The Lord of Opium

Published in 2013, The Lord of Opium is a young-adult science fiction novel written by American author Nancy Farmer. A follow-up to her multi-award-winning The House of the Scorpion, the story continues the adventurous saga of Matteo Alacran (Matt), a fourteen-year-old clone and newfound ruler of Opium, the drug capital of the world. Reluctant to assume the role of leader, Matt intends to stop the illegal drug trade, end human cloning, and rescue a group of enslaved workers known as Eejits from ecological devastation. Along the way, Matt is forced to come of age, to avoid following the brutal dictator he was cloned from, and to rightfully earn his own claim as the Lord of Opium. Hailed as a “superb novel…well worth the wait” by Publishers Weekly, The Lord of Opium has also been called “a stellar sequel” by Booklist.

Told from the limited third-person perspective of Matt, the fourteen-year-old clone of El Patron, the story begins as he comes to power in the year 2136. While camping, Matt is unsure of how to rule Opium, the stretch of land between the United States and Mexico (now called Aztlan) that produces the world’s largest supply of opium. The borders are closed, and authorities tell Matt he needs to solve the problems left behind by El Patron, the deceased ruler from whose skin Matt was cloned. Matt is reluctant to become a responsible leader, preferring to hang out with his friends and romantic interest, Maria, who remains in Aztlan. However, Opium is extremely important to the rest of the planet, as it depends on supplies from poppy plants to medically treat the effects of dire pollution and overpopulation. Matt faces pressure from the U.N. to solve the global ecological crisis with Opium’s resources. He knows he must continue to operate as a drug lord in order to keep Opium afloat, but he also recognizes the violent crime the drug trade brings to his land and people. At El Patron’s funeral, many of Matt’s relatives and rival drug-lords are killed when they drink poisoned wine. This collapses governments, resulting in global chaos and violent drug-wars. As Matt tries to sever ties with his past in order to forge a brighter future, he is haunted by the ghost-conscience of El Patron—a constant reminder of where he comes from. Matt must ignore this voice and do what's right in his heart.

As Matt adjusts to being the leader of Opium and deals with the corrupt drug trade, his main mission becomes freeing the race of Eejits, enslaved laborers with microchips implanted in their brains to keep them mindless and pacified. These zombie-like beings live in harsh conditions, tending the poppy fields, eating pellets, but also contributing to the booming success of Opium. As a means of ending the drug trade, Matt seeks to stop the production of opium and grow other crops. He also intends to liberate the Eejits from their enslavement, thereby restoring a sense of dignity among the people. However, this proves difficult when outside forces pressure Matt to continue to run drugs, and the doctors around the world have few resources to reverse the Eejits’ condition. Matt meets Waitress, a pretty fifteen-year-old Eejit girl with whom he becomes involved. He names her Marisol, dines and dances with her, and kisses her after she passes out. Maria becomes jealous when she finds out about Marisol. Matt enjoys Marisol’s mindless obedience, and his close relationship with Marisol makes him really want to cure the Eejits. This desire doubles when he learns that his friend Chacho’s father, Eusebio, has been turned into an Eejit that sells guitars.



Matt leaves El Patron’s mansion in Paradise, exploring undiscovered areas in Opium. He notes abundant flora and fauna, as well as clean water, things that could help stabilize the rest of the devastated globe. Matt finds a biosphere featuring rooms containing different landscapes and climates from around the world. He brings a mentor named the Mushroom Master to study the biosphere. These models hold the key to saving the world, with the natural resources of Opium being most vital. However, with his newfound power, people begin treating Matt differently. His foster mother, Celia acts coldly towards him. Eligio Cienfuegos, the head of the Farm Patrol, is a brutal murderer who becomes a danger to Matt’s life, despite showing him how to operate Opium. Maria’s mother, Esperanza, wants Maria to stay away from Matt, forbidding her daughter from visiting Opium. Matt’s plankton factory pals, Chacho, Ton-Ton, and Fidelito also remain stuck outside of Opium.

Dr. Rivas, who supposedly leads the charge to cure the Eejits, turns out to be a dishonest looter. Rivas helps the African drug-lord Glass Eye Dabengwa seize control of Opium in order to find his clone, a seven-year-old African named Listen. Listen’s careless behavior leads to the death of Marisol, much to Matt’s dismay. Matt is captured by Glass Eye’s men but defeats all of the African’s guards by fighting them off with his extreme flashlight. Upon escaping, Matt shuts down an Eejit plantation and discovers his flashlight also shocked Glass Eye to death. Later on, Matt is reunited with Maria, who jumps through the Holoport and falls into a deep sleep. Upon awakening, their relationship quickly escalates, despite being separated for most of the novel. In the end, against Esperanza’s wishes, Matt and Maria decide to get married. Matt successfully destroys the Scorpion Star (from the previous book), thereby freeing the Eejits of their enslavement. En route to changing the economic power structure of Opium for the greater good, Matt’s proves to be a more honorable ruler than El Patron.

Nancy Farmer’s The House of Scorpion won the Newbery Honor Medal, the Printz Honor Award, and the US National Book Award for Young People’s Literature. She has written several other novels, including A Warm Place, A Girl Named Disaster, A New Year’s Tale, The Sea of Trolls series, and others.