“Sky pirates, gunslingers, mythic knights, & treasure maps. This book has everything I’ve ever wanted in an epic future fantasy, all wrapped up in one stunning, action-packed debut.”
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 chute, 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 bona fide 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
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
“I freaking adored this. And I usually hate heist books! I need the next one IMMEDIATELY but obviously no rush to the author to finish it. I had already preordered a physical copy when I was only 40% of the way through, that’s how much I knew this book was great. This was sold to me as inspired by Firefly, Treasure Planet, Star Wars and Final Fantasy, and BOY DID IT DELIVER.
I loved each character (except the BBEG, ofc because FUCK THAT GUY). I think my favorite character is probably a tie between Grey and Dot. DOT MY BELOVED. And obviously Grey is great, too. I love how he refuses to leave any of his crew behind; such a good captain!
RUN, DO NOT WALK to pick this up!”
Ryn W
(@rynreads91)
“A DEBUT THAT SOARS LIKE THE SKY PIRATES IT FOLLOWS!
…This may be author Maurice Africh’s debut novel, but it does NOT read like a typical debut.
Cello’s Gate is a slick, visceral, engaging and, best of all, wholly and completely unique addition to the crowded space of Genre Fiction. It rides the line that is Science Fantasy like a pro surfer on a perfect wave, standing out with swaggering ease.
If I absolutely had to make a comparison, I would say Cello’s Gate feels like a mix of Treasure Planet, The Lies of Locke Lamora, Mistborn with the ‘heist’ angle and a little splash of Star Wars – but it feels like drawing comparisons to other works is almost rude.
It really is its own thing, a true rarity…”
Ink & Tome
(@ink.and.tome)
“Absolutely no hesitation to give 5 stars to this incredible debut by Maurice Africh…
The symmetry of magic & science is spot on, the action sequences are easily followed and left my heart in my throat at times. I am an enormous fan of the beasts that have been a part of the story so far.
As always my ultimate love as a reader is for the characters, and there are plenty to treasure in this book. Mars & Farlow have tied for my absolute favourites, with Eddie inching his way in. The character relationships and banter were perfection!
This entire read through had me craving my next available moment to jump back into the world of Grey and his crew like few other books have been able to. I cannot wait to continue this series!”
Ashleigh Kate
(@the.brooks.books)
“WOW, just wow. What a debut book for Maurice Africh! I am itching to get my hands on book two already!
…The banter and relationships between the characters are amazing. Each character is so complex with so much darkness and history already, I just want to know more about them all. It was interesting and fun to watch them all work together and overcome everything that was thrown at them. Not all of their plans worked out the first try, and it was fun to watch the characters pivot and go to plan B and trust that their crew can handle it. Captain Grey has the most faith in his crew and it bleeds out into the rest of them. My favorite characters are probably Eddie and Izzy but also Dot. LOVE Dot, I want to know everything about her.
At the end of every chapter I wanted to read the next one and the next one.”
Zoie
(@raven_reads666)
“This is a book that Maurice said to be a mix between Indiana Jones, Firefly, and Final fantasy. Haven’t seen or played the last two, so for me, i got the feeling about Indiana Jones meets Star Wars the Last Jedi…
The first thing i noticed when starting reading this is how fast i fell in love with the writing style. Maurice explanation about a character is like throwing you into a game where you design your own. Every explanation pops into your mind in full detail. Of the characters, you will get a nice blend of female and male characters that’s been written in different ways to make them all great. Dot is my favorite female character, such a badass woman. With Grey being my favorite male character, with his funny humor and good leadership. But they are all great, so easy to connect with and understand their pain and feelings.
So let’s jump on Trench and fly this thing into our TBR. 🚀”
Carina_inkdrinker
(@carina_inkdrinker)
“From the moment I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I love pirates stories and this one was complete with actions, mythes and dangerous creatures. The tone of the story is set from the start as we join the team in action in the middle of a heist, which doesn’t quite go as planned naturally, and from there I was hooked on the adventure to the end.
The worldbuilding is very interesting and unique with lore revolving around a mix of magical/immortal beings and mythical/militaristic knights. The mystery surrounding the stones keeps you wondering until the end about the veracity of their existence, about what is or is not hidden behind the myth, and I did not expect the twist at the end.
We have a wide variety of complex characters from whom we learn each background history throughout the story…
…I didn’t want it to end! I can’t wait to read the next Hunt.”
Manon St-Jean
(@manonmannyreads)
Wow! I loooved this book! Let’s break it down.
Characters: I love when an author surprises me, and with this book I was pleasantly surprised to not find cliched characters. Every character did what was unexpected of them and it made me invested in all of their stories and outcomes…
Plot: I was not sure what to expect, but when I saw it was a Star Wars inspired book, I knew I’d be in for adventure, and boy did it deliver. While it was inspired by Star Wars and I can certainly pick out where those inspirations show, this story was unique all on its own, the fight and battle scenes were so much fun to read and dissect throughout the story and the world the author created was vivid and interesting. The pacing was very well done and I am fully invested in book 2!…
…5 stars for me!”
SoulfulVidaDaily
(@soulfulvidadaily)
Did you want sky pirates? Because this is the book you NEED if that’s your thing.
From start to finish, a page turner. You’ll despise that this read isn’t LONGER when you reach the gripping end. Full of amazing characters, written in a fun voice, all with a gripping plot.
The world building is phenomenal, outlining a world of militaristic and magical intrigue that seamlessly fuses sci-fi weaponry and magic.
Don’t miss out on this phenomenal read!
MJ Lenz
(@m.j.lenz)