Help me identify this horrible book

Cafe Society
#1

The book-burning thread reminded me of a book that was just awful and I wanted to list it but my mind has blocked it from me (for my own good, no doubt.)

The things I remember:

• Various people getting killed in a ritualistic way, and the cops looking into it.

• Something about a bunch of stewardesses going to the Special Stewardess Apartments or something. I think one of them ended up getting killed.

• Various satanic things.

• Aztec gods (Quetzalcoatl, I believe)

• Some magical dual on the roof of a building

• it may have been in New Mexico

Ring any bells?

#2

Sounds like Matthew Reilly, but I don’t know if he’s ever written a book like that.

#3

It sounds to me like the Brady Bunch gone all wrong.

#4

Are you sure it wasn’t one of the “Turbulence” movies?

#5

It was a book and I think the author was female.

#6

For this I register and emerge from lurkdom :slight_smile:

It sounds like Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey. One of the Diana Tregarde series? It’s not quite as awful as some of her other books, but the series did apparently bring her a truckload of trouble, with insane fans and whatnot.

#7

THAT’S IT!!! Oh man, that was the worst book I’ve EVER read. The writing was just awful and the story pathetic. Read it if you get a chance, just so you can gawp in wonder at its wretchedness.

#8

Oh yeah, and welcome from lurkdom, and I’m awfully flattered that it was for li’l ol’ me :slight_smile:

#9

Ah…Diana Tregarde. The series that drew the loonies out of the woodwork.

There’s a whole, long, sordid story involved, with fans declaring themselves mystic guardians and stalking Misty Lackey to the point where she just hung up the whole series.

#10

So should I avoid her as an author? Is her other stuff as bad as this tripe?

#11

On the other hand . . .

#12

also:

Thoughts on the whole Mercedes Lackey thing

#13

Arrrggghhhhh!
I feel sorry for Ms. Lackey about the troubles this has brought her and all. I’m going to have to look this one up (my wife is a big ML fan, but I don’t think she’s read this series). But here’s what really troubles me:

– Despite the negative comments on this Board, 15 people wrote in to Amazon.com giving this book 4 or 5 stars.

– The Book is 83,000 on the Amazon Hit Parade

– ML herself says the book “isn’t selling well”, and she’s not going to do any more in the series.
Meanwhile I’m down about 330,000 on the Amazon list, I got four comments (one really bad). I’m a miserable failure.

#14

They are probably ML fans, who would rate her book well regardless of what it was really like.

The book is asinine.

#15

Woohoo, I guessed right!

I actually really liked the book. I was also 15. (For real, it did give me a good grounding in Aztec mythology, but I don’t recommend it.)

If you think that was asinine, check out her later Valdemar stuff, particularly from the late 90’s. Speeyackalicious.

#16

All the magical crap on the roof was what totally ended all doubt for me that it was the Lamest. Book. Ever.

#17

I don’t know. I don’t remember the title of the book, but I definitely remember reading a novel when I was a teenager in which Quetzalcoatl was a giant gila monster in the modern-day Southwest.

Then again, I haven’t read any Diana Tregarde books (or late 90s Valdemar), so I can’t compare.

I understand Misty’s writing slid downhill when she started letting her hubby Larry Dixon collaborate with her…

#18

CalMeacham, Did you check out what book your bad reviewer loved? ‘Crazy Quilt Stitches’ ROFLMAO

Your book was probably a wee bit over her head. Reminds me of a GeorgeBernardShaw quote:
If the lesser mind could measure the greater as a foot-rule can measure a pyramid, there would be finality in universal suffrage. As it is, the political problem remains unsolved.

  • GBS was harping on the failure of democracy to work, and how the problem is a trade-off between the incompetent many and the corrupt few.