Under the Oak Tree Volume 2 by Suji Kim

TL;DR: Unfortunately this was not an improvement on the first book.
Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!!

Plot: Maxi spends a lot of time being deeply self conscious and Riftan spends just as much time thinking with his dick.
Characters: I was so disappointed by them.
Setting: Not strong at all, I wish we’d gotten more.
Fantasy: The fantasy was fine! I enjoyed the magic though some more details would have been nice.

Summary:

As her first winter in Anatol turns to spring, Lady Maximilian finds herself confronting an unfamiliar hope. Her voice and her magic strengthen every day; the only parts of Calypse Castle left to refurbish are its gardens, which she plans to fill with blooming flowers; and the way her husband, the recalcitrant war hero Sir Riftan, looks at her from across their bedroom makes her feel, for the first time in her life, that she might be worthy of love and affection. 

However, Maxi’s life is never that easy. Just as she begins to feel at home with Riftan, Maxi receives a surprise visit from Princess Agnes, the renowned sorceress who might have become Riftan’s wife if he’d decided to divorce Maxi after the Dragon Campaign. Not at all what Maxi expected, the princess stirs up complicated emotions and politics that could lead to monumental changes in Maxi and Riftan’s relationship. 

Thoughts:

I had a lot of positive thoughts and feelings about volume one of this series, and I had so much hope for the improvement of the characters in volume two. Maxi was on the way to learning magic, she seemed to have finally gotten some legs under her and was pulling herself up. Riftan, I had hoped, was coming to see her as a capable woman and not a delicate piece of meat he got to stick it in. Sadly both of them kept to the attitudes and flaws they had.

I cannot even tell you the plot because I was so disappointed by the characters. This one was not for me, it didn’t work in a way that translated in my brain. Even now after finishing it all I can think about is how frustrated I was with Maxi and how gross Riftan turned out to be (which was probably my biggest disappointment with the novel).

I can’t recommend this and honestly, I might not recommend the first book anymore either simply because this follow up was so poorly done. If you enjoyed the first book you could enjoy this one, I’m sure but I can’t in good faith recommend you continue.