Magic Tricks

I wanted so badly to love this. I LOVED VORTEX. It was among the most brilliant magic books I ever read. I love 90% of Tom's Columns in Genii. I decided to go with getting the DVD for Maelstrom instead of the book as it was half the price and contained the effects I really cared about plus I would have the advantage of video. That would've been a big help for me with some of the complicated slight of hand in VORTEX. However, to say I was super underwhelmed with this would be an understatement.

I primarily bought this for things that go cluck. I've done the silk to egg for a while, I stopped after an egg broke, and was eager to put it back into my show. However, I found that Tom's routine was surprisingly far weaker than the one I was doing. It doesn't get half the laughs and it is such a pain to construct. This will take you many hours. I see it primarily as an exercise in creativity and not as a trick worth performing.

Siamese book test is nice but there are already tons of similar ones out there such as Patrick Kuff's and if anything I see this as weaker.

Quiz show is a great plot that's very well executed but its not his plot originally, and making the gimmicks is a massive undertaking. That being said I am keeping the plot in mind and I may use it in another form. If you already know another version, keep walking. If not, and you're very good at arts and crafts this may be worth a look.

Well Timed Miracle- Meh. Nothing special. It is nice how he took a beginner's trick and turned it into a showpiece but I think spectators will be bored by the length of time it takes and the procedure. Other people have better versions of this trick such as Jim Steinmeyer.

Synonymax- This one was nice. The only redeeming trick on the DVD for me. It is a brilliant trick that has a lot of potential. For now I'm not using it as I try to steer as far clear from tricks that involve counting and then dealing as they look like mathematical tricks (which they always are), but I could see myself using it in the future with some thought. That flipping over thing does not go unnoticed as Tom thinks it does though.

Forbidden Palm- A gorgeous trick but I didn't bother watching the explanation. I have never in my life performed anywhere that I would do this nor do I ever expect to. This is the type of trick you may consider doing at a close up competition or a corporate event where you have control over everything though.

I feel bad giving this a negative review but the world needs to know. That being said you should definitely buy everything else Tom puts out.