The Potion Diaries (The Potion Diaries, #1)

by Amy Alward

The Hunger Games goes Princess Diaries in this modern, magical teen adventure!

When the Princess of Nova accidentally poisons herself with a love potion meant for her crush, she falls crown-over-heels in lovewith her own reflection. Oops. A nationwide hunt is called to find the cure, with competitors travelling the world for the rarest ingredients, deep in magical forests and frozen tundras, facing death at every turn. Enter Samantha Kemi - an ordinary girl with an extraordinary talent. Sam's family were once the most respected alchemists in the kingdom, but they've fallen on hard times, and winning the hunt would save their reputation. But can Sam really compete with the dazzling powers of the ZoroAster megapharma company? Just how close is Sam willing to get to Zain Aster, her dashing former classmate and enemy, in the meantime? And just to add to the pressure, this quest is ALL OVER social media. And the world news. No big deal, then.

'It's so cool!' Zoe Sugg, aka Zoella

'Inventive, romantic, and downright delightful, The Potion Diaries cast its spell on me from page one, and is the most fun I've had reading in ages!' Sarah J Maas, author of the Throne of Glass series

• ISBN10: 1471143562
• ISBN13: 9781471143564
• Publish Date: 2 July 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 17 May 2021
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Ltd
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Childrens Books
• Format: Paperback
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

In a world something like our own with magic, potion makers are special, but the world of potions has been changed by synthetic potions, the older natural potion makers are being squeezed out of business and their skills are being lost. In this comes Samantha Kemi, an apprentice to her Grandfather, who was a well-respected Alchemist, but now struggles to keep his business open. Samantha understands potions and the uses of plants and knows how they work, getting moments where she sees a place for a potion use and immediately thinks what would be useful for it.

Then the crown princess takes a potion meant for the man she fancies the first person she sees is a reflection of herself and it all goes wrong. Sam and several other alchemists are summoned to the palace and she has a chance to change her family's fortunes.

I found this a believable society and a well drawn world and I want to read more in it, I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more by this author.

[Sam@WLABB]

This is the story of a girl, who is trying to redeem and live up to her family name. She is descended from a long line of renown alchemists, who once served the royal family. However, as the use of synthetics grew in popularity, they began to fade into obscurity. When the process falls ill, the Kemi family has a chance to reclaim their fame.

The "hunt" was action packed and filled with lots of lore. It was a lot of fun, and I found myself really hoping that Sam could win the hunt. I liked the blend of contemporary and high fantasy elements, and really enjoyed all the trips to the Wildes.

I look forward to more of Sam's adventures.

[Kelly]

http://www.divabooknerd.com/2015/07/the-potion-diaries-by-amy-alward.html
The Potion Diaries was a lovely mix of fantasy, adventure that reads more as a mature middle grade, than young adult series. It follows the story of Sam, apprentice alchemist who lives in the family owned potion store. The Hunt offers Sam a chance for the Kemi Potion Shop to be financially viable once more, provided she finds the cure first. A fantasy modern day setting, it was lighthearted and fun, but the characters seemed far younger than they claimed. The few chapters from the Princess Evelyn's point of view were snort worthy. The potion intended for unrequited love, somehow she ends up consuming it herself and falls in love with her own reflection she affectionately calls Lyn. The Princess playing coy with the mirror, claiming she's found the love of her life was ridiculously funny and only added to the overall lightheartedness of the storyline.

The romance was the only down point and was used as a tool to add further interest. Zain didn't seem all that genuine and often put his father's wishes and Hunt before Sam. She often questions how genuine he is and whether his interest in her was little more than furthering his family's investment in the competition. Team mate Kirsty was more of a vested party than a friend, and although she claimed to be one of the world's best Finders, she let the inexperienced Sam do most of the work instead. She didn't add anything to the storyline and wouldn't have been missed, apart from driving to each destination.

Amy Alward has crafted a fun and lighthearted read for fans of middle grade fantasy, treasure hunts and adventure. Highly entertaining and looking forward to continuing on with the series. Really enjoyed it.