Worst HF you've ever read

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Thu April 23rd, 2009, 11:21 pm

[quote=""Chatterbox""]As if she hadn't had enough drama in her life, trying to outlive Henry?

Not to mention Marie Antoinette's lost week in Sweden with Axel Fersen, Josephine's bizarre misadventures in the Caribbean and Tatiana's escape from the Ekaterinburg massacre?

She knows better! (Her historical non-fiction is respectable, if not brilliant.) And her writing is solid.[/quote]

Wait -- MA in _Sweden?_ And Tatiana escaping Ekaterinburg? That doesn't make sense at all. Whatever she's smoking, i want some... (just kidding) What kills me is that these tend to be touted as 'brilliant' in the HF market, despite all of the innacuracies and all.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Fri April 24th, 2009, 12:00 am

[quote=""Telynor""]Wait -- MA in _Sweden?_ And Tatiana escaping Ekaterinburg? That doesn't make sense at all. Whatever she's smoking, i want some... (just kidding) What kills me is that these tend to be touted as 'brilliant' in the HF market, despite all of the innacuracies and all.[/quote]

Erickson really bugged me with the Tsarina book (wall banger). I mean WTF is *historical entertainment* anyway?

Telynor · Post by **Telynor** » Fri April 24th, 2009, 4:38 am

[quote=""Misfit""]Erickson really bugged me with the Tsarina book (wall banger). I mean WTF is *historical entertainment* anyway?[/quote]

I suppose that it would fit in with the rest of that lot that writes with modern speaking attitudes and voices with characters in fancy dress and managling history.

I can tolerate some of it in a light romance, if the author is good, but try to push it on me as serious literature and it'll end up in my discard pile soon enough. (Speaking of which, in a month or two, I should be doing my great book giveaway where I clean out my bookshelves. Stay tuned!)

SonjaMarie · Post by **SonjaMarie** » Fri April 24th, 2009, 4:47 am

[quote=""Telynor""]Speaking of which, in a month or two, I should be doing my great book giveaway where I clean out my bookshelves. Stay tuned![/quote]

Ooh can't wait! Last time I got "Nefertiti" by Nick Drake.

SM

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed November 11th, 2009, 2:52 pm

Heh, I was searching for another thread and found this old one. Have to add a couple to the list.

The Woman Who Would Be Pharaoh: A Novel of Ancient Egypt by William Klein

'Ankhesenpaaten pulled his covering hands apart, pointed to his little peeper and filled the room with her laughter. "It looks like a toad! A dead toad!"'

Ankhesenpaaten took hold of his peeper. She held it between her thumb and forefinger as though it was something fished from the Nile. She gave it several quick jerks. "Little toady goes Peep! Peep! Peep!"'

Gaveston by Chris Hunt

"Piers stood in his breeches, a sight to be savoured. There was the firmness of his dark-skinned torso, and his muscular arms; the lean slender belly, the little black curls that showed about the navel. But the breeches! The breeches were tight-fitting, hugging arse and thighs to somewhat above the knee,and trimmed with orphrey, as it is called, Phrygian gold, that same rich embroidery that priests use on holy vestments. Luxurious, sybaritic, sensuous....

I licked my lips. "Unpeel, O blessed one."

The book flew right after that quote

Margaret · Post by **Margaret** » Wed November 11th, 2009, 4:48 pm

Ha! I kind of like that quote from Gaveston. It seems to have a self-mocking over-the-top quality that makes me chuckle. Of course, I'm reading it out of context with the rest of the book.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Wed November 11th, 2009, 4:59 pm

[quote=""Margaret""]Ha! I kind of like that quote from Gaveston. It seems to have a self-mocking over-the-top quality that makes me chuckle. Of course, I'm reading it out of context with the rest of the book.[/quote]

Oh I know it's funny. You guys should be glad the sex is so bad I don't even dare quote it.

Chatterbox · Post by **Chatterbox** » Thu November 12th, 2009, 8:35 pm

I avoid all HR books, typically, because so much of what is normal prose for the genre sounds to me like that Gaveston stuff...

That said, I'll still hang on to sentimental faves, like the Angelique books, or other stuff that I read when I was younger that I now realize is not good reading (and that I prob. wouldn't read if I came across it today). I don't think I'm a snob, it's just that formula fiction bores me witless. But boredom isn't the same as baaaad writing.

emr · Post by **emr** » Thu November 12th, 2009, 9:01 pm

[quote=""Misfit""]
I licked my lips. "Unpeel, O blessed one."

The book flew right after that quote

[/quote]

The peel part does make sense if the breeches are that tight. OMG its hilarious.

diamondlil · Post by **diamondlil** » Mon November 16th, 2009, 1:49 am

Gaveston by Chris Hunt

I licked my lips. "Unpeel, O blessed one."

The book flew right after that quote

[/QUOTE]

I had just about forgotten about the peeling. Now you have reminded me! Thanks...not.