Launching August 28th, 2026.
Order NowCedric is thirteen years old, an orphan, and slowly going mad.
He has seven days before the madness takes him completely. Seven days to find the missing pieces of the world-gear — the ancient mechanism that holds reality together — before it all collapses, along with his mind.
There's just one problem. The child collectors are hunting him.
With his unlikely companions Suzy and Oliver at his side, Cedric races through broken cities and treacherous theatres, chasing fragments of a world no one else seems willing to save. Dark, funny, and impossible to put down — The Relic Order is the beginning of a seven-book journey into a world that shouldn't exist, told by a boy who isn't sure he does either.
Ages 8 to 12
Series: Book 1 of 7
If you like Percy Jackson and A Series of Unfortunate Events, you'll love The Relic Order!
Roald Dahl meets Tim Burton
Dark. Quirky. Funny.
Completely original.
Available on Amazon.
Thirteen. Orphan. Running out of time. Cedric carries the weight of a broken world on his shoulders, and he's not entirely sure his mind will hold long enough to fix it. Stubborn, clever, and funnier than the situation deserves.
Fierce, fast, and refuses to be left behind. Suzy brings the kind of courage that doesn't pause to count the odds.
The quiet one. The one who notices everything everyone else misses. You'll want Oliver on your side before this is over.
She's been betrayed before, and she's learned a thing or two since. Her clever mind will help the gang get out of any tough spot they'll most definitely get into.
Matt Haag has been creating worlds on paper since he was three years old. An artist, illustrator, and author based in Bountiful, Utah, Matt brings The Relic Order to life with his own hand — every illustration in the book is his. The series has been years in the making, and the story of Cedric and his world is one Matt has been living with for a long time.
The Treacherous Theatre is book one of seven.
More About MattThe Relic Order launches August 28th, 2026. Sign up below and you'll hear the moment it's available to order — plus early looks at illustrations, character reveals, and behind-the-scenes glimpses of the world Matt is building.
Thanks — you're on the list! We'll email you the moment The Relic Order launches.
No spam, ever. Just news about the books.