Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

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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.

Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan is objectively a gorgeous book. I mean, those bright pink end papers, the shiny cover, the color scheme! And that is to say nothing of the content within. The plot within Immortal is lush and beautifully woven. This Asian inspired fantasy was a romantic story following the enemies to lovers trope, but with a slight twist. I wish that I had picked this up when I was in more of an able to concentrate frame of mind. However, I still found it very much enjoyable and fascinating.

Sue Lynn Tan’s Immortal follows Liyen who is the heir to Tianixia. Tianxia is a nation walled off from the rest of the mortal world. It is prosperous due to the connection it has with the immortals. However, one day it is breached by basically monsters and so, Liyen wants to save Tianixia. She also wants her nation to be connected back to humanity. How far will she go? What will she sacrifice to save the country she loves? Oh and also, after her grandfather passes, she has to go to the immortal realm. While there, she stays with the God of War. She hates him. However, he may be her best chance at freeing Tianxia from the bargain with the immortals. Liyen will be tested and will come across all different kinds of immortals. Also, she finds herself attracted to Zhangwei — the God of War. 

I really enjoyed the world that Sue Lynn Tan built in Immortal. I thought that the mythology was so interesting — especially when we got to the big reveal and the twist. The story is lush and exquisitely written. Liyen is an interesting character in that she’s not immediately a bad ass. Instead, she’s actually really physically weak until she swallows something that is of great importance to the immortals. I loved her loyalty to her people. I also enjoyed reading about her gay best friend, Chengyin. The pacing, however, felt very slow. I do want to give the qualifier that I tried to read this during a time that was really stressful — around the close of January. So, I was spending a lot of time spiraling instead of reading. Still, I am glad to have read this lovely book and do look forward to more from Sue Lynn Tan. 

@aprilbooksandwine

I couldn’t be more excited for Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan. Thank you Harper Voyager!

♬ QKThr – Aphex Twin

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April (Books&Wine)

April is in her 30s and created Good Books And Good Wine. She works for a non-profit. April always has a book on hand. In her free time she can be found binge watching The Office with her husband and toddler, spending way too much time on Pinterest or exploring her neighborhood.

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