Thank you Libro.fm / PRH Audio for the ALC and Doubleday, #partner, for the advanced copy of The Pirate Queen in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Doubleday / Random House Audio
Published: September 8, 2026
Summary:
Grace O’Malley was born to be at sea. Raised alongside her brother by their father, chief of the name of clan O’Malley, Grace learns early that her dreams of the open water are not compatible with the life she’s expected to lead as the daughter of a noble family. And when her father marries her to the wrong man, a neighbouring chief named Donhal, Grace’s world shifts for the worse.
Undaunted, Grace raises a family without abandoning her passion, aiding her hot-tempered husband in his campaigns against rival tribes. Eventually ousted from her husband’s land in the wake of his death, Grace returns to her childhood home and begins her career as a pirate in earnest, claiming new territories and finding deeper love, only to see her livelihood threatened by English incursions into Ireland, and her family endangered in an attempt to check her power.
Tenderly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon’s gripping latest novel channels the natural beauty of sixteenth-century Ireland alongside the brutality of the period as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine and defender of her people, who truly earned the title ‘the Pirate Queen of Ireland.’
A thrilling historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, an infamous Irish sea captain and folk heroine who risked everything to protect her people against the powerful Elizabethan regime
My thoughts:
If there is one thing I can count on when picking up a book by Ariel Lawhon, it’s that I am going to be completely consumed by whatever character(s) she’s created and time period she is writing in and have a massive book hangover. It happened with The Frozen River — I still think about Martha Ballard — and I just know Grace O’Malley will be with me for a long while!
This book was everything I wanted it to be and more! I loved the structure…even though I went into it with a little trepidation. But here me out…it’s told in 3 timelines — Maiden, Mother and Matriarch — and jumps around — so you need to pay attention. But…I loved how this played out because there were times we got clues to something and then went back to see it play out. I guess the mystery/thriller lover in me never stops!!
This high seas adventure brought Grace O’Malley to life in a way a textbook never could have. And yes…this is a fictionalized account but this is why I love historical fiction. I had never heard of Grace O’Malley before reading this book and now I’m ready to go do a deep dive into her life because she wasn’t willing to let woman’s roles at the time deter her from following her dreams — being on the sea and having all the adventures!
Audio thoughts:
I did an immersive read, alternating between print and audio so that I didn’t have to stop…and boy did this one work either way. The narrator, Tara Flynn, was amazing, really bringing Grace to life.
Bottom line…this will absolutely be a top read of the year for me! And when I reread it, which I know I will, I’ll read it consecutively.
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