Chain Gang All Stars

Blood Points are the special currency used in the CAPE program, which connects to the theme of The Violence of Capitalism. Fighters in the CAPE program are not allowed to own any property, weapons, or food that they haven’t paid for; their only currency is the scrip called Blood Points, earned by killing opponents—literally by spilling blood. Hendrix Young refers to this currency as “murder points,” drawing even more attention to the fact that it is earned directly through violence. Blood Points can be used to purchase armor, weapons, food, medical care, and information that will help fighters survive to the higher levels of the program, where they’ll fight against others who also have more Blood Points and better resources.

While Blood Points are meant to convey individual advantage to the most adept fighters, the strongest combatants of A-Hamm use them in a different way that subverts the CAPE system. Thurwar spends her Blood Points on equipping Rico, a new Link who has no other way to fund his gear. This sharing of resources to benefit the whole Chain emphasizes that Thurwar sees the group as a found family rather than rivals—an attitude that is poignantly undercut by the rule that she must fight her lover, Staxxx, to the death at the end of the novel.