Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Based in the world of The Daughter of the Moon Goddess, Immortal is the standalone story of the Lady of Tianxia, a mortal realm under the control of a goddess, and the God of War. When her home is threatened, Liyen has not choice but to renegotiate the agreement between her people and the Immortal Realm by trying to win over the God of War to her side. However, she has no idea how much of a dangerous game she is playing as she uncovers the Immortal Realm’s past as well as her own.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is a masterclass in fantasy romance, as it brings forth a feet-kicking adorable romance within a complex and interesting fantasy world. Full of twists and turns, this story had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
I absolute adore Sue Lynn Tan’s writing and will read anything she writes!

Title: Immortal
Author: Sue Lynn Tan
Source: DRC via NetGalley (Avon and Harper Voyager| Harper Voyager) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

Other books by this author:
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
Heart of the Sun Warrior
Tales from the Celestial Kingdom

Why did I choose to read this book?

Sue Lynn Tan won my heart with Daughter of the Moon Goddess and I haven’t forced her to give it back to me yet. I chose to read this book because being inside of one of Tan’s stories is like eating the most decadent meal or being inside the most beautiful painting you can think of. You’re immersing yourself in emotion and color and feeling and I don’t think I would want to be without stories like that.

What is this book about?

Without spoiling too much of this story (because there is a CRAZY twist you will NOT see coming) I would say that this book will speak to people who wish that the all-powerful would just take a goddamn second and consider the little guy, especially when their choices tend to have consequences that affect the little guy and not themselves. I know that was worded weird, but if you know, you know, you know?

What is notable about this story?

I love a story where the main characters just have an instant attraction. Liyen knows she should hate the God of War, but isn’t he FINE??? wait she can’t have those feelings…unless? That kind of vibe is amazing. The God of War doesn’t act negatively toward her, mostly neutral, but she has the inner turmoil about how he makes her feel. Not exactly an enemies to lovers story, but close enough that it’s satisfying in a similar way.

I also enjoyed the exploration of the idea that just because a leader is questionable or evil or corrupt doesn’t mean that the entire people they lord over/govern are also that way. That separation is essential; individuals can’t choose where they are born or who they are born to, they can only do the best they can with what they have. It’s easy to hate, it takes kindness and thoughtfulness to have understanding and mercy.

Was anything not so great?

Again, I do not want to spoil what makes this book so special, but I will say that I am learning that if you have read all of Sue Lynn Tan’s work up to this point, you will kick yourself for NOT seeing the twist coming. After it happened to me I felt kind of dumb, like she got me, you know? It was a momentary bad feeling that melted into continued enjoyment of the story. So prepare to “get got” as it were, Tan is an excellent writer.

What’s the verdict?

5 stars on Goodreads and all I can say is if you aren’t already reading anything Sue Lynn Tan writes, what are you waiting for? GO DO IT.

Romantasy has been the booming genre of the 2020s, just as dystopian was for the 2010s. Dystopian spiralled, declining in quality and unique concepts until it essentially died. Romantasy is an incredibly oversaturated genre, but "Immortal" gave me the faith I needed to believe that romantasy as a genre wouldn't be leaving us anytime soon.
The worldbuilding is incredibly well crafted, and the royal drama is almost a mix of Succession and Game of Thrones, with some sinister immortals pulling the strings. Liyen is a strong female protagonist, and I was rooting for her on every page (I love messy characters!) to destroy anyone who stood in her way.
The fact that this was a standalone made me enjoy it even more, and I can't wait to recommend this to all of my friends.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for this eARC. I've already ordered my special edition copy, and I can't wait to display it front and center on my bookshelf.

I received an ARC of this book by the publisher via Netgalley in an exchange for an honest review.

Immortal is Sue Lynn Tan's newest book set in the same world as her Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. Immortal is a standalone and there are zero cross-over characters with her previous series. So if you'd prefer to pick up Immortal first, you won't come across any spoilers. I will say that I feel like reading Daughter of the Moon Goddess first would probably be better. Since Tan doesn't go as deep into world-building in Immortal as she does in her previous series.

An interesting difference between Immortal and Daughter of the Moon Goddess is that I felt like Daughter of the Moon Goddess had much more of an action/adventure tone to it with an added love story. However, Immortal is the inverse of that. The focus is predominantly on the romance with added elements of action/adventure. An interesting similarity between both books is that both have a big twist which makes you realize everything you thought you knew isn't actually what's going on. When I first read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I immediately reread the book after my first read through because I wanted to read the beginning with the information I now knew and see how well Tan had planned it all out. Immortal has a similar game-changing twist, and a part of me wants to re-read the beginning for the same reason.

Immortal is very good, and it was interesting to see Tan lean more into romantasy elements and try something new with this story. There are some pacing issues towards the middle of the novel, where the novel feels like it's slowed down a ton. But once you get through that twist reveal, the action elements start coming into play and the momentum picks back up. I personally don't like Immortal as much as the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, but that's such a high bar since that duology are two of my all-time favorite books. I'm impressed that Tan was able to pull off another spectacular twist, and I liked that she brought us a very new story within her world. It didn't feel like a copy of her previous books.

I really enjoyed my time with Immortal and rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Utterly romantic, transportive, and beautiful. It was amazing to be back in this world, and I loved every minute of it.

Immortal is set in the same world as Daughter of the Moon Goddess but follows Liyen who is the heir to Tianxia. She is poisoned then given an enchanted lotus to save her life. This is a betrayal to the immortals. Liyen must visit the immortal realm prior to vowing her loyalty to the queen. She ends up working closely with the God of War and discovering the tension between them is not entirely new.

This was a wonderfully told story that had great description of this world. I enjoyed the rivals too lovers story and the soft side of the God of War. I'll definitely read more by this author in the future.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Immortal is a beautifully written fantasy book inspired by Eastern mythology. Set in the same world as her Celestial Kingdom series, Sue Lynn Tan has created another romantic fantasy full of magic and adventure.

Immortal follows Liyen, a young ruler who must ascend the throne after her grandfather dies. She vows to free her kingdom from their obligation to the immortals. When she gets the chance to go to the Immortal Realm, she ends up forging a tenuous alliance with the God of War. Liyen soon begins to develop an attraction to Zhangwei, the God of War, despite her feelings towards him. When her kingdom is put in danger, Liyen must overcome her feelings and work together with Zhangwei to stop a powerful threat.

This book has a very dreamlike quality to it. With a beautiful setting and a nice enemies to lovers romance, this read is fantastic. Can’t wait to see what the author does next.

Sue Lynn Tan writes such beautiful stories, I was so happy to be back in the celestial kingdom. Reading about Liyen and Zhangwei was such a wonderful experience, their love, their strength, everything about them both together and apart was beautiful.

My main problm with Sue Lynn Tan's books are her female main characters. I loved the world she created and the lore imbued in her works - they are extremely well crafted and magical. This book takes place in the same world of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess but expanding a little about the mortal realm since our main character is mortal (even if she does go to the immortal realm right in the beginning). I liked the idea of coming to the immortal realm from the perspective of someone who not only live in the mortal world but as someone who wanted distance from the immortals.

But I can't stand Liyen. As with Xingyin in the second book of her duology, she is immovable. She doesn't change, she doesn't keep an open mind, and doesn't allow for her to change her mind when presented with new information. Liyen keeps preventing herself to change and to learn - she wants to remain steadfast in how she is and thinks since the beginning of the book. It doesn't make her a compelling character. And she puts herself, her believes as better than anyone and anyone's else. She is extremely sanctimonious. And the instalove that is evident from the so called Gof od War was just unbelievable. It's obvious he is in love and would die for her since he first saw her - and I just hate instalove when done that way. From her end, she is fighting feelings and attraction since the beginning.

It's a shame. I really liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but I'm afraid Sue Lynn Tan's books are not for me.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this book wasn't for me and it disappointed me. By the last 32% I just skimmed it because I wanted to hurry up and finish it. It was extremely boring and Liyen was easily one of the worst FMCs I have read in some time. The story itself tried to be complex and engaging, but it dragged on unnecessarily and at times it felt like there was too much going on and too many layers of lore for a standalone.

As much as I adore DOTMG, this book was not for me.

This was my first Sue Lynn Tan book. Her writing was rich and immersive, with complex world building, mortal vs immortal realms, politics, action scenes, and - of course - romance.

I enjoyed the FMC Liyen’s boldness so much - loved the way she confidently did as she pleased even when not “proper,” (even when she messed up!) and the way she bantered with the God of War from the start. The romance itself was a slow burn though he fell for her hard pretty quickly (“touch her again and you die” was said).

The audiobook narration was also fantastic. Rating this 4.5 stars, buying a copy for my shelf because it’s also a gorgeous book, and putting the other Celestial Kingdom books on my TBR.

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

Sue Lynn Tan’s ‘Immortal’ is a captivating standalone fantasy/romance set in the Immortal Realm. It’s a magical tale filled with mythology and enchantment. Tan weaves a breathtaking world and develops complex characters. If you’re a fan of mythology, this book is absolutely perfect for you!

I went in thinking this would be a meh, but it ended up being one of my favorites. What a happy surprise!

The author succeeded in creating this world straight out of a xianxia series. There was no awkward translation of terms or inopportune info dump. She just threw us in and let the world develop around us. Liyen and the God of War Zhangwei just screamed Bai Lu's Ye Xiwu and Luo Yunxi's Tantai Jin from <i>Till the End of the Moon</i>.

What kept me up all night reading this was all the emotional damage evoked by the story. This was no simple enemies to lovers. There were heartwrenching betrayals galore. You couldn't help but feel for Liyen as she tried to piece her heart back together over and over. Then, throw in court intrigue in the immortal realm, mortal realm, and the Netherworld for those who love that stuff. But in the end, everything came together beautifully in a perfectly wrapped standalone (a difficult thing to do!)

Review posted on Goodreads, Amazon

4.75 stars Good news if one hasn't read the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology, it doesn't mention anything from that series at all, only the setting of the world is the same. This new story starts with death and grief, making our main angry and spiteful. As the story progresses, the main character becomes more self-assured and grows to be what she needs to be. This is a love story with a bit of spice, there are hardships and growth between all the characters main and minor. The only downfall I saw is, that Sue Lynn Tan could have added more by making it longer or even made this into a duology, as the story seems rushed by the end.

Immortal told the story of Liyen, a mortal ruler, and Zhangwei, the god of war, and for less than 500 pages, it surprisingly gave us a lot.

Set in the same universe as Daughter of the moon goddess, the world building was just as phenomenal and the characters just as fascinating. I’ve binged enough dramas to not be surprised by the plot twists but all were rather welcome and never let the story go dull.

Unfortunately, for a romance fantasy, the romance did not hit as well as the story itself. The chemistry was there, the banter entertaining and they were well-matched but I couldn’t help feeling a little indifferent. Just like with Xingyin, I was more interested in Liyen’s personal growth than any romantic endeavors.

Dnf I wanted so much to love this as I loved her other
Books but the pacing was off and I was so bored and it didn't hold my attention at all whatsoever.

Amazon & Barnes&Noble Review submitted, pending systems approval
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**TL;DR**: A completely unpredictable fantasy with a complex and lovely world
**Source**: Netgalley - Thanks you to the publisher!

**Plot**: This one, like the setting, went all over the place. We started out with one task and ended up with another and it was a ride.
**Characters**: At times infuriating, and other times fantastic. The author really convinced me on these characters and their personalities.
**Setting**: This one went all over the place but I really enjoyed it and all the locations.
**Magic**: While it’s not clearly explained with hard rules, it’s lush and wonderful and makes sense for the setting.

**Thoughts**:

Immortal is Sue Lynn Tan’s third full length novel and a standalone set in the same world as the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. I myself haven’t picked up the original duology but this book was fantastic. So out of the gate I can say, if you haven’t read her previous work this is great to pickup as a first try.

The setup on this is simple enough. Liyen’s grandfather steals a magical flower blossom to heal her of a debilitating poisoning. Unfortunately that flower was sought after by the Immortals that control their realm. He passes away, Liyen finds herself blaming and now serving those same Immortals while also attempting to hide the fact that the magical flower healed her and now dwells within her. Trust me when I say this is just the tip, the tip of what this book turns into. The plot here does not sit still and it morphs wildly. Now this could have gotten away from her, but Sue Lynn Tan keeps this under control and ultimately the story flows and makes sense. and that to me is incredibly impressive.

The characters are deeply frustrating, but the world the magic and the twists made this story great. Liyen makes me want to shake her, and the God of War - I just wish he’d opened up at the beginning. While not perfect I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed this. I do recommend it for FanRo fans, or just general fans of Fantasy. It’s beautiful, not perfect, but beautiful and fun.

Sue Lynn Tan’s Immortal is a beautifully written tale steeped in mythology, but it struggled to fully capture my attention. While the prose is undeniably lyrical, I found it difficult to connect with the characters on a deeper level, which made it hard to invest in their journey. The story unfolds at a slow pace, and while the rich descriptions create an immersive atmosphere, they occasionally overshadow the plot’s momentum. Though there are moments of brilliance and intriguing twists, the lack of emotional resonance left me feeling detached. Fans of lush world-building might enjoy this one, but it wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

If there is one thing I am certain when I read a book from Sue Lynn Tan, is that I am in for excellent, atmospheric writing. IMMORTAL is no different from her previous work. While I felt the overall concept of IMMORTAL was rather trite, using well-worn tropes and concepts, the writing pushes this further out in my eyes, as well as the ownvoices take on mythology, which I always love to see. It's very much a Romantasy in that it leans wholly into the romantic element whereas I would've liked that balanced better with plot and worldbuilding, but overall felt satisfying. Looking forward to what Tan does next.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While I enjoyed the world and some of the banter between the characters, there was a lot I did not like. Part of the problem was the book felt pretty disjointed. There are 3 parts to the book and it almost seemed like each part could have been it’s own book if the author spent more time world building and fleshing out the characters. There were times I found myself lost in the story, wondering how we got somewhere or wondering how something was possible. There were times I had to reread a couple of pages to see if I missed something because there was no transition between scenes.

Also, the FMC was kind of annoying - very impulsive, rash, and sometimes mean. I feel like the author wanted us to think of it as “banter” but there’s a difference between banter and saying things that hurt the other person just to hurt them. Also, I didn’t buy the relationship. I understand why the relationship seemed rushed and appeared to be insta-love BUT since we didn’t get that reveal until the latter half of the book, the romance just felt weird. Even after the reveal, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two characters.

I would rate this 3 stars - I definitely enjoyed parts of it and there was a lot I did not like. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.