ebookreview | Entries tagged with author: sue lynn tan

Immortal (The Celestial Kingdom) by Sue Lynn Tan

Genre:
Mythology, Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Young Adult, Retellings, Enemies to Lovers, Asian Fiction, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Magic

Publication Date:
January 7, 2025

Page Numbers:
464

Read/Finished Date:
May 8th, 2025 - May 9th, 2025

Rating:
5/5

Premise:

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.

Review:

His words struck a cord inside me. "I don't believe in destiny - that it's not been set or determined from our birth. I don't believe it's written in the stars."
His gaze was that of an endless night. "Then write your own."

Our female lead, Liyen, has been sick all of her life. When her grandfather gives her the Divine Pearl Lotus, she finds all of the poison and ailments within her body gone. What is unaware of is that the Queen of the Golden Desert has come for that flower and is incensed when she finds it missing. As Liyen is thrust into a role she didn't want, she finds the people around her are not all they seem.

Zhangwei, the God of War and our formidable male lead, stands as a protector of Liyen. His mere presence commands respect and fear, for he has been meticulously bred and trained for battle, his reputation as a fierce and ruthless warrior precedes him across the Mortal Realm. Warnings of his ferocity are well-founded—dare to lay a hand on Liyen, and Zhangwei will not hesitate to destroy you without mercy.

Okay, okay, hear me out, but this reads like a C-Drama, and if you love those, then this novel (alongside the other novels in this series) is just right up your alley. I say this as a good thing too (because I love them). The drama. The world-building. The mythological retellings. And let's not forget - the romance. It is all there, jam-packed and ready for your eyes to devour.