I did not finish this book. I DNFed at 30% because it was too detailed and too slow for YA. It read too much like a script and not a novel.

NetGalley Review

Star Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Another one that I picked up for a long drive. Almost wish I hadn't picked this one. I did what they said not to do, what I do almost every time, I judged a book by it's cover. I thought, Medici, like Italy?, like Assassin's Creed?, count me in! This is super fast paced and very hectic. Things are thrown together and then thrown at you so fast so that you don't realize that nothing is actually happening and what is actually happening could be happening much differently (better) than it is currently happening, but the way it's happening distracts you the whole time so that you are so busy trying to understand what is happening that you are now frustrated. I hope the way you feel after reading that last sentence conveys to you how I felt while listening to this book. Then at the end the author decides to throw a curveball right out of the end zone. She tried to play the let's be diverse game. All the sudden out of the blue, two male characters have gone from not liking each other to wanting an encore with each other. I've noticed that more and more with some of the books that I've read recently. All the sudden every book has some sort of poorly written diversity just so they can join the crowd and market their book as diverse.


Like always read it and decide for yourself!

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a mix of Six of Crows and Assassin's Creed. Maybe because of the setting? I don't know, but sneaking around, stealing from the church gave me Ezio vibes.

Okay, onto the book. I enjoyed this to an extent. The plot seemed a little choppy at times, though it was easy enough to follow. My one thing about this is I would've liked a little bit more character development for some of the main characters. However, that being said, the setting was great, there was a love interest that came out of nowhere but was foreshadowed and I was totally okay with it, there were historical people that made an appearance and were central to the plot. All in all, it was a fun read.

I would probably describe this book as a combination of a Robin Hood tale with Ocean’s Eleven vibes set in Renaissance Florence. It definitely has the makings of an exciting swashbuckling story. Having been to Florence, I did really enjoy the descriptions of the city - the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the David. I could really picture the characters in the Medici home and imagined them in the secret passages with all the opulence around them. And I think the history around this family was accurately described by the author. So, the descriptions in the book were the fun part for me. At first, I didn’t like the idea that Michelangelo was involved in the heist because it seemed unrealistic but this just added more fun to the story.
The parts of the book that I didn’t enjoy were lack of character development and unlikable characters. Even though each character had skills and their plan was creative, I found that I just couldn’t get behind them. And the worst part for me was that the book was just too long - I think a shorter would have been more appealing.
The narrator of the book was fine and easy to listen to. I enjoyed her voice inflections when the action speeded up.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio/Macmillan Young Listeners and NetGalley for providing me the ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Release Date: August 6, 2024

Set in Renaissance-era Florence, Medici Heist follows an ensemble cast of thieves as they prepare to raid the Palazzo de Medici. Meanwhile, political tension is boiling as Florentines buck against the Medici occupation of power and end of the Republic.

PROS: The setting is lush and grand. The author seems quite capable of imbuing atmosphere and history, along with delivering competent writing. The author draws out the historical fantasy by making Michelangelo a side character!

+ AUDIOBOOK + one of the major pluses of the reading experience. Narrator Sara Alexander delivers a superb performance, expressive but not overdone. Her voice fits is polished and holds a certain elegance that fits the vibe of the book. Audio quality is crystal clear.

CONS: I struggled at first to fully immerse because the POV shifts every chapter, as we swing from one heist crew member to another. My only other nitpick is the tone. I admit to being picky regarding heist books. Heist books by nature should have plenty of action if not be altogether described as action/adventure novels. The tone should be buoyant for the most part, with a steady pacing. I fear that Medici Heist’s tone and pace both got bogged down by the baggage-laden relationship drama and political dialogue. The madcap antics and dazzling surprises and pay-offs—which I expect from heist stories—were shortchanged.

The Medici Heist was a historical fiction with so much potential that fell incredibly flat.
First of all I t took forever to actually get into the story, the amount of background and world building was extensive.

I later discovered that the author is a screenwriter - this makes sense because a lot of what was written could’ve been background info to help set the scene of a stage or film, not something that actually needs to be said.

Secondly, the book was filled with plenty of lack luster characters. Sara and Rosa were indistinguishable for 3/4 of the book. Which is hefty for the amount of nothing that happens.

Lastly, it was just dull. Not once was I invested in this story, in these characters, or in the outcome of the heist. Just didn’t care. If I were someone to DNF books, it would’ve been DNFed.

All this from a Florentine that knows these streets, knows and has been in these buildings, and still found it a disappointment.

I will say, the imagery was well spun and the narrator was FAB! Her ability to pronounce the Italian words properly was wonderful and something I greatly appreciated as a native speaker.

The title had me expecting a historical Italian Job, and this was anything but.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC audiobook.

Thank you to the author, Net Galley , and the publisher for an ARC of Medici Heist in exchange for an honest review.
Medici Heist is a fun historical heist with a found family. I liked the quick pace and the characters. I thought it was fun to have Michelangelo as a character in the heist. If you like action, friends, and twisty plots give this a try.

So I heard heist in Renaissance Florence and I was immediately interested in this book! It’s a classic heist in a lot of ways, but with some unique elements for historical fiction and the somewhat unique characters. In some ways it was what I expected, and in other ways not so much. Part of that is the pacing, with the planning being the first half of the book and the second half being the actual heist. For the most part, I enjoyed the actual book and found it pretty interesting and compelling to read, although I never got fully sucked into it like I wanted to. I enjoyed the characters but I also had a harder time telling all of them apart at one part, which might be due to reading this as an audiobook versus a physical copy.

As for the actual audiobook, I think it was pretty good, and honestly one of the most consistent audiobook narrators I remember hearing. I did wish there was a little more differentiation in character voices and chapter narration but I still think it was pretty good overall.

I enjoyed this book (and its audiobook) and I think that if you’re a fan of heist books or heavier on historical politics historical fiction, or if you’re just interested in reading a book where Michelangelo is a character, and perhaps there are a few queer people too!

There is a really good story in here. Act one is a bit chaotic and has a lot of different characters. How do they all fit together? The middle is a bit confusing until things start to fall into place. The end is a good resolution. I did find some of the character background a bit jarring in how sad they were when the main story was lighter in tone.

Thank you NetGalley, Feiwel & Friends, and Macmillan Young Listeners for an eARC and advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of a heist set during the Renaissance was catnip to me, especially because the Medici family are perfect for intrigue and court politics.

Schneiderhan knows how to write a scene, and I thought the action in this was very well done. Her writing reads smoothly and I think she’s got a good grasp on basics. Despite the fact this is easy to read, the overall story and characters felt flat to me—I struggled with differentiating the characters from one another and at times it kind of just felt like a collection of scenes rather than a novel.

The descriptions are cinematic in nature and I came as close as I could to “seeing” a scene in my head (historically, it’s just dark up there for me. there is no movie playing in my head, but sometimes I can get the vaguest impressions). I think this would make a really solid miniseries and actors could really bring the characters to life, but based on the writing alone it felt like a standard YA heist novel. The plot beats were solid but there’s a missing spark, I think, and if Schneiderhan’s writing hadn’t been so digestible, I would’ve gotten really lost.

The audiobook was well done, and I think Sara Alexander did a good job at trying to bring little quirks to each of the characters, even though I had a hard time telling them apart. It definitely contributed to the overall movie-like feel of the book, so while this won’t stick with me, I did have an overall positive experience.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

3.5/5 stars

Narrator was fantastic - did all the voices, sounded wonderful, and pacing was perfect!

This was perfectly fine - well written with interesting characters. It just wasn't anything new or exciting enough to make me go "Wow! This is fantastic!". I thought the setting was interesting and I appreciated the use of Michelangelo and Da Vinci, but that was really just a new front on a heist story we've all ready 10000 times.

I don't mean to be negative - it really was well done and I did enjoy it. I simply wasn't blown away, thus the middling rating.

I love a good heist story, and the setting of early 1500s Italy sealed the deal with this novel.

Rosa was wronged by the corrupt Medici family and has spent the past six years plotting her revenge. She can’t pull off her plan alone, so when she returns to Florence she recruits a team to help her. The team includes a tinkerer, a master of disguise, a fighter – and Michelangelo. Yes, the one and only.

This author knows how to set a scene, and the descriptions of sixteenth century Italy paint a beautiful picture. It’s easy to imagine these characters moving about the streets of Florence as they lay the building blocks of Rosa’s plan. As a devoted fan of snark, I certainly enjoyed some of the quips between these characters and laughed out loud more than once. With four different POVs, the story is told in alternating chapters. I liked how Rosa recruits each team member and the way each of their backstories is gradually revealed, with some tugging at my heartstrings. The story moves at a breakneck pace near the end as Rosa’s meticulously constructed heist encounters roadblocks, and the characters’ fates are uncertain. The ending plays out like an Ocean’s movie as actions the reader might not have picked up on are divulged – it left me with a smile on my face.

While I enjoyed the strong found family vibe, the four main characters weren’t as distinct as I’d hoped. I listened to the audiobook and unless the character’s name was mentioned, I wasn’t always clear whose POV chapter I was in. Still, it’s an exciting story.

Recommended for readers who enjoy David vs. Goliath-type stories, found family, and intricate heist plots.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book had so much going for it. Renaissance Italy, a heist, found family, rich in history. I was so ready to fall head over heels in love with it but sadly my feelings are only lukewarm.

The POVs jump around a lot and I struggled to keep them straight. I also found that there is too much telling instead of showing with the writing style.

I did like the characters but I wanted more of them as people instead of their factual backstory. I feel like I didn’t connect with them enough.

I was hoping for THE GILDED WOLVES or SIX OF CROWS meets Oceans 11 but sadly, I only got a fraction of that.

Good but not great. I would try this author again because I did love the premise of this book.

I did enjoy the narration. I also appreciated that it was a single narrator despite being multiple POVs. I prefer that when the writing is in third person. The narrator did a good job of capturing different aspects of each character and I felt like the voices used were close to what I imagined for each character.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love the Medici era of Italy. And I love a heist. And I love a found family. This is everything I want in a book. This is Italian Six of Crows and I loved every minute of it.

Like all found family, heist books, if you check out for ooooone second during listening, you miss things. So this is definitely a book I'M going to need to physically read at some point, but that being said, I loved this enough to yes, want to read it again. The checking out on this was entirely my fault as I listened while doing other things.

The characters? Lovely. Each and every one of them. The plot? Delightful. I love a heist. This is a bit slow moving, it's not packed full of action at every turn, but honestly it works so well with this story. The writing? Stun.Ning. The way Schneiderhan describes their surroundings is marvelous. Rather than focusing on the old Italian vibe, she leans into the art that surrounds them in their everyday life.

There's a line when Rosa is describing seeking refuge in a church, only for it to catch fire, and she's watching everything burn and the line ends with, "...as the frescos that had always whispered God to her had been torched." And I'm sorry, but how do you not read that line and FEEL something?

Everyone that didn't love this book is wrong. That's all.

I’m the type of person who loves art, history, heists, and I’m a sucker for well-written stories with a diverse three-dimensional cast of characters. If you look at the books I read you’d discover that all of them deliver on one or two of the things I love. I never thought I would ever find a book that could deliver on all of these points. That was until I read Medici Heist by Caitlin Schneiderhan. Medici Heist is an absolute unicorn of a story that took everything I love about the world and packaged it in a thrilling tale that I simply couldn’t put down.

A fun, fast-paced YA heist. Definitely got the Oceans 11 x Renaissance Florence vibes. Loved the way historical details and figures were weaved into the story.

Thank you Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Young Listeners, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic audio review copy of this great book. I really enjoyed this historical fantasy fiction with fun characters and fast moving plot. Would recommend it to the historical adventure lovers.

This was a fun and interesting book to read, but I wasn’t the biggest fan of the main characters. There was also a lot of info dumping in this one, but I did like the heist aspect. Maybe would have liked this more when I was younger!

This is an interesting heist story that almost reads more like a screenplay than a novel. Given the author's background, I could easily see this translated into a TV show or movie. Unfortunately, as entertaining as this story is, it does make it harder to read. I had a hard time at first differentiating the characters from one another. While we do get many points of view as the buildup to their plans goes on, allowing us a wide view of the situation as it develops, it makes the story feel disjointed and confusing. I felt like some of the more interesting characters didn't get as much screen time as I would have wanted, and it took longer to understand and like the more focused characters. Since the heist takes place in the second half of the story, it makes the book feel long as we wait for that climax and makes some parts in the middle feel boring. Maybe I'm too old these days, but these characters felt and acted too young to be able to even think of pulling off a plan of this magnitude. The story overall is well written, and I would recommend it to those looking for a historical standalone heist novel, but something about it didn't fully work for me.

The audiobook is easy to follow and the narrator does a good job expressing emotion. It is easy to follow even at a higher speed (I listened at 2.5x).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Medici Heist is an exhilarating YA historical fiction with fantastic characters and an engaging plot.

I had so much fun with this one! It was sweet and entertaining, with wonderful characters, character development, and plotting. I loved the different settings, relationship dynamics, pacing, and romances. The historical incorporations were also very fun. Fans of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves will enjoy this one!

The audiobook narrator for Medici Heist did a lovely job. Her voice and accents fit the characters wonderfully, and she immersed me in the story.

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!