Harold’s speculative science-fiction novel is a mystical and philosophical journey into a world of secret tunnels and dark ambitions.
Turning bitterness into something sweet always sounds poetic from a distance, but Ronan Core knows better. His life’s passion, a game he developed called Elysium Chess, has been stolen, years of work gone in an instant. And the real twist of the knife is knowing exactly who took it: his ex-girlfriend and her dangerous father. But before despair completely swallows Rony, fate steps in with other plans. A near-death experience, a chance encounter, and an oracle card set him on a bizarre path that leads nowhere but down. And in the world Rony stumbles into, it’s hard to tell if down is as bad as it sounds, or if it might be worse. While using his hidden gift of finding things to pay off a debt that has come due, Rony finds himself navigating an underground tunnel. But this is no hastily abandoned mine shaft or decommissioned subway line. No, this tunnel leads to strange people, to places of luxury, to black-bag medicine, and to mad science in action, and Rony is stuck in this puzzling subterranean reality where nothing is quite as it seems. Is Rony destined to remain in an unchangeable cycle, or will he be able to write his own future? His oracle card has been right before, so will his destiny follow suit?
What The Closed Tunnel lacks in restraint, it makes up for in raw ambition, luring readers into a deliciously convoluted tale so twisty it should come with a chiropractor’s warning! Minimal narrative onboarding means readers are thrown immediately into the deep end, and the momentum only builds from there. Until the world settles around audiences, seemingly random plot elements, characters, and scenes scatter like early snow that takes time to accumulate. But once it begins to stick, its impact is like an avalanche. The novel dreams big, wanders wide, and occasionally leaves readers unsure of where they’ve landed, though the disorientation is part of the fun. Whether cyborg soldiers or creepy clones, audiences will enjoy futuristic technology and scientific tinkering that pushes beyond morality and into an ethical freefall. Truly, Anthony Harold’s speculative science-fiction novel is a mystical and philosophical journey into a world of secret tunnels and dark ambitions, exposing the deferred cost of chasing transcendence. The worldbuilding is impressive, starting with the known and forging ahead into a future whose stratified society dictates the stakes, the dangers, and the very shape of the narrative. Weaving together a wide cast, multiple plot threads, and a steady stream of surprises, The Closed Tunnel is a little ambiguous, a lot complex, and built for readers who enjoy an unpredictable tale with a strong backbone.
