Review by Booklist Review
As a child, Grace O'Malley dresses as a boy so she can accompany her father on a dangerous expedition. Later, she leads an Irish rebellion against the English who seek to conquer their lands, fueled by her fiery spirit as well as the deaths of her father, her two husbands, and her lover. Through this tale, Lee portrays the sixteenth-century Pirate Queen of Ireland as a ruthless, cunning, and capable leader, which Hart captures through the heroine's flaming red hair and strong facial expressions and gestures. Deep, black shadows dramatize the characters' features, and lines streak across the page during the bright, vivid battle sequences, adding to the chaos. Although O'Malley is an undeniably fierce heroine, neither the story nor the illustrations over-romanticize her. She conquers the seas and wields two swords, but she also experiences the grittiness of war. The exciting biography, the fourth in Lee and Hart's Heroes and Heroines series, will encourage teens to learn more about O'Malley, pirates, and Irish-English history, but it will also make them examine the qualities they can expect from laudable leaders.--Biz Hyzy Copyright 2019 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
To save her homeland, a 16th-century Irishwoman fears no man.In this exciting graphic novel, fierce, scarlet-haired Grace O'Malley grows up on the sea alongside her chieftain father in Ireland. When her father tries to steer her toward pursuits he deems ladylike, she admonishes him, "A woman's skills? Needlework and dancing? I'm an O'Malley! We don't dance!" Under the rule of Henry VIII, Ireland suffers greatly as people lose their homes and their lands to English tyranny. As the oppression grows, Grace finds herself enmeshed in the conflict, losing a son, a lover, and two husbands to the intolerable and seemingly unrelenting war. Grace takes to sailing the seas and destroying English ships, fearing nothing; she even goes so far as to shoot a boarding enemy with a crossbow minutes after giving birth. Lee depicts O'Malley as a truly powerful figure: She fights, kills, and leads men into battlebut she never abandons facets of her selfhood with which she strongly identifies, such as being a mother. Hart's illustrations are vigorously kinetic, creating compelling scenes of battle that rocket along at a breakneck pace more electrifying than any action movie. While Lee and Hart's previous volumes tackled more widely known figures (such as Joan of Arc and Robin Hood), discovering the legend of Grace O'Malley feels like unearthing a hidden gem. The tale takes place in the United Kingdom in the 1500s; all characters portrayed present white.Spirited, thrilling, and wonderful. (Graphic historical fiction. 10-adult) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
