The debut novel from the author of Friday Black spins a dystopian vision of prison brutality played for capitalist entertainment, as inmates fight for their freedom from the US private jail system.

Welcome to Chain-Gang All-Stars - the profit-raising program inside America's private prison system. Harkening back to the time of gladiators, but watched by millions of live-stream subscribers, prisoners compete for the ultimate prize: their freedom.

Loretta Thurwar and Hamara 'Hurricane Staxxx' Stacker, teammates and lovers, are the fan favourites. If all goes well, Thurwar will be free in just a few matches, a fact she carries as heavily as her lethal hammer. But will the price be simply too high?