Medici heist

Revenge is a dish best shared with good company, and it also helps to have friends when you need to rob the pope. It's not the only thing motivating the team Rosa Cellini crafts: from Tunisian Khaled, who needs to pay off family debt, to the geriatric Agata, who simply despises the corrupt de' Medici family, each character has their own baggage that comes into play as plans for the heist come together and the countdown to the financial ruin of the papacy begins. Although some understanding of the politics surrounding the preunification Italian city-states is vital, that information is neatly delivered in a brisk, action-forward narrative that belies typical genre assumptions. Character depth and appeal is not sacrificed to the pacing; rather, an excellent balance is struck between revealing the characters' complex layers and the plot itself as it careens toward the night of the heist. Add this title enthusiastically to the catalog of books guaranteed to change readers' minds about how much fun reading historical fiction can be.

A young con artist enlists the help of Michelangelo to rob a corrupt pope in Schneiderhan's riveting debut heist tale. In 1517 Florence, where the Medicis reign with a golden fist, Rosa Cellini has been conning soldiers out of coins since she was a child. Now 17, Rosa concocts a plan to steal 10,000 gold florins from Pope Leo X and the Medicis, a seemingly impossible feat. She recruits the best thieves in Italy--tinkerer Sarra, sleight-of-hand prodigy and master of disguise Giacomo, prize fighter Khalid, and Agata, an alchemist and rumored witch--as well as famed painter Michelangelo and his magnetic assistant Dominic. But the Medici guard have eyes everywhere, and the band of misfits must put aside their fraught past to pull off the heist of the century. Inapposite metaphor and modern vocabulary spread across numerous alternating POVs occasionally fumble immersion into the 16th-century setting. Still, Schneiderhan utilizes clear-headed genre savvy and leisurely, dialogue-driven chapters teeming with sharp banter and elevating stakes to drive the found family toward their goal in this gleeful Renaissance caper. Characters cue as Italian. Ages 13--up. Agent: John Cusick, Folio Literary. (Aug.)

Seventeen-year-old Rosa Cellini returns to Florence after six years away, hoping to dismantle the powerful Medici family, which now includes Pope Leo X. Rosa hasn't entered Florence since the death of her mother and the fall of the Republic. But now she's teaming up with Florence's best thieves--childhood friend Sarra the Tinkerer, Tunisian enforcer Khalid, con man Giacomo, and apothecary Agata. Rosa plans to steal the fortune the Medicis have amassed from selling indulgences. To pull off the biggest heist of their careers, they'll have to infiltrate the Medici family guard, traverse the rooftops of Florence, disarm Leonardo da Vinci's traps, and enlist the help of Michelangelo. Rosa taps into Michelangelo's discomfort about the Medicis' rule and his longing for the days of the Republic to enlist him as uneasy accomplice in the plot against his patrons, using his status to gain access to the Medici palace. The crew's dynamics greatly enhance the core of heist narratives; in this case, the bond between the central group develops too late in the story to develop a strong chemistry. Earlier on, the characters are often isolated, dealing with personal challenges that don't require team effort. Despite these shortcomings, the relationships that eventually form between them are endearing and compelling. Debut author Schneiderhan transports readers to Renaissance Florence, creating a rich historical backdrop filled with personal dramas and political upheaval. Does a fine job depicting an intriguing era in an adventure that's peopled with heartwarming characters. (Historical thriller. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.