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)

Gr 8 Up —In 1517 Florence, the Medici family has a tight grip on Italian politics—including the pope. Rosa Cellini has not returned to Florence since the fall of the Republic and the death of her mother six years before, but now, she has a plan to steal 10,000 florins from Pope Leo X. Taking this much gold requires a skilled crew if they're to have any hope of infiltrating the Medici Palace: a tinkerer, a Tunisian prize fighter, a con man, an apothecary, and even Michelangelo himself. But everyone wants to bring the Medicis down for reasons of their own, and it isn't long before these hidden motives get in the way. The rich history unfolding in the novel doesn't quite distract readers from the lack of chemistry between characters, who are each alone with their problems until too late in the story. By the last third, the group has found their footing and the banter begins to pick up the momentum. Readers will find the anachronistic dialogue distracting as Schneiderhan attempts to balance out the large swaths of information that needs to be delivered. Ultimately, this is a fun caper in an unusual historical period for YA, but the pacing is an issue. Most characters are Italian. VERDICT An additional purchase for collections looking to expand their historical collections.—Emmy Neal