Fullmetal Alchemist: The Valley of the White Petals

Fullmetal Alchemist: Light Novels #3

by Makoto Inoue, Hiromu Arakawa (Artist)

Roy sends Edward and Alphonse on a search for a supposedly nonexistent town named Wisteria, which has been rumored to be a paradise, in a desert, surprisingly. However, the town really does exist but is isolated from outside contact. Ed and Al are granted entrance into the town after helping Ruby, a girl who lives in Wisteria and serves as one of the best guards of the town to keep unwanted people from coming in. Ruby introduces the brothers to the mayor of the town, and explains that the town runs on the law of Equivalent Exchange, so everyone works to get in reward their needs. After exploring the town, Al considers staying there forever, while Ed questions the town's system. Ed then meets a young boy who has been friends with Ruby before they came to Wisteria, and Ed learns of the poverty in the town that falls upon those who cannot work like everyone else. Ed and Al set out to prove the mayor of the town wrong.

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Light Novel, Fiction, Novels, Anime, Young Adult

224 pages, Paperback

First published July 30, 2004

Reviews

[LG (A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edward and Alphonse Elric are essentially forced to do a bit of work for Colonel Mustang in this one. Mustang is super busy but has also been tasked with monitoring a little town called Wisteria and writing up a report, so he delegates the Wisteria report to Edward.

Wisteria turns out to be a mysterious place. Everyone seems to think it's a desert utopia, the kind of place no one ever leaves. The only people allowed in are those who have nowhere else to go. Raygen, the alchemist who founded the town, explains that it operates under the law of equivalent exchange. As long as everyone works and contributes, they'll have a place to stay and food to eat. The harder jobs, like mining gemstones that are later sold outside Wisteria, pay better, but there's also easier work available in the local tavern and elsewhere around town. It seems perfect, until Edward investigates a little more.

This book had a decent message and was basically an argument for Universal Basic Income, health care for all, etc. It was about as subtle as a sledgehammer, though, and even then it didn't quite go far enough. Yes, Wisteria had several weak, elderly, and/or frail people who couldn't do their "fair share," but I was surprised that Inoue didn't underscore the message by having one of the town's top earners, maybe Neil, injure himself on the job and experience a sudden fall from grace.

I might have liked this more if it hadn't felt so much like I'd already read it. Raygen, Wisteria, and Ruby reminded me a lot of Father Cornello, Reole/Liore, and Rose. Since that was one of the earliest storylines in the series, it surprised me that neither Ed nor Al were reminded of any of it themselves. True, Wisteria's secret was different than Reole/Liore's, but it was the same basic setup, a miraculously wonderful town controlled by a charismatic leader who wasn't as kind as he appeared to be. Both Ruby and Rose were tied to their respective charismatic leaders by their painful pasts.

I did like that Inoue paid a bit more attention to Alphonse than usual. Wisteria and its citizens prompted Alphonse to think more deeply about his goals and his feelings about his new body vs. his old one. And I really enjoyed the conversation Ed and Al had about any feelings of guilt Ed might still be carrying around. It reminded me that these two are probably my top favorite manga/anime siblings.

Translation-wise, either I just wasn't in the right mood or this one was a bit stiffer than the previous two.

This didn't really offer anything new and didn't work as well for me as the previous two novels, but it was still relatively decent.

Extras:

A handful of black-and-white illustrations, one full-color illustration, an author afterword, and a short afterword by Hiromu Arakawa, complete with a couple sketches.

(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)

[Vicemage · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, if you like the Fullmetal Alchemist story, this is a fun read. It doesn't really contribute anything to the main storyline (it's an unrelated side story) or teach you anything you didn't already know about the characters, but it's a fun, fluffy read with a couple of nice illustrations and the usual fun "afterword" from Arakawa.

Whether it's because it's a different writer or a different translation team, the dialogue in these books never seems completely in character, but it's generally close enough. The actions of the characters tend to be well enough IC, at least, and their reactions to the events of the story likewise.

The story focus is heavily on Edward and Alphonse, with few to no appearances from other members of the cast; most of the characters are unique to this story, so they're unfamiliar to even fans of the series. You get to know a little about them within the story, but it never seems like quite enough to truly begin to care about them. The residents of the town of Wisteria are all introduced a little too rapid-fire for my personal liking, making it a challenge to distinguish them later in the climax of the story. The setting of Wisteria, however, is nicely realized and creates an interesting dynamic for the story. It plays out a bit predictably, but I wasn't really expecting any great twists and surprises, just a fun read, and on that level at least, the book did deliver.

[Mello!! · Rating 3 out of 5]

"regarding wisteria, please look forward to a full report, coming soon!"

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Fullmetal Alchemist takes place in the fictional country of Amestris which is heavily based on the Industrial Revolution. Amestris is a unitary state under the rule of a parliamentary republic, run by state alchemists that serve the king utilizing the mystifying arts of alchemy. Alchemy is the power to alter the physical world utilizing its natural elements, performing magic and miracles in the form of science. Alchemy follows the law of equivalent exchange, you must sacrifice something that is of equal value to what you create. You must sacrifice a life to create a life, you must extinguish one flame to ignite another, you have to sacrifice one home to build another, etc...

After being abandoned by their father as children and subjected to watching their mother die, Edward Elric and his brother Alphonse once attempted to utilize the power of alchemy to bring their mother back from the grave, ignoring the dangers of creating a life by offering something of equal value. Edward loses an arm and a leg while Alphonse loses his entire body; his soul placed in a hollow suit of armor that can't feel the touch of others. As neither of them sacrificed their lives in their entirety, the exchange failed and the boys created an abomination in place of their dead mother.

After burning their own home down and dealing with the abomination they created, Edward and his brother enlist themselves in the military to atone for their sins and learn more about the many secrets of alchemy; potentially learning how to recover their original bodies in the process. While serving in the military, the brothers begin to realize how the wonders of alchemy can be abused for nefarious purposes. Immortal life can be gained by sacrificing hundreds of innocents souls, wars can be staged and foreign nations can be annihilated under false charges, human experimentation aided by alchemy can lead to unnatural mutations, the world of alchemy is more dark and dangerous than either of them could've bargained for.

Fullmetal Alchemist grew on me the longer I read it. When I first started reading, it seemed like it was going to be generic shounen material, but it gets deeper and darker the further it goes on. The way it handles political and religious corruption, the dangers of advanced states abusing their technology and resources at the expense of foreign nations caught in the turmoil, and the sad futility of revenge are all very well done.

The characters all bear the weight of what alchemy is capable of. Edward and Alphonse carry the burden of abusing alchemy for selfish purposes. Their master Izumi loses her womb after attempting to resurrect her dead child. Scar takes many lives after his entire country is desecrated and gets trapped in a pointless cycle of revenge. Roy and Riza endure the regret of committing brutal war crimes for the sake of protecting their own nation. Alchemy creates and destroys in equal measure and no one is free from the consequences of tipping the balance.

The fight scenes are flashy and exciting without being too over-the-top because of the dangerous limitations that alchemy involves. The law of equivalent exchange keeps the power scaling in check and adds plenty of tension to the action. The female characters are especially well done, all of them are strong and unique in their own way. The lead heroine Winry being a skilled mechanic, Riza being an honorable warrior of the military, Olivier Armstrong as cold and vicious as the snowy fortress she guards, and that's just a few of them.

The villains are an interesting parody of the seven deadly sins. Each of them represent the darkness and regrets of each of the main characters and they can only be conquered by coming to terms with their own flaws and sins. The characters having to overcome their personal demons to take on the greater demons trying to overthrow the world from the shadows made the struggles of every single person in the story feel personal. Every character, no matter how minor had their moments to shine. Everyone had a vital role to play and the camaraderie between friend and foe alike never felt cheesy or forced.

Unlike most shounen series I've read, the final arc was my favorite. A lot of long-running shounen series have a habit of being dragged out, losing touch with what made them great or breaking their own rules in messy, plot-hole-filled final arcs that leave a lot to be desired. Fullmetal Alchemist has no lose ends, all characters have complete arcs where they learn and grow from their dark pasts, the romance and comedy are handled well without relying on cheap fanservice, the action scenes are great but they don't overshadow the plot and the final chapters tie everything together beautifully. It's not my favorite manga by any means as I usually tend to favor seinen, but it's definitely one of the greatest stories to ever come out of the shounen demographic in my opinion. The ending is a tearjerker but it left me in good spirits.

***

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[Cozy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The villain was cartoonish but fun

[Nicole Schiller · Rating 4 out of 5]

regarding wisteria, please look forward to a full report, coming soon! i liked it, characters were decently developed, but just not my favorite storyline

[Stephanie Fachiol · Rating 3 out of 5]

(True rating: 3.5/5)

Of the FMA light novels, this one holds a special place in my heart. Like the others, the prose can be utilitarian, and antagonists rather flat, but what sets this one apart is the examination of past and future... and Alphonse's character.

The Valley of White Petals finds Ed and Al searching for the mysterious city Wisteria under orders from Mustang. What started as a favor turns into genuine interest as the brothers find out the city runs entirely on the principle of Equivalent Exchange, alchemy's basis, and the guiding principle for their own lives.

The examination of Equivalent Exchange isn't anything particularly new; those who have read the original manga, or seen Dante's speech 'debunking' it in the 2003 anime, will already be familiar with some of the grey areas the novel addresses. The arguments are presented well, but they're not completely original. However, Alphonse has an interesting character development arc as he wonders if his chasing the past is ruining his chances for happiness in the future. His tireless body could help people--is he being selfish by trying to get rid of it? Is he throwing away a chance at contentedness in the present for the dim possibility he may regain what he once had, someday in the future?

Even though Al grapples with these questions, the novel does not offer much else in the way of characters. Ed's thoughts are still rather obvious, and while Inoue writes the characters true to canon, he seems hesitant to fully explore them. Similarly, Ruby, an original character for the novel, has a unique perspective on Wisteria's situation, and even acts as a bit of a love interest for Al, but her final development is rushed in a climax more concerned with beating up the bad guy than giving a lasting resolution to the questions the story addresses, philosophical or otherwise. As a villain, Raygen's motivations are obscure, and while his actions are horrendous, his stock 'evil grins' and maniacal laughter make him hard to take seriously.

The novel shows the weaknesses of the light novel clearly: rushed character development in favor of witty dialogue, and a rushed story in favor of a little more action. Despite its flaws, however, it is still an enjoyable read. It's on the more serious side of the FMA light novels--the wry humor of The Abducted Alchemist is more understated here--and while it isn't quite as good as Arakawa's original works, it supplements them rather nicely.

(Plus... Al's mini-romance is adorable)

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Valley of the White Petals" is a side story set in the Fullmetal Alchemist manga/anime universe. It's a decent story that I would have liked to have seen as part of the anime. Roy Mustang sends Edward and Alphonse Elric to a town called Wisteria, and the means by which he does so (in the opening chapter) is hilarious.

Wisteria is cleverly hidden and the boys eventually find their way in thanks to a girl named Ruby, who lives there and occasionally runs errands for a mysterious man named Mr. Raygen, who is the town's de facto mayor. The entire town is run on the principle of equivalent exchange, the guiding principle of alchemy--and thus the most basic principle that both boys follow completely in their own lives. However, Edward soon discovers that equivalent exchange doesn't always allow for complete equality and with Roy's warning about crime being higher than usual in nearby cities, he realizes that something's rotten in Wisteria.

Meanwhile, Alphonse gets some good character development as he realizes that his armored body could prove useful to the townspeople. He can work longer and harder than ordinary humans and it fits in well with his character, as in the manga and anime, he questioned his own identity and what it meant to be human. Ruby acts as his love interest, and it's never failed to amuse me that in nearly every form of media, Alphonse--the boy who is soul-bonded to a suit of armor--constantly gets the girl.

It's a pretty quick read, but it's a good story with action and some decent philosophy. It fits well into the FMA universe as a whole, and it's one of several light novels that were translated into English. Recommended.

[King Haddock · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm rating this a three star moreso from person preference than objective quality. Personally, I was slightly less interested in this story's topic than I was the other light novels.

However, content-wise, this has the most solid plot in the Fullmetal Alchemist light novels I have read thus far. Furthermore, I feel like it got into more thoughtful depth than the first two light novels, much appreciated since #2 never tackled the nuances of military imperfection. There were good quotes here in "The Valley of the White Petals" like:

"Would you say the people living here in Wisteria are living, thinking people... or puppets, like in a puppet show?"
Ruby frowned. "They're people of course," she replied, rolling her eyes at the inane question.
Edward shook his head. "Not if they stop asking questions they aren't," he said quietly.

and

"It's hard to see into the shadow when you're blinded by the light."

And, like all of Makoto Inoue's FMA stories, there is a fair share of amusement to be had. The start and end of the novel ESPECIALLY tickled me. Worth reading if you enjoyed any of the other FMA light novels.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the best one of the series so far. The characterizations of Ed, Al, and Roy were pretty spot on for this story. It was something that had seemed a little off for Volumes 1 and 2.
The mix of humor, action, drama, and feeling in this story really reminded me of what was almost always present in the manga series. This felt like a true chapter of the original story. The plot of the story was also pretty solid. It is a familiar line of a desert oasis town that appears perfect from the outside but has secrets that only appear if you venture into the shadows. I think the setting description was done well by the author because I got a very clear picture of the town of Wisteria. Everything that seemed to being missing and everything that was good from the first 2 novels really finally came together here to make a good, true to the source, Fullmetal story.

[Natalia Wojcik-Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it's interesting to hear about further adventures and it definitely feels like the writer's done his homework in accurately representing Amestris as a setting, I do think it has the same problem as the other novelisations for English readers- it's quite let down by localisation. This makes the dialogue feel needlessly verbose and causes some jarringly off-character narration that I think could have been prevented with a more discerning editor. I don't blame the original author for that, though, and the stories themselves are interesting enough to carry you past little blips of awkwardness.

[Scott Mattson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy the Full Metal Alchemist novels, since they are not always stories covered in the Anime, and you don't have to read them in order I am guessing. The last one is different from all the other light novel series I have read. Ed and Al get assigned by Mustang to investigate a City in the middle of a dessert. When they get there it seems like a paradise, everyone works hard and everyone is happy and well fed. Then they meet the people from the other side of town.

[Ren Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

I really enjoyed the examination of capitalism, oppression, and cults here. I was honestly surprised to find all that in a middle grade book, though I supposed I shouldn’t have been given it’s an FMA book. There’s also some great brotherly moments here between Ed and Al. The cherry on top? Ed causing problems for Roy on purpose. I think this may be my favorite of the light novels!

[Gill James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makoto Inoue crafts a convincing and exciting fantasy world. The characters are rounded and believable. The adventure keeps us guessing. Certainly some hope is achieved by the end but I would also like the brothers achieve more of their long-term goal or at least have some indication of how that may happen. This is an engaging novel based on some best-selling manga.

[Emi えみ Takami 鷹見 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was given an advanced reading copy of the second edition printing in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for this opportunity.

I haven't been involved in the Fullmetal world for a while, but this sucks you right back in. Ed and Al are sent on a quest by Colonel Mustang to observe and report on a town called Wisteria. At first the town seems like a complete paradise, but as time goes on Edward observes some unsettling things. Could this town really be a safe haven, or is it a front for something more sinister?

This book does require a basic knowledge of Fullmetal Alchemist and it's characters. I think it could be read without this background, but the reader wouldn't get the full appreciation for situations that arise.

Fast paced with lots of soft Alphonse moments and many Edward tantrums. Fun, pleasurable read. The world building was lacking, as the author relies on the reader having prior knowledge of the FMA world to fill in those spaces.

[Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great story set in the Fullmetal Alchemist universe! Honestly a ridiculously quick read.

[Silke · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a nice side story in the fullmetal alchemist universe.

[Natalia Šupková · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it sm Omg

[Sebastian Guerrero · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5

[Izzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I thought this book was alright. If anyone wants to get the gist about how the Elric brothers’ journey is like, then I’m sure they would be interested in this book. This is a bit of fast-pace reading, but will really let the reader feel as if they’re in Fullmetal Alchemist world. Also, if anyone wants more of Alphonse’s perspective, I’m also sure that many of you Alphonse fans would appreciate his side of the story.
“The Valley of White Petals” was the town—also known as Wisteria—that the Elric brothers were ordered to investigate. It may have seemed like any other town that the brothers have investigated before, but to their surprise, it was actually a town that lives by the law of Equivalent Exchange; this made both brothers highly interested with this town. The brothers being able to revolve their lives around a law that they know well because of alchemy. Seems like a paradise for the brothers, right?
Well, I can’t spoil too much of the story, but for the most part there’s nothing new about Ed and Al. Besides this being a side story, there are new characters in this volume that mostly show their dedication to Wisteria. The only flawed thing I have to say about it is how the new characters (especially Ruby) were completely oblivious to the town’s current situation. That frustrated me a bit while I was reading it. Other than that, the story all together was still fun to read.

[Teno Q. · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining little side-story that gives you a glimpse of Edward and Alphonses' adventures during the 3-year time skip in the animes and manga. At the beginning I had a vague feeling of deja vu, as the setup of this story is similiar to the Lior arc at the beginning of the first anime and the manga, and it does little to distinguish itself from that arc, even later on in the story. However, characterization is intact, as well as the series' overarching themes of morality, fairness and the principle of Equivalent Exchange.

The ending was a cop-out that bumped it down from four to three stars for me. Characters that were previously staunch in their beliefs and ideals changed at the drop of a hat, and it rushed to tie up the loose ends into a neat little bow much too quickly, colouring all the interesting grey areas it had previously created black and white.

The writing is a little awkward at times, but not nearly so much as other reviews might lead you to believe, and it's not as juvenile either. Overall a fun read, though it doesn't contain anything of substance and does not add much to the series as a whole. I would recommend it to FMA fans ages 12 and up.

[Kristen Sharpe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the previous two Fullmetal Alchemist novels, the plot is carried less by the manga and anime's trademark alchemy action and more by the slowly building plot and the character interactions. Both are well done in this installment, and I enjoyed following Ed and Al as they uncovered Wisteria's secrets. The only downside to me was that the antagonist would have been more interesting if they hadn't immediately devolved into spouting villainous cliches as soon as their scheme was revealed.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this one. I liked the first one, hated the second one, and loved this one. Wisteria is a very interesting little town, and its inhabitants are interesting as well. The ending is a bit rushed, however. Still, if you are a fan of the FMA franchise, please read this book and the other light novels!

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked how this story was more focused on Alphonse! Poor guy doesn't get enough credit.

However, the story was a little bit boring, and I didn't really like any of the other characters in it aside from Ed and Al.

[[ constellation mokke ] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The law of equivalent exchange sounds like a pretty good law to me... If that law existed here in reality...I wonder what life would be like for us... Would it be a good balanced world? Or, would it be a dark and uncaring world?

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not much action but it does get you to think about equity between different classes of people and how just because people have different strengths and weaknesses doesn't mean they are any less human than you or me.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very much a light novel, in the sense of fluffy--at least as fluffy as one can get with Fullmetal Alchemist.

[locrian · Rating 1 out of 5]

if you want to read fma fanfic, you're better off reading the free stuff online than this shit.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story continues in this third outing...and so does the fun and adventure.