The New Badlands, a desolate area in the West forged by terrible events that altered the country, where the few frightened citizens sheltered underground to survive the heat and a society that was even more dangerous.

Then came Gabriel, a vampire that was searching for his lost love and Mariah who took him in. She would do anything to survive in this changed world. The Badlands became the Bloodlands when a gun for hire decided to slay every "monster" left in the country starting with them.

Well-written catastrophic world with action and reluctant romance. The secrets abound, and the secrets are what created the community that survived to date.  The leading characters are well-drawn including Chaplain the intelligent Dog who was crucial to all of them. I enjoyed it greatly. The Old West meets apocalyptic future. ~~ Pam Allan