In my review of the novel Deus Ex: Icarus Effect by the same author. I wrote that Icarus Effect was almost required reading to understand Deus: Ex: Human Revolution – at least when it comes to the finer details, and the antagonists. Well, in contrast, Black Light is mandatory reading. It’s amazing how many important plot points this book sets up for Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. When I played Deus Ex: Mankind Divided back in the day, it left me utterly confused why I was in Prague, what actually happened after the Panchaea incident, and the general state of the world. Black Light explains everything, while also being a good book to boot. Minor beginning spoilers incoming.
Like I have already alluded to, it’s an exciting novel. However, I have to say that putting so many important story facts behind a book is somewhat baffling. It might make some sense from an economical viewpoint, if you want a few extra dollars, but making it necessary reading is absolutely not a great way to make a complete narrative. The chief problem is that in Black Light we actually get to follow the main protagonist (Adam Jensen) for both games, and now this book. Meaning, that it’s directly linked to the central story, in more ways than one. Especially so, since it’s a direct continuation from Human Revolution that leads up to the beginning of Mankind Divided. It’s not a small time-period, and essentially explains every plot issue that pops up from just playing the game. Now, with that out of the way…
Detroit, no more
The story starts with Adam waking up in a secret base called Facility 451 in Alaska that is run by the corrupt WHO. Somehow he survived Human Revolution and was fished up from the sea, spending many months healing from his wounds in a coma. Let’s go on a small tangent here. There is a theory that Adam Jensen is a clone, implying that he died in the Panchaea incident, and had his personality transferred to a new body. This idea stems from the Palisade Property Bank in Mankind Divided, as there you can see some kind of human clone in one of the bank valves that look like Adam. However, it’s very hidden, and not meant for normal (gaming) eyes.
With the book Black Light, I thought this idea would be put to rest, since the story basically spells out the events for you. Adam was found and fixed up, yet, this theory still holds up in ways. I’m not saying it is so, but the book never actually dispels it. The easiest way to explain it is that the first section of the novel comes off as an unreliable narrator. It doesn’t line up with the term perfectly, but like everything Deus Ex, Illuminati and Majestic 12, it’s shrouded in mystery. It can be Adam Jensen of old, or it could be a clone. Neither premise excludes the other. A bit frustrating perhaps, but I can’t deny that it fits the theme of the series. You can read more about the theory here.
Tech wasteland
Not too surprising, Facility 451 is more of a prison than a hospital, which eventually leads up to Adam violently busting out. Now, I will not go through the whole book, as I don’t want to spoil it, but he makes it to Detroit after this, and gets to experience the aftermath of the “augs-gone-crazy-day” first hand. This is months later, and while Mankind Divided is set even further back, the book explains the hate for augmented people much better. Many find the game grating, how it constantly goes on about augs, which in the end has the opposite effect instead of creating sympathy. But now with the novel, it goes into detail how devastating this incident truly was, both on the people, and the economy at large. It’s fascinating stuff, and it sets a clear end to the golden age of augmentation – particularly so for Detroit. It turned the city to a crime riddled wasteland, where augs are shunned like the plague. Much like the game, to be fair, but it sets it up way better, than just going “poor augs, woe is us” without satisfactory context.
A lot of crazy stuff goes down in Detroit, with the highlight being the cool additional lore, background stuff for both story points, Adam’s friends, and organizations. The hacker collective Juggernaut collection with Janus in the lead plays a huge role. Also, a cool character from the Missing Link DLC makes an appearance, the one-and-only Garvin Quinn. I liked him in the expansion, and I like him in the book. What is extra important here is that Adam starts to work with Alex Vega from Deus Ex: The Fall, which both explains his cooperation with her and Janus – and why the hell one of the first missions in Mankind Divided is to bug your employer Task Force 29. Once again, no plot or spoiler details, but there are some truly serious holes in the storytelling if you just go by the game. It’s very noticeable now, reading the book after having finished the game.
The ruthless German
The former tech-specialist for Sarif Industries, Francis Pritchard also plays a big role in the novel. He might be a snarky asshole, but he is one of my favorite characters, and he sure is missed in Mankind Divided (except for a minor DLC). There is also a certain German that is not named in the book, but it’s easy to figure out who he is if you know your stuff: Gunther Hermann. What I found interesting about him is how murderous and psychopathic he is in this one. He was already nuts in Icarus Effect, but he takes it to a whole new level in Black Light. He comes off as extremely brutal and menacing. Very enjoyable, but it also puts his role in the original Deus Ex in perspective. He is so relaxed and approachable. I guess he mellowed out over the years.
Conclusion
All this stuff written about here, combined with an exciting plot, eventually leads up to Prague and Mankind Divided. I had a great time reading it, and all the characters, Adam Jensen included, come off authentic to their in-game counterparts. It’s also filled with deadly action, if the lore wasn’t enough incentive. Deus Ex is a harsh world, and considering what it will lead up, the worst is yet to come. If you have not played Mankind Divided, I highly recommend giving this a read first, since it’s basically mandatory reading if you want to avoid going through the game befuddled – at least, for the beginning. Or just read a good plot summary. It’s a strange thing, leaving this much crucial information to a novel, but it is what it is.
Thanks for reading.
/Thomas
Tom's Gaming Vault 