The Lord of Opium
By Michael Berry,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sci-fi sequel is gripping but can't top original.

A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
The House of the Scorpion (2002) ended with the evil drug lord El Patron assassinated and his 14-year-old clone, Matt, ready to assume his position as the ruler of the drug territory Opium, located between the United States and what was formerly Mexico. This sequel finds Matt navigating a deadly path between maintaining a lockdown that will prevent Opium from being overrun by its enemies and trying to find a way of curing the thousands of zombie-like "eejits" who harvest the poppies and keep the nation running. As Matt travels Opium and learns its closely guarded secrets, he must make decisions with terrible consequences to survive without selling his soul.
Is It Any Good?
THE LORD OF OPIUM benefits from the strong world-building that author Nancy Farmer devised for its predecessor, the National Book Award-winning The House of the Scorpion. Matt is still a fascinatingly complex character, and the cast of supporting players is lively and well drawn.
But this volume feels much more episodic than the first, with Matt moving around his embattled empire, witnessing disturbing events, and skirmishing with various enemies, without as focused a conflict as before. None of the villains is the equal of El Patron from the first book. And, while powerful, the ending seems a bit too easy, given the craftiness of the old drug lord. The Lord of Opium is a solid follow-up that never quite matches the impact of the original.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about cloning. Why is it such a popular theme in science-fiction books and movies? What other cloning stories have you read or seen?
Should research into human cloning be allowed? What are the moral and ethical consequences of such research?
Do you think a nation could really base its economy on the production of one illegal drug? Are there any historical precedents for a narco-confederacy such as Opium?
Book Details
- Author: Nancy Farmer
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Friendship, Great Boy Role Models, Science and Nature
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Atheneum
- Publication date: September 3, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 432
- Available on: Paperback, Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate