Magic Tricks

I’ve accumulated many magic books over the years, but seldom do they live up to the hype. I’m glad to say that for me, Subtle Card Creations Vol. 3 does indeed live up to the hype. There is something for everyone in this book. So here is my take:

WHAT I LIKED: The writing and the illustrations are clear and concise. The tricks are powerful, well-constructed, and range from “easy” to “intermediate” in skill level. The “Further Coincidences” (coincidence tricks) and the “Further Transpositions” (Oil & Water, and Follow the Leader routines) chapters were the most fruitful for me. But I’m sure you’ll have your own favorites. Also, the sheer volume of Trost’s tricks is impressive. Did this guy ever sleep??

WHAT I WASN’T CRAZY ABOUT: Personally, I’ve never been a fan of tricks that require anything more than a quick on-the-fly setup. Nor am I a big fan of gambling/poker tricks (which by nature often require setups). So those chapters weren’t for me. However, if you’re into that sort of thing I’m sure you’ll find some solid material here. Also, the final chapter on “Computer Cards” requires you to construct your own cards with punch holes. Again, not for me. But if you’re willing to put in the effort you may be greatly rewarded.

THE BOTTOM LINE: If you want to impress laypeople (or maybe even some magicians) with a variety of good, solid magic that’s not at all difficult to do, then this book is for you. I can’t imagine somebody NOT finding a few tricks in this book that won’t immediately go into their repertoire. All in all, it was a joy to read. As far as the rating, I’d really give this book a four and a half star rating if that was an option. To me, there is no such thing as perfection, so I rarely give anything – ANYTHING – a five star rating. Just keeping it real, guys. But this really is my new favorite. And I look forward to adding more of the SCC series books to my collection. I hope my review helps. :-)