Eight Pointed Cross
(Siege of Malta Book 1)
By Marthese Fenech
(Siege of Malta Book 1)
By Marthese Fenech
Publication Date: 12th May 2026
Publisher: Rising Action
Print Length: 741 Pages
Genre: Historical Fiction
A richly detailed 16th-century Mediterranean epic chronicling the violent clash between the Ottoman Empire and the Knights of St John, perfect for fans of Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom and James Clavell’s Shogun.
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.
Pick up your copy of
Eight Pointed Cross
Marthese Fenech
Marthese Fenech is the author of historical novels set in sixteenth-century Malta and Türkiye. She has also written an award-winning pilot episode of a television series based on her books.
Research has taken her to the ancient streets her characters roamed, the fortresses they defended, the seas they sailed, and the dungeons they escaped.
Obstinate curiosity has led her to seventy countries across six continents. She does her best plot weaving while hiking mountain trails, wandering through local markets, paddleboarding in cliff-sheltered bays, and curling up on the couch with her Siberian husky at her feet.
The youngest of five, Marthese was born in Toronto to Maltese parents. At twelve, she moved to Malta for six months and attended an all-girls private school run by nuns; she lasted three days before getting kicked out for being too chatty. Back in Toronto, she began a business selling bootleg heavy metal concerts on VHS. She later worked with young adults with special needs.
She speaks fluent Maltese and French and knows how to ask for directions to the bathroom in Spanish and Italian. She took up archery and wound up accidentally becoming a licenced coach. A former kickboxing instructor, she snowboards, surfs, scuba dives, climbs, skydives, throws axes, and practices yoga, sometimes including goats. She calls both Ontario and British Columbia home, where she lives with her brilliant, mathematically inclined husband and brilliant, musically inclined dog, known to lead family howl sessions on occasion.
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Mary Anne xxx