# Cello's Gate (The Sky Pirates of Imperia Book 1)

**Author:** Maurice Africh  
**Links:**  
[Bookshop](https://bookshop.org/book/9798992274912)  
[Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DRNBK1HL?tag=https://amzn.to/44znV0i)

### Reviews  
> "_Cello's Gate_ truly was the wickedly wild and uniquely imaginative adventure I didn't know I needed in my life. It's epic yet intimate, dark yet light-hearted, playful yet emotional, and it's got a fun factor that just soars higher than the sky."  
> — Esmay Rosalyne (Grimdark Magazine)

> "My absolute favorite book of the year. Africh is a lyrical wordsmith, a poet who can turn a phrase into a strand of gold."  
> — Phoenix McDonald (Author of _The Talent Continuum_)

> "The pacing is brisk, like being chased through a collapsing cathedral... (Africh) clearly understands the balance between character development, creative bloodshed, and pitch-black humor... The world-building is dense and rich, a fusion of tech and magic... The prose is witty. Occasionally poetic. Frequently unhinged."  
> — Florian Armas (Author of _Chronicle of the Seer_)

> "From the start, this book gripped me."  
> — Jonathan Neves Mayers (Author of _Vevin Song_)

> "I swear I've been WAITING for someone to write this book."  
> — Ash (Readers Quadrant Art)

### Synopsis  
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**

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## Posts about this title from Nathan’s Booktok!

### Weekly Reading Wrap-Up  
Here is what I read last week! Books mentioned:  
- Babel by RF Kuang  
- The Strength of the Few by James Islington  
- Cellos Gate by Maurice Africh  
- Jade City by Fonda Lee