The Siege of Malta Series

The violent clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Knights of St John on the island fortress Malta serves as the backdrop to Eight Pointed Cross. Siblings Domenicus and Katrina Montesa grow up under the threat of a looming Inquisition by Rome and constant raids by corsairs loyal to the Ottoman Sultan. Hundreds of leagues away in Istanbul, young Demir’s dream of becoming an imperial horseman in the Sultan’s cavalry provides his only solace against relentless torment by his cruel older brother. The 1551 Ottoman invasion of Malta and the archipelago’s bloody defence will forever change the lives of these individuals, whose fates are intertwined not only with each other, but with nobles and peasants, knights and pirates, tyrants and galley slaves, on both sides of the religious conflict. The story unfolds across the Mediterranean world of the sixteenth century—from Malta, a barren Christian outpost, to Istanbul, the glittering seat of Islam, from filthy prison cells to lush palace gardens. Against soaring sea cliffs and open sea lanes, the men and women of Eight Pointed Cross face corruption and oppression, broken vows and betrayal, as two great empires collide. Surviving this battle-soaked world of swords and scimitars will test the limits of every character’s courage, loyalty, and love.