I really really enjoyed this novel, while I think the 3rd act could’ve used work and some polish as it felt like the author spent more time on act one than anything else, I nevertheless found the entire novel a beautiful exploration of a futuristic Hawaii and the effects of colonialism on Hawaii.

This is a fun, heart-filled space heist that blends cyberpunk aesthetics with deep cultural roots, but it doesn’t quite hit as hard as I wanted it to. The biggest strength? The characters—especially Edie, their sister Andie, and Andie’s kids. Their familial bond was the true heart of this story, full of warmth, regret, and the bittersweet struggle of trying to reconnect after years apart with all of their messy feelings - both love and guilt. The Hawaiian cultural elements felt rich and personal, and the use of pidgin made it feel truly immersive in the moments that focused on community. It felt like you, as the reader, were welcomed into the community itself, and that is such a powerful thing.

That said, the cyberpunk world didn’t feel as immersive as I wanted it to be. I expected a more tech-forward, atmospheric setting, but it felt more like a generic sci-fi backdrop rather than a lived-in, neon-drenched world. And while I love a good heist, the one here felt pretty generic and nothing really surprised me. The tension never quite reached a level where I worried about the outcome, and some of the more realistic elements of the heist just made certain sections drag.

Angel and Edie’s dynamic was interesting but ultimately felt doomed from the start. They were both clinging to past versions of each other, unable to move forward in a meaningful way, which made their relationship compelling but frustrating. And while I appreciated the hopeful, mostly happy ending, it felt a little too neat for the stakes that had been set up. I wish Angel and Edie would have grown together a little more slowly.

The book does an excellent job of showcasing economic disparity in the future and the way people are left behind in the pursuit of profit. It's happening now and there's no reason to assume that it won't happen in the future. That part of the story was razor-sharp and deeply felt.

This is a love letter to the Hawaiin culture and family. It features an underdog fight against the rich and powerful. It may not reinvent the heist genre, but it’s full of queer and complex characters that make it a worthwhile read.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Netgalley for the complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

Incredible debut! Hammajang Luck is hilarious and fast-paced, and the hesitation starts almost right away. Loved the group of characters our MC encounters and the found family element present in the book. Also loved how beautifully woven in Native Hawaiian culture is throughout the book and the sci-fi/space colony setting that adds another layer of uniqueness. Will definitely be reading more from this author.

Took a while to get through but I really enjoyed this one! It was fun to watch the crew come together and I enjoyed how the author wrote pidgin dialects. The dynamic between Angel and Edie were complex and interesting and I liked how the other subplots kept weaving in those themes of trust and betrayal. The heist was a fun adventure but I also enjoyed the family moments with Andie and the kids. Just an all around good time.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC.

What an exciting and entertaining read. Set up much like a 'one more time' heist storyline, You get a fast-paced run of excitement and are taken on a journey by a group of characters who were easy to love and relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed this read from beginning to end, and even waited for an audio through my library to read through a second time before reviewing. It was a fun adventure. I highly recommend!

Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a fun romp of a sci fi heist book. I really enjoyed the characters, specifically the main character. I love some representation in my books, especially now. I really loved the way that they struggled with their motivations and feelings around the heist, their family, and their love interest, it added layers of tension to the plot. Well worth a read if you enjoy anything sticking it to capitalism.

Hammajang Luck by Makana Yamamoto follows Edie through a "one last heist" type of story but set in a very tech-heavy world. This combination creates an interesting Firefly and Ocean's Eleven combination.

The reason this book did not get five stars from me is I don't particularly care for characters who have had a bad breakup in the past as the focus of stories. I thought it wouldn't bother me as much because of the setting, story, and characters (who are pretty great all things considered), but in the end, I was drawn back to the betrayal.

I know that is a very specificly "me" issue, Yamamoto's writing is fast-paced and entertaining, but I just couldn't stop thinking about the relationship issues.

With comps like Gideon the Ninth, I couldn't help but be excited to read this and while I wouldn't say it's at all like GtN, I did think it was fun and a pleasure to read in it's own great way! This book starts off strong and immediately grabbed my attention. I found Edie so loveable and I really enjoyed following them as our main character. Watching them navigate re-entering society and finding their place with their family while also secretly doing One Last Job to help their family was a balancing act that felt so precarious and well written.

The blood family and found family in this book are both great, and I loved all of our side characters. I feel like Makana Yamamoto does a great job of creating distinct personalities and my only critique is that I wish we got even more backstory to some of these characters. I really liked the heist aspects and there were points that had me holding my breath in suspense. The second chance romance really worked for me in this one!! I didn't know how it was going to and didn't fully buy into it until later in the book, but I think that was by design.

Lastly, I loved seeing Hawaiian culture and language integrated with this sci-fi world. It feels really special to see islanders in a traditionally published book!!

Thank you to Harper Voyager for the eARC (but I also bought this book via Illumicrate who did a beautiful SE)!

2.5⭐️ (rounded to 3⭐️)

First and foremost, thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the eArc!! I wanted to like this so badly bc it hit a little close to home since my hubby is from O’ahu, and I was excited for the cultural aspect of it.

I, however, was a bit let down, as I feel like it was definitely not what was advertised - I don’t agree that it was an Ocean’s 8 heist comparison kind of plot. I feel like the overall plot was a bit lacking. I will say that the vibe was kind of like a low key Arcane (comparing Angel and Edie to Violet and Caitlyn)… I had high hopes for the characters, but I honestly didn’t care too much for any of them.

I will say that I really enjoyed the setting of the book, and as I stated earlier, the cultural aspects of it and the inclusion of pidgin. I felt the banter was fun, which is what kept me interested enough to read & push through.

I’m a sucker for original sci-fi station life world building, and Hammajang Luck’s combination of that, a fun heist plot, Hawaiian culture and community, and a fraught, complex queer relationship hooked me.

I found Edie’s character development and relationships with Angel, their sister Andie, and their niblings to be really compelling and felt so grounded in reality. I also enjoyed Edie’s interactions with the side characters, both the wide range of personalities in their Ocean’s 8-esque crew as well as local community aunties and uncles.

The plot follows the general beats of a classic heist and felt fast-paced, but the great characters and unique world building were really what kept me engaged throughout. I’d definitely recommend Hammajang Luck for anyone looking for a fun, fast-paced sci-fi read with diverse characters.

Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC!

I have to admit that I was screaming at Edie “No, no, no, don’t take the job. Run away as far as you can!” (chuckle) Makana Yamamoto sucked me in right away and didn’t let me go. I freaking love Edie. They are a survivor and a fighter. They love their family and when they love, they love hard.

Yamamoto creates a fascinating world that you want to watch a bunch of thieves win in. The secondary cast is fabulous. Edie’s sister is in their corner even while fighting their own battles. Then you have the cute car crashing humor of Malia. Then of course there is Angel in all of her high style and cold drama. The author keeps you hooked because you just don’t know with a cast of criminals where this can go.

I simply loved Hammajang Luck. It’s action, drama, sarcastic humor, and friendship. Oh and let’s not forget crime (chuckle). It’s a story about struggle and the things we will do to survive and provide. I love Edie and I think you will too.

I absolutely loved this book. One of my most favorite reads this year (so far). It’s like sci-fi oceans 8 heist. Absolutely recommend this book.

I liked this but didn't love it. I don't know why big heist crews work better for me in film than in books -- maybe it's just harder to properly introduce that many characters without visuals? The anti-gentrification throughline was more compelling than the capers, which surprised me, and I very much enjoyed Edie as a protagonist. Definitely recommend for folks who enjoy anticapitalist antics in space! I understand why it was meaningful to the author to include the Hawaiian pidgin but my personal preference for rendering dialect into text is to just leave the words that are clearly "English, but I'm writing them different so you know the character has an accent" alone and let the rhythm of the speech and the words that are NOT "English, but I'm writing them different" convey the accent instead. (Scottish brogue written out also drives me bananas.) Again, that's a personal preference, I understand why the author didn't want to do that, but it may be useful to other readers to know in advance how it's handled!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC!

Hammajang Luck was a pretty formulaic heist book - a main character who has been out of the game but brought back in for ‘one last heist,’ a motley assembled crew, a high pay off job that will set everyone up for the rest of their lives, and of course a billionaire villain who deserves to lose a little money.

Overall, the book met my expectations in terms of a heist but fell short in terms of world building, character development, and stakes. It’s intended to be sci-fi themed, taking place on a space station, but I often forgot that the setting wasn’t just earth in present day. The characters felt a little flat to me, especially the development of the main romance. It seemed like very little changed for them to go from hating each other to realizing they’d been pining after one another other than forgiving long-standing grudges (some rightfully earned) and setting aside misunderstandings. The stakes never truly felt high - I think if the world building was more developed, I would’ve really grasped the high stakes of this heist on a space station.

3.5 rounded down to 3 stars

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the story, and I felt like the blurb fairly accurately captured the aesthetic and vibe that the author wanted to create. However... this book took me absolute AGES to want to finish, because I ended up getting a bit tired of the plot. At a certain point I found myself questioning if I *really* wanted to bother finishing, but I was determined to stick things out.

All in all I don't necessarily regret the time spent reading - I think the author absolutely excelled at painting a diverse, lively, unforgettable cast of characters, but I do wish that it would've *wow'ed* me a little more, I'm very excited to see what the author will do next, and I'm eager to keep tabs on them as they grow in their writing career.

As always, all my thanks to both the Publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to review this ARC!

A fantastic read. It's an epic heist that isn't typical of your average epic heist, with a much larger focus on love, forgiveness, found family, and devotion to one's home. That's not to say there weren't some moments where I held my breath for each and every person in this fantastic crew. So good!

All the stars, every single one, because even though I could nitpick, I do not care- this book is so fun and reading it meant so much to me.
The only other book I’ve read that had a cast of butches like this is Stone Butch Blues, which is HARROWING but also very important to me. Hammajang Luck however is the first book I’ve gotten to read with a bunch of butches that is fun and genre-fic and ends happily (spoilers I guess, but c’mon, you’ve seen Ocean’s 8). And just so many lesbians, trans people, and sapphics!! I also loved the way Yamamoto incorporates their Hawai’ian culture into the story- they build on current diaspora experience to what that would look like within a SF context. It reminds me of some of the ideas re: diaspora across space in Record of a Spaceborn Few (which I love) but specifically informed by the author’s own background and experience, which was so interesting. I love when authors combine the deeply personal and deeply real with SF or fantasy elements to push and explore current questions- there’s such warmth and lived-in-ness to the world Yamato creates and those grounded details I think are key.
My friend has good-naturedly teased me for only reading sapphic books, but when I look at what I actually read, it’s only about 25%. The world we live in pushes LGBTQ+ folks to the margins so even that much seems like a lot. I’m not used to feeling seen by stories the way I was by Edie, our butch agender lesbian icon who has also been my gym inspiration for a few months, so I’m pledging to myself that I’m going to actively seek out books with butches (pl) for the rest of this year. (Will this put me even further behind on my tbr? Yep. SHHHH)
I loved this book in the same way I loved EKT, my Greek house in college where one of our FAQs whenever we had open forum for questions was “do I have to be lesbian or bi to join?” (the answer was “no, you just need to be chill with being surrounded by sapphics!” but for some ~funny reason~ a lot of the ‘straight’ folks who joined realized they were bi before graduation). I’ve realized in the few years since graduating how freaking lucky I was to have that community, where being a non-binary lesbian wasn’t even something to interrogate, where I was welcomed and loved for my gay-ness and that gave me a safe space to explore my transness. It wasn’t perfect, we fought a lot especially in leadership meetings, but it was all the normal drama of running an organization in college- being queer was never part of that equation and that was so freeing. Funnily enough, EKT also had a proportionally significant number of indigenous members- all this to say, Hammajang Luck felt like the sort of fun, queer, f-the-oligarchy SF heist story of my dreams, and it also felt like home.

This book promises to be a queer, cyberpunk Ocean’s Eleven, and that is exactly what you get, plus some. It is confident, has a strong and engaging voice, and is a lot of fun to experience. I loveeeeeeeeed Hammajang Luck and will definitely be rereading in the future. Thank you NetGalley and Harper for an arc!

I read somewhere that the author's working title for this one was "Heist Lesbians" and that's exactly what this is!

I'm not much for heist books. But I did enjoy the found family aspects of the Ocean's Eight crew that was put together. I'm a cis woman, but I found our main character Edie to be pretty sexy and just generally an interesting character. Edie's just out of prison (early) and finds that her friend Angel has facilitated this because Angel is "putting together a crew" and Edie is the best runner on Kepler station. This means that Edie knows the back ways and secret accesses throughout the station, which is necessary to plan an entrance and escape route.

Edie is passionate, impulsive, fiercely loyal, and great at improvisation. She's a great character. I didn't like Angel, her foil, nearly as much. Angel is icy, brittle, and mad at Edie a lot for arguing with her when Angel's betrayal is the reason that Edie doesn't trust her anymore. These two spark a lot. And even though I didn't like Angel, I've got to respect the author for creating two such distinct characters.

When Edie is down for a person (or her family) though, she'll do anything for them. Anything at all. Edie's love for her family and her frustration at not being able to take care of them better are a prime motivation for her. This trope can get tired for me, but the author made me believe it. Edie's family are Hawai'ian Japanese who moved to Kepler station some time ago for a better life, but that life has been elusive. Theirs is a typical immigrant story. I loved the pidgin used in characters' speech and the richness of Edie's heritage is something else I enjoyed about the book.

The heist itself I could take or leave. I didn't get a sense of edge-of-your-seat tension from the book, but maybe that's because I'm familiar enough with these sorts of stories to not get as tense about how it plays out any more. I'm not sure that the science fiction aspect was essential to much of the plot: safe-cracking is science fiction to me anyway, finding a secret escape route through the station could have been through the underpassages of any big city and the information they were planning to steal was stored in a weirdly low-tech way. But I didn't mind the trappings or the science fiction flavor.

This was a very strong debut and I'd definitely read more by this author. They've got the ability to make me care about their characters.

I loved this! A fun, emotional, queer sci fi heist book.

I did want a bit more heist and a little less focus on the main character’s motivations, which were quite clear early on.

But overall, I’ve been raving about this book since I read it.