The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
ARC from PRH Audio, Doubleday Books and Netgalley for an honest review
Book Blurb:
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.
My Review: 4.5 stars
The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon is yet another notch in this author’s literary belt. Every single one of her books has taught me something fascinating about history and I’m here for all of them. She’s a 100% an auto-buy for me.
I was fortunate enough to hear the author speak in Chicago and wow, it didn’t disappoint. Even though I had read an ARC earlier, she shared many stories and tidbits about her journey with writing this saga. Grace, the FMC is shown throughout the novel as maiden, mother and matriarch as the book reads on. What’s unusual, is that the timeline isn’t set and it jumps around from all of her “eras” if you will. Many readers found this difficult, but I did not. I was grateful the author trusts me as a reader to figure it out. Each stage gave more nuance to her past behaviors and future behaviors. I down right loved it!
This is a book that will have you googling everything you can about the real Grace O’Malley and learn that her badassery was undenied. The men she loved, the children she raised were all part of the book and I just can’t believe that this is the first time Grace’s story is being told from the female POV. I’m giving as little as possible away as I don’t want to spoil the drama, so my advice is to go in blind and ENJOY!
Quotes I liked:
Loving a wife is one thing. Loving a daughter is something else entirely. How is he supposed to contain all this pride and fear in a single heart? He could burst from the pressure.”
