eARC Review: Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan 🪷

. . . What can I say about this book without spoiling it in its entirety? For now, I’ll just say this is how I want romantic fantasy to be from now on, and Tan: how did you give us a man even more swoon worthy than Wenzhi?! ❤️

I loved Liyen as the main character. She’s feisty, thoughtful, and cunning. Her story throughout the book progresses well, though I can see how some people might not enjoy her thought process. I thought she was a great foil to Xingyin from the Celestial Kingdom duology, and I really enjoyed getting a mortal’s perspective of the immortals that we primarily saw in the duology. And her budding relationship with the God of War, Zhangwei. . . . I’m deceased with giddiness. 😍

Zhangwei was an INCREDIBLE love interest. While outwardly cold, he hides a wonderful depth of emotion that not many would link to a deity of warfare. His banter with Liyen was FANTASTIC and honestly it had me laughing out loud a few times because of how low and petty they could go at each other and yet still be drawn back to each other. 😂

Their relationship sends the reader in for a RIDE, but man is it so worth it. I wish I could go into more detail about my love for these two and their time together, but I’d be revealing some MAJOR spoilers. 🤐

Honestly, I was kicking my feet with giddiness while reading this, and won’t lie when parts of the book left me teary eyed. This should be on your radar whether you are already a fan of Tan’s work or are looking for something to dip your toe in first before diving into the duology. It is a standalone in the same world as her first two books, so be prepared to only have one book with these wonderful characters. 🥲

My IMMENSE and forever gratitude goes to Harper Voyager (psst, could I get a physical galley to cry over till my preorder arrives? 🙏🏼🤙🏼call me 🥺) and NetGalley for accepting my desperate plea to read this in exchange for an honest review, and to the author, Tan, for once again ripping my heart out in the most incredibly way possible. I really hope we can get some little short stories about these two in the future. 🫶🏼

Shoutout to @lookmairead and @thebooksthekindleandi for the fun nuddy read via @storygraph !

Publication date: January 16!

Overall: 5/5 (if are you honestly surprised by this, hi! Welcome to my account!)⭐️

My goodness, the swoon-filled banter ALONE in this is 👩‍🍳💋- this is such a romantasy treat.

Sue Lyn Tan crushes it again. And when I say it, I mean our hearts. Or maybe I’m at a point that if she crushes my heart, I trust her to piece it back together.

I feel like newbie when it comes to Asian Mythology, but I think that works in my favor because I’m always surprised.

Sue Lynn Tan has cemented herself as an “automatic-buy author” for me. I can’t wait to see what retelling she dreams up next!

My thanks to @netgalley and Harper Voyager for this ARC.

Thank you Harper voyager and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

This was the first book I read from Sue Lynn Tae and it did not disappoint. I feel like right now it’s very hard for Romansty books to really stand out without having some of same plot lines as others; but this one honestly stood out to me. I loved the God & mortal aspect of this story.

I did find some parts lagging for me; however, this isn’t specific to this book. It’s more that happens I feel like with a lot of fantasy books as there is just so much you need to put in the world building, character building, etc. so I can understand the need for it.

Also, just on a personal level, I loved I was able to find another book I am able to share with my daughter. As there is sexual content in the book; however, I don’t think I would classify it as explicit.

Overall, EVERYONE READ THIS BOOK! You won’t be disappointed.

A fast-paced and captivating tale that will pull you in from the first page and doesn’t let up until the very end. Filled with romance and political intrigue, you can never be too sure who you can trust - or if love can truly outlast even lifetimes.

Somehow, this book caught me even better than Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and I don’t say that lightly as someone who devoured that duology. I cannot even properly explain this book, other than the fact that it kept me entranced from the moment I began reading and once I started I couldn’t stop. If you loved Sue Lynn Tan’s debut duology, then trust me her writing has only (somehow) improved in Immortal, and you need to pick up this book.

The romance was so amazingly well done I spent the entire novel hoping that it would survive against all odds. I am so unbelievably picky when it comes to main romance plots in fantasy novels, and this was so well executed I was hanging on the edge of my seat the entire time. The chemistry between Liyen and Zhangwei was so well done I was rooting for them even when I knew I shouldn't.

The writing in this book is so beautiful I can’t even properly describe it, but the world in this book is so lush and amazing no matter where our characters are in the story. Our main character, Liyen, is a passionate and caring ruler, and I loved sharing her POV throughout this novel. She does her best to help and protect her people, and as I was reading I felt like her betrayals were also my betrayals alongside her.

Sometimes when I love a book too much I find it so hard to properly describe my feelings for a review, and this is one of those books. The time flew by as I was reading this book, and despite the 5-6 hours it took for me to finish this book, at no point did it feel like it was dragging on or did I truly feel the page count.

I know this book says it takes place during the same world as in Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but in all honesty it felt like a brand new story set in the same beautiful landscape - but with entirely new characters and experiences. While I do highly recommend everyone read the Celestial Kingdom duology, in no way would you have to read that first before diving into Immortal. I didn’t find anything in this book that required or expected you to have previous knowledge of her other books, and so if you were looking for a single-book exploration into Sue Lynn Tan’s writing, I cannot recommend this book enough. Immortal is atmospheric and intense, with a romance that will keep you captivated until the last page.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this e-ARC.

I received this title as a physical ARC from Harper Collins. Thank you so much for the copy!

The Good
I knew from chapter one that this book was going to be incredible. I loved Liyen. She was strong and smart but also kind and empathetic. I also liked that she wasn't perfect or always rash. She's a mortal trying to outsmart immortals and her actions have real consequences. Her love for her people and her Grandfather was so beautiful to see. It kept her grounded and smart at times when she wanted to be reckless and angry. Zhangwei was a great love interest. The God of War is believed to be cruel, cold, and unyielding but Zhangwei is none of those things. I loved his character early on as we got glimpses of his loneliness and emphatic nature. I loved his utter devotion to Liyen as well. Their chemistry was built so well and nothing about their dynamic felt like stereotypical enemies to lovers. Liyen's feelings weren't out of any petty or childish feud but the love of her people and their treatment. I liked that her and Zhangwei could have these real conversations about their different points of view and listen to each other. The twists! The plot! I never could predict where this story was going and I loved that feeling. Multiple times I sat up reading because something new and interesting happened and I had to keep reading to understand the new turn the plot was taking.

Tropes:
— Enemies to lovers
— Romantasy
— Gods & Mortals

Format: Physical

The Rating
I give this book a 5/5🌟 rating. I have to read Sue Lynn Tan! This was everything!!!

I love to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this before release.

I admit - I thought this book was going to be slow, a normal romantasy with a Chinese fantasy setting. I was looking for something to equal the CDramas I've been enjoying. But after finishing this, I can happily say this book reminds one of 3 Lives / 3 Worlds / Eternal Love and Love You 7 Times. So if you're familiar with them, huzzah, you know what this story is about. If you're not, well, when you finish the book watch them - pretty good.

Anyway. Our female is an ill princess whose kingdom is currently getting visited by an Immortal queen who is coming to collect a magical Lotus blossom. We are not told why the Queen is requiring it, but that the princess' grandfather was to collect it and offer it to her. Well, grandfather decides to give it to the Princess because of its healing powers and tells the Princess, her aunt, and cousin to flee. The Immortal queen and her God-of-War (who is known to be quite vicious, brutal, a killer/slayer) then summon the grandfather and in fear the grandfather dies of a heart-attack. Also, at this time there is another issue - there are demons from the land of the undead who can sense this Lotus blossom and they are after it / the user with the magical powers. It is during this meeting with them that the princess disrupts a offering for the God-of-War that he is summoned to take care of the demons and comes across the Princess... then the story begins.

I admit, when the Princess heads off to the Immortal heavens the plot got a little stagnant. I had enough of romantasy stories where nothing really happens and there is no plot outside of the two people who are at odds starting to fall in love. I wanted danger, I wanted a villain... It was around the 40% mark (or Part 2) that the book started rollin' in that direction, that pieces began to click.

I had problems with the love story in the first series the author wrote, but as I indicated - if you are familiar with CDramas, you'll recognize a lot of the tropes and or story beats. That's not to say that the story was predictable, it's just that you catch onto them faster than the normal Western audience reader.

Part 3 of the book until the end was my favorite section of the book and where the villain and henchmen / crux of the Lotus come into play. The end had a great outcome and I felt everything paid off.

All in all, it's a strong book and if the author wished to write more in the world she created I wouldn't mind.

Interesting book with an interesting plot. I wish some parts were fleshed out a bit more, but it's otherwise a well thought out fantasy title with a good female mc.

Immortal follow Liyen who is forced to rule a kingdom held hostage by the gods above after her grandfather dies. In order to be accepted as the new ruler, she must swear loyalty to one of the Queens of the Immortal Realm but she wishes nothing more than freedom for her kingdom. Stuck in between the will of the gods, whats best for her kingdom and her own desires and dreams, Liyen has to stay true to her own values.

This is my first book by Sue Lynn Tan so I can't say much about Immortal in relation to her other works. This was beautiful. The world built was amazing and every scene described was truly beautiful. The plot was so much fun to follow along. There were so many twists that really worked with and enhanced the overall story so well. Liyen's character was so strong and probably my favorite part of the entire book. Her values are so important to her and she stays loyal to them throughout the novel.

There were aspects of the story and the characters that, at the time, made little sense but as plot twists and new information was revealed, these oddities made so much sense. It was satisfying for these things to be answered in a very logical way.

4.5/5

Thank you Harper voyager and NetGalley.
I really enjoyed this romantasy. The world was beautiful and well thought out
Liyen found her own way through challenges and stayed true to herself. I loved her passion for all people, even her enemies.
There were great twists that I did not see coming and a few I did which made the pacing feel right.
Fantasy readers who don’t enjoy explicit spicy scenes will really like this book.

I had loved Sue Lynn Tan's "Daughter of the Moon Goddess" duology so eagerly accepted the opportunity to get an early read of her upcoming novel. "Immortal" is set within the same universe as her earlier works, but instead focuses on the story of Liyen of the kingdom of Tianxia, a young woman who's forced to take on the leadership of her kingdom after the unexpected passing of her grandfather. Tianxia is in a difficult political situation, having previously sworn allegiance to the Immortal Kingdom in an earlier battle with the Wuxin, but has yet to be released. Liyen's own situation is even more complicated as her grandfather gives her the Divine Pearl Lotus just before his passing, a gift of love to restore Liyen's physical condition, but also one that risks the wrath of the Immortal Queen.

Liyen's new role means she's forced to work with the God of War, a fearful immortal known as Zhangwei. Despite Liyen's initial dislike of him, she grudgingly comes to see him as more than just a violent, fearful being, especially when she's summoned to the Immortal Kingdom to take on her grandfather's duties. As Liyen gets pulled in deeper, she's forced to confront the truth of her own background as well as the underlying factors causing the increasing presence of the Wuxin, an old enemy that was banished years earlier.

While "romantasy" is not a genre I read much of, I've come to appreciate how Chinese mythology has been woven into Tan's writing (and many other AAPI authors) so was easily pulled in after just a few chapters. In Liyen, we have a strong, stubborn, and admittedly flawed protagonist who's forced into a role she was not prepared for and responsibilities that are far heavier than she could have imagined. The world-building is beautifully done, however, with some reference to Tan's earlier universe of the Celestial Kingdom, and the cast of characters around Liyen are also well fleshed out. I also enjoyed the balance of action/adventure (the swordfighting and magic scenes were so engaging), character/backstory development, as well as romance.

Very much a recommended read for when "Immortal" is published in January 2025!

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers, NetGalley, and Sue Lynn Tan, for the ARC e-copy!

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is poetic, charming, a cadence. Gods, monsters, and mortals mix in the newest of her novels, a book that doesn’t disappoint. Set in the same world as her acclaimed Daughter of the Moon Goddess series, it carries the same charm and enchanting magic, if not an identical cast of characters.
That said, I’ll get into why I gave it four rather than five stars:
This book was pitch-perfect, but the pacing was erratic. In Sue Lynn Tan’s earlier works, the rhythm remained steady, the plot flowing like water to carry the characters along. Unfortunately, this time it seemed rushed, a feat, considering the length of the book.
The female main character got on my nerves, but I feel like that was due to her inconsistent personality. It is difficult to inject realistic emotional depth into a book, to make the readers—such as I—care attentively about the characters we follow. I didn’t really care about Liyen, who attempted to be strong, but fell short and just became burdensome. She, herself, didn’t hardly make a difference to me.
The God of War, on the other hand, was respectable and diplomatic, and actually seemed to have a moral code established. The scenes he was in were easier to read than any others.
All of this said, I don’t regret reading it. Remember, I still gave it four stars. I had a good time. But I feel like people need to be warned that this doesn’t quite live up to the admittedly high standard Daughter of the Moon Goddess set.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Lynn Tan, and the publisher for allowing me access to the e-Arc.

Omg, this was incredible! It was so beautifully written. The romance between Liyen and the God of war was breathtaking and heartbreaking. It hooked me from the start. I cannot recommend this book enough. I loved the Celestial Kingdom series but this was even better than that! I will read anything Sue Lynn Tan works!

I highly recommend it!

✨Found family
✨Forbidden magic
✨Enemies to lovers
✨Who did this to you?
✨Standalone romance fantasy

4.5 stars ⭐️

Immortal is a standalone romantic fantasy that follows Liyen, a girl who is determined to protect her kingdom, and Zhangwei, the mysterious god of war.

I really enjoyed this story! There is great world-building, interesting character development, high stakes, and unexpected twists. There were times when I didn’t understand the behavior of some characters, but as the story developed, their actions made more sense to me. I like when a book surprises me, and I was surprised several times.

After reading so many series, it was refreshing to experience a story that wraps up in one book. I found the ending satisfying, but I would have loved an epilogue as well.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Overall it was a good book. Unfortunately, I found it to be overly descriptive on some nonessential scenes but rushed on important details. Jumping through without clarification on important history details.

I really struggled to connect with this. There just wasn't anything that made it stand out for me.

If you enjoy immortals type romantic fantasy then you'll probably enjoy this. It's not super deep, but it is melodramatic and offers some fun twists.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sue Lynn Tan is one of my favorite authors so I’m so grateful I got to read this! If you loved Daughter of the Moon Goddess or any of Sue Lynn’s books you will absolutely adore this book. If you read and loved this you need to go read her series!

The writing and pacing of the plot in this standalone was perfect! I always adore her writing style and the magical world she has created, so I loved being back in it for another book.

I was hooked from the beginning of this book and was trying to figure out where it was going to go, instead I wasn’t able to put it down till I finished it. Different mysteries and plot twists had me on the edge of my seat and feigning sleep to find out more alongside our MFC.

This book is filled with love (romantically and platonically), adventure, and as with all of Sue Lynn’s books and incredible strong female character (which I adore). I highly highly recommend this book and will be buying it when it comes out!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sue Lynn Tan is quickly becoming an instant-buy author for me. She truly crafts magic in her stories. I absolutely adore her lyrical writing, as well as her well thought out characters, and engaging plot. That goes for both this standalone novel, as well as her Celestial Kingdoms duology. Immortal weaves together so many elements that many readers will love. The romance was brilliant (if you know you know!) and I absolutely loved the message that the love of many (familial, romantic, platonic) can embolden rather than weight you down.

This will certainly be popular amongst fans of Romantic Fantasy. The romance plot was 10/10 and while was a main plot thread, it didn't feel overwhelming at all. It was woven so well into the actual story, that even when the main focus was not on the romance, I was not bored at all like I sometimes find myself being with other romance heavy fantasy books. Tan writes her female characters so well. Reading Liyen's character arc is so satisfying. She was an easy character to root for, and I loved reading her story. I truly hope that Sue Lynn Tan will continue writing in this world, I love being able to explore more of it! I highly recommend this wonderful book - everyone grab this in January!

Lovely things:
- amazing romance (enemies to lovers)
- wonderful found family moments
- tension/ angst/ banter!!!!!
- great plot progression
- strong FMC
- magical and meaningful
- standalone!

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I absolutely loved this book! It was my first Sue Lynn Tan book, but I will definitely be reading her Daughter of the Moon Goddess book/series in the future. It is clear that Tan has a way with words & Immortal contained some of the best tension between the fmc & mmc, feet-kicking giggling, & jaw-dropping moments.

I will say that this book started off as a strong 5 star read for me. I was immediately immersed in the world, & loved the God of War & Liyan’s dynamic. There were so many twists & turns that I did not expect at all! The romance was great, I just wanted a little more (but that might just be the romance lover in me)
However, as I kept reading I felt overwhelmed with so much information, flashbacks, & history of the realms. I do read the fantasy genre often but I just felt as though there was too much information packed in too few chapters. ( I felt like she was traversing all over the realms & meeting all these powerful people & I couldn’t keep up for some reason lol)
I do think some parts dragged on a tad.

Immortal is most definitely worth the read. It is so beautifully written!!

First of all, Daughter of the Moon Goddess has been on my TBR ever since I bought it at Barnes and Noble two years ago from a cute bookseller. It’s just, you know, it’s easier to read books you don’t own yet than to read the ones actually on your shelf? So Immortal was my first introduction to Tan’s Celestial Kingdom, and I’m very glad that this standalone novel didn’t actually require me to understand what came before. This book was long but gorgeous, and I found it hard to put it down once I got into it.

Liyen is the heir to the throne of Tianxia, mostly kept hidden from the public because she’s never been physically strong. When her grandfather dies after saving her life, she’s thrust into a role that she feels unprepared for: ruling Tianxia, navigating tricky court politics, and trying to negotiate with the Queen of the Golden Desert for her kingdom’s freedom. And why is the handsome God of War being so nice to her when all he wants is the very Divine Pearl Lotus that she’s trying to keep hidden?

I feel like you’re probably supposed to want an adaptation of the series rather than the standalone, but Immortal was so beautiful that I specifically want this one made?

This world was beautiful. Liyen is a human caught between the gods and the monsters, trying to keep her people safe from those who kill without a thought. The Golden Desert is a place of beauty where the immortals live without fear of hunger or death. The Netherworld is a place of despair where spirits feed off the deathly Wangchuan River. The duology seems to be about the Celestial Kingdom, and I can’t imagine what riches are there that can’t be found in the Golden Desert.

Halfway through this book I started fancasting it. But basically the only wuxia/xianxia that I’ve seen are BL, so I am just imagining Wen Kexing as the God of War. Beautiful, would definitely kill (for) you.

This romantasy was just very beautiful, and I loved the slow-burn as Liyen fell in love and learned to trust Zhangwei. I expected this to be a book about a human falling in love with a god, but it was so much more. Liyen loves her people, and her journey to becoming a worthy leader was satisfying to read. As far as the romance story goes, I would have been happy with a mysterious but romantic ending, but Tan gave us an HEA to melt your heart.

The deluxe edition of the hardback book has sprayed edges, so I guess that will be the one to order!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the e-ARC. This is another book that I will be preordering (as soon as we’re in a new credit card billing cycle).

Big thanks to NetGalley for this eARC!!

This book Immortal was beautifully written! Sue Lynn Tan crafted a world of beauty, romance, heartbreak, politics, and magic. Even as a standalone novel, this book left me wanting more. The twists throughout the story had me sitting at the edge of my seat, the romance had me kicking my feet and giggling like a school girl, and the action was breathtaking and pulse racing. This book is a perfect read for those who love world building, characters that are relatable, enemies-to-lovers romance, and fans of the romantasy genre.

Overall, this book is my top read for 2024 and I will absolutely be buying a physical copy when it finally releases!