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Fullmetal Alchemist: Light Novels #4
Fullmetal Alchemist: Under the Faraway Sky
Somewhere between magic, art and science exists a world of alchemy. And into this world travel Edward and Alphonse Elric—two brothers in search of the Philosopher's Stone, the ultimate alchemical treasure!You've read the manga and seen the anime. Complete the Fullmetal experience with these best-selling novels featuring original stories.
It's only been a year since the Elric brothers set out on their journey to find the elusive Philosopher’s Stone. But a lot has happened in that short time. For one thing, Edward has become an official state alchemist, and as such, he often finds himself embroiled in one dangerous situation after another.
Now, sidelined with a fever in a remote village, Edward comes face-to-face with a childhood friend. Though he’s become a valuable member of his country’s military, Edward can't help feeling a pang of jealousy during this unexpected reunion. While he and his brother are bound to their cruel fate, his friend is busy making his dreams come true. Once again Edward must wrestle with the consequences of his alchemically altered past.
Also included in this edition is a heartwarming story featuring Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes, and Alex Louis Armstrong, who discover a mysterious village populated only with children while on vacation in the woods.
It's only been a year since the Elric brothers set out on their journey to find the elusive Philosopher’s Stone. But a lot has happened in that short time. For one thing, Edward has become an official state alchemist, and as such, he often finds himself embroiled in one dangerous situation after another.
Now, sidelined with a fever in a remote village, Edward comes face-to-face with a childhood friend. Though he’s become a valuable member of his country’s military, Edward can't help feeling a pang of jealousy during this unexpected reunion. While he and his brother are bound to their cruel fate, his friend is busy making his dreams come true. Once again Edward must wrestle with the consequences of his alchemically altered past.
Also included in this edition is a heartwarming story featuring Roy Mustang, Maes Hughes, and Alex Louis Armstrong, who discover a mysterious village populated only with children while on vacation in the woods.
219 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 29, 2020
This book is divided into two stories, "Under the Faraway Sky" and "Roy's Holiday." I'll discuss them separately.
"Under the Faraway Sky"
Edward and Alphonse Elric have now been traveling on their own for a year. Edward ends up with a cold, forcing them to stop at a nearby town for a while. The local doctor is busy, so the person he sends to give Edward a checkup is his assistant, who turns out to be Edward's best childhood friend back at Resembool, Pitt. It's a shock - when they were growing up, Pitt was just as much of a troublemaker as Edward, but now he's mature and pursuing a career he's interested in and that clearly helps people. It makes Edward a little jealous.
These light novels are of course all filler, but this story felt particularly filler-like, with its introduction of Edward's childhood best friend, who was somehow inseparable from him and yet never previously mentioned in any incarnation of the series and who would never be mentioned again. It made it really hard to care any time they talked about their fun days back at Resembool.
I spent the whole story thinking that there would be a big revelation about Pitt's reason for apprenticing himself to a doctor in a town he hadn't previously had any connection to, something more than "his dad researched medicinal herbs so he was sort of continuing the family business." However, this was more about Pitt and Edward accepting the choices they'd made and not comparing themselves to people who'd chosen other paths. For Edward, it was also about realizing that he didn't have to completely leave his past behind - that it wouldn't hurt to occasionally stop by Resembool and see people like Winry, even if his automail didn't need repairing.
This story was just a big pile of "meh" for me, combined with slight annoyance at Pitt's very existence.
"Roy's Holiday"
Roy is given orders to temporarily change places with a commanding officer at a tiny post practically in the middle of nowhere. He grumbles about it, but in reality he views it like a vacation...until he actually gets there and realizes how undisciplined and badly trained his new subordinates are. Then his vacation morphs into a mountain of work, until Hughes and Armstrong make a detour to see him after a nearby investigation of theirs fails to pan out. Hughes and Armstrong drag Roy away, swearing that they have a great view to show him, which results in a semi-terrifying hike that forces them to stop at a village that wasn't on their map. Oddly enough, the village is populated only by children.
The table of contents called this "Roy's Holiday," while the title is listed just before the story as "Roy's Vacation." It's one of several examples that illustrate this story's need for better editing and attention to detail, which is a shame, considering that this was the better of the two stories in the volume.
It was fairly obvious what was going on with this little village, and the length of time it took Roy to figure it out made him look a bit stupid. Still, it was nice to see him try to help out with chores, and I was amused at how proud he was of the one task he was actually able to do well. Meanwhile, Hughes and Armstrong had no trouble at all fitting in and being useful.
Another so-so story, but at least better than the first one. This could have made a decent filler episode in the original anime series.
Extras:
One full-color illustration of Hughes, Armstrong, and Roy (the image of Hughes holding both a knife and pictures of his daughter makes my heart squeeze, ugh), a few black and white illustrations throughout, an afterword by Makoto Inoue (who apparently has a pet chipmunk), and an afterword by Hiromu Arakawa that includes a four-panel comic and a sketch of what appears to be Winry, Edward, and Alphonse as adults.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
"Under the Faraway Sky"
Edward and Alphonse Elric have now been traveling on their own for a year. Edward ends up with a cold, forcing them to stop at a nearby town for a while. The local doctor is busy, so the person he sends to give Edward a checkup is his assistant, who turns out to be Edward's best childhood friend back at Resembool, Pitt. It's a shock - when they were growing up, Pitt was just as much of a troublemaker as Edward, but now he's mature and pursuing a career he's interested in and that clearly helps people. It makes Edward a little jealous.
These light novels are of course all filler, but this story felt particularly filler-like, with its introduction of Edward's childhood best friend, who was somehow inseparable from him and yet never previously mentioned in any incarnation of the series and who would never be mentioned again. It made it really hard to care any time they talked about their fun days back at Resembool.
I spent the whole story thinking that there would be a big revelation about Pitt's reason for apprenticing himself to a doctor in a town he hadn't previously had any connection to, something more than "his dad researched medicinal herbs so he was sort of continuing the family business." However, this was more about Pitt and Edward accepting the choices they'd made and not comparing themselves to people who'd chosen other paths. For Edward, it was also about realizing that he didn't have to completely leave his past behind - that it wouldn't hurt to occasionally stop by Resembool and see people like Winry, even if his automail didn't need repairing.
This story was just a big pile of "meh" for me, combined with slight annoyance at Pitt's very existence.
"Roy's Holiday"
Roy is given orders to temporarily change places with a commanding officer at a tiny post practically in the middle of nowhere. He grumbles about it, but in reality he views it like a vacation...until he actually gets there and realizes how undisciplined and badly trained his new subordinates are. Then his vacation morphs into a mountain of work, until Hughes and Armstrong make a detour to see him after a nearby investigation of theirs fails to pan out. Hughes and Armstrong drag Roy away, swearing that they have a great view to show him, which results in a semi-terrifying hike that forces them to stop at a village that wasn't on their map. Oddly enough, the village is populated only by children.
The table of contents called this "Roy's Holiday," while the title is listed just before the story as "Roy's Vacation." It's one of several examples that illustrate this story's need for better editing and attention to detail, which is a shame, considering that this was the better of the two stories in the volume.
It was fairly obvious what was going on with this little village, and the length of time it took Roy to figure it out made him look a bit stupid. Still, it was nice to see him try to help out with chores, and I was amused at how proud he was of the one task he was actually able to do well. Meanwhile, Hughes and Armstrong had no trouble at all fitting in and being useful.
Another so-so story, but at least better than the first one. This could have made a decent filler episode in the original anime series.
Extras:
One full-color illustration of Hughes, Armstrong, and Roy (the image of Hughes holding both a knife and pictures of his daughter makes my heart squeeze, ugh), a few black and white illustrations throughout, an afterword by Makoto Inoue (who apparently has a pet chipmunk), and an afterword by Hiromu Arakawa that includes a four-panel comic and a sketch of what appears to be Winry, Edward, and Alphonse as adults.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
October 31, 2009
There's definitely a reason these are called "light novels". The first story in this volume (the title story) is largely fluff, though there are a couple good character moments for Ed and Al. The main original character is interesting, but has some seriously over-the-top moments.
The second story ("Roy's Vacation") has a little more to it, but is riddled with typos, even changing the spelling of a character's name about halfway through the story. However, it was good to have another story involving Hughes, and to see these characters in a more lighthearted situation, considering the many dark turns the manga has taken.
Even if Inoue's name was not on the cover, you could easily guess that Arakawa did not write these stories due to the fluff and inconsistencies. (Arakawa-sensei does not miss anything.) However, she did the cover art and several illustrations, plus a brief extra. Those looking for the depth and complexity of the manga (or even the anime) will be sorely disappointed.
Not highly recommended, but a nice bit of brain-candy for an afternoon while waiting for the next volume to be released.
The second story ("Roy's Vacation") has a little more to it, but is riddled with typos, even changing the spelling of a character's name about halfway through the story. However, it was good to have another story involving Hughes, and to see these characters in a more lighthearted situation, considering the many dark turns the manga has taken.
Even if Inoue's name was not on the cover, you could easily guess that Arakawa did not write these stories due to the fluff and inconsistencies. (Arakawa-sensei does not miss anything.) However, she did the cover art and several illustrations, plus a brief extra. Those looking for the depth and complexity of the manga (or even the anime) will be sorely disappointed.
Not highly recommended, but a nice bit of brain-candy for an afternoon while waiting for the next volume to be released.
July 10, 2022
Ok, I watched Fullmetal Alchemist WAAAAAAY back in the day, so I have no idea about the storyline, new characters, etc. now. I saw this being offered on NetGalley and I became curious to see what has evolved since I last watched it. I'm glad that I did. I'm not sure what is considered "canon" and I saw that another reviewer didn't like the continuity issue re: story about an incredibly close childhood friend that was never talked about until this moment, but since I am not as well versed in the storyline, it didn't bother me.
So if you follow the storyline and know what is going on, the first story in this book might not ring true to you.
I didn't recognize any of the characters in the second story, so it didn't really do much for me, though the personalities did seem to come through strongly, so it wasn't hard for me to follow how they were. The story itself seemed a little weak sauce to me, but it wasn't bad.
All in all, well written and took me back to when I was younger. One I would definitely recommend to others to try. 3, reliving my youth, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
So if you follow the storyline and know what is going on, the first story in this book might not ring true to you.
I didn't recognize any of the characters in the second story, so it didn't really do much for me, though the personalities did seem to come through strongly, so it wasn't hard for me to follow how they were. The story itself seemed a little weak sauce to me, but it wasn't bad.
All in all, well written and took me back to when I was younger. One I would definitely recommend to others to try. 3, reliving my youth, stars.
My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2024
not gonna lie i didn't care too much for the first story about ed and al but the story about roy's vacation was pretty good
August 15, 2014
This installment was different than the previous three in that it was divided into two short stories instead of one big one. Both stories are entertaining and heartwarming. The first one is about Edward and Alphonse taking a break and, along the way, they meet up with a childhood friend. Likewise, the second one features Roy, who needs a vacation, and he travels with the hilarious duo of Maes Hughes and Armstrong into a village inhabited by children.
November 9, 2020
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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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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My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
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May 23, 2018
Compared to the previous FMA light novels, "Under the Faraway Sky" feels like fluff. It'd be a laid-back filler episode or two if it were animated. However, just because "Under the Faraway Sky" has less of a dramatic plot arc... doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Contrarily, I had a GREAT amount of fun start to finish.
This light novel is actually two short stories.
The first involves Edward Elric reuniting with a childhood friend named Pitt. Simple story that it is, there's a good structure to the plot, flowing well start to end. There's a good lesson that the two of them learn, which was relatable to my own life when I was their age (ohhh, flashbacks to when I was fifteen). And, within this story is a bunch of amusing content, including Winry dumping a fistful of bugs down the back of Ed's shirt.
The second light novel was exactly what I needed as someone whose favorite FMA friendship is Roy and Maes, and whose favorite character is Mustang. It focuses on them and Armstrong. Roy Mustang learns a valuable lesson from a fifteen year old girl, but the story is a hilarious hoot start to finish. Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang, and Alex Armstrong go on a disastrous hike together... stumble into a village inhabited only by children in the middle of the woods... and have to work for their food and lodgings because they lost their wallets. If you ever needed to know how pathetic Mustang is at domestic tasks, then look no further. I'm still laughing at Mustang waiting tables in an apron wondering how the food is, passing by Hughes and hissing about how his friend better not say a WORD to anyone else about this.
Just because these stories are "simpler" in content doesn't mean this one should be passed up! I had just as much fun with this one as any of the light novels, if not more!
This light novel is actually two short stories.
The first involves Edward Elric reuniting with a childhood friend named Pitt. Simple story that it is, there's a good structure to the plot, flowing well start to end. There's a good lesson that the two of them learn, which was relatable to my own life when I was their age (ohhh, flashbacks to when I was fifteen). And, within this story is a bunch of amusing content, including Winry dumping a fistful of bugs down the back of Ed's shirt.
The second light novel was exactly what I needed as someone whose favorite FMA friendship is Roy and Maes, and whose favorite character is Mustang. It focuses on them and Armstrong. Roy Mustang learns a valuable lesson from a fifteen year old girl, but the story is a hilarious hoot start to finish. Maes Hughes, Roy Mustang, and Alex Armstrong go on a disastrous hike together... stumble into a village inhabited only by children in the middle of the woods... and have to work for their food and lodgings because they lost their wallets. If you ever needed to know how pathetic Mustang is at domestic tasks, then look no further. I'm still laughing at Mustang waiting tables in an apron wondering how the food is, passing by Hughes and hissing about how his friend better not say a WORD to anyone else about this.
Just because these stories are "simpler" in content doesn't mean this one should be passed up! I had just as much fun with this one as any of the light novels, if not more!
June 14, 2022
This is split into two parts, the first being with Edward and Alphonse Elric and the second part focusing on Colonel Mustang, Major Hughes, and Major Armstrong.
I loved both stories. Ed and Al's focused on the brothers being stuck in a village after Ed comes down with a bad cold and they run into a childhood friend apprenticed to a doctor there. It was fun to see the brothers interact with another friend from Risembol that wasn't Winry. And the story with Mustang, Hughes, and Armstrong was just as fun because while it had serious aspects to it, it was mostly a lighthearted moment with the men, getting to have fun with the village children and not just being members of the military (I know we get a lot of Hughes with his wife and daughter, which we still got, but this was great).
The book does a really great job at pointing out how in the story of Fullmetal Alchemist, children are largely forced into adulthood or adult responsibilities while they are in fact still children, which is something that always stuck out to me in the original media.
The only thing that stood out as weird to me is that one of the characters in part two was named Rose and there's a fairly prominent main character in the shows named Rose. I know in real life people have the same name, but not usually in media unless it's for a reason and it wasn't ever mentioned.
Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
I loved both stories. Ed and Al's focused on the brothers being stuck in a village after Ed comes down with a bad cold and they run into a childhood friend apprenticed to a doctor there. It was fun to see the brothers interact with another friend from Risembol that wasn't Winry. And the story with Mustang, Hughes, and Armstrong was just as fun because while it had serious aspects to it, it was mostly a lighthearted moment with the men, getting to have fun with the village children and not just being members of the military (I know we get a lot of Hughes with his wife and daughter, which we still got, but this was great).
The book does a really great job at pointing out how in the story of Fullmetal Alchemist, children are largely forced into adulthood or adult responsibilities while they are in fact still children, which is something that always stuck out to me in the original media.
The only thing that stood out as weird to me is that one of the characters in part two was named Rose and there's a fairly prominent main character in the shows named Rose. I know in real life people have the same name, but not usually in media unless it's for a reason and it wasn't ever mentioned.
Thank you to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
January 31, 2021
I'm a full-fledged FMA fan. I've seen both anime adaptations, read the entire manga series.
I bought the side novels and finally got to them. I started on this one because I figured I'd get this particular story out of the way because it is covered in the anime and thought I would breeze through it.
It was okay. I thought perhaps it was because I knew what was going to happen since I watched the anime... but I don't think that was it. It just was ... meh. And I consider myself pretty forgiving.
It took me a long time to finish it because it didn't capture my attention. It sat for weeks on end, unfinished, and more of a chore until I forced myself to finish it. I thought that perhaps the novel adaptation would have more detail or flare that the anime didn't have time to cover.
It won't stop me from reading the other four novels, I just just hope they don't suffer from the same flatness.
I bought the side novels and finally got to them. I started on this one because I figured I'd get this particular story out of the way because it is covered in the anime and thought I would breeze through it.
It was okay. I thought perhaps it was because I knew what was going to happen since I watched the anime... but I don't think that was it. It just was ... meh. And I consider myself pretty forgiving.
It took me a long time to finish it because it didn't capture my attention. It sat for weeks on end, unfinished, and more of a chore until I forced myself to finish it. I thought that perhaps the novel adaptation would have more detail or flare that the anime didn't have time to cover.
It won't stop me from reading the other four novels, I just just hope they don't suffer from the same flatness.
August 12, 2022
I was given a e-ARC of the new edition of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and VIZ Media for the opportunity .
While I enjoy any extra Fullmetal Alchemist content, this one fell a little flat for me. It contains two stories, one that centers on the Elric brothers and one that follows Colonel Mustang. First, Ed gets sick, so he and Al stop in a village to rest and meet a childhood friend. In the second, Colonel Mustang gets sent to a remote base to whip it into shape, but gets dragged out for a LONG walk with Major Armstrong and and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. The story with Ed and Al seemed to be mostly bickering about Ed being healthy enough or taller than their friend Pitt, and was kind of boring. I did enjoy the story with our military men, and seeing a slightly softer side of Mustang.
While I enjoy any extra Fullmetal Alchemist content, this one fell a little flat for me. It contains two stories, one that centers on the Elric brothers and one that follows Colonel Mustang. First, Ed gets sick, so he and Al stop in a village to rest and meet a childhood friend. In the second, Colonel Mustang gets sent to a remote base to whip it into shape, but gets dragged out for a LONG walk with Major Armstrong and and Lieutenant Colonel Hughes. The story with Ed and Al seemed to be mostly bickering about Ed being healthy enough or taller than their friend Pitt, and was kind of boring. I did enjoy the story with our military men, and seeing a slightly softer side of Mustang.
March 19, 2021
Look, I knew going into this that it was going to be way below my reading level and I probably wouldn’t love it as much as the manga and anime. But hey, I still had fun! Ed and Roy each have some great character moments in their respective stories. While I don’t love the third person omnipotent perspective, I still enjoyed this overall and would probably revisit it.
May 19, 2023
As a fan of the anime, I stumbled into this ,I knew there was a novel in the manga box edition, but I never knew there is actually more than one, anyway reading this was fun, it feels like a special eps, an ova of a kind, and you easy see it playing in your head, even hear thier voices, two stories one for Ed, the other is for Mustang, both are cute and sweet , and kind of nostalgic in a way...
March 29, 2020
The two stories were both a little weak and predictable. As others pointed out, there were some mistakes that should have been caught by an editor. I enjoyed a Roy story but it was not very strong and didn't seem to develop the plot and relationships to end where the story ended.
January 24, 2023
Great side story to the universe.
July 21, 2023
The two stories were a lot of fun! I always like getting a peek into what happens beyond the main plot of a manga.
December 18, 2024
Bastante divertido y disfrutable.
June 17, 2025
Very heartwarming stories and interactions throughout the book. Always love seeing characters outside of the situations we normally see them in.
August 3, 2020
This is the first Fullmetal Alchemist light novel I've read and it was disappointing. I expected that despite how the story us, I will enjoy it regardless since it's Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood is my most favourite anime ever, but unfortunately that's not the case.
Some of the characters personalities seemed fanfictiony, it didn't seem like something official, like you knew that this is what the characters would do or act like in certain situations only it was the opposite in the book, Ed behaved in ways that he normally wouldn’t.
There were also some spelling mistakes as well. Like in a few instances, Hughes daughter Elicia's name was spelt like Alicia and then near the end it was spelt like Elicia. There was also one part near the end where it said Roy and Hughes, but I'm pretty sure it was supposed to say Armstrong and Hughes. This is probably the translator and the editor's fault, I can't say anything about the original Japanese version since I haven't read it and I can't read it anyways since my Japanese is only at a toddler's level or maybe a 5 year old's level😅😂
Overall, this was an ok read, nothing memorable or anything like the anime and manga. I’m not saying that there always has to be something amazing in the stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist series, they just need to have the characters be less out of character.
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Twitter: Naz_readsanime
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Some of the characters personalities seemed fanfictiony, it didn't seem like something official, like you knew that this is what the characters would do or act like in certain situations only it was the opposite in the book, Ed behaved in ways that he normally wouldn’t.
There were also some spelling mistakes as well. Like in a few instances, Hughes daughter Elicia's name was spelt like Alicia and then near the end it was spelt like Elicia. There was also one part near the end where it said Roy and Hughes, but I'm pretty sure it was supposed to say Armstrong and Hughes. This is probably the translator and the editor's fault, I can't say anything about the original Japanese version since I haven't read it and I can't read it anyways since my Japanese is only at a toddler's level or maybe a 5 year old's level😅😂
Overall, this was an ok read, nothing memorable or anything like the anime and manga. I’m not saying that there always has to be something amazing in the stories of the Fullmetal Alchemist series, they just need to have the characters be less out of character.
Blog: nazishreads.net/TravelandBookBlog
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazishreads, nazcosplay, nradesigns, nrdisney, nrcharmed01
August 26, 2008
There's definitely a reason these are called "light novels". The first story in this volume (the title story) is largely fluff, though there are a couple good character moments for Ed and Al. The main original character is interesting, but has some seriously over-the-top moments.
The second story ("Roy's Vacation") has a little more to it, but is riddled with typos, even changing the spelling of a character's name about halfway through the story. However, it was good to have another story involving Hughes, and to see these characters in a more lighthearted situation, considering the many dark turns the manga has taken.
Even if Inoue's name was not on the cover, you could easily guess that Arakawa did not write these stories due to the fluff and inconsistencies. (Arakawa-sensei does not miss anything.) However, she did the cover art and several illustrations, plus a brief extra. Those looking for the depth and complexity of the manga (or even the anime) will be sorely disappointed.
Not highly recommended, but a nice bit of brain-candy for an afternoon while waiting for the next volume to be released.
The second story ("Roy's Vacation") has a little more to it, but is riddled with typos, even changing the spelling of a character's name about halfway through the story. However, it was good to have another story involving Hughes, and to see these characters in a more lighthearted situation, considering the many dark turns the manga has taken.
Even if Inoue's name was not on the cover, you could easily guess that Arakawa did not write these stories due to the fluff and inconsistencies. (Arakawa-sensei does not miss anything.) However, she did the cover art and several illustrations, plus a brief extra. Those looking for the depth and complexity of the manga (or even the anime) will be sorely disappointed.
Not highly recommended, but a nice bit of brain-candy for an afternoon while waiting for the next volume to be released.
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November 8, 2012
In the first part of the novel Under the Faraway Sky by Makato Inoue, (The second part is a different story) Edward Elric catches a fever. His brother, Alphonse, goes to find a docter, but ends up finding an old friend, who is now the docter's apprentice.They find a girl who beleives she is abandoned and a child with a weak lung, but help both. After many troubles, including a callapsing mine and an earthquake, the brothers leave the town, Edward having being cured from fever. All is well, except Edward's height, which he promises to surpass his friend.
I picked up this book because i am a big fan of the FMA(Fullmetal Alchemest) series,and wanted to the the novels.
I finished this book because it was funny.
I would recomend this to everyone who likes FMA
I picked up this book because i am a big fan of the FMA(Fullmetal Alchemest) series,and wanted to the the novels.
I finished this book because it was funny.
I would recomend this to everyone who likes FMA
October 24, 2015
This book has 2 stories in them which i like alot.The first story is about when Edward and his little brother Alphonse come across an old childhood friend but bad thing is that Edward has come down with a fever so he stays there at the village he is at,and the village is in trouble and he saves it with his alchemy.The second story is where 3 men the work for the military and the set off on a 'hike' but little do they know that they will come across a village .But one guy named Roy Mustang gets tricked by his lieutenants that its a holiday and it actually is for Roy .But stuff happens during his vacation.Well the lieutenants actually came for a reason .I'd totally recommend this book its funny with a pinch of mystery.
January 6, 2010
Anyone reading this book should go in with the knowledge that it was not written by the original author/creator of the main story. This was written by someone else with her permission.
Not as intense as the actual story, actually it's a pretty light read. There are a few cutsie moments between Ed and Al, and I think the characters were pretty accurate to Arakawa's originals.
I thought it was pretty good considering these things.
The second story wasn't great, mostly because it strays from the original idea of the setting and characters.
Not as intense as the actual story, actually it's a pretty light read. There are a few cutsie moments between Ed and Al, and I think the characters were pretty accurate to Arakawa's originals.
I thought it was pretty good considering these things.
The second story wasn't great, mostly because it strays from the original idea of the setting and characters.
April 12, 2016
This might be my favorite of these Fullmetal Alchemist novels. Or at least a close tie with "The Abducted Alchemist". Though, despite being a staunch fan of the Elric brothers, the part I liked best was the second story devoted to Mustang's failed attempt at a vacation. Roy's interactions with the boy, Tild, are interesting, and I loved how it all wrapped up.
April 29, 2022
It was nice to read about some of the fears Edward has. One that have little to do with the stone of getting his and Als' body back. Much like some of the character in the story I too forget sometimes how young Ed and Al are.
As for Roy I understand not wanting to do paperwork but come on, I feel for Hawkeye lol.
As for Roy I understand not wanting to do paperwork but come on, I feel for Hawkeye lol.
January 22, 2014
The main story was a little hard for me to follow - it focused on the Elric boys and one of their childhood friends.
Roy's Holiday was a bit more fun. Worth a read for fans of the anime or manga.
Roy's Holiday was a bit more fun. Worth a read for fans of the anime or manga.
June 29, 2025
fluff, but enjoyable! the preceding light novels had more compelling storylines
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