The Last Banquest of Temporal Confections is one of the best short stories I’ve read in the a very long time. Set at a feast for the hated Duke and his peons, every other course is baked by Danny, the royal confectioner. His wife sits beside the Duke and tests the food before the Duke sets it to his lips. But while these are tasty, the real rarity lies in the memories the desserts evoke. Made with ingredients and recipes passed down for generations, Danny’s knowledge and further experiments link memory and feeling together into somethings very special. Throughout the dinner, the reader experiences Saffron’s tastings of each course and her remembrances: her sister’s death at the hands of the government, and what led to her servitude to the Duke…
This is just great storytelling. Perfectly paced to fit the tension and heart needed to hold me. It’s very short, but what Connolly accomplishes in these pages is awesome.
Read this to enjoy a “Rosemary Crostini of Delightfully Misspent Youth” and other delicacies…
Read it here on Tor.com.
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