The Velocipede Races

February 1, 2016
Cycle racing is the sport and pastime of the city of Seren, and Emmeline Escot, 18, has never wanted anything other than to race. As an upper-class woman of Seren, however, she is supposed to lead a life so sheltered that it would be unthinkable for her even to attend the races as a spectator (which she does, disguised as a boy). Street’s debut follows Emmeline into the unexpected freedom allowed her by a marriage of convenience, as she schemes to find the time, money, and equipment to practice in secret. She is aided by her twin brother, Gabriel, an unprepossessing professional racer upon whom her family’s fortunes depend, and whose distaste for his career is almost as great as his sister’s desire for it. The plot turns are predictable, and the sometimes hard-to-follow descriptions of races may not enthrall readers to the same degree they do Emmeline. The characters are engaging, though, and the book’s social message regarding gender equality is laudable, if unsubtle. Ages 13–up.

Starred review from January 1, 2016

Street (Secret Room; The Painted Dog and Other Stories) sets her delightful steampunk fantasy (first self-published in 2014) in an imaginary city with social mores and a class system akin to that in Victorian England. Emmeline Escot, born to a noble but impoverished family, trains in secret with her twin brother Gabriel, who competes in the city races to secure the family's finances. Women are prohibited from racing velocipedes and women of rank aren't even allowed to watch the sport, but Emmeline knows she was born to race and vows to find a way. A corset accident leads to her marriage to a wealthy velocipede manufacturer, but she won't trust her new husband with her secret life. When Gabriel is injured in a race, Emmeline takes his place on the track, too excited to care about the consequences. VERDICT The action builds slowly as the reader is acquainted with the details of Street's carefully created society and the mechanics of cycling. Then the story bursts into a final lap with dramatic suspense. You don't have to be a fan of fantasy or sf to enjoy these exuberant characters and their intriguing times.--Catherine Lantz, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.

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