The Accidental Highwayman: Being the Tale of Kit Bristol, His Horse Midnight, a Mysterious Princess, and Sundry Magical Persons Besides Audiobook

Quotes

• “Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.”

  — Brandon Sanderson, #1 New York Times bestselling author

• “Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their ‘opposites attract’ romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot….Fantasy readers, especially fans of Catherynne Valente’s work, will enjoy the author’s elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.”

  — School Library Journal (starred review)

• “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.”

  — Publishers Weekly

• “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

• “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 goodnatured 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

• “Hold onto the reins as narrator Steve West delivers this tale of daring deeds and magical exploits past…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.”

  — AudioFile

• 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

• 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.

  — Publishers Weekly

• 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

• Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their ‘opposites attract' romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot…. Fantasy readers, especially fans of Catherynne Valente's work, will enjoy the author's elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.

  — School Library Journal, Starred Review

• “Delightful and charming. A swashbuckling adventure in the vein of Robert Louis Stevenson.

  — #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson