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101 Tricks with a Svengali Deck by Royal Magic (Book)

http://www.themagicgadget.co.uk/101-Tri ... r-244.html

The Effect
The title says it all. 101 easy tricks with a Svengali Deck! The book starts with a short description of what a Svengali Deck is and how it is made. It then teaches you a force and moves quickly on to performing with the deck. This section includes things such as basic riffle, back riffle and underneath riffle. The rest of the book is the 101 tricks. These tricks are easy to perform and well described. And there really is 101

Cost
£3.50

Difficulty
1 to 3 (1=easy to do, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used)
I say between 1 and 3 as it really depends. Most tricks I would give a 1 to, a couple possibly a 2 and I think one trick uses a very basic slight so a 3.

Review
By trick 28 I was a little bored and found some of the tricks nearly the same as earlier ones in the book. But as a low priced starter item with the basics its fine. I think if you get this book you will learn some useful stuff from it (if your new to a Svengali deck). I would not recommend it to someone with a reasonable amount of knowledge of the Svengali deck as I think you would probably not learn much from it. When I got it a couple of years back I thought it was amazing but as time has progressed and as I have progressed I now view it as boring but I guess this could be said about a lot of books if you have owned them for a period of time.

Overall
I would have to give it a 7 out of 10. Reasons why? Cheep, easy to read, good starting point for a Svengali deck but a bit too much of the same thing in my opinion.

3 of three reviews of low priced Royal Magic Books

AJ82 wrote:By trick 28 I was a little bored and found some of the tricks nearly the same as earlier ones in the book.

Great Review, Alex. There are a lot of books like this, but they do get a bit "samey" don't they.

Thanks Tomo. I have been digging out all my old books and some of them are actually quite good and none of them have been reviewed on the forum (well I looked and could not see them) so I thought I would review them. I did these three together because they are all Royal Magic ones. Sometimes I think the older books are over looked by people starting out in magic and they can actually be very good. Keep your eyes open for more reviews coming soon.

Oh Dear - a nice post Alex but I feel that this one will awaken our friend Mr Lewis

He just can't resist a comment about the Svengali whenever it's mentionned and of course he has an inferiority complex with us all being posh in Bournemouth

Mr Lewis, Mr Lewis come out come out where ever you are I look forward to your reply.

Oh yes DAT what a spiffing day it is down in sunny old Bournemouth. I must have another cup of tea and a scone. Will you pass the jam?

Tea - this time of the afternoon?

Surely not in this weather - chilled champagne all the way dear (with strawberries of course).

Oh your a star chilled champagne with strawberries will be very nice thank you

£3.50!!! they are having a laugh charging that. £2.50 is about right

Dat is right to mention Mark Lewis with regards the svengali deck.

His book, "The Long and Short of it" is thought by many to be the definitive article on the subject (and when I say many, I don't just mean Mark Lewis himself - although it goes without saying that he agrees). The likes of Michael Close, Paul Harris, Bill Nagler (amonsgt many) have all endorsed the book, and in fact even Richard Kaufmann (which it has to be said is nor Mr. Lewis's number one fan) said "Mark's routine is a killer"

It is also one of the four books sold on NUMS.
http://www.nothingupmysleeve.co.uk/mark ... cts_id=158

When I first got into magic, a sven deck was one of the first things I used, however I pretty soon dismissed it as just being a toy that far too many people new about. Then not so long ago I read this book, and I have to say that my eyes have been re-opened to the fact that is an extremely powerful tool and once again the sven deck has it's place in the magic I do.

Whatever you think of Mark Lewis. "The Long and Short of it" is an inspiration and has a worthy place on the shelf of every magician.

Perhaps I should review it in full...

I might have to think about getting Mr. Lewis's book. My sven deck has been used less often for the simple fact I worry about having to do a deck change and fanning the cards but if Mr. Lewis's book is as good people are saying it may be time to reopen the sven deck.

Alex

As for fanning the cards, next tme you buy a sven deck, get a mirage instead. It uses the rough and smoothe principle so the cards can be fanned. You now have the best of both worlds...

(still need a deck switch though)

Dearie me Simon. I thought you had read my book. Naturally I approve of your endorsement but I am tut-tutting at your implication that the svengali deck cannot be fanned like the awful mirage deck.

My masterpiece of world literature describes how to fan a svengali deck and in fact for a brief moment on the videoclip on my site you can actually see me making the fan. With the fan you can show the deck to be all different or all the same according to how the mood takes you.

Incidentally I thought that I had never heard of the mirage deck until a magic shop owner explained to me what it was. I have always known it as the "rough and smooth deck" and to my old fashioned mind for it to be named as anything else is the end of civilisation as we know it.

As for Richard Kaufmann he often goes into a frenzy at the very mention of my name and I have wondered at times if there is therapy available for him. However he amused me recently by sending someone to my site to buy my wondrous piece of literature. It was a lady buying the deck for a magician friend. She said that the book had been recommended to her by the awful Kaufmann personage and he had actually sent her to me to buy it.

I think I might advertise the book in magazines other than Genii and quote him as recommending the book. That should irritate him sufficiently.

Oh and incidentally you don't necessarily need a deck switch when performing the svengali deck in a performance situation. In my book is described methods of avoiding this.

There are ways you know.......................

I always enjoy the occasional 'online banter' with Mr Lewis about his excapades with the Sven(gali) Goran Ericsson deck. It very much looks as if I will have to procure this literary masterpiece, to coin one of Mr Lewis's own descriptions and I may just post a review unless there is one already available? I haven't been able to locate one so far

I'm sure that Mr Lewis would prefer my endorsement over that Mr Kaufmann

Thanks for the review AJ82, I am enjoying reading all your book reviews! I think the Svengali deck can be a wonderful tool! It is just a pity that certain magicians turned pitchmen sold their souls and helped to over publicise this wonderful secret (not mentioning any names )

When I saw a posting of this review I knew I was going to find Mr Lewis here ! I bet you Mr Lewis answers to "Svengali" more than his own name ! But in all honesty I have never seen anyone perform with a Svengali deck while demonstrating such attitude like our wicked but loveable friend.

Now Mr Lewis, since you brought up Kaufman, please tell us what you thought of: “On the Pass with Richard Kaufman” as it is one of the pieces of work he is most renown for.