The Accidental Highwayman

Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, a Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides

By: Ben Tripp

Narrated by: Steve West

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator Ben Tripp. This thrilling tale of dark magic and true love is the perfect story for fans of William Goldman’s The Princess Bride. In 18th-century England, young Christopher "Kit" Bristol is the unwitting servant of notorious highwayman Whistling Jack. One dark night, Kit finds his master bleeding from a mortal wound, dons the man’s riding cloak to seek help, and changes the course of his life forever. Mistaken for Whistling Jack and on the run from redcoats, Kit is catapulted into a world of magic and wonders he thought the stuff of fairy tales. Bound by magical law, Kit takes up his master’s quest to rescue a rebellious fairy princess from an arranged marriage to King George III of England. But his task is not an easy one, for Kit must contend with the feisty Princess Morgana, gobling attacks, and a magical map that portends his destiny: as a hanged man upon the gallows…. Fans of classic fairytale fantasies such as Stardust by Neil Gaiman and will find much to love in this irresistible YA debut by Ben Tripp, the son of one of America’s most beloved illustrators, Wallace Tripp (Amelia Bedelia). Following in his father's footsteps, Ben has woven illustrations throughout the story.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2014 Ben Tripp (P)2014 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

2015, Junior Library Guild Selection

2014, School Library Best Books of the Year

2015, Audie Award Finalist

2015, YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults

2015, ALA Best Books for Young Adults

2014, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Guide to the 100 Best Books of the Year

“Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson

“Spells, wishes and fantastical creatures aside, this rollicking yarn owes more to R.L. Stevenson than J.K. Rowling. Kit's wry voice provides a fine pastiche of old-fashioned tale-telling… enlivened by breakneck pacing, colorful similes and a sly wit aimed at modern sensibilities…. Kit himself is as brave, clever and good-natured an orphan lad as ever buckled a swash. The promise of more adventures to come provides happily-ever-after enough. They can still write 'em like they used to; hurrah!” —Kirkus Reviews

“Tripp builds a richly imagined fantasy world, captured both in Kit's dry, witty first-person narrative and Tripp's detailed illustrations. The complex political machinations… make for a compelling and quietly sinister background thrum that builds until the exciting concluding battle, which handily leaves room for more adventures in the planned trilogy. Fans of classic adventure will find plenty to like here.” —Booklist

Wonderful, clean fun. GREAT read!

This was a great story...cannot wait to read more from this author. Character development is good for the main characters...very likeable, too. The story moves right from the beginning and will keep children interested.

Great Story

It slows down at times, but all in all, a great storyline and immense world.

Magical

It was a winding path of uncertainty with dips and bumps along the way, in the end I wouldn't have it any other way.

great fun

Would you listen to The Accidental Highwayman again? Why?

Love the touching exciting story.beautiful language read with gusto.young man and brave princess rise to greatness.

Entertaining

The author explains that Happy Times aren't worth reading about but I wish he'd put more of that in. I enjoyed the puppet shows and wish he had put more of that in. It is nice light reading.

I recommend to young readers that enjoyed the circus performance where the hero did trick riding on a horse might be interested in the book Sawdust in His Shoes by Eleanor Jarvis MacGraw

Narrator sounds like the pompus guy in Fresh Meat

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Maybe a less distracting narrator, or if I had never watched the show Fresh Meat. Definitely if it had more emotion or moved a little faster.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

I liked the few moments when I questioned what was going on and it was actually answered in a timely fashion. His interactions with the horse were fun, too.

What didn’t you like about Steve West’s performance?

He sounded like the pompous posh jerk J.P. (Jack Whitehall) from the show Fresh Meat. I just could not hear him as anyone else and it really ruined the character for me.

What character would you cut from The Accidental Highwayman?

I can't even decide which character to cut because I couldn't find any sort of attachment to any of them except for maybe the horse... I can't even explain why.