a magic lotus flower
- Monarch FMC

"Immortal" follows a young woman named Liyen, and her ascent to the throne after her grandfather's sudden death. Her kingdom is in service to the gods and she is determined to free herself and her people from their sacred convent and recuperate her kingdom's autonomy.

Upon first glance, "Immortal" seems like my exact cup of tea. Early and celestial politics, secrets, lies, subterfuge, and even a dash of forbidden romance. However, This book left nearly no impression on me at all. I had to force myself to continue reading the book, despite there being nothing offensively wrong with it.

The book is not bad, but here are a few of the things that weren't quite right:
- pacing (too slow and jumpy
- strong character depth
- very awkward and forced (dare I say non-existent) chemistry between the love interests
- predictable plot without the entertainment factor

That being said, I have a feeling this book will be very well-received and many romantasy readers will enjoy it.

I received this ebook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Lynn Tan, and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to review this book. This review has been posted to GoodReads check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863 and it will be posted to my bookstagram account https://www.instagram.com/tinynightingales/ and booktok https://www.tiktok.com/@tinynightingales?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

I received an eARC of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan from NetGalley and Harper Voyager Publishing. Immortal is about Liyen, Princess of Tianxia, ascending her place on the throne after her grandfather dies which is held under the thumb of the Immortal ruler Queen of the Golden Desert. Liyen is determined to not let her grandfather’s death be in vain and swears to herself she will free Tianxia under the rule of Queen of the Golden Desert. When she is summoned to make her pledge to the Immortal Queen, she forms an unexpected alliance with The God of War to help free her people of Tianxia from Immortal rule.

I love Sue Lynn Tan’s Celestial Kingdom books and was ecstatic when Sue Lynn Tan announced a standalone in the Celestial Kingdom universe about The God of War and a mortal enemies to lovers story. The characters, the worlding building, the plot being laid out but then expanded and turned as the story progressed was just incredible storytelling. Liyen was intelligent, empathic, vulnerable, and noble. The God of War’s entrance scene immediately had me swooning and falling faster for him than cautious Liyen. One of the secondary characters, Chengyin, was absolutely adorable and it is always refreshing to have platonic relationships between male and female characters. I felt like this book kept me on my toes with the direction the story was going, and I mean that in the best way. The writing flowed with the plot turns Sue Lynn Tan was taking.

When I received the email from NetGalley saying I received an eARC I couldn’t be how fortunate I was because, like I stated above, I absolutely love these Celestial Kingdom books and I’ll keep following Sue Lynn Tan wherever her writing journey takes her. 5/5 stars and thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this amazing book.

It was a beautiful ya fantasy story that was enjoyable and exciting. I didn’t expect to like it as much as typical I hate ya but the way she writes it it doesn’t feel ya. Very action packed and romantic

This was incredible. Sue Lynn Tan continues to amaze me. Immortal was well written and beautifully crafted which was not surprising to me. The Celestial Kingdom duology was my favorite read of last year, don’t ask me to pick which one was my favorite. I loved seeing the world expand and the characters in Immortal were amazing. I was worried no one could compete with Wenzhi but I loved Zhangwei! Liyen was a wonderful main character she was smart, brave, stubborn, and overall a refreshing character to read from. This book was a wonderful fantasy story where love, not just romantic, is at the center. It also came with twists and turns and dare I say shocks. Sue Lynn Tan is an autobuy author for me and I cannot wait for whatever comes next. Please pick this up, it was a delight.