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A review by offservicebookrecs
The Apothecary Diaries, Volume 12 by Itsuki Nanao, Natsu Hyuuga
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
MaoMao would love nothing more than to bury herself in her herbs and experiments forever, but being social is an important part of belonging to the Inner Court. After a night at a spooky soiree takes a mysterious and nearly deadly turn, MaoMao is asked to attend Jinshi on a hunting trip with the enigmatic father of the newest Inner Court concubine. MaoMao can't help but notice that everything is not as it seems at this gathering however, and when a break during the hunt goes sideways, she finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place with her master in more ways than one.
After this volume I will never look at frogs the same way again. MaoMao's spooky seance will definitely come back to haunt her later, for starters, and I am somewhat surprised that she didn't dig her heels in more at the conclusion of the night, but I know all will be revealed in good time. The conditions under which MaoMao, Jinshi, and the gang find themselves at the hunting party are also incredibly suspicious - throughout, you can see many different threads are being woven into a web from which there will be a very difficult escape in the volumes to come. And finally, a dire need for escape places our favorite couple into forced proximity, with a frog giving the perfect, wrong timing for an encounter which MaoMao is not prepared to have. I am cackling for both of them and incredibly grateful that the will-they-won't they in this stories keeps drawing itself in delicious little circles. I hope the historical romance girlies give this series a chance because this is some of the best tension I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Ribbit.
After this volume I will never look at frogs the same way again. MaoMao's spooky seance will definitely come back to haunt her later, for starters, and I am somewhat surprised that she didn't dig her heels in more at the conclusion of the night, but I know all will be revealed in good time. The conditions under which MaoMao, Jinshi, and the gang find themselves at the hunting party are also incredibly suspicious - throughout, you can see many different threads are being woven into a web from which there will be a very difficult escape in the volumes to come. And finally, a dire need for escape places our favorite couple into forced proximity, with a frog giving the perfect, wrong timing for an encounter which MaoMao is not prepared to have. I am cackling for both of them and incredibly grateful that the will-they-won't they in this stories keeps drawing itself in delicious little circles. I hope the historical romance girlies give this series a chance because this is some of the best tension I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Ribbit.