Under the Oak Tree Vol. 3 by Suji Kim: Maxi Goes to War, and So Does My Heart

I never saw that ending coming. I need the next book immediately and I’m not being dramatic.

Synopsis

Most fairytales end with a wedding and a happily-ever-after—but this is no fairytale. The updated and official translation of Under the Oak Tree, the #1 webnovel on MANTA, continues in this third volume.

The day that Lady Maximilian has been dreading is After an arduous journey to Livadon, she must stay behind at a monastery while her husband, the renowned Sir Riftan, rides off to war with the Remdragon Knights. Consumed by worry for their loved ones, Maxi and the other noblewomen in the monastery keep themselves busy by tending to villagers in need at the local shelter.

But Maxi’s patience quickly runs thin as she fears the worst. Desperate to see Riftan, she escapes the monastery and makes her way to the battlefield. Little does she know that the horrors of war and swarms of terrifying monsters are not the only dangers awaiting her. As she confronts her painful past, the tumultuous present, and an uncertain future, Maxi faces the greatest obstacles of her life—and the gravest threats to her relationship with Riftan thus far.

This volume collects chapters 134–193 of the original webnovel by Suji Kim.

Review

5 stars

I love this series, and I need the next book now. I’m also wondering if the webtoon is still available online…

In this third volume, Maxi and Riftan literally go to war. Riftan heads out to confront an army of monsters alongside a coalition of knights, while Maxi is supposed to wait with the other noblewomen at the basilica. Only she wants so desperately to be close to Riftan that she joins a convoy of women clerics headed to the war camp. The journey won’t be easy. And Riftan will not be happy.

I won’t say more about the plot. What I want to talk about is the characters’ growth.

Maxi is now far from the scared, stuttering woman we met at the beginning. She has gained real confidence, though it doesn’t take much for self-doubt to creep back in and undermine her. Yet one thing is certain: she wants to be worthy of Riftan, and she wants to save people too, which leads her to some reckless acts of courage that had me holding my breath.

Riftan remains something of a mystery, but he’s slowly opening up, letting heartbreaking truths about his childhood seep through the cracks of his facade. Slowly, carefully, but there nonetheless.

This series does have a miscommunication trope, which I usually loathe. But these two are so sincere, so desperate, and so visibly in love with each other that I genuinely can’t hold it against them. They’re the exception to my rule.

Prepare yourself: Maxi goes through a great deal in this volume, and your heart will bleed for her.

And that ending. I never saw it coming. I need the sequel right away!

Thanks for reading.

Sophie