Ken is known for his technical magic so this book is supposed to introduce the other side of him:
Magic with simple techniques (as opposed to self-working), which I enjoyed.
The move
section is interesting due the "relaxed" and simple nature of the moves, including a bottom deal
from a fan of cards. There is a good work on the side steal that allows for easy card extractions
that I thought was valuable and allows to use the sleight irrespective of the deck's condition.
There are several steals however no tricks that use them. There are also pretty interesting switches
and a way to do the Slip Force cleanly that again "relaxed", but not too difficult.
The
trick section is divided between "their hands" and "your hands". In "Your Hands", what stood out for
me was an interesting OOTW that looks clean using the fan bottom deal. There's a nice ace assembly
with no frills that is quite direct (updated from Genii magazine). There's an easy way of performing
the speller trick (they spell anything to their card, name or city .. etc). There's a nice blank
card printing routine using a Janus double facer (same card both sides) and 5 blank-faced cards ( no
cards supplied). Nothing earth-shattering, just nice card magic. Methods are good but in 2 effects
(one is an open prediction for example) you reveal the card while its secretly a double in your
hands, which I don't like.
"In Their Hands" has tricks where the spectator handles the
deck during the middle to the end of the trick, and sometimes all the way (such as an ACAAN, that
can be done over Zoom or the phone). They are cute, nice, direct enough with some procedure but not
too much. Besides some versions of ACAAN or CAAN (2 essentially are similar ideas, I recall
off-the-top of y head a sandwich trick that is neat however the revelation is not earth-shattering
or visual. At the end, I dont see myself performing this for my A clients, but they are cute for a
change of pace.
All in all good solid book full of "Nice" material, nothing
earth-shattering, but quite fun ideas. Recommended, now that you know what you're getting
Easier routines that look "relaxed" but now what you're getting
Report this review
