The Apothecary Diaries 02 (Manga) by

The Apothecary Diaries 02 (Manga) (The Apothecary Diaries, #2)

After breaking a "curse" on the imperial heirs, a palace servant with training in herbal medicine is promoted up the ranks to food taster...and right into the thick of palace intrigue in this lushly illustrated period mystery series!

Maomao, a young woman trained in the art of herbal medicine, is forced to work as a lowly servant in the inner palace. Though she yearns for life outside its perfumed halls, she isn't long for a life of drudgery! Using her wits to break a "curse" afflicting the imperial heirs, Maomao attracts the attentions of the handsome eunuch Jinshi and is promoted to attendant food taster. But Jinshi has other plans for the erstwhile apothecary, and soon Maomao is back to brewing potions and...solving mysteries?!

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

5 of 5 stars

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Summary:

Maomao spent the earliest parts of her life training in herbal medicine. She had a path in life that she loved. Unfortunately, that was all ripped away from her when she was captured and sold to the inner palace.

It's safe to say that Maomao's life has changed drastically over the last few months. Despite her best intentions, Maomao has gone up in rank and now finds herself in the most interesting position. She gets to be a poison taster (only Maomao would see that as a "get to" sort of situation) and even takes requests (orders?) from the Emperor himself.

Review:

Okay, I'm officially hooked on this series. I'm going to request the entire series from my library because The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2 confirmed it. This series is phenomenal, especially with Maomao at the helm.

The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 2 had a lot of interesting elements in it. First, there's the whole political structure within the consorts. That alone is interesting. Add in Maomao's understanding of plants, biology, and poison, and you can see how it can get quite interesting!

There are a few hints at later plots. One of which Maomao is aware of (that poison plot will come back around, bet on it); the rest went right over her head. I found the latter to be hilarious, given her nature.

I can't wait to see where this series goes, and I am officially joining the fandom.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Manga
Poison & Medicine

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 11 March, 2024: Finished reading
  • 11 March, 2024: Reviewed