2023alina's review against another edition
4.0
this concept >
the moment i realised that the confections are literally "temporal" i said OHH out loud haha
i loved it, it's such a magic-exaggerated lovely play on how sometimes you eat something and you're immediately back in a certain memory...
with each new confection i was wondering more how this would play out and how this concept could be used for revenge!! the ending (last paragraph) confused me a little though, haha even so it was still a great read!
(also the cover is just *Mwah*)
3.5 or 4 stars..? im having a hard time rating short stories..
the moment i realised that the confections are literally "temporal" i said OHH out loud haha
i loved it, it's such a magic-exaggerated lovely play on how sometimes you eat something and you're immediately back in a certain memory...
Spoiler
plum dumplings...just thinking about them's enough for memories of sitting in my grandma's kitchen :-)with each new confection i was wondering more how this would play out and how this concept could be used for revenge!! the ending (last paragraph) confused me a little though, haha even so it was still a great read!
(also the cover is just *Mwah*)
3.5 or 4 stars..? im having a hard time rating short stories..
ljrinaldi's review against another edition
4.0
Food magic is nothing new. But this presentation of it, in this short story, is clever, and scary, at the same time.
The set up, and I don't want to give too much away, because this is a story you can't know too much about before reading, is that Saffron is a taste tester for an evil king. She can't, and doesn't want to poison him, but she does want him to eat what her husband, the pastry chef has prepared, because he has baked in memories into his desserts.
And while you would think that it isn't important, this short story shows how memories can shape or break you.
You can read this, online, at Tor.com
The set up, and I don't want to give too much away, because this is a story you can't know too much about before reading, is that Saffron is a taste tester for an evil king. She can't, and doesn't want to poison him, but she does want him to eat what her husband, the pastry chef has prepared, because he has baked in memories into his desserts.
And while you would think that it isn't important, this short story shows how memories can shape or break you.
You can read this, online, at Tor.com
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
4.0
Summer 2019 (Hugo Award Nominee 2019 - Novelette);
(4.5 Stars)
Dark, deep, and decadent, is how you will find this piece. There is the endless sumptuousness of the food itself, delectable enough to tease the tongue of any reading with its gorgeous descriptions, and yet it promises (and delivers on) so much more. The stage is set as the Duke's Banquet of Temporal Confections, and though we don't yet know why the title calls it the last, the story, and our narrator, the Duke's TasteTester and the Baker's Wife, draw us slowly, delicately through this intrigue of both dinner and a land under siege.
The idea of the temporal confections, all of which bring up specific memories, sometimes linked and sometimes now, is wonderful. I love the idea of pastries, and breads, and sweets that would bring you back to the best and the worst of times, that would make you revisit your past to change and to bolster you with goodness, pride, and peace when you need it as well. Bravi.
An invitation to a Temporal Confections dinner is equally coveted and feared, but never declined.
(4.5 Stars)
Dark, deep, and decadent, is how you will find this piece. There is the endless sumptuousness of the food itself, delectable enough to tease the tongue of any reading with its gorgeous descriptions, and yet it promises (and delivers on) so much more. The stage is set as the Duke's Banquet of Temporal Confections, and though we don't yet know why the title calls it the last, the story, and our narrator, the Duke's TasteTester and the Baker's Wife, draw us slowly, delicately through this intrigue of both dinner and a land under siege.
The idea of the temporal confections, all of which bring up specific memories, sometimes linked and sometimes now, is wonderful. I love the idea of pastries, and breads, and sweets that would bring you back to the best and the worst of times, that would make you revisit your past to change and to bolster you with goodness, pride, and peace when you need it as well. Bravi.
readivine's review against another edition
4.0
"Cooking is about timing."This short story is a delightful read with its delectable and evocative writing style. The Traitor King holds a special banquet in the palace where he showcases the Temporal Confections geniusly crafted by the pastry chef Danny. What sets his decadent pastries on the pedestal is that each evokes a specific kind of memory for the taster.
Saffron, the wife of Danny and the designated pastry taster savors these masterpieces from Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth, Fennel Flatbread of Sunlit Days Gone By, Rose-Pepper Shortbread of Sweetness Lost, and many more before it reaches the King and his guests. This tale leads us to a series of memories carefully crafted to give us that ending. This was a light read and very satisfying. I highly recommend reading this delectable delight!
waclements7's review against another edition
5.0
Delicious
I have a complicated relationship with short stories, often because I feel like (or think I’ll feel like) I won’t know the characters well enough for the story to mean anything to me. The more I read the short stories from authors in the Tor series, the more I’m proven wrong in that assumption.
This is an amazing, genius, unique story that makes you think, “how on earth did she think of that?” It has all the qualities of one of those amazing dreams you have but can’t quite remember all the details when you wake up.
There is such an art to writing short stories, and I truly loved this one. I’m really interested in reading the author’s other books now. I highly recommend this story. It will transport you, for just a little while.
I have a complicated relationship with short stories, often because I feel like (or think I’ll feel like) I won’t know the characters well enough for the story to mean anything to me. The more I read the short stories from authors in the Tor series, the more I’m proven wrong in that assumption.
This is an amazing, genius, unique story that makes you think, “how on earth did she think of that?” It has all the qualities of one of those amazing dreams you have but can’t quite remember all the details when you wake up.
There is such an art to writing short stories, and I truly loved this one. I’m really interested in reading the author’s other books now. I highly recommend this story. It will transport you, for just a little while.
quynh23's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
__apf__'s review against another edition
5.0
Food is linked to memory: as you eat a Thanksgiving meal, the taste of turkey and stuffing recalls a lifetime of fall family gatherings. What if the chef could control which memories a meal invokes? Could you use such a power to heal or hurt?
The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections explores the relationship between memory and food, with a dash of magic and revenge. The bite-sized novella is both bittersweet and satisfying.
The Last Banquet of Temporal Confections explores the relationship between memory and food, with a dash of magic and revenge. The bite-sized novella is both bittersweet and satisfying.
feliciaj's review
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
A tale of a tyrant duke who quite literally gets his just desserts.
A loving couple are both forced into the service of the regent to the throne and kept cruelly separated. Saffron is the duke's food taster, a task that ensures her husband Danny, the pastry chef, won't try to poison the duke. But Danny has other weapons, because the pastries he creates invoke memories and the emotions associated with them. The sociopathic duke enjoys watching other nobles suffer the pain of hurtful memories, so he forces Danny to prepare and Saffron to describe the confections at weekly banquets. Can Danny bake something to bring the duke down without harming his wife?
I especially enjoyed how the author used Saffron's memories to tell the story of this devoted couple, who only wanted to help others by serving them the pastries needed to help them process their emotions. Their relationship will ring true to any long-term couple who can communicate with each other without speaking. The tale also highlights how ordinary people can make huge differences in the lives of others simply by showing empathy and understanding.
Listened to on Cast of Wonders podcast, Episodes 366 and 367.
A loving couple are both forced into the service of the regent to the throne and kept cruelly separated. Saffron is the duke's food taster, a task that ensures her husband Danny, the pastry chef, won't try to poison the duke. But Danny has other weapons, because the pastries he creates invoke memories and the emotions associated with them. The sociopathic duke enjoys watching other nobles suffer the pain of hurtful memories, so he forces Danny to prepare and Saffron to describe the confections at weekly banquets. Can Danny bake something to bring the duke down without harming his wife?
I especially enjoyed how the author used Saffron's memories to tell the story of this devoted couple, who only wanted to help others by serving them the pastries needed to help them process their emotions. Their relationship will ring true to any long-term couple who can communicate with each other without speaking. The tale also highlights how ordinary people can make huge differences in the lives of others simply by showing empathy and understanding.
Listened to on Cast of Wonders podcast, Episodes 366 and 367.
greatnate008's review
4.0
The cover was what made me want to read this short story. It's so strange looking. The story was
interesting. I sort of wish it was a little longer.
interesting. I sort of wish it was a little longer.