After reading and falling in love with the Princess Theory series I knew I had to read everything by Alyssa Cole. I just finished the Loyal League series and it's a series that I want everyone to read. It's educational, highlights black heroes who fought to end slavery, and has some of the sweetest romances.
Title: An Extraordinary Union (Loyal League #1)
Author: Alyssa Cole
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 stars
Detective Elle Burns was a force to be reckoned with and she was the best aspect of this novel As a freed slave who fought hard for the Union, she found herself posing as a slave and just being in Elle's mind made this novel worth reading. It's not often that you see Black people framed in such a powerful light during a time of slavery, you especially don't hear about the incredibly gifted. Her romance with Union spy Malcolm was a bit insta-lusty, but I liked that Elle also owned her sexuality.
Title: A Hope Divided (Loyal League #2)
Author: Alyssa Cole
Source: Purchased
Rating: 3.5 stars
A Hope Divided felt more contained than An Extraordinary Union with less at stake. I did enjoy both the lead characters and their budding romance, but I was disappointed that the action didn't seem to affect anyone except the characters in the novel. Marlie was a very different voice compared to Elle - she was biracial and inherited her mother's gifts for understanding medicine and natural healing properties. Ewan was quieter than his brother Malcolm and I enjoyed his quiet personality, but also appreciated showed how the two would butt heads.
Title: An Unconditional Freedom (Loyal League #3)
Author: Alyssa Cole
Source: Work
Rating: 4 stars
Daniel's story was my favorite from this series. Born a Free man, Daniel was kidnapped and sold into slavery for one year before he managed to escape. The year of bondage left him traumatized and his interest in becoming a spy for the Union was more rooted in revenge than helping the North get ahead. His new partner, biracial Janeta who was the privileged daughter of a plantation owner. With a complicated upbringing, Janeta became a spy for the Confederacy and her partnership with Daniel allowed for some interesting conversations. This was my favorite novel because it alluded to the events of the previous two books and gave space for both Daniel and Janeta to grow and be vulnerable. Alyssa Cole's writing is always flawless, but I appreciated the conversations on freedom in An Unconditional Freedom more than her the previous two books.
Have you read this series (if not, it's great for bingeing)?
What's your favorite Alyssa Cole novel?
What's a historical romance you've enjoyed that doesn't take place in regency/Victorian England?
Labels: 3.5 stars, 4 stars, a hope divided, an extraordinary union, an unconditional freedom, book review, kensington publishing, series, series review, the loyal league
