Fires to Come
Series,  Short Stories

Fires to Come

Fires to Come 

Fires to Come is the latest short story to be checked off my to be read list. It is the fourth in a seven part series. I love a good short story before bed at night. 

Short stories are things that can be read in a single day, there is no playing the “just one more chapter” game while gambling with the amount of sleep I’ll get. It is something I can do instead of mindlessly scrolling social media, and when I take a break from working to get up and move around. That is what I love the most about short stories. 

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Have you read Fires to Come? Come on in and let me tell you about it! 

Fires to Come
Fires to Come

About Fires to Come 

In early twentieth-century New York City, a young woman torn between two cultures must choose where her loyalties lie in a gripping short story by New York Times Bestselling author Asha Lemmie.

Abandoned as an infant and raised by protective, if secretive, Italian parents, Carlotta has never quite fit in her own life as the only Black person in her neighborhood. Even when she ventures to Harlem, where jazz, community, and a man’s love await her, she doesn’t feel fully at home. But when the dynamics in her adoptive family shift, and her role grows more tenuous, Carlotta has to decide where she belongs—no matter the threats or the price that must be paid.

Asha Lemmie’s Fires to Come is part of Blaze, a collection of short stories about incendiary women across the decades who dare to defy convention. They can be read or listened to in one sitting.

Thoughts on Fires to Come 

I fully expected to thoroughly enjoy this story. A woman behind the mob. Sadly, it fell incredibly flat for me. 

This story was all about a woman knowing her place, and not overstepping. She didn’t fit into either world she came from, and doesn’t actively try to embrace either one. It feels like she is too scared to pick a direction and go for it. Instead, she hides behind her Italian family and their protection of her. 

This story felt more like it was meant to remind women to know their place and stay there instead of showing that well behaved women don’t make history. 

This is easily my least favorite story in this series so far. 

Final Thoughts on Fires to Come 

I found myself really annoyed by the ending of this story. It was just sort of over and done. It felt rushed and unfinished. Like when you write a letter and then run out of paper, so you rush to say goodbye and end it. That is what this felt like to me. 

I’m calling it a 2 star read, as it just fell too flat for me. I disliked all of the characters, it was rushed, and I simply wasn’t a fan. I found myself annoyed when it was over, and it felt like I had wasted my time reading it. 

Fires to Come may have been more successful as a full novel, where there was more room to bring home the idea that well behaved women rarely make history, where the author had room to write a much more complete story, and to develop the characters into being memorable. 

Discussion 

Have you read Fires to Come or any other writing from Asha Lemmie? Are you a fan? Let me know your thoughts in the comments! 

About the Author 

Asha Lemmie is the New York Times Bestselling Author of Fifty Words For Rain. After graduating from Boston College with a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing, she relocated to New York City where she worked in book publishing. Asha writes historical fiction that focuses on bringing unique perspectives to life. In normal times, she divides her time between New York, London, and Kyoto.

Fires to Come
Fires to Come author Asha Lemmie

Purchasing Fires to Come 

If you are interested in buying the audiobook version of Fires to Come, click here.

Click here for the Kindle version.

Click here for my favorite Kindle I currently own.

More in the Blaze Series 

Did you enjoy my review of Fires to Come? Ready for more in this series? Here are my favorites! 

Amelia’s Shadow 

The June Paintings 

The Forgotten Chapter 

Fires to Come 

Tune in Tomorrow 

Fallen Grace 

Barriers to Entry 

Amazon Notice 

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Fires to Come
Fires to Come

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