An interesting story. Very well written. Loved the mythology of the world and loved the world building.

Immortal is a standalone book set in the same world as the beautiful Celestial Kingdom series. A richly detailed world unfolds filled with mythology and touches of whimsy. The narration of the audiobook is done with gentle shifts in tone for characters and situations — leading to a pleasant and engaging listening experience.

Liyen, is an fmc who goes through many transformations as the secrets of her life begin to unravel alongside the rich storylines. Her story begins with her poisoning and her loving grandfather betraying the gods to get her the only thing that can cure her. The sacrifice he makes ultimately causes his death and sets in motion Liyens ascension to the throne of Tianxia. However, she must get the approval of the very gods her grandfather betrayed in order for her to solidify her rule.

Tan does a wonderful job weaving complexities of mythology, politics, misogyny, love, sorrow, and poses the age old questions of is there ever truly a right and a wrong when it comes to war?

The evolution of the relationship between Liyen and the god of war is one that snares you the further into the book you get. Seemingly simple at the start; filled with tension and banter, the thought crosses your mind that this is just another bit of insta love. Yet, Tan subtlety gives us bread crumbs that their love is more than what you are initially led to believe. I enjoyed the journey and evolution of this romance, yet, I wished for more tension and connection. Liyen, while her strife is understandable — she also has a brashness that detracts from the underlying connections.

The action in the book struck me as if I was watching a movie, it played out move for move in my head with a beautiful vividness and would genuinely translate well to a cinematic setting (think bold and beautiful colors like jet li in hero with each world having its own unique and vivid coloring at least that’s how I envision it).

Overall Immortal was enjoyable yet, had some minor pacing issues where some aspects of the book felt as if they progressed rather quickly and some just slowed. The initial world building lacked a little however Tan made up for that as the other realms were introduced. Liyen had moments where I felt extremely annoyed at her actions and her overly judgmental and stubborn thought process. However, as the story progresses it largely resolved. The last 25% of the book really kicked upped the action! If you’re looking for a mostly quick paced read, with Chinese mythology and wonderfully woven storylines then I definitely recommend giving Immortal a read.

Thank you to the author, publishers, and netgalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook!

I really enjoyed this beautifully written tale! Daughter of the Moon Goddess was one of my favorite duologies, so I couldn't wait to be back in the world of the Celestial Kingdom! This story had magical world building, exciting twists and a slow burn romance! Sue Lynn Tan is becoming a new favorite author and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future!

Book 📖: Immortal
Author ✍️: Sue Lynn Tan
Rating out of 5: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Release Date: January 7, 2025

Blurb: To save her life, Liyen is given the precious enchanted lotus, but when the immortal queen comes looking for the lotus, Liyen must face the consequences for her kingdom’s survival and their hopeful independence from the queen’s influence.

Review: This was such a fun standalone fantasy book! 😍 I always enjoy a good standalone fantasy because it means that I don’t have to wait for other books to come out, and I just get to binge it all in one sitting 😅.

I fell in love with this book! The setting was beautiful and atmospheric, the characters were strong, powerful, and wise, and I had a blast reading it!

Like her other books, I felt like this book had a couple different parts. As we moved from one Realm to another, the setting shifted with along with the momentum of the plot. This kept the story moving forward quickly, as well as introducing us to a wonderful variety of locations. 🥰

I loved the complexity of the end of this book. It would have been really easy for the author to make everything black-and-white and wrap it up quickly, but instead she really took her time to show Liyen making choices that a compassionate and wise ruler would.

🗡️ The God of War had such a good arc, and I loved watching all of the lies unravel to the truth beneath. 🙊 I had so much fun with his scenes, and the tension between them was great!

🪷 Liyen was clever and cunning, and she grew into herself so much throughout this novel! She truly wants what’s best for everyone, and I appreciate it that she didn’t fall into making rash decisions that would frustrate the reader.

Overall, I highly recommend this beautiful book that delves into Chinese mythology and the realm of the Celestial Kingdom, but with a whole new cast of characters and motivations! ❤️

Thank you #netgalley and #suelynntan for this early release copy!

I was really excited to get the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan especially after being so impressed by her Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. This book had many of the same rich folklore and mythology elements I loved in the duology that just piqued my interest so much and created such a beautiful and intriguing world in this high fantasy romance. I really liked in this book the variation of the immortals and mortals and the dynamics that presented not only the main characters, but also the plot. The romance was really strong in this book and I think stood out more than the romance of the duology. It was more romance led than plot driven, but that being said, I really liked the romance and the twists that the main characters had due to the love story they shared and how that was woven throughout the book.
The audiobook narrator did a great job. I was able to follow along well and differentiate between the dialogue and characters. It was a good audio read and I enjoyed it. I recommend it.
I received an advance listening copy of this novel from Netgalley and Harper Audio. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Content: closed-door romance with a bit of fade to black.

Wow, Sue Lynn Tan sure knows how to write a breath taking fantasy novel. This novel was just as beautifully written as her previous novels. I loved that it took place in the same world as the Daughter of the Moon Goddess, but a with many different elements. It even included "easter eggs" from her previous novels. Loved the romance between the new main characters. It was a lot more spicy than her previous novels too. Loved it! Looking forward to the next Sue Lynn Tan novel! Loved Natalie Naudus's narration of this novel. She's one of my favourite narrators and any book she narrates is an auto listen for me :)

Ever since reading Sue Lynn Tan's duology for The Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I have wanted to delve back into the world she has created for these immortal beings. And what a treat this was to come back and experience a different area of the world, and with new characters and a fresh story.

I had the privilege of listening to the advance audiobook copy, thanks to Netgalley.

I award Narrator Natalie Naudus 5/5 stars for her amazing storytelling abilities. She put a lot of heart and emotion into the characters and breathed life into them, and you can feel it when listening to her. The transitions between character dialogue and narrating thoughts and actions was very seamless and I wouldn't change anything about it.

In terms of the story, our main character is a female mortal named Liyen who has ascended the throne when her grandfather dies, and she vows to free her kingdom from the obligations they have towards the immortals. However, she is swept away on an adventure with the god of war, attempting to learn his secrets as her mistrust in him turns into something more over time...

I will admit that there were many moments in this story where I gasped audibly because of the plot twists. The story was very poetic, and reminiscent of Sue Lynn Tan's original duology and I applaud that her writing style felt similar, if not a little improved. It was comforting and very easy to dive into the world and was familiar and cozy.

4/5 stars for the story.

For anyone wanting enemies to lovers, close proximity, forbidden love and entanglements, with a twist to Chinese mythology I would recommend you give this stand alone novel a try.

Uuurgh, why does everyone think that they know what's best for the FMC (I don't know how to write her name, sorry)? Why don't they let her decide what's better for herself? Isn't she a sane person? She rules her people for God's sake. How I wished I had the eARC there are so many quotes I wanted to highlight. TBH, Once I knew the truth, I didn't care anymore,e, but Sue Lynn Tan has a way with words that makes me want to read the whole book, ok, even if I don't agree with some of what's in it.
PS It's not fully a YA book and that's new for Sue Lynn Tan.

Pre read

Oh My God 😭😭 I received the ALC from NetGalley 💋

A spellbinding standalone romantasy with excellent world building, great and complex characters, and a slow-burn enemies to lovers romance. The action scenes, political intrigue, and unexpected twists kept the pages turning. I appreciated that the world building stands on its own so that readers who haven't read the previous books in Tan's Celestial Kingdom can just dive right in and read it. Natalie Naudus is one of my favorite audiobook narrators and she does not disappoint in her rendition of this story.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for an advanced reader's copy of the book.

What a lovely standalone novel! I loved the rich world building. And star-crossed lovers romance. And I loved the twists. Recommend for lovers of epic fantasy!

Sue Lynn Tan gives us another beautiful magical story. The twists, the romance and the magic is just perfect. It was so amazing to be back in this word. Her writing is like no other.

This book has me in a chokehold, i loved every minute of it and I love that it was a stand alone. It was a perfect introduction to the world and I'm definitely going to read the rest of the books in the world, it's alot less daunting.

Immortal is the sweepingly romantic tale of Liyen and the infamous God of War, Zhangwei. Liyen was poisoned and made a miraculous recovery with the help of a magical lotus flower. When the Immortal Realms demand an audience of the ruler-to-be and an explanation of where the magical lotus flower went, Liyen encounters the God of War. As a connection sparks, the Immortal Realm is inundated with enemies. Can Liyen and Zhangwei work together to save the realms?

Immortal is a beautifully written book, with lush description and heartfelt characters. Sue Lynn Tan always writes gorgeous prose. Liyen was one of my favorite characters! I loved how Liyen always tried to make the best choices for her people, while also not letting herself be pushed around by the immortals. Zhangwei and Liyen have excellent chemistry! I was spellbound by the betrayals and twists that take place as their story continues. Immortal is a satisfying standalone, though I’m eager to read whatever Sue Lynn Tan writes next!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Natalie Naudus, and absolutely loved her excellent narration. Readers who love romantic fantasy, strong heroines, and lyrical writing will adore Immortal.

Thank you to Sue Lynn Tan, HarperAudio, and Netgalley for a free audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Storygraph, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Set in a vibrant fantasy world inspired by Chinese mythology, Immortal immerses readers in a realm where mortals guard the path to the immortal realm and protect the long-held secret of the immortals' existence.

The story centers on Liyen, a woman who, after the devastating loss of her grandfather, becomes the ruler of her mortal lands. Desperate to keep a powerful secret from the immortal realm, she struggles to balance her growing attraction to the God of War, who takes a keen interest in her, while protecting her people and keeping dangerous secrets.

The novel is broken up into several sections, each marking a shift in Liyen's journey, but unfortunately, the structure leaves much to be desired. While the book does feature some amazing twists and complex themes, its pacing and character development fall short.

Liyen's character is a significant barrier to enjoying the story. In the first couple sections, she comes off as brash, self-righteous, and at times downright cruel, especially in her interactions with the God of War. Her stubbornness and harsh demeanor made it difficult to empathize with her, and, quite frankly, I found myself continuously frustrated with her. The tension between Liyen's tough exterior and her inner struggles could have been an excellent opportunity for rich character development, but unfortunately, it felt like she was stuck in her ways for too long, making it hard to root for her.

The God of War’s insta-love, and his attraction to Liyen felt unwarranted in comparison to her cold and antagonistic behavior. This juxtaposition between the two felt jarring, and while things do eventually have solid explanations, it felt frustrating in the meantime and left me feeling turned off from the story. And ultimately, wanting to DNF multiple times.

There was so much potential with this story but the execution left me so frustrated because there was SO MUCH potential! The twists were great but (without saying any spoilers) I think that if we knew the twist earlier on. Maybe having it integrated throughout the story, it would’ve been so much more rewarding when certain things did come to light. I also really wish that we got more story with the big reveal. Things went from 0-100 and then just moved on past it.

One aspect of the book I did really like was its exploration of prejudice and generalization of different groups. It touches on the importance of not judging a whole group based on the actions of a few. However, this gets muddled by the childish behavior of the supposed "big bad" of the story. The antagonist, instead of being a menacing character, instead, acts like a petulant child, undermining the threat they were supposedly posing on the main characters.

In terms of world-building, the setting—a world steeped in Chinese mythology—is rich with potential, but I felt that the story didn't fully deliver on this. The dynamics between mortals and immortals, the hidden realms, and the significance of the lotus all had so much promise. Yet, much of this potential was lost in the execution. I found myself wanting to know so much more about the world, its magic, the landscape and mystical creatures, the lives of the immortals. There just felt like there was so much more to explore in these realms

Ultimately, Immortal felt like a story that had all the right ingredients for something truly captivating, but the execution left me wanting more.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review

I really love this narrator, she did an incredible job voicing the multiple characters! I really liked reading this story in such a format because I learned the correct pronunciation of different names and locations that I would've butchered on my own.
As for the story itself, it eventually eased itself into a Tan speciality, albeit the first 30% or so was tedious. Mainly because of my personal frustrations with the main character. What is it with NA Romantasy FMCs and their lack of ability to back up their brash, obstinate ways?
A lot of the key plot points were obvious to me, so no twist felt especially shocking. However, because it hits all the familiar beats with style, I'd say this was successful addition to the genre.

3.5 stars, maybe 3.75 stars. Daughter of the Moon Goddess is one of my favorite books of all time, but Heart of the Sun Warrior was a DNF for me, so I honestly wasn’t sure how this book would go. Fortunately, I enjoyed this more than Heart of the Sun Warrior, if less than Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

I wasn’t really on board with the supposed enemies-to-lovers dynamic in the first 30% of the book; Liyen hated Zhangwei but Zhangwei clearly liked Liyen, so the dynamic was slightly frustrating to read. It also made Liyen’s sudden attraction to Zhangwei just before the 30% mark feel like an abrupt swing. After the 30% point, though, I felt that Liyen’s hostility was more deserved, and the caustic banter between her and Zhangwei was much more enjoyable to read. I think it would have made more sense if the book had started with Liyen being wary of Zhangwei, but not quite so openly hostile. It would have also created more contrast with her behavior in the second third of the book.

I did like Liyen as a character; I liked how proactive she was in achieving her goals and how confident she was in her own self-worth. We stan a woman who knows what she wants and acts on that, instead of only passively reacting to her surroundings. I loved, too, her platonic relationship with her male best friend, Chengyin. I also appreciated the LGBTQ+ rep in this book in the form of bisexual king Chengyin and Lin, the sapphic Wuxin.

I really liked the action/adventure portions of the plot; they felt like something right out of a C-drama. I also thought the worldbuilding with the Wuxin was well done. In terms of the romance, while I enjoyed Zhangwei’s banter with Liyen, I’m a bit lukewarm on him as a love interest. Something I noticed in both Heart of the Sun Warrior and this book (and even Daughter of the Moon Goddess to a lesser extent) is that the male love interest is written to be perfectly adoring of the female protagonist, but in a way that almost feels bland and generic. Sure, Liyen has many good qualities, but I don’t have a sense of why specifically Zhangwei loves her so much that he’s willing to die for her, what their romantic chemistry is rooted in. Because of all that, I find the romance aspect of this book a bit weak.

So, in sum: I found this an enjoyable fantasy novel, with a romance that doesn’t quite stand on its own but does feature enjoyable banter between the romantic leads.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Immortal is an interesting, romantic fantasy novel with entertaining characters and a magical world.

Sue Lynn Tan’s prose is beautiful, and she always succeeds in writing addictive romances, but unfortunately, Immortal underwhelmed me—multiple scenes, whether action or romance, felt thrown in and out of place. The character development felt unnatural sometimes, and I felt like the romance did not develop as smoothly as it did in Daughter of the Moon Goddess. The plot did not hook me as DotMG did, though I did enjoy the magical world and banter. The ending was sweet, although the conclusion of the story felt fast. Although it was not for me, I would still recommend that readers who’ve had their eye on Immortal try it.

Natalie Naudus is a brilliant narrator, and I enjoyed her performance of Immortal. She nailed the characters’ voices and presented the story with her signature depth and emotion, delivering an immersive experience.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

Each time I read a Sue Lynn Tan book I'm memorized that written text can be so colorful, rich, and saturated with beauty. I'm audio it's just as poetic. Just from the descriptions of the settings, the clothing, the food. Everything pops off the page. Immortal is no exception. Set in both the human world and the Celestial Kingdom the story is about a mortal, Liyen who is ruler of the Tianxia kingdom. All she wants is freedom from the gods who once protected her kingdom from a threat that is no more. Unlike the rulers before her, Liyen's grandfather has given her a bargaining chip. Something that the immortal queen desperately wants. After the death of her grandfather Liyen must pledge her kingdoms loyalty to the immortals. However she has a different plan.


From the publisher
A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

What the gods did not give us, I would take

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.

I highly recommend this book. It's beautifully written. Thank you NetGalley and Avon Harper Voyager for this e galley. All opinions are my own

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.