Fullmetal Alchemist vol.2 and... Dragon Knights?

So, after my excitement over the first volume, my husband surprised me with the second. I read it in an afternoon and I'm still impressed. In fact, I enjoyed this volume better than the first.

The first was great when it came to action and humor. There was depth in the story, but not as much as the second. Reading the second is like wading in those swimming pools people get installed in their backyard... you know, the ones with the diving board? Anyway, it's like wading from the shallow end toward the diving board. There's a point where the ground dramatically slopes away and you realize you've just hit deep water. That's what volume two feels like.

The story of the Elric brothers continues (obviously) but this time in the course of looking for the Philosopher's Stone (or anything that might help them get their old bodies back) they end up meeting the Sewing-life Alchemist and his daughter. And what began as a fun romp takes a darker turn due to the new characters introduced. Events that seemed isolated begin to tie together until you realize the story is much bigger than you expected when you first started reading.

Overall, I enjoyed the depth. It's not overdone or maudlin. Characters behave just as you would expect them to behave and when they don't, it never seems out of character. The plot gets pretty thick in this one: I can see why people say InuYasha moves at a snail's pace if FMA is closer to the norm for decent plots. And yet, even though I felt a little breathless at the end due to the pace, it was never too much. It also helps that the humor doesn't go away. In fact, Hiromu Arakawa creates just the right balance of comedy to drama (and occasionally tragedy) to the point where I've decided that the first two volumes should be permanent features in any decent fantasy library, whether or not the author is into manga.

Oh, and just a quick note on the artwork... Hiromu Arakawa does a fantastic job of conveying emotions. I know very little else about art, so that's all I'll say for now.

Looking forward to volume three. :)

***

So, my step-mother heard that I'm into anime and manga (kind of hard not to since I've been gushing about the shows I've seen/comics I've read to just about everyone) and she mentioned a series some kids mentioned to her: Dragon Knights.

She knows I'm a Firefly, Terry Prachett kind of girl, so she thinks this will be right up my alley. In the reviews I've read on Amazon, it seems to be just as fun as she describes it, with just enough drama to keep the plot going.

But I'm not sure I'll be able to afford two long-running series. *sigh* We'll see. Necessities first, then fun.

And in the meantime, I've started writing again. Fifteen minutes a day at least. Actually, it's turned out more like one or two hours once or twice a week, but still, I'm shocked I'm getting any writing done at all considering all the other things I'm doing. I have FMA to thank. Most of the time when I read something, I end up not liking something about it and think, "I can do better than this." Often this gets me writing simply so I can prove to myself that I really can do better. Every fantastic book I've read has actually kept me from writing, since I feel I can never write as good as the book I've just read.

However, FMA has had an effect I've never felt before. I haven't found any fault with it, and yet I haven't stopped writing. I read it and couldn't wait to jump back into my own world... not because I think I can do better. I just want to write again. Odd.

Life happens

Sorry I've been gone so long. I promise it won't happen again.

While I was away from this blog, two things occurred that I will add to cyberspace, though they really don't deserve much mention.

First, my tomato plants finally died. Hopefully, my fall garden will fare better.

Second, I went through a three-day reading marathon trying to finish Bleak House. I then realized why I take so long to read Dickens' novels. See, the problem with any novel is that a novel usually has a plot that requires every single page between the covers in order to be properly told. Novels with many pages tend to either 1) have many characters who interact in many ways, thus creating a very intricate plot or 2) have an excessive amount of "padding".

Padding can be just about anything: characters who could easily be cut out, plot points that tend to be repeated with different points of view, themes that get stressed with the subtlety of a sledgehammer... or, as is usually the case with Dickens, descriptions that seem to go on and on and on and on with a detail that seems quaint in today's "sum it up in 30 words or less" society.

For three days I tried to finish Bleak House... and by the end of the three days I put it down for a rest because Bleak House happens to fit both 1) and 2), though I will admit BH has a lot less padding than some other novels I've read. However, by the time I reached the part where one of the characters spontaneously combusts, and they're about to hold an inquest, not because it's necessary to move the plot along but because Dickens' editor didn't feel people would be willing to believe a character could spontaneously combust so let's trot out the forensics so people won't stop reading the story... sorry... got off track. As I was saying, it's such a detailed affair that I ended up putting the story down. In a few more days, I think I'll pick it up again, skim the inquest for any relevant info and get back to the plot.

In the meantime, I've been feeling the itch to write again. For those who don't know, I put off writing so that I could focus on my family. Here's hoping I'll be able to get the itch under control before it forms a rash.