Unfortunately, I ended up DNF"ing this one. I couldn't get into it, I felt like there was very little heist and mostly lesbian yearning. Not that that's a bad thing, but I was so interested in the heist that it was disappointing. I will not be leaving a review on my socials because I did not read the entire book and it feels unfair to the author.

The Elysium Heist is a queer sci-fi novel written by Y.M. Resnik, published by Solaris Nova. A well-paced story that uses the heist plan of a futuristic casino, the Elysium, as the element that ties together a group of disaster sapphics trying to regain their freedom with a good dose of yearning, revenge and healing from trauma with the help of those that love us.

Psalome Shipmen is a Dazzler, a hostess on the Elysium's gaming floors, one of the most sought after; the debt of her father ties her to the casino, working to pay it to the AI that runs the Elysium. Kiyokimora Goldweaver is an heiress looking to rescue herself from blackmail; her plan passes for a scheme to rob the casino. A doomed plan unless she gets Psalome onboard, offering her that freedom from the debt she craves.
Add to the team a recovering alcoholic card counter, Finley; Ilaria, the secret card under Kiyo's sleeve and that might spark something on Psalome; and finally, Psylina, Psalome's sister, a computer genius and probably a bit of a sociopath; with all of that, the plan seems quite risky but still doable. Especially with such an eclectic group.

In a really ambitious approach, Resnik decides to split the narrative between the five POVs of the members of the group; we get much time to connect with all of them, to understand how they are marked by certain decisions of the past, but also, to cheer for their chance of healing and redemption. The characters have the opportunity to grow on the reader, even if because of this decision, there might be some duplicated scenes, as we get to know both POVs in those cases.

The queer representation in this book is amazing, touching different spectrums (bisexual, asexual and lesbian); and honestly, the whole messy sentimental situation between the characters was a magnet for me. I am not as satisfied with the final part, as there are many convenient moments/situations that ease the story to reach its goal, forgetting a bit the actual heist that was promised by the marketing.

Said that, if you are looking for a queer sci-fi proposal, The Elysium Heist might be a great choice; a propulsive story that, in the end, revolves on healing from trauma and how those around you can be your best support.

The Elysium Heist is a sharp, thrilling queer sci-fi romp full of romance, witty banter, and high-stakes casino drama, featuring a crew of unforgettable women you’ll root for until the very end. We need more queer sci-fi!

At first, the 5 POVs were challenging to remember, but once characters were fleshed out a bit more, I really enjoyed having each person’s POV. The cover quote saying this is a “sapphic Ocean’s Eleven in space” is somewhat accurate — but this book goes beyond that and really captured my attention… after the first ~30% or so (the first 30% was quite slow and I had to pull myself back in by reminding myself that it is world building). The heist itself was really built up and then kind of didn’t happen, which confused me a bit, but truth be told I didn’t mind that because this was a very enjoyable read. I love the 3 separate love stories that bloom and blossom throughout. I despise Shaul. I had a bit of conflicting emotions about El (The Casino), primarily because of how AI is being developed and used unethically IRL in 2025. El as a character is almost scary to me as it feels like Psylina really did teach them how to mostly pass, at least from an emotional standpoint. Another thing: there were some mentions throughout the book that puzzled me, which seemed to be from previous mentions in the story but even searching for the words on my Kindle didn’t help. 3.5 stars, round up. for the confusion and time it took to get into it.

This was an odd one for me, I really wanted to like it but I felt like the description was different than what I read.
it took me a bit to go back after DNF'ing a few times and going back and forth on reading it. a few things I struggled with were we didn't spend much time in the book on the heist, and the 5 person POV was a little difficult for me to get through the way it was done. I felt like this novel had really good bones but didnt seam to pull though what was described.

Review title: Psalome and Ilaria have my heart forever

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance readers' copy of this book!

I really enjoyed THE ELYSIUM HEIST - a wonderfully fun heist story about a lot of sapphics on board a space casino, working through a complex web of relationship drama to boost some footage that could be one of their team members' downfall. It's got all the twisty plot elements and glossy glamour you'd expect from a heist story, with a healthy added helping of romance to sweeten the deal. This was so much fun to read. While the beginning is slow to get started, with a lot of expository interiority that isn't always my personal favourite as a reader, I think the character dynamics really carry this one along. The thing about these characters is that they made me so FOND. I really loved Psalome and Ilaria's relationship specifically and was really rooting for them the whole way through, even during the slower-paced parts before the heist itself kicks off. The ending felt like a great payoff after a compelling all-is-lost moment too. Overall, highly recommend picking this one up if you want a sapphic action-adventure INNNN SPAAAACE with all the glitter and glam of Ocean's Eight!

The Elysium Heist by Y. M. Resnik

I’m a sucker for a fun heist story - who isn’t? All I knew when I requested this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review was the tag line that it was a sapphic Ocean’s Eleven type tale. It sure lived up to that billing! This book threw together an interesting group of women to pull off a heist at a casino. I enjoyed a lot of this book, even if the characters often felt like stereotypes. I could rest easy if I never had to encounter the virginal prostitute trope again, and I felt that the author could have used one more pass from a Jewish sensitivity reader. I enjoyed the fact that one of the protagonists was an observant Jewish woman, but her embracing of her own lesbianism felt rather quick, and I don’t think the author realized how her villainous husband played into several antisemitic stereotypes. The prostitute’s asexual sister who was in love with the casino’s AI was fascinating and I wish the whole book had been about her. I don’t mean to sound too critical - this was a fun and breezy summer read.

I enjoyed the Elysium Heist! The setting inside a sentient casino in space was very cool. I liked that all the POV characters were women with multiple love stories. I was especially interested in the asexual love story between Psylina, a tech genius, and El, the sentient Casino with multiple bodies. Shows like Star Trek have explored human/AI love in so many different ways, but I don't think I've ever seen a story like this portrayed with an asexual character and I found it really interesting. Recommended for sci-fi romance fans.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC of The Elysium Heist.

While there is certainly a heist in this book, it’s not the central focus in the way that readers might expect from a book touting that it’s for fans of Ocean’s 8; however, I found the book engaging and enjoyable to read.

The five MCs all get their own space to narrate this story, which was a lot to take in at times, but I understand why Resnik chose to write this story this way. Without each character getting chapters devoted to their POV, some information may be lost.

To be honest though, I found myself drawn more to the chapters that were narrated from Psalome’s and Iliria’s perspectives. It was their story that kept me fully engaged, and I wanted them to have their happy ending.

The other characters were intriguing and their backstories and current situations were also engaging; I just didn’t find myself rooting for them in the same way that I rooted for Psalome and Iliria.

An heiress and a reformed cardcounter embark on a scheme to rob the infamous Elysium casino. Along the way, they recruit one of the casino's hostesses, that hostess's little sister and a sheltered demolitions expert. All five women are using the heist to escape their pasts and hopefully secure their future. Can they beat the casino's AI at its own game?

This book is billed as lesbian Ocean's 11 in space and frankly that's what initially sold me. And yet that description is terribly misleading and its rather disappointing.

For a story that is supposed to be about a casino heist.....we spend very little time on the actual heist. And *spoiler alert*, the initial plan doesn't even come to fruition because another entirely new plan is hatched off page that resolves the conflict. It was just so unsatisfying. The entire thrill of a heist is watching the team get through each stage by the skin of their teeth and then pull a fast one on the reader with a last minute twist. There is none of that in this book. Instead the reader ends up tangled in the characters' love lives that aren't even that interesting or well developed.

We also get 5 different POVs in a book comprising 320 pages. And that is way way too many. Obviously none of the characters get enough page time to be properly developed and become one note. The emotional core of the book is supposed to be the relationships between the team members and I just didn't care? Too many important scenes take place off page and the reader doesn't find out about them afterwards. The book also skips chunks of time during the preperation for the heist which means we miss out on any character interactions that took place during that time.

This was terribly disappointing because the premise is fantastic. I just wish there was a heist in the heist book. Or interesting characters. And we got neither.

Reviews going live on Goodreads, Storygraph, Fable and tik tok on 8/1.

I did enjoy this book, but pacing felt off at times. The found family aspect was very well done! I loved alll the dialogue and dynamics between the characters.

There are seeds of a brilliant story in this one, but the writing style was not quite able to get me to where I thought we could go. There are 5 POV characters and while each of them has a distinct voice and personality, it was almost too much to see it through everyones perspective. I think this could be improved by being 3rd person with a focus on each character in the various chapters. Also somewhat implausible that these characters are all like 20 years old?? Petition to let characters with crazy skills actually have the time to develop them. I guess many of them were supposed to be prodigies but like everyone is a prodigy??

There is a lot to like here, there is a lot of great representation and complicated, interesting relationships. But for all the "dazzle" of the casino setting, it doesn't really come across as much as it could. I have so many more questions about this world that were not only unanswered, but didn't feel as though there were answers at all. The magic of a well realized setting is not necessarily that everything is fully explained within the pages, but that it could be. That you could turn a corner and it would be fully realized universe even if the author never takes you around that corner.

As compelling as this was in the beginning it gets very repetitive and the end is remarkably rushed for how much set up we sat through.

Overall this is fun, but felt unfinished.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy*

I…don’t know how to rate this, so for now, it’s going to sit at 2.5 stars.

This is a queer sci-fi heist novel set in a place called The Casino that has a sentient AI running it. The book follows 5 queer women; Finley (card counter who changed her identity after getting sober with the help of Kiyo), Kiyo (daughter of the CEO of a major gemstone company who is rich af), Illaria (a Jewish woman who faked her death on her home planet to escape her horrible abusive husband and has a bi-awakening), Psalome (Dazzler, aka a dealer, who is trying to pay off her fathers massive debt by working at The Casino), and Psylina (Psalome’s sister who is dating the AI running the casino, and is also the mastermind behind Psalome’s work).

It was nice having so many characters, but at times, their voices felt too similar to distinguish. Especially for the first 35%, I would easily forget whose POV i was reading because they felt soooo similar for so long. Once they started to have their distinctive voices, it became easier, but still…it should be distinctive at the beginning, NOT 35% through!

Other than the characters voices, my biggest issue with this was how the casino was described/the heist itself. It felt glossed over for so long, and by the end when shit happens, it felt rushed. Like chapters 22-26 were the climax, and then the last chapter was the wrap up of the story. It felt too rushed. I still have questions about what Finley and Kiyo are going to do now. Is she going to become CEO?? Is Finley going to stay with her? Who the fuck knows?!?!?!?

Anyway, to sum up my feelings in a few words; this book was okay.

found this book on NetGalley and I didn't even have to get all the way through the premise before I was already clicking "Request". How could I not when it's a sapphic Ocean's 11?
When I started the book, I did not expect it to have five POVs but I found myself really impressed by the switch between the characters and getting to see their different perspectives. Resnick does a good job of making each point of view distinct and different. I began to love the characters and all of their quirkiness, especially Ilaria and Finley. I feel like my younger self identified a lot with llaria, so it was cathartic to see her growth.
This was a great book to read, and it was over way too fast.
I hope that there is another book coming in the future set in this universe. I'd love to see cameos of these characters and get to learn more about what's outside of The Casino.
Though, we do completely 100% stand on The Casino's rules for consent and protection of all of their workers. I mean, who wouldn't want to go visit a luxury space casino that doesn't let creeps do whatever they want and has very strict boundaries?
I highly recommend that get this book immediately. You won't regret it!
Thank you to the author and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book to review.

The Elysium, a galaxy known high class casino, is the scene for our story as we follow five individuals who are trying to pull off the heist of a lifetime. In the walls of the casino is the best kept security system, the richest of the rich, and jewels to be won in more ways than you may think. With our protagonists coming from all ways of life, and all wanting to achieve their own goals, can they work together long enough to succeed?

I went into this book with some very high hopes. I loved the intriguing plot ideas, and when meeting the characters we follow through the story I was delighted at the representation and the voices they brought to the story. Sadly this did not last very long as I was reading. The writing felt a little lacklustre, and the longer we spent with our characters in the first “scene” the more I felt like there wasn’t an actual plot. There was a lot of exposition in that initial scene, and it felt like it lasted so long as we jumped from one character’s point of view to the next. It really dropped me off the hook, which is not what you want at the beginning of the story.

I think the amount of point of view’s we get in this short novel is a bit of a detriment to it. Perhaps two or three, but all five of our main characters getting to show their voice made me feel like I was dragged around in the writing. Not only that but with so many characters trying to have their spotlight, I feel like we did not get the development for them that they deserved. I noticed I didn’t feel anything for these characters and none of them interested me. There was a moment part way through the novel where we got more moments between Finley and Kiyo that I really enjoyed and started to feel for, but even then the writing moved on to other characters too fast for that to become anything.

Beyond the characters of this book, I was disappointed by the overall plot as well. We get this long introduction to this heist plan in the first third of the book, but it leads to nothing in the end. There’s really no action to be had and the resolution feels hollow. Most of the mastermind behind it happens off screen, and while it’s not a terrible thing to leave your audience in the dark, it did just feel like we missed the actual heist (especially as we didn’t see a heist at all). The novel was named for this, and it doesn’t even happen on page? Perhaps the novel should have been named something else.

I did really want to like this book, but with plot falling short and the relationships not gripping me, I grew bored by the end of it. This felt like a book that was a few drafts short of being ready. I feel the author just spread themselves too thin for the amount they wanted to do in the space that they had. I hope they take this as some feedback to consider for their next novel.

Thank you again for the review copy to read.

Thank you to Solaris for my review copy.

2.5 stars.

This book was enjoyable, nothing monumentally groundbreaking, but something to read to pass the time.

The plot was typical of what you would expect from a heist novel.

If you're looking for a light book to read to, this is a book you should consider.

This didn't quite live up to its full potential. A rag-tag crew of women, two of whom are victims of the same man, plan a heist to humiliate him and regain their own agency and power. [While their plan is good, two side players-- the sister of the 4th group member and her AI boyfriend-- go behind their backs and fix the problem without the group's direct help. Not only was this a big let-down, it doesn't allow the women to regain control. It fixes the immediate blackmail problem, but none of the women were their own source of rescue. It's a very disappointing end. (hide spoiler)] There were elements of the universe that could have been explored in more depth, to add weight to the way the characters were all trapped, but these were sacrificed to keep the pace moving quicker-- unnecessarily so, when slower-paced character-focused sci-fi like Becky Chambers' work can be so successful. The writing also seemed to indicate that maybe (?) the story was originally supposed to take place over a longer period of time-- characters frequently said or narrated thoughts about how that one "always" did this, or that other one did such-and-so "every day"-- but these characters had only known each other two days. Bad writing, or poor editing after a timeline change?

It may be worth checking on this author in the future-- hopefully with a better beta and editing team; there's potential here. eARC from NetGalley.

Meh. This book fell somewhat flat for me. The dual POVs all felt the same, and made it so there was little suspense in the romantic relationships. Every character was so young and pretty uninteresting. The heist itself was short and unmemorable. I think maybe if this book was more advertised as a romance I would feel differently?

Thank you to NetGalley, Rebellion, and Solaris Books for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Elysium Heist is billed as a sapphic Ocean's Eleven, a sort of sci-fi heist story with plenty of drama and romance. For me, the book didn't really deliver on the promises that it made, though there is definitely a lot to enjoy. If you're expecting a traditional casino heist setup, it definitely isn't that. The casino is a character in and of itself, artificially intelligent, and the "heist" has more to do with securing freedom for a woman who has been trapped in a predatory debt scheme than stealing priceless art or something of that nature. While that premise is interesting, the story itself felt like it didn't explore it to its themes in a rewarding or emotionally resonant way.

It's a multi-POV story, but the voices weren't particularly distinct for me. The author did do a good job at conveying misunderstandings and the ways that different characters can perceive the same events, which served the story well in numerous areas. However, the actual tone and phrasing and inner monologues between the characters weren't different enough to give me a clear idea of who all of them were. Psalome gets the most airtime in terms of having her personality and backstory fleshed out, and I thought the best writing was generally in her POV chapters, but I wanted to feel more connected to Kiyo and Finley in particular and I never felt like I understood them or who they were.

One thing that made me uncomfortable is the casual way characters treat Ilaria, who is presented as supposedly having escaped an extremely repressive and restrictive Jewish sect, and also as a romantic lead in the book. There are a lot of off-color jokes about her shyness and her sexuality from the other characters that felt tonally bizarre and insensitive, considering the level of trauma she would presumably have been dealing with in that situation. Religion also isn't discussed in a serious way in the rest of the narrative. I honestly wish this plot point were left out of the book, because it succeeds most when it is leaning in to being an over-the-top, silly sci-fi romp.

It's not a bad book at all, it can be very entertaining and it contains some really unique world-building and a different take on some traditional concepts within the genre. But at the end of the day, I liked the idea and the concept more than I liked the experience of reading the book itself.

Hm. Ok. I'm not quite sure how I'm going to rate this one.

I'm here for a sapphic space heist. I just read Hammajang Luck and was excited for another heist (especially since the comp mentioned Oceans) but the end just petered out for a quick ending? This was generally very fun and a quick read, but the pacing, especially at the end, feels like this is a debut. Which is fine, but I'm disappointed to feel like this kind of plateaued at the end.

An heiress hires the most beautiful dealer at a space casino to help her and her friends rob the man who's blackmailing her. Meanwhile, she and her best friend (a brilliant recovering alcoholic gambler) are in love but insist that it's unrequited, the dealer is crushing on the ex-wife of the blackmailer (and neither woman knows how to flirt), and the dealer's sister is dating the very casino AI they need to trick to get away with this.

Characters (this is multi-POV so we get each person's thoughts)
- Finley- A recovering alcoholic and a famous gambler who can count cards as easily as breathing.
- Kiyo- An heiress who is being blackmailed by the man who owns her sex tape. If it gets out, she'll lose her company.
- Psalome- The most beautiful "Dazzler" casino dealer who is working to pay off her father's debt to the Casino. She is known for not sleeping with clients.
- Casino- The casino is run by an AI that is in love with Psylina.
- Psylina- Psalome's younger sister who is brilliant with technology, fiercely protective, and in love with Casino/El.
- Ilaria- The ex-wife of the blackmailer, or she would be if he'd give her a divorce. She is from a very Orthodox Jewish planet and only just learned what bisexuality is.

The heist disappointed me, but if you like dumb lesbians who don't realize they're in love, well, this book has two couples for you. The only couple of lovers who actually talk to each other are the asexual tech girl and the AI.

Idk I just wanted more from the heist. Maybe I should be thinking of this as more of a romance? All the couples get a happily ever after.

I think that this might be a fun book if you like hot lesbians in space/at a casino getting what they're owed. I was dissatisfied with the heist! But the rest was good. And the Ilaria/Psalome romance was very sweet.

Thanks to Netgalley and Solaris Nova for the ARC.