The Apothecary Diaries 09 (Manga) by Natsu Hyuuga

The Apothecary Diaries 09 (Manga) (The Apothecary Diaries, #9)

by Natsu Hyuuga

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 historical mystery series!

A festive atmosphere descends upon the Inner Court with the arrival of a long-awaited merchant caravan and its myriad wares. Though the excitement is contagious and even Maomao looks forward to making purchases of her own, she soon cottons on to something potentially sinister about the innocuous goods for sale.

Before Maomao can tease out any evidence, however, her attention turns to mushrooms when Jinshi asks her to root out any poisonous varieties on the grounds. But is this request just a bit of landscaping or does it have anything to do with the rumors making the rounds about a court lady who has gone missing?

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.

Since then, Maomao's life has changed significantly. She no longer works for the inner palace – but instead works directly for Jinshi and the outer palace. That isn't to say she can't continue being a help to the allies she made within those walls.

Review:

Ohhhh! Somehow, this series keeps getting better! At this rate, I will run out of manga and resort to light novels (the horror! Just kidding). Anyway, I’m trying to say that The Apothecary Diaries Vol. 9 was a delight to read.

This volume introduces a bunch of new potential mysteries, and I can already see how some of them are leading. I think. This series is good at surprising you! On that note, I was pleasantly surprised by some secondary character development here.

The caravan is a great new element that is being added to the mix. I hope we see more of it (though is there the implication of it only lasting five days?). There’s also a short mystery, but much like the prior mysteries, I’m confident it will be relevant to later plots.

Bonus points for working “I shall obtain consent prior to smelling anyone next time” into a serious conversation. Don’t ever change, Maomao.

Highlights:
Historical Fiction
Manga
Poison & Medicine

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 16 September, 2024: Finished reading
  • 16 September, 2024: Reviewed