In-Depth Review of "Ruthless" by Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara

So this week Ed Calkins, Steward of Tara, got his first review on Amazon for his first novel, Ruthless, so I sent a link to Ed and Nancy Calkins.

Nancy messaged me back and said she "printed it out for Edward." And then she added, "The only problem is I have to live with him now.. he’s ruthlessly pompous."

I reminded her that the slowing down of sales will humble him. But then she replied, "Remember, he's ruthless. No humilty there."

Here is the review. And, honestly, I think the reviewer did a terrific job of summing up this novel of literary nonsense.

And just so you know, the reviewer is someone who has never met Ed. This person has written other wonderful lauds about the series and I often refer to this person as my "super fan."

Just so you know.

Below is a photo of the real Ed at the real post office, mailing copies of Ruthless to the three people who won them at his virtual book release party, which was held on Calkins Day (Feb. 13), of course.

5.0 out of 5 stars Ruthless is a magical, mystical kingdom where time has no meaning and nothing is real

Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2021

Verified Purchase

Ruthless by Edward Calkins isn’t at all what I was expecting - it was much better and far deeper. There are so many inferences and so much meaning packed between the lines that you’ll obsessively read it two or three times to catch the fine points.

 

The novel is a 400-page backstory to the Bryony Trilogy by Denise Baran Unland - one of my favorite tales. The Bryony Trilogy features Ed Calkins - the author of Ruthless and the protagonist in the book - a very unique take.

 

In the trilogy, Calkins was a benevolent presence in an otherwise dark, terrifying world. He played the role of a limerick-loving Irish vampire who appeared *POOF* as if by magic, throughout the trilogy. He was part fool and part sage, and I wanted to know more about this interesting character.

 

Happily, Calkins wrote Ruthless, where he gets to tell his own story while weaving the continuous thread of Bryony - not a simple task. His interpretation of characters and situations from the trilogy made me question what I believed I understood.

 

Make no mistake, Ruthless will tempt you into reading the Bryony Trilogy (and you should), But, it’s also a fine standalone novel.

 

What makes Ruthless a masterpiece is the “love story” between Calkins and his alter-ego, Trudy. His character development is impressive. Trudy is painted with such a loving brush that you’ll feel you know her. Short, chubby and though not traditionally beautiful, she has haunting gray eyes that beckon and a weariness of soul that makes her so very human and fallible.

 

My favorite chapter, “The Game of My Life” touches on how Calkins met Trudy in a group for awkward teens. Trudy was sexually abused by her father. Calkins was molested by Fr. John Chokey. Trudy copes with her pain with sex, booze, drugs and cynicism. Calkins withdraws into his imagination, where he is Steward of Tara - ruthless and feared.

 

To win Trudy’s affection, Calkins competes in a chess game with another awkward teen named Malcolm. One of the most heartbreaking scenes is when Calkins wins the game but appears to lose Trudy. Winning isn’t always winning - it’s a lesson he revisits throughout the book.

 

Trudy’s personality is so powerful that she sometimes steals the show. At times, I envisioned Trudy as spectral - not the real Trudy, but a composite of the real Trudy and the one living in Calkins' fertile imagination. This was especially evident when Trudy attends Calkins’ wake. Though she interacts with the family, friends and coworkers, she’s sepia-hued - she doesn’t quite belong, It was jarring and effective and quite brilliant.

 

On the supernatural side of things, mirrors are portals. The author uses mirrors to speak his deepest thoughts to Trudy from far away. Monsters find him through mirrors and he escapes through mirrors. He travels to the lands of the fey, where he is again The Steward of Tara. Through mirrors he transcends time and space, bending them to his will - escaping to a certain level of purgatory where the evil ones are powerless. And maybe there he can finally comprehend evil.

 

Ruthless is cleverly written. Since the name of the author and protagonist are one in the same, it’s easy to believe the book is - at least in part - autobiographical. What's reality? What's not? Here's a clue, nothing is real.