Immortal is a standalone novel set in The Celestial Kingdom universe. I love that duology so much, and I was very excited to read this book. I really enjoy Sue Lynn Tan's writing style; she has created a wonderfully atmospheric world. The romance in the story is incredible as well, and I found myself rooting for the characters. If you've read the Celestial Kingdom books and want more, definitely pick up Immortal. You can read this book as a standalone without spoiling the other books, but I highly recommend reading them too. Thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was grateful to receive an ebook ARC edition of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan, and I was also able to listen to the audiobook version as well. I have always heard amazing things about Sue Lynn Tan's books and have not had a chance to read her Celestial Kingdom series but after reading Immortal, I am looking forward to adding that series to my TBR. Natalie Naudus also did an outstanding job narrating this book.

Immortal is a very beautifully written story that had me engaged from the beginning. While the first couple chapters are a little slow, after that, the story and plot flow quickly and keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. I have nothing else bad to say about this book other than the slow start. Sue knows how to engage the reader and keep you wanting to know what happens next. The plot is a bit different than what I normally read and while I thought I could see the twist coming, I was wrong.

Our FMC, Liyen, goes on a long journey to discover who she is and what she must do in order to save & protect her kingdom after the sudden death of her beloved grandfather, the king of Tianxia. Begrudgingly, she sides with the God of War, Zhangwei, to try and mend relations between the mortal and immortal worlds. A tale of politics, family and love, this story will captivate you and keep you wondering what will happen next. I was on the edge of my seat for the last 30% of the book.

I wouldn't say this book is as heavy on the romance as the typical romance/romantasy that I read, so if you're looking for open door scenes, or a high spice scale, you won't find it here. What you will find, is the love that transcends time and space, the love that you would find with fated souls, tethered hearts.. it's honestly beautiful.


Plot: 5 ⭐
Characters/character development: 4.5 ⭐
Storytelling/writing style: 5 ⭐
Spice level: .5 🌶️

Big thanks to NetGalley & Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager for granting me access to the ARC of this book. It truly was an amazing book and I highly recommend it.

The setting and Chinese mythology are the details that got me through this book. In every other way, this read was mediocre and forgettable.

The characters and plot are underdeveloped and the dialogue stiff, unnatural; neither had any subtlety. Constant exposition of the FMC’s emotions and plans made for a mostly boring read, but it had its moments.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC.

3.75⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for sending me an advanced copy for review! I am forever grateful.

"Wow, Sue Lynn Tan writes the most beautiful stories! This is set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I absolutely loved being back in that world. The twists and turns in this book were wild—I NEVER would have guessed any of the reveals.

Also, I don’t know what this says about me, but we meet the God of War literally 5% in, and he said, 'Who hurt you?' I folded immediately. IMMEDIATELY, I SAY! The MCs are both imperfect, which made them feel so much more real to me (though I won’t lie, the FMC really pissed me off in the beginning).

I’d say the plot didn’t really pick up until about 30%, but the world-building was necessary since it’s set in a completely different part of the world than DOTMG. I also loved that the HEA wasn’t a cut-and-dry decision. The ending isn’t the perfect one tied up in a neat little bow, but it made total sense for the story—it was the ending that was meant to happen.

It did take me a bit to fully get into it, and I think some of the pacing, especially early on, was rough—especially since it’s a standalone, and there’s only so much time to move the plot along. But if you love stories with twists, betrayals, and MCs who go from rivals to friends to lovers to enemies to lovers, then this is absolutely for you!"

This book cements my love for Sue Lynn Tan’s writing. Immortal is a standalone romantasy novel set in the same world as her debut, Daughter of the Moon Goddess. Her beautiful prose transports the reader to a mythical world imbued with xian-xia elements. The plot is impeccable and I’m glad the synopsis didn’t give much away because I was on the edge of my seat through out the book.

Liyen and Zhangwei as a couple had me in a chokehold. I love a good enemies to lovers and seeing their relationship blossom was definitely a highlight of the book. That said, I need an extended epilogue or perhaps another set of novellas because I already miss these characters!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this gorgeous ARC! This is one I went in rather blindly; I made sure it was closed-door(my personal preference) and I loved the cover, so I took a shot and requested it. I was thrilled to be accepted, and was not at all disappointed in its contents. This was my first novel by Sue Lynn Tan, and WOW. I need to add her other books to my TBR immediately.

I've been reading a lot of contemporary romance and fiction lately, so I was STARVING for a well-written romantasy, and this one Did. Not. Miss. The world-building was spot-on, transporting me to the magical and dangerous world between worlds. I loved the character development of Liyen, as she learns more about her misconceptions, the people around her, and herself. Its amazing to see her growing compassion for the Immortals and Wuxin, as her eyes are opened to the reality that all creatures are simply trying to protect those they love. She seems to fall in and out of love with Zhangwei, the great God of War, but destiny and choice continue to bring them together, again and again.

This was an easy 5-star read for me, but if I had to critique anything it is the very ending. I felt it ended a little TOO perfectly, and it makes me wish there was a promised sequel. As this is advertised as a standalone, I don't think that particular wish will be granted. I also grew antsy with Liyen's swaying feelings about Zhangwei and why he even cared about her in the first place...but those were both answered by the end thankfully. The pacing was perfect, starting with intense action and emotion in the first chapter and never relenting until the end.

I ended up ordering the hardcover, because this book truly is beautiful inside AND out, and I couldn't resist having one on my shelf to return to in the future. :)

Sorry to be a few days late with my review but I definitely enjoyed this standalone Celestial Kingdom romantasy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon & Harper Voyager for the eARC of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan. All opinions are my own.

This book was a wild ride! In full transparency, I started off this book wondering if I would end up DNFing, but I am SO GLAD I stuck with it. Despite having heard nothing but good things about Sue Lynn Tan's series, The Celestial Kingdom, it has gotten a bit lost in my TBR so I was ecstatic to read a stand-alone within the same universe.

I think I struggled with the start of the book due to how it jumped into the plot and I found myself confused about the magic system and wanting to more about the characters. It also took a beat for me to get used to Sue Lynn Tan's writing style, but once I was into it-- I WAS IN. The setting was so vivid and I found myself immersed in the landscape as well as with each of the characters by the end. I'm curious if I would have felt similar if I read The Celestial Kingdom series prior.

The writing, while immersive, had some dialogue that felt a bit heavy handed to me, but all in all I really enjoyed reading this book and will be moving up The Celestial Kingdom in my TBR!

Now for the plot and characters:

Liyen frustrated me at the start, but I started to relate to her as the book went on and found myself cheering her on. Instant attraction is really tricky for me, but I loved that this book was truly a slow burn despite the attraction between our two main characters. Everytime I thought I knew what was about to happen, this book had a turn and I was absorbed in peeling apart the layers that Sue Lynn Tan built for us.

If you're looking for a HEA stand-alone romantasy with politics, twists, and war, this is one you might want to check out!

As the biggest daughter of the moon goddess fan I AM SO OBSESSED. Liyen and Zhangwei are literal perfection together and I have no other notes except that this was beautifully and exceptionally written. Sue Lynn Tan is a phenomenal writer.

Immortal is a stand-alone YA fantasy book written by the author of the Celestial Kingdom Duology, and takes place in the same world, and just as I expected from a Sue Lynn Tan book, I enjoyed every second of it.

From the beginning, Liyen starts off as having an illness that has made her weak. After absorbing the Divine Pearl Lotus that she is given by her grandfather, the man who raised her, she has healed. However, that Lotus was supposed to be handed over to the Queen, and her grandfather, knowing he would be punished, used it to save Liyen instead of turning it over. Now, Liyen must rise up to take her family's throne, while attempting to free her people from the control of the immortals, including the same Queen, who is now out to take the Lotus back from Liyen. During this time, she is confronted by the God of War, Zhangwei, who is under the employ of the Queen, and the two form a pact and the two become closer as they spend more time together.

The characters had so many layers and so well written. Our main characters are both strong, brave, caring, and willing to do anything for each other, even die. Liyen is just kind of thrown into the mix after not really being raised or trained to rule over her people, but she sure does take that job extremely seriously by immediately doing her best to free her people, which no one before her had done. She immediately took on the role, and killed it

At first, Zhangwei, as the God of War, comes across as a ruthless, brutal killer, who will do anything to shed blood. Or, at least that's what our FMC thinks of him. However, pretty quickly, we start to see that is not actually the case. I really appreciated Zhangwei and the love that he had for our FMC, and the fact that he was never willing to abandon her and he was always willing to take anything that was thrown at her. There were INSANE "touch her and die" vibes everywhere throughout this book and I was here for it all.

The romance was SUCH a slow burn, but it was so perfectly done. The pacing of everything and the build up led to such a beautiful love story, one that transcends time and space. The banter, even at the beginning was perfect and it was a very natural development, which I appreciated. At first, there were subtle changes, but as more information was discovered, everything made so much more sense. The amount of thought and depth that went into everything was incredible.

I absolutely loved this world that Sue Lynn Tan built. The immortals holding so much power and the mortals that just wanted freedom, the magic, I could just picture it all while I was reading. There was so much detail that allowed for me to imagine the world in my head and it was wonderful.

And the ending, was the best part of the story, so much better than I thought that it would be. Honestly, everything just got better and better as the story went on.

Thank you to Sue Lynn Tan, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Immortal is a standalone novel set in the universe of the Celestial Kingdom duology. The story follows Liyen, the mortal princess of Tianxia, who is saved by an enchanted lotus after becoming poisoned. The Immortal Realm becomes upset and Zhangwei, the God of War, forms an alliance with her to help her kingdom. The two journey together to the Immortal Realm where Liyen discovers secrets along the way. The story starts off decently and then slows down in the middle before speeding up a lot towards the end. As the last part seemed to fly by, I do wish that it was spread out a little more.
There is a lot of information to absorb in this novel, especially towards the beginning. I think the exposition needed to be spread out a little more as it felt a little overwhelming at times. The actual ending did work out well, so even though it took a bit to get into the story, I ended up enjoying it. Liyen is a complex character where she makes a lot of mistakes and attempts to learn from them. I wasn’t sure about her at first, but she did grow on me by the end. Her interactions with Zhangwei were great and they had decent chemistry. Overall, this novel could have been a duology just to spread out the events, but it was still a great story.

Sue Lynn Tan is a beautiful writer. Her stories are just as lush as her words. This fantasy novel is a delightful new book with characters you automatically root for. The plot is well thought out and unique, with enough familiarity to make it comfortable. I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for this early copy of The Immortal.

After reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I absolutely fell in love with Sue Lynn Tan's writing. It's beautiful, lyrical and paints a wonderful picture of the world she is introducing us to. She became an autobuy author for me and she still will continue to be one moving forward. The narrator that has done all three books in the Daughter of the Moon Goddess series was phenomenal as well.

With Immortal...was I supposed to dislike the FMC? Because I did. It took almost 60% of the book for me to sort of like her. But the God of War <dramatic sigh>. I think he is my new book boyfriend, moving up above both Liwei and Wenzhi. The things and promises he told Liyen <again dramatic sigh>. Absolutely beautiful. The story had a bit of Instalove (which made sense as you got deeper into the boo) but it is something I typically do not enjoy. Which is why I think I had a hard time really getting into this book. It's still a wonderful love story and beautifully written. But unfortunately, the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology still has all of my heart.

I loved Sue Lynn Tan's Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology and the short story collection released last year, so as soon as I saw this book, a stand alone romantasy set in the same in the same world, I knew I wanted to read it. The story has all of the things you would expect; a lush atmosphere, immortal Gods and other beings in conflict over power, human characters caught in the middle, and a young princess turned queen trying to protect her realm as best she can. When Liyen's grandfather defies the immortal queen to save her life, he risks the fate of their kingdom and does not survive, leaving Liyen to protect the secret and her people from the queen and The God of War who serves her.

While the book starts out as with what looks like a forbidden love slow burn formula between Liyen and The God of War (Zhangwei), there are many twists to the plot that add to the story and that I did not see coming. Liyen's journey is not as straightforward as it seems and she must navigate who to trust and her own feelings while carrying the responsibility of doing what is right for her people. I enjoyed watching her grow and returning to this mythological setting.

Even so, there were things that kept me from fully getting into the story. The romance was a bit insta-love for me, though that too is made more complex as the story unfolds, and Liyen is constantly in positions where she has to lie to everyone, ALL THE TIME, and that gets old after a while. I did love her relationship with her friend and loyal number one man Chengyin, who is her only real constant through the story, and the chemistry between Liyen and Zhangwei is well done. However, with each revelation of the mystery what we think we know changes rather drastically, It made things more interesting, but I found it ultimately took me out of the story as opposed to investing me further.

That said, this is still a very good read and a fun romantic fantasy. I love that it is a standalone and that Tan takes us through the twists and turns in one volume and provides a satisfying resolution at the end.

Book 007 of 350 ~ 2025

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I was so lucky to score not just the ebook but the audiobook as well.

For those who have followed me long enough, you will know I tend to do either one, then when it gets even more intense, I love listening and reading together.

@suelynntan - firstly, congratulations on your pub day. Second, this book is an absolute masterpiece.

I was so sucked in this entire mythical world and I just couldn't find enough pockets of time to either read it or listen to it.

Admittedly, I love reading the ebook. But the audiobook was so brilliantly narrated I couldn't stop myself from listening to it either. Kudos to the brilliant @natalienaudus - you brought these words to life.

I spent the last 10 chapters reading and listening. Absolutely glorious read and definitely one of my faves not just for the year but in my list officially.

Bravo!!

I received a complimentary copy of this book and audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Thank you so much to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to have an eARC of this book!
I did also get the audio through Book of The Month because I was so excited that it was offered as a choice. I tandem read her Celestial Kingdom duology that way, so it was great to have that experience again.
I was unsure at the start if I was going to enjoy this, like I did the Celestial Kingdom duology, because it had so much to live up to with them being 5 star favorites. Immortal does throw you into the world without much pretense, and heavily focuses on the pining of the romance for the first half. I also didn't really like Liyen as a character for the first half. I was annoyed with her constant anger and broodiness at the God of War. There was great representation of grief at the beginning, but also I felt the anger was slightly misplaced.
Though I had some instances I didn't like, I still did want to keep picking this book up. It does have 400 plus pages, but it was a breeze to get through.
By about 50% we got the worldbuilding aspects that I LOVE about the Celestial Kingdom duo. So, by that point I was all in, plus Liyen's character arc seemed to have finally gotten to a place where she was more enjoyable to read.
This one does get very mildly spicy, very tasteful and tame, but does lean into Romantasy. Though, it's the Romantasy that I can handle.
Other writing aspects that I love about Tan's writing is her vivid descriptions of clothing and architecture. As a reader that can see images, I really enjoy this extra emphasis.
For the audiobook, if you have trouble with the names and want help with pronunciation, this is a great route. I am more of a veteran reader of Asian fantasy and I still don't have all the vowel sounds correct when looking at the names. The narrator is also fantastic and reads in almost a calming and smooth manner.
Final thoughts, if you enjoyed Tan's previous duology, you should also enjoy this standalone. Go into it with the pretense's I gave and I think you will enjoy it as much as I did.

This was so, so phenomenal. And I knew it would be, but it STILL somehow took me by surprise.

Sue Lynn Tan’s Celestial Kingdoms duology and short story collection hold such an incredibly special place in my heart, and this standalone took us back to that world, only in a whole new corner that we hadn’t explored yet. This follows the Princess of Tianxia, who lives under the rule of the Immortals of the Golden Desert. It starts off with a BANG, diving right into action and world-building and tension, and the pacing remains immaculate from there. Sue Lynn Tan has a way of making her stories feel like multiple distinct acts of a play, but still manages to make them flow seamlessly into one another. Looking back on it, I can’t believe this entire story happened in just one book. It feels like this world lived in my mind for much, much longer, even though it didn’t take me long to read it. It’s an absolute master class in storytelling, and it scratches literally every itch I ever have when going into a sweeping fantasy like this one.

This is a story about gods and mortals, impossible things becoming possible, romance that spans across the ages. It’s about war and heartache and the lengths we will go to achieve the peace we know our loved ones deserve. It somehow does all of these things while also infusing a swoon-worthy romantic feel that will have you clutching your chest in some moments and giggling uncontrollably in others. I loved every moment of it, and it reminded me of why the Celestial Kingdoms series holds the place in my heart that it always has. I’ll be relentlessly on the edge of my seat for more Sue Lynn Tan releases til the end of time, and I’m so grateful to Avon & Harper Voyager and Netgalley for this eArc!

I finished this book not even 30 seconds ago and I miss it. the world and the magic are so well done and descriptive that it paints a full picture as your reading. Now, I am by no means a romance reader but I would die and sell my soul for more of the romance in this book. the yearning was amazing. the banter was impeccable. the god of war is a dream. I absolutely loved this book and I already need more from SLT

Sue Lynn Tan’s most recent release Immortal is full of her signature lush writing and multilayered FMCs.

We follow Liyen as she begins her rule in a mortal realm caught in the middle of a war between two immortal realms. While this takes place in the same world as the Celestial Kingdom Duology (Daughter of the Moon Goddess and Heart of the Sun Warrior), there is little reference to the world at large and is not necessary to read the Duology first.

Liyens character growth is wonderfully done and tackles large questions about the worthiness of immortal vs mortal lives.

I was less impressed with our MMC Zhangwei, who feels less developed, and less of a person individually to Liyen. While the Celestial Kingdom Duology felt more fresh and original, Immortal plays into popular romantasy tropes, that while well executed, left me underwhelmed. I kept longing to return to the Celestial Kingdom and felt frustrated that this story only lived in a small corner of the unique and interesting world developed in the Duology.

This is Tan’s spiciest novel, with one short more “open door” scene, but I would still classify this as pretty mild spice. Ultimately I would recommend this to romantasy lovers, and would be a wonderful entry point to Sue Lynn Tan’s beautifully lush world.

The premise of this book was so interesting, but the middle 50% drug so much for me. It felt very repetitive and formulaic for basically all of part two, which makes up a bulk of the book. I enjoyed the overall story and plot but I never found myself actually wanting to reach for this book.

The mythology behind everything and the world building was very well done. I also really did like that actual bond between each character, even if their interactions felt repetitive. Overall, I think the idea itself was interesting but the way it was done was not my personal favorite.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the advanced copy!