The Door is Open…

I’ve been a fan of Rabbits and Terry Miles since the Podcast first aired in 2017. If you’re not familiar with it, it’s a pseudo-documentary style series about a mysterious Alternate Reality Game (ARG) appropriately named “Rabbits”. And while the Rabbits novels are a stand-alone addition to this series, I would still recommend listening to the podcast episodes if you'd like to have a better understanding of what's going on. You won't regret it.

The Quiet Room is the second book in the Rabbits series of novels. It does feel like a slight departure from the rest of Rabbits since it primarily focuses on the inner workings and origin of the ARG rather than participation in the ARG. However, like all things Rabbits, there are still plot twists, multidimensional characters (no pun intended), details that could be better explained, and an abundance of deus ex machina moments that keep the story moving along at a nice pace.

Overall, I think this is a good addition to the Rabbits series and a quick, fun read that I would absolutely recommend to anyone that enjoyed the first book or the podcast. Do be sure to read Rabbits (Book 1) prior to reading The Quiet Room though.

Thank you, NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy of the book.

What if you were playing the ultimate game, and it was up to you to save reality? This is the premise revisited in The Quiet Room by Terry Miles, the second book in the Rabbits universe started with the podcast of the same name. While listening to the podcast is not necessary before reading either book, please note that you need to have read the first book in this series, Rabbits to understand what is going on here. You can check out my review for Rabbits here (link to be posted in September). It was a Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Science Fiction (2021), so you know it is the real deal.

The book starts out following a familiar friend from Rabbits, Emily Connors, who quickly partners up with another old pal, Alan Scarpio, while she is basically falling through time streams and doing her best to adapt to each new reality. The other chapters follow a new character, Rowan, who falls into Rabbits when his dating app date literally disappears from existence. Naturally, the two meet up. Rowan, Emily, Scarpio, and some other new and familiar characters assemble a crew working together when they end up in a time stream that has been cut off from the multiverse. They have to figure out, before the stream disappears, how to get back to a different stream. To do this, they must locate and play the alternate reality games of Rabbits in its newest iteration.

This is a very fast-paced novel that is definitely best for the detail-oriented and those who like to read stories that are literally split between universes. Sometimes I found myself having to reread parts to get clarification. I’m a fast comprehender (not to toot my own horn), but reader be warned, this book takes a little effort.

Alas, here is my grading scale:

Characters: 10/10
While the comparison can’t exactly be made as Rabbits was written in the first-person narrative by protagonist K, I found Emily super likable in comparison and was glad we got to know her better. Her resilience made her genuinely likable. It was great to see LGBTQIA+ representation again. Rowan was also lovable in his own naive way, being brand new to Rabbits. However, the characters are also dynamic, and many things are hidden beneath the surface.

Premise & Originality: 10/10
This could just be me, but I think the idea of a game that involves controlling the multiverse is just a really cool idea. I would probably read 100 Rabbits novels. The Quiet Room is an enjoyable book, especially for people who are really into puzzles of all varieties and don’t mind the confusion element of a multiverse. Rabbits is interesting because, as a game, it’s alive and it adapts to its players. But it isn’t ever fully explained, which may frustrate some readers.

Execution of Premise & Plot: 9/10
In my opinion, this story was a lot easier to wrap my mind around than book 1. It is basically set in one single universe with the characters working to solve one problem. However, I still think there was a little too much that went unexplained or was glossed over.

Pacing: 9/10
I loved how fast-paced "The Quiet Room" was, but I think there are times Miles could have slowed down and explained some more elements.

Writing Style: 9/10
Same critique as above. I think Miles is very gifted at writing in a way that those of us who enjoy a good Sorkin walk and talk love to read (fast and switching gears, but all the information is there). We get to see Miles write in third person in this novel.

Enjoyable: 9/10
I thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience, and the only thing that gave me pause was occasionally having to go back and recheck information to make sure I was keeping up.

Unputdownable: 10/10
Similar to the first Rabbits, I never wanted to stop reading The Quiet Room. There are just so many cool different problems they are trying to solve, and everything moves so quickly.

Memorability: 9/10
I could see myself mixing up this book with the other, but I think it was more memorable because the overall plot was easier to wrap my brain around. Also, that leads me to my next category, the ending, which was the most memorable part.

Ending: 10/10
Very unexpected and interesting. My favorite part of the ending was how long the action kept on for – very eventful things were still happening 95% of the way through the book.

Stakes: 10/10
The characters are fighting for a universe, as well as personal stakes. I was super emotionally invested.

All in all, that is a 95%, which is an A from me and 5 stars.

If you liked Rabbits, you will love The Quiet Room. I would recommend this to fans of gaming, Ready Player One, and puzzles. Thank you to NetGalley and Del Ray Publishing for the chance to read and review this awesome book!

(This review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon, StoryGraph, and my blog ann-otatedbooks.com on October 3rd, 2023.)

Lots of positive reviews for this, and I'll pile on. This is engaging and includes interesting characters and nice twists. Rabbits fans will like this.

Thanks very much for the free copy for review!!

📚 ARC book review 📚

The Quiet Room
Terry Miles
Pub Date: October 3, 2023

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

The Quiet Room, the sophomore novel in The Rabbits series, did a great job surpassing it’s predecessor.

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?

Readers get more details into Rabbits and Emily Conner’s connection to the game. Be ready for multiple POVs and many characters to keep track of in this fast paced techno thriller.

Patiently waiting to start the podcast series until the third book is released! Don’t sleep on this series!

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

#thequietroom #terrymiles #ARC #netgalley #readersofinstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendations #thrillerbooks #tbr #rabbits #booklover #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks #bookworm

Twists, turns, and loads of rabbits… I had absolutely no idea what might happen next for this entire read and with Rabbits, I would expect nothing less. The Quiet Room explores what might happen when you accept that all of the wild you’ve learned of the world was just the tip of the iceberg.

This was a little bit of a slow start for me, but I think had I reread Rabbits before diving it that would have increased my momentum.

An incredible follow-up that mostly overcomes the “second-in-a-trilogy” syndrome and gets the reader more deeply invested in new/new-ish characters while also building out the Rabbits world. This book leaned almost into thriller/espionage territory in ways the first didn’t, and that definitely set it apart, giving a new flavor to what everyone enjoyed about the first novel in the series.

Similar to the first one, the characters were great, and they really pull you along with the story. There are two primary points of view, and they both are developed into deep and interesting people, not just cardboard cutouts. There is a whole riot of secondary characters, some of whom we have met (or we have met versions of) before, others who are new, and they all feel developed and more than just set dressing, which I liked. The writing is strong and compulsive, overall. Sometimes the dialogue feels a little awkward, and sometimes there is a little more twee than I like (name dropping specific bands, movies, and so forth, even crafting a play list, but not in the context of the game being played, just during quiet character beats) pulled me out of the story, it felt heavy-handed. It felt like pop-culture references were trying to be used to do the job of character-building, which is great in concept, but it felt too forced, here. Still, it is nice to know that characters I enjoy spending time with also appreciate Icelandic post-rock bands as well as obscure ultra-violent Japanese directors, I guess. My small complaints aside, the writing did a great job of moving the story forward, keeping the characters in action and keeping me lured in. It switched perspectives at the right moments to build tension but not so much that I felt fragmented or disconnected. Especially when playing in the thriller genre, with a literal ticking clock, and even more so when navigating quantum-philosophical ideas about multiverses and unstable space-time continuum, it is important to have writing strong enough to not only support well-developed characters but also keep the reader right in the middle of what is going on… even if they’re confused, they should know where they are and how they got there. This novel succeeds wildly at that, all while maintaining a consistent tone and sense of urgency, which benefited the story.

It is hard to talk about the story. The story is intentionally obtuse in places, similar to the first novel. There are all sorts of questions, including a bunch hanging over from the first novel, which are still unanswered. That is the name of the game in this paranoia-infused, mind-bending kind of puzzle-box genre, which is fine… But it is important to have faith in the writer and writing, that all these questions, these plots twists and disruptions, have a purpose and an answer, even if that is not forthcoming to the audience. The sheer number of twists and turns and huge, operatic plot devices (in both novels) sometimes feel like things are getting out of control, and that is when things feel like a bunch of deus ex machina plot devices, instead of confident and intentional authorial manipulation. So, there is some of that, here, and if you want everything wrapped up in a neat package you will be frustrated here, certainly. But if you’re willing to put a little faith in the author then there are a whole bunch of rollercoaster rides in these novels that are a lot of fun to go on. Will all the important questions and plot machinations be answered in the subsequent novel? I hope so, but even if not, I enjoyed the journey to get there.

I want to thank the author, the publisher Random House - Ballantine, Del Rey, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I received a review copy of this through NetGalley and had to go back and reread the first Rabbits because enough time had passed that I'd forgotten some details. It helped, a little, but the frame reestablishing only went so far. I've not listened to the podcast and admit that I still have some wonders about Rabbits.

This read like a middle book of a trilogy (and the cliffhanger tells us there will be another - sign me up!) Pace was slower, the twists fewer, the trickling of information just enough to further the story and lead speculation as to what's coming. Still, nicely done.

“They’re getting bolder,” Scarpio said, as he reached down into the fridge and pulled out a Corona. He twisted off the cap and handed the bottle to Emily, along with a pre-cut slice of lime from a bowl in the crisper. Then he took the Heineken from her other hand and opened it with a fizzy click.
{Rich guy drinks beer with a twist of cap. And from the bottle. Sigh.}

“There’s coffee. I made pour over, like an asshole. You want one?”
{So… crap beer, but good coffee.}

“You know I don’t need this shit,” Scarpio said, semiserious. “I could be in the South of France right now drinking four-thousand-dollar bottles of burgundy.”
{Um…}

The Quiet Room by Terry Miles

Characters: 5/5
Plot: 4/5
Pace: 4/5
Overall Enjoyment 4/5

After reading Rabbits and listening to the podcast, I so wanted to read this the second book by Terry Miles that would pick up where Rabbits left off. While I will say this one truly not as great as the first one but after waiting a couple of years for this one, I will take it. The cast of characters are back, or some anyway, and while a few only had a marginal role in Rabbits, we see them more frequently in here. I would love to see this made into a series as it would fit right into today’s AI intrigue. Parallel universe’s and great world building. You will enjoy the ride still and wonder what great acid trip the author was on……..just kidding.

Release date October 3 2023


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review.

That was...trippy. Rabbits is an absolutely amazing book that establishes an absolutely incredible universe and cast of characters. This second book picks up right where things ended in the first volume, and it ends in a similarly abrupt and "oh my GOD you can't seriously end now?!" way.

While it is amazing to know that there will be more books, it is more than a little frustrating to know that I am likely to have to wait two years to see what happens next, as I did waiting for this installment. The other thing that is more than a little frustrating is that this teaser suggests that the book will return more strongly to the characters from the first, many of whom were either not present or only marginally present in The Quiet Room. This is a Very Good Thing.

I must confess, I did not enjoy this second book as much as the first one. The first one is absolutely amazing from start to finish. No qualifiers, I'd read it over and over and get new things out of it each time. This second one feels, frankly, like the second book in a series or trilogy - like there is a lot of stuff being set up to keep the story moving forward to its conclusion. The tone feels different, and Rowan is no K. The characterizations didn't feel quite as compelling to me personally this time around, and even the presentations of carryover characters didn't resonate in quite the same way. I'm not entirely sure why, although suspect it is because of the nature of what is happening in this element of the overall narrative.

Don't misunderstand, it's still a wholly engaging story, but the pacing is different and the edge-of-your-seat discombobulating trippy feel of the first book wasn't present for a lot of this one, nor was the incredibly intense deja vu / coincidence / "what is real" essence that was so masterfully captured in Rabbits. Still it's one hell of a ride and I'm most definitely cannot wait to see what comes next! I'm also going to have to check out the podcast now, even though I'm not usually a fan of podcasts - there is simply so much brilliant inventiveness in this world building, that I can't stand the thought of having to wait months / years for another book!

Terry Miles gives us an out of this world sequel to Rabbits, the first installment of the series that taught readers about the underground game called Rabbits that was essential is stabilizing the multiverse. The Quiet Room takes us to a world where Rabbits seems to not exist, and Emily Conners, who we met in book one, finds herself stuck there. As she begins to look for the game, she comes across people from her past, who are also in this stream, and it seems they may all be in quite a bit of trouble. In the sequel, we also meet Rowan Chess, an architect and theme park designer, whose date disappears after an hour of what seemed to be a very promising first meeting and from there, it seems that Rabbits is looking for him, even while it is evading everyone else. Emily and Rowen team up for a bit and things get more dangerous and confusing. Will they survive this twisty crazy ride?

I would love to say that I understand everything that is going on in this novel. It is so full of information and it likely all makes sense, but some of it was over my head. However, that did not change my enjoyment of this novel that I read and read until the end, because this is not a book you can easily put down. I may read it again, so I can get the nuance that I feel I missed in the first reading. This was a great sequel and it is set up well for a continuation to book three. I cannot wait to read that one!

This was an amazing second book in this series. I am obsessed with this concept and it remains one of my favorite troupes to read. I am a huge fan!!

The mysterious and elusive game Rabbits has returned. Emily Connor, one of the heroes of the Rabbits, finds herself trapped in a dimensional stream where the game no longer appears to exist. Or at least is keeping itself well hidden. Rowan Chess is an architect who specializes in amusement parks, escape rooms and the like, has never heard of Rabbits. But after his dating app date vanishes from the restaurant they meet at, unwittingly finds himself involved in the game. When the two finally meet they're soon in a race to get back into the game before their world end.
The Quiet Room was equally well-written and as much of a fast moving page-turner as Rabbits. At times the whole dimensional and quantum aspects of it can be a bit hard to fully comprehend, and just like in Rabbits the lead up was so intense that the conclusion was a bit anti-climactic and left too many unanswered questions, but this is definitely a series for those who love puzzle solving, escape rooms,"Lost", "Black Mirror:", "Fringe", The Matrix and other mind bending enigmas and of that ilk.
In the end I liked Rabbits a bit more than this sequel, but I'll still call it 4.5* rounded to 5.

When I got word another rabbit's novel was on the way excitement doesn't begin to cover it. I immediately checked all of my resources because I needed this book in my hands asap!! Netgalley came through and I am so thankful!! I loved delving back into the mysterious fever dream world. This tale was a lot different from the first but still had that chase and confusion but in a good way. It felt like Rabbits. Really enjoyed this and I see hints for more Rabbits tales in the future! I highly recommend this and the first Rabbits novel they are amazing!!!!


Rabbits is real! R U Playing?

Thanks to Netgalley and Del Ray Publishing for the advanced copy of Terry Miles' 'The Quiet Room.'

I loved 'Rabbits' - the first in this series. I'd never heard or heard of the podcast but it didn't make any difference to me.

It's a good while since I ready 'Rabbits' so I probably should've reread it before diving into 'The Quiet Room' but the sequel does a good job of helping the reader remember or fill in the gaps.

Like 'Rabbits,' 'The Quiet Room' is another mindbending leap into non-coincidences, multiple dimensions and timelines and, just as in the first book, the characters are really well done and fun to spend some time with. Also like the first book, the narrative or multiples thereof can be a bit labyrinthine but, for me, never spoil the enjoyment of a fun and fast-paced read.

Looking forward to the next one already!

Thank you for the andvanced copy to read. I absolutely love this book. I loved the first one and I am sure I will love the next. I found myself enjoying the story that was unfolding and having to put the book down to fully take in what I had just read. How everything is connected in the book is fabulous and as someone who can usually guess the ending, I didn’t see any of that coming.

Given the current state of AI in society, this book, strange though it may be, is nonetheless timely. Suppose there are many alternative realities and many co-existing versions of the same individuals living and struggling within each of those realities. This is the foundation of the game called Rabbits, which we were introduced to in the first book of this series. I found this book more compelling than the first one although it did not conclude the story. That will be left to future books.
What kept me guessing until the end was which version of each character was real and which were embedded in alternate realities. You never really know until the final chapters of the book, and even then there is a modicum of uncertainty.
This book works as both sci-fi and thriller. It's worth the time to read it and I look forward to the next book in the series.

[Blurb goes here]

There's not much to say about this second installment of the Rabbit's ongoing saga.

Clunky dialog all throughout the book: subject 'A' commenting on something. Subject 'B' changing the subject to force subject 'A' to say whatever the writer needs to convey.

Plot points and workings are repeated ad infinitum, ad nauseam.

Traveling between parallel universes: is a magnificent tool to have when you want your characters to start acting differently.

I loved the first book in the series; this sequel doesn't hold a candle to that one.

If you're a fan of Rabbits, by all means, go for it. If you're not: read the first one and try and imagine you're living in a parallel earth, where the second book was never written.

Thank you for the advanced copy!

As a listener of the Rabbits podcast and reader of the previous book, I did enjoy this one. It was intriguing and kept me turning pages enthusiastically. Definitely worth a read! Thanks so much to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ah, the sound of white noise. That mind-numbing emptiness, full of content but void of meaning or significance. A soothing, consistently nonsensical nonsense!

For what it’s worth that déjà vu feeling you get reading this sequel might have to do with how completely you’ve forgotten the plot from the first one. Are any of these characters the same? That eerie sense of vague familiarity, just the slightest wisp of it, means you’ll never, ever know for sure. In a way, genius writing! This book takes the concept “what if déjà vu” and lets you experience it for yourself, chapter after chapter, scene after scene, as you turn the page and then think “wait, what was I just reading about?”

Anyway, recommended to fans of Mira Grant’s Into the Drowning Deep (but less structured), the Person of Interest episode where there’s a scavenger hunt created by an AI (but minus any emotional significance), that Christopher Nolan movie where he rewound stuff a lot (and I don’t mean Momento), and the X-Files/Fringe (mythology eps only… like if you only watched the mythology episodes, one after another, straight through, and skipped everything else).

Otoh don’t read this if you expect to be able to have:
1. A clear understanding of the significance of the plot events, singly or relative to each other
2. A accurate sense of the chronological sequence of the events being depicted
3. A clear understanding of who the characters are, what they want, and what distinguishes them from each other
4. A traditional narrative arc
5. A non-traditional narrative arc
6. A narrative in the shape of really any kind of arc (I really can’t emphasize this enough, this narrative is just a straight line in the middle of the graph, just completely parallel to the x-axis at all times, y=3 or something)

Real talk, I do love some white noise. This series is based on a series of podcasts which I really enjoyed, and I also liked the first book in this series, Rabbits. The reasons this is a 3-star review rather than a 4-star review are:
1. The book is just too long. I liked it in the beginning but should have been able to finish this out in two hours or less. This type of pointless list/fact/plot event after list/fact/plot event writing works when it’s a podcast and you can play it in the background while you clean your apartment, but it doesn’t really work for a book. Plus the clues are only ever at the escape room level of complexity (which is to say, so basic it’s insulting) and while that can be funny for a while, it gets tiring.
2. The romance. Did the last book have this? The podcast definitely didn’t. I would say it’s not this author’s strong suit and it’s totally unnecessary to what the book is trying to do. Just edit that stuff out completely and the book would be tighter (and less cheesy) as a result.
3. I found the references to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 to be tasteless. This book is full of conspiracy theories about fake events. Why name-drop this particular real-life one?

Anyway, I thought this book was okay. Not as good as the first one, but when you want to kick back, relax, and turn off your brain completely - when you’re feeling some insomnia and you’re looking for something to read that will put you right to sleep - this is a decent choice.

Terry Miles does it again in the Rabbits series, it had everything that I enjoyed from the other book in the series. It was well written and does a great job in continuing the story. The characters were what I was looking for and was everything that I enjoyed. I can’t wait to read more from Terry Miles.