CALAMITY (Uncharted Hearts #1), by Constance Fay

I have often said I am not a fan of romance as an ingredient of my reading choices, but in the case of Calamity I choose to make an exception: for starters, this book received a very positive review from Tammy at Books, Bones and Buffy, and experience taught me that I can always count on her recommendations, and then in her review she used the magic words “Firefly vibes”, which never fail to attract my attention, so I decided to take the proverbial plunge and give this book a chance, and now I’m glad I did.

Temperance “Temper” Reed is the ostracized member of one of the ruling Families that govern this version of the universe and she’s now part of the crew running the scout ship Quest, eking out a precarious existence on the fringes of explored space. When the ship’s captain, who was her secret lover, chooses to abandon the crew to elope with the intern, Temper decides to buy him out and carry on, but it’s easier said than done: the ship is far from new and needs costly repairs, so when the powerful Escajeda family offers the Quest a mission that looks as lucrative as it is shady, she has no other choice but to accept.

There is one condition though, Arcadio Escajeda, the second in line for the family’s rule, will accompany them as added security – and observer. Temper does bristle under this imposition, but only up to a point, because Arcadio is a perfect human specimen who manages to make her hormones act up just as strongly as her annoyance. As the mission progresses and its true objective becomes clear, Temper and the crew will have to deal with aggressive troops from a rival Family and a local group of religious fanatics, while Temper must also battle with her growing attraction to Arcadio, who keeps showing great competence and an unconventional readiness to go out of his way to help them survive.

If I had to use only one word to describe Calamity, without doubt it would be FUN: the balance between the intriguing background, the almost non-stop action and the characterization turns this story into a fast-paced adventure, one that’s imbued with enough humor to effectively counterbalance the inevitable tropes that pepper the narrative. This humor is what made the romance element palatable for me, because the insta-lust plaguing Temper from her first sight of Arcadio is offset by her constant, self-deprecating attitude toward her own impulses: the way she critically observes her reactions turned the inner monologues into amusing asides instead of the annoying navel-gazing that usually plagues this kind of storytelling, and the Greek-chorus-like observations of the other members of the crew added a further layer of playfulness to what might have otherwise been a predictable enemies-to-lovers journey.

The background is an interesting one, a space-faring society ruled by competing Families that look more like crime syndicates than anything else, one where strife can turn deadly as the various groups battle to gain the highest rankings which assure the best margins of profit. Life in a Family sounds like a harrowing kind of existence, one where the slightest deviation from “norm” can lead to banishment – as it happened to Temper: it’s a condition made manifest by a permanent face tattoo that renders the affected individual a persona non grata in the volume of space controlled by the Family of origin and therefore limits their freedom of action. Piece by piece we are made privy to the reason for Temper’s banishment, and the revelation adds several layers to her personality and turns her into a captivating character whose self-mocking humor is the most endearing quality.

The same cannot be said about Arcadio, who gains little depth besides his willingness in helping out the crew of the Quest and his role as the focus for Temper’s attraction, while the rest of the ship’s crew gets a far better treatment and the three of them – Caro, Itzel and Micah – each get some intriguing background story and an important role as the humorous counterpoint to Temper’s growing attachment to their “guest”.

I can honestly say I had a good time with Calamity, and quite appreciated its no-frills entertainment value: it’s refreshing to let oneself enjoy a so-called popcorn read now and then, one that’s able to make us smile, or laugh, while presenting an engaging story that flows smoothly from beginning to end.

My Rating: