The Accidental Highwayman

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.

September 1, 2014
Spells, wishes and fantastical creatures aside, this rollicking yarn owes more to R.L. Stevenson than J.K. Rowling. While the aging George II rules Britain, young Kit Bristol enjoys respectability as a gentleman's servant, a step up from his past as a wandering circus trick-rider-until his mortally wounded master reveals himself as a notorious highwayman and bequeaths to Kit his magnificent horse, his golden sword, the ferocious enmity of the law and a mysterious mission to kidnap a runaway Faerie princess. Soon, Kit (along with a mad impresario, two fair damsels, the horse Midnight, the baboon Fred, and a brace of wee glowing feyin) is up to his ears in intrigue, disguises and daring escapes, pursued by the armies of two kings, a foul duchess and "[g]oblings and trolls and whatnot." Kit's wry voice provides a fine pastiche of old-fashioned tale-telling, slightly hampered by the sprinkling of didactic footnotes but enlivened by breakneck pacing, colorful similes and a sly wit aimed at modern sensibilities. While the lovely Princess Morgana, alas, does little but look pretty, act feisty and need rescuing, the rest of the characters are delightfully over-the-top, and 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! (Fantasy. 12-18)

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Starred review from September 1, 2014

Gr 6 Up-Tripp explains that this story of Kit Bristol, accidental highwayman from the mid-18th century, turned up in his ancestor's sea chest. Orphan and trick rider, Kit works for James Rattle, whose mysterious nocturnal activities lead to a bloody death. Kit obeys his master's last instructions, pulling back the curtain on a magical world that lives alongside his own. Kit must help fairy princess Morgana defy her father and escape marriage to King George III of England. As they journey to Ireland's free Faerie state, they pick up a circus performer, a baboon, and a mildly delusional elderly gentleman to round out their motley crew. Fairy attacks from Morgana's enemies impede their progress until they decide to form a carnival show to hide in plain sight. Humorous mayhem ensues. It is difficult not to be entertained by Kit's first person narration that blends historical detail with the antics of the fairy kingdom. Tripp ably conveys the protagonist's subtle sense of the ridiculous through his many mishaps, and conversations between magical creatures and uninformed mortals add to the book's humor. Readers will root for star-crossed lovers, Kit and Morgana, and delight in their "opposites attract" romance, drawn onward by a rollicking plot. Informative footnotes occasionally pull readers out of the story, though they dwindle as the story progresses. Tripp's detailed black-and-white illustrations are worth a second look. Fantasy readers, especially fans of Cathrynne Valente's work, will enjoy the author's elegant turns of phrase. A first purchase for all fantasy collections.-Caitlin Augusta, Stratford Library Association, CT

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 Kit Bristol, formerly a circus trick rider, is the manservant to Master Rattle, an odd gentleman who is rumored to be a highway bandit. One night, after Rattle returns home wounded, with the authorities on his case, Kit escapes on his employer's horse. In a flash, Kit is mistaken for Whistling Jack, Rattle's criminal alias, and recruited to finish Rattle's last mission. That would be plenty for clever Kit, but his boss was involved in far more than highway robbery. Soon, Kit rescues a fairy princess, uncovers a scheme to link human and fairy worlds, and finds himself pursued by pixies. 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 occasionally get lost in the bustle of Kit's life on the run, but it makes 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)