Tempest Cursed

A Wuthering Heights Retelling

By: K.C. Lannon

Narrated by: Fran Burgoyne

On the island of Moon Tithe, where oceanic gods called Deep Dwellers once ruled, a lonely girl and a monstrous boy fell in love.

When spirited 10-year-old Pearl searches for magic and answers after her mother’s presumed drowning, she finds a strange boy named Hake, instead. Raised cruelly by a monster called the Old One, 11-year-old Hake possesses otherworldly powers and has the knowledge Pearl seeks. In exchange for a home, Hake agrees to show her magic. But Hake knows nothing of magic - only that Pearl’s romantic stories of the Deep Dwellers are a lie.

As the two grow into young adults together, both the mysteries they seek to unravel and their romantic feelings for each other become hopelessly entangled. However, Pearl’s father threatens to separate them if they dig too deeply into Tempest’s secrets: a hidden passage, a Deep Dweller cult, and rumors of human sacrifices.

But when the wealthy and kind Lotham family arrives on Moon Tithe, offering Pearl an escape from the secrets that haunt her, her loyalty to Hake is challenged, especially when his monstrous nature is revealed.

Tempest Cursed is a magical, loose retelling of the classic novel Wuthering Heights.

©2020 K.C. Lannon (P)2020 K.C. Lannon

OF TEMPEST AND CURSES

THIS STORY HAS THE POWER TO DRAG YOU IN AND MAKE YOU SINK TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, PEARL IS A YOUNG GIRL WHEN SHE MEETS THE BOY WHO WILL CHANGE HER LIFE FOREVER. THERE BOND OF FIRNDSHIP TURNS INTO SOMETHING MORE WITHIN A FEW YEARS, BUT THERE IS A DARKNESS THAT IS COMING FOR THE BOY, PEARL AND TEMPEST,
WILL THERE LOVE BE STRONG ENOUGH TO WITHSTAND CENTURIES OF LOSS AND DEATH? READ OR LISTEN TO THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! FRAN BURGOYNE DID A FANTASTIC JOB WITH THE NARRATION OF THE STORY AND THE CHARACTERS!

What if Wuthering Heights had scales?

Tempest Cursed was a magical little read. It is a delight on its own but I also appreciate the echoes of Wuthering Heights I found in it. Pearl and Hake are such a precocious team as 10 year olds, rambling around the estate, both along the shore and out on the moor. They come from different backgrounds and while things start off rocky, they do learn from each other and continue to grow closer. I really enjoyed their explorations and simple wonder at the world around them.

The magical realism element of the tale is well done, built into the story as if this little bit of magic is jut as natural as any ill-understood bit of nature. Yet there are these small tidbits of dark woven in as well. The Old One sounds terrifying, and selfish, and hungry. So Hake always has an edge to him, having been raised by this being until the age of 10. Also there’s unraveling the mystery of what happened to Pearl’s mom and her ties to the Deep Dwellers.

Wuthering Heights is one of my favorite classics even though I tend to shy away from most classics, being bored to tears by stuff like Pride and Prejudice. Nope, I like Wuthering Heights because all the characters are messed up. They are mean, small-minded, and petty. Some are outright vicious and yet they still try to lay this coat of civility over it all. Each time I read it, I still find myself rooting for the main characters, seeing how a little kindness here or there might have changed everything for the better.

With that in mind, this story does have echoes of Wuthering Heights but lacks the overall meanness of character that permeates the classic. Pearl is precocious and a bit self-absorbed at times, but she also shows Hake the joy of simply admiring nature, like wee little chicks, instead of eating them or smashing them (which is what his young instincts tell him to do). But then Hake also has his moments when he shines, going out of his way to teach Pearl some of the Deep Dweller magic. Alma also shines with her kindness, helping Hake try to fit in here and there at Tempest Manor.

When the Lothams, and their teen kids Otto and Eleanor, enter the scene, things get more complicated for Pearl and Hake. Of course they are all teens at this point and hormones are starting to run hot and confusing and since there’s only the 4 of them… well, you can guess that the story does slow a bit as these 4 wrestle with romance and society standing and propriety and family secrets and messed up friendships and competing affections and a wee bit of maybe human sacrifice…. The romance doesn’t bog it down too much but, for me, this was the slow part of the tale.

Over all, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a good addition to selkie lore. 4/5 stars.

The Narration: Fran Burgoyne was a perfect fit for this story. She had a great voice for Pearl and I liked her voice for Hake. I especially like how she subtly aged the voices a little as the kids go from 10 to teens. Burgoyne had a variety of voices for all the characters, keeping each one unique. The pacing was good and there were no tech issues with the recording. 5/5 stars.

I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by K.C. Lannon. The gifting of this audiobook did not affect my opinion of it.

Great story!

This was an interesting story. The main characters are relatable and the story keeps you glued to the book. The narrator does a great job telling the story. I look forward to motored books from K.C. Lannon
#TheFlock

Great

Well I have never before read/listened to Withering Heights so I have no idea how close this book comes to being a true retelling. But it does make me want to listen to the original.

I enjoyed this book a lot, not at all what I expected.

The narration was great, the narrator suited the story very well.

🎧AOR🎧

A Wuthering Heights Retelling

Audio Review:
Tempest Cursed: A Wuthering Heights Retelling intrigued me with it being a retelling of a classic. I never actually read the original book so I'm not sure how losely based it is. But i was excited to listen to this one. The story is divided into two parts. First one takes place around pre-teen years (10-11) while the second part takes place during mid-teenage years (15-16). The first half is character driven while part two is plot driven. The fantasy goth romance brings interesting characters merfolk and selkies. However the story itself moved at a slow pace for me and didn't hold my interest as much as I would have liked.

Narrator Fran Burgoyne varies her tone and gives each character individuality. Her performance enhanced the story

🎧 Audiobook Obsession 🎧

Amazing story, great narrator

That given I just want to say how interesting is this story. I am not a fanatic of audiobooks but wow. The narrators accent makes the audiobook so interesting. She has a great voice and control of emotions. It feels like someone is telling you the story. There is only one narrator which helps keep the story interesting. The narrator did an amazing job and it felt like someone reading the story to you. I heard the story in a 1.3 speed. The sound quality is great. There was no music or sound effects. This was a positive experience and I would recommend it to everyone. The story is interesting and different. It was well written and easily capture. I don’t think I would have thought of a better way to hear the story then as an audiobook.

classic with a bit of a spin

Come find yourself lost in a world and in a motherless girl and her parentless friend, Hake. Watch as they grow from children to a young adults and searches for answers to mysteries that lay beyond. I would say this was entertaining, consuming at times, fantastical at times, sweet, cruel, and more. The dynamics were there. The push and pull eviden. The truths hidden but right there.

There was something about Fran's voice that made the connection between the classic Wuthering Heights (era) and the fantasy of the Tempest Curse and the island moon. I could feel the beauty of the time and the whimsical darkness of the genre. Things flowed and felt cohesive.

Original twist on old tales

This is the first book I have read/listened to by this author and I would listen to another. I think this was a creative story. It is not face paced or action-packed. It’s an interesting twist on the mermaid, selkie and old beliefs. ———

This is the first book I have listened to by this narrator ( Fran Burgoyne ) and I would happily listen to another. She performs this book, not just reads. I love the voice she gave Hake. She varies the accents and gives each character individuality. Her style helped draw me into the book and carried it along when it seemed the story was slower. ———

There are no sex scenes, descriptive violence, or swearing. ———

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and voluntarily left this unbiased review.
Please feel free to comment on whether you found my review helpful.

Story 4/5
Narration 5/5