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Ukiah Oregon #1
Alien Taste
From Book 1: Ukiah Oregon is quickly becoming one of the greatest trackers in the country. Some call it luck—those closest to him call it instinct. Abandoned as a child, he was found running with a wolf pack. Now, in his job as a private investigator, he puts his nose to the ground to track down missing persons and fugitives from the law.
A heightened sense of smell and taste—plus a photographic memory—make him an invaluable asset to his partner. But when Ukiah kills a crazed young woman in self-defense, he draws the attention of the FBI’s most wanted: a violent and elusive gang known as the Pack.
And it won’t be long before Ukiah discovers just how much he has in common with the Pack: a bond of brotherhood, blood...and destiny.
A heightened sense of smell and taste—plus a photographic memory—make him an invaluable asset to his partner. But when Ukiah kills a crazed young woman in self-defense, he draws the attention of the FBI’s most wanted: a violent and elusive gang known as the Pack.
And it won’t be long before Ukiah discovers just how much he has in common with the Pack: a bond of brotherhood, blood...and destiny.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2001
58 people are currently reading
873 people want to read
About the author
Wen Spencer
41 books894 followersJohn W. Campbell Award Winner Wen Spencer resides in paradise in Hilo, Hawaii with two volcanoes overlooking her home. Spencer says that she often wakes up and exclaims "Oh my god, I live on an island in the middle of the Pacific!" This, says Spencer, is a far cry from her twenty years of living in land-locked Pittsburgh.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
The Elfhome series opener, Tinker, won the 2003 Sapphire Award for Best Science Fiction Romance and was a finalist for the Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award for Fantasy Novel. Wolf Who Rules, the sequel to Tinker, was chosen as a Top Pick by Romantic Times and given their top rating of four and a half stars. Other Baen books include space opera thriller Endless Blue and Eight Million Gods.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
December 26, 2007
Wow. This book was exactly what I needed. Everything is just about perfect, from the very well-drawn characters to the setting (which I don't normally pay attention to but which I was impressed with) and the themes explored.
First the characters. I loved Ukiah Oregon. In fact, he may have to supplant Miles Vorkosigan as the fictional character I would run off to live in sin with if he were real. He's a sweet, noble guy who loves deeply and purely and with all that he is. And you know that being raised by a lesbian couple has made him into the kind of man any woman would want to be with.
The secondary characters are also very well drawn. I was especially intrigued by Max Bennet, Ukiah's mentor and partner. I loved watching them interact. Max has also had a ton of crap heaped on him, but thanks to Ukiah, he is slowly beginning to heal. And we know this because we are shown, not told, which is one of the book's other strengths.
I mentioned the setting was well-done. The book is set in Pitsburgh, and it's very clear that Spencer knows about Pitsburgh. In fact, it's sort of amusing that the setting stuck out to me at all, because I kept being reminded of a Mage: the Ascension game I used to play in, which was run by a native of Pitsburgh who mentioned several of the same settings Spencer used in the book, which was cool and added more pleasant associations to my reading.
As for the plot, you'll notice the question mark under the book's genre. I really don't know how to classify this book. It's got a very definite urban fantasy feel for about the first two-thirds, reminding me of a somewhat grittier Charles de Lint (which is, natch, a good thing), but then it takes a left hand turn and goes wandering off into science fiction land.
The sci-fi elements of the plot were definitely not my favorites. They seemed straight out of a cheap B movie, and even though they made sense for the story, some of them seemed beyond preposterous and I had to roll my eyes.
I'm also not sure how well the romance worked for me. I can't decide if I thought it was rushed or if it made sense that Ukiah would fall for the person he falls for so quickly because he just seems to love people so intensely anyway. I think I'm leaning toward the latter, because it is one of the sweetest romances I've read in a while, but I'm not normally a fan of the characters meeting and professing their love mere days later.
Overall, despite its flaws, this was a great book which I highly recommend. I definitely intend to read the sequel as soon as possible.
First the characters. I loved Ukiah Oregon. In fact, he may have to supplant Miles Vorkosigan as the fictional character I would run off to live in sin with if he were real. He's a sweet, noble guy who loves deeply and purely and with all that he is. And you know that being raised by a lesbian couple has made him into the kind of man any woman would want to be with.
The secondary characters are also very well drawn. I was especially intrigued by Max Bennet, Ukiah's mentor and partner. I loved watching them interact. Max has also had a ton of crap heaped on him, but thanks to Ukiah, he is slowly beginning to heal. And we know this because we are shown, not told, which is one of the book's other strengths.
I mentioned the setting was well-done. The book is set in Pitsburgh, and it's very clear that Spencer knows about Pitsburgh. In fact, it's sort of amusing that the setting stuck out to me at all, because I kept being reminded of a Mage: the Ascension game I used to play in, which was run by a native of Pitsburgh who mentioned several of the same settings Spencer used in the book, which was cool and added more pleasant associations to my reading.
As for the plot, you'll notice the question mark under the book's genre. I really don't know how to classify this book. It's got a very definite urban fantasy feel for about the first two-thirds, reminding me of a somewhat grittier Charles de Lint (which is, natch, a good thing), but then it takes a left hand turn and goes wandering off into science fiction land.
The sci-fi elements of the plot were definitely not my favorites. They seemed straight out of a cheap B movie, and even though they made sense for the story, some of them seemed beyond preposterous and I had to roll my eyes.
I'm also not sure how well the romance worked for me. I can't decide if I thought it was rushed or if it made sense that Ukiah would fall for the person he falls for so quickly because he just seems to love people so intensely anyway. I think I'm leaning toward the latter, because it is one of the sweetest romances I've read in a while, but I'm not normally a fan of the characters meeting and professing their love mere days later.
Overall, despite its flaws, this was a great book which I highly recommend. I definitely intend to read the sequel as soon as possible.
January 8, 2016
In this book, #1 in Wen Spencer’s first series, the author introduces a unique world so like our own, and a fascinating protagonist, Ukiah Oregon. The genre of this book (and the entire series) would be urban sci-fi, something I haven’t encountered often in modern speculative fiction.
Centuries ago, alien invaders landed on Earth, but one of them was a rebel, set on preventing their murderous plans. The war between the two fractions still continues, while ignorant humans go about their lives unaware.
The hero of this book, twenty-one-year-old Ukiah, is a private investigator caught in the war. He didn’t know about it. He didn’t know that he himself is an alien (yes, he really didn’t). But he would do anything to protect those he loves: his family, his partner Max, his lover, and any innocents swept by the waves of the struggle.
Ukiah is not your average man. He was raised by wolves until the age of thirteen, and many of our social rules still baffle him. He is honest, kind and, naive, with a body of a stud muffin – an irresistible combination for any female reader. Add to that his willingness to sacrifice himself to save others, and you have a marvelous modern Mowgli. Yummy!
The plot is fast and engaging, the dialog life-like, and the writing professional, spiced by a pinch of humor. I enjoyed this book tremendously. It was a re-read, but I read this book a long time ago. I liked it then, and the re-read just confirmed my opinion. Wen Spencer is a wonderful writer. I’m going to re-read the entire series.
And then there is mice. I won’t say more about them to avoid spoiling your reading, but if you ever decide to pick up this series, watch for the mice.
Centuries ago, alien invaders landed on Earth, but one of them was a rebel, set on preventing their murderous plans. The war between the two fractions still continues, while ignorant humans go about their lives unaware.
The hero of this book, twenty-one-year-old Ukiah, is a private investigator caught in the war. He didn’t know about it. He didn’t know that he himself is an alien (yes, he really didn’t). But he would do anything to protect those he loves: his family, his partner Max, his lover, and any innocents swept by the waves of the struggle.
Ukiah is not your average man. He was raised by wolves until the age of thirteen, and many of our social rules still baffle him. He is honest, kind and, naive, with a body of a stud muffin – an irresistible combination for any female reader. Add to that his willingness to sacrifice himself to save others, and you have a marvelous modern Mowgli. Yummy!
The plot is fast and engaging, the dialog life-like, and the writing professional, spiced by a pinch of humor. I enjoyed this book tremendously. It was a re-read, but I read this book a long time ago. I liked it then, and the re-read just confirmed my opinion. Wen Spencer is a wonderful writer. I’m going to re-read the entire series.
And then there is mice. I won’t say more about them to avoid spoiling your reading, but if you ever decide to pick up this series, watch for the mice.
January 9, 2026
Alien Taste is the first book of a series of four featuring Ukiah Oregon, a feral child who was found running with a wolf pack and then raised by two mothers who named him for where he was found. It's a science fiction series with aliens and has a lot of urban fantasy imagery and he's a tracker/private detective now and there's just a whole lot going on. He has to kill a crazy woman in self-defense and the Pack become involved... There's some romance and some humor and most of the thing is set in Pittsburgh of all places. Spencer manages to tie it all together convincingly, and it's a very entertaining read.
July 30, 2020
Compulsively readable science-fantasy, but the premises and some of the plot-twists kept breaking my WSOD. I might have loved this one when I was 14, or even 20. Not so much anymore. 2.5 stars, rounded up for being compulsively-readable. If you try it, don't expect the plot to make sense.
January 28, 2022
So much to love. So much to unlove.
Love: the plot. I sunk my teeth right into the plot. It was great! Unique. Worth 4-5 stars.
Unlove: pagefillers. ACK! I seriously can't stand page fillers. Lots of recapping events in the beginning, then we had the detailed menu and pantry inventory. About 80% in, the story felt too long. All thanks to the page fillers, because word count is THAT important. 2 stars.
I noticed most of the high ratings come from the early 2000's. Come close to 2020 and you can see how society's reading tastes have changed. I have 2 more books by Wen Spencer, so I think I will keep my rating in the middle of the road with this one.
April 11, 2023
This is kind of a detective story, kind of a romance, kind of like science fiction, and kind of like fantasy.
It starts off fairly normal as a detective story. But we start to get the idea that Ukiah is not all he seems to be.
He has a bit of a romance in there with fade to black intimacy.
Because of the type of story I was concerned that the author was going to kill off one of my favorite characters but thankfully she did not!
This is pretty twisted with convoluted world building. I loved a lot of the characters so I might try reading more of the series but I’m not sure.
It starts off fairly normal as a detective story. But we start to get the idea that Ukiah is not all he seems to be.
He has a bit of a romance in there with fade to black intimacy.
Because of the type of story I was concerned that the author was going to kill off one of my favorite characters but thankfully she did not!
This is pretty twisted with convoluted world building. I loved a lot of the characters so I might try reading more of the series but I’m not sure.
August 23, 2008
I started reading all of Wen Spencer's books after reading "Tinker" and I think I like this series even better than the Tinker series. Spencer's plots always seem very well thought out and I usually feel satisfied by the time I get to the end of the book. Her characters are very compelling as well - she always has an intruiging backstory, and this is no exception. Ukiah Oregon is a tracker who works with a private investigator, and he is an ununsual young man in that he was found in the middle of the forest eating a rabbit - he was raised by wolves (!!) and has uncanny abilities at tracking and a photographic memory. He has a young innocence which contrasts with his superior abilities. This story starts out with Ukiah tracking a possible kidnap victim but soon Ukiah gets tangled up in something much bigger which also involves his past and where he came from. I want to go on about Spencer's original ideas but I think its more fun to read the book and find out for yourself. I really enjoyed this one.
July 2, 2020
It must be me because this appears to be almost universally loved. But it bugged me for several reasons: even for a sci-fi/fantasy fan this premise was just too strange, I couldn't suspend disbelief enough to enjoy the ride; all the weirdness is too easily accepted by everyone, no one reacted like real people would; the characters and love story are woefully underdeveloped, the romance felt especially tacked on and silly; there’s lots (lots) of exposition and yet I was still unclear on things; the pack memory was a too convenient way for Ukiah to know the solution to every problem that came up. Overall, I found the writing clunky and repetitive.
August 22, 2014
What a great story, and beginning of a new series.
There is a lot to like about this book.
That said, you can tell it was written earlier in Wen Spencer's career. While Ukiah is fairly well developed as a character, the same can't be said for most of the supporting cast. If the surrounding characters were as well developed as they are in Wind Sprites or Eight Million Gods this would be a 5-star plus book.
Not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the book. The plot was interesting and had enough twists that it kept me turning pages (ok, swiping the screen); the action scenes were exciting; the pacing was spot on and I never felt a drag. This was a fun read that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone loves SciFi/Fantasy.
Would I read it again? As part of a whole series re-read? Absolutely!
There is a lot to like about this book.
That said, you can tell it was written earlier in Wen Spencer's career. While Ukiah is fairly well developed as a character, the same can't be said for most of the supporting cast. If the surrounding characters were as well developed as they are in Wind Sprites or Eight Million Gods this would be a 5-star plus book.
Not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the book. The plot was interesting and had enough twists that it kept me turning pages (ok, swiping the screen); the action scenes were exciting; the pacing was spot on and I never felt a drag. This was a fun read that I would not hesitate to recommend to anyone loves SciFi/Fantasy.
Would I read it again? As part of a whole series re-read? Absolutely!
April 9, 2020
One of my "Lockdown of 2020" rereads.
Just a great, comfort read of a book. It pushes my buttons nicely, with mysterious pasts, aliens and cool but weird biology. Ukiah is a lovely puppy who needs to be looked after and yet is strong and protective. Max is the awesome dad and Indigo a wonderful, strong woman without being a modern trope.
Just, yes please. Especially now.
After the (enjoyable) work it took to reread Stormwarden, this felt like a much more modern book. Even in mass market paperback size, the text was bigger and the writing was good and solid but easy to read. This is the newest of the books on my list with a publication date of 2001 (still almost 20 years ago!) and it does feel like it fits more to "modern" fiction than some of my other rereads. That doesn't matter in the least, but it was an interesting thing to note.
I look forward to rereading the others in the series too.
Just a great, comfort read of a book. It pushes my buttons nicely, with mysterious pasts, aliens and cool but weird biology. Ukiah is a lovely puppy who needs to be looked after and yet is strong and protective. Max is the awesome dad and Indigo a wonderful, strong woman without being a modern trope.
Just, yes please. Especially now.
After the (enjoyable) work it took to reread Stormwarden, this felt like a much more modern book. Even in mass market paperback size, the text was bigger and the writing was good and solid but easy to read. This is the newest of the books on my list with a publication date of 2001 (still almost 20 years ago!) and it does feel like it fits more to "modern" fiction than some of my other rereads. That doesn't matter in the least, but it was an interesting thing to note.
I look forward to rereading the others in the series too.
October 28, 2015
You must know one thing: Ukiah Oregon rules! Ask me about Ukiah Oregon and I can rant about him for hours on end. At first, I ordered just the first book in the series. I wasn't even half-way through and I was already ordering the rest.
This book has everything that I love. Great friendship between Ukiah and Max, an amazing female character by the name Indigo Zheng who kicks butt and doesn't whine about how unappreciated she is, a lesbian couple who brought Ukiah up...
But I would be hard pressed to point out one thing that I loved about this book. It just gave me this really fuzzy and content feeling in my belly and that's exactly what I'm looking for in books.
This book has everything that I love. Great friendship between Ukiah and Max, an amazing female character by the name Indigo Zheng who kicks butt and doesn't whine about how unappreciated she is, a lesbian couple who brought Ukiah up...
But I would be hard pressed to point out one thing that I loved about this book. It just gave me this really fuzzy and content feeling in my belly and that's exactly what I'm looking for in books.
February 14, 2017
2.5 stars for the awkward writing, but this tale of a private investigator who was raised by wolves did finally pull me in.
April 29, 2012
Fairly well-written with some interesting plot developments along with a few wonderful quirks (the main character has two moms!) made for this a mostly fun read. The pages go by quickly and the first half of the book was set at a wonderful pace with the sort of thorough detail that involves you in the story.
The thing that irks me about this book is that it seems to be edited by two entirely different people. The second half of the book seems rushed with several WTF moments and a few simply unbelievable reactions by various characters that left me a bit annoyed and a bit disappointed.
Two motorcycling gaffs also glare if you're a biker.
It's not a book I would have ever picked up to read on my own (thank you, my darling husband) but I am glad that I read it and would like to give Ms. Spencer's other titles a read. (And, I also had to be told that Wen is a she.)
The title, while not actually misleading, is not as relevant to the story as one might think since the main character's primary physical sense of the world comes through touch, not taste. Minor stuff, but it left me wondering.
The thing that irks me about this book is that it seems to be edited by two entirely different people. The second half of the book seems rushed with several WTF moments and a few simply unbelievable reactions by various characters that left me a bit annoyed and a bit disappointed.
Two motorcycling gaffs also glare if you're a biker.
It's not a book I would have ever picked up to read on my own (thank you, my darling husband) but I am glad that I read it and would like to give Ms. Spencer's other titles a read. (And, I also had to be told that Wen is a she.)
The title, while not actually misleading, is not as relevant to the story as one might think since the main character's primary physical sense of the world comes through touch, not taste. Minor stuff, but it left me wondering.
June 28, 2014
ALMOST 3 stars. This one has a too strong and complicate sf twist, too compressed in this quite short book, in my opinion. I have to say that I read also the 3 following books and the series gets better, to - for me - 4 stars from the 3rd book on.
August 8, 2018
I loved this series. Read it too long ago to have specific comments, but remember it fondly.
April 11, 2019
I really enjoyed this book! What fun. Different, great characters (a few of them believe things a tad bit too easily, but still) and an interesting plot. I can't wait to pick up the next one!
August 19, 2017
Alas, the covers for this series are uniformly bad - starting with the fact that the artist(s) didn't have the faintest idea of what a Native American man looks like. No doubt it didn't help that it's "secret" SF - very, very, very few people know that modern North America is infested with two types of aliens who are at war with each other.
It's a pretty good premise, and as the details of how this all started are slowly revealed through the series, I won't spoil it by saying more than that about it.
In this first volume, Ukiah Oregon (named for the town he was found near) learns of the war - and his unique place in it. Why didn't he know about it before? He was found running wild, having been raised, as far as he recalls, by wolves. Then he was raised near Pittsburgh by the lesbian couple that found him. Lately he's been working with a private investigator, using his extraordinary tracking skills to find missing people.
Missing persons cases, dangerous apparent-biker-gangs, dangerous aliens, and a vivid cast of characters (slightly-obsessive PI, lovely FBI special agent, badass Civil War veteran, and a little sister, among others) make for a worthwhile story.
It's a pretty good premise, and as the details of how this all started are slowly revealed through the series, I won't spoil it by saying more than that about it.
In this first volume, Ukiah Oregon (named for the town he was found near) learns of the war - and his unique place in it. Why didn't he know about it before? He was found running wild, having been raised, as far as he recalls, by wolves. Then he was raised near Pittsburgh by the lesbian couple that found him. Lately he's been working with a private investigator, using his extraordinary tracking skills to find missing people.
Missing persons cases, dangerous apparent-biker-gangs, dangerous aliens, and a vivid cast of characters (slightly-obsessive PI, lovely FBI special agent, badass Civil War veteran, and a little sister, among others) make for a worthwhile story.
July 23, 2019
This is the first book in the Ukiah Oregon series by Wen Spencer. This is a very good book and a nice mix of Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. In this book Ukiah Oregon was found as a child running with a pack of wolves. He is raised by his two mothers and soon grows into young manhood. Ukiah is soon discovered to be by far the best tracker in the business. Ukiah is unequaled in following the missing and the lost. Max Bennet, a private detective, hires Ukiah to be part of the Bennet Detective agency.
When Ukiah and Max are asked to trace a possibly kidnapped woman, they stumble upon a dangerous group of people. People who can see in the dark, smell blood, and seem to be able to hear Ukiah's thoughts. These people seem to recognize Ukiah and want to kill him.
Thus starts the plot in this entertaining novel. The main characters are all engaging, and as things get more ominous, there are elements of humor, romance and poignancy to break up the tension. The premise is solid, but the main attraction of the book is the characters and their interaction. While the book is complete in itself, I look with anticipation towards reading the rest of the Ukiah Oregon series.
When Ukiah and Max are asked to trace a possibly kidnapped woman, they stumble upon a dangerous group of people. People who can see in the dark, smell blood, and seem to be able to hear Ukiah's thoughts. These people seem to recognize Ukiah and want to kill him.
Thus starts the plot in this entertaining novel. The main characters are all engaging, and as things get more ominous, there are elements of humor, romance and poignancy to break up the tension. The premise is solid, but the main attraction of the book is the characters and their interaction. While the book is complete in itself, I look with anticipation towards reading the rest of the Ukiah Oregon series.
November 5, 2012
The premise behind this story is interesting, and the main character is well developed, and his back story, and powers are different, and well thought out. It read almost like an urban fantasy where the fantasy aspect had been replaced by science fiction. I enjoyed the strong relationships Ukiah had with his family, and with his partner. It's nice to have a main character with such a strong support system, and loving family. It was also nice to see a same sex family treated with the dignity, and respect it deserved.
I enjoyed the secondary characters, and the stand out for me was having so many truly strong female characters. Too often "strong" female characters are just plain bitchy, but these were intelligent women able to make difficult choices while still being capable of maintaining close, loving relationships. It's not to say that they weren't each flawed to some degree, but they were able to stand on their own.
A fun read, and I plan on reading the rest of the series.
I enjoyed the secondary characters, and the stand out for me was having so many truly strong female characters. Too often "strong" female characters are just plain bitchy, but these were intelligent women able to make difficult choices while still being capable of maintaining close, loving relationships. It's not to say that they weren't each flawed to some degree, but they were able to stand on their own.
A fun read, and I plan on reading the rest of the series.
March 15, 2010
Would not have thought this book something I'd like if I'd read a description of it. Detective with a strange past. Amnesia - raised by wolves - special powers - yadda yadda. But surprisingly, I did like it pretty well. The character reminds me in some ways of the man character in A Brother's Price. Not a hard-boiled detective by any means. A sweet guy, pretty young, who could use a cuddle. And wouldn't mind one at all.
After the wolf-raising, he is raised by two moms. So there's a bonus there.
Some aspects show it to be a book written early in her career. There were a couple things I had to read two or three times to figure out what it meant. Just a matter of phrasing and clarity. And some relationships seem to change and grow rather more quickly than I quite found realistic.
Other than that, pretty good. And part of a series, so I will probably get around to the others eventually, if not immediately.
After the wolf-raising, he is raised by two moms. So there's a bonus there.
Some aspects show it to be a book written early in her career. There were a couple things I had to read two or three times to figure out what it meant. Just a matter of phrasing and clarity. And some relationships seem to change and grow rather more quickly than I quite found realistic.
Other than that, pretty good. And part of a series, so I will probably get around to the others eventually, if not immediately.
April 24, 2022
An interesting combination of the werewolf/shape shifter genre and syfy alien invades (i.e. The Thing.) The young man is a hybrid of human and the aliens that are hive minded cells, working their way across the galaxy taking over planets. The alien rebel who has compassion for the earth originally infected a wolf which pulls the whole Pack concept into the plot and produces two camps of aliens. The ones who only want to own the earth and those who still cling to their human origins.
So far the FBI agent who is also his lover, who knows he is an alien, hasn't rounded him up for experiments unlike The Man Who Fell to Earth but then there are several books of the series to go. More relationship oriented; a Super with powers doing good for humanity with hardly any geeky syfy dialogue. Its a decently written adventure.
So far the FBI agent who is also his lover, who knows he is an alien, hasn't rounded him up for experiments unlike The Man Who Fell to Earth but then there are several books of the series to go. More relationship oriented; a Super with powers doing good for humanity with hardly any geeky syfy dialogue. Its a decently written adventure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2014
I decided it was high time I reread the Ukiah Oregon series because I enjoyed them so much this first time, after KatiKat's recommendation.
Ukiah Oregon is a boy brought up by wolves before being taken in by a married lesbian couple, mom Jo and mom Lara. With his photographic memory and heightened senses, he is an amazing tracker and is taken on as a PI by Max. However, one job that Max and Ukiah are taken on to consult on leads Ukiah to find out that, if he thought he lead an unusual life up till now, he was very much mistaken!
I love these books, they are easy reading and you get drawn into the characters and you find yourself rooting for them, wanting them to win against the bad guys, hoping they will prevail. The only thing I find a bit hard to swallow is Ukiah and Indigo's relationship, it happens too fast and she is too accepting of everything, but hey, stranger things have happened and I love a good romance with a happy ending ;-)!
Ukiah Oregon is a boy brought up by wolves before being taken in by a married lesbian couple, mom Jo and mom Lara. With his photographic memory and heightened senses, he is an amazing tracker and is taken on as a PI by Max. However, one job that Max and Ukiah are taken on to consult on leads Ukiah to find out that, if he thought he lead an unusual life up till now, he was very much mistaken!
I love these books, they are easy reading and you get drawn into the characters and you find yourself rooting for them, wanting them to win against the bad guys, hoping they will prevail. The only thing I find a bit hard to swallow is Ukiah and Indigo's relationship, it happens too fast and she is too accepting of everything, but hey, stranger things have happened and I love a good romance with a happy ending ;-)!
May 9, 2024
I am not going to try to describe the plot of this book. It sounds stupid when you describe it, although it works very well. It works because the characters and their relationships are great and the writing is very good. My son, who does NOT like science fiction, like these books when I forced him to read them.
The main character is name Ukiah Oregon. He was named this because he was found running with wolves in the forest outside of Ukiah, Oregon (a town close to my town).
There are four books in this series. I don't really understand the status of the books. Books 1 and 4 are in print and easy to buy new. Book 2 is out of print, but there are still a lot of them around so you can get a new one pretty easily. Book 3 is out of print and very difficult to find. I recently bought this set for my grandson and I think I got the last reasonably priced copy available.
The main character is name Ukiah Oregon. He was named this because he was found running with wolves in the forest outside of Ukiah, Oregon (a town close to my town).
There are four books in this series. I don't really understand the status of the books. Books 1 and 4 are in print and easy to buy new. Book 2 is out of print, but there are still a lot of them around so you can get a new one pretty easily. Book 3 is out of print and very difficult to find. I recently bought this set for my grandson and I think I got the last reasonably priced copy available.
May 31, 2016
This is a hard book to categorize. It would be urban fantasy, except it's actually urban sci-fi, which isn't a category I've actually heard of. (Not to say there aren't others, just not that I've encountered.) But it's also a murder mystery. Let's just go with: it's complicated.
It's also a hard book to review. I liked the main characters, and it's got an interesting 5 minutes into the future setting. But the story ran just a little grim for my tastes, even though it did manage a happy ending, and, for the most part things worked out well for the good guys. And, unusual for things that run to the grim, the main characters were caring and sometimes succeeded because they cared about other people. So, I guess it's more that some grim things happened than that the story was grim. If that makes any sense.
It's also a hard book to review. I liked the main characters, and it's got an interesting 5 minutes into the future setting. But the story ran just a little grim for my tastes, even though it did manage a happy ending, and, for the most part things worked out well for the good guys. And, unusual for things that run to the grim, the main characters were caring and sometimes succeeded because they cared about other people. So, I guess it's more that some grim things happened than that the story was grim. If that makes any sense.
November 11, 2010
Ukiak Oregon's Mom Jo found him as a feral child eating a rabbit in a humane wolf cage when he was young. As the story unfolds, the reader discovers the secret behind Ukiah's unique tracking skills. He is a partner with Max Bennett in Bennet's private investigation agency. A missing woman whose body is found in a forest precipitates an FBI search for the perpetrator. Ukiah meets an FBI agent and falls in love. When she is kidnapped as well, Ukiah and Max start a desperate hunt for her before the enemy succeeds in killing her. Action-packed and a very entertaining premise. I will be reading the rest of the series.
January 23, 2015
So I wanted to like this book I really did. The first part was great and well done and I liked Ukiah's powers at first but then well, he read DNA. Yes by running his hands over a bit of blood he was able to tell gender, race and age....with a touch and I don't care how scifi you want to be that's just lost me. I finished the book because I did like the rest of it but that part just really threw me out of the story where I had to stop reading. I strongy dislike it when writers pull stuff like that so for that reason alone I will not be readying any more of these books.
July 6, 2010
Most alien movies I watched were boring and I thought the books it was based on were even more so. But this? This was amazingly perfect. And I'm glad it wasn't made into a movie yet for it will surely pale in comparison.
I'm looking forward for even more in Book 2.
I'm looking forward for even more in Book 2.
July 10, 2019
I hesitated thinking it can't be as good as the Tinker series (by the same author). Boy was I wrong! What a fantastic character and interesting story! I was hooked and had to read the next one.
January 22, 2025
มีคนถามแม็กซ์มา (อีกแล้ว) ว่าตอนนี้ชอบนักเขียนแนวแฟนตาซี/ไซไฟคนไหนบ้าง คงต้องเริ่มด้วยการบอกว่านักเขียนที่จะพูดถึงนี่เขียนแนวแฟนตาซี/ไซไฟเป็น หลักค่ะ อาจมีโรแมนซ์บ้าง แต่ไม่ใช่จุดเด่นของเรื่อง (แม้ว่าแม็กซ์อาจจะชอบเรื่องนั้นเพราะประเด็นโรแมนซ์เป็นหลักบ้างก็มี)
ถ้าถามกลับไปสักเมื่อหกปีก่อน (ทำไมต้องเป็นหกปี ก็ไม่แน่ใจค่ะ แต่คงจะประมาณนั้นนะ) แม็กซ์คงตอบเสียงดังฟังชัดว่าลอเรล เค. แฮมิลตันเพราะเธอเป็นนักเขียนแนวนี้คนแรกที่แม็กซ์อ่านอย่างจริงจัง และชุดเมอริดิธ เจนทรี้ก็เปิดหูเปิดตาแม็กซ์ชนิดที่อีโรติกเล่มไหนทำไม่ได้เลย (ซึ่งนั่นก็เป็นอีกเรื่องนึงที่ต้องคุยกันทีหลังนะคะ)
แต่กาลเวลาที่เปลี่ยนไป พร้อมกับรสนิยมขึ้นลงของแม็กซ์ทำให้ตอนนี้ลอเรล เค. และแม่หนูเจนทรี้ก็ตกอันดับไป ไม่ใช่ว่าไม่ชอบ แต่โดนเรื่องอื่นแซง
เวลานี้หลังจากอ่าน No Human Involved จบไปหมาด อันดับหนึ่งก็คงเป็นใครอื่นไม่ได้นอกจากเคลลี่ย์ อาร์มสตรองค์ แต่เพราะแม็กซ์สัญญากับคนอ่านบลอกไปแล้วว่าจะไม่รบกวนความสุขด้วยการพล่าม เรื่องชุดนี้อีก ก็เลยขอใช้เวลาพูดถึงอันดับสองในเวลานี้แล้วกัน
เวน สเปนเซอร์
ดูชื่อแล้วอาจนึกว่าคนแต่งเป็นผู้ชาย แต่เวนมาจากเวนดี้นะคะ ปัจจุบันเธอเขียนหนังสือสามชุด ซึ่งแม็กซ์ชอบทุกชุด แต่แน่นอนว่าย่อมมีลูกที่รักมากที่สุดนะคะ
ชุดที่แม็กซ์ชอบมากที่สุดเป็นหนังสือชุดแรกที่เธอเขียน และแม้จะไม่ได้จบชุดอย่างเป็นทางการ แต่ก็เป็นเวลาหลายปีแล้วที่ไม่มีเล่มใหม่ในชุดออกมาให้อ่านกันเลย นั่นก็คือชุด Ukiah Oregon เชื่อหรือไม่ว่า เล่มแรกในชุดมีการแปลออกมาเป็นภาษาไทยแล้ว ตอนที่แม็กซ์เห็นหนังสือเล่มนั้นที่จตุจักร ก็ยังคงมิคลาย ถ้าจำไม่ผิดชื่อไทยคือ "เอเลี่ยนพิทักษ์โลก"
เช่นเดิมคงต้องมีคำเตือนไว้ก่อน แม็กซ์กำลังจะสปอยล์หนังสือชุดนี้อีกแล้ว แต่สำหรับเพื่อนของแม็กซ์ที่มีโอกาสอ่านหรือไม่ได้อ่าน ก็คงจะพอรู้เรื่องสปอยล์ไปแล้วบ้างล่ะนะ เพราะแม็กซ์ก็กรี๊ดสลบไม่น้อยกับชุดนี้
Ukiah Oregon (อ่านว่า yoo-KAI-ah หรือสรุปว่าเขียนเป็นไทยยาก ขอให้ทับศัพท์แล้วกัน) เป็นเด็กกำพร้าที่ถูกพบในป่าซึ่งถูกเลี้ยงโดยหมาป่า โดยนักมานุษยวิทยาสาวคนหนึ่งและถูกเธอเก็บกลับมาเลี้ยงเป็นลูก ตลอดเวลาเขารู้ว่าตัวเองแตกต่างจากเด็กคนอื่นทั่วไป เพียงแต่ไม่รู้ว่าความแตกต่างนั้นมันมากเพียงไรจนกระทั่งเขาได้พบและร่วมทำ งานกับแม็กซ์ (ที่ไม่ใช่แม็กซ์คนเขียนบลอกหรอกนะ) ซึ่งเป็นนักสืบเอกชน Ukiah มีความสามารถในการแกะรอย ในคดีหนึ่งที่เขาแกะรอยคนร้าย เขาถูกยิง น่าแปลกที่เขาไม่เป็นอะไรเลยด้วยซ้ำ ทั้งที่ตอนแรกทุกคนเข้าใจว่าเขาตายแล้ว และคดีนั้นเองก็นำเขาไปสู่การพบกับชาติกำเนิดที่แท้จริงของตัวเอง
อะไรที่ทำให้แม็กซ์รักหนังสือชุดนี้ ก็เหมือนกับหนังสือ romance นั่นแหละ คือความสัมพันธ์และปฏิกริยาที่ตัวละครในเรื่องมีต่อกัน แม็กซ์รักแม็กซ์ (ที่ไม่ใช่แม็กซ์คนเขียนบลอก) ที่เขารัก Ukiah เหมือนลูก แต่ไม่เคยปฏิบัติต่อเขาเหมือนเขาเป็นเด็กเล็ก ทั้งที่ Ukiah ก็อายุเพียงยี่สิบปี แม็กซ์รัก Ukiah ด้วยความไร้เดียงสาชนิดที่เด็กผู้ชายส่วนใหญ่สูญเสียมันไปตั้งแต่อายุไม่ถึง สิบห้า แม็กซ์ชอบฉากที่อินดิโก้ (นางเอกของชุดที่อายุมากกว่า และเป็นเอฟบีไอ) ปฏิบัติการหลอกเด็ก ฉากเซ็กส์ที่ไม่ได้โจ่งแจ้งหรือบรรยายอะไรมาก แต่อ่านแล้วน่ารักมาก แม็กซ์รักที่ Ukiah ถูกเลี้ยงมาโดยแม่สองคนที่เป็นคู่เลสเบี้ยน แม็กซ์รักที่เขารับคิดเทนนิ่งลูกชายของเขามาเลี้ยงโดยไม่มีข้อแม้ (ส่วนคิดเทนนิ่งมาได้ยังไงเนี่ย มันสปอยล์มากไปหน่อยค่ะ แต่เด็กคนนี้ไม่ได้เกิดมาตามปกติที่เราคิดกันหรอกนะ)
สำหรับแม็กซ์แล้ว หนังสือทุกเล่มที่แม็กซ์ชอบจะมีพื้นฐานมาจากการเขียนตัวละครที่น่าสนใจ ความสัมพันธ์ของตัวละครที่มีต่อกันซึ้ง ๆ (ฉากที่อินดิโก้ไม่ยอมมองหน้าพี่ชายฝาแฝดของ Ukiah เพราะทำใจไม่ได้ที่ต้องเห็นหน้า Ukiah แต่กลับไม่ใช่เขา และมันตอกย้ำเธอถึงความจริงที่ว่าเขาหายตัวไป ---- ซึ้งอย่างที่ไม่ต้องบรรยายความรู้สึก) โบนัสที่ได้นอกเหนือจากสิ่งเหล่านี้สำหรับเรื่องชุดนี้ก็คือ หนังสือแนวแฟนตาซี/ไซไฟที่พล็อตเรื่องน่าติดตาม ขนาดที่วางไม่ลงเลยทีเดียว
สำหรับคนที่ทรนงตัวว่าไม่อ่านโรแมนซ์ ก็ลองอ่านชุดนี้ดูนะคะ เพราะไม่แมนซ์หรอกนะ สำหรับแฟนโรแมนซ์ แม็กซ์ก็อยากให้ลองอ่านค่ะ เพราะสนุก (ไม่รู้จะเขียนอะไรแล้วน่ะ) สนุกจริงนะคะ
ถ้าถามกลับไปสักเมื่อหกปีก่อน (ทำไมต้องเป็นหกปี ก็ไม่แน่ใจค่ะ แต่คงจะประมาณนั้นนะ) แม็กซ์คงตอบเสียงดังฟังชัดว่าลอเรล เค. แฮมิลตันเพราะเธอเป็นนักเขียนแนวนี้คนแรกที่แม็กซ์อ่านอย่างจริงจัง และชุดเมอริดิธ เจนทรี้ก็เปิดหูเปิดตาแม็กซ์ชนิดที่อีโรติกเล่มไหนทำไม่ได้เลย (ซึ่งนั่นก็เป็นอีกเรื่องนึงที่ต้องคุยกันทีหลังนะคะ)
แต่กาลเวลาที่เปลี่ยนไป พร้อมกับรสนิยมขึ้นลงของแม็กซ์ทำให้ตอนนี้ลอเรล เค. และแม่หนูเจนทรี้ก็ตกอันดับไป ไม่ใช่ว่าไม่ชอบ แต่โดนเรื่องอื่นแซง
เวลานี้หลังจากอ่าน No Human Involved จบไปหมาด อันดับหนึ่งก็คงเป็นใครอื่นไม่ได้นอกจากเคลลี่ย์ อาร์มสตรองค์ แต่เพราะแม็กซ์สัญญากับคนอ่านบลอกไปแล้วว่าจะไม่รบกวนความสุขด้วยการพล่าม เรื่องชุดนี้อีก ก็เลยขอใช้เวลาพูดถึงอันดับสองในเวลานี้แล้วกัน
เวน สเปนเซอร์
ดูชื่อแล้วอาจนึกว่าคนแต่งเป็นผู้ชาย แต่เวนมาจากเวนดี้นะคะ ปัจจุบันเธอเขียนหนังสือสามชุด ซึ่งแม็กซ์ชอบทุกชุด แต่แน่นอนว่าย่อมมีลูกที่รักมากที่สุดนะคะ
ชุดที่แม็กซ์ชอบมากที่สุดเป็นหนังสือชุดแรกที่เธอเขียน และแม้จะไม่ได้จบชุดอย่างเป็นทางการ แต่ก็เป็นเวลาหลายปีแล้วที่ไม่มีเล่มใหม่ในชุดออกมาให้อ่านกันเลย นั่นก็คือชุด Ukiah Oregon เชื่อหรือไม่ว่า เล่มแรกในชุดมีการแปลออกมาเป็นภาษาไทยแล้ว ตอนที่แม็กซ์เห็นหนังสือเล่มนั้นที่จตุจักร ก็ยังคงมิคลาย ถ้าจำไม่ผิดชื่อไทยคือ "เอเลี่ยนพิทักษ์โลก"
เช่นเดิมคงต้องมีคำเตือนไว้ก่อน แม็กซ์กำลังจะสปอยล์หนังสือชุดนี้อีกแล้ว แต่สำหรับเพื่อนของแม็กซ์ที่มีโอกาสอ่านหรือไม่ได้อ่าน ก็คงจะพอรู้เรื่องสปอยล์ไปแล้วบ้างล่ะนะ เพราะแม็กซ์ก็กรี๊ดสลบไม่น้อยกับชุดนี้
Ukiah Oregon (อ่านว่า yoo-KAI-ah หรือสรุปว่าเขียนเป็นไทยยาก ขอให้ทับศัพท์แล้วกัน) เป็นเด็กกำพร้าที่ถูกพบในป่าซึ่งถูกเลี้ยงโดยหมาป่า โดยนักมานุษยวิทยาสาวคนหนึ่งและถูกเธอเก็บกลับมาเลี้ยงเป็นลูก ตลอดเวลาเขารู้ว่าตัวเองแตกต่างจากเด็กคนอื่นทั่วไป เพียงแต่ไม่รู้ว่าความแตกต่างนั้นมันมากเพียงไรจนกระทั่งเขาได้พบและร่วมทำ งานกับแม็กซ์ (ที่ไม่ใช่แม็กซ์คนเขียนบลอกหรอกนะ) ซึ่งเป็นนักสืบเอกชน Ukiah มีความสามารถในการแกะรอย ในคดีหนึ่งที่เขาแกะรอยคนร้าย เขาถูกยิง น่าแปลกที่เขาไม่เป็นอะไรเลยด้วยซ้ำ ทั้งที่ตอนแรกทุกคนเข้าใจว่าเขาตายแล้ว และคดีนั้นเองก็นำเขาไปสู่การพบกับชาติกำเนิดที่แท้จริงของตัวเอง
อะไรที่ทำให้แม็กซ์รักหนังสือชุดนี้ ก็เหมือนกับหนังสือ romance นั่นแหละ คือความสัมพันธ์และปฏิกริยาที่ตัวละครในเรื่องมีต่อกัน แม็กซ์รักแม็กซ์ (ที่ไม่ใช่แม็กซ์คนเขียนบลอก) ที่เขารัก Ukiah เหมือนลูก แต่ไม่เคยปฏิบัติต่อเขาเหมือนเขาเป็นเด็กเล็ก ทั้งที่ Ukiah ก็อายุเพียงยี่สิบปี แม็กซ์รัก Ukiah ด้วยความไร้เดียงสาชนิดที่เด็กผู้ชายส่วนใหญ่สูญเสียมันไปตั้งแต่อายุไม่ถึง สิบห้า แม็กซ์ชอบฉากที่อินดิโก้ (นางเอกของชุดที่อายุมากกว่า และเป็นเอฟบีไอ) ปฏิบัติการหลอกเด็ก ฉากเซ็กส์ที่ไม่ได้โจ่งแจ้งหรือบรรยายอะไรมาก แต่อ่านแล้วน่ารักมาก แม็กซ์รักที่ Ukiah ถูกเลี้ยงมาโดยแม่สองคนที่เป็นคู่เลสเบี้ยน แม็กซ์รักที่เขารับคิดเทนนิ่งลูกชายของเขามาเลี้ยงโดยไม่มีข้อแม้ (ส่วนคิดเทนนิ่งมาได้ยังไงเนี่ย มันสปอยล์มากไปหน่อยค่ะ แต่เด็กคนนี้ไม่ได้เกิดมาตามปกติที่เราคิดกันหรอกนะ)
สำหรับแม็กซ์แล้ว หนังสือทุกเล่มที่แม็กซ์ชอบจะมีพื้นฐานมาจากการเขียนตัวละครที่น่าสนใจ ความสัมพันธ์ของตัวละครที่มีต่อกันซึ้ง ๆ (ฉากที่อินดิโก้ไม่ยอมมองหน้าพี่ชายฝาแฝดของ Ukiah เพราะทำใจไม่ได้ที่ต้องเห็นหน้า Ukiah แต่กลับไม่ใช่เขา และมันตอกย้ำเธอถึงความจริงที่ว่าเขาหายตัวไป ---- ซึ้งอย่างที่ไม่ต้องบรรยายความรู้สึก) โบนัสที่ได้นอกเหนือจากสิ่งเหล่านี้สำหรับเรื่องชุดนี้ก็คือ หนังสือแนวแฟนตาซี/ไซไฟที่พล็อตเรื่องน่าติดตาม ขนาดที่วางไม่ลงเลยทีเดียว
สำหรับคนที่ทรนงตัวว่าไม่อ่านโรแมนซ์ ก็ลองอ่านชุดนี้ดูนะคะ เพราะไม่แมนซ์หรอกนะ สำหรับแฟนโรแมนซ์ แม็กซ์ก็อยากให้ลองอ่านค่ะ เพราะสนุก (ไม่รู้จะเขียนอะไรแล้วน่ะ) สนุกจริงนะคะ
August 13, 2017
I want to start by saying I'm a Wen Spencer fanboy. This should have been a 4-star book for me, but I had some big problems with it along the way. I love her characters and this book is no different.
I was pretty pleased at first and was really grooving along with it... but then I almost threw the book away upon a big reveal. I have to say, I'm in a different place now -- reconciled to the plot -- than I was when I finished this book. I went on to read the next three books in this series, and I now think better of the first. But I spent the second half of the book criticizing the plot, the characters' choices and the likelihood of it all working.
So what pissed me off? I really was offended when we discovered that our hero wasn't
I was pretty pleased at first and was really grooving along with it... but then I almost threw the book away upon a big reveal. I have to say, I'm in a different place now -- reconciled to the plot -- than I was when I finished this book. I went on to read the next three books in this series, and I now think better of the first. But I spent the second half of the book criticizing the plot, the characters' choices and the likelihood of it all working.
So what pissed me off? I really was offended when we discovered that our hero wasn't
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