Reviews

Declare by Tim Powers

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hawkeyegough's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book's real strength was its dense, intricate plot and its vivid attention to detail. It occurred to me several times throughout the book - and was stated explicitly in the Author's Note - that this complicated, driving, subtle plot was reminiscent of John Le Carré's prolific works, especially The Night Manager. The Night Manager had a very similar feel that the time period in which these books take place was almost a character in itself due to the way it affected the characters and their actions, and the accurate historical details that are peppered throughout. Declare is the name of a long-running espionage operation as well as a commonly-used word of recognition and a frequent tug at the reader's subconscious as it's liberally sprinkled into the conversations and thoughts of the main characters.
The Author's Note also let me know that this book was composed by fitting fictional events in between documented milestones in the life of the apparently notorious spy Kim Philby (this was my first exposure to him and his exploits). Powers explains that he went to great effort to make sure nothing he wrote contradicted any memoirs, historical records, or in some case rumors surrounding Philby's life. The main character is even generated somewhat organically from the author filling in some blank spots in Philby's narrative with some fantastical assumptions that he found historical and theological references to back up. I do think at times I would've gotten more of the depth that's clearly in this story if I was more familiar with historical religious texts and fables, especially the often-mentioned Koran and Bible in this case. Powers has done his research here, and a lot of the book takes place in locations that are significant to many of the world's religions. Powers blends this theological fiction with a supernatural flavor that he's managed to combine really well.
The plot is almost too convoluted to fully explain here, but it involves 2-3 time periods (depending on how you choose to count them), several characters whose motivations are cloudy at best, a narrator who very carefully doesn't reveal more to the reader than each character whose head he's in actually knows at the time, double- and triple-agents, spy organizations within and connected to other spy organizations, covert radio broadcasts, djinn, immortality, morality, a 45-page epilogue, living stones and half-stone people, and detailed citations that explain how Powers came up with all this in the Author's Note. The aforementioned Note adds a lot and I feel might've also been helpful to provide in part at the beginning (sanitized for spoilers). I have no idea how the author kept all this information straight in his head, but kudos to him for managing to do so. I like to imagine him in a smoky basement under a bare bulb connecting plot points on a bulletin board with bits of string like a detective in the eras he's included in his book (1940s & 1960s). A cigar would really complete the image, but I digress.
I had a difficult time describing this book to people who asked me what it was about, and I think the best I came was "It's like if John Le Carré dabbled in the supernatural." The supernatural aspects of the book are very subtle, at first nonexistent until they emerge slowly and with great intrigue, which was very fitting for a noir-toned spy novel like this. I really enjoyed this book and the time periods and settings it contains. I think it is an interesting way to write a book and will be looking at other works by Powers to see if that capture a similar spark of intrigue.

michaelbtice's review against another edition

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3.0

It wasn't a bad book, but it was definitely not a very interesting book. I picked this up after finishing the first collection of "The Laundry Files", since I saw it was considered similar, but this book was just an absolute slog to get through.

You can see that it took me damn near a year, and to finally finish it, I checked out the Audiobook version from my library with the Libby app so I could finish it out. I do feel that having someone else read it to me did help make it a bit more exciting.

However, reading with my own eyes or getting it through the Audiobook, this book left absolute no impression on me. It just passed right through me, and I do not remember much about what happened.

songwind's review against another edition

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5.0

This book was excellent on pretty much all levels.

Declare follows the life and career of intelligence operative Andrew Hale. After an unusual boyhood as the illegitimate son of an ex-nun, Andrew is recruited by the British SOE during World War II.

It doesn't take long before Andrew learns that he is working not only against the Germans, but also against and amongst strange powers that common sense says do not exist. Andrew learns that there's another level of secrets behind even those of the Great Game, and that the stakes are even higher than the struggle between fascism and democracy, or capitalism and communism.

The book does an excellent job of conveying just how confusing, convoluted and messy the lives of intelligence operatives become. Changing identities, changing sides, changing objectives all conspire to keep Andrew in a world of chaos.

Powers' vision of the supernatural is interesting as well. It differs from most books of similar ilk that I have read, with magic alongside modern life.

Finally, the sections of the book where Andrew lives and works in places and among societies that are quite different than those of most English speakers are very tightly researched and brought to life in great detail.

spitzig's review against another edition

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4.0

Not quite as good as Anubis Gate. But, I might give Anubis Gate a 5. I like lots of hard-core magic stuff, and this seemed a little light on it. It got heavier later. The fantasy elements didn't really seem to AFFECT the world very much. With the exception of the "Guardian Angel" in Russia. But, even with her, it was unclear exactly WHAT she did. The affect in that case was more what the Russians did FOR her.

The insertion of magic into Cold War espionage was an interesting idea. I haven't read any other espionage novels, so don't have much basis for comparison, but I thought it was well done.

It takes place mostly in 1963, although it also has quite a bit in WWII. And, a little with the main character as a kid, before the war.

For those who've never read any of Powers's books, he has magic blended into our society. Sometimes modern, sometimes 150 years ago. Same world, same history. Just some people know MORE of what's going on. In

eachz's review against another edition

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2.0

Disappointed by this honestly; I really liked Last Call and expected this would be similar but it was meh. Maybe part of my aversion has to do with the way the only fleshed-out woman in the book is (a) barely fleshed out and (b) is such a cringey trope that I was put off at the beginning. So many details and names I felt like I needed a conspiracy board to keep track of everything.