Sue Lynn Tan is back with a new story set in her romantic world, the Celestial Kingdom. But this time, we take a cloud down from the heavens and find footing on solid ground among the mortals toiling within the confines of a wall and immortal magic. Tan’s newest standalone novel, Immortal, is a story of love, destiny, and the struggle to stay true to oneself.
When a rare, magical lotus blooms in the mortal kingdom of Tianxia, the immortal queen of the Golden Desert demands that the human king bring it to her. But in a desperate act to save his beloved granddaughter and heir, the king gives the healing lotus to Liyen, who is succumbing to a deadly poison. Liyen is able to hide the lotus within her from the immortal queen’s hungry gaze, but not without consequences. Liyen’s people are suffering under the immortal’s whims, and she will use her leverage with the lotus and her fragile friendship with the God of War to find a way to set her people free from the powerful beings in the sky.
This book gives us a different perspective of Tan’s immortal world since a mortal queen tells the story. Instead of flying among the stars, we get a grounded perspective of the human experience within Tan’s magical world. Liyen has a much different opinion of the immortals and their power, and it’s her POV that makes parts one and two of the book so much fun. A brilliant ruler in her own right, Liyen has no qualms about confronting the haughty immortals head-on. She doesn’t show them deference and is passionate about speaking her mind to serve the best interests of her people and kingdom. The awe and wonder of the Celestial Kingdom duology is replaced with the stark realities and hardships of mortal life and how the immortals have failed and abused the people in the mortal realm.
Liyen’s perspective is made even more impactful when enmeshed with the story’s theme of defying destiny and creating your own path. She’s a human up against the influential powers of fate in a world of grand immortals and magic. Tan not only pits Liyen against the all-powerful forces pushing her toward predetermined paths, but she also showcases it on a more human level. Liyen is a new ruler up against the expectations and desires of her closest allies, power-hungry courtiers, and immortals entwined with her kingdom. This story showcases Liyen’s struggles confronting the ideas people have of her and the paths that have been created for her as well.
I mentioned that parts one and two were a lot of fun because Liyen gives every immortal that crosses her path a reason to rethink their lowly opinions of mortals. But part three is where the story changes a lot and where my initial devouring of this story slowed down to a crawl. In this last section of the book, the existing character dynamics change, inciting new characters are introduced, and we are met with a deluge of world-building. Everything felt a little cramped in this section. The plot moves quickly while trying to make the expansion of the world’s lore meaningful. But the fast pace doesn’t allow room for the revelations to breathe. So part three feels rushed, in my opinion, and it lost some of the magic that had been created so beautifully at the beginning of the story.
As QTL readers know, I am a huge fan of Sue Lynn Tan’s initial Celestial Kingdom duology, and I am grateful to have had another opportunity to learn about a new kingdom and characters within the world. Immortal was another beautiful story with characters that pull at your heartstrings. And while it doesn’t quite hit the same as its predecessor, you will still feel all the feels and strengthen your belief in the power of love.
Rating: Immortal – 8.0/10
-Brandee
