Maximilian, otherwise known as Maxi, is the daughter of the Duke of Croyso. She grew up ostracized from the wealthy society and basically locked up and hidden from anyone but servants because of her stutter. All of her life she was unloved by her only surviving parent-her dad which caused her to have lack of confidence, anxiety and self hatred. She has an arranged marriage to a well known highly ranked Knight, Riftan who just completed a journey to kill a strong dragon. The story starts out with Riftan finding out after his 3 year long mission to kill the dragon, his wife is still living with her father so he comes to take her to his castle.

She is shocked to see that Riftian is nothing like her father but still has her worries to trust anyone after all the abuse she went through. Riftian believes that she is a cherished and loved daughter of the Duke so he treats her lavishly and spoils her with all of his riches. He believes he is beneath her.

Throughout the book she blossoms into a more confident woman, although she still isn’t 100 percent confident and is shy around some people. Maxi learns what it is to be loved and respected as the Wife of Knight Riftian. Being the lady of the castle has boosted her confidence and self worth.

This book has the best medieval vibes with the monsters and royalty. This book offers emotional depth and will leave you waiting for more. It is inspirational to see the woman she becomes and I can’t wait to see her at 100 percent confidence!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

DNF @ 37%.

Note that I have not read the original manhwa of this story and am approaching this purely based on the novel. That said, the description of this was lovely but the book itself does not hit.

Pros:
-Riftan has big "my wife" energy if you're into that
-Maxi seems realistically characterized for someone who has been locked up and abused by her father for her entire life
-The cover is absolutely gorgeous

Cons:
-WTF is up with all the rape? Riftan rapes Maxi REPEATEDLY in this book and Suji Kim does not appear to think this is a bad thing but rather that it's romantic that he "just can't resist her" even when she is REPEATEDLY telling him no; additionally, though there are content warnings for the abuse that Maxi suffers at the hands of her father, there are NONE in regards to all this sexual assault. This is not something that triggers me but I'm shocked that a book that INCLUDES a content warning completely ignores the rape part????
-In addition to the rape, the very language of the sex scenes (which are frequent) is deeply unsexy; describing saliva hanging between their mouths? Ew.
-As there is no POV from Riftan, he is very under-characterized; mostly just snapping at people and raping Maxi. This does not make him a compelling hero in any way and he and Maxi lack any chemistry to boot.

Thank you to netgally and the publisher for the opportunity to read this earc in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was startled by the amount of nonconsensual intercourse there was right at the start. I was very disappointed in the character growth of Maxi as well, or lack there of. She never told Riftan about what she endured at the hands of her father, she never does anything without self doubt. She definitely is strong for enduring the years of abuse but she needs to grow a backbone. I was distracted by how often she just passed out from fatigue as well, I swear it was in every chapter. Her embarrassment about everything also got old very quickly.

I give this 3 stars because I did find the story interesting and wish it had lived up to what it could have been. The magic system seemed well developed and I wish there had been more about it. I really would have liked some POV from Riftan and the fight with Sektor or even just him telling the tale. I also very strongly want Riftan to learn about his father-in-laws abuse and teach that man a lesson.

🍁arranged marriage
🍁forced proximity
🍁single pov
🍁fantasy


The story is not bad, I like how Riftan is gentle with Maxi, considering how she is not treated well when she was growing older because of her stuttering, but sometimes she annoys me.. lol! Because she is soo naive of everything.. but granted it is not her fault she know nothing much about politics and stuff.. but still.. ahaha.. but the story is worth reading!

I received an eARC of this novelization via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars rounded up.

As someone who was a huge fan of the original comic, I had high hopes for this. I wasn't expecting it to feel so much like a screenplay script. I would have loved to have seen even more character development. While some of the side characters were able to get more development, others were not. Honestly, I prefer the manga/comic over this novelization.

Full Review: https://medium.com/@briannashrout/under-the-oak-tree-the-novel-earc-review-8bbd7c22cb70

I'm torn by my rating of this novel in contrast to the webtoon, because all of the flaws in Riftan's aggressive approach to marriage really shine a negative, forced light on Maxi's reluctant acceptance of her new lot in life. It's a fantasy, and some relationship things can be overlooked when put into context of the time and setting, but you really need to read it in its visual form. It's like a TED Talk that you watch versus one you hear on NPR: it's really a visual medium. I was excited to grab the novel, though, because I wanted to see how the illustrated version translated to narrative. I don't think I'll pursue further novelizations of webtoons I enjoy because it's just not the same.

This unfortunately was not for me. I wanted to enjoy this story however the writing was not my favorite for a few reasons. One, the dialogue did not feel natural and did not flow well or sometimes make very much sense. Two, the plot moved slow and there was unnecessary scenes that added nothing to the story. The chemistry between the characters was not there in my opinion. This was set up to be a great story but sadly fell flat for me.

This book disappointed me. I love the cover and the title. I liked the description. I did not like the read.

The main female lead is a poor abused aristocrat with a stammer. Her father hates her, he marries her off to a knight so he doesn't have to go to war himself. The man she marries, who she doesn't know, is awful to her, and the morning after the marriage is consummated, he leaves. It's really more like rape, because she's pretty scared, and he's not interested in her feelings. When he finally comes back after three years at war, she thinks he's going to divorce her because that's what her father tells her, after he slugs her in her side, and if that happens, well...her life will be worth nothing. Her husband, the war hero, doesn't divorce her, he takes her to his estate, but he's pretty awful to her. He still has sex with her of course, and she starts to like it, even though she thinks he hates her. Sigh.

As they travel to the estate it turns out he expected her to travel to his estate after he left, like the day after they met and didn't talk, just had sex, and doesn't listen to her when she tells him she didn't know he had an estate and didn't know he wanted her there. I mean, how much of a jerk is this guy? Turns out he's all mad because he's convinced she knew. This miscommunication trope is so heavy handed, I can't even stand it. I mean, for real. Anyways, he treats her like dirt and she takes it like a doormat, until the he finds out the truth and she makes his estate a home. Also, the writing was not great, it was not good either. I gave up. I couldn't finish one volume, and this is supposed to be a series. I have no doubt it will find an audience, but that's not me. Bummer.

Unfortunately I DNF’d this book. It just wasn’t vibing with me. Not to yuck somebody’s yum though! I’m sure this book would be absolutely incredible to others! 💗

I am so incredibly pleased to read the official translation of the Under the Oak Tree novel after being a dedicated reader of the webtoon/manhwa on Manta for so long!! The plot and characters do not necessarily align with the currently popular "romantasy" genre staples of strong female protagonists and world-shaking storylines, but that just made this feel like a breath of fresh air. There isn't much plot at all in this first volume, as it mostly covers Riftan and Maxi reuniting after spending the first 3 years of their marriage completely separated and thus getting to know each other while settling into their estate.

Fair warning that this is a story of Forced Marriage where the main couple fall in love AFTER, so if you are uncomfortable with sexual relations between characters who aren't in love yet (and has dubious consent) then you might want to skip this! Riftan and Maxi struggle to communicate and understand each other for a LONG TIME; progress is definitely made throughout volume 1 but it is slow, and they sometimes backslide. I found this realistic in that sense, because Maxi is a person with tremendous internal struggles regarding her perceived image and role as Riftan's wife combined with her upbringing as a victim of abuse and neglect. Riftan, on the other hand, has an intense inner conflict between his attraction to Maxi and a sense of inferiority as a knight marrying a duke's daughter, leading him to frequently misunderstand her and fail to express his own feelings adequately. His lust is very much at the forefront most of the time, and there are ample scenes throughout the book where he aggressively initiates sex with Maxi; even though she gradually comes to accept and then desire it, and sometimes even initiates, Riftan is consistent in his pushiness which may be viewed unfavorably by readers.

Overall I won't be surprised if some people find it frustrating to read these two, but the efforts Riftan and Maxi make as individuals and as a couple are the whole POINT of the journey in my eyes, so I'm invested! I was also surprised at how much is covered in just this first volume (episodes 1-76 of the manhwa) so I will look forward to volume 2!!

5 Stars

I have been wantting to read this book since I went to a convention and mistook Maxi and Riften for an older anime RomeoXJuliet. Other then the hair color and size difference the simmilarities stop there.

Starting off I read the noval before the Manwa so I wasn't really sure what to expect beyon my Friend telling me it was amazing and I needed to read it. So I got the arc and I did.

Maxi is the sweetest and I am loving watching her character grow from the timid abused child into the Lady of the mannor..

Riften is the biggest scarriest cinimon role of husband.

Ruth is so much fun and provides a great catalist to balance Rifent and brotherly love to his romantic.

Onto the plot. I wasn't expecting to much being the first book but it was so much more then that. We got to see how her insicurites and his lack of understanding caused both tense and funny conflict though out their reuniting and travel to their home. This continues on and off but with much less frequency as the couple starts to understand and grow together.

The world is put together beautiful and it doesn't feel like the trnslation lost any of the story I'm already preordering book 2 and I have book one set to pick up in November!

Thank you so much for the ARC

I absolutely loved the webtoon of this, and the novel was no different. So great to revisit the story and see more of the characters!

I didn’t realize this was previously a graphic novel and might have enjoyed it a little more had I read that first. That being said, it was an enjoyable story. Medieval fantasy/romantasy. The world building was unique, fun, and I enjoyed Maxi’s character development. Spicy and especially so in the beginning. A tad uncomfortable in the dubious consent area.

Thank you NetGalley, Inklore, and Suji Kim for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my review.

This book has all the drama, love, and self-discovery you never knew you needed, wrapped in a medieval fantasy package that’ll have you hooked before you can say, "dragon wars."

Let’s start with Maxi, our lovely protagonist. She’s got a stutter, which in her father’s eyes is basically a crime worse than, oh, I don’t know, stealing the crown jewels. So, naturally, what does he do? Ships her off to marry a "lowborn" knight. The logic here is impeccable, right? And just when you think Maxi’s life can’t get any weirder—three years later, said knight, who’s been off slaying dragons (as one does), comes back to claim his bride. Romantic? Awkward? Both? You bet. Now the question is: Can these two crazy kids make it work? Will they find love, or are they doomed to a life of awkward small talk over medieval porridge?

This book is loooong, but don’t let that scare you. Every page keeps you glued to the story, and if you’re familiar with the webcomic, it sticks to the script. But here’s the kicker—just when you’re deep into the feels and totally not ready for it to be over, BAM it ends. I’m talking major cliffhanger.

So, if you’re into epic love stories, power plays, or just need something to obsess over, *Under the Oak Tree* has got you covered. Just don’t blame me when you’re as impatient for the next volume as I am!

I was excited for this book. I thought it was going to be a graphic novel, and even after learning it was a traditional novel, I was still ready to dive in. But, unfortunately, I'm not sure what I dove into.

If you are fan of the comic, you will probably enjoy this novel.
If you are not already familar with the comic, you might not enjoy this novel.

I felt like I was missing information that might have been established in comic panels. Mostly descriptions. I was fuzzy on the worldbuilding and this book was a whole lot of pages for very little plot.

For some reason I thought this would be a manga/graphic novel. I couldn't really get into the way this book started however and the writing felt clumsy to me unfortunately. I like the idea of this book though and maybe I will return to this later. 2.25/5

Not typically something I would choose for myself. With that being said it was a good book. Thank tou netgalley and publisher for allowing me to read this one.

Suji Kim’s Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 is a captivating fantasy romance that follows the journey of Maximilian (Maxi), a noblewoman with a stutter and deep insecurities, and Riftan, a knight who marries her before leaving for war. The novel explores Maxi’s personal growth, her relationship with Riftan, and her struggle to overcome her past traumas.

Set in a richly detailed medieval world, the story masterfully balances romance with fantasy elements, featuring intricate world-building and political intrigue. The emotional depth of Maxi’s character development is one of the highlights, as she learns to assert herself and understand her worth. The relationship between Maxi and Riftan evolves with heartfelt moments, though it is also marked by misunderstandings and vulnerability, which adds a realistic touch to their dynamic.

The first volume lays the groundwork for a larger, sweeping narrative, with a focus on inner strength, love, and healing. Fans of slow-burn romance and fantasy will appreciate the rich character-driven storytelling and immersive world-building.

If you like spicy with minimal fantasy then this book is for you. I didn’t realize this was a manga series that is now being published as a novel. Not my favorite read this year but still not bad.

Not sure if this title felt less toxic as as a comic, but since the first 20 pages start with both abuse and rape it just leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Not to mention that the main character doesn't speak a complete sentence during any of those pages. Yea, she has a stutter and is repressed due to the abuse, but this just doesn't send the right message. Unfortunately the cover and the edges are the biggest draw here. Overdone tropes and poor writing make this a bad choice overall. Not sure if it even fit in with the Romantasy vibe as there seems to be no real story. I'd put it with the rest of paperback romance if I were selecting for that collection.