Spotlight: The Driftborn (The Gate Origin, Book One) by Simon Bullock
A forgotten wreck. A forbidden map. A gate that should never have been opened.
Welcome to my stop on The Write Reads Blog Tour for The Driftborn by Simon Bullock, the first book in the Gate Origin Series.
Today we're venturing beyond authorized space for a look at this character-driven space opera filled with ancient gates, erased histories, found family, and a dangerous question: What if some doors were never meant to be opened?
About The Driftborn by Simon Bullock
THE DRIFTBORN By Simon Bullock
Series: Gate Origin Series, #1
Published by 42 Parallel Press on July 2026
Genres: Science Fiction, Space Opera
Formats: eBook, Hardcover
Pages: 480
Kade Renn repairs broken machines on a dying salvage moon and tries to keep his younger sister alive.
That is all his life has room for.
Then a buried ship rises from the black sand.
Inside is a dying Driftborn pilot, a blood-stained secret, and a black shard that speaks in the voice of Kade’s dead mother.
She has been gone for nine years.
Now she is calling him beyond the edge of authorised space.
Hunted by the Sovereign Directorate and forced aboard Mara Venn’s battered smuggler ship, The Moth, Kade and Lira are pulled into a hidden war over ancient gates, erased histories and routes humanity was never meant to find.
But the gates were not built for empire.
They were built for something older.
Something waiting.
Something waking up.
And some doors aren’t found.
They find you.
The Driftborn is a gritty, character-driven space opera about family, survival, ancient gates and the secrets empires kill to protect.
Reader Resources
Reader Info at a Glance
| Series | Gate Origin Series, Book 1 |
| Story Focus | A hidden war, forbidden star maps, ancient gates, and the truth behind humanity's history |
| Reader Appeal | Ancient alien mysteries • Found family • Damaged ships • Dry humor • Human-scale stakes |
| Themes | Control • Memory • Survival • Hidden truths |
| Style | Character-driven, grounded space opera with mystery and adventure at its core |
Things to Know:
- Illness involving a sibling.
- A dying character.
- Threat/peril and survival situations.
- Authoritarian control, deception, and suppressed history.
- Characters fleeing danger and being pursued.
🚀 Enjoy stories that take you beyond the stars? Explore more Space Opera reviews and features from around the blog.
Let's learn a little more about the author.
Meet the suthor of The Driftborn, Simon Bullock
More ways to connect:
Amazon | Goodreads
Where to Buy
Ready to add The Driftborn to your reading list?
If you'd prefer to support independent bookstores or explore other great reads, you're also welcome to browse my recommendations on Bookshop.org or discover ebooks through Kobo.
Happy reading-and thanks for supporting authors, reviewers, and independent bookstores.
Tour dates: August 10-August 16, 2026. To see the full schedule of stops, visit the
The Write Reads tour page.
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