Apothecary Diaries...

I picked up Apothecary Diaries...

Season 1
Maomao lived a peaceful life with her apothecary father. Until one day, she's sold as a lowly servant to the emperor's palace. But she wasn't meant for a compliant life among royalty. So when imperial heirs fall ill, she decides to step in and find a cure! This catches the eye of Jinshi, a handsome palace official who promotes her. Now, she's making a name for herself solving medical mysteries!

Season 2
When a favored concubine becomes pregnant, Maomao is put to the test as her food taster. She must keep her wits sharp, not only to protect the concubine but also against rising dangers in the palace. A new concubine with powerful ties, an unsolved attempt at Jinshi's life, and a foreign envoy with impossible demands hint at a grand conspiracy poised to engulf the empire.

Apothecary Diaries follows the exploits of Maomao, a skilled apothecary working for her father, as she finds herself kidnapped and sold into service as a common laborer at the imperial palace. She would like nothing better than to keep her head down and finish her service without being noticed. Maomao happens to overhear something alarming and it sparks her curiousity. After a fashion, Maomao comes to the realization that someone is in danger, but, her desire to keep out of the limelight, inspires her to write an annomynous note. The warning is ignored, but, in the aftermath, Jinshi investigates and discovers the note. He doesn't know who wrote the note and in an era where most people cannot read or write, it inspires his curiousity. Eventually, Jinshi discovers Maomao and realizes that she is quite an extraordinary person.

Thanks to Jinshi, Maomao is promoted and finds herself very much at the center of attention as she is not only good in the kitchen, but, also knows her way around a needle and thread. Maomao has a brilliant mind and comes up with some inventive ideas for her comfort -- like sewing extra pockets into her clothes for warming stones that can be used to keep her warm on cold days. Some of her ideas quickly spread across the palace garnering even more unwanted attention.

Events flow rather natually, allowing Maomao to solve some mysteries -- some medical and others more puzzling. The series has a rather relaxed and easy flow and I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Maomao as a food taster is probably one of the best uses of her talents as she both loves to eat and would love the idea of being poisoned. There are no naughty bits or red ink to be found. While I enjoyed the series a lot, it's strictly a period drama and may not appeal to those looking for more action-oriented fare. I gave Apothecary Diaries a 5 out of 5.