Le Bâtard de Kosigan
#5314.02 adjusted 3.98 for sample size in the official ranking · full ranking
Books 5 books Status Ongoing 2014–present Reading commitment Medium Fabien Cerutti Last reviewed 2026-10-30
Overview
Le Bâtard de Kosigan is a French historical fantasy series by Fabien Cerutti, first published by Mnémos in 2014. It follows Pierre Cordwain de Kosigan, a knight, assassin and mercenary captain, through the early Hundred Years' War, in a Europe where elves, magic and supernatural lineages shape history, and the tone is humorous. Four novels from 2014 to 2018 form the first cycle, with chapters also set in later centuries among his descendants. A fifth novel, Kosigan: Un printemps de sang, appeared in 2024 and returns to the character some years later. A companion collection of six texts in the same world came out in 2020. The author has not announced further novels.
Historical fantasy · For Adult
Core Canon: Reading Order (5 works) counts toward ranking
Le Bâtard de Kosigan Fabien Cerutti
| Work | Year | Internal chron. | Canon | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | L'Ombre du pouvoir | 2014 | 1 | core | 3.92 (420 ratings) |
 | Le Fou prend le Roi | 2015 | 2 | core | 4.07 (227 ratings) |
 | Le Marteau des sorcières | 2017 | 3 | core | 4.10 (179 ratings) |
 | Le Testament d'involution | 2018 | 4 | core | 4.09 (158 ratings) |
 | Kosigan, Un printemps de sang; Reissued by Folio in 2026 as Kosigan nouvelle donne: Un printemps de sang. | 2024 | 5 | core | 4.19 (48 ratings) |
Pierre Cordwain de Kosigan's adventures in a Hundred Years' War Europe with elves and magic: a four-novel first cycle (2014-2018) and a fifth novel in 2024.
Quick answers
- How many books are in Le Bâtard de Kosigan? Le Bâtard de Kosigan's Core Canon is 5 books.
- What is the reading order for Le Bâtard de Kosigan? Publication order, starting with L'Ombre du pouvoir. Full list and years in the Core Canon table above.
- Is Le Bâtard de Kosigan finished? Ongoing (2014–present).
- How much reading does Le Bâtard de Kosigan take? Medium reading commitment (estimated from 5 Core Canon books).
- How is Le Bâtard de Kosigan ranked? #531 in this site's official ranking, based on 1,032 reader ratings across 5 Core Canon books. See the full ranking for how this is calculated.
Why is it ranked #531?
Ranked #531 in the official ranking.
- Average reader rating of 4.02 across 5 core books.
- A smaller readership (1,032 ratings), so the score carries less weight of numbers.
- 0.04 behind #530, One for the Morning Glory.
- Below the top-10 average of 4.46.
Why explore this universe?
Well rated · 5 books · Ongoing · 1k ratings · Ranks #531 overall
Good choice if you want a moderate-length historical fantasy universe that's still ongoing, with new books still coming.
Reading order
Publication order (5 Core Canon books)
- L'Ombre du pouvoir (2014)
- Le Fou prend le Roi (2015)
- Le Marteau des sorcières (2017)
- Le Testament d'involution (2018)
- Kosigan, Un printemps de sang (2024)
Documented internal/story chronology is recorded for every Core Canon book here, and matches publication order exactly, with no divergence to show separately.
Awards (verified)
- Prix Futuriales Révélation, 2015: won: L'Ombre du pouvoir
- Prix Imaginales des lycéens, 2015: won: L'Ombre du pouvoir
- Prix Imaginales (Meilleur roman francophone), 2025: won: Kosigan, Un printemps de sang
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Official resources
Research details
Ranking metrics: weighted average 4.02 across 1,032 ratings on 5 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: Night Huntress, Kitty Norville, Das Geheimnis von Askir, Die uralte Metropole, Le Bâtard de Kosigan, Erdwelt, L'ultimo elfo and Fireborn accepted 2026-10-30
Sources: (see source tier definitions)
- Mnémos author page Tier 2
- Wikipedia (fr) Fabien Cerutti Tier 2
- Mnémos Les Secrets du Premier coffre Tier 2
- Mnémos Intégrale 30 ans Tier 2
- Boojum review Tier 2
- Babelio series page Tier 2
Last reviewed: 2026-10-30
Rule: Core Canon = the five Le Bâtard de Kosigan / Kosigan novels, from L'Ombre du pouvoir (2014) to Kosigan, Un printemps de sang (2024); the 2020 companion collection Les Secrets du Premier coffre and the omnibus edition are excluded.