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20th out of 129 books
—
178 voters
Grania
Here is an extraordinary novel about real-life Irish chieftain Grace O Malley. From Morgan Llywelyn, bestselling author of Lion of Ireland and the Irish Century novels, comes the story of a magnificent, sixteenth-century heroine whose spirit and passion are the spirit and passion of Ireland itself.
Grania (Gaelic for Grace) is no ordinary female. And she lives in extraordin
...more
Grania (Gaelic for Grace) is no ordinary female. And she lives in extraordin
Paperback, 416 pages
Published
October 1st 2003
by Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
(first published April 6th 1986)
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I must say, of the novels I have read about real female pirates, I am least impressed with this one. Having just completed the novel, I cannot decide if I find the heroine to be foolish and cocky, or brave and amazing. On one hand, she grabs life by the horns so to speak and shows the men of the times that women are worthy adversaries indeed. On the other hand, a lot of her decisions hurt other people. Waging wars and looting ships may have helped her select few, but what of others? This novel w...more
Sep 09, 2007
Keely
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who likes historical fiction, especially set in 16th century Ireland
Shelves:
notsorecentlyread
Morgan Llywelyn is an awesome historical fiction writer and has written books taking place in Ireland from the time of the Druids through present day. Grania, or Grace O'Malley, was a she-king and pirate in the mid 1500s. As cheiftan, she ruled the entire western coast of Ireland from Co. Donegal to the city of Cork. As an Irish ruler in the Elizabethan Era of England, she was a huge rival and in a sense colleage of Elizabeth the 1st. She was widely known for her intelligence, courage and indepe...more
This is about an Irish woman in Elizabethan times who went against tradition to help her people. Reminded me of Philippa Gregory books. For the most part it was entertaining but it was slow at times and I found myself getting frustrated by some of Grania's actions (or inactions). And as with Gregory's books, the main character does a lot of similar thinking which is probably realistic but it's repetitive to read.
I remembered really liking Llywelyn's Irish history novels, so this was a real disappointment. Though I'm sure Grania is a really interesting person, there was something about the writing that didn't make me CARE about her. When bad things happened to characters, I just thought 'Hm, okay then' and moved on. Grania's few sexual exploits proved interesting enough to actually read through, but I mostly skimmed this and actually found myself happier that it was OVER so I could move on to something e...more
I have always loved this author's books. She ensnares you quickly into the plot, her characters are bright, bold, & heroic. Grania is no disappointment. Grace O'Malley is a legendary figure in Ireland, she may be a pirate, but she fights for her independence, & for that of her country & her people against England & Queen Elizabeth. Full of action & derring do, Grace also learns what it is to love as well as fight, & the story of her personal growth along with her people's...more
I loved the parallels in this story and enjoyed the overall character development and plot for the book. I thought at times, perhaps the secondary characters were not as developed as Grania herself, but the book wasn't about them so I didn't mind so much.
I read this ages ago. I'm also distantly related to Grace O'Malley, which was part of the appeal. :-) As I recall it was pretty good & interesting. It's about pirates, come on, what's not to love?
Nov 17, 2011
Dawn (& Ron)
marked it as to-read
Does any one know if Leywelyn's Pirate Queen is a follow up to Grania or reissue of this title?
view all 15 comments
This is a fabulous read, about a fantastic historical character, as sparkling and multi-faceted as the author herself. If you can find a copy, read it!!!
An awesome book for us women who know we can accomplish anything we set our minds to. Must read more of Llywelyn's books!
Well-written historical fiction about a captivating person... but I could've done without the vivid sex scenes!
A nice read... but I think I was still in the ML celtic mode, so I didn't pay much attention to it.
May 27, 2009
Julie
marked it as to-read
Saw a couple of her castles while in Ireland and now i'm very curious about her life.
Was one of the first books I read with an Irish heroine.
My favorite of Morgan's books.
Fantastic!
Great Book
At times awash in some befuddling Celtic history, this is nonetheless a captivating and exhilarating tale of an inspiring, indomitable woman.
Feb 18, 2008
Letitia
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Horny Irish feminists
This was a disappointing epic about an incredibly interesting historical character. I realize that the balance of historical recitation with personal perspective is difficult to balance in historical fiction but if that's your genre...I believe you can do a much better job than Llewelyn managed. The most detailed and interesting parts of Grania's personal life was her sexual experiences, and while fascinating, hardly enough to carry a novel.
It was a good story and an entertaining read. Not a great piece of literature or history but fun for summer.
La storia è intrigante, una piratessa del XVI secolo che sfida la regina Elisabetta. Purtroppo il romanzo non è all'altezza: salti di luogo e tempo senza spiegazione, descrizioni ridotte all'osso, giri di parole e intrecci che servono solo a prolungare la suspance - peccato che poi ci sia il nulla. Per fortuna l'ho preso in biblioteca.
I always enjoy Morgan Llywelyn's writing. Grania was an engaging and fascinating read. However, it didn't get my blood pumping in the same way as her other books always have. Perhaps it was the British and the inevitable fact of their intrusion into Ireland. Perhaps the setting was just too modern for my taste. Nevertheless, I believe Llywelyn did great justice to the story, and commend the book.
As much as this book is about Grace O Malley, it's a book about a sea-faring way of life and a story of Irish and English political maneuvering during the 16th century. Grania is a fascinating historical figure (one of my ancestors, I might add) and while the writing tended to be melodramatic and racy for me, Llywelyn has painted a bright portrait of a remarkable and resourceful woman
Gave me a desire to do more research into Grania's life.
Morgan Llywellyn once again brings to life a wonderful Irish heroine who can be at once admired! The characters just jump to life and hold your interest from page one! I would reccomend this book to anyone who wants to learn a bit of Irish history, wants to be swept away into a land of old traditions, honor and swashbuckling fun, or just wants a good read! Happy reading!
i just saw the Pirate Queen on Broadway, and the musical is based on this book so i wanted to learn more about the characters and the sort-of history. As always I'll start with the historical fiction and then move to reality :p
The book was ok. I think her life was pretty complicated so the story is kind of disjointed. I like her spirit and determination, though
The book was ok. I think her life was pretty complicated so the story is kind of disjointed. I like her spirit and determination, though
Great historical novel about a strong woman who lead her people.
I was hooked. Loved it. Want to read more about
Grainne Ni Mhalle.
I was hooked. Loved it. Want to read more about
Grainne Ni Mhalle.
My dad gave me this book because it's about a very strong women in a time when men ruled Ireland (has anything changes?). Grania is captivating, inspiring and brilliant. It is historically extremely interesting, as well.
An interesting fictional story based on the legacy of a female Irish pirate. Can't really take too much for granted in this except an idea of the female Irish spirit.
A book about an Irish lady pirate. What more could you want? It's full of action, and I loved it when I read it in my college days.
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| The Jackel & the Lion | 1 | 4 | Jul 17, 2010 12:44am | |
| Gender Fighting | 1 | 2 | Jul 17, 2010 12:28am |
Morgan Llywelyn (born 1937) is an American-born Irish author best known for her historical fantasy, historical fiction, and historical non-fiction. Her fiction has received several awards and has sold more than 40 million copies, and she herself is recipient of the 1999 Exceptional Celtic Woman of the Year Award from Celtic Women International.
More about Morgan Llywelyn...
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“Io non ci ho mai tenuto a diventare un capo" rispose Grania. "Sono sempre andata dove volevo andare, e quando mi guardavo indietro vedevo che gli altri mi stavano seguendo.”
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