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Fullmetal Alchemist: Light Novels #1
Fullmetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand
Complete the Fullmetal experience with these best-selling novels featuring original stories.
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!
The mining town of Xenotime has seen better days. Once renowned for its skilled goldsmiths, it now lies forgotten in a sea of sand, its mines empty and its fields barren. The townsfolk’s only hope lies with the talented state alchemist Edward Elric and his brother, Alphonse. But who is the real Edward Elric? When the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother arrive in Xenotime searching for the Philosopher’s Stone, they discover that two strangers have stolen their names and their reputations! Will the real Elric brothers set things right, or will the battle between the true and false brothers shatter Xenotime’s only chance for survival?
Plus a bonus story, The Phantom of Warehouse 13!
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!
The mining town of Xenotime has seen better days. Once renowned for its skilled goldsmiths, it now lies forgotten in a sea of sand, its mines empty and its fields barren. The townsfolk’s only hope lies with the talented state alchemist Edward Elric and his brother, Alphonse. But who is the real Edward Elric? When the Fullmetal Alchemist and his brother arrive in Xenotime searching for the Philosopher’s Stone, they discover that two strangers have stolen their names and their reputations! Will the real Elric brothers set things right, or will the battle between the true and false brothers shatter Xenotime’s only chance for survival?
Plus a bonus story, The Phantom of Warehouse 13!
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2003
84 people are currently reading
3469 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 76 reviews
January 23, 2014
Fullmetal Alchemist: Land of The Sand is a action, adventure, and science fiction novel, written by Makoto Inoue. The book is about Edward and Alphonse who then wandered into a town and wanted to find the philosopher stone, (a stone that grants the user unlimited power of alchemy.) Luckily there was word around town that two other boys are creating their own prototype, but are using the identities of Edward and Alphonse to work on this project.
My favorite character is Fletcher, because this little kid can hold his own in a fight, like in this fight scene where Fletcher uses very powerful alchemy. There are more reasons but this one is the one I know people will also agree on. My favorite scene has to be when Edward and Russell are duking it out, single hand to hand combat. That scene is and has to be my favorite scene out of may the book has to offer.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the anime, or anyone who likes action/adventure books. I give this book 4/5 stars because the ending is obvious, the jokes about Edward being to short are really old, and that's all the bad things I have to say about this great book.
My favorite character is Fletcher, because this little kid can hold his own in a fight, like in this fight scene where Fletcher uses very powerful alchemy. There are more reasons but this one is the one I know people will also agree on. My favorite scene has to be when Edward and Russell are duking it out, single hand to hand combat. That scene is and has to be my favorite scene out of may the book has to offer.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the anime, or anyone who likes action/adventure books. I give this book 4/5 stars because the ending is obvious, the jokes about Edward being to short are really old, and that's all the bad things I have to say about this great book.
March 12, 2018
How is it that a teenaged girl who bummed off her friends just to watch anime never picked up any of the manga or light novels for an anime she really came to like? Seriously, as a teenager I'd had the opportunity to borrow the light novels (and the manga) for FullMetal Alchemist from friends who had way more pocket money to blow on manga than I did, and just never took the opportunity, despite my interest.
With that embarrassing admission out of the way, I would like to note my actual rating for this particular light novel is about 4.8 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the story, as well as the introduction to the Tringham brothers (Russell is a fun foil to Edward, and Fletcher is just downright precious,) and I think it was executed in a manner very fitting and reminiscent to both the manga and the two anime series. In fact, this was one of the light novels that was made into episodes in the original anime if memory serves correctly. I had been hoping to start rewatching the series before reading any of the light novels, but whoops.
The only reason I don't personally consider this a full five stars is due to the fact that during this entire conflict regarding the Tringham brothers using the Elric brothers' identities is the fact that Edward never stops to take out his pocketwatch to produce as proof that he is in fact, the real Edward Elric. I'm pretty sure it happens in the anime, so I'm wondering if that's a consistency error the series fixed. (I suppose I can't fault Makoto Inoue for not remembering it, if that's the case; after all, it's Hiromu Arakawa's concept and not hers, and that's a lot of detail to remember about a world you've been asked to write for.)
Overall, this novel has a very light-hearted and fun feeling to it. It's a quick and easy read, very engrossing, and it has a hopeful resolution at the end. Serious props and kudos should be extended to Makoto Inoue because she's got a fun writing style that I think translated well into the English adaptation of this light novel. (Additionally, the short side story at the end, "The Phantom of Warehouse 13", is also worth mentioning because it really helps add an extra dose of humor and fun into the book.)
I'm glad to finally own a copy, and I think it goes without saying I'm looking forward to reading the other light novels and reviewing them as well!
With that embarrassing admission out of the way, I would like to note my actual rating for this particular light novel is about 4.8 out of 5 stars. I enjoyed the story, as well as the introduction to the Tringham brothers (Russell is a fun foil to Edward, and Fletcher is just downright precious,) and I think it was executed in a manner very fitting and reminiscent to both the manga and the two anime series. In fact, this was one of the light novels that was made into episodes in the original anime if memory serves correctly. I had been hoping to start rewatching the series before reading any of the light novels, but whoops.
The only reason I don't personally consider this a full five stars is due to the fact that during this entire conflict regarding the Tringham brothers using the Elric brothers' identities is the fact that Edward never stops to take out his pocketwatch to produce as proof that he is in fact, the real Edward Elric. I'm pretty sure it happens in the anime, so I'm wondering if that's a consistency error the series fixed. (I suppose I can't fault Makoto Inoue for not remembering it, if that's the case; after all, it's Hiromu Arakawa's concept and not hers, and that's a lot of detail to remember about a world you've been asked to write for.)
Overall, this novel has a very light-hearted and fun feeling to it. It's a quick and easy read, very engrossing, and it has a hopeful resolution at the end. Serious props and kudos should be extended to Makoto Inoue because she's got a fun writing style that I think translated well into the English adaptation of this light novel. (Additionally, the short side story at the end, "The Phantom of Warehouse 13", is also worth mentioning because it really helps add an extra dose of humor and fun into the book.)
I'm glad to finally own a copy, and I think it goes without saying I'm looking forward to reading the other light novels and reviewing them as well!
July 8, 2024
It was a fun romp, I liked the bonus story at the end, nothing brilliant but it doesn't try to be. Bit of fun
September 17, 2022
Makoto Inoue really captures the essence of these characters and Oh how I've missed them. This really was a treat and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the books in this series. Hopefully these can get made into OVAs in the future.
June 27, 2025
aww what a cute adventure
Edward and his height jokes crack me up every time! 😂💔
Edward and his height jokes crack me up every time! 😂💔
March 18, 2018
This volume is composed of two stories. The primary one is "The Land of Sand." The shorter bonus story is "The Phantom of Warehouse 13." Both of these stories were adapted into episodes in the original anime series.
"The Land of Sand":
Edward and Alphonse arrive at the dying former gold mining town of Xenotime and are shocked to learn that two boys who say their names are Edward and Alphonse Elric have been living in Xenotime for a while, researching how to make a Philosopher's Stone in order to revitalize the town. Who are these imposters, and how close are they to finishing their research?
This wasn't bad, like bland but reasonably well-written fanfic. It's been a while since I watched the anime adaptation of this, but I remembered liking that more than this story. Ed and Al seemed to be pretty accurately depicted (although I've never thought of Al as being "bronze-hued" (14)), but the text did have occasional clunky moments. There were times when I could tell that the humor would probably work on-screen but was a bit awkward and weird on-page, like the time Ed and Russell transitioned from a physical battle to a verbal one.
One thing I really liked about this story was the "little brother" aspect. Both Al and Fletcher were the level-headed younger brothers, but whereas Al could talk to his brother and expect to be listened to, Fletcher was afraid to tell his brother what he was really thinking. I loved the scenes where Al and Fletcher bonded, and watching Fletcher slowly become more confident was nice.
I didn't see anything that contradicted anything I recalled from the manga (although it's been ages since I last read any of that). I agree with those who wondered why Ed didn't just pull out his State Alchemist pocket watch to prove his identity, though. I suppose you could argue that the Xenotime townsfolk were so convinced that their Edward and Alphonse were real that even that wouldn't have swayed them, but it was still a bit odd that he didn't even give it a shot.
"The Phantom of Warehouse 13":
Colonel Roy Mustang gets roped into helping his men investigate reports of nighttime ghostly activity near Warehouse 13. Several people said they heard sounds of digging and weeping. Since Warehouse 13 doesn't exist, Roy is pretty sure everything's happening near Warehouse B. He's determined to get to the bottom of it all before Eastern Command becomes both a laughing stock and a tourist attraction.
This story was goofy and ridiculous, and I enjoyed it anyway. It made no effort to even pretend that it might advance anything in the overall Fullmetal Alchemist storyline. Roy Mustang, Fuery, Havoc, Falman, and Breda were like a group of little boys taking part in a sleepover and scaring each other silly with ghost stories.
I couldn't tell whether the ending was predictable or whether I just remembered too much of the anime episode. Either way, this was a fun bit of fluff.
All in all, this volume was a quick and relatively decent read.
Extras:
- One full-page color illustration and several black-and-white illustrations created by Hiromu Arakawa.
- A couple pages of sketches - Fletcher and Russell, plus Ed imagining how tall and suave he'll be at age 19. Also, a 4-panel comic about the planning stages for the book that's a bit horrifying if you know what happens to Maes Hughes in the series. Poor Makoto Inoue.
- A 3-page afterword written by Makoto Inoue.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
"The Land of Sand":
Edward and Alphonse arrive at the dying former gold mining town of Xenotime and are shocked to learn that two boys who say their names are Edward and Alphonse Elric have been living in Xenotime for a while, researching how to make a Philosopher's Stone in order to revitalize the town. Who are these imposters, and how close are they to finishing their research?
This wasn't bad, like bland but reasonably well-written fanfic. It's been a while since I watched the anime adaptation of this, but I remembered liking that more than this story. Ed and Al seemed to be pretty accurately depicted (although I've never thought of Al as being "bronze-hued" (14)), but the text did have occasional clunky moments. There were times when I could tell that the humor would probably work on-screen but was a bit awkward and weird on-page, like the time Ed and Russell transitioned from a physical battle to a verbal one.
One thing I really liked about this story was the "little brother" aspect. Both Al and Fletcher were the level-headed younger brothers, but whereas Al could talk to his brother and expect to be listened to, Fletcher was afraid to tell his brother what he was really thinking. I loved the scenes where Al and Fletcher bonded, and watching Fletcher slowly become more confident was nice.
I didn't see anything that contradicted anything I recalled from the manga (although it's been ages since I last read any of that). I agree with those who wondered why Ed didn't just pull out his State Alchemist pocket watch to prove his identity, though. I suppose you could argue that the Xenotime townsfolk were so convinced that their Edward and Alphonse were real that even that wouldn't have swayed them, but it was still a bit odd that he didn't even give it a shot.
"The Phantom of Warehouse 13":
Colonel Roy Mustang gets roped into helping his men investigate reports of nighttime ghostly activity near Warehouse 13. Several people said they heard sounds of digging and weeping. Since Warehouse 13 doesn't exist, Roy is pretty sure everything's happening near Warehouse B. He's determined to get to the bottom of it all before Eastern Command becomes both a laughing stock and a tourist attraction.
This story was goofy and ridiculous, and I enjoyed it anyway. It made no effort to even pretend that it might advance anything in the overall Fullmetal Alchemist storyline. Roy Mustang, Fuery, Havoc, Falman, and Breda were like a group of little boys taking part in a sleepover and scaring each other silly with ghost stories.
I couldn't tell whether the ending was predictable or whether I just remembered too much of the anime episode. Either way, this was a fun bit of fluff.
All in all, this volume was a quick and relatively decent read.
Extras:
- One full-page color illustration and several black-and-white illustrations created by Hiromu Arakawa.
- A couple pages of sketches - Fletcher and Russell, plus Ed imagining how tall and suave he'll be at age 19. Also, a 4-panel comic about the planning stages for the book that's a bit horrifying if you know what happens to Maes Hughes in the series. Poor Makoto Inoue.
- A 3-page afterword written by Makoto Inoue.
(Original review posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
August 27, 2009
wow. allready i have become entranced by th spell binding world of the full metal alchemist. Edward Elric is a 15 year old with a major aditude. he and his brother, Alphonse, had a mishap with alchemy that made Alphonse loos his whole body and cost Edward his leg. Ed then gave up his arm to bind his younger brothers soul into a suit of armor. Now Ed is a state alchemist and they are on a mission to find the sorcerers stone. one problem. they located te stone but there are imposters that are more convincing than the real Elric brothers.
Finally the brothers have revieled their true past. it is a very sad history and i found myself crying when i found out about who they were. now that magure has found out who they are he threw them in the cellar. now the real Elric brothers have to rescue them and also stay alive as they find out that Magure is evil.
Finally the brothers have revieled their true past. it is a very sad history and i found myself crying when i found out about who they were. now that magure has found out who they are he threw them in the cellar. now the real Elric brothers have to rescue them and also stay alive as they find out that Magure is evil.
April 13, 2010
I tried reading this a while back and couldn't get through the first couple of pages. I tried again and it gets better after those first few pages. It helps knowing that there is a specific reason for the first few pages being so off. It's neither great nor horrible; it's just an excuse to spend some more time with the characters. It's a shame it couldn't have been up to par with manga. Now that I know I can stand reading these, I think I'm curious enough to try the others.
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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May 31, 2015
I was expecting this to be a manga instead of a print novel, but it ended up being a great surprise. Plenty of fun and adventure.
June 9, 2009
The writer really got the characters down pat. =)
May 17, 2018
I knew that this story introduced Russell and Fletcher Tringham, who were in the FMA 2003 series. I was also pleased to find that this book also has the Team Mustang adventure in Warehouse 13. What pleasantly surprised me is that each of the stories are different than how the anime portrays them.
In the case of Warehouse 13, both are equally good. The humor works as well for the anime as it does in the book. These two tellings of Warehouse 13 also aren't as divergent as the main story in this book.
In the case of the main story with the Tringham brothers acting as imposters in Xenotime... I must say I enjoyed the book better. The 2003 anime added a lot more convoluted and complicated elements, bringing in the homunculi, the underground river of Red Water, etc. That's all absent from this story. But while the novel's a much simpler and straightforward tale with less overall action, in my opinion that makes it stronger. The story feels more natural to me. The events proceed smoothly. And there's amusing dialogue throughout to keep everything fresh and fun.
There might be a few lines of dialogue that bother a few people who pay close attention to characterization details. Al's alchemical talents are stronger than the book gives him credit for. Barring that, though, and it's a simple adventure that adds a bit of fun to the FMA universe. Revolutionary and gripping tale, no, but charming for a few hours' read nonetheless. And there's something to be said the Tringham brothers are both quite interesting characters!
I'd probably put this more at a 3-3.5 star rating than a 4 if I had the choice, but in the spirit of being a great FMA fan wishing to promote some of the lesser-known materials, I'll round up my number for this review.
In the case of Warehouse 13, both are equally good. The humor works as well for the anime as it does in the book. These two tellings of Warehouse 13 also aren't as divergent as the main story in this book.
In the case of the main story with the Tringham brothers acting as imposters in Xenotime... I must say I enjoyed the book better. The 2003 anime added a lot more convoluted and complicated elements, bringing in the homunculi, the underground river of Red Water, etc. That's all absent from this story. But while the novel's a much simpler and straightforward tale with less overall action, in my opinion that makes it stronger. The story feels more natural to me. The events proceed smoothly. And there's amusing dialogue throughout to keep everything fresh and fun.
There might be a few lines of dialogue that bother a few people who pay close attention to characterization details. Al's alchemical talents are stronger than the book gives him credit for. Barring that, though, and it's a simple adventure that adds a bit of fun to the FMA universe. Revolutionary and gripping tale, no, but charming for a few hours' read nonetheless. And there's something to be said the Tringham brothers are both quite interesting characters!
I'd probably put this more at a 3-3.5 star rating than a 4 if I had the choice, but in the spirit of being a great FMA fan wishing to promote some of the lesser-known materials, I'll round up my number for this review.
April 15, 2022
FullMetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand is a novelized version of the episode with Xenotime and the Tringham brothers. I honestly can't tell if this is a straight novelization of the manga/Brotherhood storyline because it's been about fifteen years since I've read the manga and I've never seen the Brotherhood anime (heresy, I know). It has relatively minor differences from the story as presented in the 2003 FullMetal Alchemist anime (which I recently rewatched), but nothing major. Whether it's the same or something a little different, the story has great pacing and characterization. I like the extra scenes (?) with Belsio explaining the town's situation, how it went from being a prosperous farming community to a town of goldsmiths unwilling and apparently unable to let the (literally golden) glory days fade. In it I see an allegory to Appalachian mining towns in a similar situation, as well criticisms of economic policies that destroy the land for long term use and habitation.
The bonus story - the silly and fun tale of the supposed Warehouse 13 - is a...different but fairly good addition to the book. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Xenotime story specifically or the Elrics in general, as it is the story of Mustang's team at Eastern Command and their supposed paranormal investigation, which makes it sort of a strange addition to this book, but the story itself itself is entertaining.
This entire book was a light, fun read that I very much enjoyed, and I look forward to revisiting the rest of the series.
The bonus story - the silly and fun tale of the supposed Warehouse 13 - is a...different but fairly good addition to the book. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Xenotime story specifically or the Elrics in general, as it is the story of Mustang's team at Eastern Command and their supposed paranormal investigation, which makes it sort of a strange addition to this book, but the story itself itself is entertaining.
This entire book was a light, fun read that I very much enjoyed, and I look forward to revisiting the rest of the series.
February 23, 2022
I got this at a nice sale at Newbury Comics... I was hoping it would be a bit better than the fan service-y Winry based story, and it definitely was.
I would have preferred an original story, rather than an a slight expansion of an episode of the anime, but this is a really GOOD episode of the anime (one of the better ones that can be taken as a stand alone), so that's good.
The author did a great job bringing out the main point of the story... showing Ed and Al's relationship through the 'mirror' of their imposters, while giving more details about the town they happened to be in. Ed was perhaps a bit overly aggressive and whiny, but that might just be me remembering the end of the show more than the beginning.
There's also a short bit with Mustang and crew about a ghost in warehouse 13... which seemed vaguely familiar enough that I suspect it's also from a bit of an episode, but I'm not certain on that. It was nice to see the crew from Eastern Command for sure, even if it's a bit of a one note story.
I would have preferred an original story, rather than an a slight expansion of an episode of the anime, but this is a really GOOD episode of the anime (one of the better ones that can be taken as a stand alone), so that's good.
The author did a great job bringing out the main point of the story... showing Ed and Al's relationship through the 'mirror' of their imposters, while giving more details about the town they happened to be in. Ed was perhaps a bit overly aggressive and whiny, but that might just be me remembering the end of the show more than the beginning.
There's also a short bit with Mustang and crew about a ghost in warehouse 13... which seemed vaguely familiar enough that I suspect it's also from a bit of an episode, but I'm not certain on that. It was nice to see the crew from Eastern Command for sure, even if it's a bit of a one note story.
September 3, 2018
Once again I did it in the wrong order, I have already seen both the anime's read all of the manga and light-novel 5 so you can say I have a lot of foreknowledge.
But even with all my knowledge of the story and plot It was still able to suck me into the story and I was able to read it in one sitting. The land of Sand covers two separate story-lines. two backstories, So even if you have read the manga it is still something new. The stories are incorporated into the anime but the book gives it just a little extra in terms of world building.
The stories in itself carry the fun and exciting action we are used to with just a little bit of darkness to even it out. Ed and Al are also the same boys who work till they drop and even in these short 200+ pages they grow as characters.
So even if you are new to the world of Fullmetal Alchemist are have seen everything there is or somewhere in between It is surely worth your time.
But even with all my knowledge of the story and plot It was still able to suck me into the story and I was able to read it in one sitting. The land of Sand covers two separate story-lines. two backstories, So even if you have read the manga it is still something new. The stories are incorporated into the anime but the book gives it just a little extra in terms of world building.
The stories in itself carry the fun and exciting action we are used to with just a little bit of darkness to even it out. Ed and Al are also the same boys who work till they drop and even in these short 200+ pages they grow as characters.
So even if you are new to the world of Fullmetal Alchemist are have seen everything there is or somewhere in between It is surely worth your time.
June 25, 2022
Even though this novel covers one of the parts of the Fullmetal story I did not like (the other Elric brothers arc.) it was entertaining. The novel goes into more Details than the Anime did. By the Way Berotherhood does not have this part of the story, it's only in the first Anime series. Ed and Al Find them selves in a desert town once reknown for it's gold mining and metalworking. They also find two kids pretending to be them trying to make a philosopher's stone. Ed and Al try to clear their names and save the town from a Ponzi sceme. Also the Story of the 13th warehouse at the end of the novel is very funny, expecially if you have seen the Anime.
October 23, 2024
“Edward sabia que não era uma boa ideia causar confusão ao chegar em uma cidade” o que nunca o impediu
Não me lembrava de nada do que acontecia, inclusive achava que era os Elrics que iam presos, mas não tem uma parte que eles se separavam? Enfim podem ter mudado no episódio.
Legalzinho, é realmente um episódio filler de Fullmetal
⭐⭐⭐.5
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O mistério do 13° armazém
hahaha, eu amo essas palhaçadas, um conto bem divertido, foi bem diferente do episódio, que foi bem curtinho, só uma parte, então o conto acaba sendo melhor, até pela maior participação do Havoc, que claramente só tá lá pelo caos.
Obs: podia jurar que já tinha ouvido a história dos floristas, mas vá saber, ouvir muito caso bizarro da nisso.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Não me lembrava de nada do que acontecia, inclusive achava que era os Elrics que iam presos, mas não tem uma parte que eles se separavam? Enfim podem ter mudado no episódio.
Legalzinho, é realmente um episódio filler de Fullmetal
⭐⭐⭐.5
-------------------------------------------------------
O mistério do 13° armazém
hahaha, eu amo essas palhaçadas, um conto bem divertido, foi bem diferente do episódio, que foi bem curtinho, só uma parte, então o conto acaba sendo melhor, até pela maior participação do Havoc, que claramente só tá lá pelo caos.
Obs: podia jurar que já tinha ouvido a história dos floristas, mas vá saber, ouvir muito caso bizarro da nisso.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 16, 2017
Really good book both the main story and the little novella at the end were episode for the original 2006 Fullmetal Alchemist anime. So I new the main plot point but the book offered alittle more are detoured from the anime episodes I know so well. A good reentrance back into light novels after years of not reading them. And if you like the show Fullmetal Alchemist this is good, but I can only comment on the original Fullmetal Alchemist anime and not Brotherhood I havnt seen it.
September 4, 2022
This was cute! Didn't make me feel as nostalgic as I hoped, and definitely not as much as as the SGA books made me feel, but it was nice to revisit Amestris after all this time.
Either FMA doesn't translate well onto paper, or something in the writing/translating felt a little off... Not enough to want to stop reading, but definitely enough to be annoyed :') I'm curious to see if the other books read the same way and if they're also og stories that inspired filler episodes...
Either FMA doesn't translate well onto paper, or something in the writing/translating felt a little off... Not enough to want to stop reading, but definitely enough to be annoyed :') I'm curious to see if the other books read the same way and if they're also og stories that inspired filler episodes...
November 10, 2023
Reading this book took me way back to my intense "Full Metal Alchemist" days. It was interesting reading what is essentially published fanfiction. And both stories featured were eventually filler episodes in the 2003 anime! I appreciated how the author stayed loyal to the FMA world, but was still able to add something new to this rich story. Despite the number of pages, you can finish this book in a few days, if even that.
July 7, 2019
It’s hard to rate this fairly because the anime used the primary storyline, and I’d already seen it. Eager to try another one with a story I haven’t already seen. As it was, the bonus side story shone only when Roy Mustang was irritated, so there’s some potential there 😂
I picked it up primarily because I’ve enjoyed previous translation work by Alexander O. Smith.
I picked it up primarily because I’ve enjoyed previous translation work by Alexander O. Smith.
November 1, 2020
Ah là là! c'est tellement chouette pour moi de retrouver l'univers de FMA en romans! :D Je suis JOIE <3
C'est un de mes épisodes préférés qui est relaté ici et plus détaillé : celui qui se passe à Xenotime où on retrouve les deux frères et Russell et Fletcher <3 l'intrigue est respectée, l'humour est toujours présent que demander de +? :)))
C'est un de mes épisodes préférés qui est relaté ici et plus détaillé : celui qui se passe à Xenotime où on retrouve les deux frères et Russell et Fletcher <3 l'intrigue est respectée, l'humour est toujours présent que demander de +? :)))
March 28, 2021
It was interesting seeing how the Xenotime arc was handled differently here than in the 2003 anime. There aren’t drastic changes, but each take on the story has its pros and cons. I could’ve done without the short story featuring Team Mustang, though. I’ve never cared for the Warehouse 13 story and would’ve liked a story that did those characters justice.
March 1, 2022
read this at the beginning of the year, its just a novel when the elric brothers went to a village where another pair of brother's were pretending to be them. it's not that important for the makn story i expected this to be a side story thats not animated but i didn't read the description cause i wanted to be surprised. 4/5 ☆
May 21, 2023
Fun and easy to read, but the light novel deffinitely relies on you having read the manga or seen the anime as it doesn't go into too much detail about the worldbuilding or the characters' backstories. The book is a supplement to the original story and it's just another excuse to spend more time with the characters (hooray!).
The bonus illustrations were great.
The bonus illustrations were great.
November 12, 2020
I got this book through a library switcheroo. Instead of Vol 1 of the manga, my hold arrived as vol 1 of the light novels. This is essentially cute fan fiction, but it does a good job with the characters.
September 5, 2023
As a guy who enjoyed FMA: Brotherhood series, I really enjoyed reading this book. I thought the author captured the characters really well. When I read the dialogue, I read them in the characters' voices.
October 15, 2024
It all felt extremely in character. I think I would have enjoyed it more if not for the filler episode they made based on this story, so nothing was a surprise/twist. Wish I could have read this first!
January 10, 2025
Inoue does a fantastic job of getting into the world Arakawa built. Characters remain authentic and new characters are pretty well developed for a short story. Fun foils and pretty neat that this got adapted into an episode for the 2003 version (which I’d already seen prior to this)
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