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.

Deus Ex: Icarus Effect is a book that has been haunting my reading dreams for years. But finally, I found it for a reasonable price in a second-hand store. It’s a prequel to the excellent game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, that takes place before, and during the events of the game. So, was it worth the wait? Yes, absolutely, seeing as the story from a stand-alone viewpoint is already good with interesting characters and plot. However, the main pull is the world-building and additional lore to the Deus Ex franchise. On that note, it’s excellent, and I would almost consider it a mandatory read, if you, like me, love the mythos of the series and want to know more about the mysterious men and women in it.