The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 3

薬屋のひとりごと [Kusuriya no Hitorigoto] (Light Novel) #3

by Natsu Hyuuga, Touco Shino (Illustrator), Kevin Steinbach (Translator)

Maomao must help keep Consort Gyokuyou safe during her pregnancy. An imperial consort being with child is supposed to be a matter of the utmost secrecy, but this is the rear palace, where maneuvering and backstabbing are as commonplace as banter and tea parties. Threats seem to lurk around every corner—but it’s not just the rear palace keeping busy. Jinshi finds himself struggling to entertain a most unusual request from a pair of visiting ambassadors. Later, he’s invited to an important gathering in a faraway place—but who knows what dangers might be waiting for him?

Genres: Light Novel, Mystery, Historical Fiction, Romance, Manga, Historical, Fiction

313 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 29, 2015

About the author

See: 日向夏

Reviews

[gi · Rating 5 out of 5]

i am quite the frog lover myself

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The frog or the testicles" scene: it's like Romeo and Juliet's "the lark or the nightingale" scene, but 100% more uncomfortable.

So right on course for a book whose last quarter can be summed up by "poor Jinshi."

[Dani(elle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Positives:
- the former emperor gets out right called a pedo instead of how they merely alluded to it in previous books. While framed complexly it is in no way sympathetic and as the majority of the details (which are not graphically described) come from one of the survivors, it feels more cathartic than forgiving.

- the "mystery" that is Jinshi is solved for the audience

- for a brief glorious moment this almost became a very different kind of book. I'm just saying Jinshi can show me how his frog is more than decent any time.

Negatives:
- the vignette style before was engaging because each mini mystery built up to the meta mystery, this time is was more disconnected. It did feel like it was filling in gaps and building up the series though so it didn't feel like a waste.

[Mikaela]

The girlies will lose it when this is animated

[Riri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unlike the previous two volumes, the third book of The Apothecary Diaries is mainly building up tension for political movements. There are envoys from foreign lands who seem to have their eyes on the emperor, and the objective of Consort Loulan's father remains a mystery. Maomao is still working for Gyokuyou, who is currently pregnant… but she's not the only one, and it opens up the way for all sorts of trouble in the rear palace. There's a lot of small incidents and peculiar things happening, including a school built inside the rear palace and also the introduction of Shisui, a serving woman who seems to spend her days chasing bugs.

Where these seemingly small things lead, however, does not lie in this volume. Instead, the highlight of the book is given to Maomao and Jinshi's relationship. It's clear enough that he's interested in her, but she finally gives him a reaction that isn't disgust or indifference. Maomao spends a good portion of the book away from Jinshi as she deals with various issues in the real palace, so it's nice to see them having some development despite not getting too many scenes together. Jinshi's real identity is also revealed, answering some of the questions from the previous books.

Oh, and Maomao touched the frog.

Jinshi's frog.

While I really enjoy Maomao's detective work and medicine analysis, I'm also looking forward to see how the main plot is going to unfold from here on out.

[aamna · Rating 5 out of 5]

why lakan kinda…..

[ariana esnifa libros · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

ES EL MEJOR HASTA AHORA, no tengo ni puta idea como estos se van a enamorar, pero el chisme está bueno. la escena de la rana !!?????

[Brooke (~!Books are my Favorite!!~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 3rd short novel in the Apothecary Diaries. It is about 300 pages with around 6 illustrations. This was my favorite so far, so many mysteries are coming together. This series is about how women in Imperial China were proponents for advancements in the field of medicine. This ended on a cliffhanger so I’m excited to see what happens next. I have been pairing this reading with the manga which has enriched the story and intrigue for me. I may also watch the show on Netflix! Each short novel covers about the same amount of story as in 3-4 volumes of manga.

[Anne-Marie Archer · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Another good installment of this series. Taking quite a while to build up any overarching plot, but the little mysteries are always fun.

[tallie (◕‿◕✿) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The decent sized frog tm

[Momo · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5 stars.

A lot of this volume is very clearly build up and just stuff that has to be said before the upcoming arc but it did have some great scenes of course (especially the last section of the book haha). I definitely had to skip a few pages with the empress dowager's backstory because of the nature of the content and I've already read it in the manga, so I will not be consuming that backstory again for my own brain's well-being. I do however still love the banquet and the hunt arcs, they are just perfection.

[Emma (littledollreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished this and you guys remember my review for The Kings Beast Vol.7,

Yeah that review also applies to this book. Like word for word.

I just. I just.

The hints in this series are so good. Like I think I know where things are going but at the same time I keep being surprised by how complex things are.

I am still holding out for one thing to be true and it being an even bigger revelation later on.

I’ll add more to this review tomorrow. It is super late and I need to collect my thoughts.

It's tomorrow.

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!

You guys, you guys, YOU GUYS! This volume. This volume was just the most AHHH thing. I loved it! Like I was not expecting any of that. Like so much happened in here. No one warned me that so many emotional things, would happen within like 10 pages. I just need the next volume asap.

[Jasmine · Rating 5 out of 5]

At last all the foreshadowing about Jinshi comes to light! I’m highly satisfied and excited to see where things go now that this knowledge is out.

For some reason, to me, it seems like the vignette story style moved the pace along quickly but also very little happened in the middle concerning the 2 big plot points hinted at in the blurb.

I still can’t get enough of Maomao skilfully solving riddles and mysteries.

There was a scene towards the end that kind of confused me. I think I was getting what NH was putting down but it was all very vague.

Also that frog scene towards the very very end with Maomao and Jinshi in the cave? BAYBAY!!!

I already have volume 4 loaded on my Kobo, it’s not about “if” I’ll read the next volume it’s about “when”.

[Nadia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this might be the best manga I’ve read in quite a while.

[Selya Heldt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Le passage de la grenouille je m'en remet pas, les illustrations à la fin c'est pour m'achever je pense.

[kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

out of my reading slump 🙏🙏 the frog scene will ALWAYS be so funny. fake eunuch trope for the win!!!

[mikaela (spinebreaker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

ka zuigetsu that's the tweet

alllso the ship is shipping and i am personally a fan

[cyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mao-”I am just a lowly servant, so I must stay quiet and respectful”-mao bullies the fuck out of the crown prince for three hundred and twenty pages straight.

No thoughts, head empty. Can only think about Jinshi and his frog at the moment.

[sunflowervol6 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taking a shot every time Maomao says “I’m just a lowly servant, it doesn’t concern me” but ends up concerning her anyway

[aurei · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cinema

[roibean · Rating 4 out of 5]

brb brain malfunctioning post frog scene will recalibrate in ten working days

[Artemissia G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je suis fan de cette histoire, sous toutes ses formes, et j’ai été conquise par ce deuxième tome (qui est le 3e en version japonaise) et qui amène très bien le côté intrigue de cour et politique. Si vous lisez la version manga de chez Ki-oon, sachez que cette suite va jusqu’au tome 12. Du coup, hormis quelques détails, je connaissais déjà l’histoire. Mais, autant le dire, ça reste un grand plaisir de pouvoir lire la version en roman. En plus le livre est tellement beau !

Mao Mao est toujours aussi attachante, rigolote et passionnante à suivre dans ses différentes enquêtes à la Cour Intérieure et elle a aussi un petit côté naïf. Elle est devenue une figure importante dans le Hougong du fait de ses incroyables capacités d’apothicaire, mais aussi pour son esprit de déduction… enfin presque !

J’ai adoré sa relation toujours aussi hilarante avec ce pauvre Jinshi ! D’ailleurs un truc qui m’a fait sourire, c’est la redondance du terme, sublime eunuque pour le désigner dans l’histoire. Si ce personnage reste un mystère pour Mao Mao, et pour nous, le dernier tiers du roman ainsi que la conclusion de ce tome ne laissent plus trop de doute sur qui il est vraiment ! Ça fait très cliffhanger, je trouve.

D’un côté, j’étais contente qu’un pan du voile entourant Jinshi se relève, mais de l’autre, j’étais également frustrée par la réaction de Mao Mao. J’admets aussi que le moment épique avec LA grenouille, je l’ai préféré dans le manga, je la trouvais bien plus drôle. Ici, même si c’est relaté avec force détails, ça reste assez… convenu. Enfin à mes yeux !

Dans l’ensemble, j’ai passé un super moment avec ce light novel ! Parce qu’en plus d’avoir une histoire bien amenée et prenante, elle est sublimée par de très jolies illustrations noir et blanc… Et que dire des quelques couleurs en fin du livre ?

Bref, je suis conquise, mais avec cette série, ce n’est pas compliqué ! Vivement la suite qui du coup, devrait être inédite.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. This was such a good addition to the story.

[✿ℎazℯℓ - thℯ ℛock Cℎick ℱairy✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maomao, my best girl, is forever on the "need-to-know" basis only. The plot thickens. I continue to like the little mysteries here and there, but the main plot is what I'm truly excited for. ❤️

[kkomorebi౨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆.˚✮ 4/5 ✮˚.⋆


⋆˚࿔ Review ࿔˚⋆

I think at this rate I'm going to give all the novels a high rating. I liked this one in particular quite a bit, but I didn't love it. It's super entertaining and has memorable chapters (🐸), but I think the next novel will surpass it.
The author leaves us a couple of hints throughout the story to capture certain things that happen, and I really love that it's that way, but I hate not having noticed. I mean, in the series everything is much more obvious, but here? I came away more confused.
Putting that aside, I really liked how little by little we learn more about Jinshi. I'll give a more in-depth opinion about him later. It's impossible to understand the family trees of all these people, BUT ALL OF THEM. I need a PowerPoint with 100 slides explaining in depth the connections between them all.
Overall, this issue is entertaining, but again, the scenes are memorable but don't contribute much to the plot. Obviously, there are many others that do! But it's a particularly quick read that entertains you and provides lovely character moments.


ᵎᵎ ˚. ୭ Spoilers ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

I love the fact that we have a new character who's close to Maomao. They share their crazy personal tastes, but I can conclude that this makes them true BFFs 🙂‍↕️
Jinshi's ELEGANCE in the illustration they showed us when he was dancing...CHEFF KISS
I want to talk about something VERY important, the frog scene. I like it, i’m not gonna lie.
I totally understand that it's a scene that many people like, and some might even consider it their favorite, but clearly the whole situation was uncomfortable for Maomao. I support Jinshi tooth and nail, he can commit thousands of crimes, and I'll continue to defend him, but not much in this regard. I understand that the scene itself makes you laugh because even I found it funny at first, but that ending was over the top, Jinshi. You went too far... I liked the fact that Jinshi did regret it and even went to talk to her to "clear up" the situation. He tends to be very impulsive, especially when it comes to Maomao. He's made her uncomfortable several times, and he knows it, but he's crazy about her.
FINALLY he gave her the beloved Ox Bezoar. I don't know what to think about Maomao, she is a difficult character to read between lines. I am angry that she didn't let him talk, but I totally understand why she does it. She doesn't want to get involved in more situations that don't concern her or aren't related.
Oh, I don't want to forget how upset I felt reading Maomao explain why it's hard for her to show her emotions...leave me alone, I'm going to cry. I hope she shows her emotions and feelings more in the future. She's a very mature person with a past that, despite being surrounded by love, doesn't mean it wasn't sad.

────────── ·𖥸· ──────────

⋆.˚✮ 4/5 ✮˚.⋆


⋆˚࿔ Reseña ࿔˚⋆

Creo que a este paso voy a darles una calificación alta a todas las novelas. Esta en particular me gustó bastante mas no me encantó, es súper entretenida y tiene capítulos para el recuerdo (🐸) pero considero que la novela siguiente a esta la va a superar.
La autora nos deja un par de guiños a lo largo de la historia para captar ciertas cosillas que pasan, y la verdad q me encanta q sea así pero detesto no haberlo notado, a ver, en la serie es mucho más obvio todo pero acá? Salí más confundida.
Sacando eso de lado, me gustó demasiado como poco a poco vamos conociendo más acerca de Jinshi, luego voy a opinar más a profundidad sobre el. Imposible entender los árboles genealógicos de toda esta gente, PERO DE TODOS. Necesito un power point con 100 diapositivas explicando a profundidad las conexiones de todos.
En rasgos generales es entretenido este número pero repito, son escenas que te quedan para el recuerdo pero no aportan mucho en la trama. Obviamente que hay muchas otras que si! Pero es un libro que en particular es rápido de leer y te entretiene y aporta momentos lindos en los personajes.


ᵎᵎ ˚. ୭ Spoilers ୭ ˚. ᵎᵎ

Amo el hecho de que tengamos un nuevo personaje que es cercano a Maomao, comparten sus locuras por gustos…particulares, pero puedo llegar a la conclusión que eso las convierte en auténticas bff 🙂‍↕️
La ELEGANCIA de Jinshi en la ilustración que nos mostraron cuando estaba bailando…CHEFF KISS
Quiero hablar de algo MUY importante, la escena de la rana, me gustó, no lo voy a negar.
Yo entiendo que sea una escena que a muchos les gusta y hasta algunos pueden considerarla su favorita pero claramente fue incomodo toda esa situación para Maomao. Yo lo banco a muerte a Jinshi, puede cometer miles de crímenes y lo seguire defendiendo pero en esto no mucho. Entiendo que la escena como tal te saca una risotada porque hasta a mi me pareció graciosa al principio, pero eso del final estuvo de más Jinshi, te pasaste… Me agradó el hecho de que Jinshi si se arrepintiese y hasta fue a hablar con ella para “aclarar” la situación, suele ser muy impulsivo y más cuando se trata de Maomao, ya van varias veces q la incomoda y el lo sabe, pero esta loquito por ella.
Que le haya dado POR FIN su querido Bezoar de buey fue alegria pura. No se muy bien que pensar respecto a Maomao es un personaje complicado de leer entre líneas, si me enervo que no lo haya dejado hablar pero entiendo totalmente porque lo hace, no quiere meterse en mas situaciones que no la incumben o no esta relacionada.
Ah, no me quiero olvidar de lo mal que me puso leer como Maomao relataba el motivo por el cual le es difícil demostrar sus emociones…déjenme sola, voy a llorar. Espero que en un futuro demuestre más sus emociones y sentimientos, es una persona muy madura y con un pasado, que a pesar de que estuvo rodeada de amor, no quita que haya sido triste.

[c1nnaden ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

leggendolo in concomitanza con l'anime in uscita proprio in questo periodo, i primi capitoli sono stati qualcosa di cui ero già a conoscenza, quindi la lettura è filata liscia.. la sorpresa arriva tra i capitoli finali, tra qualche donzella che vuole a tutti i costi ferire le altre servitrici usando un metodo piuttosto brillante e per niente sospettoso, ovvero quello del racconto delle storie di paura. ho già in mente chi potrebbe essere, ma spero di sbagliarmi, perché è un personaggio che per ora ho apprezzato decisamente.

oltre questo, credo che il vero momento catartico sia stato dato dalla famosa "frog scene" (che sinceramente sono curiosa di vedere animata!). capisco perché molte persone la considerano problematica, credo che sia Jinshi (che si scopre essere il fratello dell'Imperatore, ma ne siamo sicuri?) che Maomao siano due personaggi estremamente complicati e complessi, e che le loro azioni non saranno mai ciò che ci aspettiamo da due persone funzionanti. Maomao non vuole saperne niente (e come darle torto!), ma d'altro canto, invece, Jinshi vuole farle sapere la verità, anche sulla sua non-condizione da eunuco. non ho amato particolarmente il fatto che abbia risposto alla provocazione in quel modo (era chiaro quanto Maomao fosse a disagio), anche se a provato a scusarsi e lo ha fatto dando ciò che Maomao voleva di più: l'ennesimo ingrediente introvabile per le sue ricerche. sono curiosa di capire come andrà avanti il loro rapporto dopo queste scoperte da parte di Maomao, che seppur vuole ignorare per la sua tranquillità a Corte, non credo potrà farlo.

4 ⭐️ meritatissime perché la scrittura è fluida, divertente e Maomao è una grandissima protagonista (e apprezzo come sia totalmente aromantica, più rappresentazioni di questo genere, thank u!)

[A’ n h Kate ྀི · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tập 3 rất thú vị nó nói về những nỗ lực của Nhâm Thị trong việc nâng cao trình độ học vấn ở hậu cung.

Và còn cuộc cạnh tranh khốc liệt để sinh ra người thừa kế và vị trí Hoàng hậu cũng trở nên nguy hiểm đến tính mạng. Từ đây nảy sinh vụ án nghi là chất độc phát tán qua một loại nước hoa bình dân. Vụ án đầu độc khá nổi bật trong cuốn sách thứ 3 này.

Bí mật đằng sau thân phận của Nhâm Thị bắt đầu được hé lộ!

Lần này là từ phía vị vua trước, người mà thi hài được cho là chưa bị phân hủy. Ai có thể ngờ rằng vụ án này cũng sẽ tiết lộ những sự thật đáng kinh ngạc về nhà vua và thảm kịch xảy ra ở hậu cung.

Có 2 diễn biến chính trong mối quan hệ giữa Nhâm Thị và Mao Mao. Lần đầu tiên gã tình nguyện giúp hóa trang và nhảy múa như một nữ thần tuyệt đẹp. Phần thứ hai là khi Mao Mao cuối cùng cũng nhận ra về con ếch 🐸🐸 của Nhâm Thị đã bị lộ ra trong đôi bàn tay của cô 🤭🤭

•
•
•

Volume 3 is very interesting, it talks about the efforts of Jinshi to improve the education level in the harem.

And the fierce competition to produce an heir and the position of Empress also becomes life-threatening. From here arises the case of suspected poison spread through a common perfume. The poisoning case is quite prominent in this third book.

The secret behind Jinshi's identity begins to be revealed!

This time from the previous king, whose body is said to have not decomposed. Who would have thought that this case would also reveal surprising truths about the king and the tragedy that happened in the harem.

There are 2 main developments in the relationship between Jinshi and Mao Mao. The first time he volunteered to help dress up and dance as a beautiful goddess. The second part is when Mao Mao finally realizes about the frog 🐸🐸 of Jinshi that was exposed in her hands 🤭🤭

[izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

can't wait to see the frog scene animated in the anime. 🫡

[Kayla Brunson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm surprised by how the manga is just catching up to this early volume in the light novel. We have the infamous frog scene and learn about Jinshi's identity. I am enjoying getting more from the characters in this version of the story. I'm hoping my library copy for the next volume cones in soon!

[Kamons · Rating 4 out of 5]

หลัก ๆ ของเล่มนี้คือ��บ🐸 ? แล้วก็เฉลยฐานะของจินชิสักที แต่ชาวบ้านรู้กันนานแล้วนะ