Magic and mayhem in a race to save the kingdom
When Books2Door offered me the chance to review some books from their range, I knew at once what I would pick. Back in 2018, I read a book called Jinxed that captured my imagination from the first sentence. The Potion Diaries trilogy is by the same author, writing under a different name.
The story begins with Sam Kemi. Sam knows where her future lies. She has a gift for potion making, and it’s her duty to turn around her family’s business. The potion shop is respected within the community, but it has suffered ever since synthetic ingredients were created. The company responsible, ZoroAster, now has a monopoly on the potions market, but there are some things they can’t recreate. Like a love potion. It just so happens that the manager’s son, Zain, has taken an interest in Sam, even though everybody says he’s going to marry Princess Evie.
When the Princess makes a love potion that backfires, potion makers from across the land are called to the palace to compete in a magical contest. The first person to make a cure wins access to a stream of magic – a reward beyond imagining because it’s the only way Untalented people like Sam (those without magical abilities) will ever perform a spell.
She’s up against a host of competitors including Zol Aster, who has the might of his company behind him, and the Princess’s awful aunt Emilia who is called to compete even though she is technically an outlaw.
Along the way, there are run-ins with evil Emilia, encounters with magical creatures, and awkward moments between Sam and Zol Aster’s son Zain. Exactly who is Zain rooting for? And could his interest in Sam be about more than her potion-making skills? Why would he fancy her when everybody knows he’s going to marry the princess?
Sam’s goal-driven attitude is a refreshing reminder that even people without special powers can become heroes. We live in a society that is skewed towards the favoured. Those who had the right opportunities at the right times. Those who progressed in their careers. It is reflected in our literature, in all the stories about the chosen one and all the heroes plucked from their ordinary lives to discover their true selves. What about the people who were equally capable but were never offered the support or training to get a certain job or qualification? Sam has lived her life knowing that, unlike her little sister, she is untalented. She isn’t the one destined to be a high achiever. Yet there she is, working day after day at her potion-making because is something she loves from her very core. Creatives and sportspeople, chefs and digital designers have all spoken about how, long before anyone paid for their work, they developed a drive to keep learning. To keep exploring.
It was fun to find a fairytale-inspired world brought up to date for a modern audience. It was also great to see a love story rooted in adventure.
The second and third books continue Sam’s quest to become a master potion maker. With TV tours, a magical illness, and boyfriend issues to contend with, there’s plenty going on in the life of this potion-making teenager. I would strongly recommend these to anyone who is looking for a great adventure without all the typical tropes of high fantasy. They also tick the box for 11-14 year-olds who want something more teenage than core middle grade but who aren’t quite ready for the more mature themes of YA fiction.
A pinch of magic plus a load of mayhem. This series makes the perfect cheer-up read.
- The Potion Diaries, The Potion Diaries: Going Viral and The Potion Diaries: Royal Tour are available now, published by Simon And Schuster. (Provided for review by online bookseller Books2Door).
