Matteo Alacran

Matt is the 14-year-old clone of the drug lord El Patron, who died at more than 100 years old. Matt was grown for his organs, but events conspired to keep him from the fate. With El Patron dead, Matt is the lord of Opium, a slip of land between the United States, Aztlan, and a host of other lands devoted to growing drugs. Matt's empire is run by microchipped humans, "eejits." Most of the country of Opium is built on these slaves, and Matt has to face his nature as the clone of El Patron, as well as his natural inclination to be good.

Throughout the course of the novel, Matt tries to change the principles on which Opium was built: fear, manipulation, slavery, oppression, and drug addiction. However, he is fighting against the grain in all of these areas. In some cases it is easier for Matt...