Deus Ex: Black Light is an Interquel novel and part of the Deus Ex Universe. It was released on August 23, 2016 with Mankind Divided which takes place between the events of Deus Ex: Human Revolution and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided. The aforementioned novel sees Adam Jensen and Frank Pritchard teaming up once more when the former returns to Detroit after the events of Human Revolution to follow up on leads connected to the Illuminati. Beware of unmarked Late Arrival Spoilers for Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
The year is 2029, and the shining promise of a new age of human augmentation is in ruins in the wake of the devastating ‘Aug Incident’ – a horrific catastrophe triggered by a cabal of shadowy power brokers, where millions of cybernetically-enhanced people suffered a forced psychotic break.
Awakening in the aftermath of a changed world, with gaps in his memories and suspicion on all sides, augmented ex-cop and former security operative Adam Jensen struggles to piece his life back together, in a new reality where ‘Augs’ have become the targets of hatred, fear and violent discrimination. Now the dark forces behind the Incident are gathering once again, reaching out to manipulate the course of global events through terror and intimidation. To find the answers that he seeks and the people who destroyed everything he knew, Jensen must return to the ashes of the past, reconnect with old allies, and risk all to expose a deadly conspiracy – but in a world shattered by secrets, can the truth be brought into the light?
This book contains the following tropes:
- Action Girl: Jenna Thorne and Raye Vande are both women who can kick a lot of ass.
- All for Nothing: Adam Jensen sent out a signal from Panchea but the Illuminati spent the next year manipulating the media to turn it into just one of many theories.
- Arms Dealer: A series of them appear throughout the books, trying to get leftovers from Sarif Industries which Tai Yong Medical never bothered to pick up.
- The Atoner: Jensen is motivated by a desire to make up for failing to stop the Aug Incident. Pritchard says it's closer to Chronic Hero Syndrome.
- Back from the Dead: Jensen appears to be this to everyone who assumed him dead after he visited Panchaea.
- Bad Present: Adam wakes up to find Sarif Industries has gone under, Augments are treated as social pariahs, and millions of people were killed in the Incident despite his best efforts.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Jenna Thorne shows up as a Homeland Security agent at the hospital where Jensen is recovering. Her sheep phase doesn't last long.
- Double Agent: Adam Jensen agrees to become this in Task Force 29 for the Juggernaut Collective.
- The Dragon: Jenna Thorne serves as this to the Illuminati in the game, answering to them directly and having Gunther Hermann as a subordinate.
- Driven to Suicide: Stacks is driven to blow himself up after the violence at the Sarif factory triggers flashbacks to the Incident and his murdering his family.
- Enemy Mine: Jensen is less than impressed with the Juggernaut Collective. However, they're the only Anti-Illuminati organization around.
- Eye Scream: As part of his investigation, Adam has to retrieve the mechanical eye of Don Wilder, which is of a special variant that allows it to record whatever the wearer sees. He then has to remove one of his own eyes and pop the other one in. It's just as disturbing as it sounds.
- Evil Is Petty: Lucius DeBeers has Elizabeth DuClaire's plane prevented from landing for a conference call to show he's more powerful. This, despite the fact Elizabeth is his closest ally on the Council of Five.
- The Heavy: Gunther Hermann shows up and rolls over everyone he encounters, even Jensen. He's also subordinate to Agent Thorne.
- Horrible Judge of Character: The Juggernaut Collective is convinced Task Force 29 is a The Men in Black State Sec organization which they need to take down. The members in the book are genuinely trying to do the right thing. Albeit, they unwittingly answer to the Illuminati.
- Idiot Ball: Tai Yong Medical never bothered to pick up Sarif Industries' military grade cybernetics, just leaving them in storage until the Illuminati needed them. Then they work through a bunch of smugglers than going to pick it up themselves.
- The Illuminati: It's a Deus Ex novel, so this goes without saying.
- Interpol Special Agent: Task Force 29, an anti-terrorist intelligence and response team funded by Interpol whose goal was to tackle the rise in terrorism following the Aug Incident in Human Revolution.
- La Résistance: The Juggernaut Collective is composed of people who have had their lives ruined by the Illuminati.
- The Man Behind the Man: Lucius Debeers asserts his control over the Illuminati in this game.
- Misblamed: Individuals suspect Adam may have had something to do with the Incident because he was on Panchea with Hugh Darrow.
- Not Helping Your Case: A small example with Alex Vega who points out the Juggernaut Collective took down Belltower. They only took down Belltower because Adam Jensen did all of the legwork. She's clearly not aware of this while the man at her side, Quinn, certainly is.
- One-Man Army:
- Gunther Hermann, who has been rebuilt into an ogre, is certainly this trope in full effect. For your information, ogres aren't classified as people but as lethal weapons by the United Nations, and their existence outside of national armed forces and certain corporate military contractors is considered illegal.
- Adam Jensen comes off as one in the book too.
- Poor Communication Kills: Throughout the book, Jensen is almost killed by people who assume he's a bad guy. He is very bad at saying he's not.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: Gunther Hermann sees Jensen is going to crash the train they're on, so he departs out the door.
- Something Only They Would Say: Pritchard only believes Adam is really himself when he calls Pritchard a prick.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Gunther Hermann, while being subordinate to Agent Thorne, doesn't agree with quite a few of her orders, especially when it comes to killing Adam Jensen (There's a possibility that he had been informed by the illumanti not to kill him), and bluntly tells her that she would be held responsible for disobeying orders.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: Adam Jensen kills Jenna Thorne with his Typhoon Augmentation
in the finale of the book. Truthfully speaking...there wasn't much of her left. - The Scapegoat: Raye Vande is blamed for Task Force 29 being led into an ambush. Jensen knows this isn't true but goes along with it since he has no proof.
- Title Drop: "Black Light" is apparently the name of a subset project of White Helix Lab, and shows a dead man's face at the end of the book.
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Unexpected Character: Gunther Hermann shows up as Jenna Thorne's The Heavy.
