Under The Oak Tree

 Started reading the books on amazon kindle and loved everything published so far. The story is very well written. Characters develop over time. I did see the progression of growth in the protagonist, Maxi. And it was clear to see Riftan's past affecting his desire to keep Maxi safe and at home. He'd never had anyone just for his own and he'd grown up dreaming of the Duke's daughter. Broke my heart when he was left waiting for her at the end of book 1. Three years separation is still painful. Especially with his abandonment issues, his heartbreak made me cry too. His reaction at her return was also expected. I am just hoping that they get a chance to work through their issues. Waiting book 3 of season 2 to see how the war proceeds. Does Maxi get to use the rune to generate earth golems? Or do something else fantastic like does she figure out the runes controlling the Wyverns or create a ginormous golem army to fight the monsters? Let's see. :)

The only negative I have is for their marriage night. While I can see that it was realistic and wasn't out of the norm for a scene from old middle-ages Europe... to me it did look like rape. She had no clue what was happening. The initial 2-3 sexual encounters definitely felt forced in general. At the very least, her nursemaid should have told her a little bit more on what to expect and helped her prepare mentally.