[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, August 17, 2026

“A Tiny Concert for the No-Name King” by Crowe Powell

Reviewed by Wendy Vidlak

The short piece entitled “A Tiny Concert for the No-Name King” by Crowe Powell examines the power of music. In a world where magic removes the identity of a king, the king’s administrative staff searches for an answer to save the king. The story leaves it a mystery why the king needs this concert, but implies that he will disappear if the music does not work. If you were the musician playing the music that could be the king’s last song, what would you pick to play? Would the king survive the concert, and would it change him?

I really enjoyed this thought-provoking piece. It allowed room for the reader to imagine the outcomes and ponder the reasons behind the magic behind the King’s loss of identity, and its implications for that world. One of the last sentences poses a question that has stayed with me. “What happened when the last thing you did with your real face was cry for a world you wouldn’t rule long enough to save?”