Maurice Broaddus is joining us today to talk about his novel, Breath of Oblivion. Here’s the publisher’s description:
Maurice Broaddus returns with Breath of Oblivion, the second book in his Astra Black trilogy, which explores the struggles of an empire. Epic in scope and intimate in voice, it follows members of the Muungano Empire–a far-reaching coalition of city-states that stretches from Earth to Titan and beyond–as it faces renewed threats to its progress.Beyond the Orun Gate, Epyc Ro and her elite soldiers are stranded. Capturing an alien ship and searching for a way home, they discover a stowaway who may be the key to overcoming the alien forces swarming all around them.On board the Cypher, Captain Stacia Chikeke is struggling to keep her ship and its fractured crew together. But the discovery of an interstellar phenomenon and the opportunity to explore unites them in a singular purpose, for now.In the slums of Indianapolis, Wachiru Adisa works to free the children of the diaspora detained in Original Earth facilities, only to be captured and sent to a nightmarish criminal justice facility, the Panopticon.On Original Earth, Ishant Sangsuwangul is the newly assigned liaison to the corporate entity running the government there. He feels like a prisoner, but must find a way to stem the tide of conflict as animosity toward his people grows.In the Badlands of Mars, Amachi Adisa and her new teacher Nehanda begin her training to learn from her past, chart her future, and unlock the power that is her birthright.In the Dreaming City, the lunar heart of Muungano power, Maulana Buhari struggles with how to lead his people. Is now the time for isolation or aggression?Together they, and all of Muungano, will guide the empire forward by any means necessary, as enemies of old and new extraterrestrial threats mount.
What’s Maurice’s favorite bit?
“Can you kill me off?”
Not the strangest request I’ve received as an author, but this came from a major community leader in my home city of Indianapolis. I was well into planning Breath of Oblivion, the second book in the Astra Black trilogy. Not that I make a habit of killing off city leaders (though apparently I do: since after book one, Sweep of Stars, another local leader called me up with a hilarious, profanity laced tirade for killing off the character inspired by him … more upset that his character spilled his whiskey during his death scene. To which I responded “that’s how we knew he had to be dead because there’s no way he’d ever spill a drop.”) The only stipulation to the request was that said leader had to have a cool death scene.
Now here’s where it starts to get wicked (sorry, I’ve been watching Xevi on TikTok this morning … for research purposes).
[Small spoiler alert:] I created a character called The Brand (considering who he’s based on, let’s just say that my streak of subtle naming conventions continues). But this book was already shaping up to be long enough without me just randomly inserting characters and needless scenes. So I created an entire mythology around the group this character works for based on the Deacons for Defense and Justice – veterans of previous wars who charged themselves to protect members of the civil rights movement against those who would use violence against them. (Their oath was to rise to the “Defense of civil rights, property rights, and personal rights and defend said rights by any and all honorable and legal means to the end that justice may be obtained.”) Which became an important thread throughout the novel as other members of The Deacons pop up to play pivotal roles. And The Brand dies spectacularly, defending his community.
One of the major themes of Breath of Oblivion is the various ways a people carry the culture they’ve created with them no matter where they find themselves, be it: as political prisoners, learning an ancient magic system, lost in uncharted space, caught between warring alien factions (because they didn’t “leave that $#!+ alone”), or holding the community together despite internal (enemy infiltration) and external (galactic gentrification) forces. But there’s also a murder mystery, political intrigue, action, and humor.
It feels a little strange to admit that My Favorite Bit of Breath of Oblivion was killing off a friend. To be fair, I put a lot of things in this book that are just for me: starships powered by jazz music, members of the Cult of Tupac (as well as their counterparts, the Keepers of the (Biggie’s) Belt), and the military soldiers/space pirates trying to figure out their “Prime Directive” for alien contacts (read: “Leave that $#!+ alone”). In other words, there are a lot of favorite bits for me to choose from. I hope you enjoy the ride.
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BIO:
MAURICE BROADDUS is a fantasy and horror author best known for his short fiction and his Knights of Breton Court novel trilogy. He has published dozens of stories in magazines and book anthologies, including in Asimov’s Science Fiction, Black Static, and Weird Tales.Broaddus was born in London, but grew up in Indianapolis. His mother is from Jamaica, where she and many of his relatives still live.
