Fullmetal Alchemist: The Land of Sand, Vol. 1 Book

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!