The Pirate Queen: A Novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River (Unabridged)
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4.5 • 103 Ratings
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- $19.99
Publisher Description
A sweeping historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, the legendary Irish folk heroine who risked everything to defend her people. Venture onto the high seas with the thrilling latest from the New York Times bestselling author of The Frozen River and I Was Anastasia.
Grace O’Malley was born to be a sea captain. But despite her natural skill on the water, Grace learns early that her dreams of a life at the helm are not compatible with the expectations of her noble family. As the only daughter of a powerful chieftain, her role is to secure a strong alliance and bear children. But when she’s sent to foster with a nearby clan, Grace falls for a clever and open-minded second son—a man she cannot have.
Married off against her will to a brutal warrior, Grace performs her duty, all the while gathering followers loyal to her, and consolidating her husband’s power, only to be ousted from his lands. But this betrayal offers Grace the opportunity to return to sea, finally leading clan O’Malley’s mighty fleet. Just as she finds true independence, Queen Elizabeth’s incursions into Ireland grow bolder and Grace must fight to defend her land, her ships, and the people she loves most against the cruel and power-hungry English deputies, who will stop at nothing to check her influence.
Keenly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon's new action-packed novel channels the untamed beauty and harsh realities of sixteenth-century Ireland, as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine who rightly became “the Pirate Queen of Ireland.”
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Ariel Lawhon (The Frozen River) turns the remarkable life of 16th-century Irish pirate Gráinne Ní Mháille, also known as Grace O’Malley, into a sweeping historical adventure about a woman determined to claim the life she wants. Grace longs for the sea from childhood, even as marriage and the expectations placed on a noblewoman threaten to keep her on land. But loss, war, and her own formidable will eventually transform her into a clan chief and ship’s captain fighting to protect her family and people. With much of the real Grace’s life lost to history and legend, Lawhon vividly imagines the woman behind the Pirate Queen. She also takes an intriguing approach to telling her story, moving among Grace as maiden, mother, and matriarch in what the author describes as a Celtic knot. The shifting timelines reward our attention, gradually revealing how each version of Grace shapes the others. Irish actress Tara Flynn’s assured narration grounds this ambitious structure, bringing warmth and authority to a heroine who refuses to accept the boundaries drawn around her.
Customer Reviews
Another Favorite!
Spectacular! Lawhon doesn’t disappoint! Frozen River is in my top favorite reads and now so is The Pirate Queen. Thank you to the author for her research and rendering of a strong, brilliant female leader that history likely doesn’t do justice.
Jump Skip And A Hop Timeline
Technically, this book is well written but WHY do authors choose to jump around to different timelines? Totally unnecessary for this book! ~smh~ I typically refuse to finish a book when this happens, however I stuck with it. If skipping randomly to different timelines is okay with you, then this book is a descent read.
Disappointed
Was difficult to follow, and there was really no climax. Didn’t care for the braided telling of the story. I won’t be recommending this book.