Often, books that feature casts of multicultural, queer, and trans characters spend quite a lot of time reckoning with identity and discrimination (and to be clear, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that). This book takes a different tack—nobody’s identity is targeted or even all that remarkable in the context of the story, focusing instead on pure fun and cool future tech. The result is a quick-paced caper, complete with a carefully selected crew of specialists with big personalities, an impossibly difficult job, a rich jerk who deserves to get ripped off, and big scary consequences if the specialists fail. But of course, they’re not going to fail—that’s the point of a story like these. We’re hanging on to see just how they manage to win, and in that regard, Hammajang Luck pays off spectacularly. Character competence is an underrated literary joy, and there’s a lot of it in the solutions the Hammajang crew come up with for their assorted space caper problems. That doesn’t mean there aren’t any twists, because there are a few spectacular ones. But the pacing is so good and the people so engaging that you’re lulled into not expecting them.

It’s a space heist firmly grounded in real Hawaiian culture, with a cast of characters made up of fully embodied queer and multicultural Hawaiian people. If that sounds interesting to you, there’s nothing else to tell you but to enjoy this book.

firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc!

i really enjoyed this debut, sci-fi heist novel, despite the too timely economic and climate commentary... i especially enjoyed the immense cultural appreciation and love for hawai’i. the cast of characters were all fantastic as well!

i’m certainly looking forward to makana yamamoto’s next book!

Fast paced futuristic thriller about a tech heist by a gang of mostly LGBTQ+ thieves, grifters, acrobats and tech wizards from a nasty greedy corrupt CEO. Somewhat reminiscent of the Oceans 11 movie plots but set on another planet in a future where cybernetics, gene therapy and modding are the norm.

This is a really interesting story with lots of action, but I personally couldn’t really connect with the characters.

This book was something really special. I love a heist novel, especially one in space but this book had a lot of different things to offer as well. There is a lot of queer characters and a lot of Hawaiian influence. Edie has been through a lot, and wants to do what is right for their family and friends, but this heist could change everything for the better and they seemingly have no choice. They have to work with a person they loved in the past, who betrayed them and then made better for herself. Edie having to go through the motions of trusting Angel, while also definitely not believing everything she is told. There is a ragtag crew around them to help with the heist and the obvious villain in Joyce Atlas. The other part I really enjoyed was the family dynamic. Edie cares a lot of her sister and her niece and nephew, they want to 'go straight' for them, but they are in desperate need for money and this is the best way to get them all safe and happy. Overall, I really liked this book and was happy I was able to read it, as I'm not sure I would have just picked it up on its own.

One more heist, just one more to get back on their feet and figure out how to move on from their past and their time in prison.

I love a good heist book, but I really wanted to smack Edie for choosing to do One Last Job. I swear, there's no such thing as one last job. And they just got out of prison after 8 years and being ratted out by Angel. But ow they chose to do another job with the person who has already stabbed them in the back? Sure, Angel got them out of prison like 6 months early or such, but it's not out of kindness and clearly Angel has more pull than Edie can fathom if she could get Edie out.

I will admit, Edie has a hard time finding a job once out of prison. They seem to be on some sort of space station type world where they are no longer on "old Earth". With this being said, there s someone who seems to have blacklisted Edie from being able to get a job on the station, and they are struggling to help support their sister and family. The one thing they know how to do is be part of a heist team.

I feel the main points of the story were balanced pretty well and Edie is a good character having to go through some really tough things and make tough choices for themself and their family.

I did enjoy this book and highly recommend it. I was just frustrated with the choices the main character and characters were making along the way. The plot is good and of course, trust no one.

A super fun adventure that I greatly enjoyed! Characters were fun, the space was well-written, and it was fast-paced and compelling.

If you like heist movies of all kinds you will love this. Our mc comes out of prison and gets sicked right into a major heist with an old friend and a great array of characters. The first half was a little slow just because there was a lot of recruiting and setup but Edies character is so likable that this really didn't bother me. Would highly recommend. Thanks Netgalley for the early copy.

A heist story in space. The world was interesting, but the "space" part didn't really add anything to the story. It could have taken place in any class stratified city that's experiencing gentrification and has sewers/catacombs. Body modifications were the other science fiction element, but they didn't add anything to the story other than to make you hate the man they were going to rob.

Family was an important element of the story, but it was bypassed to be convenient to the plot. Edie asked one relative about a job and all her neighbors. She was able to take shifts at the shop where her sister was working, but no one else was willing to pay her under the table? I find that hard to believe with all the family that showed up for her.

The heist was fine. The buildup and the interaction of the crew was more interesting than the heist itself (which probably could have benefited from more science fiction elements). Except for Angel. Angel was one of those heroines from an action movie; uptight at the beginning and by the end she's let her hair down and acts like a normal person. I didn't like her or her relationship with Edie.

This explosive debut by Yamamoto has all the trappings of a fun sci-fi romp: found family, awkward ex drama, and, of course, a plan to rob the nearest tech trillionaire. Steeped in love for Hawai'i, Hammajang Luck is a perfect read for the new year. The perfect blend of cyberpunk and heist movie, while the story may not be wholly original, the setting and characters make up for any drag in the plot. Our protagnonist, Edie, is compelling as a focal character, and their relationship to those around them is what truly cemented this novel as a great read for the opening of the year.

I really loved this one!! It had so many elements that I love in a good novel - a heist with a found family. Truly my fav specific trope. And this heist was HEISTING! It had so many levels and details to it, and the whole section of recruiting the team was incredible. The characters were all brought in from different criminal backgrounds, but they all meshed so well together. They got along and bickered just like a real family. The heist itself was so well thought-out, the antagonist was truly the worst, and even the minor characters felt real. Also, the diversity in this book was incredible! Lots of representation without it feeling like pandering or anything. And also, the fact that the various characters’ diversity wasn’t a topic for bullying or harassment or prejudice was so, SO refreshing.

As an island girl living on Maui, all of the ‘olelo Hawaiian words and the Pidgin and all the food mentioned was so comforting. Some of the slang might be a little jarring for people unfamiliar with it, but there is plenty of context to make it understandable to the general audience.

This book was truly a delight to read, and I couldn’t put it down once I started! I hope this author puts more books out, because they have instantly become a fav!

Thank you so much to Makana Yamamoto, Harper Voyager, and Netgalley for an opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone born, raised, and still living in Hawaii, Hammajang Luck was the book that I absolutely needed to read in my life.

The story follows Edie Morikawa, a non- binary individual who is released from prison following an 8-year sentence for a crime gone wrong. Determined to leave behind their former thievery ways, the plan is abandoned when their childhood friend, Angel Huang, enlists them to take part in a heist that could change their life.

The whole narrative is a definition of a love letter to Hawaii. The world is weaved with frequent elements of pidgin language, references to Hawaii's local culture, and highlighting the social imbalance that Hawaii continues to face between locals and haoles. The found family trope is at the forefront, and I enjoyed Edie's journey into learning to open up to other people outside their family. The heist plot wasn't rushed, taking the time to explore how every character played a role in the mission's success.

Two areas that could've been improved on were the romance and the sci-fi aspect of the world-building. I wanted just a little bit more of an emotional impact out of Edie and Angel's relationship, and there were times when I wished the world could've pushed more into the science fiction descriptions.

I highly recommend picking up this book if you want a light sci-fi read with LGBT characters, being immersed into a culture that isn't as represented in the sci-fi (or even fantasy to a broader extent) book community, and seeing my favorite parts of the landscape that I grew up in.

I was already intrigued by the concept of Hammajang Luck: a queer found family planning to steal billionaire tech on a cyberpunk space station. Not only is this concept well executed, but there is an additional layer to the story that can be summarized as Hawaiian resistance. As I write this review, the income gap continues to grow wider and gentrification continues to push out residents from their homes, especially in Hawai’i. Hammajang Luck is not only an entertaining read but a cathartic one for these troubling times. Edie is the staple scrappy hero who not only desires more in their life, but actually deserves more than what they were handed. As do the rest of our endearing ensemble cast. What an exciting new voice in Science Fiction!

Pitched as a Sci-fi Ocean's 8 with Blade Runner leanings, this heist novel sits with a lot of the great heist novels fairly well. I enjoyed the fast paced set up of the heist, the recruitment of the various players, and also the back story of the main character with their family.
I loved the queerness of this story, the premise of what the future could look like, and also the societal commentary of what the world looks like now. Makana did a good job setting up the relationship between Edie and Angel with all of the messiness that happens over time. I would have liked to read a little bit more of their backstory before Edie went to prison, but other than that, this book is very well done.

I do recommend the story for those who like heist stories but want to see a new setting.

I picked this up because the publisher comps piqued my interest: "a queer sci-fi debut and beautiful love letter to Hawai’i...perfect holiday escape for fans of Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. [and] Oceans 8 meets Blade Runner." That's a disparate enough set of comparisons that I needed to learn more. While it's not not comparable to those, it's not quite the SoC or Gideon vibes, though trope-wise there are some similarities. That said, the vibes for Ocean's 8 are *spot on* and the setting feels a bit like Blade Runner 2049.

Edie has spent the last 8 years in prison, serving time because their best friend Angel betrayed them. Out 6 months early on parole, they're wary of taking on another job that could land them back in prison, but because Angel is asking, they're taking. Angel and Edie build a crack team to infiltrate the HQ of megacorp Atlas, a corp responsible for wrecking the lives of so many in the Lower Wards and compounding the wealth in the Upper Wards of their space station.

Like any good heist, we need a good crew, and Yamamoto spends time carefully introducing us to the team. In a movie, this would be a montage. In book form, it takes considerable page time, which did hurt the pacing for me overall. If you can hang on through crew intros, it's worth it though, because the team creates a great Found Family and excellent team to try to bring down Atlas.

Hammajang Luck has a cinematic feel to it - not in the sense that it's overly descriptive, but that you get a cinematic heist feel through lots of dialogue and action. It's a solid debut, and "Be Queer Do Crime in Space" is always a good sell for me for a book.

Hammajang Luck is a book that once it was on my radar I immediately needed to read. The story follow Edie, a non-binary ex-con, as they embark on a heist with their former childhood best friend angel, and the woman who betrayed they landing them in prison, on a heist targeting the richest man on Kepler space station. Through out the book Edie nagiviates complicated feelings about Kepler, their family, and most of all their ever present feelings for Angel.

I found myself deeply engrossed in the story of Hammajang Luck. Watching Edie struggle to re-acclimate to life outside of prison, their guilt for missing so much of their sister’s life and their nieces and nephews childhood was compelling. I really felt for Edie, who want desperately to go clean and live a safer life in pursuit of staying with their family only to find themself blocked and unable to due to the crimes they are trying to no longer commit. Edie’s love of their home and their mentality around it that has been passed down to them by their father is also a strong point in the story and really added something interesting a different that I normally don’t see in sci-fi stories. My only real issue with the story is for a found family story I do wish we had just a bit more time with the crew bonding, but other than that I felt this was a really stellar read.

I look forward to anything else from Makana Yamamoto in the future. Their love of Hawaii, and the islands’ unique culture shines through the entire book which is what makes this such a wonderful read.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVoyager for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was drawn to this book by descriptions I'd read of its queer cast and its Hawaiian-based space setting (and that cover, which is excellent). Happily, my favorite things about it are also related to those two aspects.

In particular, I really loved this book's relationship to queerness. There are three—THREE!—butch characters in the crew, all of different genders and presentations: Edie (them/them), Cy (he/him), and Duke (she/her). Butches are uncommon enough in genre fiction, and to see this kind of breath of representation is virtually unheard of. To that end, I really enjoyed that not only is this book not told from the perspective of the crew mastermind, thus giving us a unique lens for the heist story, it's told through the perspective of one of those butches. Though Kepler is seemingly a queernormative world and our characters' problems don't appear to stem from their gender identities or sexualities, the book is still aware of how its characters are socialized into different jobs based on their physical representation (masc-presenting characters like Cy and Edie tend to end up as dock workers, whereas femme characters like Angel and Sara find themselves in strip clubs and on street corners).

Unfortunately, however, I didn't find myself particularly invested in most of the characters. The relatively minor conflicts between them felt forced (I'm thinking in particular of Edie's spats with Tatiana), while, simultaneously, it never felt like any of them—Edie and Angel included—would betray or backstab any of the others. Most of them felt quite flat. I didn't care a single bit about the romance between Edie and Angel.

Similarly, I have never consumed a more sedate piece of heist media. While I didn't pick up this book FOR the heist, I still certainly wanted to be entertained by it. Nothing went seriously wrong! Where is the stress? The jeopardy? Heists should be tense and fun and engaging! Instead, the book felt slow and the heist too easy.

All in all, despite what I enjoyed and even just appreciated about this book, it was ultimately a bit of a letdown for me.

Rating: 🤷🏼‍♀️ (it was fine; 3.5 rounded down)

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperVoyager for the advance copy of this title!

Three and a half stars. I was excited to read Hammajang Luck - queer sci-fi space heist? Yes please. And I enjoyed it.

Edie's suddenly paroled from jail through their ex's (who put them there!) influence after eight years. After re-connecting with their family, friends, and discovering they've been blacklisted from employment on their generational space station, they get pulled into a crew by their ex, to do a big heist. The crew is fun - we get recruitment scenes for everyone. There's some tension and mistrust between Edie and Angel (the ex), there's a lot of "I'd do anything for my family," and there's a very ill niece. There's some danger and excitement during the heist. I wasn't mad to read this book.

What I really loved was the Hawaiian family connections in this book - the deep ties back to the home world, the community that developed over generations on the space station, the food, the pidgin - that sung. I haven't read books, especially sci-fi, that rep Hawaiian culture, and this felt really true and developed.

But on reflection, it never was quite enough of anything. All the recruitment scenes for the heist were fun, but there wasn't that movie montage feeling of prepping and planning for a big heist. The tension between Edie and Angel wasn't fully clear for a long time and I wasn't fully invested in their HEA.

I'm very interested to see where the author goes next as they've got a perspective I'd love to read more of. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5⭐
I added this to my want-to-read back in early 2023 based solely on the pitch of ‘cyberpunk lesbian heist’. There wasn’t even a cover yet! I am so happy to say this met my expectations wonderfully.

I was really rooting for Edie to be able to make a comfortable life for Andie and the kids, and the found family vibes with Cy, and then how he and Edie (and Duke and Nakano (side note, I love these two so much??) took Sara (first heist), and Malia and Tatiana (literally teenagers) under their wings was *chefs kiss* I love heists and also crime groups that turn into family. And it was so very queer, with so much more gender going on than I often see!

And a horrible trillionaire gets his shit absolutely wrecked by the queer crime family. You love to see it.

Can’t wait to see what Yamamoto does next, because this was a hell of a debut.

🌟: 4.75

If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love a heist book.

The world that Makana Yamamoto has created with this book is diverse and richly layered. I loved following the characters through the different areas of Kepler. The world building was so imaginative, while also being grounded as, with each Ward that Edie visits, the gentrification that the communities in the lower wards are suffering becomes apparent.

While the book is told entirely from Edie's perspective, I loved the way the author seamlessly wove in scenes that Edie wasn't immediately participating in through the use of their comms. Meaning, we are able to listen in on entire conversations along with Edie, so we can stay involved with each crew member's job in the heist without having to change perspectives.

Heist stories go hand in hand with the found family trope, which was executed so well in this book. Each member of the crew was unique in their own way. From Tatiana's endless needling of Edie to Malia's constant upbeat commentary, I loved watching them all bond and become a true family. The true shining stars for me, however, were Duke and Nakano. I LOVED listening in with Edie on the scams that they would run as a part of the heist, whether it was planned or improvised, they were just so good.

Apparently I'm in the mood for angst this month, because what I loved most about this book was the tension between Edie and Angel. There is a LOT of history between the two, and a lot of festering pain considering Angel is the reason that Edie was sent to prison. This makes every interaction of theirs loaded and I was eating it up, just waiting for the moment that the dam would break and they, particularly Edie, would let loose how they really feel (it also makes their eventual confession of feelings that much more cathartic).

I know I already said this story hooked me, but I'm going to say it AGAIN because I was so immersed in the story. From Edie's bond with their family, to their complicated relationship with Angel, to the crew's quest to pull off the heist of a lifetime, I was on edge waiting to see how it all ended for these wonderfully lovable and messy characters. So please, even if heist books aren't your thing, READ IT.