Having enjoyed the first book in the Astra Black series, I was happy to receive a copy of Breath of Oblivion. I think I might’ve enjoyed this one even more than its predecessor. There is so much about this series that I really, really like. Broaddus’ work with language is compelling (check out the glossary he provides, but also learn where these terms come from). The scale/scope of this space-set story is epic (the comparison to The Expanse makes sense in this respect, in that Mars, the Belt, and Earth are all here). The characters are memorable. There are a lot of POVs here; what I really like about this is that the reader gets a few different perspectives on the different plot lines. I appreciate that there are a range of complex, nuanced, well-written POV characters who are women. This series is – in the best way – to me very clearly written by a community organizer. I feel like Broaddus draws on so many theoretical, political, historical, and activist discourses in such interesting ways and all of these feel completely organic to the story-telling. I’m looking forward to the third installment already.

Thank you to Maurice Broaddus, Tor Publishing Group, & NetGalley for providing me an ARC to review.

Content warnings: violence, gun violence, forcible confinement, chronic illness, classism, racism, colonization, cultural appropriation, war

I am officially an Astra Black fan. I really enjoyed book one, Sweep of Stars, and this was a strong middle book for a trilogy. I love a space epic where there are multiple interconnected storylines, people, and places involved. No one is kidding when they say that this is A Song of Ice and Fire in space. The cultural world-building and the characters drew me into this series and I am absolutely invested in what comes next. If you're looking for expansive Afrofuturist speculative fiction with political intrigue and deep characterization, this is the book, and the series, you've been looking for.