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Diana Gabaldon
4.8
The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Light Novel)
by Natsu Hyuuga
Published May 14, 2024
About this book
Maomao leads a quiet, calculated life as an apothecary’s daughter until she is kidnapped and sold into indentured servitude within the emperor’s sprawling rear palace. Intent on serving her term in anonymity, she keeps her sharp intellect and extensive medical knowledge carefully hidden from the cutthroat world of imperial consorts and ambitious serving women. However, her plan for a peaceful existence unravels when the enigmatic and strikingly beautiful head eunuch, Jinshi, discovers her true capabilities.
Recognizing her talent for identifying poisons and medicine, Jinshi pulls Maomao into his orbit, tasking her with serving as a food taster for the emperor’s favorite consort. As she navigates the dangerous webs of court politics, Maomao’s insatiable curiosity and scientific mind force her to solve a series of mysterious illnesses and lethal intrigues plaguing the palace. The friction between Maomao’s pragmatic, cynical outlook and Jinshi’s manipulative, high-stakes agenda creates a compelling tension that crackles beneath every interaction.
In a world where one wrong step can lead to execution, Maomao must decide if her thirst for knowledge is worth the peril of becoming a key player in the empire’s most dangerous games.
Available Formats
Paperback: $10.57 Paperback: $10.80
What readers are saying
Nic FA Brilliant Start to an Amazing Series!
"Volume 1 of The Apothecary Diaries is absolutely captivating! From the very first chapter, the story pulls you into a world of court intrigue, mystery, and clever problem-solving. The protagonist is sharp, witty, and refreshingly unique, making every twist and turn a delight to read. The historical setting is rich and immersive, and the pacing keeps you hooked until the end. If you love smart storytelling with a touch of humor and suspense, this is a must-read. Highly recommend! ["
January 7, 2026 Verified Purchase
Sadie WoodsChinese Palace Drama
"I grew up on anime and manga which turned into light novels. Just about all Japanese, with a Korean one here and there, as that's what publishers picked up. It's only been recently that venturing onto the web (I highly recommend Novel Updates) I found the wide and wonderful world of Chinese novels. There are unique themes to this country's novels, though one of the most drama filled are the Imperial Harem genre. Readers of this genre will already be familiar with the terms used in this book. Indeed, the English translation here uses the Chinese language terms like gufei and the prefix Xiao (meaning little) in front of names. You'd hardly believe it is a Japanese novel! I openly invite those wanting a good change of pace. This is a female lead story, but don't let that fool you into thinking its shojo. Those expecting pure flowery romance won't have a home here- in a world where women fight for the right to become the Empress by bearing a son for the emperor, there is no shortage of backstabbing and manipulation. Love has no real place in a harem- it's all politics. That's where our protagonist Maomao comes in. A poison obsessed apothecary kidnapped and sold into Imperial service as a laundry servant, she finds herself helping to solve a chronic poisoning incident among the young heirs and ends up becoming a food taster for the Emperor's current favorite consort. Maomao is no typical female lead. This is seinen- the story is very much focused on plot and you as a reader will be far more invested in Maomao once again being drug into a situation that'll make use of her poison knowledge than the as of book one foggy whiff of an eventual romance. Give this one a shot if the idea of a food tester solving mysteries in an Imperial harem sounds intriguing! It'll open up a whole new world for you in light novels! I would advise against children reading it due to content (nothing explicit whatsoever, but Maomao grew up in a red light district as an apothecary's daughter and the harem exists to give the Emperor heirs besides), but it's a great read with a strong female lead! ["
June 9, 2021 Verified Purchase
Kristin MeltonGreat Read!
"Saw this story as an anime and the art style is gorgeous so I really wanted to absorb the full story through the light novels prior to watching the show. So very glad I am! Maomao is an incredible character - full of grit and determination and sharp wit. Jinshi has so many layers and can’t wait to learn more and more about him. These two together already have such great chemistry and banter. Love it and looking forward to continuing the series! ["
October 11, 2025 Verified Purchase
LuddysmomVery addicting read
"I have to say that in the last 20 years, my only reading has been non-fiction. I am overjoyed to have found this series of light novels. I do not enjoy manga all that much because of the way it seems to jump around and I tend to get easily lost and have to reread it a couple of times before I get the jist of things (not dumb just too easily distracted). There are not too many animes I will watch, in this case I found too many of them are just not that interesting. So I can name the ones I do like on 2 hands. My son knowing my tastes occasionally gives me names of anime to watch, I have a CrunchyRoll paid account that I rarely use. So, after binge watching The Apothecary Diaries and knowing that they are just being released now to the U.S., I actually went looking for the manga so that I could keep on with the story, even though it is not my favorite way of reading. When I found it, I also found the light novels and immediately bought up the first 10 of them about 4-5 days ago. I am already through book 4 and felt it was necessary to post a review. So, the story revolves around a young girl, Maomao, who was raised by an apothecary and when growing up learned all about medicines and how to use them. When she is kidnapped and sold to the palace to work in the rear palace, where the concubines and their servants live, she tries to keep her head down vowing to work off the two years as a lowly servant. But she cannot help but get involved when she sees that the emperors two new children are dying a slow death and she knows why. The story is really quite fun to read, especially since she just can't let something go that has her curiosity awaken or that she has the knowledge to make better. One of the reviewers mentioned that sometimes the descriptive words used were just weird. There were moments in the story when I was a bit confused as to what they were trying to say. But I found just moving forward into the story resolved those moments of confusion. After 4 books I have to say that I can't put it them down. I am looking forward to the rest of the anime and I really hope that they make all of it. My only suggestion is to watch a few of the episodes before starting on the books so that you have the images in your mind to go along with the story. Like I said, it is on CrunchyRoll and I remember at one time they had a free version and you just had to watch commercials. ["
February 8, 2024 Verified Purchase
