Thank yo NetGalley for a copy of Immortal in exchange of my honest opinion.

Sue Lynn Tan does it again with another romantic fantasy that will take you away to a lush world with complex politics, tridimensional characters and yearning - SO MUCH YEARNING.

This standalone story follows Liyen, the grandaughter and only heir of the human kingdom, who has to ascend to the throne after her grandfather's sacrifice triggered the wrath of the Immortal Queen. To defend her people, she confronts the immortals, including the God of War. Of course, their sizzling chemistry but opposite goals make this forbidden attraction one of the best parts of the story. In fact, Sue Lynn Tan writes anti-heroes love interest like no one (I'm looking at you as well, Wenzhi).

The audiobook was narrated by Natalie Naudus that did a great job in immersing you in this gut-wrenching and fast pasced story.

With beautiful writing, full of plot twists, this is an easy page-turner!

I was already familiar with Sue Lynn Tan's work having read Daughter of the Moon Goddess (but not its sequel) so I already had an idea of the sort of vibes her story would deliver and it did not disappoint!

Immortal tells the story of Liyen who is summoned to the Immortal Realm and meets Zhangwei who is the God of War. Sue Lynn Tan has such a say with creating a fantastical atmosphere that also draws from mythology I know of from, embarrassingly enough, Chinese dramas. I think this was such a fun read. It was a bit slow but picks up after the quarter mark.

Only gripe is that this is marketed as enemies to lovers. Zhangwei was a very good host from the start and the more you learn, the more you're aware as to why! But I can get past that as the story itself was a fun adventure.

FIVE⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Immortal is an epic stand-alone fantasy romance with strong characters and high stakes set in the same lush world as The Celestial Kingdom series.

This was my first book from Sue Lynn Tan and it's truly a masterpiece. I was hooked from the start - I love how the author weaves twists and discoveries in with the romance. But this beautiful story becomes so much more than a romance, it has real depth. There's mystery, heartbreak, magic, sacrifice and humor. I couldn't put it down. It's extremely well thought out and beautifully written. I wish I could share every single one of the exquisite quotes I underlined while reading this. It truly is a perfect book and was a pleasure to read. I am usually pretty good at predicting storylines and it was very refreshing to be proven wrong with every guess.

P.S. THE GOD OF WAR……without spoiling anything just know that the romance in this HITS! The banter is top notch - it will be your next obsession. I will be re-reading this ASAP.

Make sure to check out all the special editions they are coming out with too!

First re-read: I listened to the audio and had an absolute BLAST. Great, quality audio performance! 5/5.

Thank you SO much to Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for a copy of this ARC! I am honored to have been chosen as an ARC reader. As always, all opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

3.5/5 stars

Natalie Naudus is one of the best narrators out there - you can't change my mind!

I have loved everything I've read for Sue Lynn Tan, so it hurts me to say that this wasn't exactly a let down....but it definitely didn't hit my expectations. It wasn't bad, but it starts super slow and while some of the insta-love and such is explained later....it was a major turn off for me through the first 40% or so of the book.

Once some of the background started getting explained it felt a lot more like her previous books and I was far more engaged - but getting there was a slog and it was only the good quality writing (in general) and my love of her previous books that kept me from DNFing.

I do still recommend this book and everything in this world...but know this one starts much slower and if insta-love isn't your thing, the beginning may be a turnoff.

This was so good, I loved the story and the main character and her attitude. I loved the romance and the world building. Trully a beautiful read.

Rating: 4.5

Revisit the world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess with political intrigue, romance and magic.

As a child, Liyen is poisoned. To save her life, her grandfather gives her an enchanted lotus that was promised to the immortal queen. Now ascended to the throne after her grandfather’s death, she is summoned to the Immortal Realm to swear fealty to the Immortal Queen. However she has every intention of freeing her people from their obligations to the immortals.

This audiobook was enjoyable. If you liked Daughter of the Moon Goddess, you’ll want to give this one a read too.

After her family and relatives die, Linyen is left with the heavy responsibility of protecting the Empire and her people. She must escape the grasp of the immortal Queen Caihong of the Golden Desert, while also contending with threats from the Wuxin (banished people of the immortal realm) and the Winged Devils (monsters).

Although Kunlun’s walls and the mists erected by the immortals protect her, betrayals and dangerous plots are always near. Poisoned and betrayed by those around her, Linyen takes a divine lotus pearl given to her by her grandfather to heal herself and to keep it hidden from the queen, who desires it. In order to protect those dear to her, she has pledge loyalty to Queen Caihong—but only after setting terms of her own.

As she navigates this treacherous world, Zhangwei, the God of War, comes to her aid. While she’s cautious around most people, Linyen trusts only Chengyin and Aunt Shuo, and she begins planning to use Zhangwei to negotiate conditions that could free her people from servitude. Unbeknownst to her, Zhangwei has similar intentions. Over time, however, their alliance blossoms into something more than trust. Their relationship could be described as “enemies to lovers,” though not in the strictest sense, and I don’t want to spoil too much—but they do eventually find happiness together.

The book has the potential to become a duology. Some sections could be expanded to give greater depth, particularly the twists in the characters’ relationships. Adding hints along the way would add more impact to these developments. I also wish we could have explored more about the politics and hierarchy of the immortal realm. When reading the immortal realm arc, it felt somewhat rushed, especially in terms of introducing the realm’s various powers. The ARC I received had a blank page where the map would be, so I couldn’t see the layout of the eight kingdoms, including Cloud Wall, Phoenix Kingdom, and the Four Kingdoms of the Seas. While it seems the Celestial Kingdom is the most powerful, this isn’t made clear, as Queen Caihong only briefly references the Celestial King without detailing the realm’s structure.


“Immortal” shares some elements with the author’s previous books, such as exile from the immortal realm and the Elixir of Immortality

Overall, I was satisfied with the book, especially the part where Linyen discovers why she was brought to the immortal realm. I was looking forward to a more extended chase arc, but perhaps that will come in future installments.

I received a physical copy of the book for review.

I have not read the other installments of Sue Lynn Tan's Celestial Kingdom series, but this one seemed to stand alone well enough. I didn't feel like I was missing out on any knowledge that I needed to appreciate the story. This was a solid 4 star read for me. Was it perfect? No, but it was enjoyable. I liked Liyen a lot as a main character. She was flawed, but she recognized her flaws and tried to do the best she could for her people despite them. At first glance, this is an enemies to lovers book (though, it is very fade to black), but there are some intricacies to that trope that you might not expect. I liked the twist, and I definitely didn't see it coming, though it does happen fairly early in relation to the book's end. The setting is really lush and beautiful, and Tan's writing feels very transportative. It definitely felt like I was in a fairytale while reading this. There's lots of political intrigue here, so if you like your fantasy with a side of political machinations, then this one is a solid pick for you. Overall, very enjoyable reading experience.