"A great pity that it was easier to hate than to understand."

Exactly three years ago, I read Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and now, for the second time, I find myself wondering why none of Sue Lynn Tan's other books have reached the same level as her first. To be honest, this one has some better points compared to Heart of the Sun Warrior.

That said, Immortal does have its strengths and some of which reminded me of what I loved about Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

There’s a stubborn immortal beside god of war. An empress, the Queen of the Golden Desert in pursuit of the mythical Divine Pearl Lotus. Demons that threaten both sides. Secrets, lies, and twist, even if not all of it hits as hard as it could.

I don’t regret reading it. It's a shorter, standalone entry in Tan’s world, and it held my attention to finish it. But it has also made me reflect on whether I want to continue exploring one of my favorite sub-genre Asian romantasy...

"Those who have enough often forget those in need - not because they're unkind - but because it makes them uneasy, evoking guilt that they have so much while others, nothing. Life is inherently unfair."

Thank you HarperCollins UK via NetGalley for giving me a chance to read Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan. I have given my honest review.

Sue Lynn Tan has a beautiful, almost poetic way of writing that transports you into these magical worlds. I loved the characters and the interactions between Liyen and the God of War; and the minor politics at play. There are some lovely twists and turns that I didn't see coming and it'll make a re-read take on a different meaning.
I'd highly recommend !

This one just didn't work for me - the plot mainly focused on the romance and I just didn't find it compelling.

Another beautifully written mythical book! The world building was beautifully descriptive and detailed. The characters were so closely intertwined with the plot that as the story unravelled the characters became more fleshed and their relationships deepened. I really enjoyed all the twists and turns.that kept the plot evolving and your speculations guessing! A fantastic standalone addition to the celestial worlds series!

This was an amazing book! I loved the setting, and the love story was beautiful. The twists along the way had me on the edge of my seat and I just couldn’t stop reading! For any fans of the Celestial Kingdom series by Sue Lynn Tan, this is just as amazing in its own way!

I am a HUGE fan of everything and anything Sue Lynn Tan, she's one of my all-time favourite authors for very, very good reason. Sue always creates such magical, lush and romantic stories and this one was no exception at all! I absolutely LOVED reading this one, the whole book was so beautifully written, and I couldn't stop thinking about how magical and romantic it felt throughout. Immortal really drew me in from the very beginning, and I had such a wonderful time reading through it, getting to know the characters and watching them grow together!

Thank you so much HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction and HarperVoyager for providing me with an e-ARC <3

I absolutely love Sue Lynn Tan's writing, no matter what book it is it always draws you in and it is done beautifully. I loved reading Immortal. The characters are created with such a realism and you form a connection to them. They develop well throughout the storyline and the battles they faced. I really loved the direction this novel went in, I was immersed into the story and world building straight away. From start to finish I thoroughly enjoyed reading Immortal.

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | HarperVoyager for providing me this book in exchange for an honest review*

I adored The Celestial Kingdom duology by Lynn Tan and Immortal was an insta buy for me. Unfortunately, the insta love between Liyen and the God of War wasn't for me. I mean, he's the god of War. He should be at least...angry? vindictive? Something. Immortal would be benefited more from an Adult aspect rather than YA. But then again, it was a solid read. Not great, but solid.

A thoroughly enjoyable story with a few twists and turns to keep it engaging. It sometimes felt episodic rather than one flowing story, but the cast of characters and vibrant world-building made up for it. The love story didn't quite grip me as much as I wanted, but overall it was a moving tale of romance and family.

"To win the God of War’s favour was wise – to fall in love with him would ruin me"
Immortal - Sue Lynn Tan

This is the second book that I read from the author and I really enjoy her writing. I love her storylines, the world building and her characters. Immortal was not an exception . It is a fantasy romance standalone that is set in the world of The Celestial Kingdom but can be read without reading her previous duology.

Immortal is a romantic and enchanting book that I couldn't put down. There is no particular action in it but the plot and the world are incredible. I must not forget the plot twists that made it even better. I really liked the characters and the relationships between them. My favourite character has to be the God of War!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the advance reader copy of Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan for an honest review.

I have to say following the Daughter of the Moon Goddess series I really anticipated this book and it didn't quite live up to my expectations. It started off incredibly strong and was giving enemies to lovers vibes but then seemed to taper off somewhere in the middle it became fully about their romance but we find that the God of war just loved her instantly which is explained later with a few twists but I found this a bit difficult to believe prior to the twist as it seemed very instant love which wasn't what I was anticipating.

Such pretty art work but I struggled with the substance of the story and found it to be lacking which was a shame as I was really excited to get this to read to review.

This had 5 star moments and 3 star moments. It had moments were it kept me reading until late at night and other moments that felt like I was just waiting for Zhangwei to show up again.

We follow Liyen, who ascends the throne of Tianxia after the death of her beloved grandfather. As she does, she vows to end her kingdom's obligation to the immortals of the Golden Desert who say Tianxia is under their protection but don't care much about mortals. When Liyen is summoned by the Queen of the Golden Desert to renew her kingdom’s pledge to the immortals she gets to know the God of War, an enemy she intends to turn into an ally. But not everything is as simple as it seems and the God of War might be trying to get something from her too.

I liked the plot, the characters and the romance but I wasn't 100% in, not in the way books sometimes make you feel like you are there with the characters suffering alongside them. This felt like I was watching from afar, if that makes any sense. I liked the romance but it was too instalovey and cheesy for my liking, though the instalove part is explained.

As I said, I liked this story, but I think I would be more interested in what happened before.

I also thought this was going to be more related to Daughter of the Moon Goddess than it is. Yes, it is set in the same world but, in the way Sweden and Australia are also in the same world. They are completely separate stories.

Unfortunately, this was very disappointing. I didn't enjoy this at all. It was supposed to be enemies to lovers romance which it wasn't. It was insta-lust if I ever saw one. It doesn't matter how often the main character tries to tell me she hates him when her actions show a different story. They were never enemies. On top of that, the story was bland and the characters flat. I honestly, couldn't care less about anything happening.
I should also mention that it was very hard to read the arc I had received from you as there were many errors in it. Constantly repeated sentences or paragraphs that made for a disjointed reading experience.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is a captivating standalone fantasy set in the rich, mythical world of the Daughter of the Moon Goddess duology. Once again, Tan’s lyrical prose shines, weaving breathtaking imagery that immerses you in celestial palaces, enchanted pearls, and starry skies.

The story follows Liyen, a devoted ruler desperate to protect her people, and Zhangwei, the feared God of War with hidden depths. Their dynamic—riddled with tension, mistrust, and eventual longing—kept me invested throughout. The romance is slow-burning yet emotionally charged, blending moments of tenderness with sharp banter. Zhangwei’s character arc, revealing a man burdened by his bloody reputation, was especially well done.

While the plot is fast-paced with plenty of action and twists, it occasionally felt overwhelming—some events pass too quickly to fully explore their emotional impact. Still, the balance of romance, duty, and sacrifice makes for a compelling read.

If you love lush world-building, star-crossed romance, and stories of love overcoming fate, Immortal is well worth picking up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC of this book.

If Sue Lynn Tan writes it, I’m going to read it! This was absolutely beautiful - the world building was perfect, the characters were complex and compelling and the plot was *chefs kiss* perfect.

You can definitely read this if you haven’t read The Celestial Kingdom duology first (although you should 100% read those too!), it is a perfect stand alone novel if you are looking for a romantasy with political intrigue and some mythological lore.

4 🌟🌟🌟🌟 This was such a beautiful and captivating story! ❤️ The world-building was absolutely stunning; I could see it so clearly in my mind. So many unexpected twists and turns! While not spicy, the tension and romance were perfect—a warm, happy feeling. The devotion is real! If you love beautiful worlds, tension, betrayal, past lives, gods, mythical creatures, monsters, heartbreak, and tearjerker moments, you NEED this book!

This was an incredible read from start to finish, and perfect for fans of the romantasy genre.

I will be honest, at first this book took me a little bit to get into but as soon as the story truly began I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it. The mythological elements weaved into the story in a new and unique way are an incredible foundation to this book and created an intrigue that drew you in.

The world building is incredible, the characters are so well fleshed out that the romance comes so naturally. The chemistry was there between Liyen and Zhangwei, and the dialogue perfectly encapsulates the banter and chemistry between them.

I had no experience with Sue Lynn Tan’s books before this one, and particularly loved that this was a standalone. I would highly recommend this book to fans of romantasy and mythology.

DNF at 35 % of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc in return of an honest review.

Sadly this book just was not for me. I started it with high hopes but found that the writing style was not too my liking, and did not find the dialogue between characters that interesting. My main problem was the insta-love which personally I am not a fan of. I didn't understand the attraction between the two main characters, and didn't feel like there was any chemistry between them.

I tried to keep reading but found I was just skimming conversations so stopped 35 % through the book.

🏹🗡🪷🤎

another absolute smash hit from Sue Lynn Tan - i must say, she's a complete genius, and I'll read everything she writes 🥰🫶

I absolutely loved loved loved this book - the rich description, complex characters, the deep and intricate worldbuilding 🩵🩷🧡💛💖
returning to a Sue Lynn Tan book feels like sinking into a hot bath after a long day; it's always a wonderful experience, and one I'll always look forward too 🥰
we follow Liyen on her ascension to the throne of Tianxia following her grandfather's tragic and untimely death and how she navigates the treacherous world of the court and of the immortals who hold immense power over her kingdom. she must form a tenuous alliance with the God of War, a perfidious man who has done nothing to gain the trust she must place in him

I loved how the plot unfolded and showed itself the further into the book I got, and how all the pieces fell into place as all was revealed - it was just incredible. it was also so great to read little anecdotes as to how it linked subtly to the Celestial Kingdom series; it felt like a fun little easter egg for me to spot and get excited about!

if you love a book with intense pining, touch her and die and a badass FMC, this is without a doubt the book for you (also go read everything else Sue Lynn Tan has written I promise you won't regret it!)

thank you to netgalley for graciously providing me with an e-arc 🤎

I kind of sort of wish she wasn’t an immortal but i still loved this so bad sue lynn tan you are a star. Like actually the queen of atmospheric writing.