25/05/2026
The Apothecary Diaries is an Imperial Chinese-inspired mystery series. πΊβ οΈπͺ΄
It follows Maomao, the protagonist, a cynical, poison obsessed herbalist, who is kidnapped and sold into service as a palace maid. Using her sharp wits and medical expertise, she secretly solves court conspiracies and medical mysteries alongside a handsome, high-ranking palace official.
It includes 8 available light novels in English but in total there are 16 volumes. There is also a Manga coming out at the same time which has 2 separate ongoing adaptations. The anime, light novels and manga are set in the Tang Dynasty in China (618-907 CE), was an imperial dynasty considered a golden age of Chinese civilization.
I think these books would appeal to 13 year olds and above because I found it humorous and interesting to learn about herbs and plants.
If you would like to browse our selection of Manga titles, just have a look at our catalogue: https://catalogue.sefton.gov.uk/