A peak into The Pyramids of London

Gosh, it has been ages since I have done one of these. I am having a hard time remembering how to do this. For Book Beginnings on Friday, hosted by Rose City Reader, here is the beginning of The Pyramids of London by Andrea K Höst ...

Sunlight picked out motes of dust, and burnished mellow wood to match Arianne Seaforth's hair as she strolled through the Southern Nomarch's library. Heavy bookcases jutted from the inner wall, stopping short of the many-paned windows, and Rian walked along a corridor formed by the gap, watching a drama of wind. 

A rope had snapped. The First Minister's airship canted to one side, and then the ballonet bounced, threatening to smash the gondola onto Sheerside House's sweeping back lawn. 

For The Friday 56 hosted at Freda's Voice here is a bit from page 31, since it isn't too spoilery and I haven't gotten much further ...

The vampire she had met bore no resemblance to the Heriath of legend, but Lord Msrah seemed quited certain. 

"I ... am surprised to be alive," Rian managed. 

Obviously I haven't finished the book yet, but it has been pretty interesting so far.  It is a very strange mashup of things - vampires, weather control, airships ... not sure what I think.

Here is the blurb from Amazon if you are interested:

In a world where lightning sustained the Roman Empire, and Egypt's vampiric god-kings spread their influence through medicine and good weather, tiny Prytennia's fortunes are rising with the ships that have made her undisputed ruler of the air.

But the peace of recent decades is under threat. Rome's automaton-driven wealth is waning along with the New Republic's supply of power crystals, while Sweden uses fear of Rome to add to her Protectorates. And Prytennia is under attack from the wind itself. Relentless daily blasts destroy crops, buildings, and lives, and neither the weather vampires nor Prytennia's Trifold Goddess have been able to find a way to stop them.

With events so grand scouring the horizon, the deaths of Eiliff and Aedric Tenning raise little interest. The official verdict is accident: two careless automaton makers, killed by their own construct.

The Tenning children and Aedric's sister, Arianne, know this cannot be true. Nothing will stop their search for what really happened.

Not even if, to follow the first clue, Aunt Arianne must sell herself to a vampire. 

Have a great weekend!