So I might be a little biased, seeing as Hiromu Arakawa is my favorite manga artist of all time. I'm pretty sure I've read everything she's ever put out. So I was so hyped to find out she was making a new series, and it was a fantasy adventure like FullMetal Alchemist! This first volume met my expectations, and more! The first chapter is absolutely insane; the bait and switch completely threw me off. Also, Ms. Arakawa is back at it again with absolutely amazing sibling dynamics. She has always written excellent siblings, and this series is no expectation. After the first chapter, the action slows down a bit and gets more into the meat of the plot. There is still a good balance of action and exposition. It never feels like information is being thrown at you, it feels like you're slowly learning it as the characters do. This volume sets up so many questions that hopefully will be answered in the next volumes. An amazing start to what I hope is a long series!