But on a prose level, leaving aside larger context, the second paragraph at least keeps me at the table long enough to be disgusted. The first has me walking away immediately.

Yup, me too.

Huh, I just read a pretty positive review of Midnight Never Come and was thinking of giving it a try because I'm always looking for tolerable Tudor fiction...may I ask what put you off?

I can't really imagine trying to fight or ride a horse.

Yeah! It seems like a small thing, but it's just so basic that it immediately makes me think the author isn't going to think anything else in the book through very carefully.