It's 2043, and the United States has been decimated by a lengthy war and nuclear strikes. Life is tough. But it's even more dangerous for convicted criminals like William Stiles, who are sent to live in the prison of the Bad Lands, a mass of sand and rock in the central part of the United States. Before his life takes a dangerous turn, the thirty-three-year-old Stiles is a typical guy. He has a steady job, and he dreams of a quiet life with a family, but he may not live long enough to achieve this goal. While drinking in a bar one night, William's ex-girlfriend and her jealous boyfriend change the course of William's life.
He is falsely accused of murder and sent to live in the Bad Lands. Within hours of his incarceration, William's life is threatened. He is saved by Sebastian, who teaches William to survive in this world where murder is a daily occurrence. Sebastian bestows a special gift upon William, a gift he uses to help right the wrongs in the Bad Lands. Surrounded by murderers, rapists, and child molesters, William fights to the death, struggling to live another day in this action-packed novel.