Before I bought this I had an idea of how it worked, but I thought to myself, no way that could never work. But to my surprise, Ian Rowland makes it work, and you can too.

The routine is a lot of fun. You'll be amazed how well it works every time you perform. It doesn't require a lot of skill, but you'll need to know a couple sleights and productions if you want a smooth-looking performance. And what's more, it's just as much fun to practice as to perform.

The only complaint I have, and it's a minor one at that, is that some of the moves Ian does to produce the cards aren't explained in detail. He does a couple of color changes, a card spring, and a misdirection-based card-to-table move that he never really breaks down. Watching the video a couple times is enough to learn them though. If not, he explains his color changes in detail in his live lecture.

I am a huge fan of Ian Rowland, and of his thinking, especially as I've come to know more of it through his columns in Magic Magazine.

Since I like cards — FASDIU style — I was intrigued by the description for Thetalia. And at $4.95, it was not a huge risk to purchase.

Upon seeing the method (viewing a full performance on the demo would more than likely have given it away), I can say only that while routine is no doubt effective as an audience pleaser, the method requires a way of handling the cards that seems out of place and calls attention to itself. True: these "moments" pass quickly, virtually instantaneously, and are easily disguised with patter (indeed Rowland says, correctly, that the engagement with the spectators is what really makes the trick), but the problem is that — by the very nature of the routine; that is, dealing lots of cards — there are quite a few of these "moments."

In all magic, we construct our routines to disguise the method, but when the "method" occurs so many times within the routine, it's hard to believe that a spectator won't see something fishy at some point — even if it's only a vague, cumulative impression at the end that something, somewhere, was was just not quite right.

Rowland does say that even if the spectators suspect something, it won't affect the trick. The performances on the download seem to bear this out: the spectators seem genuinely impressed and entertained (whether or not they may have suspected something, we can't be sure). Thus, while on a macro level the entertainment value is certainly there, perhaps for me, it's a just a matter of style (and lack of ability?): I can't feel comfortable disguising, so many times, what is for me an unusual thing to do with the cards — however small that thing is, and however fleeting it may be each time it is done.

I was very skeptical when I saw this because I knew basically what he was doing. But I wanted to see what I was missing. Well I am so glad I did. When he says ANYONE can do this, he is wrong. If you don't have a personality or creativity and a sense of confidence, you won't be able to do this, at least you won't do it well. The moves are simple, if you call them moves. But what makes this is YOU. If you can think on the fly and have personality, YOU can do this. I played around with it for about a half hour and just like he says, and It's fun to just do it for yourself. So after another half hour, without any expectations, I tried it out on someone who I try new effects out on and don't worry if I screw up. Basically a training partner, but one who is not into magic but knows the basics. Even though he knew what I was doing, he was impressed. He said it is one of his favorite things I have done!!!! Unreal. You practice a pass for years or a color change and people say "cool", you do something like this which is so organic, something I thought he'd say, "that's ok, but no big deal" and he is just the opposite....he's blown away! I then tried it on somebody else...and again, this is with about an hour of doing it for by my self and one performance and again, sheer amazement. I can see Magicians who like an effect to be set in stone, the exact outcome that they want and know to occur every time, to not like this. I can also see people saying that it's not a big deal. To you I say spend an hour playing around with your cards and then go perform it for someone you trust who you feel comfortable performing for and you may be surprised how THEY see the "trick".

I LOVE this and with an hour of practice to get the reactions I got and the results....I can't wait until I have done this for weeks and months. In fact, this is a wonderful way to just start your practice sessions out. Just run thru it once for yourself before you start practicing your other card tricks.

This "trick" is not hard TECHNICALLY. If you have problems presenting material though, you are going to have some problems here. You need to be a little bold and able to talk a bunch, making it up as you go.

This is NOT a jazz routine, this IS a structured routine that you can riff on. The thing that makes this routine great is the better you are with cards, the better the routine is.

Here's the thing... If you're new... You may want to skip this

If you are a little more seasoned and love gambling card routines with a BORROWED shuffled deck. This one might be for you. Plus the price is right and the secret is something special for card guys.

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If you are looking for a good resource on reveals to make this a very magical and special routine, check out the Multiple Revelation Project by Andi Gladwin and Rob James. It's a fantastic DVD that will help a lot.

From the author of "The Full Facts Book of Cold Reading," an ingenious card trick.

The ad describes it perfectly: use someone else's cards. The spectator shuffles. No switches. No crimps, no breathers, or anything else. No memory, no difficult sleights. (No sleights period, arguably.)

You will deal straights, boats, four of a kind, etc.--but not like Ricky Jay or Richard Turner might. Thetalia relies on two very simple moves (you can throw in display moves, flourishes, and cuts, if you feel the need). From then on, it's up to you. As Rowland says, quite a few times: the fact that this trick is "impromptu" does not mean anything is left to chance. You just need to be flexible.

He recommends--and I can see why--that you practice it alone, just to see how the cards come up, and what you can do with them. The only thing I can think of that might put some people off--you have to be prepared to think on your feet, and you have to want to have fun with the spectator.

Oh, and one other thing: you have to accept the fact that the spectator doesn't know what you intend to do. You have to be able to sell the fact that everything is going according to your plan. Viewed from this perspective, the trick is one big exercise in misdirection--make that direction. You will be directing the spectator's perception of what's going on at all times. What you do, and what the spectator sees, are two very different things.

For something so technically simple to have such a potential for frying the spectator's mind...I'm very glad I bought it.

It's a weird routine. Each outcome will be different when you perform. It's like "the trick cannot explained" routine. If you like jazz magic, you can't miss this. It's inspiring and give you a lot of thoughts when you want to perform this kind of magic. May not suit for everyone.

This routine may work great for others, but it's one of those that take time and a patient audience. I mean, you have to have a table, you're constantly handling and peeking at the cards (which just seems suspicious, I would think, to most audiences), and it seems just a bit haphazard in general. Even in the best of circumstances, this trick will last at least 5-10 minutes. Each minute that ticks off the clock tells a savvy audience that you're killing time to find a card that matches your announced outcome.

I would have given it only 1 or 2 stars, but some of Ian's handling tips are worth an extra star.

I did not like it.
"WITHOUT LOOKING AT A SINGLE CARD" is a misdirection. You have to glimpse every time, every shuffle, it's jazz magic. You have to fool people around you without method, only with your close up skills and improvisation. It's not a method and it's not a routine, I don't like it.

I loved the concept of the trick and I think this would help a lot of magicians to get a nice flow of patter going for this trick as well as in their ther tricks.

The only reason I give it a 3 stars is because when watching the performance (before buying) a saw a few moves that I wanted to know how they are done (eg: the card popping out of the deck) but those explanations were not covered.

If those explanations were covered I would give this a full 5 stars for $ spent.

Although I liked the concept behind this seemingly impromptu effect, I felt it was very short on actual technique. The author is left handed and hold the deck in the right hand and his discussion of "the move" needed did not take in account that the pips on the cards would not be in the corner needed using his move. I will continue to work on this to create a comfortable move for myself ( as I don't give up easily ) but more thought could have gone into this presentation. Perhaps even consideration of finding another card worker to demonstrate possible moves.