Amazon.com: The Apothecary Diaries 01 (Manga) eBook : Hyuuga, Natsu, Nekokurage: Kindle Store

I love this series, it's such a nice change of pace! However, if you want a copy, find a way to buy from a seller other than Amazon.com. Mine came with a 2"x3" sticker on the back cover that damaged the cover coming off. Not terribly happy about that

Originally a light novel, The Apocathery Diaries is an enchanting and entertaining manga. The setting is a fictional, imperial court, and empire, probably based loosely on Chinese, Korean and Japanese imperial cultures. The story includes various mystery solved by the excellent protagonist, MaoMao. My 12 year old daughter and I both enjoy the stories and the excellent female protagonist.The protagonist, MaoMao is a confident, eccentric, antisocial, intelligent young woman. Because of her insatiable curiosity and intellect she is unable to resist examining the various mysteries that she encounters, despite her desire to avoid entangling in human drama. MaoMao would rather commit all her time and attention to the study of medicinal and toxic plants. Her character is very much in the tradition of the antisocial, eccentric, genius detective (Think Sherlock Holmes and his unmatched knowledge of tobacco composition, but ignorance of the structure of the solar system). Having a female character in this role is very appealing to me as a female reader and mother of two daughters.Political machinations, historical conditions for women, the scientific process, medicinal plants are among the topics that are explored with a light, but well-research approach. The plots are are logical, and well paced. Character driven plots run throughout the series, whereas the mystery plots form shorter arcs. Other characters are sketched out well over time and reveal many little eccentricities. The manga has intelligent, character-driven humor.And the art is BEAUTIFUL - really top notch! The figure drawing is well proportioned, the faces are varied and interesting, the facial expressions and postures are so entertaining. The art is clean, detailed and truly adds to plot and character. We enjoy the art so much, we look for other manga illustrated by Nekokurage.A note to parents -- MaoMao was raised in a brothel and works in an Emperor's Consorts' quarters. In keeping with her very direct character, MaoMao mentions and discusses topics related to human sexuality. These are not illustrated or discussed in an explicit or graphic manner (I have not found any nudity) but they are an obvious part of MaoMao's world.