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The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections
A young food taster to the Traitor King must make a difficult choice in this story of pastries, magic, and revenge. The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections is a Tor.com Original from fantasy author Tina Connolly.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
30 pages, ebook
First published July 11, 2018
About the author
Tina Connolly
65 books464 followersTina Connolly's books include the Ironskin trilogy (Tor), the Seriously Wicked series (Tor Teen), the collection On the Eyeball Floor (Fairwood Press), and the Choose Your Own Adventure Glitterpony Farm. She has been a finalist for the Hugo, Nebula, Norton, and World Fantasy awards. She co-hosts the science fiction podcast Escape Pod, runs the intermittent flash fiction podcast Toasted Cake, and is at tinaconnolly.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
February 26, 2019
Nebula nominee for best novelette in 2018! 4.5 stars for this excellent Tor fantasy story, free online here at Tor.com. Review first posted on Fantasy Literature:
Saffron is one of the official food tasters for Duke Michal, the regent for an infant prince. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Duke, who everyone calls the Evil King, plans to usurp the throne in the near future. But meanwhile he and his soldiers have terrorized the entire kingdom, murdering or imprisoning those who try to stand against them. They’ve also kidnapped Saffron’s husband Danny, a gifted pastry baker, because of his ability to magically infuse his confections with the ability to evoke memories. Now the royal pastry chef, Danny is confined to his kitchens, not permitted to see or even communicate with Saffron.
Saffron offered to take any job at the palace, just to be closer to Danny. The Duke has made her the Confection Taster, doubtless thinking that if Danny has any plan to try to poison the Duke, he’ll have to poison his wife as well. Now there’s an immense royal banquet, including several courses of Danny’s magical pastries that Saffron tastes before anyone else. Saffron begins to surmise, from the memories the different pastries bring to her mind, that Danny has some kind of plan, but what is it?
“The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections” is well-crafted and wondrous. All of the pieces fit together so well, with just the right amount of foreshadowing. There are numerous flashbacks, when Saffron is recalling the memories that Danny’s pastries evoke in her, with these sections of the story titled after the charming names of the pastries, like “Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth” and “Rose-Pepper Shortbread of Sweetness Lost.”
This story has deeper elements as well; the twin themes of the need to fight against tyrants, and the temptation to leave those battles to others when you and yours are safe and comfortable, are woven in without becoming overbearing. I do wonder just a little about the linchpin concept of the story: But that’s a minor quibble; overall I highly recommend this read.
Saffron is one of the official food tasters for Duke Michal, the regent for an infant prince. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Duke, who everyone calls the Evil King, plans to usurp the throne in the near future. But meanwhile he and his soldiers have terrorized the entire kingdom, murdering or imprisoning those who try to stand against them. They’ve also kidnapped Saffron’s husband Danny, a gifted pastry baker, because of his ability to magically infuse his confections with the ability to evoke memories. Now the royal pastry chef, Danny is confined to his kitchens, not permitted to see or even communicate with Saffron.
Saffron offered to take any job at the palace, just to be closer to Danny. The Duke has made her the Confection Taster, doubtless thinking that if Danny has any plan to try to poison the Duke, he’ll have to poison his wife as well. Now there’s an immense royal banquet, including several courses of Danny’s magical pastries that Saffron tastes before anyone else. Saffron begins to surmise, from the memories the different pastries bring to her mind, that Danny has some kind of plan, but what is it?
“The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections” is well-crafted and wondrous. All of the pieces fit together so well, with just the right amount of foreshadowing. There are numerous flashbacks, when Saffron is recalling the memories that Danny’s pastries evoke in her, with these sections of the story titled after the charming names of the pastries, like “Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth” and “Rose-Pepper Shortbread of Sweetness Lost.”
This story has deeper elements as well; the twin themes of the need to fight against tyrants, and the temptation to leave those battles to others when you and yours are safe and comfortable, are woven in without becoming overbearing. I do wonder just a little about the linchpin concept of the story: But that’s a minor quibble; overall I highly recommend this read.
June 24, 2020
She knows already that there is something special about this moment. It is the sort of memory you recall for years after. A moment when the world changed around you. A moment etched with both beauty and loss, a moment that you leave behind as you move away from it, a moment you can never reach again.
Except, with what Danny has now made, perhaps you can.
this one's really strong - all the 'imaginative food magic' of Like Water for Chocolate, all the 'poetic justice for tyrants' of ... so many things. a baker whose secret ingredient triggers fuguelike states in all who eat it, during which they are transported into one of their memories as real as waking life, is essentially imprisoned and forced to serve as the pastry chef at the pleasure of the cruel regent to the throne. his wife volunteers to become the regent's confection taster, to prevent any poisonings and whatnot, and although the couple are not allowed to see each other, they communicate through his creations and the specific memories they invoke in her. and food, especially magical food, can say a lot.
excellent free short and a good way to start your day. SHORT REVIEWS FOR SHORT SHORTS!!!
read it for yourself here:
https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
come to my blog!
August 18, 2024
Taste, and its sensory twin, smell, can conjure long-forgotten memories more mysteriously and profoundly than sights, sounds, and touch can, yet flavours and aromas are harder to describe (unless you’re a sommelier or parfumier). Or maybe they’re so powerful because they’re so hard to describe.
This delicious fable feels like a folktale.
(What do folktales taste of, I wonder?)
The menu includes:
• Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth
• Fennel Flatbread of Sunlit Days Gone By
• Rose-Pepper Shortbread of Sweetness Lost
• Lemon Tart of Profound Regret
• Bitter Chocolate of Agony Observed
For those who eat them, these carefully-crafted “Temporal Confections” kindle memories, smuggle a message, and trigger a journey - a more profound and potentially vengeful one than from Hansel and Gretel’s crumbs.
“A memory can be directed, a little, if the eater has practice… that moment trapped in time like a fly in amber.”
Image: Fossilised fly in Baltic amber (Source)
“Not all customers can be helped with a fennel-bright flatbread, a happy moment. There are many who need a more profound searching into their past.”
And not everyone deserves to relive their best moments.
You can read the story HERE. And you should.
The taste of my memories
Three memories rolled around my palette as, and just after, I read:
• A favourite tale of my child’s was Sanji and the Baker. I recalled the warmth of freshly-baked bread and of a toddler on my lap, as well as Korky Paul’s swirling art. See my illustrated review HERE.
• Eating “dans le noir”: a pitch-black restaurant, where it’s remarkably hard to identify food by flavour and smell alone. See my review of Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion, HERE.
• My mother is a good cook, except mince (minced/ground beef). Tonight, she mentioned she’s “enjoying experimenting with mince”. I shuddered, laughed, and texted my brother, who replied, “Gosh, that sounds alarming!”. He remembers, and like me, he can probably taste it again.
Image: These floral cupcakes, with different flavours for different people and moods, conjure very special memories for me.
Sometimes there’s no need for codes, keys, passwords, transcription, or symbols to send a message that awakens a memory: food can do it.
This delicious fable feels like a folktale.
(What do folktales taste of, I wonder?)
The menu includes:
• Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth
• Fennel Flatbread of Sunlit Days Gone By
• Rose-Pepper Shortbread of Sweetness Lost
• Lemon Tart of Profound Regret
• Bitter Chocolate of Agony Observed
For those who eat them, these carefully-crafted “Temporal Confections” kindle memories, smuggle a message, and trigger a journey - a more profound and potentially vengeful one than from Hansel and Gretel’s crumbs.
“A memory can be directed, a little, if the eater has practice… that moment trapped in time like a fly in amber.”
Image: Fossilised fly in Baltic amber (Source)
“Not all customers can be helped with a fennel-bright flatbread, a happy moment. There are many who need a more profound searching into their past.”
And not everyone deserves to relive their best moments.
You can read the story HERE. And you should.
The taste of my memories
Three memories rolled around my palette as, and just after, I read:
• A favourite tale of my child’s was Sanji and the Baker. I recalled the warmth of freshly-baked bread and of a toddler on my lap, as well as Korky Paul’s swirling art. See my illustrated review HERE.
• Eating “dans le noir”: a pitch-black restaurant, where it’s remarkably hard to identify food by flavour and smell alone. See my review of Jeanette Winterson’s The Passion, HERE.
• My mother is a good cook, except mince (minced/ground beef). Tonight, she mentioned she’s “enjoying experimenting with mince”. I shuddered, laughed, and texted my brother, who replied, “Gosh, that sounds alarming!”. He remembers, and like me, he can probably taste it again.
Image: These floral cupcakes, with different flavours for different people and moods, conjure very special memories for me.
Sometimes there’s no need for codes, keys, passwords, transcription, or symbols to send a message that awakens a memory: food can do it.
March 26, 2019
The Traitor King gets his just desserts! Sweet retribution. This novelette was a Nebula Awards Finalist in 2018!
August 16, 2024
I sat at a tyrant king’s banqueting table as an uninvited and unseen guest. The menu is unusual. Apparently, a dinner like this is ‘equally coveted and feared, but never declined.’
How does one resist confection with tantalizing names such as ‘Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth’ or ‘Fennel Bread of Sunlit Days Gone by’? Magical pastry. They evoke memories both pleasant and painful.
The Traitor King is a fearsome monarch who gets rid of anyone deemed a threat to his throne. His confection taster is Saffron whose husband is the Head Pastry Chef. Don’t you just love her name? The young couple’s mission is to exact revenge for wrong done.
What an interesting premise for a story! It can be read here: The Last Banquet of Temporal Confection
Big thanks to Cecily for her delectable review which led me to this story.
How does one resist confection with tantalizing names such as ‘Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth’ or ‘Fennel Bread of Sunlit Days Gone by’? Magical pastry. They evoke memories both pleasant and painful.
The Traitor King is a fearsome monarch who gets rid of anyone deemed a threat to his throne. His confection taster is Saffron whose husband is the Head Pastry Chef. Don’t you just love her name? The young couple’s mission is to exact revenge for wrong done.
What an interesting premise for a story! It can be read here: The Last Banquet of Temporal Confection
Big thanks to Cecily for her delectable review which led me to this story.
September 19, 2018
Wow. Some short stories just connect with the reader instantly. Like this one. Food afficionados will get a special kick out of this but any lover of fantasy is going to enjoy this tremendously.
It is the story of a kingdom that has lost its king and has since been ruled by a scrupulous tyrant who has people disappear for saying the wrong things.
In this world live Saffron and Danny. Danny is a baker, Saffron his wife, and both have suffered by the hands of the Traitor King. Danny, however, has a unique gift: he can bake pastries that make you remember!
How can you use whatever skill you have for the good of an entire kingdom?
Apart from the delightful cuisine shown here, I very much enjoyed the artful writing style, vivacious characters, the concept of memories having such power over us and others as well as the spin on the age-old question of What would you do?.
It is the story of a kingdom that has lost its king and has since been ruled by a scrupulous tyrant who has people disappear for saying the wrong things.
In this world live Saffron and Danny. Danny is a baker, Saffron his wife, and both have suffered by the hands of the Traitor King. Danny, however, has a unique gift: he can bake pastries that make you remember!
How can you use whatever skill you have for the good of an entire kingdom?
Apart from the delightful cuisine shown here, I very much enjoyed the artful writing style, vivacious characters, the concept of memories having such power over us and others as well as the spin on the age-old question of What would you do?.
September 19, 2018
This short fits the bill for both a sweet tale and also a sweet revenge.
What? A foodie Revenge?
With magic, beautiful taste, and a non-standard end?
Short and sweet, indeed. The pain is reserved for others.
Free on Tor right now! :)
What? A foodie Revenge?
With magic, beautiful taste, and a non-standard end?
Short and sweet, indeed. The pain is reserved for others.
Free on Tor right now! :)
May 20, 2020
Another one that has been added and deleted and re-added.
My thoughts? Who the eff knows. But you can find them at my blog.
The Hugo-nominated novelette:
https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
My blog:
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2020/...
My thoughts? Who the eff knows. But you can find them at my blog.
The Hugo-nominated novelette:
https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
My blog:
https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2020/...
May 28, 2019
A tasty story of beautifully prepared dishes (that invoke memories) and slow, careful, revenge.
March 28, 2019
Fantastic interlude. Praise is well-deserved.
May 21, 2019
An impressive flight of imagination. I’ll definitely check out this writer’s other work.
May 12, 2019
“A young food taster to the Traitor King must make a difficult choice in this story of pastries, magic, and revenge.“
Imaginative confections. An usurper of the throne get his just dessert. Not a terribly surprising ending. Granted, the names of the various pastries were funny and their increasingly more ominous effects were nicely done.
Has the feel of a traditional fairytale. ★★★¾☆
Can bed read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
Imaginative confections. An usurper of the throne get his just dessert. Not a terribly surprising ending. Granted, the names of the various pastries were funny and their increasingly more ominous effects were nicely done.
Has the feel of a traditional fairytale. ★★★¾☆
Can bed read for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
January 27, 2019
Food that triggers memories. And a happily married couple that works together even when separated! This had a great build up and a good use of flashbacks.
December 28, 2023
Shat would you do of you could recreate memories from pastries? Sweet memories of long ago, bitter moments lost or would you invent something more potent, like regret and remorse? That is the concept that Tina Connolly recreates in this haunting novelette as we find Saffron and her husband Danny forced into servitude by an evil King who releases in others misery. By looking through Saffron's memories we see how the two meet, how their lives were irreversibly changed and how memories have been used to help and hinder.
It was utterly captivating.
It was utterly captivating.
October 17, 2018
This was an OK short story with a fresh feeling premise. We followed the tale of a poison taster at a magic food filled banquet. It was weird but quite fun as we saw how the magic baker tried to get around the issue of his wife being the poison taster to a tyrant everyone wanted gone!
The story never got above average for me but was an OK read.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
The story never got above average for me but was an OK read.
Rating: 2.5 stars.
September 26, 2021
Death by chocolate! A despotic treasonous king rules the land, but one brave baker and his wife will take their chance for a better world.
July 12, 2018
A taster for a Traitor King receives a message from her indentured husband in the form of a feast to remember. It evoked a fairytale from the darker days when Ariel turned to sea foam and wolves ate little girls, but was entirely original.
Saying too much would spoil the journey, and it's free to read here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
Saying too much would spoil the journey, and it's free to read here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
July 23, 2018
Loved it! If only it were that easy to over-throw a tyrant... short freebie. Highly recommend it. 5, yummy, stars!
January 29, 2020
Wow! This was amazing! I loved every second 🥰. The ending wasn't what I was expecting!
August 27, 2020
A truly excellent short read.....
Tor.com short reads have become a nice little break for me, when I am in between longer novels. Which is all the time! But this short read completely grabbed my attention from the start, leaving me wishing this book would not end so soon!
This short story was based on the classic age old tales of love and loss, good and bad, right and wrong, etc. And yes, the ending is almost always predictable, to a point, in these types of stories. But it's this author's profound way of taking you through her unique version of an age old tale, that leaves you wishing this was not a short read, and that the ending was not so near!
It is truly an enjoyable, and excellent must read!
Tor.com short reads have become a nice little break for me, when I am in between longer novels. Which is all the time! But this short read completely grabbed my attention from the start, leaving me wishing this book would not end so soon!
This short story was based on the classic age old tales of love and loss, good and bad, right and wrong, etc. And yes, the ending is almost always predictable, to a point, in these types of stories. But it's this author's profound way of taking you through her unique version of an age old tale, that leaves you wishing this was not a short read, and that the ending was not so near!
It is truly an enjoyable, and excellent must read!
March 19, 2019
Ooh, smart. I wouldn't want to read a whole novel by the author as I'm not into fantasy or political intrigue, but condensed into a short story it's bewitching....
May 21, 2021
The last banquet of temporal confections was indeed a journey through the main hero's life through cakes. The author manages to wrap up not only a complete story, but a whole new universe in just a few pages. Though the writing style, with the back and forth, as well as the not clear explanation of the dessert magic, were two factors that I personally did not enjoy, but the story overall was interesting, the characters, well, the main character at least, a smooth narrator, quite enjoyable and likable, and the setting intriguing.
September 22, 2018
Huge surprises often come in tiny packages. It's such a wonderful, brilliant story with a novel concept! If author wanted it could have been a novella and still leave a profound impact but the short story has also given it a justice. Since it's page turner and brief that you finish over your lunch break I'd recommend everyone to read it. Also it's free, right here :
https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
The story is set in times of kingdoms and dukes when a tyrannical rulers is capturing and torturing the rebels before they could act. Saffron, the protagonists, could remain safe but with her love, Danny, being gifted baker with distinguished abilities comes as a threat to the Duke. Duke captures Danny, makes him head chef in confinement and Saffron, determined to save Danny offers herself at palace for role of food-tester. It suits Duke too as Danny cannot try anything dangerous before endangering his wife first.
I haven't heard of the magical food of such abilities before this. It sounds interesting.
I especially loved the names of the pastries like
"Lemon Tart of Profound Regret" or "Bitter chocolate of agony observed" Though they don't seem palatable they're certainly curious, in a good way when they come to you while reading. And make you expect something novel every time. All in all, it's an excellent confection, the story is.
Go indulge yourself in the world of pastries, then!
https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
The story is set in times of kingdoms and dukes when a tyrannical rulers is capturing and torturing the rebels before they could act. Saffron, the protagonists, could remain safe but with her love, Danny, being gifted baker with distinguished abilities comes as a threat to the Duke. Duke captures Danny, makes him head chef in confinement and Saffron, determined to save Danny offers herself at palace for role of food-tester. It suits Duke too as Danny cannot try anything dangerous before endangering his wife first.
I haven't heard of the magical food of such abilities before this. It sounds interesting.
I especially loved the names of the pastries like
"Lemon Tart of Profound Regret" or "Bitter chocolate of agony observed" Though they don't seem palatable they're certainly curious, in a good way when they come to you while reading. And make you expect something novel every time. All in all, it's an excellent confection, the story is.
Go indulge yourself in the world of pastries, then!
February 21, 2019
Food as the arsenal for weaponized memory. Imaginative, well-structured, and... salivating. The pastries mentioned is making me real hungry. 😂
March 19, 2019
This story hit me where it hurts today. Not sure yet if that means it was exactly the right day or completely the wrong day to read it, but I thought the story itself was wonderful.
June 11, 2019
"The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections" by Tina Connolly
Thoughts later. I received this story as part of the 2019 Hugo Voters Packet.
Thoughts later. I received this story as part of the 2019 Hugo Voters Packet.
July 18, 2019
Hugo-nominated novelette. The interesting concept of a baker who learns how to bake creations that, when consumed, transport you back to a specific kind of memory, a specific mood -- thus taking the deeply evocative sense memory of taste and just pushing it a step further, and further. But as a result of his skill, he winds up a captive royal baker at court, baking for a cruel duke (and regent)'s pleasure, while his wife is trapped as court taster lest he try to poison the regent. And though the married couple aren't allowed to see each other, they still communicate via the baker's creations, and they try to find a way out of their predicament.
It's strong throughout, but then ends a bit too cleanly and abruptly. But I like tales of hubris brought low, and stories of women in captivity plotting their way out; I just wish there had maybe been a little more to it, a bit more meat on those bones, but it's a short(ish) and sweet read anyhow. Really rich, evocative prose.
Read it for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
It's strong throughout, but then ends a bit too cleanly and abruptly. But I like tales of hubris brought low, and stories of women in captivity plotting their way out; I just wish there had maybe been a little more to it, a bit more meat on those bones, but it's a short(ish) and sweet read anyhow. Really rich, evocative prose.
Read it for free here: https://www.tor.com/2018/07/11/the-la...
Shelved as 'finished-short-stories'
August 28, 2020the description on here of this being about "pastries, magic, and revenge" is amusing because the pastries ARE the magic and revenge and truly, what a delightful concept !! love the way this story was structured with sections such as "Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth" and "Fennel Flatbread of Sunlit Days Gone By", what a very lovely short read it made
and the concept of food and memory... maybe we don't even need rose-thyme...
and the concept of food and memory... maybe we don't even need rose-thyme...
April 20, 2019
Delicious food-based magic, poison tasting, deception, and revenge, all in one bite.
I don't want to give too much away, but it's the best kind of bittersweet, the one whose ending doesn't feel weaker than the rest of the story. And food descriptions have always been my weakness, of course I loved the story about resistance through magical pastries - but I especially loved how this story talked about the links between food and memory, and that's something I'd like to see in fiction more.
I don't want to give too much away, but it's the best kind of bittersweet, the one whose ending doesn't feel weaker than the rest of the story. And food descriptions have always been my weakness, of course I loved the story about resistance through magical pastries - but I especially loved how this story talked about the links between food and memory, and that's something I'd like to see in fiction more.
August 17, 2024
Couldn't put it down for a second. For 25 minutes, this work kept me to itself, with it's satirical names, evocative theme and ingenious execution. While the broader arc of the story is predictably familiar, it is in its finer details that the excellence is brought out.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews