The Quiet Room by Terry Miles is a very highly recommended mystery following players in a secret world-wide alternate reality game. This is the second novel set in the world of the Rabbits podcast. The underground alternate game called Rabbits crosses inter-dimensional streams in the multiverse.

Why would the mysterious Rabbit Police be questioning Emily Connors when she appears to be trapped in a dimensional stream where the game Rabbits does not exist. Whether it is the universe she is in or the game itself, something feels off. Or is there some underlying conspiracy underway? If the game is still on, this would be the twelfth iteration. Emily came close to winning the eleventh, but has the next game started in her current dimensional stream?

Rowan Chess, a theme park designer, has never felt like he was in the right place, or totally part of the reality he lives in. This feeling continues when he begins to have some incredibly odd experiences. He has a blind date that is going very well when his date goes to the bathroom and disappears. This marks the start of Rowan being forced into a game he knows nothing about. And Emily was "coincidentally" there to witness Rowan's date disappear, but there is no happenstance in Rabbits. What will happen when Rowan meets Emily and other Rabbits players?

The writing is excellent. There are many of the same elements that I loved from the first novel. We have puzzles and clues, mysterious Rabbit Police, theories, enigmas, patterns, and oddities. There are also a plethora of references to all manner of literature, movies, music, pop culture, and gaming. Following clues and noticing any deviations is vital to the game and the novel.

Rabbits is a great sci-fi mystery series that will have readers questioning every little coincident, anomaly, and oddity in their lives while wondering if they are obscure clues they need to uncover something else. The Quiet Room could be read as a stand alone, but then you would want to go back and read Rabbits anyway, so I'd suggest starting with Rabbits and then jump into The Quiet Room. I'm all in for any and all future novels in this incredible series!

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Del Rey via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Edelweiss, X, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The Quiet Room is the second book in the Rabbits series by Terry Miles. This book starts at the end of book one but with a different cast of characters. Some old and some new but a whole new adventure. This book is following Emily, a side character from the first book, who has somehow ended up in a dimensional stream that is not hers. Her primary goal is to get back to K. While doing so, she comes across Rowan Chess, an architect, who is just really good at puzzles. Come to find out Rowan may be a key player in helping Emily get back home.

This book was a solid book two in the series! I enjoyed the story and at some points my heart was RACING!! I liked all the plot twists and enjoyed going down the pop culture rabbit hole. Overall, I like this book a lot. The pacing is a bit off and it dragged in some places but I didn’t mind it so much. I was just desperate to get to the end! I would give this a 3.75 out of 5 stars. I will be looking forward to the next book in the series!

Meet my obsession! Lol. I read Rabbits by this author last year, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since. This sequel just adds to the first book's dip into the multiverse. Are there really such things as coincidence?

I feel like I was pulled into this book, and I did have high expectations. These were mostly met, just sometimes feeling a bit confused in this, but I really ultimately loved this. When I say this is a trip, I mean that literally. At least for myself, as I read this sequel, I was once again questioning everything and falling headfirst into the rabbit hole.

Out October 3, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

7 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/10/01/the-quiet-room-by-terry-miles-review/

I couldn’t’ve picked a better quote to sum up the entirety of this book. It was a mind<i>fuck</i> and confused the absolutely hell out of me even before the end, where—like in the first installment—things started getting seriously weird. Now, I have a whole lot of unanswered questions and some serious issues with the story at large, but first, and MOST IMPORTANTLY—no matter how much the plot frustrated me, no matter how confused I was, I never, EVER thought of DNFing this.

Rabbits is such a confusing game—when even the people playing it can’t be sure that they’re ACTUALLY playing—it’s no surprise that a book about it is a bit hard to follow. And yet… I never had any trouble getting into it. I consistently wanted to discover what happened next. Even as I rolled my eyes and swore, shook my head and cursed the plot, I always knew I’d make it to the end. That’s the best thing I can say about the Quiet Room: it has a high readability—you just need to know what happens next.

And now, the downside.

As I said, any story about a game like Rabbits is going to be confusing, but is the Quiet Room even <i>about</i> Rabbits <i>at all?</i> There’s no evidence of the game at all for such a long time—except for one of our protagonists to say that Rabbits is nowhere to be found. In fact, even when we get to the end, the game is practically an afterthought. Now, I’d say that the game doesn’t matter, and that the story’s just as good without it—and this <i>is true</i>—except that the author just won’t stop mentioning it. That the two are intertwined somehow, can’t exist without the other, even when all evidence points to the contrary. And it’s this insistence that annoyed me the most. Well, that and the Rabbits Police—because what needs policing when the game’s not even there?? The only other was how none of the story ever made any semblance of sense.

But then, that was true of the first one as well, so… well, you get more of the same: the same obscure references, the same heart-pounding action, the same mysterious circumstances and desperate hunts for clues, and the same general confusion surrounding wtf is going on. So… win-win?

I thoroughly enjoyed this sequel. Though a reader won't be entirely confused jumping in, I highly recommend reading the first novel before getting into it. This sequel flows directly out of the first, with the game continuing in an unexpected way. And, like the first installment, the action is continuous and makes you feel like you're part of the game itself. The ending doesn't feel rushed because you can see where things are going along the way. Plus, it's pretty satisfying, but makes it obvious that it's not the end of the story.

This was a great way to dive back into the Rabbits universe. It kept me guessing and the world building was great, same as the podcast and previous book.

"The lore and legends around the underground game known as Rabbits gain new dimensions in this twisty tale set in the world of the hit Rabbits podcast.

After nearly winning the eleventh iteration of Rabbits, the mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses the entire world as its canvas, Emily Connors suddenly finds herself trapped in a dimensional stream where the game does not exist. At all. Except...why do sinister figures show up to stop her every time she goes looking? Does Rabbits truly not exist, or is it being hidden? And if it's being hidden, why - and by whom?

Meanwhile, architect and theme park designer Rowan Chess is having the weirdest month of his life, full of odd coincidences and people who appear one moment and vanish the next, with no trace they ever even existed. The game that is hiding from Emily seems to have found Rowan - with a vengeance.

But only when Rowan and Emily meet do things start to get dangerous, for together they uncover a conspiracy far deeper and deadlier than either of them expected - one that could forever change the nature not only of the game, but of reality itself."

I dare you do go down the Rabbit hole.

To get the most out of <i>The Quiet Room</i>, you will need to have listened to every episode of the <i>Rabbits</i> podcast and read the accompanying novel. And you'll want to do that right before reading <i>The Quiet Room</i>. I binged the whole show right before reading <i>Rabbits</i>, but that was two years ago, and many details were fuzzy for me. (Books in a series, especially plot-heavy book series, should have recap pages and a list of characters at the beginning. I Am Not A Crackpot.)

If you choose to go into <i>The Quiet Room</i> with no prior knowledge, you can certainly enjoy the characters' journeys-- Emily's story and Rowan's search for Eliza are both compelling-- but it'll be like starting to watch <i>Lost</i> with season 5.

As it is, the plotline is a Gordian knot. There's a game. It's called Rabbits. One day, you see something and you're playing. It requires an almost subliminal knowledge of the world and keen senses. If you win, you're rich. Unless the game and its wardens kill you first.

There's much to enjoy here, but you'll need to do the homework.


Note: I received a copy of <i>The Quiet Room</i> from the swell folks at Netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Quiet Room by Terry Miles!

This was a great book. It's a continuation of the Rabbits universe, complete with everything that you might have liked about the first book and podcast, but with a couple new (and likable) characters.

My wife pointed out that you can tell I liked this book, when I kept staying up at night reading it, rather than falling asleep reading (looking at you, previous book I'd read...).

I highly recommend it for fans of multi-dimensional tomfoolery. You don't need to know anything about the previous works, though it'd help.

I've been listening to "Rabbits" since I was 16. What started as a bit of fun for long road trips became a family tradition, with all of us--even the dog--thronging around the fireplace in the den to listen to the newest episode. So of course, my father had to buy the first book for me when it was released--and of course I had to read the sequel.

After years of waiting for proper answers on what, exactly, Rabbits entails, the first book, Rabbits, did not disappoint. The Quiet Room is a strong continuation of the first book, adding on new elements to the world-building while generally remaining focused on the fast-paced, exciting and unpredictable plot. The character development leaves a bit to be desired, but the inherent relatability of the main characters pulls the reader into the game of Rabbits and comes across as a plus rather than a minus. I would have liked to see the side characters fleshed out more, but this is in many ways a plot-driven novel, and spending too much time on character might have compromised that. Without giving away the plot, there is a good balance of humor, satisfying moments and high stakes, though I wish some more loose ends had been tied up. Admittedly, it's not the best book I've ever read, or even the best thing I've read this year, but it's a fun ride nonetheless. It clips along relentlessly and delves into a sci-fi/paranormal plot that's way more compelling than whatever's on the latest airport bookstore thriller shelf.

Like listening to vaporwave on a late night or helping someone finally find the title of that one book about a boy turning into a gas pump, The Quiet Room captures the ever-elusive sense of mystery that modern people seek in a homogenized world. This is the kind of book that you read for the vibes if nothing else, and after reading the end I am hoping for a third installation.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Random House Publishing Group- Ballantine for an advanced copy of the second book in this series about a game, alternate worlds, offbeat science, conspiracies, and holding on to who you are and who you love, while the world changes around you.

Living in this modern world there is always a sense that something is going wrong, is wrong, or has become wrong, all at the same time. That movie that after a dozen viewings suddenly seems to have a different ending, an ending that no else seems to think is strange. Those childhood books that were so important once, now seem to be spelled differently than before. Candy bars that no one seem to remember, an episode of a tv show that doesn't show up on any fan site. Or a game, that was once had thousands of players looking for clues all over the world, suddenly forgotten, even to the players. Only a few remember the game, and only a few know the consequences of forgetting. Suddenly the stakes are much higher, end of the world higher, but how can one find a game no one knows exists, or even that they are playing? The Quiet Room is the second book in the Rabbits series by creator Terry Miles and deals with esoteric thoughts, architecture, game theory, other worlds, love, he said/she said/they said alternate lives, and hanging on to your own truth, even as the world is doing its best to erase them.

Emily Connors and K nearly won the eleventh version of the game known as Rabbits. Rabbits is a game, but so much more, involving puzzles, changed media, clues hidden in plain sight, and clues that will never be known. People prepare for years to be a part of it, and winning can change lives, and save worlds. Until Emily Connors awoke and found that there is no Rabbits anymore, though a few still remember it. And everytime Emily gets close to finding out more, she is kidnapped and asked questions that seem to have no purpose. Emily is alone in this world, with only a few friends who remember, until one night shea diner disappears in a restaurant, with only the words The Door is Open, a code for Rabbits, left behind, along with a confused man on his first date, who seems to have a large part in what is going on, though he doesn't know why. Soon both are kidnapped, freed, kidnapped again by different groups, with a purpose that neither one understands, meeting people with different memories of them, and a growing realization that this world might be coming to an end, quite soon.

The Quiet Room is the second book in the Rabbit series of books, which fits into a much wider story told in podcasts and web form. There is enough explanation to get a new reader through, but reading the first book will give readers a better sense of what the story is about. And how this new world is different than the last. The story moves well, though one less kidnapping would not have been missed. The characters are interesting, especially Emily as this is not her first rodeo. Rowen seems a little less appreciative of the dangers that seem around him, but as his character grows, readers learn why. The story is a mix of The Matrix, with the Illuminati trilogy and a lot of X-Files. The book is fun, with a lot of twists and turns, and one could see where this would be really fun to watch or listen to, and does move well, though sometimes there is a bit of exposition that slows things down. Saying that I still had a very hard time putting the book down, mostly because I really needed to know what happened next.

For fans of the podcast of course, but also for people who miss those big conspiracy stories that were so big like X-Files, or games like Paranoia, or anything from Steve Jackson games. Role players will get a big kick out of this also, the book reads like an adventure game, and offers a lot of ideas for future campaigns. I eagerly await the third book.

What a ride! Terry Miles continues the Rabbits story with a couple of new, interesting characters and expands upon Emily Conners' backstory. And that ending! What a surprise! I can't wait for the next volume in this series.

Thank you Netgally and Random house/Ballantine Dell ray books for the arc of The quiet room

I read rabbits and when I was given the chance to read the sequel I jumped at the chance. I did enjoy this one but not as much as the first one. That being said this was a great book! I loved the back and forth between the different people in the book and did leave me wanting to keep reading to see where it was all going. In a few places I did get a tad confused but overall would recommend this after you read rabbits first.

disclaimer: i received a copy of this book via random house/ballantine del rey books in return for an honest review.

rabbits is a global, real world, alternative reality game. everybody knows that it's been played to completion ten times. nobody seems to know that this last iteration, the eleventh, went wrong. nobody except emily, who almost won it, from whom it's hiding, and who is bouncing through realities where it does and doesn't even exist. and rowan, who knows nothing about rabbits, but whose life seems to have been upended by it.

i am a huge fan of terry miles' writing, and rabbits, the first book in this series, is fantastic. i wanted so much to love the quiet room as much as i loved rabbits, i just couldn't.

i found the plot muddled and the story confusing. i wasn't able to find the coherence necessary for a world this complex. the precision required to support not only multiple players but multiple realities just wasn't there. the characters felt two dimensional and i really didn't care enough about any of them to be vested.

the rabbits world is fascinating. it's complex, requires attention to detail, and demands that you keep track of the patterns. i just couldn't find a reason to invest that much in the eleventh iteration. which is kind of sad - i so wanted to love the quiet room.

the door is open but this time i'm not going in. next time? i can't wait for the next time.

2.5 out of 5 stars

When NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read The Quite Room I snapped up my ARC without a second thought. In The Quiet Room we meet our protagonist Emily who I hardly remembered from Rabbits. Admittedly, it has been a while since reading Rabbits, but this didn’t take away from my enjoyment. Emily drifts into another dimension only to find it has been severed from the multiverse. The Quiet Room plunges deeper into the mystery of the underground game known as Rabbits with numerous clues and coincidences.

This sequel races forward at a nonstop speed and had me on the edge of my seat until the last page. I loved the shifting perspective between Emily and Rowan. For me this added to the multiple layers and complexity of this ever expanding world. The Quite Room was also a heck of a mystery that did not disappoint this reader. Many questions were answered about the game and the design. At the same time, I was left with new ones. The world was greatly filled in with all of the backstory and history of The Engineer and Emily’s parent’s connection to the game. I’m quite sure the ending provided a new jump point for yet another installment of Rabbits. I can only cross my fingers and hope.

I looooooved this sequel to Rabbits!!

The story is about Emily Connors from the original Rabbits book! We finally find out what happened to her when she disappeared., Emily finds she's in a dimensional stream that is familiar but not her own. In this stream Rabbits is missing, or perhaps just hidden, but if Rabbits doesn't exist then why does she keep getting pursued by the Rabbits Police?
The Quiet Room is the second novel in the Rabbits series and possibly the 12th iteration of the game, if it exists. Like the original, the story hooked me from the first page. The plot moves in multiple directions, but is easy to understand what is happening . It is a crazy ride sometimes but that is what sets it apart from other stories. It keeps you wanting more and makes your head spin trying to figure out exactly what's going on. The plot takes the story in a very different direction than Rabbits, but it is still awfully familiar. The Quiet Room is a puzzle to solve, a mystery to explore, and an adventure to experience

The Quiet Room by Terry Miles takes us deeper into the Rabbit hole. You could be playing “Rabbits” right now while looking over your shoulder after having the sense that something is not quite right.

Imaging going on a date with someone you met on a dating app. You hit it off and you’re already thinking of a second date. She goes to use the rest room at the restaurant and leaves you waiting long enough to think something is wrong. You go to find her and she’s gone. Not gone as in she ditched you gone, like you first thought, but more like she vanished. She never existed….This is only the beginning.

I could not put this book down and even when I did It was still on my brain. Do yourself a favor and get lost in this multiverse of “Rabbits”. I have to warn you though, You might end up not being able to distinguish what you once considered the real world with the world of “Rabbits”.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an honest review.

After last trying to correct the illusive and hidden game of Rabbits and save the universe in the process there’s a new thread of intrigue and coincidence to follow in pursuit of what might be myth but could be salvation in The Quiet Room by Terry Miles.
With the eleventh iteration of Rabbits ended, Emily Connors finds herself with a missing K and repeatedly being picked up by the Rabbits Police for questioning, during which she plays dumb, as does Alan Scarpio. While most dimensions have subtle differences between them, the one that Emily and Alan find themselves in appears to be one where Rabbits doesn’t exist, or so they think until they manage to find some well-hidden information and connect it with an architect, Rowan Chess. Rowan has rarely felt as though he’s belonged and is having an incredibly odd month, full of coincidences and strangely appearing and vanishing people, including a date he seemed to really connect with, which he investigates, drawing him to become heavily invested in a game he was unaware of partaking in but soon consumes his life. As Emily and Rowan’s paths cross, references to The Quiet Room keep appearing as they dig deeper and lead them toward a possibility of immeasurable impact on both the game and reality.
The mystery of Rabbits in the dimension Emily’s currently within slowly unravels through a combination of intrigue, puzzles, and seemingly impossible memories with bursts of rapid action to continually propel events forward. Following on what was presented in Rabbits, the events within this novel continue the expansive confusion of conspiracies and theories about the multiverse while more closely explaining some nuance of the hows and whys of what’s being explored through Rabbits and the Radiants as the narrative rotates between Emily and Rowan’s perspective of what they’re faced with and their out-of-place memories that help to inform the actions they’ll take. Though it’s been a while since last being immersed in the world, there’s a familiarity to the characters and what’s presented, despite there being differences in the specifics, that lends the reader an opportunity of being part of the dimension and experiencing the disconcerting feeling associated with dimensional drift. As things come down to the wire for the characters in this portion of the story, the conclusion opens the door for yet another adventure to save the world with yet another permeation of characters.
Overall, I’d give it a 4 out of 5 stars.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved the first book and the podcast but this felt a little unnecessary to me. The first book did a good job telling the whole story and leaving on a good enough point that continuing it just seemed like it wasn't needed at least for me.