What a fabulous book. I have read many of the author’s books but this one is by far the best. Telling Grace’s story in 3 stages from childhood, through motherhood and towards the end of her life. The writing is beautiful and I couldn’t wait to catch up with Grace every time I was free to read. I’m not afraid to say I had a lump in my throat at the end. Highly recommended.

Completely different to 'A Frozen River' except for the strong female matriarch.

Adventurous and fun! Shifts around in time but easily puzzled together to create a detailed description of Grace O Malley's life.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I really loved this book. The writing was so good and made the history, time period, characters, and legend come to life. The triple timeline made it a little hard to follow at times, but came together in the end.

Thank you to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers copy of a The Pirate Queen!

Alice Lawhon has a way of bringing history to life that never feels like you’re being taught a lesson - you’re completely immersed in it. Grace O’Malley was such a compelling woman to read about, and I found myself constantly wanting to know what she would do next.

I know the non-linear timeline won’t be for everyone, but I actually thought it added to the mystery. Rather than laying everything out in order, the story slowly pieces itself together, making every new revelation feel that bit more satisfying.

The amount of research behind this book is obvious, but it never overshadows the story. The historical detail enriches every chapter without slowing the pace, and I finished feeling like I’d experienced a remarkable life rather than simply read about it.

This is thoughtful, layered, and asks you to pay attention - but it gives so much back in return. The characters feel authentic, the setting is vivid, and the emotional moments hit surprisingly hard.

As an Irish person I should have known more about Grace O’Malley, but other than her name and a vague idea of who she was I really didn’t know very much at all. This book was captivating from the first pages where we meet Grace as a child. I was immediately drawn into her story. The author made me care about the character and her fate, as all great writers do. I devoured this book in a matter of days and highly recommend it to anyone who likes strong female characters, historical fiction or Irish stories! Thank you Swift Press and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic novel!

Inspired by the life of the legendary Grace O'Malley, this is an engaging blend of historical fiction and adventure that brings sixteenth-century Ireland vividly to life.

Grace was a fascinating protagonist. From her childhood fascination with the sea to her rise as one of Ireland's most formidable leaders, I loved following her journey through every stage of her life. She is courageous, fiercely independent and deeply devoted to both her family and her people, making her easy to admire without ever feeling unrealistically perfect. I especially appreciated that the novel explored not only her reputation as the infamous Pirate Queen, but also the personal sacrifices and difficult choices that shaped her along the way.

The historical setting was one of the book's greatest strengths. The political tensions between Ireland and England, the clan rivalries and the importance of the sea all created a rich backdrop that felt incredibly immersive. It's clear that a tremendous amount of research went into the novel, but it never felt overwhelming. Instead, the historical details blended naturally into the story and made Grace's world feel authentic and alive.

One aspect that took a little time to adjust to was the non-linear timeline. The story moves between different periods of Grace's life, gradually revealing how the pieces fit together. While I enjoyed seeing her story unfold in this way, it did require my full attention, especially with the large cast of characters. Once I settled into the structure, though, I found it rewarding and appreciated how each timeline added new depth to Grace's character.

The supporting cast also added a lot to the story, with friendships, family relationships and loyal companions making Grace's journey feel even more compelling. Their presence brought both warmth and emotional weight to the larger historical events unfolding around them.

Overall, The Pirate Queen is a beautifully researched and compelling historical novel about an extraordinary woman whose legacy deserves to be remembered. With its rich historical atmosphere, memorable heroine and engaging storytelling, it's an excellent choice for readers who enjoy character-driven historical fiction inspired by real lives.

The Pirate Queen is a richly researched and utterly captivating piece of historical fiction that brings one of history's most extraordinary women vividly to life.

Ariel Lawhon has a real talent for blending meticulous historical detail with compelling storytelling, and Grace O'Malley emerges as a fierce, intelligent and deeply human protagonist. The novel is packed with political intrigue, adventure and moments of quiet resilience, making it feel both epic in scope and emotionally intimate.

I especially appreciated how immersive the setting was. The windswept Irish coastline and the turbulent political landscape felt incredibly vivid, and it was clear how much care had gone into the research without ever overwhelming the narrative.

The pacing occasionally slowed in the middle, but the powerful final act more than made up for it.

A beautifully written, empowering historical novel that will delight fans of strong female protagonists and immersive historical fiction. Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this. Grace/Grainne is such a fascinating character. This novel splits her life story into three parts - Maiden (childhood and youth) to Mother (from age twenty) to Matriarch (from her mid-fifties to her death). It is third person narration and while much of it is from Grace's/Grainne's POV, we also get to see other characters' perspectives showing what the people around her - friends and foes - thought of her. We always get one chapter from each timeline before circling back around. This way of telling the story worked perfectly. Telling her entire life story in one 500-page novel meant it had to be somewhat episodic and anecdotal, skipping over certain events - sometimes entire years - between the chapters in each timeline. But visiting the two other timelines in between made that skipping feel less jarring. I do kind of want to reread it in chronological order - all the Maiden chapters, then all the Mother chapters, then all the Matriarch chapters. Maybe I will do so once release day comes and I can get my very own final copy of the book.
It is a little confusing at first that so many characters have the same names - but they are historical figures and it can't be helped that that is what they were called. The family tree in the front was really helpful for that, and I did go back to that to get the characters straight in my head once they'd all been introduced after a few chapters.

Thank you to the publisher, Swift Press, for providing a review copy via NetGalley. This review reflects my honest opinion.

Men either fear her or love her, There is no third option.

This novel, set in Ireland in the sixteenth century, is a work of fiction deeply rooted in Irish folklore and, indeed, fact.
Grainne is, as represented by the Triquetra, a maiden, mother and eventually matriarch but, she is also The Pirate Queen of Ireland.
A contemporary of Queen Elizabeth, an equally strong woman loved and, possibly, loathed in equal measure, by the men of the period.
The author manages to reveal the person behind the legend, and a life, quite literally, 'Beyond the Pale'.
I will admit that The Frozen River, was my favourite book of last year, I bought several copies to give to friends, and I feel that this book may be next on all of my friends TBR's...

A brilliant historical read! I really enjoyed getting to know Grace O’Malley and being swept into her fascinating story. The characters were engaging, the historical detail was brought to life beautifully, and I found myself completely caught up in her journey. Another great read from Ariel Lawhon!

♾️⭐️𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗹 𝗟𝗮𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗻. ⁣
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“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗼, 𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀,” ⁣
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𝘐 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘯𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘪𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵. ⁣
⁣
Grace O’Malley was born in Ireland 1530 by the sea. Raised by her father chief of the O’Malley clan alongside her half brother Donhal. Grace dreams of the sea and adventures but this is not a women’s role and she is set to be married to a man she despises to further her father’s reach and power. ⁣
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This story is told in three timelines, maiden, mother and matriarch. It is fictionalized but Gráinne O'Malley did live and proved to be a worthy adversary to the English Queen. ⁣
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Captivated, enthralled, obsessed would all describe by reading journey with this one. I was completely taken by Frozen River, Martha Ballard staying long with me after I finished the book. I feel like this will be even harder to let go of. The way Grace O’Malley, Gráinne Ní Mháille, has captured my heart and imagination through Arielle’s beautiful words and prose I can’t begin to put into words. Arielle here proves to be a master storyteller, we jump from childhood to adulthood to her later years in a that made it impossible for me to put this one down. I savoured every single chapters. ⁣
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Grace was a fierce and ambitious woman, well ahead of her time, I was on the edge of my seat reading this all week, but I urge you to let yourself be swept away by this beautiful book and leave your google deep dive into this legend and the author’s notes for after you’ve read the book. I made 481 highlights while reading this and yet I am at a loss for words reviewing it, this is for lovers of historical fiction, sweeping tales and fierce woman. I am very grateful to NetGalley, Swift Press and the author Ariel Lawhon for the advanced reading copy, all my opinions are my own. ⁣
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𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄. • 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.• 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. • 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻.

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Rating: 5

Gráinne Ni Mháille, Grace O'Malley, Pirate Queen of Ireland. New historical fixation.


I absolutely flew through this incredible piece of historical retelling of the infamous Gráinne Ni Mháille. Told in three recurring segments of Maiden, Mother, and Matriarch you are witness to Gráinne falling in love with the sea, fighting to make her own choices and protect those she loves.

Ariel Lawhon brings so much depth to the everyone in Gráinne's life, you feel the love and loyalty between her and those closest to her, and despise those who seek to take her power (looking at you Bingham)

This retelling had me engrossed from the first page, and broke my heart regularly throughout.

This is my first dalliance with Ariel Lawhon's writing, and it most certainly will not be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

The Pirate Queen is a fascinating retelling of the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish pirate queen, told across three stages of her life: Maiden, Mother and Matriarch. Spanning decades, the story explores Grace’s journey, her ambitions, her struggles and the fierce determination that shaped her extraordinary life.

Ariel Lawhon does a wonderful job of bringing Grace to life, capturing her strength, spirit and passion while moving seamlessly between the different periods of her story. The shifting timelines take some getting used to at first, and I found the beginning a little slow, but once the story found its rhythm, I was completely drawn in.

This was my first book by Ariel Lawhon, but it certainly won’t be my last. I loved the strong, complex female character at the heart of the story and the way Grace’s resilience and determination shine through. An absorbing piece of historical fiction that took me on quite a journey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Swift Press and Ariel Lawhon for giving me the opportunity to read and review this ARC!

Gráinne O'Malley is the only legitimate daughter of the O'Malleys. She wants to go to sea just like her father and has a gift for sensing when a storm is coming. But in the 16th century, men don’t like a woman on board a ship. Gráinne marries Donal O’Flaherty against her will, but when he fails to lead, she takes matters into her own hands.

The pirate queen is my first book by Lawhon and also my first book about Gráinne—better known as Grace—O’Malley. The female Irish pirate who, in her old age, arranged a meeting with Queen Elizabeth. Because she was a woman, there are few official sources about her life, but she is an important figure in Irish folklore. Lawhon now gives her a voice of her own. One that stays close to the facts of what we know while simultaneously making her a woman of flesh and blood.

Lawhon doesn’t follow a chronological timeline as I had expected. Instead, she constantly shifts between three periods in Grace’s life: as a young teenager (maiden), as a young mother (mother), and as a matriarch after she has buried her two husbands and is fighting a bitter feud with Richard Bingham. This creates a somewhat original narrative style, which can sometimes leave you a bit lost (where were we again in this period?) and makes some things only truly clear much later on, but I really enjoyed this approach.

I love books about ships and the sea, and it was also a wonderful introduction to 16th-century Ireland and the impact of Elizabeth I’s reign on the clans there. I liked how Lawhon used the original Irish names and tries to incorporate some Irish slang into the story as well. I thought this was a really good story and was completely engrossed in it. Now I’m very curious about Lawhon’s other works.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in return for my honest review.

I am certainly a big fan of Ariel Lawhon and think I have read all of her books to date. I must say this one did not disappoint and I am so glad I had the opportunity to read it. Wow! And I just say it is a very long book and takes some time to get through it but it is well worth it.

Grace O’Malley was born to be at sea. She was raised by her father, the chief of clan O’Malley and learns very quickly she has to act the part of noble daughter. But this is not the life she wants or desires nor is the fact she is married of to the neighbouring chief. But this life has sent her world topsy turvy, the chiefs death has also sent her home, to where she was brought up, bringing about a career as a pirate.

This is quite the book, there is a lot going on and it spans time and place. The setting, the beauty of Ireland, sets it apart. The story is told with such depth and complexity, the characters felt real and believable. This is a book you really have to leave everything behind in order to read. I loved it and as always, I will be waiting with baited breath for the next book by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Swift Press for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have been fascinated by Granuaile since I was a child and have really enjoyed this telling of her life. It took a while to get into the three fold approach Maiden, Mother Matriarch but it gave an interesting plot perspective. For anyone interested in a strong female character, a turbulent period in Irish history this will be a good read.