It’s 1524 and the Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent’s galleys and armies threaten Vienna and even Italy. The Pope sounds the warning. Instead of rising to fight the Moslem foe, King Francis of France and King Charles of Spain are locked in a bitter war. This leaves only a few Spanish galleys and those of the Knights Hospitaller to keep the Ottomans in check.
The wily Greek Francisco Albo captains one of the Spanish galleys. Newly appointed, he enjoys his newfound fame after defeating a squadron of galleys of the infamous Barbary corsair Barbarossa. However, fame tends to be fleeting, and now he must deliver once more.
Albo’s first sailing season is a frustrating one until word comes of a rich tribute galley taking a fortune back to Sultan Suleiman in Constantinople. Albo joins forces with his old friend Antonio Pigafetta and the Knights Hospitaller to waylay it. If successful he’ll enjoy a lifetime of riches.
Capturing the galley means sailing deep into Ottoman territory and eluding a squadron of Ottoman galleys. Albo and the Knights Hospitaller have a plan, but like most plans it goes awry. Albo must rely upon all his cunning to survive.
Think Master and Commander on a galley in 1524. The Sultan’s Galley is the third in the Albo series. It may also be enjoyed as a standalone book.
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