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The Obake Code
Introducing a queer, fast-paced standalone cyberpunk adventure from the author of Hammajang Luck: a bored hacker is forced by vicious gangsters to take down a crooked politician . . . only to find herself up against a code she might not be able to crack.
How do you follow the greatest crime of all time?
It's been three years since the Atlas heist. Malia, aka the Obake, the greatest hacker of all time, was set for life. But being set for life turns out to be pretty boring.
But when her new hobby of rigging underground fights lands her in trouble with one of the most dangerous gangs on Kepler Space Station, she's offered a take down the corrupt politician interfering with the gang's business, or it's the end of the road for Malia.
Hastily assembling her own crew, it should be easy after the impossible heist of Atlas Industries. But this time the person she's working for is just as bad as the person she's taking down, and there are darker things lurking in the shadows.
Things tied to Malia's past. Things that could decide her future.
'A high-throttle space heist - but make it gay? Sign. Me. Up.' - S.A. MacLean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Phoenix Keeper on Hammajang Luck
'Swashbuckling and heart-warming in equal measure' - Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated author of The Ten Percent Thief on Hammajang Luck
How do you follow the greatest crime of all time?
It's been three years since the Atlas heist. Malia, aka the Obake, the greatest hacker of all time, was set for life. But being set for life turns out to be pretty boring.
But when her new hobby of rigging underground fights lands her in trouble with one of the most dangerous gangs on Kepler Space Station, she's offered a take down the corrupt politician interfering with the gang's business, or it's the end of the road for Malia.
Hastily assembling her own crew, it should be easy after the impossible heist of Atlas Industries. But this time the person she's working for is just as bad as the person she's taking down, and there are darker things lurking in the shadows.
Things tied to Malia's past. Things that could decide her future.
'A high-throttle space heist - but make it gay? Sign. Me. Up.' - S.A. MacLean, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Phoenix Keeper on Hammajang Luck
'Swashbuckling and heart-warming in equal measure' - Lavanya Lakshminarayan, Arthur C. Clarke Award-nominated author of The Ten Percent Thief on Hammajang Luck
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2026
31 people are currently reading
4907 people want to read
About the author
Makana Yamamoto
2 books194 followersMakana Yamamoto was born on the island of Maui. Splitting their time between the Mainland and Hawaiʻi, Makana grew up on beaches and in snowbanks. Always a scientist at heart, Makana fell in love with sci-fi as a teen–they even led the science fiction and fantasy interest house at their college. A writer from childhood, fiction became the perfect medium for them to explore their interests as well as reconnect with their culture, coalescing into a passion for diverse sci-fi. They love writing multicultural settings and queer characters, as well as imagining what the future might look like for historically marginalized communities. In their free time, Makana likes to hoard dice for their Dungeons & Dragons games, experiment in the kitchen, defeat bosses with their guildmates, and get way too invested in reality competition shows. They currently live in New England with their wife and two cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Reasons to read this book:
✨ cyberpunk ✨ heist ✨ with Black ✨ lesbians ✨
Does it need more reasons than this?
Fast-paced, well written, with multiple plot twists that drew me in deeper into the story. The main cast is all queer, POC women (mix of Black, Korean, Latinx and other ethnicities). There's a lesbian romance sub-plot with one brief explicit scene. The writing style incorporates unique slang (Hawaiian) and specific flashbacks / visions mc experiences due to her cybernetic mod, which are weird and intrusive, but are supposed to be - they're disturbing and annoying to the mc herself. Multiple action scenes of chases, conning, virtual reality, and so on.
It's definitely a unique book because I don't see many cyberpunk releases these days. I liked the casual diversity, including a character being revealed as asexual much later in the story. I enjoy characters being people first, labels later, and sadly too many other authors introduce characters as labels and I learn nothing about their personalities outside of their diversity status. This wasn't the case here, all the members of the main crew are distinct and interesting as people.
The video gaming sequences really brought back my nostalgia for when I was younger and an avid gamer, it's clear the author understands online gaming culture.
This is a loose sequel to Hammajang Luck, but it can be read as a standalone - I haven't read the previous book and it worked just fine. There are some cameos from the previous book and some mentions of mc's backstory / past involvement, but otherwise it's a separate story.
My personal enjoyment: 4.5 star, but mostly because heists aren't my jam, but the plot of Malia's identity / complicated past gave it an extra layer over just being a heist. Objectively, this is a good book and a fast read, rounding it up to 5. But I think if even a well written heist didn't convince me to the genre, it's probably the last time I'm trying one. It's not you, buddy, it's me.
I also wasn't a fan of the very old fantasy trope in a sci-fi wrapper, where
Thank you Netgalley, Harper Voyager and Orion Publishing Group / Gollancz for the ARC!
Btw the US cover is gorgeous, the UK one... not so much.
✨ cyberpunk ✨ heist ✨ with Black ✨ lesbians ✨
Does it need more reasons than this?
Fast-paced, well written, with multiple plot twists that drew me in deeper into the story. The main cast is all queer, POC women (mix of Black, Korean, Latinx and other ethnicities). There's a lesbian romance sub-plot with one brief explicit scene. The writing style incorporates unique slang (Hawaiian) and specific flashbacks / visions mc experiences due to her cybernetic mod, which are weird and intrusive, but are supposed to be - they're disturbing and annoying to the mc herself. Multiple action scenes of chases, conning, virtual reality, and so on.
It's definitely a unique book because I don't see many cyberpunk releases these days. I liked the casual diversity, including a character being revealed as asexual much later in the story. I enjoy characters being people first, labels later, and sadly too many other authors introduce characters as labels and I learn nothing about their personalities outside of their diversity status. This wasn't the case here, all the members of the main crew are distinct and interesting as people.
The video gaming sequences really brought back my nostalgia for when I was younger and an avid gamer, it's clear the author understands online gaming culture.
This is a loose sequel to Hammajang Luck, but it can be read as a standalone - I haven't read the previous book and it worked just fine. There are some cameos from the previous book and some mentions of mc's backstory / past involvement, but otherwise it's a separate story.
My personal enjoyment: 4.5 star, but mostly because heists aren't my jam, but the plot of Malia's identity / complicated past gave it an extra layer over just being a heist. Objectively, this is a good book and a fast read, rounding it up to 5. But I think if even a well written heist didn't convince me to the genre, it's probably the last time I'm trying one. It's not you, buddy, it's me.
I also wasn't a fan of the very old fantasy trope in a sci-fi wrapper, where
Thank you Netgalley, Harper Voyager and Orion Publishing Group / Gollancz for the ARC!
Btw the US cover is gorgeous, the UK one... not so much.
November 29, 2025
This is why I love giveaways and ARCs, I never would have picked a book like this to read, but I am so glad I had the chance to read it. This was like a sci-fi oceans eleven, with a queer cast, it was fabulous!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a fun novel! And a great follow up to Hammajang Luck!
I love that both books take place in the same world, so the cool future cyberpunk setting is explored a lot more in this installment. I actually liked this book more than Hammajang Luck because I prefer narratives focused on the MC's growth and arc. (The first novel was more of a fun heist story with Fast and the Furious family themes.)
If you're a fan of Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner, but want a diverse cast written by a queer Native Hawaiian author, this is the novel to read.
This had an equal mix of darker subplots (human/child trafficking) with lighter ones (the romance was cute and realistic with its typical relationship problems). So it manages to stay interesting and fun without diving into too much melodrama.
I think Malia's characterization shone above all. You're there alongside her as she's figuring out her past and her role as a modded human in this dog eat dog cyberpunk world.
It does read a bit older YA in this aspect, but I actually didn't mind it since this was a fun story that didn't take itself way too seriously. (Like I said, it does get dark at times, but I think it does quite well in balancing this out with the lighter banter between the team and its themes of friendship.)
As usual, I loved the security/hacking aspects in this universe. They were such a treat to read about.
Overall, I'd recommend this if you're looking for a new cyberpunk story with a great character arc and a diverse cast.
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.
I love that both books take place in the same world, so the cool future cyberpunk setting is explored a lot more in this installment. I actually liked this book more than Hammajang Luck because I prefer narratives focused on the MC's growth and arc. (The first novel was more of a fun heist story with Fast and the Furious family themes.)
If you're a fan of Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner, but want a diverse cast written by a queer Native Hawaiian author, this is the novel to read.
This had an equal mix of darker subplots (human/child trafficking) with lighter ones (the romance was cute and realistic with its typical relationship problems). So it manages to stay interesting and fun without diving into too much melodrama.
I think Malia's characterization shone above all. You're there alongside her as she's figuring out her past and her role as a modded human in this dog eat dog cyberpunk world.
It does read a bit older YA in this aspect, but I actually didn't mind it since this was a fun story that didn't take itself way too seriously. (Like I said, it does get dark at times, but I think it does quite well in balancing this out with the lighter banter between the team and its themes of friendship.)
As usual, I loved the security/hacking aspects in this universe. They were such a treat to read about.
Overall, I'd recommend this if you're looking for a new cyberpunk story with a great character arc and a diverse cast.
Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this arc.
December 12, 2025
I read Hammajang Luck and I loved the worldbuilding, the crime for good against corrupt billionaires, and the characters, although it fell just short for me because I didn't care for the romance. However I loved this author's writing, so I jumped at the chance to try their sophomore effort.
This is a stand-alone returning to Kepler Station three years after the Atlas heist, taking some of the side characters and giving them their own story. I don't think you need to read the first book to appreciate this one, but you might have more of an emotional connection to the world if you did.
This is a space opera from the golden age of space operas but with a fun, fast-paced plot and diverse characters. There are sapphics galore here; there were very few men and what few there were here were the villains. I loved how this took Hawaiian immigrants migrating to a space station and imagined what their culture would look like, and it kept a lot of the same wonderful flavor as the first book, using Hawaiian slang and lovely descriptions of food and family life.
Malia, however, is a loner, so that was an interesting take. A brilliant hacker, she lives by a code that exhorts her to be suspicious of everyone and to form no attachments. She had it made after the Atlas heist but got bored, so she started fixing fights and got caught by the gangster running them, who enlists her for one last heist. But this one is personal. Taking down the politician who took her from her parents and raised her, training her to become the perfect AI-human interface.
But her mods are degrading as Malia keeps glitching out, a fact I was confused that more of her friends didn't comment on. I found the interludes where her AI takes over to be kind of hard to read gibberish.
Malia gathers together her own crew and embarks on the biggest hack of her life.
One of my favorite parts of the book this time was her romance with Sol, the nonbinary pilot. I thought it was sweet and slow burn, and I was rooting for the two of them and their cute, supportive banter from the beginning.
At times, because Malia was so young and naive, this book read like YA, but overall I loved the characters. I also like it when characters have hobbies; Malia was a gamer and I enjoyed the side story with her guild as she learns who she is beyond a genetically engineered hacker. I enjoyed her journey of self discovery as she figures out who she is beyond the Obake. In many ways this is a new adult coming of age story.
Overall this was a very fun book. This author is one to watch.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is a stand-alone returning to Kepler Station three years after the Atlas heist, taking some of the side characters and giving them their own story. I don't think you need to read the first book to appreciate this one, but you might have more of an emotional connection to the world if you did.
This is a space opera from the golden age of space operas but with a fun, fast-paced plot and diverse characters. There are sapphics galore here; there were very few men and what few there were here were the villains. I loved how this took Hawaiian immigrants migrating to a space station and imagined what their culture would look like, and it kept a lot of the same wonderful flavor as the first book, using Hawaiian slang and lovely descriptions of food and family life.
Malia, however, is a loner, so that was an interesting take. A brilliant hacker, she lives by a code that exhorts her to be suspicious of everyone and to form no attachments. She had it made after the Atlas heist but got bored, so she started fixing fights and got caught by the gangster running them, who enlists her for one last heist. But this one is personal. Taking down the politician who took her from her parents and raised her, training her to become the perfect AI-human interface.
But her mods are degrading as Malia keeps glitching out, a fact I was confused that more of her friends didn't comment on. I found the interludes where her AI takes over to be kind of hard to read gibberish.
Malia gathers together her own crew and embarks on the biggest hack of her life.
One of my favorite parts of the book this time was her romance with Sol, the nonbinary pilot. I thought it was sweet and slow burn, and I was rooting for the two of them and their cute, supportive banter from the beginning.
At times, because Malia was so young and naive, this book read like YA, but overall I loved the characters. I also like it when characters have hobbies; Malia was a gamer and I enjoyed the side story with her guild as she learns who she is beyond a genetically engineered hacker. I enjoyed her journey of self discovery as she figures out who she is beyond the Obake. In many ways this is a new adult coming of age story.
Overall this was a very fun book. This author is one to watch.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 19, 2025
what happens when you’re kidnapped by a mad scientist to become his idea of perfection so he fits your brain with sci-fi modifications to make you the best hacker in the world but you run away and everything goes to shit?
first of all, I ADORED the rep in this book. you’ve got femme lesbians, they/them lesbians, trans lesbians, aro/ace characters. truly such a wide spread diverse book with voices from so many important communities <3
I really enjoyed this, it was super fast paced with an interesting plot and relatable characters. a futuristic cyber world where a damaged girl has to get together a crew to expose a dirty politician for an organised crime family, only to realise her modifications are killing her and she might not survive this sticking to the codes she always used to.
this was so fun, I find it difficult to get into sci-fi usually but that wasn’t the case here. found family, the chosen one (kind of) paired with diverse characters, important conversations around AI, technology and ethics- I highly recommend
first of all, I ADORED the rep in this book. you’ve got femme lesbians, they/them lesbians, trans lesbians, aro/ace characters. truly such a wide spread diverse book with voices from so many important communities <3
I really enjoyed this, it was super fast paced with an interesting plot and relatable characters. a futuristic cyber world where a damaged girl has to get together a crew to expose a dirty politician for an organised crime family, only to realise her modifications are killing her and she might not survive this sticking to the codes she always used to.
this was so fun, I find it difficult to get into sci-fi usually but that wasn’t the case here. found family, the chosen one (kind of) paired with diverse characters, important conversations around AI, technology and ethics- I highly recommend
February 5, 2026
4.5 stars! Thank you to Avon, Harper Voyager, and HarperAudio Adult for the advanced copy! You can pick up The Obake Code on February 17, 2026.
I'm obsessed with Makana Yamamoto's characters and the world they've built around the Kepler Station. Once again, we're following a crew of heist lesbians in space as they seek to take down corrupt governments and corporate entities. The writing in this story immediately captivates you, drawing you in with riveting action and emotional interpersonal moments between characters.
Our FMC is Malia (whom I'm embarrassed to admit I forgot was part of the original heist in Hammajang Luck, sorry for being a fake fan), and she's putting together a crew to dig up dirt on a corrupt politician after being blackmailed by the criminal underworld. I love how different it is being inside Malia's head than Edie's, with the constant calculations, instant info-gathering, and snap hack jobs that illustrate why Malia is more comfortable on the web than she is with other people.
But being the mastermind of a heist means you need to know and understand the people you're working with well. As the story goes on, we see Malia start to let her guard down (and break the self=proclaimed "Code" she abides by to protect herself) as she forms deeper connections with her crew. Including a non-binary getaway driver/racer named Sol, who stirs a different kind of feeling in Malia.
This book is unapologetically queer in the best way, from the relationships to the behaviors and identities of the characters. In this queer-normative world, pronouns are routinely accepted, and no one bats an eye at same sex relationships. Instead, the characters navigate conflict and interpersonal drama based on their actions and personalities throughout the book.
I also really appreciate how Makana set up the layers of intrigue in this story, as the heist soon moves beyond just taking down this one politician. We grapple with issues like the treatment of children under the state, illegal human experimentation, the dangers of AI and the worldviews around it, and more.
Plus, the narration by Jolene Kim was absolutely phenomenal, with easy integration of Hawaiian Pidgin and a fascinating representation of the moments when Malia's brain gets taken over by the mods built into it. Jolene affects a cool, almost slam poetry cadence to those scenes, so the reader can easily identify when we're switching from the present to the memories/glitches happening in Malia's head.
All in all, I'm obsessed with this interconnected standalone series and everything in it. If you're looking for a lesbian space heist that sticks it to the wealthy and corrupt, this is the book for you!
I'm obsessed with Makana Yamamoto's characters and the world they've built around the Kepler Station. Once again, we're following a crew of heist lesbians in space as they seek to take down corrupt governments and corporate entities. The writing in this story immediately captivates you, drawing you in with riveting action and emotional interpersonal moments between characters.
Our FMC is Malia (whom I'm embarrassed to admit I forgot was part of the original heist in Hammajang Luck, sorry for being a fake fan), and she's putting together a crew to dig up dirt on a corrupt politician after being blackmailed by the criminal underworld. I love how different it is being inside Malia's head than Edie's, with the constant calculations, instant info-gathering, and snap hack jobs that illustrate why Malia is more comfortable on the web than she is with other people.
But being the mastermind of a heist means you need to know and understand the people you're working with well. As the story goes on, we see Malia start to let her guard down (and break the self=proclaimed "Code" she abides by to protect herself) as she forms deeper connections with her crew. Including a non-binary getaway driver/racer named Sol, who stirs a different kind of feeling in Malia.
This book is unapologetically queer in the best way, from the relationships to the behaviors and identities of the characters. In this queer-normative world, pronouns are routinely accepted, and no one bats an eye at same sex relationships. Instead, the characters navigate conflict and interpersonal drama based on their actions and personalities throughout the book.
I also really appreciate how Makana set up the layers of intrigue in this story, as the heist soon moves beyond just taking down this one politician. We grapple with issues like the treatment of children under the state, illegal human experimentation, the dangers of AI and the worldviews around it, and more.
Plus, the narration by Jolene Kim was absolutely phenomenal, with easy integration of Hawaiian Pidgin and a fascinating representation of the moments when Malia's brain gets taken over by the mods built into it. Jolene affects a cool, almost slam poetry cadence to those scenes, so the reader can easily identify when we're switching from the present to the memories/glitches happening in Malia's head.
All in all, I'm obsessed with this interconnected standalone series and everything in it. If you're looking for a lesbian space heist that sticks it to the wealthy and corrupt, this is the book for you!
March 6, 2026
Wow, what a way to wrap up this story. I mean, I assume it's done because it ends at Angel's party from Hammajang Luck. And that shouldn't be a spoiler because Malia was mentioned as being at that party when Edie was telling the story.
This entire book takes place three years after the Atlas Heist from Hammajang Luck, but before Angel gets out from prison. I think I need to reread that book since I forgot what Malia did to her mods during that heist, and it set the stage for this book.
Malia was raised by a mad scientist who did a ton of experiments on her and added a bunch of modifications and cybernetics so she could connect to the GhostNet, which seems like a VR dark web. Five years ago, she escaped and became The Obake. Three years ago, she joined the Atlas Heist and did something that has now given her mod/brain trauma. She's rich now, no need for The Obake to work or steal again. but she's bored so she's gotten into fixing heavyweight fights. But Malia also lives by a very rigid Code that keeps her safe but unattached from anyone who might hurt her (yup this sounds like a trauma response). One day, Malia gets caught fixing matches at a gangster's club, and said gangster blackmails her into accepting "one last heist" — taking down a corrupt politician who seems to be hurting kids. So Malia assembles a crew and quickly learns that 1. masterminding a heist is really hard, 2. her old abuser scientist is up to something REALLY bad, and only Malia can stop him, and 3. maybe attachments are ok.
Malia grows so much in this book. and I'm so proud of her. She gets super vulnerable and learns that somehow, her friends still love her when she isn't perfect.
I loved seeing Malia discover true friendship in Tatiana and love in Sol.
This book was funny and exciting and sometimes tense, and I loved everything about it.
This entire book takes place three years after the Atlas Heist from Hammajang Luck, but before Angel gets out from prison. I think I need to reread that book since I forgot what Malia did to her mods during that heist, and it set the stage for this book.
Malia was raised by a mad scientist who did a ton of experiments on her and added a bunch of modifications and cybernetics so she could connect to the GhostNet, which seems like a VR dark web. Five years ago, she escaped and became The Obake. Three years ago, she joined the Atlas Heist and did something that has now given her mod/brain trauma. She's rich now, no need for The Obake to work or steal again. but she's bored so she's gotten into fixing heavyweight fights. But Malia also lives by a very rigid Code that keeps her safe but unattached from anyone who might hurt her (yup this sounds like a trauma response). One day, Malia gets caught fixing matches at a gangster's club, and said gangster blackmails her into accepting "one last heist" — taking down a corrupt politician who seems to be hurting kids. So Malia assembles a crew and quickly learns that 1. masterminding a heist is really hard, 2. her old abuser scientist is up to something REALLY bad, and only Malia can stop him, and 3. maybe attachments are ok.
Malia grows so much in this book. and I'm so proud of her. She gets super vulnerable and learns that somehow, her friends still love her when she isn't perfect.
I loved seeing Malia discover true friendship in Tatiana and love in Sol.
This book was funny and exciting and sometimes tense, and I loved everything about it.
January 28, 2026
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager for the eARC! Greatly appreciated :)
This novel was the first deep dive into the sci fi genre with a black FMC and Yamamoto did their thingggggg. Although I'm not a fantasy or sci fi girlie in the slightest and a lot of the genre based world building went completely over my head, I enjoyed this book! I really liked the heist based suspense of the novel, as well as the characters and how they all had something to do with the story. I really would've liked to see more into the Songs or really dive into Malia's character and actual accounts into what Maddox was doing to really understand the depth and seriousness behind Pierce's plans and why it wasn't important to stop them, but I do think the brief but deep dialogue she had with Maddox and her AI Diana really did a great job of explaining it by itself. I also liked Sol, Tatiana, and the Songs as side characters, and I also really liked the NBLW rep hehe. I wouldn't say it's quite YA but a little more new adult because of the very light spice scenes between Malia and Sol, but they're not incredibly descriptive if that helps. I like that each of the characters had a purpose (feeling iffy about this one for Naima and Pierce though) and had something to do with the story. I also liked that we got to find out what happened to Malia and how shes related to the experiments Maddox was running, even though I still didn't quite understand how the intrusions worked or the context of them. Were they memories? Hallucinations? Her seeing through Diana's eyes or experiences? Other than that I thought the book was a fun read, especially once you get past the initial world building and character development.
This novel was the first deep dive into the sci fi genre with a black FMC and Yamamoto did their thingggggg. Although I'm not a fantasy or sci fi girlie in the slightest and a lot of the genre based world building went completely over my head, I enjoyed this book! I really liked the heist based suspense of the novel, as well as the characters and how they all had something to do with the story. I really would've liked to see more into the Songs or really dive into Malia's character and actual accounts into what Maddox was doing to really understand the depth and seriousness behind Pierce's plans and why it wasn't important to stop them, but I do think the brief but deep dialogue she had with Maddox and her AI Diana really did a great job of explaining it by itself. I also liked Sol, Tatiana, and the Songs as side characters, and I also really liked the NBLW rep hehe. I wouldn't say it's quite YA but a little more new adult because of the very light spice scenes between Malia and Sol, but they're not incredibly descriptive if that helps. I like that each of the characters had a purpose (feeling iffy about this one for Naima and Pierce though) and had something to do with the story. I also liked that we got to find out what happened to Malia and how shes related to the experiments Maddox was running, even though I still didn't quite understand how the intrusions worked or the context of them. Were they memories? Hallucinations? Her seeing through Diana's eyes or experiences? Other than that I thought the book was a fun read, especially once you get past the initial world building and character development.
September 28, 2025
full disclosure, this book was literally the reason why i became an ARC reviewer. i read the first book in this series, Hammajang Luck, and fell in love with the world, writing style, and all the characters, and Needed more. so i was SO excited to get to read The Obake Code, which is a character-driven heist set in the same world as the prior book, following one of the side characters. you could absolutely read this without having read the first book, though imo you will probably enjoy it way more if you do.
in comparison to Hammajang this was much more of a coming of age story for Malia, the hacker protagonist with a past. her emotional journey is very much the centerpiece of the book, and while i enjoyed the unique things the book did stylistically, i did wish for a little bit more twists and complexity (both emotional and heist-wise) as in the first book. however, i really loved both the new characters this book added and the reappearances of old ones as a little treat!!
overall a super fun queer sci fi heist, i will definitely be continuing to pick up whatever yamamoto writes in the future.
thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!
in comparison to Hammajang this was much more of a coming of age story for Malia, the hacker protagonist with a past. her emotional journey is very much the centerpiece of the book, and while i enjoyed the unique things the book did stylistically, i did wish for a little bit more twists and complexity (both emotional and heist-wise) as in the first book. however, i really loved both the new characters this book added and the reappearances of old ones as a little treat!!
overall a super fun queer sci fi heist, i will definitely be continuing to pick up whatever yamamoto writes in the future.
thank you to Netgalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!
February 22, 2026
The Obake Code features Malia, who was a secondary character in Yamamoto's Hammajang Luck, as the main character. The story is about another heist on Kepler Station with some of the characters from HL and some new ones, of course. Though the focus of the novel is more on Malia and her transition from hermit to member of a social group/found family. There is also a romance sub-plot.
I liked the novel, but it wasn't as gripping as HL. The novel was well-written, the characters are fleshed out and I enjoyed following Malia's story, but I expected more edge-of-the-seat-heist; which is totally a me-problem.
I liked the novel, but it wasn't as gripping as HL. The novel was well-written, the characters are fleshed out and I enjoyed following Malia's story, but I expected more edge-of-the-seat-heist; which is totally a me-problem.
February 23, 2026
Amazing YA Sci-Fi read with AI, evil corporations and gangs. Our main female character is a hacker whose last job was three-years ago. She finds herself bored and has taken to watch the boxing underground fights with men/half robots. She is able to tweak their algorithm and has been making some money betting on the winning man until she is caught by the gang leader.
With the money she has stolen, the gang wants her to do a job for them - go after the mayor candidate and dig up any blackmail material. This story was action packed! I had a great time reading it, diverse representation throughout the story - totally recommend!
With the money she has stolen, the gang wants her to do a job for them - go after the mayor candidate and dig up any blackmail material. This story was action packed! I had a great time reading it, diverse representation throughout the story - totally recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5
February 17, 2026
Review of ARC from NetGalley
This was an unexpectedly fun read for me. I rarely ever read sci-fi but my sibling liked the previous book by Makana Yamamoto so I thought I’d give this one a try. While I did find the more sciency side of the story kind of tedious I liked the plot and I loved the characters, especially Malia and Sol.
This book had everything I’d want in an action story. A heist, cool characters who were all women or nonbinary, lesbians, found family. Plus fighting against gentrification and corruption. It was perfect. There was tension that left me on edge, a few twists I didn’t expect, and a satisfying ending.
I enjoyed this book so much that I got the previous one out from the library. Definitely worth breaking out of my comfort zone for.
This was an unexpectedly fun read for me. I rarely ever read sci-fi but my sibling liked the previous book by Makana Yamamoto so I thought I’d give this one a try. While I did find the more sciency side of the story kind of tedious I liked the plot and I loved the characters, especially Malia and Sol.
This book had everything I’d want in an action story. A heist, cool characters who were all women or nonbinary, lesbians, found family. Plus fighting against gentrification and corruption. It was perfect. There was tension that left me on edge, a few twists I didn’t expect, and a satisfying ending.
I enjoyed this book so much that I got the previous one out from the library. Definitely worth breaking out of my comfort zone for.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It was so great returning to Kepler Space Station in The Obake Code! Following the hacker, Malia, that readers saw in Hammajang Luck, I liked how this story stood on its own while also including great little cameos the cast from E's heist. This book expands the world a bit, raises the stakes more, and has some darker, more serious tones in some places as well. Just like Hammajang Luck, Hawaiian Pidgin takes a forefront along with a solid queer cast. I especially loved Malia as a main character and how she builds her found family around her. I could read a 20 book series in this world; and I definitely recommend if you're interested in a sci-fi/cyberpunk adventure!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!
A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts!
August 30, 2025
I enjoyed this book a lot! Not quite as much as Hammajang Luck, but it's still among the most interesting cyberpunk books I've read. This book is marketed as a standalone, and while I think you can certainly understand this story on its own, reading Hammajang Luck first will fill in a lot of backstory on the world and characters, especially since there are numerous references in The Obake Code to the heist featured in the previous book and Malia's former team. I generally always recommend reading in publication order books written in the same world, even when they are technically standalones or can be read as such, because I pretty strongly feel that that's the best way to fully experience the story.
Whereas Hammajang Luck is more of a plot-driven book focused on the heist, The Obake Code is more of a character-driven story. It's still action-packed and features its own heist and take-down of bad guys, but the overall plot isn't as tight as book 1 because more time is spent exploring and developing the characters, especially Malia. By the end of the book, I still didn't entirely understand the storyline, and I'm not sure if that's because the information came to us in bits and pieces throughout the book or just because I wasn't focused enough to grasp all the AI plot details. There was one detail though that I thought was really cool: the description of the difference between .
This book did have a more sci-fi feel to me than book 1 though because of the heavier focus here on the virtual world thanks to Malia as MC. So if you enjoy a good cyberpunk story, check out this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.
Whereas Hammajang Luck is more of a plot-driven book focused on the heist, The Obake Code is more of a character-driven story. It's still action-packed and features its own heist and take-down of bad guys, but the overall plot isn't as tight as book 1 because more time is spent exploring and developing the characters, especially Malia. By the end of the book, I still didn't entirely understand the storyline, and I'm not sure if that's because the information came to us in bits and pieces throughout the book or just because I wasn't focused enough to grasp all the AI plot details. There was one detail though that I thought was really cool: the description of the difference between .
This book did have a more sci-fi feel to me than book 1 though because of the heavier focus here on the virtual world thanks to Malia as MC. So if you enjoy a good cyberpunk story, check out this book.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC.
November 23, 2025
Man this took me a while to sit down and really get into (I was stuck around 20% for like two weeks) but once I did I really cruised through the rest of the book. It was giving Cyberpunk edgerunners vibes (without the death of all of the characters) in the best way.
If you enjoy a good morally grey character (doing illegal shit for the good of society) this is the one for you. Malia was such a good main character and her struggle with identity was super interesting to read about.
If you enjoy a good morally grey character (doing illegal shit for the good of society) this is the one for you. Malia was such a good main character and her struggle with identity was super interesting to read about.
February 23, 2026
(3.75 ⭐) A queer cyberpunk heist team, a cybernetically-enhanced superhacker morphing with the Net, and a found family? This was such a ride. And in the end, I enjoyed The Obake Code maybe a bit more than Hammajang Luck!
Malia is living the dream post the biggest heist of her superhacker career. Except living a peaceful life of luxury doesn’t exactly call to her - the girl who was once known as the unstoppable Obake. In her boredom, she heads down to the prizefighting rings and adjusts a few fights along the way. The problem is, those fighters were part of a scheme for the Brotherhood gang, led by the terrifying Jeongah Song and her sister.
The Song Sisters give Malia a choice: end a crime-focused skeevy politician’s career, or die. So Malia has to round up a crew for “one last job”. But as they start their work, she discovers that this politician might be connected to her own childhood. Surrounded by conspiracies and ghosts, and with Malia’s custom brain mod degrading, they’re running out of time.
I found it interesting to return to the “genius kid hacker” character a few years later – it’s very much a gifted kid with buried trauma learning how to be a real person sort of arc. Malia had a Code drilled into her as she was raised in isolation, and part of that Code was that she shouldn’t form any attachments or trust anyone besides herself. So she’s on this journey to reckon with her past, relearn how to be part of society, and also enter adulthood (she’s 20 now) and experience her first romance, too.
I enjoyed the universe of the Ghostnet; Malia’s mods allow her to physically dive into the code, and it’s become her own little world. She’s immersed and powerful and feels connected to everyone else in a really unique way … well, until her brain mod starts to degrade. Then she starts experiencing intrusions, jagged memories attached to the code she’s working with that briefly take over her mind. These descriptions of hacking and the internet made it feel a lot more exciting and active (I was imagining it like an action-packed video game), and it definitely felt necessary to keep the stakes of the heist high.
Malia herself does read pretty young overall, and this story feels very coming-of-age. Outside of some sexual content, this could have been a YA book, and Hammajang Luck didn’t feel that way to me. But I liked Malia’s arc, and felt like she had SO much growth over the course of the book. It was lovely to read about her slowly letting people in.
I also liked the heist team, and almost wished we could have heard from their perspectives a bit more! I get the intention behind keeping it to Malia and feeling her anxiety as the mastermind doing her best without holding all the information, but I would have loved to read about Sol’s perspective racing a flyer or Naima manipulating her way through a situation.
I think the pacing overall was sometimes a struggle and lagged, especially with Malia sometimes dipping in and out of consciousness and going from cocky & overconfident to overwhelmed & afraid. The action scenes - like the races and fights - were great, but we weren’t always moving along in the way it felt like the story needed.
One other note is that one aspect of Malia’s personal ending made me a bit sad, and while I understood the intent behind it, I feel like it would have been possible to let her thrive in a new way in the Ghostnet.
Taking down evil politicians/corporations with fun queer vibes along the way will always be a good time, though!
CW: murder, death, car accident, torture, child abuse, kidnapping, psychosis, abandonment, classism, body horror, gun violence, panic attacks, medical content, sexual content
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
Malia is living the dream post the biggest heist of her superhacker career. Except living a peaceful life of luxury doesn’t exactly call to her - the girl who was once known as the unstoppable Obake. In her boredom, she heads down to the prizefighting rings and adjusts a few fights along the way. The problem is, those fighters were part of a scheme for the Brotherhood gang, led by the terrifying Jeongah Song and her sister.
The Song Sisters give Malia a choice: end a crime-focused skeevy politician’s career, or die. So Malia has to round up a crew for “one last job”. But as they start their work, she discovers that this politician might be connected to her own childhood. Surrounded by conspiracies and ghosts, and with Malia’s custom brain mod degrading, they’re running out of time.
I found it interesting to return to the “genius kid hacker” character a few years later – it’s very much a gifted kid with buried trauma learning how to be a real person sort of arc. Malia had a Code drilled into her as she was raised in isolation, and part of that Code was that she shouldn’t form any attachments or trust anyone besides herself. So she’s on this journey to reckon with her past, relearn how to be part of society, and also enter adulthood (she’s 20 now) and experience her first romance, too.
I enjoyed the universe of the Ghostnet; Malia’s mods allow her to physically dive into the code, and it’s become her own little world. She’s immersed and powerful and feels connected to everyone else in a really unique way … well, until her brain mod starts to degrade. Then she starts experiencing intrusions, jagged memories attached to the code she’s working with that briefly take over her mind. These descriptions of hacking and the internet made it feel a lot more exciting and active (I was imagining it like an action-packed video game), and it definitely felt necessary to keep the stakes of the heist high.
Malia herself does read pretty young overall, and this story feels very coming-of-age. Outside of some sexual content, this could have been a YA book, and Hammajang Luck didn’t feel that way to me. But I liked Malia’s arc, and felt like she had SO much growth over the course of the book. It was lovely to read about her slowly letting people in.
I also liked the heist team, and almost wished we could have heard from their perspectives a bit more! I get the intention behind keeping it to Malia and feeling her anxiety as the mastermind doing her best without holding all the information, but I would have loved to read about Sol’s perspective racing a flyer or Naima manipulating her way through a situation.
I think the pacing overall was sometimes a struggle and lagged, especially with Malia sometimes dipping in and out of consciousness and going from cocky & overconfident to overwhelmed & afraid. The action scenes - like the races and fights - were great, but we weren’t always moving along in the way it felt like the story needed.
One other note is that one aspect of Malia’s personal ending made me a bit sad, and while I understood the intent behind it, I feel like it would have been possible to let her thrive in a new way in the Ghostnet.
Taking down evil politicians/corporations with fun queer vibes along the way will always be a good time, though!
CW: murder, death, car accident, torture, child abuse, kidnapping, psychosis, abandonment, classism, body horror, gun violence, panic attacks, medical content, sexual content
Follow me on social media for book recommendations!
(I received an advance reader copy of this book; this is my honest review.)
March 5, 2026
📚The Bake Code
✍🏻Makana Yamamoto
Blurb:
An all-new, stand-alone sci-fi caper from the author of Hammajang Luck: a bored hacker is forced by vicious gangsters to take down a crooked politician...only to find herself up against a code she might not be able to crack.
After the heist of a lifetime, Malia has it all: a loft apartment aboard the massive Kepler Station, expensive clothes, and a dev credit in her favorite video game. She’s also bored as hell. Three years after retiring her mantle as the Obake, the most infamous hacker in the quadrant—and arguably the galaxy—Malia hasn’t taken well to civilian life. So what’s the harm in rigging a few cybernetic prizefights and making a little cash on the side?
When Malia’s scheme is uncovered, she runs afoul of Jeongah Song—the dangerous leader of a local gang with a reputation for brutality. Malia is ready for retribution. But what she gets instead is an offer she can’t refuse: take down the local politician leading a “clean up the streets” campaign displacing residents and hindering Jeongah’s operations on the space station… or die. Without another way out, Malia takes the deal.
Luckily, she has some friends she can call on in times of need: a master thief, a street racing wheelman, and a femme fatale grifter. But as Malia digs deeper into the politician’s shady dealings, she finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy that might be too big for her to handle. One that has roots in her own rise as the Obake—a cybernetically enhanced superhacker created by a power-mad genius… a superhacker whose mods are rapidly degrading. Faced with threats on all sides, Malia may finally be in over her head...or stuck—forever—inside her own mind.
My Thoughts:
We are following Malia aka the Obake-the greatest hacker of all time. She is essentially retired at 20, but somehow gets herself in a position to do “one last job.” She gets a crew together and we are following their adventures. It's overall lighthearted, but with a serious undercurrent that adds some emotional depth. I found it very moving to see Malia confront what her upbringing was like, recognise that isolation isn't keeping her safe, and start to learn to rely on the people around her.
Thanks NetGalley, Harper Collings Publisher and Author Makanya Yamamoto for the complimentary copy of "The Obake Code" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#HarperCollingsPublisher
#MakanaYamamoto
#TheObakeCode
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: : Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Grief
✍🏻Makana Yamamoto
Blurb:
An all-new, stand-alone sci-fi caper from the author of Hammajang Luck: a bored hacker is forced by vicious gangsters to take down a crooked politician...only to find herself up against a code she might not be able to crack.
After the heist of a lifetime, Malia has it all: a loft apartment aboard the massive Kepler Station, expensive clothes, and a dev credit in her favorite video game. She’s also bored as hell. Three years after retiring her mantle as the Obake, the most infamous hacker in the quadrant—and arguably the galaxy—Malia hasn’t taken well to civilian life. So what’s the harm in rigging a few cybernetic prizefights and making a little cash on the side?
When Malia’s scheme is uncovered, she runs afoul of Jeongah Song—the dangerous leader of a local gang with a reputation for brutality. Malia is ready for retribution. But what she gets instead is an offer she can’t refuse: take down the local politician leading a “clean up the streets” campaign displacing residents and hindering Jeongah’s operations on the space station… or die. Without another way out, Malia takes the deal.
Luckily, she has some friends she can call on in times of need: a master thief, a street racing wheelman, and a femme fatale grifter. But as Malia digs deeper into the politician’s shady dealings, she finds herself embroiled in a conspiracy that might be too big for her to handle. One that has roots in her own rise as the Obake—a cybernetically enhanced superhacker created by a power-mad genius… a superhacker whose mods are rapidly degrading. Faced with threats on all sides, Malia may finally be in over her head...or stuck—forever—inside her own mind.
My Thoughts:
We are following Malia aka the Obake-the greatest hacker of all time. She is essentially retired at 20, but somehow gets herself in a position to do “one last job.” She gets a crew together and we are following their adventures. It's overall lighthearted, but with a serious undercurrent that adds some emotional depth. I found it very moving to see Malia confront what her upbringing was like, recognise that isolation isn't keeping her safe, and start to learn to rely on the people around her.
Thanks NetGalley, Harper Collings Publisher and Author Makanya Yamamoto for the complimentary copy of "The Obake Code" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#HarperCollingsPublisher
#MakanaYamamoto
#TheObakeCode
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: : Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Torture, Grief
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I thought it was interesting how this novel turned hacking from a book-smart skill to a street smart skill by having the main character hack cybernetics and such. The cast of characters in this book is very diverse, featuring characters of various ethnicities and sexuality/gender minorities.
The writing style didn’t really click with me and I didn’t like how the flashback sequences were structured. I also thought the main character was stupid for not taking precautions and just expecting her plan to work. In addition, why is she acting like she will die if she doesn’t follow the Code word-for-word? Didn’t she create it herself? There are no consequences from breaking the Code, so it just looks like the central conflict in this plot is completely made up. Also, the “don’t form attachments” feels so fucking cliche to the point of causing me to cringe.
I think the book being very fast paced and action-packed really works in its favour. I never really felt bored with this book, even if I had a problem with a few things. I also thought the worldbuilding is great and I really like the concept of the GhostNet and think it was interesting how it affected the daily lives of the main character. To be honest, I think it would have been better to place the novel further into future as it doesn’t really feel believable that tech would develop to the point of transgalactic travel in just a century.
Also, I liked the romance in this, and thought it was very sweet. Sol and Malia had great chemistry and were supportive of each other. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the sex scene, however, as it didn’t really fit the rest of the book, in my opinion. While the characters are adults, the themes of this book and the way it’s written both read as YA to me.
I wasn’t a fan of the nonstandard spelling, to be honest. I generally dislike conveying accents in text (like zis French accent), and I often found it difficult to understand what the characters are trying to say as someone who is not a native speaker of English. It took me ages to figure out “faka” stood for fucker instead of faker.
I wouldn’t call this book a masterpiece, but I found the overall experience positive and don’t regret reading it. If someone asked for a very specific kind of book that this happened to fit the profile of, I would still recommend it.
The writing style didn’t really click with me and I didn’t like how the flashback sequences were structured. I also thought the main character was stupid for not taking precautions and just expecting her plan to work. In addition, why is she acting like she will die if she doesn’t follow the Code word-for-word? Didn’t she create it herself? There are no consequences from breaking the Code, so it just looks like the central conflict in this plot is completely made up. Also, the “don’t form attachments” feels so fucking cliche to the point of causing me to cringe.
I think the book being very fast paced and action-packed really works in its favour. I never really felt bored with this book, even if I had a problem with a few things. I also thought the worldbuilding is great and I really like the concept of the GhostNet and think it was interesting how it affected the daily lives of the main character. To be honest, I think it would have been better to place the novel further into future as it doesn’t really feel believable that tech would develop to the point of transgalactic travel in just a century.
Also, I liked the romance in this, and thought it was very sweet. Sol and Malia had great chemistry and were supportive of each other. I wasn’t sure how to feel about the sex scene, however, as it didn’t really fit the rest of the book, in my opinion. While the characters are adults, the themes of this book and the way it’s written both read as YA to me.
I wasn’t a fan of the nonstandard spelling, to be honest. I generally dislike conveying accents in text (like zis French accent), and I often found it difficult to understand what the characters are trying to say as someone who is not a native speaker of English. It took me ages to figure out “faka” stood for fucker instead of faker.
I wouldn’t call this book a masterpiece, but I found the overall experience positive and don’t regret reading it. If someone asked for a very specific kind of book that this happened to fit the profile of, I would still recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cyberpunk space station heist with marginalized communities taking on the villains and the systems they create and uphold at sickening costs…
I LOVED it!!
Makana Yamamoto brings us back to Kepler Space Station a few years after the grand heist that took place in Hammajang Luck. This time, we are following The Obake, Malia, as they mastermind a scheme of their own.
While it’s not necessary to read Hammajang Luck before The Obake Code, I would highly recommend it as many of the same characters pop up with history between each other.
Plot overview: Our star hacker, Malia, gets bored and then gets into trouble. To get out, she must bring together a crew and pull off not just a heist, but taking down a politician who decides to get “tough on crime” but is also committing atrocities himself. Not only that, but Malia must contend with her brain mod making her black out and figure out why before it does worse.
Thoughts: This book packs a punch!! It’s action-packed, exciting, horrifying, lovable, and fun. Gamers will love the elements included in this book that send characters into the virtual world. I really enjoyed the world-building, the character and relationship development, and the battle against those who would seek to cause us harm.
The crew is mostly, if not all, queer women (including the gangsters!), and if there are men in here, they are the villains. There is a sapphic romantic subplot with a very short explicit scene. It’s a queernormative world, which I’m always a fan of, that these characters aren’t just tokens.
Content Warnings (from the author’s website):
Graphic:
Moderate:
Minor:
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ARC via NetGalley! All my opinions are my own.
I LOVED it!!
Makana Yamamoto brings us back to Kepler Space Station a few years after the grand heist that took place in Hammajang Luck. This time, we are following The Obake, Malia, as they mastermind a scheme of their own.
While it’s not necessary to read Hammajang Luck before The Obake Code, I would highly recommend it as many of the same characters pop up with history between each other.
Plot overview: Our star hacker, Malia, gets bored and then gets into trouble. To get out, she must bring together a crew and pull off not just a heist, but taking down a politician who decides to get “tough on crime” but is also committing atrocities himself. Not only that, but Malia must contend with her brain mod making her black out and figure out why before it does worse.
Thoughts: This book packs a punch!! It’s action-packed, exciting, horrifying, lovable, and fun. Gamers will love the elements included in this book that send characters into the virtual world. I really enjoyed the world-building, the character and relationship development, and the battle against those who would seek to cause us harm.
The crew is mostly, if not all, queer women (including the gangsters!), and if there are men in here, they are the villains. There is a sapphic romantic subplot with a very short explicit scene. It’s a queernormative world, which I’m always a fan of, that these characters aren’t just tokens.
Content Warnings (from the author’s website):
Graphic:
Moderate:
Minor:
Thank you to Harper Voyager for the ARC via NetGalley! All my opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5/5 stars: This is Yamamoto's second entry in the Sci-Fi Heist series which is a BIPOC 2SLGBTQIA+ Sci-Fi Thriller Steamy Romance set on a space station. Following a hacker who must team up with a master thief, a street racer and a femme fatale grifter after she's forced to take down a crooked politician by vicious gangsters. Only to become embroiled in a conspiracy that might be too big for her to handle. One that has roots in her past as a cybernetically enhanced superhacker created by a power-mad genius… a superhacker whose mods are rapidly degrading. Faced with threats on all sides, she may finally be in over her head... or stuck—forever—inside her own mind if she doesn't open up to friendship and love.
Yamamoto's written a fast-paced action-packed twisty and turny gripping heist that will have you on the edge of your seat until the final page. Witty and smart, Yamamoto's writing and character work are masterful; the main character's well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable with a secondary cast that's well crafted and uniquely voiced. In addition there's plenty of diverse multicultural influences and Yamamoto's exploration of what the future looks like for historically marginalized communities. This is a heist/thriller first and foremost but there are some nice romantic moments and a steamy OPS scene.
Yamamoto touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and check the CWs. This can be read as a stand-alone but if you want to read about the legendary heist the MC helped pull off pick up book one, Hammajang Luck. Loved this so much; Highly recommend!
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
Yamamoto's written a fast-paced action-packed twisty and turny gripping heist that will have you on the edge of your seat until the final page. Witty and smart, Yamamoto's writing and character work are masterful; the main character's well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable with a secondary cast that's well crafted and uniquely voiced. In addition there's plenty of diverse multicultural influences and Yamamoto's exploration of what the future looks like for historically marginalized communities. This is a heist/thriller first and foremost but there are some nice romantic moments and a steamy OPS scene.
Yamamoto touches on some sensitive topics; so take care and check the CWs. This can be read as a stand-alone but if you want to read about the legendary heist the MC helped pull off pick up book one, Hammajang Luck. Loved this so much; Highly recommend!
I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Harper Voyager in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.
January 2, 2026
Received from Edelweiss, thanks!
4.75 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed this book, though not quite as much as I enjoyed Hammajang Luck.
In this one we are following The Obake, the young super hacker who was part of the Atlas heist crew from Hammajang, and seeing all of her struggle post heist. I thought the story was really well done, in terms of examining trauma responses and how different people deal with trauma differently.
Malia, or The Obake (which is Hawaiian for Ghost), gets into a bad situation when she’s caught hacking fights and winning money on them. This leads to a whole new heist situation, where she is being blackmailed into it by the mob. I really liked the story, though I did think that some of the parts, 25-50% in, dragged a bit. Like, there was a lot happening, but it was a bit boring? Possibly because there were three main things happening simultaneously, and it felt a bit hammajang. There is the initial heist to get dirt on a corrupt politician, there is a scary AI, and there’s Malia’s super fucked up past. All of the storylines did come together, but it took a while.
I loved the random Hawaiian slang thrown in, though I do have to admit that I relied on a friend who speaks Hawaiian to help me out, because Google Translate does not know what to do with slang. I know a tiny bit of Hawaiian, so there were a few I knew, but most I didn’t. I know it was only a bit of slang here or there, but any amount of language revitalization is good!
While this is said to be a standalone, it really benefits from having read the first book. There are characters from the first book and some of the plot points don’t quite work (IMO) if you don’t know who the crew was for the Atlas heist.
Overall, I think this is a super solid read and I loved being back in this world. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for Yamamoto’s next book!
4.75 stars rounded up
I really enjoyed this book, though not quite as much as I enjoyed Hammajang Luck.
In this one we are following The Obake, the young super hacker who was part of the Atlas heist crew from Hammajang, and seeing all of her struggle post heist. I thought the story was really well done, in terms of examining trauma responses and how different people deal with trauma differently.
Malia, or The Obake (which is Hawaiian for Ghost), gets into a bad situation when she’s caught hacking fights and winning money on them. This leads to a whole new heist situation, where she is being blackmailed into it by the mob. I really liked the story, though I did think that some of the parts, 25-50% in, dragged a bit. Like, there was a lot happening, but it was a bit boring? Possibly because there were three main things happening simultaneously, and it felt a bit hammajang. There is the initial heist to get dirt on a corrupt politician, there is a scary AI, and there’s Malia’s super fucked up past. All of the storylines did come together, but it took a while.
I loved the random Hawaiian slang thrown in, though I do have to admit that I relied on a friend who speaks Hawaiian to help me out, because Google Translate does not know what to do with slang. I know a tiny bit of Hawaiian, so there were a few I knew, but most I didn’t. I know it was only a bit of slang here or there, but any amount of language revitalization is good!
While this is said to be a standalone, it really benefits from having read the first book. There are characters from the first book and some of the plot points don’t quite work (IMO) if you don’t know who the crew was for the Atlas heist.
Overall, I think this is a super solid read and I loved being back in this world. I will definitely be keeping my eye out for Yamamoto’s next book!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It's a sci-fi heist!! Set on Kepler Station, this is the follow-on book to Hammajang Luck. There are a few return characters, but I think you could jump in here if a tech genius coming up with her first masterminded heist sounds like just the thing for you.
Malia is a big-time criminal: she's worked as the hacker for several teams before pulling off such a big score that she could retire. But she's also young and bored, so even though she doesn't need to, she starts fixing fights. Unfortunately, the mafia gang whose fights she's fixing catches on pretty quickly to what she's doing, and they blackmail her into masterminding a heist. And the target turns out to have connections with Malia's past ...
While I enjoyed the heist and the light romantic subplot, the fact that Malia's specialty is hacking made this one a tougher sell for me. I think it can be really hard to depict virtual worlds. I personally prefer a spare approach, like Murderbot, where I can kind of ignore the hacking and programming and focus on the results. Here, Malia enters the virtual world a lot, and she experiences it like she's controlling the physical world. For me, it's hard to feel a sense of urgency while reading a fight between a fake dragon and a fake mecha warrior, but YMMV!
I do really appreciate Yamamoto's unique world building, which is both very sci fi (set on a space station with flying cars, etc.) but also very much an homage to Hawaii (with lots of characters from the Hawaiian diaspora). I also cannot think of a single male main character; and the world is so queer normative that I don't think any of them are straight. Reading the series helps me push my own boundaries in a great way.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.
Malia is a big-time criminal: she's worked as the hacker for several teams before pulling off such a big score that she could retire. But she's also young and bored, so even though she doesn't need to, she starts fixing fights. Unfortunately, the mafia gang whose fights she's fixing catches on pretty quickly to what she's doing, and they blackmail her into masterminding a heist. And the target turns out to have connections with Malia's past ...
While I enjoyed the heist and the light romantic subplot, the fact that Malia's specialty is hacking made this one a tougher sell for me. I think it can be really hard to depict virtual worlds. I personally prefer a spare approach, like Murderbot, where I can kind of ignore the hacking and programming and focus on the results. Here, Malia enters the virtual world a lot, and she experiences it like she's controlling the physical world. For me, it's hard to feel a sense of urgency while reading a fight between a fake dragon and a fake mecha warrior, but YMMV!
I do really appreciate Yamamoto's unique world building, which is both very sci fi (set on a space station with flying cars, etc.) but also very much an homage to Hawaii (with lots of characters from the Hawaiian diaspora). I also cannot think of a single male main character; and the world is so queer normative that I don't think any of them are straight. Reading the series helps me push my own boundaries in a great way.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank You Avon/Harper Voyager for the ARC and Harper Audio for the ALC!
I knew I was going to love this because I LOVED Hammajang Luck, and I loved The Obake in that one, so this isn't really a surprise to me. I HIGHLY recommend reading along with the audio if you can--that was a top tier experience. The structure of the book includes messages and "pop ups" that are better suited for eyeball reading, but the narrator was INCREDIBLE and absolutely nails the "AI Voice" in a way that really adds to the experience. Do both if you can!
While I miss the OG crew, I was really happy to see Malia find her own. I think a lot of us have felt like we're on the outside of a friend group looking in, where we can't really connect with them even though they're RIGHT THERE, and how miserable that was. I loved that Malia found the people that were best suited for her and got to have a fun little revolution in the process!
If you've read Hammajang Luck, you're going to have a good time because a lot of the vibes are similar, even if we all miss the OG crew a bit. The romance DOES take a backseat in this one, but the main story is SO GOOD, I didn't even really notice until I thought about it. If you haven't read Hammajang Luck (first of all, go do that because it's SO good!), you'll definitely be able to follow the story. This is a great example of an interconnected standalone that can be read out of order, if that's what you chose!
And the story itself? I mean, taking down corrupt politicians and an AI while also having fun with your friends? If there isn't a more apropos story for 2026, I don't know what is.
I knew I was going to love this because I LOVED Hammajang Luck, and I loved The Obake in that one, so this isn't really a surprise to me. I HIGHLY recommend reading along with the audio if you can--that was a top tier experience. The structure of the book includes messages and "pop ups" that are better suited for eyeball reading, but the narrator was INCREDIBLE and absolutely nails the "AI Voice" in a way that really adds to the experience. Do both if you can!
While I miss the OG crew, I was really happy to see Malia find her own. I think a lot of us have felt like we're on the outside of a friend group looking in, where we can't really connect with them even though they're RIGHT THERE, and how miserable that was. I loved that Malia found the people that were best suited for her and got to have a fun little revolution in the process!
If you've read Hammajang Luck, you're going to have a good time because a lot of the vibes are similar, even if we all miss the OG crew a bit. The romance DOES take a backseat in this one, but the main story is SO GOOD, I didn't even really notice until I thought about it. If you haven't read Hammajang Luck (first of all, go do that because it's SO good!), you'll definitely be able to follow the story. This is a great example of an interconnected standalone that can be read out of order, if that's what you chose!
And the story itself? I mean, taking down corrupt politicians and an AI while also having fun with your friends? If there isn't a more apropos story for 2026, I don't know what is.
March 2, 2026
The Obake Code is a fast-paced book filled with high stakes, drama, and a lot of fun. Set a few years after HAMMAJANG LUCK, it follows Malia, the crew’s young hacker, as she masterminds a heist of her own. This takes place on the same station in a setting I’d describe as Hawaiian diaspora meets a Blade Runner-esque universe.
Unlike Hammajang Luck, this book focuses more on our new MC than on her crew as a whole. Malia has buried so much of her past trauma. Every time we learn something new about her past, it increases the stakes of the book. This was such a great way to build tension! Malia has been through so much, and I just wanted to give her a big hug. But as much as I like Malia, I truly LOVE a good ensemble. I wish the crew had a bit more page time because they are such a fun group and very easy to care about.
One thing I did not like about this book was the repetitive internal dialogue. When we first encounter Malia, she has isolated herself and withdrawn into her own world. She is convinced she doesn’t need any friends or support. A big part of the plot is her opening up to others and accepting help. Which is great! However, Malia’s internal dialogue never lets you forget that. I know it’s an important theme, but I think space that could have been used to flesh out side characters was taken up by this repetitive internal dialogue.
I loved Hammajang Luck! The Obake Code didn’t quite meet my extremely high expectations, but don’t get me wrong… I still had a blast reading this. I will gladly read anything Yamamoto writes.
I was gifted an ARC by the publisher. Opinions are honest and my own.
Unlike Hammajang Luck, this book focuses more on our new MC than on her crew as a whole. Malia has buried so much of her past trauma. Every time we learn something new about her past, it increases the stakes of the book. This was such a great way to build tension! Malia has been through so much, and I just wanted to give her a big hug. But as much as I like Malia, I truly LOVE a good ensemble. I wish the crew had a bit more page time because they are such a fun group and very easy to care about.
One thing I did not like about this book was the repetitive internal dialogue. When we first encounter Malia, she has isolated herself and withdrawn into her own world. She is convinced she doesn’t need any friends or support. A big part of the plot is her opening up to others and accepting help. Which is great! However, Malia’s internal dialogue never lets you forget that. I know it’s an important theme, but I think space that could have been used to flesh out side characters was taken up by this repetitive internal dialogue.
I loved Hammajang Luck! The Obake Code didn’t quite meet my extremely high expectations, but don’t get me wrong… I still had a blast reading this. I will gladly read anything Yamamoto writes.
I was gifted an ARC by the publisher. Opinions are honest and my own.
March 6, 2026
3.75 stars
Note: This review may contain spoilers for book 1, Hammajang Luck.
The sequel to Hammajang Luck follows Malia, the hacker known as the Obake. The years after the events of the previous book, Malia has money, but her life feels empty. When she gets caught by a local mobster using her hacking skills to fix underground fights, she winds up being forced to work for them, to take down a crooked politician.
Malia assembles her own crew, including one or two familiar faces. However, as they dig in to their new mark, the crew finds a startling connection to Malia's past.
The primary question here is, who is Malia when she can't be the Obake. After overclocking her mods toward the end of Hammajang Luck, they've started to become unreliable.
On the positive side, I liked all of the new characters, and I liked the budding romance between Sol and Malia. The heist crew from the first book makes cameo appearances toward the end of the book, with Tatiana and Edie having a little bit of a larger role.
On the negative side, I will say occasionally the action was hard to follow, with Malia flitting back and forth between the real world and the GhostWeb. When her mod malfunctions, the text changes to long passages of stream of consciousness that almost reads like poetry. The characters speak in the same Hawaiian pidgin as the first book, which can be hard to follow if you're not used to it.
Overall, I recommend this to heist fans who enjoy queer and sci-fi themes. I had fun with it, but I definitely recommend reading the first book before this one.
Note: This review may contain spoilers for book 1, Hammajang Luck.
The sequel to Hammajang Luck follows Malia, the hacker known as the Obake. The years after the events of the previous book, Malia has money, but her life feels empty. When she gets caught by a local mobster using her hacking skills to fix underground fights, she winds up being forced to work for them, to take down a crooked politician.
Malia assembles her own crew, including one or two familiar faces. However, as they dig in to their new mark, the crew finds a startling connection to Malia's past.
The primary question here is, who is Malia when she can't be the Obake. After overclocking her mods toward the end of Hammajang Luck, they've started to become unreliable.
On the positive side, I liked all of the new characters, and I liked the budding romance between Sol and Malia. The heist crew from the first book makes cameo appearances toward the end of the book, with Tatiana and Edie having a little bit of a larger role.
On the negative side, I will say occasionally the action was hard to follow, with Malia flitting back and forth between the real world and the GhostWeb. When her mod malfunctions, the text changes to long passages of stream of consciousness that almost reads like poetry. The characters speak in the same Hawaiian pidgin as the first book, which can be hard to follow if you're not used to it.
Overall, I recommend this to heist fans who enjoy queer and sci-fi themes. I had fun with it, but I definitely recommend reading the first book before this one.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I read Hammajang Luck last year and was surprised by how quickly it captured me, not just with its fast plot but with my investment in its characters. Unfortunately, the Obake Code didn't hit the same for me.
This is by no means a bad book, and I did find it very easy to read quickly, but this book just read much younger to me than Hammajang Luck. This makes sense to a certain extent given how much younger Malia is than Edie, but Malia's lack of maturity felt like it created a simpler emotional narrative. On the one hand, Malia's backstory is very interesting and the way that her feelings are articulated to the reader — outright and in simple terms — actually fit her character very well. On the other hand, this mode of discussing emotions wound up feeling a lot like telling instead of showing to me. It made elements that I found very compelling land without much emotional impact.
The pacing of this book, in terms of action, is very fast, but this actually wound up making the narrative feel a bit flat to me. I needed a bit more variation, because it sometimes felt like I was just going through the motions with the action scenes. And while there is still plenty of criticism of corporatism in this book, the fact that this book's antagonists are primarily one uniquely bad actor and an evil AI trying to take over the world meant that this book also felt thematically weaker to me than HL.
I still like Makana Yamamoto's writing and will keep an eye on their future works, but this one didn't stand out to me.
This is by no means a bad book, and I did find it very easy to read quickly, but this book just read much younger to me than Hammajang Luck. This makes sense to a certain extent given how much younger Malia is than Edie, but Malia's lack of maturity felt like it created a simpler emotional narrative. On the one hand, Malia's backstory is very interesting and the way that her feelings are articulated to the reader — outright and in simple terms — actually fit her character very well. On the other hand, this mode of discussing emotions wound up feeling a lot like telling instead of showing to me. It made elements that I found very compelling land without much emotional impact.
The pacing of this book, in terms of action, is very fast, but this actually wound up making the narrative feel a bit flat to me. I needed a bit more variation, because it sometimes felt like I was just going through the motions with the action scenes. And while there is still plenty of criticism of corporatism in this book, the fact that this book's antagonists are primarily one uniquely bad actor and an evil AI trying to take over the world meant that this book also felt thematically weaker to me than HL.
I still like Makana Yamamoto's writing and will keep an eye on their future works, but this one didn't stand out to me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5⭐
I absolutely loved Hammajang Luck when I read it last year, so I was pumped to get to read the ARC for Obake Code.
Set 3 years after Hammajang Luck, Malia, former teen super-hacker wiz-kid is feeling restless and ends up in trouble with The Brotherhood crime family, who want a hacker to get some dirt on a sketchy politician that’s causing them problems. So Malia has to round up a team for One Last Job™, and thus the heist begins.
So, obviously with Malia as the main character, being probably 20?, there’s a lot more Big Adolescent Feelings, since she still has a lot of firsts to experience in her life. There’s some crushes, kisses, failures, successes, you get the idea. I think Malia coming into her own and learning how to be vulnerable, and her overall character growth worked well, but unfortunately I just don’t enjoy coming-of-age in general, so I didn’t have the best time. But it is just personal preference, rather than weakness of the story.
I did like how rather than just a straight up heist, but with a futuristic setting, we actually got a classic scifi plot of ~evil ai~ as well. I can’t wait to see what else Yamamoto does, whether it’s more stories on Kepler Station, other unconnected scifi, or different genres entirely, I am absolutely down for whatever comes next.
I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I absolutely loved Hammajang Luck when I read it last year, so I was pumped to get to read the ARC for Obake Code.
Set 3 years after Hammajang Luck, Malia, former teen super-hacker wiz-kid is feeling restless and ends up in trouble with The Brotherhood crime family, who want a hacker to get some dirt on a sketchy politician that’s causing them problems. So Malia has to round up a team for One Last Job™, and thus the heist begins.
So, obviously with Malia as the main character, being probably 20?, there’s a lot more Big Adolescent Feelings, since she still has a lot of firsts to experience in her life. There’s some crushes, kisses, failures, successes, you get the idea. I think Malia coming into her own and learning how to be vulnerable, and her overall character growth worked well, but unfortunately I just don’t enjoy coming-of-age in general, so I didn’t have the best time. But it is just personal preference, rather than weakness of the story.
I did like how rather than just a straight up heist, but with a futuristic setting, we actually got a classic scifi plot of ~evil ai~ as well. I can’t wait to see what else Yamamoto does, whether it’s more stories on Kepler Station, other unconnected scifi, or different genres entirely, I am absolutely down for whatever comes next.
I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An excellent sequel to Hammajang Luck; everything I loved about the first book is here, including queer and racially diverse characters, Hawaiian Pidgin, the cyberpunk setting, a morally complex heist, and even an overlap of some of the original’s characters. This one has some Eleven from Stranger Things vibes, with some serious Matrix bits and a touch of Minority Report. I really related to some of Malia’s feelings about her usefulness equaling her worth to others, and her struggle to be open and form attachments when those attachments could lead to betrayal. Would 100% read a book 3, there are so many other characters in this series I would love to delve into.
I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CWs - Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deadnaming
I received a free digital copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
CWs - Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Deadnaming
March 2, 2026
I adored Hammajang Luck, and I really wasn't expecting a sequel. I was excited to follow in another cyberpunk heist by an all female/NB/ queer crew, this time led by the hacker wunderkind Obake/Malia. This one didn't lose much time in worldbuilding since it was done so well and vividly in the first book. I did find a Korean space gang called the Brotherhood, led by two feuding sisters, the more aggressive leader of the two being called "Hyungnim" (older brother), to be kind of delightful and subversive. This is not a cozy world, but a very lived in, grungy one and so everyone is a little bit despicable, but that's the cyberpunk magic of these books. Even as she becomes a heist mastermind, out off almost sheer boredom, this is very much a coming of age story. The heist part of it was actually quite messy, and derailed so frequently, I kind of forgot what even it was half the time. Evil AI gods, predatory megalomaniacs, and Korean bad bitch mafia aside, I adored that this was ultimately a story about letting your walls down and trusting in chosen family when all you've known is unkindness.
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