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The Accidental Highwayman

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

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

The Accidental Highwayman is the first swashbuckling adventure for young adults by talented author and illustrator, Ben Tripp.
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 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

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  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Hold onto the reins as narrator Steve West delivers this tale of daring deeds and magical exploits past. Freed in a game of chance from his indenture to a travelling show, young Kit Bristol becomes the sole and faithful servant to an unconventional master. West employs a BBC accent, which is appropriate for an eighteenth-century manservant. It is Kit's loyalty (combined with excellent riding skills and quick thinking) that engenders his unlikely and unexpected transformation into famed highwayman Whistling Jack, who must rescue a princess from an enchanted coach. For a story told as retrospective, West conveys a contemplative mood but doesn't forsake the breathlessness of adventure. He creates unique voices for the princess; tightrope walker Lily; senile Uncle Cornelius; and fairies Willum and Gruntle. L.T. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      September 1, 2014
      Adult author Tripp (the Rise Again books) makes a memorable YA debut with a fanciful historical adventure set in 18th-century England, first in a trilogy. Sixteen-year-old former horse-trick rider Kit Bristol is shocked to learn that his playboy master is secretly the infamous masked highwayman Whistling Jack, whom Kit discovers dying after being double-crossed. When Kit attempts to go for help, he’s mistaken for Whistling Jack and forced to flee from authorities and rivals alike. As Kit undertakes his master’s mandate to free the faerie Princess Morgana before she’s forced into an unwelcome marriage, he and the princess are bound together by fate and circumstance. Accumulating a motley assemblage of allies, including a senile ringmaster and an amiable baboon, Kit and friends attempt to make their way to safety in Ireland. While the journey isn’t quick, it never grows tedious—danger, magic, and intrigue wait at every turn. Tripp infuses his story with whimsy, humor, and derring-do, and his miniature spot illustrations and handful of lovely full-page pieces add to the overall charm. Ages 12–up. Agent: Kirby Kim,
      William Morris Endeavor.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • Lexile® Measure:950
  • Text Difficulty:5-6

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