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A review by draagon
Under the Oak Tree: Volume 1 (The Novel) by Suji Kim
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I give this series a 4.5. I really love it. I've technically already read the entire series through the parts they released digitally previously, but since this is a new translation, I'm treating it as a new read. That being said, the story may be even more enjoyable the second time around, knowing what's to come.
The two things I love most about this series are the world-building and Maxi. The world-building is absolutely fantastic. From the beginning, you really feel transported into this fantasy world full of monsters and knights, similar to our own in some ways and very different in others. It's clear that the author put a lot of work into parsing out the details and thinking through how exactly she wanted this world to run, and it's always a treat to be able to experience worlds like that as a reader.
Maxi is both a wonderfully delightful and terribly frustrating protagonist. As an incredibly sheltered girl of noble birth who was treated as anything but, her fear of being found out is palatable throughout the entire novel. You really feel for her, her unease and anticipation of being abandoned at every turn. You kind of just want to shake her and tell her she's left that terrible life she was raised in and is safe now, but that's not how trauma and healing work, unfortunately. As frustrating as her constant back and forth can be, that's also part of what makes this series so fantastically real.
Both Maxi and Riftan are case studies of what happens when abandoned and unloved children grow up and try their best hand at loving another, but just can't get past that emptiness inherent inside of them. It's exasperating and heartwrenching at the same time, and the author conveys both of these characters' multifacetedness really well, though Maxi's comes across more clearly just because she's the one we're following and in the head of. Riftan takes longer to understand, and it's quite hard to figure out what's going through his head, though we do get some hints along the way. (I really hope they publish the Riftan side-story POV at some point because that really does clear up so many questions about how he is acting and why).
The other characters in this novel, though not as developed as they will be soon (except for Ruth), are also great and I love how Riftan's fellow knights are always ribbing him. The magic system is well explained and it's interesting how it is applied. While this series does have some obvious flaws, I overlook them in lieu of its great character growth and world-building. The places the story will go are hard to see at this point in the story, but they are really extraordinary! I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys fantasy with some more R-rated scenes and following a character who literally starts at the bottom of her own self-esteem and society and slowly begins to become a strong person in her own right.
The two things I love most about this series are the world-building and Maxi. The world-building is absolutely fantastic. From the beginning, you really feel transported into this fantasy world full of monsters and knights, similar to our own in some ways and very different in others. It's clear that the author put a lot of work into parsing out the details and thinking through how exactly she wanted this world to run, and it's always a treat to be able to experience worlds like that as a reader.
Maxi is both a wonderfully delightful and terribly frustrating protagonist. As an incredibly sheltered girl of noble birth who was treated as anything but, her fear of being found out is palatable throughout the entire novel. You really feel for her, her unease and anticipation of being abandoned at every turn. You kind of just want to shake her and tell her she's left that terrible life she was raised in and is safe now, but that's not how trauma and healing work, unfortunately. As frustrating as her constant back and forth can be, that's also part of what makes this series so fantastically real.
Both Maxi and Riftan are case studies of what happens when abandoned and unloved children grow up and try their best hand at loving another, but just can't get past that emptiness inherent inside of them. It's exasperating and heartwrenching at the same time, and the author conveys both of these characters' multifacetedness really well, though Maxi's comes across more clearly just because she's the one we're following and in the head of. Riftan takes longer to understand, and it's quite hard to figure out what's going through his head, though we do get some hints along the way. (I really hope they publish the Riftan side-story POV at some point because that really does clear up so many questions about how he is acting and why).
The other characters in this novel, though not as developed as they will be soon (except for Ruth), are also great and I love how Riftan's fellow knights are always ribbing him. The magic system is well explained and it's interesting how it is applied. While this series does have some obvious flaws, I overlook them in lieu of its great character growth and world-building. The places the story will go are hard to see at this point in the story, but they are really extraordinary! I highly recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys fantasy with some more R-rated scenes and following a character who literally starts at the bottom of her own self-esteem and society and slowly begins to become a strong person in her own right.