Barnaby Martin's »The Quiet« takes readers on a riveting journey through love, sacrifice, and the boundaries a mother will push to protect her child in a drastically altered world.

The narrative centers on Hannah, a devoted mother whose son Isaac is not only her pride and joy but also a target due to his exceptional abilities. The story's opening line—"You have no idea what I’ve had to do to keep him safe…"— encapsulates Hannah's internal struggle as she walks a tightrope between nurturing Isaac's talents and shielding him from the perils that lurk outside their carefully constructed bubble.

The setting of »The Quiet« is a dystopian world transformed by the enigmatic Soundfield, forcing humankind to adapt to nocturnal life. In this desolate landscape where daylight brings unbearable heat and scarcity, the atmosphere is laden with tension and uncertainty. Martin skillfully crafts this backdrop, employing vivid imagery that immerses readers in a landscape characterized by both beauty and danger. The omnipresent hum of the Soundfield serves as a metaphor for the underlying anxiety that permeates Hannah's existence, a constant reminder of the chaos beyond her control.

Hannah's character is richly developed, embodying strength and vulnerability in equal measure. Her love for Isaac fuels her actions but also leads her into morally ambiguous territory as she employs deception to protect him. This inner conflict raises poignant questions about motherhood, ethics, and survival in a harsh world. Isaac, despite his youth, grapples with his own identity under the pressure of his mother’s fears and the weight of his gifts.

Martin's writing style is engaging and evocative, melding lyrical prose with sharp dialogue that breathes life into his characters. The emotional depth he conveys allows readers to empathize with Hannah's predicament while also pondering the ramifications of her choices. The novel balances suspense with introspection, creating a narrative that is both thrilling and contemplative.

While the pacing occasionally slows in favor of character exploration, this deliberate choice ultimately enriches the story by providing a deeper understanding of Hannah’s psyche and the gravity of her decisions. Martin’s ability to intertwine personal stakes with broader societal issues transforms »The Quiet« into more than just a tale of survival—it becomes a testament to human resilience.

»The Quiet« prompts readers to consider what they would do in the name of love—a question that lingers long after the final page is turned. Through Hannah and Isaac's journey, Martin invites us to confront the complexities of our own humanity, leaving a lasting impact beyond the confines of the story.

Extremely tense, wonderfully efficient prose. I found this fascinating, terrifying and thought-provoking. Such a sure hand, and I loved that the science wasn't dumbed down or over-explained.

The first book I’ve read by barnaby martin and I really enjoyed it. I was hooked by the premise of the book and couldn’t put it down as I needed to know what happened. It’s a beautiful book and I really enjoyed it.

I suspect this will generate a marmite response for many readers!
The near future world is vividly described, some elements feel tired while others are highly imaginative and original The dual timeline works well and allows the story to unfold at different paces. The characters are engaging and realistic. There is enough science to interest without overwhelming, and it all sounds plausible (I say this as a complete non-scientist!). Loved the Soundfield and the speculation around music and language
The biggest disappointment - no resolution at the end!!! A sequel is essential, I need to know what happens!
If this is made into a TV/Film pilot (which it would adapt perfectly to) I would binge-watch any resulting series without a doubt.

"The Quiet" by Barnaby Martin is a moving exploration of silence and isolation, capturing the emotional struggles of its characters in a thought provoking way. I need a sequel!!

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Hannah is a college lecturer in the mid-21st century, she’s a mum to Isaac, a hearing-impaired child. She lives in a pre-apocalyptic world, with UV levels so toxic, going out without protective clothing invites skin cancer. Plus, there’s a maddening, ever present hum called The Soundfield. And then Hannah becomes involved in a conspiracy against the government.

There is the potential here for a cracking dystopian sci-fi novel. Sadly, potential is what it is. The novel has a well-realised world, but a lot of the plot devices (censorship, neo-fascism, an underground resistence) have been done before, better. The odd cracking idea (society lives at night to avoid UV levels, The Last Jedi is a classic movie) seems lost in it.

The truly revolutionary bits of the novel (a theocratic government and Issac’s connection to The Soundfield) are ignored or not explained clearly. The flash back, flash forward structure of the novel makes it difficult to follow, plus it’s not exactly clear how to novel ends.

It might be enough for some people, it I found it messy, disappointing and unsatisfying. It’s published by Pan Macmillan on May 15th, 2025 and I thank them for a preview copy. #thequiet

I loved this but need a sequal immediately
This looks like just my sort of book. I really love speculative fiction. so I reached straight for it when I saw it in NetGalley UK.
The book is such a dap world where climate changes caused people to live during the night rather than the day and the Earth is covered by a sinister singing entity known as Sound field which makes a tonal noises which nobody understands. The main characters are scientist investigating the sound field and discovering that certain genetic abnormalities predispose people to hearing the sound differently.

One child is unable to talk speaks in sign language but he’s able to mimic the sound fields noises accurately
The science behind the dystopia takes a long time to be revealed and you’re well over halfway through the book before you finally understand what the Soundfield is and it’s implications likewise the genetic engineering part of the story only starts to be tied up towards the end
I enjoyed the plot twist and hadn’t predicted it which I love.


The genetics elements of the story seems to make some scientific sense which is always important when it comes to sci-fi the mixture between sci-fi fantasy and reality is just right.
This book was so good I’m thoroughly disappointed that it’s
clearly not finished I was watching the count down to the end of the novel in the bottom right hand corner of my Kindle getting more and more frustrated that the story wasn’t meant to be fully explained.I live in hope that there will be a sequel
The authors writing style is instantly engaging making the book of thoroughly enjoyable read
The characters in the novel Notably the central characters are described well and seem like real people. I see in the novel is set in the UK at some time in the future or that doesn’t actually say which country it’s set in which is quite clever. I like the climate change elements of the story and the immigration related to climate emergency make this a very topical read.
This novel would make the perfect first chapter in a television series or a film and I hope and suspect that the rights for this will be taken up quite quickly.
I read an copy of the novel on NetGalley UK if it was published in May 2025 by Pam McMillan /McMillan UK
This review will appear on NetGalley UK, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbookswordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK.