In 16th-century Malta, siblings Domenicus and Katrina Montesa live under constant threat of raids by the Ottoman Turks, the staunchest enemies of the Knights of St John. All the while, 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 Turkish invasion of Malta and the island's bloody defence will forever change the lives of those it touches, from nobles and peasants, knights and corsairs, to tyrants and galley slaves, on both sides of the conflict. Sweeping across the Mediterranean world - from Malta, a barren Christian outpost, to Istanbul, the glittering seat of Islam, from prison cells to palace gardens, from soaring cliffs to open sea lanes, the men and women of Eight Pointed Cross face corruption, oppression, broken vows, and betrayal as two great empires collide.