Ben Tripp’s “The Accidental Highwayman” is written “in the tradition of class fairy-tale fantasies,” but I would say it’s more of a fantasy to believe that this novel would be viewed in the same light as the fairy tales we have grown to love, such as “The Princess Bride.” It never makes it close to those stories that keep us engaged and excited, because there is a lack of depth to the characters and plot. Instead, Tripp attempts to produce a story with similar elements of magic, love and heroic acts, but does so in a mediocre way, with nothing new to add. We know what to expect based on the genre and how the story is told, but we find little else to make a distinction between this novel, and anything we have read before.
The Accidental Highwayman
Ben Tripp
Tor Teen
$17.99
Set in 18th century Britain, the novel follows the story of Kit Bristol, a servant to highwayman “Whistling Jack,” who is infamous for his gambling and unethical tactics. Kit serves loyally to his master, when one day, to his surprise, his master returns home bleeding from a fatal wound, a result of gunshots from those attempting to catch the dangerous highwayman. Kit’s reaction to the death of his master is one of a weak and fearful young man who is confused and lost, while attempting to plan an escape. Kit is on a quest, accompanied by his horse Midnight, to rescue a mysterious princess who is caught in an arranged marriage. His journey takes him through a magical series of events filled with fairies, a circus, a witch and numerous dangerous acts that call for a refreshing and heroic protagonist. Kit has some heroic qualities, so it’s fairly easy to side with him through his various trials, but overall, it’s not enough to add much dimension to the story itself, or offer anything new to a traditional fairy tale.
Despite being the novel’s protagonist, Kit also serves as a major weakness because of his youth. We root for him because he is nice, not because he does much to deserve our support or acts like a courageous hero. He regularly appears as the stereotypical hero of any good fairy tale, failing to add any dimension to his type. This lack of innovation has been a conscious choice meant to put a satirical twist on the entirety of the novel, but I’m not going to give Tripp that much credit, particularly while he is targeting a young adult audience. Young readers want to walk away with something new and exciting towards a genre they love, and I’m not certain a satire will accomplish that.
The relationship between Princess Morgana and Kit is enjoyable, but there isn’t enough interaction between the two characters to make up for what’s lacking in the rest of the plot. This makes it difficult to support the love between both characters, because readers cannot truly grasp the dynamic between the two of them. Their love doesn’t fully develop into anything that shifts or changes the story, though, in a fairy tale, that’s typically what readers want a love story to accomplish. More interaction between the two of them could have made up for weaker elements in the novel. However, Morgana is definitely a redeemable character in the novel — she is strong and adds excitement to their relationship, given her admirable qualities of strength and courage, but unfortunately, her characterization doesn’t drastically alter the way the story moves.
It’s fair to say that a young adult novel can get away with a few stupid scenes or conflicts that are frankly just a result of misfortune. However, regardless of who this novel is directed toward, I would have liked more of a build up of conflict, where we question the emotions of the characters that we are rooting for and understand Kit’s relationships to those around him. Some secondary characters were occasionally dropped into the story, but overall added very little to the resolution.
Some may say this novel can stand alone, regardless of its similarities to “The Princess Bride,” but it can’t simply because there isn’t anything that keeps readers fully engaged with and dedicated to its plot or its characters. Tripp uses a dialect similar to eighteenth century speech, which is mixed with some degree of humor and lightness as an attempt to find balance. I doubt a young reader will finish the book and say “I appreciate the wit and modern humor woven through the old language in this novel.” They want an engaging and moving story and there isn’t anything humorous about a fairy tale that lacks those elements.
Critics describe this book as “fun,” and in some ways, there are fun elements to the work, but within that, there must be substance that allows for readers of all ages to stay engaged in the story. I’m not sure this novel does anything close to that, because through moments of long descriptions and limited character growth, there isn’t much left to look for, and while looking, I doubt you’ll find anything. Even if Tripp intentionally created a series of clichés as a way to exaggerate all elements of a fairy tale for the sake of humor and wit, there still needs to be something distinguishable for a young audience, considering the humor may or may not go over their heads.
All in all, if you are looking for a heart-warming fairy tale and find yourself reading this book, it’s safe to assume that decision was entirely accidental.