Edited to add the following pics and info: 03/10/07 by Tombow

FMA Novel 1: 砂礫の大地, 井上真／著
Square Enix, March 2003
『賢者の石』の手がかりを探してかつて金鉱で栄えた町・ゼノタイムを訪れたエドワードたち。だが、町には既に「エルリック兄弟」と名乗る者たちがおり、とある研究に携わっているようなのだが…。他、東方司令部の面々が活躍する（？）短編、「第十三倉庫の怪」も同時収録。この２つの話は同タイトルでアニメ化もされているので、見比べてみるのもいいかもしれませんね。
原作者のあとがきページには４コママンガとキャラクター設定画が描かれています。
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THE LAND OF SAND, plus MYSTERY OF WAREHOUSE 13
VIZ Media, October 4, 2005, 232 pages, by Makoto Inoue, Illustrations by Hiromu Arakawa
Novelization of FMA Anime series episode 11 and 12, "The Other Brothers Elric, Part 1" and "The Other Brothers Elric, Part 2," and episode 37, ""The Flame Alchemist, The Bachelor Leiutenant, & the Mystery of Warehouse 13." Includes "Atogaki" plus 4 koma Omake by Arakawa-sensei.



FMA Novel 2: 囚われの錬金術師, 井上真／著
Square Enix, Oct. 2003
辺境を走る列車の中、ロイ・マスタング大佐らと偶然再会したエルリック兄弟は連日のように起こる爆弾テロの捜査で東方司令部が大忙しであること、テロを防げない軍への市民の感情が悪くなっていることを聞く。事件の真相を探るロイは、密かに時を同じくして起きている連続誘拐事件との関係を調べていたがなんと、その事件にエドワードたちも巻き込まれることに…。
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THE ABDUCTED ALCHEMIST
VIZ Media, January 10, 2006, 240 pages, by Makoto Inoue, Illustrations by Hiromu Arakawa
Alphonse and Edward get caught up in a string of terrorist bombings. Enlisting the help of Col. Roy Mustang, the two alchemists must hunt down the insurrectionists and stop their reign of terror. More actions and gags than Novel 1. Includes "Atogaki" by Arakawa-sensei.



FMA Novel 3: 白い花の舞う谷, 井上真／著
Square Enix, May 2004
東部と南部の境界近くを旅していたエルリック兄弟は、錬金術師が治める町・ウィスタリアへ視察に行くことになる。「等価交換」を法とした平等で楽園のような町だが、なぜかエドワードは腑に落ちない。その頃、アルフォンスはひとりの少女に出会い、「元の身体に戻りたい」という自分の気持ちに疑問を持つようになる。それぞれの思いを抱え、ふたりが目にした真実とは…。もちろんカバー・口絵・挿絵は荒川先生描き下ろし！
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THE VALLEY OF WHITE PETALS
VIZ Media, May 16, 2006, 200 pages, by Makoto Inoue, Illustrations by Hiromu Arakawa
Ed and Al visit a town run by Alchemists...



FMA Novel 4: 遠い空の下で, 井上真／著
Square Enix, Nov. 2004
リゼンブールを旅立ったエドとアルが１年ぶりに幼なじみの少年ピットに出会う『遠い空の下で』は、年齢相応のエドたちのイメージが浮かんできて楽しいかったです。リゼンブールでのエド達の幼い頃の爆笑エピソードも面白かったし。ロイが主役の『ロイの休日』では、何と言ってもヒューズさんが登場するところが注目ですね。軍部では超有能なロイが、雨の日でもないのに役立たず呼ばわり？！（笑）。巻末には原作者の荒川さんのあとがきイラストもあります。おまけページの幼馴染ーズがめちゃいいです
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Under the far away sky, plus Roy's Holiday
(The above are tentative titles by me. ^^)
VIZ Media, October 16, 2007, 200 pages, by Makoto Inoue, Illustrations by Hiromu Arakawa
A year has gone by since Ed and Al have left their home village. far away from their home village, they ran into their childhood friend, and together they reminisce their childhood events..
Also, Roy was ordered to train a troop in a remote post. Hughes visit Roy and take him for a day trip of hiking. But they get trapped in a remote village.. comical and a fun novel.



FMA Novel 5: それぞれの絆, 井上真／著
Square Enix, May 2005
『誰がなんと言おうと、今のオレたちに必要な力なんだ！　国家錬金術師になるって決めたときから、覚悟なんかとっくにできてる！』――ダブリスに住むイズミの元で厳しい修行に励むエドとアルフォンス。元の身体に戻るために必要不可欠だとされる《賢者の石》と人体錬成の手がかりを探す旅は苦難の連続だったが、前に進む二人に迷いはない。そんな彼らが知った一冊の本『進化する肉体』――かつて、発行禁止にされてしまったという幻の本が、一枚の写真の中に存在していた。医師であり錬金術師でもあった人物の著書ならば、何か新しい考えが得られるかも知れない・・・本を探して訪れた町で、イシュヴァール人の子供キップと、彼の親代わりを務めるアメストリス人の女性に出会った二人は、亡くなった母トリシャと自分たちの姿を重ねる。そのころ、中央への栄転が決まっていたロイに、合成獣事件の任務が舞い込む。信頼のおける部下とともに早期解決に乗り出すロイだが、事件の裏で手を引いていた人物と、思わぬ再会を果たすことに…。ロイの過去が少しわかります
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TO EACH THEIR OWN BONDS
VIZ Media, December 18, 2007, 200 pages, by Makoto Inoue, Illustrations by Hiromu Arakawa
While training under Izumi, Ed and Al find an old picture. The book in the picture, written by an Alchemist/Doctor is now banned. Ed and Al go on a journey in search of the book. Meantime, Roy is ordered to solve Chimera incidents, but the behind the incidents was someone from Roy's past...



FMA Novel 6: 新たなはじまり, 井上真／著
Square Enix, April 2007
ラッシュバレーで機械鎧技師の修行をはじめたウィンリィ。よい師匠に恵まれ、めきめきと力をつけるが、片足を失い心を閉ざしてしまった少年と出会い……。 表題作の他、傷の男をおびき出すべく、派手に人助けを行なうエドワードが引き起こす騒動を描いた「アルフォンス、苦労する」を同時収録! カバーだけでなく、巻頭の口絵、挿絵、巻末のおまけも荒川弘氏の描き下ろし！！
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New Beginning, plus Alphonse's Headaches
(Not translated into English yet. The above are tentative titles by me. ^^)
While in Rush Valley, and advancing her training as a Automail mechanic, Winry meets a boy who lost a leg...
Also, Ed is trying to lure Scar out by some grandstanding charitable actions, and causes some comical moments..


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FMA Game Novel: 翔べない天使, 井上真／著
Square Enix, April 2004
アームストロングの護衛を受け、セントラルへと向かうエドワードとアルフォンス。途中でトレインジャックに遭い、やむなく昔訪れた小さな町、ヒースガルドに立ち寄った。そこでは十賢と謳われた錬金術師とその娘が今も研究を続けているはずだったが……。
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The Broken Angel


FMA Game Novel 2: 赤きエリクシルの悪魔, 映島巡／著
Square Enix, Jan. 2005
「おねがい…。とめて…あのひとを…」赤い石のついた指輪を残し、女は消えていった。アメストリス各地で起こる“黒い怪物”による怪事件。青いウロコをもつ謎の女。永き時間を生きる銀髪の男。古代文明の栄えた伝説の都―シャムシット―様々な謎が、禁忌を犯した兄弟の前にうかびあがるＰＳ２ソフト「赤きエリクシルの悪魔」完全ノベライズ版。
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Curse of the Crimson Elixir


FMA Game Novel 3: 神を継ぐ少女, 映島巡／著
Aquare Enix, Dec. 2005
「賢者の石」の手がかりを得るべく北方都市ヴァルドラを訪れたエルリック兄弟。しかしそこで目にしたのは、この街に存在する魔女の伝説に翻弄される者の姿だった。瞳の奥にゆるぎない決意を秘めた少女と魔女を崇拝する４人の堕天使たち。罪深き宿命を背負った者たちと出会ったエルリック兄弟を待ち受けるものとは…。ＰＳ２ソフト「神を継ぐ少女」の完全ノベライズ版。
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Kami wo Tsugu Shoujo








<Thanks Ed-Elric, for lletting me share the post space!! 03/10/07 ~Tombow>
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<Below is Ed-Elric's original post. >

yo i read the first one land of sand and am reading abductided alchemist but no one realy speaks of them on the forums so is any one but me (and vfdj42) reading them

I read it!
How should I say this... the novel version of the Other Elric Brothers is better than the anime one, but I like how it ends in the anime wayyyy better. i wish I can write a book report or an essay on this novel... (it would be my best yet!)

For the 13th warehouse story.. I donno... it feels like the novel is padding the story out. But I did luv the ghost story Farman told!!

I read 'em i got the first one for christmas and now im waitiing to read the second one

I'll be reading the next one as soon as I finish up my other readings.

I already have the 2nd novel. It's a mliitary mission type of story. the plot is mainly terrorism bombings. YOu should ck the 2nd novel when it comes out! (also~ Ed calls Roy [spoiler]daddy, just for fun while Roy is FLIRTING!![/spoiler]) And something really unbelievable happens in the 2nd novel, Ed gets ki....

oooo yesh i read them! well i only read the first one though but i don't think the other ones are out yet are they? well if they are i'm getting them! i especially want the one i heard about that has to do with Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel i'm a sucker for those kinda stories XD

No, the others aren't out yet. Isn't the Broken Angel one a special PS2 manga?

Broken Angel is a novel. The writer wrote a novel version of it after he (she?) played the game. I have never read it tho (don't really see the point of buying the novel as I beat the game twice already...)

I have read all 4 of the novels (in chinese)... I think my fav are 2 & 3 one.


Novel 1 is quite nice too XD It's nice to see the different version of the story thru novel and anime

where do u read these novels?

I didn't get 1. I got 2 because it had a lot of Roy, and I don't know what the next one is. I'm looking forward to the Roy's Vacation one.

We buy them at this place called a book store

any regular bookstore?.. like chapters if u live in canada? (sorry... i am stupid)

Should, it's available at Borders, Barnes and Nobles, Amazon.com

comic book shops.

I visited Barnes and Nobles last week. (IT WAS MANGA HEAVEN!! I ALMOST FAINTED FROM SEEING SO MANY MANGAS!)

Wats the 3rd one about?

Hmm, I don't think I see the FMA novels (well I never go to the novel section XD) but I do see manga vol 1 and 2 in the bookstore of University of British Columbia. I guess Canada is just slower with these releases?

Here's the omakes and the pictures of the novels from vol. 1-5 if any wants!!

*Scanned by Giuhni*

Wow thanks Master Kris. I haven't seen most of those.

Btw could anyone possibly give me a summary of what Novels 3, 4, and 5 are about? I am really curious and not patient enough for them to come out. Thanks in advance.

For some reason I remember Novel 3 (Dancing Valley of the White Flower) deals with Al actually getting a girlfriend in that story.

wha.. WHA... WHA?????!!!!!


p.s.hmmm.. I am seeing a girl in the 3rd vol...

Oh, so there are five novels? I haven't been able to find a concrete number of how many there are. I've got the first two and I really like them.

I also hear that the first two video games also get novelizations.

Don't quote me on Al getting a girlfriend thing. I've heard it somewhere whether here or on another site =|

Well, according to a site I saw there are 12 novels so far. The third one "Land of the Dancing Flowers" is going to be released in April. Does anyone know what it's about? I looked at the book sites and they give the plot to book two (the other Elric brothers) which is obviously incorrect.

I was really wondering whether the novels were any good or not. I'll have to buy them now. ;D A bit afraid to read one when I picked it up in Books A Million about a week or so ago. I'll probably get them in Japanese off of the internet though. That way I can spend less money AND contibute to the collapse of American bookstores everywhere!! XD

Oh yeah, thank you so much MasterKris! Those are some pretty awesome pictures, I'll probably draw half of 'em. In novel4-omake.jpg Ed reminds me of some movie, I'm not sure which though. Possibly The Godfather?

Er... actually, the scans posted by MasterKris were scanned by me. But I guess there is no problem, I'm saying it just for you to know ^^;

Back on topic, I know that aside these 5 novels, there are more 3 novels, each from the three Playstation 2 games. Does anyone here have them? T_T

Eeep!!
*goes edit*


TWELVE VOLUMES?? *calculates cash and money*

Oh wait, maybe not 12. I get confused because many sites use the term "novel" to refer to the novels and to the manga itself. I know there's at least 8 novels though and yeah they're pretty good. The second one was turned into the Anime episodes The Other Elric Brothers Parts 1 and 2. The novel ends a little differently, I really liked it. The third one will be released in April. At the end of every novel are Omake pages like in the Manga that are really funny. What's cool is they're releasing, so far, the Manga and the Novels on a conflicting every other month baisis. So you get Manga 6 in March, novel 3 in April, Manga 7 in May, it's FMA EVERY MONTH!

Hey, I don't understand very much... what are the novels? are them different stories or do the have anything to do with the manga or anime? Hiromu Arakawa writes them??

sorry if the questions are stupid, but where I live it's imposible to get tha novels u_u

Arakawa did not witre them, but did draw the art and was part of the story approval team. Motoko Inoue is the writer for most of the novels I believe.

ahhhh, so, the novles have nothing to do with the manga or anime, right?

Well depends really. The are in the same universe, Its arguable as to WHEN they occured. The first Novel was adapted into the two-part episodes, "The Other Brothers Elric," though with some changes to the plot regarding the Red Water and Philosopher's Stone (i.e. in the novel the Red Water has nothing to do with the PS). As to the manga well one can figure before or inbetween the events but you can have them listed as seperate.

The other novels have not been adapted into the anime series and the the three novels based on the Video Game are in their own timeline of events, as are the video games.

yeh pretty much, you see some of the same characters (like the tringum brothers in novel 1) but the stories are really wonderful. im glad theyre not just novelizations of episodes in the series (save phantom of warehouse 13)
i was really happy with how well the novels were though, i cant wait till the third one comes out

Wouldn't the novels go by manga canon, since they're approved by Arakawa and were started before the anime? In any case, I think at least the first two novels would take place in the years before and around the first volume of the manga, when Ed is 12-15 years old, judging from his clothes in the illustrations...(I haven't read any of the novels past the second one, so I don't know about the others).

thank you very much!!! now I understand ^^

I wish I could buy them T__T

The novel is different from the manga? What?
Ok confusion...
so Manga means "Graphic Novel" right?
And novel is different...
O.o

I go to degree-anime.com to read mangas even though there's an online manga of fma here!
XD

Novel as in a book telling a story with words and maybe an image or two interspersed through the book and not a combination of images and words on every page. Its different in that it is possibly before the entire Homunculi incident. The only ones in another FMA universe are the three novels based on the 3 PS2 games of FMA.

Thanks alot for the info!
YAY!
Thanks alot! I'm not confused no more!

For me the novels wouldn't make sense unless they happened before the events in the manga. After all I don't see any time for Ed and Al to have side adventures like they do in the novels.

I think the novels happen concurrently with the Manga but are independant stories (they don't add anything to the main plot). I think Ed would have plenty of time to do them. None of the stories take place over an extened period of time, and some of them take place in between other missions. It stands to reason that the manga doesn't tell us everything the boys are doing (and they have to go on state missions, they can't just spend all their time tollowing their own things though Roy allows them to do that A LOT). Anyway, it makes sense to me but that is just me. Also, the novels were done in collaboration with the author of the Manga (can't remember how to spell her name). She weas consulted on the storylines and she also did Omake drawings for the end and a few drawings to be interspaced throughout the novels so clearly she didn't have problem with the thought of the boys having extra missions. The novels are quite entertaining so far, i think, and the Omake pages are great as well!

In the manga, Ed and Al are free agents. They don't have to do anything for the military unless Ed is called in for war. So basically they can go around doing their own things.

And I also can't see them doing anything else from Chapter 4+, because even when they do have spare time, they're anxiously waiting for something or getting to somewhere (though, I believe the first PS2 game was supposed to take place while Ed, Al, and Armstrong were returning from Resembool in Volume 3). If these stories were to happen during the actual manga, I think it'd have to be between Chapter 2 & 3 and Chapter 3 & 4.

They have more time (about three years) to do stuff before the manga actually starts. And if you pay attention to Ed's clothing, he gets a slight costume change after Chapter 2, so if he's wearing his older clothing in the novel illustrations, then it would take place before Ed and Al went to Lior.

I agree, I think it's possible that the novels would take place in between Volume 1 and Volume 2 but I really don't remember much spare time the story allowed after that. I feel like the events in the manga are occurring day to day. And we are basically seeing the Elric Brothers adventures from morning to night. I don't think they would have physical time to go off on these side adventures. They would never get any sleep. Ed didn't sleep for 2 days since chapter 43/44 I believe. Those poor boys (well poor Ed, Al doesn't need to sleep)

Also between the time Ed got his state certification and the time the series started when he was 15 there was a lot of unaccounted for time where the novels could take place. It makes a lot more sense to me than it taking place between manga chapters.

Also When Ed and Al mention the philosopher Stone it makes me think that at that point they don't know what it is. And they have known what it is since Volume 3.

Yeah, and besides, it's probably only been a few months or so since the events of Chapter 4, considering the few times the passing of time has been mentioned (Scieska spent five days writing out Marcoh's research, Ed and Al spent a week decoding it; when Winry went to fix Ed's arm, she said it'd only been half a month since she'd made it for him; in Chapter 34 it's been a month since Hughes was killed; and the events of Chapters 45-56 occured in a span of two days). ...Not to mention that most of the time, Ed is still wearing bandages from a previous fight when they get into a new story arc.

I'd say the longest period of downtime for Ed and Al might be in the hospital or when they stayed at Dublith, but even when talking with Izumi, they mentioned the incident with Yoki like it was a recent event. There could be brief periods where a story could be squeezed in (like I think the Dog of the Military Gaiden occured around Chapter 5), but otherwise, the manga is too tightly-plotted for many side-adventures.

I love getting into tiny details. >.>;

LOL!! I was reading the posts and thinking "Wow, I love analyzing tiny details but I never worked this all out" and then I saw at the bottom where you said "I love working out tiny details."

I actually like the Manga because the timeline DOES work out. In the Anime, it's so screwed up you have to basically ignore it.

In Volume 1, "The Land of Sand" Russell gives Ed a letter at the end of the book that says (as it does in the Anime) that Ed is one year older than Russell who is 14. That means Ed is 15.

In Volume 2 "The Abducted Alchemist" there's a line that says "several" years ago Ed and Al tried to transmute their mom. At the least that means three years before (otherwise it'd be a "couple") so that places Ed at around 15 and Al at 14.

HOWEVER, on the cover of Volume 1, Ed is shown dressed in his "12 year-old" clothes with the black jacket that zipped up the front as opposed to the jacket that clips.

I think maybe the novels just take place in their own universe like one of the games. Whatever, I still like them! And I guess I always have the manga for when I get tired of continuity mistakes!

Yeah I think that's a good way to look at them. They are certainly fun in their own right but I don't think they can be applied to the manga timeline. Even though Arakawa did approve them. I kind of see them as glorified fanfiction.

Oops, I take back a little bit of what I said. In Liore, 15 year-old Ed is still wearing the zipped up black jacket instead of the clip jacket (in the Manga and the Anime). He changes a little while after that. So the cover of Volume 1 isn't a error. However, I still think it exists in its own universe.

Like Kirara says, it's glorified fanfiction that has some artwork and omakes from the acutal author!

Glorified fanfiction that is awesome!

Yes, it is awesome and Volume 3 comes out next month!

I just finished reading Volume 1 and it was great! I just got Volume 2 Sunday (( I haven't read much of it though xp )). I thought the Bonus Story, The Phantom of Warehouse 13, at the end of Volume 1 was also really good. What did you all think of it?

I just finished Vol. 2...omg..lmao.....it was so funny!

I loved the interaction between Roy and Ed, I wish there was more of it in the manga or anime. Hahaha....the Father/Son thing..was great....

I just finished reading Volume 2. I liked the Father/Son thing as well. XD All and all a great read!

i just got my copy of the 2nd Vol. as well ^\\\^ i'm about in the middle of the book i'll finish reading it on Saturday probably, perhaps it's a farewell gift to the end of the series. episode 51...;_;


but i digress... ;___;

anyhoo!

the Dad Son thing was so funny i was actually craking up laughing i was actually syrprised Edward would do that in the first place, i guess anything to annoy the Colonel