The Relic Order: The Treacherous Theatre

Something is very wrong with the world.

Cedric 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.

“Participation is mandatory. So is survival.”

About the Book

For Readers

Ages 8 to 12

~35,000 words

Series: Book 1 of 7

The Vibe

Roald Dahl meets Tim Burton

Dark. Quirky. Funny.

Completely original.

Coming August 2026

Available on Amazon (KDP),

IngramSpark, and here on this site.

The ones brave enough (or foolish enough) to go first.

Character art coming soon
(swap in Cedric illustration)

Cedric

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.

Character art coming soon
(swap in Suzy illustration)

Suzy

Fierce, fast, and refuses to be left behind. Suzy brings the kind of courage that doesn't pause to count the odds.

Character art coming soon
(swap in Oliver illustration)

Oliver

The quiet one. The one who notices everything everyone else misses. You'll want Oliver on your side before this is over.

Written and illustrated by Matt Haag

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 Matt

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The Relic Order launches August 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.