Manga Review – Fullmetal Alchemist 3-in-1 Edition (Vol 1, 2, 3) by Hiromu Arakawa (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy/Manga
Length: 576 pages
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Release Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1421540184
Stand Alone or Series: 1st volume in the Fullmetal Alchemist 3 in 1 series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 5/5 stars

“In an alchemical ritual gone wrong, Edward Elric lost his arm and his leg, and his brother Alphonse became nothing but a soul in a suit of armor. Equipped with mechanical “”auto-mail”” limbs, Edward becomes a state alchemist, seeking the one thing that can restore his and his brother’s bodies…the legendary Philosopher’s Stone.

Alchemy: the mystical power to alter the natural world, somewhere between magic art, and science. When two brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, dabbled in these powers to grant their dearest wish, one of them lost an arm and leg…and the other became nothing but a soul locked into a body of living iron. Now they are agents of the government, slaves of the military -alchemical complex, using their unique powers to obey their orders…even to kill. But their powers aren’t unique. The world crawls with evil alchemists. And in pursuit of the ultimate alchemical treasure, the Philsopher’s Stone, their enemies are even more ruthless than they are…”

I really loved this manga, it’s so creative, action-packed and fun. I’ve been wanting to read this series for awhile now and am so happy I finally picked this up!

This includes the first three manga volumes in one book. I would recommend for middle grade and older readers. My 12 year old son has read this as well and loved it too. It’s one of those rare manga that will appeal to both kids and adults.

The characters and story are excellent. The illustration is amazing. It was very easy to follow. Characters are introduced at a good pace as well. In addition to that, at the beginning of each book there is a summary of what happened in the previous book and pictures of the characters along with a short description. I love it when mangas do this!

Overall highly recommended. I am definitely planning on continuing this series, it’s just so much fun!