First of the Chia Black Dragon series, Spirit Mirror is, compared to the other novels, the nearest to a conventional fantasy. That said, this dark fantasy set in Han dynasty China already possesses most of the elements that make up Stephen’s sub-genre which he dubbed ‘Chinese Gothic’. Chia, a beautiful woman who possesses an immense lifespan from her non-human father (whom she murdered) is introduced as a lesbian, part-demon, sometime vampire! In this tale, Chia is lured by her unhinged and deadly brother into releasing beings from a mirror dimension in his attempt to corrupt the newly-laid roots of Buddhism in China.

Set in second-century China, this fantasy centres on the conflict between an immortal goddess, Chia and the undead spirit of her evil brother. Chia is deadly in battle, capable of terrible deeds and much feared, but she is also sexy, funny, clever and lonely. By the author of "Spirit Mirror".