When we think about pirates, we often think of the scallywags of the late 17th and early 18th century. We think about predominantly men who sailed in the tropical waters of the New World, stealing and pillaging while drinking rum and avoiding the navies of Spain, France, and England. While this image is relatively accurate, piracy has been an occupation for centuries,s and it was not just a job for men. There were some famous women pirates like Anne Bonny and Mary Read, but there is one who does not get a lot of attention. Her name is Grace O’Malley, the pirate queen of 16th-century Ireland, who met with Queen Elizabeth I. How did Grace become a pirate, and what were the circumstances of her legendary meeting with Queen Elizabeth I? Ariel Lawhon explores the life of this extraordinary woman in her latest novel, “The Pirate Queen.”

I would like to thank Doubleday and Net Galley for sending me a copy of this novel. I have heard of Grace o’Malley in previous books that I have read about Elizabeth I, but I didn’t know much about Grace. When I heard that there was going to be a novel about her life, I knew I wanted to read it. This is the first time I have read a novel by Ariel Lawhon, so I was excited to see how she would tell Grace’s story.

This novel is very unique in the way the story is told. It is based on the Trinity knot, in which Grace’s story is told in three separate parts: Maiden, Mother, and Matriarch. Each chapter focuses on one of the stages of Grace’s life. Grace O’Malley, also known as Grainne O’Malley, was the daughter of Eoin O’Malley, The O’Malley, and his wife Maeve. Grace also has an illegitimate brother named Donal, who is basically her best friend. All Grace wants to do is sail the seas like her father, but her gender hinders her ability to do so. To her family, she is a pawn in the marriage market to make a strong alliance with the O’Flaherty clan.

Through the Mother storyline, we see Grace’s tumultuous relationship with her first husband, Donal O’Flaherty, who likes to pick fights with everyone. Grace does not love her husband, but a childhood friend, Richard Bourke. However, Grace is a mother of three and a woman who is willing to fight on the sea for her family, even if it means she gains powerful enemies, including the Governor of Connaught, Sir Richard Bingham.

I enjoyed this book, even though the format took me a minute to get used to, as I prefer a novel in chronological order. The actual story was compelling,g and Grace was a strong female lead; I just wish we got to see more of her pirate antics. Overall, I had a lot of fun reading this book, and I hope Lawhon continues writing about women in the 16th century and further back. If you want a novel about a female pirate, I suggest you check out “The Pirate Queen” by Ariel Lawhon.