The Lord of Opium (The House of the Scorpion, #2)

by Nancy Farmer

[nannah]

Matteo Alacrán has been one of the most evocative series I've ever read. It's also pushed the YA boundaries further than most other series I've read, too--and not in a "grittier, darker, manlier" way, but in a more mature, well-written, well-researched, better-world/environmental-politics way, and better-understanding-of-characterization way.

Book content warnings:
- slavery
- illegal genetic modification without consent (better wording?)
- human cloning

This is the second (and last) book of Matteo Alacrán. It's just as powerful as the first book (which blew my mind as a kid), though I wish it were longer. The book deals with many relevant and important themes, and it deals with them through the PoV of a fifteen year old.

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In this novel, Matteo Alacrán has come back to Opium as El Patrón, the Lord of Opium. The "original" Matteo has died, taking all of his bodyguards and scientists with him to the grave. This means Matteo Alacrán is now the Original El Patrón, Lord of the country of Opium, a drug country between the United States and Aztlán, what used to be Mexico.

What Matt's inherited is a mess of mind-controlled slaves, dangerous drug lord contacts, a business (and business practice) he despises, and the title of one of the most corrupt people on Earth. And he has to find a way to shut it all down.

As in The House of the Scorpion, every character is flawlessly crafted. Matt is such a believable hero with critical flaws and frustrations and traits that make me feel as if he's a real person somewhere I can visit. There was one place in the book that solidified Nancy Farmer as one of my favorite authors. I can't remember the exact page(s), but it was during one of Matt's conversations with María. He was overcome with emotion, and couldn't speak. María immediately understood, as it was something he'd done before, and filled the silence with words (which was easy for her). This natural understanding between them, and the character traits of both of these characters shows just a masterful understanding of characterization and writing.

If anything is lacking in The Lord of Opium, it's in the last 1/4th of the book. The first 3/4ths is perfectly paced as all of the first book. Mysteries are perfectly placed and resolved, and characters enter at just the right time to add comic relief or complexity. But during the last part of the book, things happen too fast. I would've adored 200 more pages. Some revelations are made off-scene and told to Matt, and the climax resolves too quickly for my preference.

However, the resolution is very satisfying, and in the end, there's not much more I could wish for from this series.