The Accidental Highwayman by Ben Tripp Published by Macmillan on October 14th 2014
Pages: 304
Goodreads
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 eighteenth-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 fairy-tale 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. “Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.” —#1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson
My Thoughts:
I picked up an ARC of this book at BEA because it was talked up as similar to Stardust and The Princess Bride. Also, Brandon Sanderson called it a “swashbuckling adventure!” Clearly this book relates to my interests!! Yet it sat on my shelf until I discovered the audiobook was read by Steve West. Steve. West. AKA Sean Kendrick in The Scorpio Races (possibly my favorite audiobook ever!)
I’m so glad I found the audiobook. It was a great way to experience this story. Ben Tripp has created a truly delightful cast of characters and Steve West does an excellent job bringing them to life. It was such fun to hear about their adventures. Kit Bristol (the main character) was written with a really engaging voice. It makes his telling of the tale so enjoyable. I loved that the world as he knew it gets turned on it’s head and we get to learn all about magic and such with him!
I was really glad that I also had a finished copy of the book on hand. I loved the audiobook (Again, Steve West!) but the physical copy of the book contains many illustrations by the author that add to the charm of the story.
This is the type of story that I would love to read aloud with my nephew and nieces. A delightful adventure for all ages!
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