A review by breadedbookpages
An Unconditional Freedom by Alyssa Cole

5.0

This is one of those books that'll always stay with me. Alyssa Cole is my favorite author for a good reason. I started reading her books because of this series; so to read such a fascinating, satisfying, and well-rounded final book in this trilogy made me so very happy. AUF is about Daniel, who is mentioned in the first book of the series. Daniel is born a free Black man but he is kidnapped and enslaved which traumatizes him. When he is freed, he turns to the same organization Elle (the heroine of book 1) works for and becomes a spy for the North. Except the book kicks up as Janeta, who is a Black Cuban woman, joins the Loyal League and made to be Daniel's partner. Her greenness as a detective, as well as a woman experiencing racism makes her seem a fledgling in Daniel's eyes, but the readers know that Janeta undergoes a satisfying character arc in AUF. I was weary of one thing: Daniel's discovery of the initial reason Janeta joined the Royal League but the way Cole wrote that scene made every anxiety of mine disappear. This series will always remain one of my favorites. It's got love, history, terrifying reality, as well as a slice of hope that I couldn't hope to find anywhere else.