Cykl inkwizytorski
#10683.75 adjusted 3.77 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 11 books Status Ongoing 2008–present Reading commitment High Jacek Piekara Last reviewed 2026-11-05
Overview
The Inquisitor cycle (Cykl inkwizytorski) is a Polish dark fantasy series by Jacek Piekara, begun with short stories in 2001 and published as books from 2003. It is set in an alternate history in which Jesus came down from the cross and led his followers to rule a new empire, and the Inquisition governs the world. The hero is Mordimer Madderdin, an inquisitor serving the bishop of Hez-hezron, who investigates heresy, witchcraft and demons. The cycle has 18 volumes by 2024, mixing story collections with novels; a prequel novel, Płomień i krzyż, follows his mentor Arnold Lowefell.
Dark fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (11 works) counts toward ranking
Cykl inkwizytorski Jacek Piekara
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Płomień i krzyż. Tom 1; Part of the 'Świat inkwizytorów' series; the story continues in volumes 2 to 4. | 2008 | 1 | core | 3.86 (2,173 ratings) | |
| Ja, inkwizytor. Bicz Boży; The first full-length novel with Mordimer; earlier Mordimer books are story collections. | 2011 | 2 | core | 3.87 (1,409 ratings) | |
| Ja, inkwizytor. Kościany galeon | 2015 | 3 | core | 3.59 (793 ratings) | |
 | Płomień i krzyż. Tom 2 | 2018 | 4 | core | 3.77 (624 ratings) |
| Płomień i krzyż. Tom 3 | 2019 | 5 | core | 3.92 (503 ratings) | |
| Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte krainy; First of three volumes set in Rus, sometimes called the Russian trilogy. | 2019 | 6 | core | 3.53 (410 ratings) | |
 | Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte kobiety; Second volume set in Rus. | 2020 | 7 | core | 3.58 (347 ratings) |
| Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte przeznaczenie; Third volume set in Rus. | 2020 | 8 | core | 3.65 (305 ratings) | |
| Płomień i krzyż. Tom 4 | 2023 | 9 | core | 3.24 (171 ratings) | |
| Ja, inkwizytor. Dziennik czasu zarazy | 2023 | 10 | core | 3.50 (274 ratings) | |
 | Ja, inkwizytor. Miasto Słowa Bożego; Volume 18 of the cycle. | 2024 | 11 | core | 3.15 (108 ratings) |
Inquisitor Mordimer Madderdin and the wider World of the Inquisitors in an alternate history where Jesus came down from the cross.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Cykl inkwizytorski? Cykl inkwizytorski's Core Canon is 11 books.
- What is the reading order for Cykl inkwizytorski? Publication order, starting with Płomień i krzyż. Tom 1. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Cykl inkwizytorski finished? Ongoing (2008–present).
- How much reading does Cykl inkwizytorski take? High reading commitment (estimated from 11 Core Canon books).
- How is Cykl inkwizytorski ranked? #1068 in this site's official ranking, based on 7,117 reader ratings across 11 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #1068?
Ranked #1068 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 3.75 across 11 core books.
- A smaller readership (7,117 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- Uneven reception: its books range from 3.15 to 3.92.
- Less than 0.01 behind #1067, The Isle in the Silver Sea (a finer tie-break level decides the order).
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Rated · 11 books · Ongoing · 7k ratings · Ranks #1068 overall
Good choice if you want a long-running dark fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (11 Core Canon books)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 1 (2008)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Bicz Boży (2011)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Kościany galeon (2015)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 2 (2018)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte krainy (2019)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 3 (2019)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte kobiety (2020)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte przeznaczenie (2020)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Dziennik czasu zarazy (2023)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 4 (2023)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Miasto Słowa Bożego (2024)
Documented internal/story order
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 1 (2008)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Bicz Boży (2011)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Kościany galeon (2015)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 2 (2018)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 3 (2019)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte krainy (2019)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte kobiety (2020)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Przeklęte przeznaczenie (2020)
- Płomień i krzyż. Tom 4 (2023)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Dziennik czasu zarazy (2023)
- Ja, inkwizytor. Miasto Słowa Bożego (2024)
Awards (verified)
- No awards found for this universe.
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Suggestions computed from what Cykl inkwizytorski and each of these worlds have in common on record (subgenre, audience, shape, reading commitment and score), not a documented narrative connection.
- Nicolas Eymerich Historical fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 3.74
- Fever Urban fantasy / Dark fantasy · Unfinished · High commitment · 4.23
- The Witcher Dark fantasy / Epic fantasy · Ongoing · High commitment · 4.16
- Sandman Slim Urban fantasy / Dark fantasy · Complete · High commitment · 4.06
Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 3.75 across 7,117 ratings on 11 Core Canon books. See Why is it ranked here? above for the full breakdown, or the full ranking.
How do we know this?
Admission: Canon Extension: 22 universes from the candidate register; Cursed Bunny ruled out; open synopses for Anna Strong, Allie Beckstrom and Alex Craft accepted 2026-11-05
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Science Fiction Encyclopedia: Piekara, Jacek Tier 2
- English Wikipedia: Jacek Piekara Tier 2
- TV Tropes: The Inquisitor Cycle Tier 2
- Fantlab: Mordimer Madderdin cycle Tier 2
- TaniaKsiazka: Płomień i krzyż, tom 1 Tier 2
- TaniaKsiazka: Płomień i krzyż, tom 2 Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-11-05
Rule: Core Canon = the eleven novels set in the Inquisitor world, from Płomień i krzyż vol. 1 (2008) to Miasto Słowa Bożego (2024); the volumes that are story collections are excluded.