The Qilin's Reckoning: To save the realm, she must embrace the beast within. To save her, he must betray everything.
About this ebook
The Jade Empire is burning. Shadow demons flood through breaches in the celestial veil, the Dragon Council has branded Mei and Corvus as traitors, and the bond between them is evolving into something terrifying and unstoppable. When they touch, reality fractures. When they fight, the world bleeds.
Desperate for answers, they seek the mythical Qilin—the rarest of all celestial beasts, creature of judgment and mercy. But the Qilin's oracle delivers a devastating prophecy: one of them will die before the war ends, and the other will become the darkness that destroys the realm.
Mei will do anything to change their fate, even if it means unlocking the forbidden magic buried in her bloodline—power that could corrupt her soul beyond redemption. Corvus has already made his choice: he'll embrace the shadows completely if it means keeping her safe, even if she ends up hating him for it.
As old enemies become unlikely allies and friends reveal themselves as traitors, Mei and Corvus race against time to prevent the prophecy. But the Qilin's judgment is absolute, and some destinies cannot be rewritten.
They were meant to destroy each other. Now they'd burn the world to stay together.
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About the author
David G. Stone is a scholar of comparative religion, Afro-Caribbean spiritual traditions, and death studies whose work bridges academic rigor with deep respect for living spiritual practices. With over two decades of research into Vodou, Santería, and other African diaspora religions, Stone has dedicated his career to presenting these traditions with authenticity and cultural sensitivity.
His journey into the study of Baron Samedi began during fieldwork in Haiti in the early 2000s, where he was granted rare access to sacred ceremonies and formed lasting relationships with Vodou practitioners and houngans. This experiential approach, combined with his background in anthropology and religious studies, informs his nuanced understanding of how death, transformation, and the sacred intersect in Vodou cosmology.
Stone has contributed to numerous academic journals and presented at international conferences on African diaspora religions, decolonizing spiritual scholarship, and the ethics of writing about marginalized traditions. He has also served as a consultant for cultural organizations seeking to present Vodou and related traditions accurately and respectfully.
Beyond his academic work, Stone is an advocate for religious literacy and cultural preservation. He works closely with diaspora communities to ensure that knowledge about these traditions is shared in ways that honor their practitioners and resist exploitation. His writing seeks to make complex spiritual concepts accessible to general readers while never compromising the integrity of the traditions he documents.
David G. Stone holds a Masters. in Religious Studies and currently teaches courses on world religions, mysticism, and death across cultures. When not writing or teaching, he maintains his connection to the communities that have welcomed him into their sacred spaces and continues to learn from those who live these traditions daily.
Death's Gentleman: The Baron Samedi Chronicles represents the culmination of his life's work—a respectful, thorough, and transformative exploration of one of Vodou's most misunderstood and powerful loa.
