The Apothecary Diaries: Maomao’s Notes on the Inner Palace, Vol. 1 by My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
I'm a huge fan of season 1 of the anime, I'm waiting for season 3 to fully release so I can catch up on what is happening. I have not read the manga or the light novel yet so I can't compare them to this version.
This volume captures the humor and awkwardness of Maomao the lady-in-waiting and apothecary to one of the emperor's valued consorts and all of the things she gets up to through episode 9 or 10 of the show. Her skills with plants and their medicinal uses prove handy in all sorts of mysterious situations and she becomes a valued asset to Jinshi. If you haven't watched the anime (not a prerequisite), this is a great place to start as it gives you insight into what The Apothecary Diaries is all about. Every chapter finds Maomao solving another problem and driving Jinshi crazy.
I love Maomao's character both on the page and in the show. She is smart bringing her apothecary knowledge learned from her father as well as her street smarts learned from growing up in a brothel to the palace. She isn't a polished and poised lady like the other ladies in waiting who have trained to serve the consorts, but that allows her have difference priorities and to see things with a different lens. Jinshi is some sort of secretary to the emperor, taking care of accounts and making sure the business at palace runs smoothly. I can't quite figure him out, as he clearly has some sort of feelings for Maomao but she either ignores them or doesn't see it. Their dynamics are hilarious and I can't wait to see how things play out as the solve more mysteries and divert more catastrophes.
This also includes a bonus short story not found in the light novels set prior to Maomao's time at the Inner Palace.
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