First 5 star read of 2025!!!
Wowow Sue Lynn Tan has absolutely outdone herself with Immortal. I knew in my heart by the 60% mark this was going to be 5 stars for me. This was a breathtaking adventure and incredible love story. The beginning and middle of the book had me smiling and kicking my feet with the banter between Liyen and Zhangwei. I am a big fan of Liyen's determination and character development throughout this book. She definitely is someone I would want to rule the country/kingdom.
And boy, once the plot twists started, it just kept coming!! As someone who is usually a passenger princess to those type of things in books, my jaw was on the ground and my mind was absolutely floored. It was all just so well done and well written!

Thank you Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the ARC.

Immortal is such a fun read! Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is so poetic that every time the love interest whispered sweet nothings, I melted. I turned into a puddle and then evaporated from the sheer heat radiating off me. He’s the literal embodiment of "touch her and you die.”

But he isn’t my favorite character. You mean to tell me there are others? YES. Sue Lynn Tan does an incredible job creating characters that feel real, shaped by their motives and upbringing - all of which come through beautifully in their interactions.

It’s no small feat to craft a fantasy world rooted in Chinese mythology with intricate yet accessible world-building, especially in a standalone, but Sue Lynn Tan nailed it. It helps that it’s set in the same universe as the Celestial Kingdom duology. Sure, there were a few plot holes, but the plot twists more than made up for them! The first one had me rattling like a snake - I’m not kidding, I flung myself across the room so dramatically I’m surprised I didn’t shed my skin.

Thank you NetGallery and HarperVoyager for the arc!

📚Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan
💙mf fantasy romance
💙enemies to lovers
💙forced proximity
💙touch her and die
💙slow burn
💙standalone

CWs for loss of a loved one, grief/loss

Story: 4/5
Audiobook: 5/5 (narrated by Natalie Naudus)
Length: 14h26min

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

A huge thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for an honest review🧡

I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess back in September, at which point I immediately fell in love with Sue Lynn Tan’s atmospheric writing and storytelling. I was particularly excited to get my hands on a copy of this book, since I’m always itching to get my hands on a good standalone fantasy romance!

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is a standalone fantasy romance novel set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but you don’t need to read The Celestial Kingdom series before diving into this one. This story primarily follows Liyen, heir to Tianxia. Her kingdom is pledged to protect the infamous immortals. This obligation is the result of Tianxia having called upon the immortals for protection against a dangerous foe in the past. When Liyen is on the brink of death as a result of being poisoned, her beloved grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. This is very significant, as there is only one enchanted lotus in existence. Enraged by this act, the immortal queen commands the God of War to attack Tianxia which ultimately ends with her grandfather’s death. In the aftermath of his death, Liyen ascends the throne with bitterness in her heart and a desire to bring an end to her kingdom’s obligation to the ruthless immortals. When she gets summoned to the Immortal Realm, she does whatever it takes to learn their secrets and find ways to bring about their downfall. This includes forming a tenuous alliance with the God of War…aka the last person she should trust given the havoc he brought down upon her kingdom. What follows is a sweeping tale filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, political intrigue, and love that defies all odds.

I really enjoyed this!! The setting and world building were lush and transportive, to the point I had a hard time putting it down. This book was inspired by Chinese mythology, but Sue Lynn Tan in turn crafted completely unique characters and plotlines. Liyen was such a refreshing and engaging heroine, especially compared to a lot of the more cliche fantasy romance out there right now. She was stubborn, passionate, brash, empathetic, intelligent, and strong. She loved with such abandon and was willing to do whatever it took to protect the people she cared about. She was also flawed in a way that felt so raw and human, which contrasted well with the mysterious immortals.

And can we talk about the romance?! Liyen and Zhangwei were absolutely everything, I loved them to pieces. They were both incredibly strong and grounded in their beliefs, which understandably resulted in them clashing at times, Zhangwei was so obsessed with Liyen, and he let it show in both obvious and subtle ways. I also loved how jealous he would get. He was much more open and vulnerable than what I would expect from a big bad immortal.

The plot itself was incredibly immersive and went in some very interesting directions. While certain plot twists felt a tad predictable, I wasn’t able to anticipate how things ultimately got resolved.

All in all, I really loved this and would highly recommend picking this up when it hits shelves on January 7th!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

Did not finish for the following reasons:
- melodramatic writing style
- reading from the FMC's perspective was grating
-- she read like an arrogant, know-it-all, 12 year old
-- the thoughts of the main female character were incredibly black and white lacking all nuance
- there was no chemistry between the love interests from the moment they met

I had issues with the pacing and a confusing plot. It just didn’t flow and make much sense. I wanted to like it. I got SO bored at the end and ended up skimming the end to finish. The cover is stunning though.

This was such an incredible book and absolutely worth the 5 stars! Sue Lynn Tann blended the perfect amount of fantasy and romance to create a story so whimsical and swoony worthy for the readers. She executed showcasing the Chinese culture with blending the myth perfectly to create a beautiful love story.

From the first page the writing draws you into the story and sets up the plot that you will follow with Liyen. Starting with the death of her grandfather, Liyen must become the new ruler of Wuxia and take care of her people ravaged by mistreatment of the Gods. She vows to take revenge against the Gods and take down the walls keeping them away from the rest of the World. Liyen is such a strong female main character. She's smart, tough, and willing to do what it takes for her people. Then there is the God of War! His love for Liyen is unyielding and as the story progresses their love blossoms.

There is grief, betrayal, and rage throughout the book. I genuinely wasn't ready for the twists and I was hooked until the very end. If you're look for a beautifully enchanting romantasy this is for you. I can't wait to see wait Sue Lynn Tan writes next.

I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. I think the author did a good job of world building and establishing everything. However, the bulk of this book fell flat for me. It moved slow and at times I wasn’t sure what was going on. It did pick up the last quarter of the book. I think that the beginning and middle chunk could have been more concise and left more room for what happened towards the end. I enjoyed this book, but felt like the slow parts took away from the experience.

This book feels like being swept into a dream you don’t want to leave – full of magic, heartbreak, and celestial drama. The love story crackles with forbidden tension, and the lush worldbuilding wraps around you like silk. If you’ve ever wanted to defy destiny for love (or just vibe with mythical beings), this book delivers in epic proportions.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan completely floored me. It’s a standalone romantic fantasy set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but you don’t need to have read that to dive into this. That said, if you love forbidden magic, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance, you’re in for a treat.

The story follows Liyen, a young woman who’s suddenly thrust onto the throne of Tianxia after barely surviving a poisoning. Her grandfather’s sacrifice saves her life, but it enrages the Immortal Queen, and now her kingdom is in danger. Determined to protect her people and free them from the immortals’ grip, Liyen heads straight into their world, where she’s forced to team up with Zhangwei, the God of War. Their relationship starts off tense (he’s literally sent to destroy her home), but over time, sparks fly in all the best ways. The chemistry between them is insane—full of wit, tension, and that delicious “will they or won’t they” dynamic that had me hooked.

Liyen is such a refreshing protagonist. She’s stubborn, smart, and deeply flawed in ways that make her feel so very absolutely real. Her grief over her grandfather and her struggle to prove herself as a ruler are written with so much care, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. Zhangwei, though? He’s the kind of love interest who sneaks up on you - brooding, loyal, and full of secrets.

And the writing? Absolutely stunning. Sue Lynn Tan’s prose is lyrical without ever feeling overdone, and the world-building is….. I have no words!
The celestial and mortal realms are so vivid that I felt like I was right there with Liyen, standing on the edge of her world and looking up at the immortals she was ready to challenge.

If you love romantic fantasy with star-crossed lovers, high-stakes drama, and a world so rich you’ll want to live in it, Immortal is absolutely worth your time.

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC—I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Immortal ARC Review 🪷
4 ⭐️

Just as lyrical and magical as Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I’m so excited for Immortal to be released into the wild this month! Whenever I read Sue Lynn Tan’s books, I always feel like I’m transported into a lush dream world to meet familiar friends 😌 Auto-buy author never misses 🤌✨

Immortal is a standalone adult romantic fantasy set in the same universe as the Celestial Kingdom series, but we only hear smatterings of previous characters, as Tales of the Celestial Kingdom did a beautiful job of wrapping up everyone’s stories. I loved getting to meet our new main characters Liyen, our feisty protagonist and budding ruler of Tianxia, and Zhangwei, the mysterious (hot) war god 👀 If there’s one thing that melts my heart every time, it’s when the reputably ruthless cold character begrudgingly warms up and shows his sweeter, gentler, and protective side for his lady…ugh gets me every time 🥹💘🥰😤✊

I also loved the exploration of love within family and the high stakes and price to protect them. I like when there’s an actual heavy cost to choices and sacrifices cuz it makes the story more believable, but I was def on the edge of my seat biting my nails because I didn’t know when or which characters would get permanently scribbled off the page in the most heart wrenching ways 💀🙀❤️‍🩹😭

Can’t wait to receive my Immortal edition for the UK, US, and special book boxes! Sue Lynn Tan, as usual, is blessed by the cover gods so I’ll be out here collecting them like infinity stones 💎😍😌

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This book just..didn’t do it for me. I really enjoyed the first ~30%, and then after that up until about 70% i found myself disengaged and bored with the story. It took me FOREVER to push through it.

The descriptive language makes the scenes at first come to life, but quickly seem to overpower any actual storyline. The same could be said for our FMC’s inner dialogue. It seemed to go on and on, oftentimes seemingly without much purpose, leaving me once again disengaged from the story.

I didn’t hate this book by any means but it really missed the mark for me in a lot of ways. I think a lot of people could love this book! I am not just one of them.

It hurts me to write this review because Sue Lynn Tan is an author near and dear to my heart. But, I’ll start with the positives.

I LOVE that we’re set back in the Celestial Mortal/Immortal world from Daughter of the Moon Goddess. It feels familiar, without feeling like the same story. If there’s one thing Tan does well, it’s creating a story steeped in beautiful East Asian lore. I also think the messaging of this story, of misrepresentation and not allowing the actions of one to define an entire group of people, were strong and relatable!

How it falls short for me is just in the completion factor - it feels incomplete. The story feels extremely rushed, I found myself wondering many times how we got here, things just happened for the main characters, everything worked out a bit to conveniently. I also found myself wanting for character development - every character had me asking so many questions and wanting mooooree so I could feel more connected.

Despite all this, I have a soft spot for Tan and will continue to devour any piece of work she puts out. Thank you to NetGalley, Sue Lynn Tan and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me an Advanced Reader’s Copy for my honest review!

While I enjoyed it. The story did not pick up until 70% mark. And by then it felt rushed. I was not too fond of the FMC, she was careless and selfish and short sighted.

Thank you so much for this ARC! Absolutely phenomenal.
WOW. From page 1 I knew I was going to thoroughly enjoy this book. But I was not expecting just how much. This was a hard book to put down! The tension and longing, to the betrayals and reveals, everything had me excited to turn the page. I was truly shocked and just screaming for the last 25% of the book.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this book. It felt like everything started unfolding exactly when I wanted it to. And there is A LOT to unfold here. The writing style was so beautifully descriptive without taking away from the focus. The characters were all memorable and likable. I am definitely a Sue Lynn Tan fan now and I can’t wait to go back and read her other works.

Immortal is an enchanting and beautifully written standalone romantasy. I adored the FMC, Liyen and the development arc she went through. I loved how she continually focused on what’s best for her people and wanted to do what was right for them. I also really enjoyed the relationship and development between Liyen and Zhangwei. I really appreciated how they evolved as they spent more time together and started working together instead of focusing on what they could get from the other. Additionally, the world building is simply stunning in everything I’ve read by the author, and Immortal is no exception. It’s incredibly easy to immerse yourself in the story and picture the world around you with how well the author approaches world building. I felt the plot moved at a decent pace to keep my interest. There were plenty of betrayals and twists that kept me guessing throughout the entire story. I highly recommend checking out this captivating enemies to lovers tale.

“Because I’ll always need you to live.”

Again, Sue Lynn tells a tale richly inspired by mythology and it's breathtaking. I loved the Celestial Kingdom and was eager to return to the gorgeous world that she created. Liyen is determined to break the pledge that binds Tianxia to the immortals as well as avenge her grandfather's death, which forced her to take the throne. Her advisors are determined to undermine her at every turn and when Zhangwei, the God of War takes her to the Celestial Kingdom to meet the Queen. While staying at his home, she tries her best to find something to use against him and the consequences thereof, draw them closer together.

A gorgeously woven tale ensues, where the slow-burn romance and tension between Liyan and Zhangwei is exquisite. I love that Sue Lynn is always able to show that there are two sides to every story and this again, making you question everything. The imagery that she paints together with the worldbuilding makes this a tale that lovers of her Celestial Kingdom, cannot miss

IMMORTAL once again proves that Sue Lynn Tan is a master at writing fantasy and mythologically inspired stories. I enjoyed this novel immensely and it was difficult to put down. Filled with enemies to lovers tension, a strong female main character, and a fast paced story, I think this is a great novel to start off 2025.

I loved the author's Celestial Kingdom duology because it transported me to a new world based on Chinese mythology. I felt that this novel did the same. Taking place in the same universe, but a wholly, stand alone novel, I found this book to be immersive. And, as with all this author's novels, the pacing of the narrative, combined with the world building, created a story that kept and held my interest. At no point did I find that the book was slow or tedious. This author does a great job at not wasting a single word throughout the narrative, which can be easy to do when you are creating a new world. Though a larger book, it does a good job fleshing out all parts of the story, conveying an action-packed plot, conflict, and high quality and fleshed out characters. This is what makes this author as talented as she is.

And, I have to say, the main character, Liyen, is a great character. Those that have read my previous reviews know I love a strong, female character and this novel has one in spades. I found Liyen to be just the type of female protagonist I go for in a novel. She has a strength that is admirable. Connect that with her fight for agency and determination to set her own path and her own standards for how to live and I found myself connecting with her. As the narrator, she is the perfect blend of fighting for herself and taking no crap from anyone, while also not veering into overbearing. She is herself, always, and she is not one to be told what to do or how to do it. And I absolutely adored that.

Overall, I loved the novel. It was well written, fast paced, and blended fantasy and mythology seamlessly. I think this book is worth the read and is definitely one that I would recommend.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Wow, I was so excited to return to the world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess and even more excited to know that this was a standalone! The love story is that of a slow burn but it truly transcends time. I really enjoyed the beginning of the book, it was extremely fast paced and draws you in. I really loved Liyen as our main character. She was intelligent and loyal while still maintaining the vulnerability. Zhangwei is your classic tall, dark, handsome and mysterious vibe. His entrance from the beginning is hard hitting. Overall, this is a romantic fantasy at its core and I enjoyed every moment.

I did have some trouble with the pacing in the middle of the book, but overall I would recommend. Thank you Sue Lynn Tan for allowing us to return to this rich world with a new story. For those who enjoy rich world-building and some star crossed love, this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me this ARC for an honest review.

Liyen is the heir to Tianxia and knows she must pledge to continue serving the immortals despite her desire to free her kingdom from the obligation. When the immortal queen attacks her kingdom in retaliation for a stolen lotus used to save Liyen from poison, she meets the God of War. Soon, she finds herself learning more about the immortals, forging an unexpected alliance with him, and even more unexpectedly battling an attraction.

Sue Lynn Tan’s writing is always gorgeous, and it shines through in Immortal. The world building was beautifully done and the political intrigue had me so invested throughout the entire book. I loved the complexity of Zhangwei’s character as well as Liyen’s strong and determined traits. The enemies to lovers romance was really well paced, with just the right amounts of tension and banter. It was a slow burn that was so worth waiting for.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the advance copies.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into this one and it absolutely blew me away. 100000/5 stars - I loved the celestial kingdom duology by Tan and am sooo pleased with how this standalone encompassed all of the aspects that I loved from those books and so much more. I don't even know where to begin raving because there was so much in this that just tickled me - this is very romance heavy and it was done so so well. Liyen was such a great fmc and she felt so real, she had her flaws and is by no means the perfect character, and I truly loved watching her grow throughout this story. the romance was insane and EVERYTHING TO MEEE - I felt like such a fangirl reading this and all of the twists and turns to the plot and the characters were going exactly AND I MEAN EXACTLY!! where I wanted them to, Tan is an absolute genius in my book. the characters and their relationships, especially the main romance, were so dynamic and complicated and it kept me on my toes. I loved that none of it was super predictable, and I was thoroughly entertained. while the world building could have been done a bit more, I thought the characters and dynamics really carried the story and there was just enough politics and intrigue to keep me hooked. this could have easily been a one-sitting read for me but I truly wanted to cherish it, and I am already so beyond excited to give this a reread.

what a great way to start the year, omg. thank you so much to the publishers for an arc, I am so excited for everyone else to read and love this!