SAGA PRESS • SIMON MAVERICK • HODDERSCAPE
The Sky Pirates of Imperia has been acquired by traditional publishers!
The brand-new deluxe hardcover and audiobook editions will be published on November 3, 2026. Pre-order the deluxe hardcopy today!
The Sky Pirates of Imperia
With a wit to rival Matt Dinniman’s Dungeon Crawler Carl, action on par with Pierce Brown’s Red Rising, and the scope of Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth, Cello’s Gate is a rollicking, edge-of-your-seat sci-fi fantasy epic about a ragtag crew of rogues on the hunt for mythic treasure. They did not, however, sign up to save the world.
Captain Grey and his crew of sky pirates have a reputation for doing the impossible. From breaking into high-security military research facilities to conning the iCity elite—there isn’t a lock they can’t pick, a safe they can’t break, or a hidden treasure they can’t find. Until now.
Returning from a harrowing heist involving a neon battery and a trash shoot, Grey and his crew are approached by Dalia, the immortal daughter of the infamous ArchGovernor—and she has an offer.
The job? Locate and steal the Stones of Indigo—seven fabled rocks invested with godlike power. The search for the first stone is a bonified treasure hunt, guided by an ancient map to a deadly, uncharted island that’s protected by a mysterious guardian. The score? One million credits per crew member, per stone. The catch? Well, that’s where things get a little complicated.
The stones don’t exist. They’re a myth. A bedtime story told to little pirates to make them believe that power and wealth are attainable if you just work hard enough.
And to make matters infinitely worse, Grey’s never trusted immortals, and Dalia’s definitely hiding something. Something bad. And if they don’t figure out what it is, it might cost them their lives.
ONE CREW OF SKY PIRATES
SEVEN MYTHOLOGICAL STONES
A RACE TO FIND THEM ALL
Meet Maurice
(no, not in real life)
I think you’re supposed to write these in third person to give the illusion that you’re so popular that someone else wrote it for you. So, here we go...
Maurice Africh is an ex-theater kid with a passion for tasty food, semi-luxurious travel, reality competition television shows, D&D, and fantasy novels. He currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina with his beautiful wife, Rachel, and his cute, albeit cranky chihuahua, Toby. He also hopes you liked this book because he’s sort of banked his entire reputation on it. Plus, he’s already writing the next one.
Don’t take my word for it!
I know every author thinks their work is great, but my opinion means nothing. Listen to the frens!
Frequently Asked Questions
-
I get this question a lot! It’s been something that people have mispronounced my entire life. It’s pronounced like “Africa,” except the ‘a’ is replaced with an ‘h’ and makes the ‘ch’ sound (like church).
-
Here’s another common question. “Cello” is pronounced like the instrument. So, similar to my last name, it’s the ‘ch’ sound (like church).
-
No, I did not! Fortunately, none of the influencers who have read and reviewed my book were paid!
-
I get asked this question about 3-4 times a day. Unfortunately, there is currently no audiobook available for Cello’s Gate, but one is currently in the works!
-
The short answer: No. This is a bummer because I’ve heard from many people who have checked at their local bookstores, hoping to find it, with no success.
The long answer: You can actually request Cello’s Gate from any bookstore. They should be able to order it. In fact, the more people that request it, the more likely they are to stock it!
-
Yes! You can request my book at your local library, and they should be able to stock it. It’s available in both physical and digital formats.
-
Cello’s Gate has found a really diverse audience, from teenage boys to women in their 60s. It is an adult book with graphic language, violence, gore, and sexual content. So, I leave that decision up to parents.
-
It does! Here’s a comprehensive list of trigger warnings:
Graphic
Death
Gore
Violence
Language
Gun violence
SpidersModerate
Sexual content
Slavery
MurderVibes
Mouthy Pirates
Filthy Language
Bell Pepper Levels of Spice
Likable Villains
Excessive Violence
Giant Spiders
Moral Grey-ness (get it?)
Witty Banter
“John Wick-Esque Fight Scenes”
Wicked Sword Fights
Gunslingers
Gut Punch Nostalgia
Outrageous Worldbuilding
Genre Blending
Third Person, Present Tense -
The current expected release of book 2 is Fall 2026.
-
You can buy it almost anywhere books are sold online, including
Local Bookstores
Libraries
I also sell signed copies, which are available on my shop and the TikTok shop!
-
Felix Ortiz did the art for the cover, and I could not recommend him more. It was an absolute pleasure to work with.
-
Yes, I actually worked with 2 brilliant editors.
Developmental Editor
Chersti Nieven (who also worked on The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson)Line Editor/Proofreader
Robin Fuller (who also worked on the Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman)
