The Wild Irish: A Novel of Elizabeth I and the Pirate O'Malley

by Robin Maxwell

Two female titans -- perfectly matched in guts, guile, and political genius.

Elizabeth, queen of England, has taken on the mighty Spanish Armada and, in a stunning sea battle, vanquished it. But her troubles are far from over. Just across the western channel, her colony Ireland is embroiled in seething rebellion, with the island's fierce, untamed clan chieftains and their "wild Irish" followers refusing to bow to their English oppressors.

Grace O'Malley -- notorious pirate, gunrunner, and "Mother of the Irish Rebellion" -- is at the heart of the conflict. For years, she has fought against the English stranglehold on her beloved country. At the height of the uprising Grace takes an outrageous risk, sailing up the Thames to London for a face-to-face showdown with her nemesis, the queen of England.

In this "enthralling historical fiction" (Publishers Weekly), Robin Maxwell masterfully brings to life these strong and pugnacious women in order to tell the little-known but crucial saga of Elizabeth's Irish war.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Ireland, Historical, British Literature, Irish Literature, Tudor Period

402 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Robin Maxwell began writing novels about the historical figures she had been obsessing about since graduating from Tufts University with a degree in Occupational Therapy. Her first novel, "The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn," now in its 24th printing, won two YA awards and has been translated into fourteen languages. "The Wild Irish" - an epic tale of Ireland's rebel queen, Grace O'Malley - closed out her Elizabethan Quartet, and is now in development for a television series. "Signora Da Vinci" and "Jane: The Woman Who loved Tarzan" are tales of the remarkable women behind two of the world's most beloved wildmen - Maestro Leonardo and Lord Greystoke. She has jumped genres again with "ATLANTOS," now a #1 Amazon Bestseller. Robin lives with her husband of thirty-five years, Max Thomas, at High Desert Eden, a wildlife sanctuary in the Mojave Desert.

Reviews

[Traci · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is just shy of 4 stars for me, it starts very intruiging and deep in the story between the powerful Elizabeth I (a personal facination) and Grace O'Malley (a personal obsession!!) Obviously being historical fiction, certain parts of the story are "lead along" with bits of interest to string know events together. The beginning is facinating, already knowing quite a bit about the two subects, the fictionalized parts stood out but helped the story flow and made me wonder if some of these things could not indeed be probable. Enter the Earl of Essex another facinating man in history, the three stories and sub stories blend together wonderfully throwing bits here and there to keep you engaged and the story flow unebbed. However at a fateful turn near the end of the book, we focus solely on the Earl of Essex and his poor health and dilusions seeming to veer away from the original purpose of the book! I got a bit bogged down while the story was still interesting it was like hitting a bog in an otherwise freely flowing river! The author is redeemed in the last few chapters when the original focus of the book returns and ties up in a well rounded ending.

While I will admit that parts of the Essex story is essential to the plot, it could have flowed a bit better and not lost our two strong characters for so long with only a brief mention here or there.

All in all, a read I would reccomend. It only makes me hungry to find more on the same subjects!!

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story of two women perfectly matched in guts: Elizabeth, Queen of England, at the age of 60 meets the notorious Irish Rebel, Grace O’Malley, age 63.

1593: Grace O’Malley sails to London. Once docked at the castle quay, she demands an audience with Elizabeth. Tibbot Burke, Grace’s son, is in custody of Richard Binghm, held at Dublin Castle. Bingham threatens to hang Burke. Grace comes to ask her Majesty a pardon for her son.

Later the same night, Elizabeth requests a private audience with Grace. Elizabeth, never set her foot outside her island, and now wants to hear a story of “a woman with the soul of a man. (…) with the wealth of experience in the wide world.” Thus, the story of the Irish Rebel is revealed.

The story is intertwined with the third historical figure of Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, at 24 already a great lord of England and Elizabeth’s undisputed favorite; his military exploits already the stuff of legend. “But his current financial embarrassment is acute. He has inherited nothing but debt from his father…”

Elizabeth is determined to establish English legal system in Ireland. Essex, who is in financial disrepair, and now after meeting Grace O’Malley, sees opportunity in Ireland.

With introduction of Robert Devereaux, a lot of other names are introduced, which is a bit hard to follow all those names.

Most of Grace’s story is very engaging, but there are parts filled with battles and after a while it becomes a pretty dry read.

Overall, the story is overwhelmed with historical names and facts. The interesting character of Grace gets covered up with her own story; the longer she tells her story the more she gets buried in it.

The most interesting facts about Grace:

At the Abbey of Murrisk, she receives her wider education – the Latin. “The monks there tutored me, and though they were kind and finally grew to love me, they thought it mad to teach a little girl the likes of the Roman language.”

At the age of 16, she marries Donal O’Flaherty despite her attempts to forestall the inevitable; losing the freedoms to travel. She is not good with her household chores, “those which my mother had tried relentlessly to instill in me.”

Despite her sex and her motherhood, there is no point of denying what she was forced to suppress for so long. “I’d been bread to the sea and the sea was my destiny.” She doesn’t mind fishing, but she craves exotic lands. And when needed, she also proves to be a skillful warrior on land, fighting a siege and leading it to victory.

@FB/BestHistoricalFiction

[Tabitha Payton · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Wild Irish started out really interesting and I couldn't put it down, but the second half of the book really dragged on. I've read much better books by Robin Maxwell and think this is one of her books that isn't really well written. The story details meetings between Lord Essex, Elizabeth I and the Irish pirate Grace O'Malley. Grace's story was by far the most interesting part of this book. When Maxwell went into the struggles of Lord Essex in Ireland I was bored and couldn't wait to get to the next piece of the puzzle in Grace's life. All in all this is a different take on the period after Henry XIII and for that reason I would defintely read it again, but I wish the story moved a little faster.

[Charlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read several historical novels with Elizabeth I as main character but never heard of Grace O'Malley, her Irish "pirate queen" contemporary. But Grace O'Malley is a documented historical person, who actually had a meeting with Elizabeth to ask for the release of her imprisoned sons. The novel is set mostly in western Ireland, where Grace O'Malley has independence as the daughter and wife of Irish clan leaders. This was the time period when Ireland had its best chance to push the English out of their land -- with the McNeills and McDonalds at their strongest in northern Ireland and the Spanish, Ireland's new allies, threatening England. But, instead civil war torn Ireland apart and the English set up colonies in Ireland by brutally killing and displacing the Irish natives, leading to all sorts of further misery down through the centuries. There was enough misery though in these times to make me realize that the 21st century sounds pretty good compared to the end of the 1500s. Grace O'Malley was an interesting character; good to see how the Irish system of that time allowed women more rights and freedom. Elizabeth is in the last years of her reign in this story and although characters sometimes doubt her she proves to still be a scheming, brilliant tyrant.

[KJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting, and not in a good way. It's very "tell, not show" -- a significant chunk of the book was Grace O'Malley telling Elizabeth her life story, and much of the rest is narration. It felt as though Maxwell wanted to show a few scenes from the lives of Grace and Lord Essex (who is really the other main character in this story; Elizabeth is a secondary character at best), and didn't want to be bothered really writing the bits between. A disappointment -- now I want to seek out better books, whether fiction or fact, about Grace.

[Robert Gelms · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Get Mom Angry
By Bob Gelms
The Wild Irish: A Novel of Elizabeth I and the Pirate O'Malley by Robin Maxwell is an epic tale of the collision of the two most powerful women of the 16th century, Elizabeth I and Grace O’Malley. One is English and the other has the honor to be Irish. Ms. Maxwell has written a novel with a very strong foundation in history. This is, essentially, the story of how Elizabeth attempted to quash the Irish uprising at the end of her reign, an Irish revolt led by Grace O’Malley, Queen of the Irish Rebellion and the Pirate Queen of Ireland
The novel covers one of the most famous incidents in Irish history. To control the wild Irish Queen, Elizabeth appointed a governor for each of the four ancient provinces. One of them, Connacht Province, has five counties, one of which is County Mayo, the seat of Grace’s kingdom. It's governor, Richard Bingham, was a card carrying sadistic sociopath with a deep hatred for the Irish people. Bingham only hated one thing more than he hated the Irish, Grace O’Malley herself. He appropriated a huge chunk of her land, her herd of cattle and one of her castles. Oh yeah, he also kidnapped her son and her brother and held them for ransom. As a pirate, Grace commanded 24 ships. In addition to the sailors, she had a small army of 250-500 men under her command. Richard Bingham had just shaken the biggest hornets’ nest in Ireland.
Grace took her flagship and sailed it right up the Thames, docked at Greenwich Castle, and demanded an audience with the Queen. Now, this is a woman that most Englishmen would love to see beheaded. Grace had some pretty big cojones, figuratively.
The Queen stunned the court by granting the interview. Elizabeth didn’t speak Irish and Grace didn’t speak English, so, these two incredible women hammered out an agreement by conversing in Latin. Every bit of this is historical fact. What comes next is not. Elizabeth invites Grace to stay the night and they retire to the Queen’s bedroom where Grace tells the Queen her life’s story. The facts of her life are true but the setting never happened.
The rest of the book is a mixture of the Queen’s effort to put down the rebellion in Ireland, and Grace’s efforts to support the uprising. Then, enter the Earl of Essex whose real name is Robert Devereux. The Queen sent him with an overpowering army to defeat the Irish rebels. Essex was appointed Lord Lieutenant of Ireland (that's equivalent to Supreme Allied Commander). Essex had at least two, maybe three, opportunities to defeat the Irish in what would have been described as a rout, but for some completely mysterious reason he negotiated a treaty. Nothing was written down. The two commanders met in the middle of an open field and verbally came to an agreement that lasted three months. Essex’s career was finished. He was disgraced. Now comes the juicy part.
It was very heavily rumored that Essex was a favorite of the Queen. They supposedly had a hot affair that lasted quite some time. That’s right, the Virgin Queen. While still in the good (pun alert) graces of the Queen, Grace O’Malley and the Earl of Essex had a number of, um, uh, assignations, giving a whole new meaning to “comforting the enemy.” It’s more likely Grace was using her feminine whiles to spy on the enemy and gather whatever intelligence she could. By the time he went to Ireland the affair was over and Essex had taken to finding his pleasure anywhere he could. Consequently, he contracted what was called the French pox. LOL. He was very sick in Ireland and a lot of his military decisions were made while in the grip of the disease.
Elizabeth, daughter of Ann Boleyn and Henry VIII, had one important goal she wanted to achieve. She wanted to complete the subjugation of Ireland, something her father started but didn’t finish. The Irish finally surrendered but, in a sublime irony, it was three days after Elizabeth died. Grace is said to have died a few months later in her castle in County Mayo. The Earl of Essex, Robert Devereux, died from complications due to the French pox.
Wild Irish: A Novel of Elizabeth I and the Pirate O'Malley by Robin Maxwell is a very clever mix of history and fiction. And let me just say you will enjoy the read even if you aren’t Irish.

[Christopher · Rating 3 out of 5]

If half-stars were permitted, I'd have given this 2.5, but I rounded up...

Elizabethan England seen through the eyes of Grace O’Malley, the notorious female pirate and gunrunner history remembers as “The Mother of the Irish Rebellion.” The story revolves around the historic meeting of Queen Elizabeth I and Grace at a time when both women were in their early sixties. Maxwell posits that Grace’s public audience with the Queen was accompanied by a secret, more intimate meeting between the two rivals wherein Grace tells the Queen the story of her life. In so doing, the story of the British subjugation of Ireland and the ensuing Irish uprisings is revealed as well. It is a fascinating history, but at times Maxwell’s approach seems more that of an historian than a storyteller, particularly in the first third of the book. The history lesson is seasoned with Grace’s personal anecdotes and editorializing on the people and events described, but more of this was needed to help the pacing.

That being said, the book is still worth reading for anyone interested in the events of the early days of the Irish Rebellion and those leading up to Elizabeth’s final days on the throne. Although the Irish issue is an oft-overlooked aspect of Elizabeth’s reign, Maxwell demonstrates quite convincingly that it might well have been one of the most important to the Queen herself. It is pointed out in an author’s note that the Irish-English conflict was by far the largest of Elizabeth’s wars, the most costly in terms of English lives lost, and the last significant effort of her reign. From the Irish perspective, the significance of this period is even greater, as some estimates indicate half the entire population of Ireland died during the rebellion through battle, famine, and disease.

Once Grace’s historical reminiscences come to a close, the pacing of the final two-thirds of the book picks up significantly. The focus also increasingly includes the tumultuous love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Robert Devereux, Earl of Essex, whose perilous mix of passion and political ambition threatened to throw the royal court into chaos. A colorful cast of secondary characters including Shakespeare, Francis Bacon, Robert Cecil, the ruthless Richard Bingham, Grace’s son Tibbot ne Long Burke, and the rebel leaders Red Hugh O’Donnell and Hugh O’Neill, Earl of Tyrone, adds context and allows events to be seen from multiple, often diametrically opposed perspectives. Maxwell might have done well, however, to remain focused on fewer personalities, as several of them never seem sufficiently developed.

In the end, the novel felt somewhat overly ambitious in scope, but Maxwell’s prose is clear and her knowledge of the subject exhaustive. Though flawed, it's a well-researched, diverting read.

[Kris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was completely awesome. I can't say enough about how good it was. And I know that there are other people who weren't that thrilled with it, cuz I guess it wasn't as historically accurate as they would've liked. This is a work of fiction that just happens to use actual historical figures. Of course liberties were taken. Nowhere does it say that this is non-fiction.

The first half is Grace O'Malley telling her life-story to Elizabeth I (how so many crazy things happened to her, and yet she still remained a titan of influence). I thought this was the most interesting part of the book, and was surprised to find out how little is actually known about O'Malley and her life.

The second half is made up of the end of the life of Lord Essex, and all of the bad decisions and insanity that swirled around him. He went from (in the beginning) being the queen's favorite, to being sent to Ireland (to quench the rebellion), finding some sympathy for the Irish, and then, deciding on leading a coupe against the queen (for which he was executed). It was interesting to see the man spiral out of control.

[Sunhawk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 16th Century, a shameful time for the Brits, a time of thuggery and arrogant land-grabbing in neighboring Ireland, a story carefully untold in British and Irish history. Shameful for both sides. All sides, as that was the problem: clan violence amongst the Irish complicated by greedy land grabbing by, first, Henry Eighth's, then Elizabeth First's minions. Drop into this sordid soup one Grace O'Malley, born and raised by a boatman father, clearly gifted at sea and with sailors who would normally consider a shipboard woman dangerous. According to the British, she grew up to become a pirate with a fleet. Because of her people skills and attitude, she forms a network of associates ranging from Africa to Scotland, source of that century's best mercenaries. On some level, Grace is a sort of Irish Queen, ranking equally, somehow, with Henry's queenly daughter Elizabeth.
Robin Maxwell tells this story engagingly and, given the complexities, the multiple names of the British toffs, and the tribal rivalries amongst the Irish, clearly. Somewhere along the line, Grace is noticed by Elizabeth; somehow, the two meet as near equals -- twice, at least in Maxwell's book. Their interplay profoundly affects the still-troubled history of the island of Ireland. A fascinating book, surprising to me because such an untold yet important story for anyone who cares about Ireland. Human and evolutionary because it's about women who are equally powerful to men. A story worth knowing and pondering.

[Kathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.5/10
Grace O’Malley’s story, overlooked by most historians, is fascinating and important. Maxwell’s book brings her to life against the backdrop of the 16th century Irish Rebellion, a period of endless conniving, fighting, raiding, atrocities, and betrayal among the Irish and between the Irish and the English. Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, play significant roles in both Grace’s life and the events of the times, and the book tells their tales as well.

This reader would have appreciated a printed cast of characters as several are variously referred to by first names, last names, and titles. For example, Robert, Robin, Devereaux, and Essex all refer to the same person. A map of Ireland would also have enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of the book.

The most striking feelings this reader had upon finishing the book: a profound sadness at the misery inflicted on the Irish people by the English and by their fellow Irishmen/women, a bitter weariness at yet another strong, influential, and consequential woman of history being ignored by historians, and a deep respect for the courage of women who defied convention to follow their convictions and become leaders.

[Gearóid O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a student of Irish history and an unpublished author I was looking forward to reading Robin Maxwells take on the Tudor Wars in Ireland for this is the time period that this book covers. (Approximately 1570-1603)
The history itself is roughly accurate although in fairness to Robin Maxwell she clearly states it is historical fiction. Her descriptive ability, in particular when evoking a scene is superb.
However her narrative style jarred me at times particularly when she wrote about the Gaelic Irish. For example standin and snifflin to name but a few, this annoyed me no end and reminded me more of Darby O'Gill and the little people than the 16th century clans.
This is a pity since when describing the Tudor English Maxwell is superb getting the characterisation of Essex just right and revealing an intimate and accurate portrayal of Elizabeth the first in her final years. If Maxwell could concentrate on Tudor English history or change her narrative in relation to the Gaelic Irish this book would have been much improved.
That said it is highly entertaining and for those who prefer a story to pure history would give one a good rough overview of Irish history during this turbulent time period.

[Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Writing this book must have been a monumental task, because it's kind of a lot of work just to read it. There are so many characters, many with multiple names or titles or nicknames and complicated relationships between them. Although much of it was fictionalized, the historical parts certainly show that truth can make as good a story as any fiction. I now have a much better understanding of the origin of tensions within tbe UK that persist even today.

[Jeanne Andersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The best part is Grace O'Malley's life story which she tells to Elizabeth.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This historical fiction is set primarily during the 16th century in England and Ireland, and depicts the interplay between three prominent and delectable figures of the time: Queen Elizabeth I; Robert Devereaux, the Second Earl of Essex; and Grace O'Malley, an Irish pirate and patriot.

O'Malley, a daughter of an Irish chieftain, grew up on ships and learned how to sail just like the men in her family. She married thrice and had several children, but never lived the life of a traditional Irish wife and mother. She sailed the waters around Ireland, Scotland, England, France and Spain, often engaging in activities that could be considered piracy. She also was an Irish patriot and never swore allegiance to the English. In spite of that, history records a meeting between O'Malley and Elizabeth where Grace asked for assistance from Elizabeth in releasing her son who was being held hostage by a brutal official of the English Crown (Bingham). Oddly enough, Elizabeth granted Grace's requests. Perhaps these two powerful women had a mutual respect for each other, living as they did, in this time when women were considered inferior.

The novel also details the experiences of Essex, his meteoric rise to acclaim in Elizabeth's court, his illnesses, affairs, and military exploits and fall from power.

The history of the Irish Wars during Henry VIII and Elizabeth I is a brutal one. It is estimated that one half of the population of Ireland died during Elizabeth's wars, through battle, disease, slashing and burning of crops caused famine, and the stealing or killing of cattle which caused many to starve. Yet the Irish often were their own worst enemies because of the thousand year old chieftain system. They spent too much time fighting amongst themselves to realize the danger of the British until it was too late.

So, although the novel was about Grace O'Malley, Elizabeth I, and the Earl of Essex, the soul of the book was about the Wild Irish, the clans and chieftains, the booleys where the people moved their cattle to better pastures in the summer, and lived in tents with their extended family members, singing, dancing, listening to the bards tell their stories. I learned a lot about Irish culture from the book --and about the wild Irish.

I gave the book just three stars, though, primarily because a significant percentage of the book was written in the form of dialogue. I find it limits my understanding when I only hear the spoken words from the character and not their thoughts, body language and motives. That was my only complaint. The history of the Irish and British at this time in Ireland is very confusing, but that is the history of it. It is messy, and I cannot blame Robin Maxwell for that!

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting content historically, but I'm not crazy about the writing style. A little more gratuitous sex than suits my taste. Still, it interested my enough to encourage me to buy a biography of Grace O'Malley. I want to know more!!!

[Gaijinmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, except for the fact that large sections were narrated from the perspective of a male character. Since the cover says it is "a tale of Elizabeth I and the pirate O'Malley, I would have preferred to hear more directly from them.

[Célia | Estante de Livros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bom livro, com um bom retrato histórico e personagens interessantes. Ainda assim, penso que lhe falta algo que o torne realmente marcante.

[C.W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The aging Elizabeth I, a fierce Grace o' Malley, and the tragedy of the Earl of Essex come to vivid life in this accomplished novel.

[Bridget Healy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a new hero - Grace O'Malley. An actual female pirate, who sailed up the Thames and met with Queen Elizabeth I. This was an incredibly interesting book, one that I will certainly read again.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really well researched but too political (and sometimes slow-moving) for me.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this! It was one of the best historical fiction novels I've read it a while. This story focuses on Elizabeth I and Grace O'Malley. But in truth, it's not just their story. It's the story of the Irish Revolution, and thus it's the story of many, many people. If you want a story that is purely biographical, this story might not be for you.

This story has a story within a story. Perhaps one-third of the novel is Grace O'Malley telling Elizabeth I (and an eavesdropping Earl of Essex) her life story. This part of the story is told in 1st person, and it's a very enjoyable read. Grace O'Malley feels like a real person, breathing her story into the air. She doesn't bother to explain certain details to the modern readers (or the English Elizabeth I), and tells the story as if she was across the campfire from you. She is a very interesting and likable woman, modern yet still a byproduct of her time. You are able to clearly see the love she has for the sea, her family and for Ireland.

As this portion of the story continued, I figured this novel would be an exchange of stories. Grace O'Malley would tell Elizabeth I her story, and then Elizabeth I would tell Grace O'Malley hers. This is not the case.

As Grace O'Malley ends her story, the novel continues, and we follow the story for many years. This is the story of the Irish Revolution, which will leave half of Ireland dead. The story is told mostly from the point of view of the Earl of Essex (Queen Elizabeth's favorite), and occasionally from Tibbot Burke's (Grace O'Malley's youngest son) and Grace O'Malley's POV. You never get a story or a POV from Queen Elizabeth I herself. In some ways, due to the name of the title, this is unbalanced. In other ways, it makes complete sense. Queen Elizabeth I herself never went to Ireland. Just like in the war itself, she is a ghost-like presence in the book, always present in the background, her influence a negative tension causing problems for everyone, but never really there herself.

Some people may be disappointed with the amount of POV we get from the Earl of Essex, as this is supposed to be a story of Elizabeth I and Grace O'Malley. I will admit, I really liked the story of Grace O'Malley. I feel like that part itself could of been it's own book. But I also enjoyed the part by the Earl of Essex. Essex's POV really got me thinking about certain questions and themes. 1). The sheer pointlessness of war. 2). How strife between a few major people can negatively affect (and kill) thousands of people). 3. How people of importance and power can still remain in power despite being ill and mentally not sound enough to be in charge of the lives of thousands of people. 3). How people can be so small, can rise so high, and yet can fall so suddenly. How one's life can be so easily and devastatingly changed by the whim of a single person. 4). How a war that has nothing to do with religion can introduce religion as a factor to gain approval, only for the taint of religious strife to settle over the history of a country for hundreds of year. 5). How no one, no matter who they are (and what their "divine right" is) should have the ability to so easily kill people. 6). The sheer arrogance of colonialism.

In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It delved into Ireland quite well, and you really understood the characters and the people there. You saw the bad sides and good sides of everyone, and no one was "flat." You also saw how people could rise so quickly and fall so devastatingly. But this is the real story of life. And the real story of war. It is quite a tragedy.

[Paul Pessolano · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The Wild Irish” by Robin Maxwell, published by Perennial.

Category - Historical Fiction. Publication Date - 2004

Although this is fiction it is not inconceivable that the reader will get lost in the book and believe it is true history.

This is a story of the English Queen Elizabeth 1 and the Irish Pirate Grace O’Malley. Elizabeth has just won an impressive victory by defeating the Spanish Armada. Elizabeth now must turn her attention to the island colony of Ireland. Ireland is in turmoil as the continue to fight for independence from their English oppressors.

The book goes into detail about the different Irish clans as they not only fight the English but fight among themselves. Out of all this comes Grace O’Malley, who has become a substantial force in the Irish movement. Grace has garnered her a place that includes territory, a castle, and more importantly a fleet of sailing vessels.

Grace becomes a notorious pirate and gunrunner who becomes the scourge of not only other Irish clans but of the hated English. In a daring move she sails up the Thames in hopes of getting a meeting with Elizabeth.

The meeting turns into mutual respect for each other and the hopes of settling the Irish problem which has caused numerous problems for the English over the years. The story then goes into the continuing problems of both women as they try to resolve the problem that would be agreeable to everyone. They must do this while O’Malley comes to grip with her son and the clans of Ireland while Elizabeth must deal with court intrigues.

[Ivan Benedict · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. A reader must have
a special interest in Irish history to really like this.
This is historical fiction covering the years 1593 - 1601.
There are 3 major characters: Queen Elizabeth of England,
Grace O'Malley - owner and sometime captain of a fleet of
Irish ships use for commerce and at time piracy, and Robert
Devereaux - English Earl of Essex.
In such a novel, there is a tension between what is fact and
what is fiction. The author assumes that the suspicion of
Robert being a former lover of Elizabeth is true. The meeting
of Elizabeth & O'Malley early in the book did indeed happen,
but what was discussed is imagined. A second meeting late
in the book is pure fiction.
During the first meeting, O'Malley tells her personal story
at great length, and it's quite interesting. Then we get into
the battles and politics of Ireland between clans, between
those loyal to the Queen and the rebels, and between English
military and Irish military. The battles and killing of innocent
people and the destruction of land and crops are terrible and
go on and on.
In the end it seems to me nothing has changed. The enemies
are still enemies and will be for centuries. Is this slice of
history really worth reading about?

[Rosie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wild Irish by Robin Maxwell tells the story of Ireland's struggle to rid itself of English tyranny and England's determination (under Elizabeth I) to colonize the island. Through the eyes of Elizabeth I, Grace O'Malley, and Robert Devereux Earl of Essex, Maxwell sheds light on the battles, intrigue, histories, and personal vendettas that fueled the bloody campaigns for control of Ireland.

Where there are holes in the historical record, Maxwell weaves a probable and engaging narrative about the life and experiences of Grace O'Malley. Where other authors villainize the Earl of Essex, painted with a traitor's brush by contemporary pro-Elizabeth propoganda, Maxwell expertly tells a more sympathetic tale of a physically diminished military leader swindled by his sovereign's intentionally unsteady leadership and relentless greed. And where other authors fall for the portrait of saintly Elizabeth, Maxwell portrays the monach as the cool, cruel, unsteady daughter of Henry VIII that she was.

The Wild Irish is historical fiction, but feels more substantial in its highlighting of a less often discussed part of Elizabethan English/Irish history. I really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to anyone interested in the era.

[Hilária · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will have a loving place in my heart. Not only did it give me some insight of England and Ireland's History in the 16th century, I also had the pleasure of meeting the wonderful and sassy Grace O'Malley. She was my favorite character with all her snarky comments and her lovely wise mind. It was a nice book to read. Historical fiction isn't usually my thing but I do love pirate stories and better yet, a badass pirate woman? I just had to read it! And it was worth all the those nightly hours I spent reading it. I've known for quite some time that the past between England and Ireland was not friendly (if we are honest... Which past is, really?) but damn... It was brutal.. The past really is something that pains me a lot. To know how many wonderful nations or kingdoms or whatever existed at some point, had to suffer so much, especially innocent people, because of some few. It still happens nowadays but that's another story entirely.
What I'm getting at is that this openned my perspective to a part of the world I didn't know. Even though it's fiction, there are things that stay true, when told through tales.

[Ruth Fowler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was interested in learning more about Irish history and Grace O'Malley, and in the first half of the book, I got a sense of it and her, although it was fictionalized. I also learned a little about the Queen Elizabeth of that time. However, the second half shifted away from Grace and focused more on the Irish rebellions and the other personalities involved. I frankly didn't find it that interesting, so abandoned the book. The writing style of the first half was odd in that the point of view kept shifting - not really a big deal, but there were pages and pages and pages where Grace was telling the queen her life story, and you'd think she was just talking to herself. No interjections from the queen. Every now and then, the monologue would cease and the two would have some dialog. Grace would leave for the night, but come back again to tell more of her story. From what I have read, yes, Grace O'Malley did have an audience Queen Elizabeth, but only one and there was no private conversation. I think the author was trying to use this meeting as a way to tell Grace's story, but it all seemed rather unbelievable.

[Angie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my second attempt to read this book. The first time I read almost half of it, put it down and left it sitting for several years. Since it - obviously - did not hold my interest the first time, I couldn’t really remember what I read so I started over. I almost put it down again, but dug deep for motivation and resolve. I am happy (I think) to report that I completed my task.

The subjects of interest supposedly Elizabeth I and Grace O’Malley, opponents during the Nine Years War between England and Ireland (1594-1603). However, Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex, is quite prominently involved in this historical fiction.

At least half of this book involves Grace telling Elizabeth her life story all the way up to the night of their visit. It was a literary device that failed to hold my interest, which is sad because Grace O’Malley is a fascinating historical figure. Of the remaining half, one quarter focuses on Ireland’s struggle in the war and one-quarter on Essex’s involvement with Elizabeth, his command in Ireland and his struggle against his physical illnesses (syphilis and malaria).

The history was intriguing, but the story telling was not.

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A broader look at Grace O'Malley can be found in 'Grania' by Morgan Llewellyn. This book concentrates on the portion of her life when at the end of the 1500s the Irish pirate queen arrives in London to meet Queen Elizabeth. To me, the book is too long and detailed. Portions of the past are told in lengthy pieces in italics, which are hard on the eyes so I don't read them. If this is being told as fiction, we need it to move along more swiftly, not spend pages debating about the different courtiers and what James would say if he were to be made monarch in Elizabeth's place.
Given the subject matter, the story is sad and contains descriptions of atrocities.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Historical fiction based on fact about Grace O'Malley, a real female Irish pirate during Queen Elizabeth I's reign. I didn't know this woman existed so it was interesting learning about her. She actually met with Queen Elizabeth during her swashbuckling years. The first ⅓ and the last ⅓ of the book are good...the middle is slow going but certainly worth reading. The rebellion in the book (The Irish-English Conflict) was the largest of Elizabeth's wars and resulted in half of the Irish people dying through battle, disease or famine.

[Rusty · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one "bloody" book that explores the struggle of the Irish against the English. I was appalled at the disregard both sides had for human life. Anyone was apt to die from elders to babies to pregnant women in retribution. It was interesting, too, to learn about Grace O'Malley, a pirate and rebel in English eyes. I'm hoping to find other readings about this interesting woman. The author explores what might have happened in a meeting between Queen Elizabeth and O'Malley. Probably not true but interesting nonetheless, during that event O'Malley tells about her life and experiences. There is little really known about the pirate but she was apparently a force to deal with during the Irish-English struggles. In this meeting with the queen she asks several boons which the mercurial queen grants. I enjoy reading historical fiction, some of which is more historical than others but I do not wish to comment on that aspect. What I like is a darn good yarn about what might have happened and I thought that this was one.