IMMORTAL

A poisoned princess must free her people from the tyranny of the immortals even as she falls under the spell of the mysterious God of War.

Tan returns to her Celestial Kingdom in this standalone romantic fantasy. The Lord of Tianxia serves the immortal Queen Caihong of the Golden Desert faithfully until he is forced to choose between her and Liyen, his granddaughter and heir. Liyen has been poisoned by the waters of death in the Wangchuan River in the Netherworld and can only be healed by the Divine Pearl Lotus, which her grandfather refuses to hand over to the queen, though she’s demanded it. When his heart gives way soon after, Liyen blames the immortals, even though they’re not directly responsible for her grandfather’s death. She vows that under her rule, Tianxia will be liberated from service to the immortals. Complicating matters, Liyen is attacked by Winged Devils, monstrous allies of the Wuxin who were banished to the Netherworld following an attack on Tianxia, and she needs help from the God of War to figure out why. Although there is romantic tension between the two of them, it is so gradual that the romance is the least interesting part of this ambitious saga. Tan’s worldbuilding skills are impressive and her vivid descriptions of magic and mythology move this doorstop epic through a rich, well-established backstory. Liyen struggles to navigate the heavens and Earth without quite understanding the forces manipulating her life, which isn’t to say that she lacks agency, just context. Her struggle pays off in the third act, but at times the journey is slow and the romance gets lost in the slog.

An unhurried, mostly chaste jaunt spanning several worlds.