Audiobook Review: The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Genre: Adult Historical Fiction/Audiobook

Pub. Date: September 8, 2026

Publisher: Random House Audio

Source: Personal Copy

Other Books By Author: The Frozen River

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Goodreads says, "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.”

 

Grainne, or Grace O'Malley, as history remembers her, is the daughter of a chieftain in 16th-century Ireland. Readers may know a little bit about her as she is legendary in Irish folklore and history, but Ariel Lawhon's The Pirate Queen takes it one step further. Readers are taken back to her childhood, her time as a mother, and, lastly, as a matriarch. Throughout those various points in her life, one thing remained: her love for the sea. Grainne, or Grace, wasn't brought up like a typical girl. She is adventurous, can understand the sea, sails (despite her father not wanting her to), and deals with the ups and downs of leading a clan. Her life is one adventure after another filled in between with tender moments of love, heartbreak, and motherhood. Ariel Lawhon brings her life together beautifully in The Pirate Queen, and the audiobook is an immersive experience.

 

Lawhon, who usually writes novels with chapters that are from different time periods, has done the same in The Pirate Queen. The novel isn't told linearly; in fact, it jumps around from her childhood all the way to her final years. So one chapter could be about eight-year-old Grace, and then next, she is 56. I do not prefer this kind of braided story; however, it didn't deter my enjoyment of the novel.

 

My favorite aspect of The Pirate Queen is how immersive the tale was; Lawhon does a superb job of bringing Ireland to life. Everything from the descriptions of the land, the clans, all the way to the Gaelic dialect and sayings. The story takes us to beautiful Ireland during her childhood, to her arranged marriage to the horrible O'Flaherty, up to the battlefields during the Elizabethan era. It was all utterly captivating.

 

Tara Flynn, the audiobook's narrator, does a wonderful job bringing the story to life and the dialect. I am glad I listened to this book as her storytelling enhanced my experience. The Pirate Queen is definitely one of my favorite audiobooks of the year.

 

If you love a good adventure, look no further. The Pirate Queen will have you flipping the pages as well as dreaming of an afternoon exploring castles in Ireland and taking windswept walks along its cliffs. Have you read The Pirate Queen? Are you a fan of Ariel Lawhon? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.