In this final book of the first set of her adventures on the planet that has been named Promise, Venna continues in her efforts to find the place called Prime City in the hope of locating and rescuing her friend, Shelly, whose part in the story comes to the fore at last. Skullduggery, passion, murder, comedy, redemption, romance, evil science, interplanetary conflict... all these things are here, to varying degrees, but in no special order. Venna continues to be obsessively pursued by The Countess, who is, in turn, being pursued by the authorities; but everything points to a terrible fate for our heroine, unless her friends can rescue her in time... or she can rescue herself. Peril in Prime City is, like the first two books, about some fairly ordinary people dumped down in an extraordinary world. Venna has no super-powers (although sometimes she thinks she may have), she just uses her natural bravery and such strength as she has to cope with the ordeals she finds herself facing. This set of adventures sees her suffering some very unpleasant and frightening experiences, but she keeps her cool and, as usual, bounces back, ready for the next challenge. With a few possible exceptions among the characters, Venna is loved by everyone, and this may be what gives her the strength to keep going when things get very, very bad. Inspired by pre-war film serials, classic newspaper comic strips and pulp magazine cover art, this excellent graphic novel from respected artist Robin Evans is a must-have addition to the bookshelf of any classic sci-fi fan.

AUK Studios are proud to present the first edition of our newsletter BREAKING, a quarterly preview of what exciting products we are working on, fantastic upcoming new releases, casting news and a great deal more. For our first newsletter we feature a range of our recent releases, including Screaming Queens, Venna's Planet and The Virgin's Embrace. You can also read about products due for release soon - such as Supermind starring Colin McFarlane (from the Batman films and more) and learn about people we’ve recently worked with such as Marvel’s Spiderman villain Doctor Octopus, aka Alfred Molina. With such a flurry of new content, we decided to create this newsletter to keep everyone updated with what’s happening in our corner of the creative media world. You can be sure to find out more about our team in coming issues; this is, of course, always the best place to find out about what’s on the horizon... so stay tuned to hear about all our AUK-based antics! Welcome to the first BREAKING newsletter.

Venna's Planet is the story of a beautiful woman who tired of shooting aliens, yearns to settle on the new world over which futile war is being fought. However, her decision to join the planetary teams upsets her superior officer, sometimes known as The Countess, who is obsessed with her one-time protégé, and orders her to be abducted, an operation so badly undertaken that its consequences reverberate throughout the entire story. Our heroine is captured and subjected to a process intended to rob her of her very humanity, and within a short space of time, everything she thought she knew is turned inside-out and upside-down. Venna finds herself lost on Promise – the name given to the new planet – and, with a group of new friends, is pursued by menaces from all quarters. Compounding these threats, the otherwise Utopian world is home to terrifying monsters of unfriendly disposition... and at least one tribe of murderous indigenous inhabitants who are very unhappy about the invaders from Earth. Nobody knows the whole truth about Promise,or what plans are being laid by the colonists. Venna knows only that terrible danger hides in its beauty, and that its secrets will not be learned easily. Broken Promise is the first part of the story of Venna's Planet, which takes for its inspiration, pre-war movie serials, classic newspaper strips and vintage science fiction pulp cover art. Glamour is favoured over realism of any kind, and Venna spends much of the story in minimal dresses and bikinis; however, this is usually outside her control, and one should not consider her to be in any way immodest. She suffers many tribulations, but always comes up smiling, and ready for whatever else comes her way. Venna is beautiful throughout, and refuses to be embittered by the dreadful things that happen to her on this troubled planet. Her planet. Venna's Planet.

In this final book of the first set of her adventures on the planet that has been named Promise, Venna continues in her efforts to find the place called Prime City in the hope of locating and rescuing her friend, Shelly, whose part in the story comes to the fore at last. Skullduggery, passion, murder, comedy, redemption, romance, evil science, interplanetary conflict... all these things are here, to varying degrees, but in no special order. Venna continues to be obsessively pursued by The Countess, who is, in turn, being pursued by the authorities; but everything points to a terrible fate for our heroine, unless her friends can rescue her in time... or she can rescue herself. Peril in Prime City is, like the first two books, about some fairly ordinary people dumped down in an extraordinary world. Venna has no super-powers (although sometimes she thinks she may have), she just uses her natural bravery and such strength as she has to cope with the ordeals she finds herself facing. This set of adventures sees her suffering some very unpleasant and frightening experiences, but she keeps her cool and, as usual, bounces back, ready for the next challenge. With a few possible exceptions among the characters, Venna is loved by everyone, and this may be what gives her the strength to keep going when things get very, very bad. Inspired by pre-war film serials, classic newspaper comic strips and pulp magazine cover art, this excellent graphic novel from respected artist Robin Evans is a must-have addition to the bookshelf of any classic sci-fi fan.

“The rise and fall of Venice’s empire is an irresistible story and [Roger] Crowley, with his rousing descriptive gifts and scholarly attention to detail, is its perfect chronicler.”—The Financial Times The New York Times bestselling author of Empires of the Sea charts Venice’s astounding five-hundred-year voyage to the pinnacle of power in an epic story that stands unrivaled for drama, intrigue, and sheer opulent majesty. City of Fortune traces the full arc of the Venetian imperial saga, from the ill-fated Fourth Crusade, which culminates in the sacking of Constantinople in 1204, to the Ottoman-Venetian War of 1499–1503, which sees the Ottoman Turks supplant the Venetians as the preeminent naval power in the Mediterranean. In between are three centuries of Venetian maritime dominance, during which a tiny city of “lagoon dwellers” grow into the richest place on earth. Drawing on firsthand accounts of pitched sea battles, skillful negotiations, and diplomatic maneuvers, Crowley paints a vivid picture of this avaricious, enterprising people and the bountiful lands that came under their dominion. From the opening of the spice routes to the clash between Christianity and Islam, Venice played a leading role in the defining conflicts of its time—the reverberations of which are still being felt today. “[Crowley] writes with a racy briskness that lifts sea battles and sieges off the page.”—The New York Times “Crowley chronicles the peak of Venice’s past glory with Wordsworthian sympathy, supplemented by impressive learning and infectious enthusiasm.”—The Wall Street Journal

Taking us behind the scenes with today’s foremost researchers and pioneers, bestselling author Joel Garreau shows that we are at a turning point in history. At this moment we are engineering the next stage of human evolution. Through advances in genetic, robotic, information, and nanotechnologies, we are altering our minds, our memories, our metabolisms, our personalities, our progeny–and perhaps our very souls. Radical Evolution reveals that the powers of our comic-book superheroes already exist, or are in development in hospitals, labs, and research facilities around the country–from the revved-up reflexes and speed of Spider-Man and Superman, to the enhanced mental acuity and memory capabilities of an advanced species. Over the next fifteen years, Garreau makes clear in this New York Times Book Club premiere selection, these enhancements will become part of our everyday lives. Where will they lead us? To heaven–where technology’s promise to make us smarter, vanquish illness, and extend our lives is the answer to our prayers? Or, as some argue, to hell–where unrestrained technology brings about the ultimate destruction of our species?

A New York Times bestseller in hardcover, Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker’s We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For was called “stunningly insightful” and “a book that will inspire hope” by Publishers Weekly. Drawing equally on Walker’s spiritual grounding and her progressive political convictions, each chapter concludes with a recommended meditation to teach us patience, compassion, and forgiveness. We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For takes on some of the greatest challenges of our times and in it Walker encourages readers to take faith in the fact that, despite the daunting predicaments we find ourselves in, we are uniquely prepared to create positive change. The hardcover edition of We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For included a national tour that saw standing-room–only crowds and standing ovations. Walker’s clear vision and calm meditative voice—truly “a light in darkness”—has struck a deep chord among a large and devoted readership.