To Tracy, for being my Muse and Inspiration.

To Doreen Lee, the first and best editor I ever had.

And to Fosco El Doggo, for keeping me sane.
T. L.

To the memory of my mother,

Daniela; to my light, Ariane; and
to the next generation of pirate
women, Kaya and Lara
S. H.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are
either products of the author’s imagination or, if real, are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2019 by Tony Lee
Illustrations copyright © 2019 by Sam Hart
Colored by Tarsis Cruz with Flavio Costa
Lettered by Cadu Simões
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, transmitted,
or stored in an information retrieval system in any form or by any means,
graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, taping, and
recording, without prior written permission from the publisher.

First U.S. edition 2019

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 2018961812
ISBN 978-1-5362-0019-5
APS 24 23 22 21 20 19
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in Humen, Dongguan, China
This book was typeset in CCWildWords.
The illustrations were created digitally.
Candlewick Press
99 Dover Street
Somerville, Massachusetts 02144
visit us at www.candlewick.com
Pirate Queen
THE LEGEND OF GRACE O’MALLEY
WRITTEN BY ILLUSTRATED BY
TONY LEE SAM HART
COLORED BY
TARSIS CRUZ WITH FLAVIO COSTA
LETTERED BY
CADU SIMÕES
 he Irish Rebellion against Henry VIII led by Silken
Thomas, the Earl of Kildare, has failed, and the leaders
have been executed.

Henry VIII is now the uncontested king of Ireland — the lords

of Ireland are now expected to surrender their lands to the
throne in the hope that those lands will be returned in exchange
for their loyalty.

Many never see their lands again.

The Irish are forced to follow the English Tudor rule, under
which their churches are ransacked, their language ignored,
their people oppressed. English lords are given Irish lands, and
Irish clans find that their claims of succession fall on deaf ears.

But there is a storm coming.

In Connacht, Ireland, the chieftain Eoghan Dubhdara Ó

Máille, known in legend as Dubhdara O’Malley, has a daughter
named Gráinne Ní Mháille — better known as Gráinne Mhaol,
or Granuaile. And this girl will one day bring the fight to the
English, become a thorn in the side of Queen Elizabeth herself,
and become a legend in the process.

For there is indeed a storm coming — and her name is Grace

O’Malley, the Pirate Queen of Ireland. . . .
Ireland. The WEATHER’S King henry
October 1546. CHANGiNG — and it's claims he is
not the WiNDS I the king of
worRy about. Ireland.

The o'malLeys It's the Although If ever

have always beEn english. our spies say he we neEded
able to control the could die at any to control the
weather, grace. moment, Our grip storms, it's
on the western now, girl.
One day, shores slips
you'lL know daily. There's
how to do a batTle coming,
it toO. and we neEd to be
ready for it.

Dubhdara “black
oak” O'malLey, Head
of the o'malLey clan.

I neEd
to be ready
for it. Because
if I'm not ...
 ... then
the winds wilL
be lost to you
forever, grace
o'malLey.
 You're
fifteEn,
Grace. You're
almost a
woman.
I neEd to You neEd
leave tomorRow to be learning
for spain — we neEd A woman's
to prepare for the skilLs. Not
sumMer trading. sailing around
the world.

Take
me with you,
da'! Teach me
the ways of
the sea!

A Woman's
skilLs? NeEdlework
and dancing?
I'm an
o'malLey!
we don't
dance!

Yes, But unlesS

you're an we turn enemies
o'malLey. You to alLies, the english
bring the storms wilL take everything
and laugh we've built over
fire. the years.

Come, The
grace, we o'flahertys?
neEd to I hate
return to them!
the keEp ...
THEiR
the
son's a
o'flaherty
foOl!
clan wilL
have arRived
by now.
 So,
The great halL of have I
the o'malLeys. you thought have, and
OVER our it's a mighty
ofFer? tempting
one.

Dubhdara!
You haven't aged
a day!
And you
lie like an
englishman,
gilLey!

I neEd
to think about
it stilL — but you
shalL have my answer
when I return
from spain.

How
goes The english
it to the poke at us, but
After
south? we poke back
alL, fortune
harder.
favours the
brave!

Living
your lives
based on a If you've
motTo isn't double-crosSed
the best us, gilLey—
what's I swear! I
way... that noise? It know nothing
sounds like about this.
fighting!
 Take
it back,
donal! Take
back what
you said!

No!
I stand What is
by my this? Stop
words! this right
I hate
you! now!
Now
You're a He started
put down Like I
foOl! it! He told me I
the sword care what
loOked pretTy in
and fetch me a girl
a dresS, like I'm
some foOd, thinks!
nothing but a vain
wench!
litTle girl!

He always ... but

mocks me for the o'flaherty
being a girl! I'm clan wilL be
as goOd as he is fostering you
AT everything! while I'm
gone.
I hate
him! Make him
leave!

I can't
do that,
grace. I'm
sorRy ...

No ...
That night.

I'm sorRy,
Hey! grace? donal, but I'm
You! Where going with my da' to
do you think spain. I don't want
you're — to stay here.
Does he
know?
 No, but
by the time he
realises, it'lL
be toO late.

You
won't telL
anyone, wilL
you?

I have
to get to
the ship
before my da'
arRives.
I ...

No. I
won't telL
a soul,
grace.

Grace, ... take

wait ... this, in case You know,
you get into By opening
trouble. your mouth or Thanks, Donal.
something. I guesS you're
not as much a foOl
as I thought
you were.
I'lL seE
you when I
get back!

Wait —
you realLy
thought I was
a foOl?
 WelL,
welL! What
do we have
here?

LoOks like You

a stowaway! can't be.
Maybe I should Grace is an
throw you over anNoying girl
FinN! with long
the side! It's me! hair.
Grace!
You're an I cut
anNoying boy it so that I
with short could blend
hair. in! I have to
go with my
da'!

I had a
dream. I saw
my da' in danger
and nobody
was there to
help him.

And it's not

because you
don't want to
stay with the
o'flahertys?

WelL ...
that toO.

Go on,
get down below Thanks,
before your father finN!
catches you.

And when
he does, I
didn't seE
you, ok?
 What's
that port,
finN? where
are we?

That? why,
that's spain,
grace ...

... now
the fun part
starts.
Spain.

Take care
of the ship
while I'm gone!
This won't
take long!

Those traders —
What's the they seEmed mighty
matTer? interested in who
black oak was,
rather than what he
wanted to trade.

I think
they're working
for the english.
Henry has spies
everywhere.

Of course,
this could Grace!
just be the
worRies of a
cynical —

grace?
Where did
she go?

And we have
much spice
to send back I don't
to england. trade with
england.

Ah yes,
I forgot
that—
 Hnf! Leave
Da’!!! LoOk him! We're
out!! exposed!

That’s it!
Run back
to henry! TelL
him the
o'malLeys
can't be
kilLed!

Grace! FinN knew

What are you about this,
doing here? And didn't he? I'lL be
what hapPened having words
to your hair? with him when I
get back.
I cut it Who
so I could stow gave you the
AWAY on board sword?
your ship!
Donal.
I'm sorRy, He saw me
da', but I knew leaving.
something bad was
gonNa hapPen! I
had to do it!

LoOks
like I'lL be
having words
with a lot of
people.