Any review is going to be colored by the characteristics of the person doing the review, so let me just say a few things about myself so you know where I am coming from. I have been doing card magic for a couple of years now. My original spark of interest came from the likes of Blaine and Dan & Dave Buck, so the new, flourishy style of magic is what I initially started doing. Over the past year however, my focus has begun to shift more towards the likes of Bannon, Hugard & Braue, Frank Simon, etc. In other words, more towards the traditional side of things. I don't have much time in my day for magic, so I'm not the kind of guy who is going to spend eight hours/day for months at a time trying to perfect an impossible move just so I can post a video on YouTube. I prefer effects that are simple, to-the-point, and don't require too much knuckle-busting to accomplish.
Also, I want to make it clear that, though I don't know Geraint personally, I did receive these notes gratis for the purposes of doing a review. All quotes from others used below are copied from Geraint's posts on another forum, and are included for the sake of thoroughness.
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"This is a true collection of wonders from a creative rising star in magic."
- Daniel Madison (D+M)
Geraint Clarke is a young, working magician from Newport, South Wales and Devious is his first offering to the magic community. It is a 35-page PDF e-book, though only 24 of those pages contain teaching. Here is the actual listing of contents copied from the PDF itself:
INTRODUCTION
FOREWORD - A few short words from a good friend, and fellow magician Lloyd Barnes.
CONTENTS - A breakdown of everything in Devious.
SHOCKWAVE - A torn and restored card effect that will blow your spectators back in awe.
ACCAPELLO - The most impressive steal and control that always leaves you a step ahead the whole time.
ACCAPELLO V2. - An unnoticeable control, that will get you noticed.
ACCAPELLO DEPTH STEAL - A move implemented in the depths of the deck to control the card to bottom or top.
ELITE - A single card control with an x-card decoy.
FAN-TASY - A flashy fan control.
AMBITION STEAL - A side steal using top card cover to control an ambitious card to top.
SUB-LIME - A submarine sandwich inspired effect using the accapello card control.
FLY - A teleportation of a signed selection from in between 2 cards.
TAZ-MANIA DOUBLE - A devilishly fun double lift that spins on top of the deck.
CLOSER - A thank you for reading
CREDITS - A compilation of names that need credit for this work.
CONTACT DETAILS - A few details on how to contact me for inquiries, bookings, or corrections.
Geraint's card magic is in the same vein as Dan and Dave Buck, Daniel Madison, etc. In other words, it tends towards the newer, flashier style of performance, with tricks that are short and to-the-point. I don't think that is necessarily good or bad, but it's helpful for potential buyers to know that up front. That being said, there are definitely some things in here that card workers of any style will learn and use. The standout, in my opinion, is what Geraint calls the Accapello Control (three different versions are taught), which forms the heart of the e-book. This IS a move that I will definitely use, along with the two tricks ("Fly" and "Sub-lime") that utilize it. Geraint has said on another forum that the Accapello "will change the way sandwich effects are done forever." I'm not sure about that, but I will say that this is a very nice way to load a selected card in preparation for a sandwich effect, as well as for numerous other applications. Because of the way the control is designed, the load can be done right under the spectator's nose. For an example of the control in action, see the performance video of "Fly" (to be available on the retailer's page), which is an effect that can also be found in these notes. Geraint has shown the Accapello to several working pros, who gave very positive feedback:
"...You cheeky ******* ! That's terrific!"
-Greg Wilson
" Aww man, that's awesome."
- Daniel Garcia
" Wow! That's real nice."
- Joshua Jay
" Excellent! I love it."
- Jeff McBride
" Wow! That's so great. Very clever. "
- Alex Lourido
Another standout for me from this e-book was the "Ambition Steal", which is an adaptation of a Tyler Wilson idea. The description above basically says it all ("A side steal using top card cover to control an ambitious card to top"), but it is a very clever move to use in an ACR, though it will take some time getting it performance-ready, as it is not easy to do well. When done up to speed though, I can see it being a real fooler, even to magicians.
As far as the other content in the e-book, I just didn't see much else that I can really see myself using. "Shockwave" is a torn and restored card effect with the corner of a card, which is a plot that I'm not a big fan of, though this is a method that would be very simple to use. "Elite" is a single card control using an X card for a cover, but it seems very angle-sensitive to me (though the speed at which it is done can cover that), and not something that I would bother using in performance. The same goes for "Fan-tasy" and the "Taz-mania Double". They are the kind of moves that, to me, are fun to play around with for a few minutes, but not the kind of thing I would really use, as there are just too many other alternatives that are more practical, in my opinion.
Other negatives I would mention would be the presence of several grammatical and spelling errors, as well as the black background of the PDF. Anyone wanting to print this out is going to use a lot of ink! Also some of the teaching can be a bit hard to follow at times (at least upon first reading), but I personally find that to be true of almost any written material. If you go through it with deck in hand, you shouldn't have any problems.
In closing, would I recommend this e-book? Yes, I would, but mainly for those whose performance style tends towards the Dan & Dave / Daniel Madison side of things, particularly if you are looking for something to spice up your sandwich effects. There are some very clever and fresh ideas here, particularly with the Accapello Control and its applications, which I believe makes it very much worth the asking price. If I had paid for these notes I wouldn't have been sorry that I did, as I will definitely be using several things from them.
Devious is scheduled to be available this Friday from http://www.magicshop.co.uk for the price of £8.99 (about $11.70), which to me is a very reasonable fee. I've been told that when it hits other dealers though, the price will increase to £10 (about $13). In other words, if this sounds like your cup of tea, now is the time to act. If there are any questions, feel free to ask. When the direct link for purchasing Devious goes live, I'll be sure to update this thread, particularly for those wanting to see a performance video before purchasing.
-Garrett
Also, I want to make it clear that, though I don't know Geraint personally, I did receive these notes gratis for the purposes of doing a review. All quotes from others used below are copied from Geraint's posts on another forum, and are included for the sake of thoroughness.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"This is a true collection of wonders from a creative rising star in magic."
- Daniel Madison (D+M)
Geraint Clarke is a young, working magician from Newport, South Wales and Devious is his first offering to the magic community. It is a 35-page PDF e-book, though only 24 of those pages contain teaching. Here is the actual listing of contents copied from the PDF itself:
INTRODUCTION
FOREWORD - A few short words from a good friend, and fellow magician Lloyd Barnes.
CONTENTS - A breakdown of everything in Devious.
SHOCKWAVE - A torn and restored card effect that will blow your spectators back in awe.
ACCAPELLO - The most impressive steal and control that always leaves you a step ahead the whole time.
ACCAPELLO V2. - An unnoticeable control, that will get you noticed.
ACCAPELLO DEPTH STEAL - A move implemented in the depths of the deck to control the card to bottom or top.
ELITE - A single card control with an x-card decoy.
FAN-TASY - A flashy fan control.
AMBITION STEAL - A side steal using top card cover to control an ambitious card to top.
SUB-LIME - A submarine sandwich inspired effect using the accapello card control.
FLY - A teleportation of a signed selection from in between 2 cards.
TAZ-MANIA DOUBLE - A devilishly fun double lift that spins on top of the deck.
CLOSER - A thank you for reading
CREDITS - A compilation of names that need credit for this work.
CONTACT DETAILS - A few details on how to contact me for inquiries, bookings, or corrections.
Geraint's card magic is in the same vein as Dan and Dave Buck, Daniel Madison, etc. In other words, it tends towards the newer, flashier style of performance, with tricks that are short and to-the-point. I don't think that is necessarily good or bad, but it's helpful for potential buyers to know that up front. That being said, there are definitely some things in here that card workers of any style will learn and use. The standout, in my opinion, is what Geraint calls the Accapello Control (three different versions are taught), which forms the heart of the e-book. This IS a move that I will definitely use, along with the two tricks ("Fly" and "Sub-lime") that utilize it. Geraint has said on another forum that the Accapello "will change the way sandwich effects are done forever." I'm not sure about that, but I will say that this is a very nice way to load a selected card in preparation for a sandwich effect, as well as for numerous other applications. Because of the way the control is designed, the load can be done right under the spectator's nose. For an example of the control in action, see the performance video of "Fly" (to be available on the retailer's page), which is an effect that can also be found in these notes. Geraint has shown the Accapello to several working pros, who gave very positive feedback:
"...You cheeky ******* ! That's terrific!"
-Greg Wilson
" Aww man, that's awesome."
- Daniel Garcia
" Wow! That's real nice."
- Joshua Jay
" Excellent! I love it."
- Jeff McBride
" Wow! That's so great. Very clever. "
- Alex Lourido
Another standout for me from this e-book was the "Ambition Steal", which is an adaptation of a Tyler Wilson idea. The description above basically says it all ("A side steal using top card cover to control an ambitious card to top"), but it is a very clever move to use in an ACR, though it will take some time getting it performance-ready, as it is not easy to do well. When done up to speed though, I can see it being a real fooler, even to magicians.
As far as the other content in the e-book, I just didn't see much else that I can really see myself using. "Shockwave" is a torn and restored card effect with the corner of a card, which is a plot that I'm not a big fan of, though this is a method that would be very simple to use. "Elite" is a single card control using an X card for a cover, but it seems very angle-sensitive to me (though the speed at which it is done can cover that), and not something that I would bother using in performance. The same goes for "Fan-tasy" and the "Taz-mania Double". They are the kind of moves that, to me, are fun to play around with for a few minutes, but not the kind of thing I would really use, as there are just too many other alternatives that are more practical, in my opinion.
Other negatives I would mention would be the presence of several grammatical and spelling errors, as well as the black background of the PDF. Anyone wanting to print this out is going to use a lot of ink! Also some of the teaching can be a bit hard to follow at times (at least upon first reading), but I personally find that to be true of almost any written material. If you go through it with deck in hand, you shouldn't have any problems.
In closing, would I recommend this e-book? Yes, I would, but mainly for those whose performance style tends towards the Dan & Dave / Daniel Madison side of things, particularly if you are looking for something to spice up your sandwich effects. There are some very clever and fresh ideas here, particularly with the Accapello Control and its applications, which I believe makes it very much worth the asking price. If I had paid for these notes I wouldn't have been sorry that I did, as I will definitely be using several things from them.
Devious is scheduled to be available this Friday from http://www.magicshop.co.uk for the price of £8.99 (about $11.70), which to me is a very reasonable fee. I've been told that when it hits other dealers though, the price will increase to £10 (about $13). In other words, if this sounds like your cup of tea, now is the time to act. If there are any questions, feel free to ask. When the direct link for purchasing Devious goes live, I'll be sure to update this thread, particularly for those wanting to see a performance video before purchasing.
-Garrett
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