Two Weeks Notice

Two Weeks' Notice
4 Stars

It’s business as usual for Bryn Davis at the funeral home until the FBI pull her in with a “request”, and she finds herself immeshed in a new conspiracy fighting against a lethal foe with ties that are a little too close to home.

A good continuation to the series but fair warning The Revivalists is not for the faint of heart or the weak of stomach. The tone is dark and gritty, and the descriptions are quite gory and gruesome, particularly toward the end.

The plot starts out a little slow as Bryn copes with the aftermath of events from Working Stiff but the action heats up quickly and Bryn is soon dodging bullets, surviving explosions and escaping deranged interrogators at government facilities. There are show more also developments in her personal life as she and Patrick grow closer both emotionally and physically.

The secondary characters are engaging, especially Patrick’s right hand, Joe Fidelli, and his left, the Alfred-like Liam. The villain is seriously disturbed, which says a lot since the sickos from book #1 were bad enough, and there is a wicked little twist associated with the character as well.

The third and final book is already out and it will be interesting to see how Bryn handles the changes wrought in this installment. show less

I read Working Stiff, the first book in the Revivalist series, with some trepidation, not being a fan of shambling mindless brain eaters, only to find myself gripped by a original, exciting story. I was thrilled to be given access to a galley of Two Week's Notice and eager to see if Caine could do it again.

And she did. Picking up a few months after Working Stiff Bryn is managing the funeral home she 'inherited', searching for her kidnapped sister, Annalie, offering counseling to the newly Revived and falling in love with Patrick McCallister. As Manny continues to tinker with the Returne formula she must inject herself with everyday or risk a gruesome death, the FBI, who are in the process of dismantling Pharmadene insists she help them show more with an investigation into missing funds. What Bryn discovers is a shocking government conspiracy that involves murdered and missing Pharmadene employees, and results in her being targeted by a shadowy group of sadistic military operatives. This time, Bryn is not at all sure she will escape with her life.

Perhaps best described as an urban fantasy thriller, with a compelling mix of action, conspiracy and a touch of romance, the plot of Two Weeks' Notice is well thought out and ideally paced. I was engrossed by each twist and turn as Bryn, backed up by Pat McCallister and Joe Fideli, becomes the target in a complex conspiracy by the government to tie up loose ends involving Pharmadene and Returne. To escape a bomb she must jump from a seventh story window, to avoid abduction she jumps through a wall of glass but when the mysterious Jane finally gets a hold of her by threatening Joe's son, she has to endure unimaginable torture. While rarely explicit, the imagined horror is inescapable and made my skin crawl.

There is a continued intensity to Bryn's character as she struggles with the emotional fall out of becoming the living dead. Her dependence on the Returne drug makes her vulnerable, at the mercy of Manny and the FBI and she still suffers from nightmares about her death and the white room in the bowels of the Pharmadene building. Bryn also has concerns about her growing intimate relationship with Patrick which is hit with a shocking curve ball when the truth of the conspiracy comes to light.

Fast paced, action packed and leading to stunning conclusion that left me wanting more, Two Week's Notice is a thrilling page turner. A must read for urban fantasy fans, this is one series you don't want to miss. show less

No sophomore blues when it comes to the second book in Caine's Revivalist series. I enjoyed this one more than I did the first one.

What Worked: Bryn's personal growth from the first to the second book is tremendous. One of my biggest complaints of the first book was that if Bryn didn't have a gun she was nothing more than a punching bag for every Tom, Dick or Freddie to abuse. She got her butt kicked more than a bad MMA fighter in the first book. With this book she took her military training to a whole new level. She exuded confidence in bulk and could back it up. She was no one's victim even while tied up and tortured.

The relationship between Bryn and Patrick reached a whole new level in this second installment. Bryn being, show more technically, dead and Patrick being, well, not, a sexual relationship could have been an urpy concept however, Caine wrote it in a way that I completely believed it and liked it. Actually the complexity of relationships between all the characters was very well done. Including Joe Fideli's contribution to Bryn and all of her jobs and Liam, the Alfred to Patrick's Batman and his contribution to everything.

What Didn't Work: Parts of the book did drag a bit especially in the first 1/3 and I found it easy to set this book aside for something else until I got past page 100. Also even though I did love the advancements Bryn made towards being a bad-ass I would have liked some explanation on how she went from perpetual victim to thwarting professional kidnappers without (barely) breaking a sweat. Something like a rigorous training schedule for hand to hand combat or weapons training would have been an asset.

I didn't care for the Revived being called addicts either. To survive they all needed a shot on a daily basis. To me, addiction is the abuse of something, whether it be drugs, alcohol or gambling an addict would use to the point of abusing it. Having to have a shot once a day does not make an addict any more than a Diabetic reliant on daily insulin would be.

Towards the end, unfortunately, Bryn kind of fell into the TSTL category by making a bad decision for not only herself but for her sister Annie as well. This point is a bit teetering because I could see why she made the decision she did but I thought it was a bad one. Her sister thought it was a bad one and even Bryn herself was not completely on board with it. The results were catastrophic to Bryn but did open up a whole new level of awesomeness for this series. So, a minus and a plus all rolled into one!

In a Nutshell: I love this series. Zombies, who aren't exactly zombies...but might as well be, bad guys who might be good guys, bad guys who are living in bad guy land so deep even traditional bad guys won't go there, torture sequences in which nothing more than a spoon is used (mostly off camera) and several OMG moments towards the end ensure I am going to read the latest installment of this series ASAP. This series is not for everyone as it is a bit more gruesome than a typical UF series but for me it's a winner! show less

Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy:
allthingsuf.com

It’s rare that a sequel can top its predecessor, and given the enthusiastic 5 bats I gave WORKING STIFF, I never expected TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE to become my new favorite in the series. The bleak circumstances of the first few chapters set me up for a mind blowing ending that has my excitement about this series turned up to an all time high.

Though Bryn’s circumstances at the start of TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE have changed drastically since we first met her in WORKING STIFF, underneath the luxurious accommodations and zombie grief counseling I saw the same calm, capable, utterly bomb proof heroine I fell in love with in book one. And all of that strength is needed now more than ever show more as the bleakness of life after revival sinks in. Much like Chess Putnam of Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts, Bryn’s condition makes her day to day existence precarious and heartbreakingly vulnerable. But if the first portion of TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE is spent reminding you of the depression and fear of life as a nanite zombie, both Bryn’s love life and her self esteem take explosive turns for the better soon after. Though I haven’t quite figured out Patrick McCallister as a leading man, he more than proves his chops as a sex symbol in TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE. Alone with the good (and the steamy), the Revivalist series doesn’t gloss over unpleasantness either. Rather, Bryn’s abilities come at a significant physical and psychological cost that makes her all the more satisfying as a heroine. Though the violence is ratcheted up this time around, all of the emotional pain more than pays off in impact by book’s end.

In addition to greater emotional punch, I like the way Caine manages villains and threats in TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE. Even Annie, one of my least favorite characters in WORKING STIFF, is used to much greater effect. I don’t want to spoil anything by going into details, but I felt that both old threats and new were exciting, intriguing, and really well written. Though Caine’s ability to write wicked women is nearly unmatched, I also I love that her character palette ranges beyond love interests and villains to include families, pets, and happy couples. Joe Fideli in particular had some hilarious dialogue with Pat and Bryn this time around.

After two in a row, I think it’s safe to say that the Revivalist series just plain does it for me. Managing the transition between series installments is a tricky business, and TWO WEEKS’ NOTICE is a great example of how to do things right. The entire action-packed conclusion was thrilling and well written, and the ending caught me completely off guard with a delicious twist. Not your average cliffhanger, Caine treats fans to a game-changing development that definitely puts Revivalist #3 at the top of my “Must Read” list.

Sexual Content: Sex scenes. show less

I am under the assumption that Rachel Caine can't write a bad book. This is because I have read all of Ms.Caine's amazing Morganville Vampire books as well as the majority of her Weather Wardens series and these first to Revivalist novels and not a single one has been close to bad. With that said, the Revivalist series has been a lot slower for me than the other series. It is also very much darker in subject matter. The act is reviving the dead and then purposely letting them rot while alive is not for the faint of heart. In this world, there is a drug (taken by injection) that can keep the dead alive and fully composed. Without that drug on a daily basis, normal decomposition starts in.

Now some of the revived have gone missing and Bryn show more seems is finding herself right in the middle of the intrigue. First up is a chance to save her sister Annie and then she is given a job by the newly government run Pharmadene corporation. What she finds during the course of both of these events leads to more conspiracies and danger than she faced in the previous novel "Working Stiff." Now there is a ton of action in this book. Far more than I remember being in the first installment. All of the scenes are tense and well-written.

The parts I actually enjoyed the most are those that focused on Bryn digging up clues and relying on her friends and colleagues for their assistance in her adventures. I like reading about the things that happen in the funeral home where Bryn works. You can tell Ms. Caine has done her research on the funeral business. I thought the portions of the story involving the dogs in Bryn's life was also entertaining and cute. All these scenes I favor have one thing in common. They show us more about who Bryn is as a character and how she relates to and needs other people. It makes her human; it makes her alive.

Both books in this series are solid, exciting, well-written urban fantasy/paranormal novels. These almost have more of a thriller feel to them as well. I can only say that for some reason I don't seem to read them as quickly or get as excited by them as I do with Caine's other novels. It is really something I have thought about for awhile and can't seem to put into words. I like them but I just don't love them. This second installment though is better than the first so if the third book keeps with this trend, I may end up being converted. As it stands right now I would still be more than willing to continue reading this series. show less

TWO WEEKS NOTICE was just as good if not better then WORKING STIFF. Bryn seems to be settling into her new life as best as she can. Bryn has her friends working to keep her non dependent on the government to stay alive but not all the Returne addicts are that lucky and now they are disappearing. The government contacts Bryn to help them once again and she has no choice but to go with it.

Most people don't have to dodge assassin at every turn but Bryn isn't your normal everyday gal. She has been through a lot and continues to get knocked down but she keeps getting up. I didn't think Bryn and Patrick were that much alike in the beginning of book 1 but they really do complement each other and I like seeing them together and watching their show more relationship progress. Joe is awesome, He is hilarious, loyal and always there to lend a hand. I really enjoy most of the characters in the Revivalist series, some a lot more then others but they all bring something extra to the table. There was a lot going on in TWO WEEKS NOTICE and a lot is revealed. Everything seems to be stepped up a notch. Emotions are high and situations are intense. Plenty of action and suspense.

The ending? WOW I was on the edge of my seat screaming at the characters and wondering how the heck I didn't see that coming. The newest situation that Bryn finds herself in at the end is definately another game changer that I'm not going to miss reading about it in book 3. show less

Listened/Read for Fun (Audible/Paperback)
Tracking Books Read Review (Short)
Overall Rating: 4.25
Story Rating: 4.00
Character Rating: 4.50

Audio Rating: 4.00 (not part of the overall rating)

First Thought when Finished: OH MY Two Week's Notice was such a good listen! I am so glad I had Terminated ready to go when I finished.

Overall Thoughts: I have pretty much devoured this series back to back. Two Weeks Notice did exactly what the middle book in a trilogy should do: advance the story. We got more action, romance, back story, and emotion. Middle books should always be the "meat" of the trilogy and this one delivered. Bryn (the leading lady) is probably one of my favorite characters in Urban Fantasy. She is kick ass but mostly she is just show more dealing with the hand that she has been dealt. I tend to admire the leading ladies that are "human" about their circumstances. The rest of the cast of characters are great too. My favorite thing about Rachel Caine is she writes characters that I care about and want to root for! The Revivalist series though is probably my favorite!

Audio Thoughts:

Narrated By Julia Whelan /Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins

Julia does a fantastic job with Bryn and the rest of the characters in this series. Her pacing and rhythm are very well done. She also has one of those voices that you can listen to on higher speeds and it doesn't distort at all. Overall very well done.

Final Thoughts: I love this series! show less