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Debut author Shively has an eye for satire and an appetite for body horror, and both instincts serve him well in this striking if somewhat uneven splatterpunk novella. Luckless night janitor Noah Bezden is desperate for a better job. His search brings him to the eerie corporate office of Printed Matter, a mysterious free newspaper full of arcane imagery and unsettling personal ads. Elsewhere, a bone-worshipping priestess named Malachia wanders the abandoned but haunted city of Silence, searching for her lost lover. The plot follows these two characters as they’re drawn into the same web of supernatural intrigue and corporate doublespeak, encountering demons who are as obsessed with paperwork as they are with carnage. Shively’s work has a light and energetic tone, with plenty of sharp humor and clever jabs at both corporate culture and popular horror tropes. Unfortunately, it’s perhaps overstuffed with underexplored ideas and occult details that are frustratingly abandoned for an abrupt and disappointing climax. This shows personality and promise, but a lack of focus keeps it from achieving its full potential. (Feb.)