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Celestial Agent
By Charles Maly

$7.50 from Midwest Magic.
£4.20 from Magic Books by Post (order no. 200338.00).

"An easy to follow booklet on mind reading, mental effects, spirit manifestations, and muscle reading complete with Maly's presentations. All effects are with complete routine and patter.

Contents Include: Fantasy - Fact - The Mood - Introductory Lecture - The Spirits Lift a Table - A Lady Contacts Heaven - The Celestial Agent Goes Patriotic - Knotting A Rope In The Most Celestial Style - A Date From The Spirit Calendar - The Spirits Work With The Spectators - A Miracle Blackboard Test to Follow the last Routine - Celestial Vision - Ravetta's Reflected Images - The Celestial Question Bureau - How To Master The Questions - Mind Reading Through Physical Contact - What To Wear."

The review

Charles Maly's Celestial Agent is, without a doubt, one of the finest booklets on the subject of spirit-orientated mental magic I have read in quite some time. Within its thirty pages, the author details a number of tried and tested effects that have withstood the test of time; the patter reads as unique and the methods, which are for the most part surprisingly simple, are really rather ingenious.

Of the dozen or so effects shared in Celestial Agent, I can see myself using one almost as-is and a couple of others have started something in the dusty depths of my mind. I'm sure that several new pieces will come about from the welcomed flash of innovation.

However, much like when I read through Jim Auer's The Spirit is Willing, I found myself mostly drawn not to the effects, but instead to the ideas on presentation and the patter provided to accompany each effect. The author has provided scripts he has used in performances, and I find it quite intriguing to see how different the presentation of our art was some sixty years ago. Of course, their use goes far beyond this, as they also shed light on how their creator wishes for them to be performed - from Maly's patter you really get a feel for the manner in which he presented each effect and can see how certain touches and nuances make certain effects that much more powerful. This is, in my opinion, what makes the book so valuable to the performer.

I would suggest that this book be pursued only by those with experience in the field of mentalism or spirit theater. Much of the material requires the reader to have a thorough understanding of basic duplicitous principles. To those that have this experience, Celestial Agent contains powerful, thought-provoking material that I'm sure you would be able to make use of.

A definite 10/10.