▁several ▁short ▁stories , ▁form ▁a ▁lo os ely ▁linked ▁series ▁( collect ed ▁in ▁White ▁Crow ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ). ▁As ▁with ▁Michael ▁Mo or cock ' s ▁series ▁about ▁his ▁anti h ero ▁Jerry ▁Corn el ius , ▁Gent le ' s ▁sequence ▁retain s ▁some ▁basic ▁facts ▁about ▁her ▁two ▁protagon ists ▁Valent ine ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁White ▁Crow ) ▁and ▁Casa ub on ▁while ▁changing ▁much ▁else ▁about ▁them , ▁including ▁what ▁world ▁they ▁inhab it . ▁Several ▁take ▁place ▁in ▁an ▁alternate ▁history ▁version ▁of ▁ 1 7 th ▁century ▁and ▁later ▁England , ▁where ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁Renaissance ▁Herm etic ▁magic ▁has ▁taken ▁over ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁science . ▁Another , ▁Left ▁To ▁His ▁O wn ▁Dev ices , ▁takes ▁place ▁in ▁a ▁cy ber p unk - ting ed ▁version ▁of ▁our ▁own ▁near ▁future . ▁The ▁sequence ▁is ▁informed ▁by ▁histor ically ▁existing ▁ideas ▁about ▁es oter ic ism ▁and ▁al ch emy ▁and ▁is ▁r ife ▁with ▁obsc ure ▁all us ions ▁to ▁real ▁history ▁and ▁literature . ▁ ▁Gr un ts ! ▁( 1 9 9 2 ) ▁is ▁a ▁grand ▁gu ign ol ▁par ody ▁of ▁mass - market ▁high ▁fant asy ▁nov els , ▁with ▁or cs ▁as ▁hero es , ▁murder ous ▁hal fl ings , ▁and ▁rac ist ▁el ves . ▁ ▁Gent le ▁formed ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Mid night ▁Rose ▁collect ive ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 9 0 s . ▁