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The Pirate Queen

Ariel Lawhon

Book cover: The Pirate Queen

 ‘A writer to watch’ J.T. Ellison, author of What Lies Behind

THE NEW HISTORICAL THRILLER FROM THE BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE FROZEN RIVER, BASED ON A TRUE STORY

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.

Tenderly observed and fiercely written, Ariel Lawhon’s gripping latest novel channels the natural beauty of sixteenth-century Ireland alongside the brutality of the period as seen through the eyes of an unforgettable heroine and defender of her people, who truly earned the title ‘the Pirate Queen of Ireland.’

A thrilling historical adventure inspired by the life of Grace O’Malley, an infamous Irish sea captain and folk heroine who risked everything to protect her people against the powerful Elizabethan regime

PRAISE FOR ARIEL LAWHON

  • ‘One of our most interesting authors of historical fiction’ People
  • Ariel Lawhon is a masterful storyteller’ Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Mrs. Lewis
  • ‘Her skill with characterisation is enviable’ 5 Star Reader Review
  • An extremely talented author’ 5 Star Reader Review

Hardback

ISBN: 9781800755659

Published: July 16, 2026

Ebook

ISBN: 9781800755666

Published: July 16, 2026

Book cover: The Pirate Queen

Category:
Fiction

Author

Ariel Lawhon

Author image: Ariel Lawhon

ARIEL LAWHON is a critically acclaimed, New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. Her books have been translated into numerous languages. She lives in the rolling hills outside Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and four sons.

Author image: Ariel Lawhon