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”Dear Mr Fantasy” by John Bannon
£24 from Alakazam

Overview
I have now had this book for three or four weeks. I have read it from cover to cover and I have performed many of the effects therein.

I like it a lot. Do I really need to say any more?

Difficulty.3/5
1=Even I can do it, 2=No sleights, but not so easy, 3=Some sleights used,
4=Advanced sleights used, 5=Suitable for experienced magicians only)
There are 5 sections in this book and the difficulty of the effects vary, although I have found nothing that is too complex. Anyone that knows me knows I prefer effects from the easier end of the scale and I really do like this book.

The Review

I am not going to mention all the effects. What I am going to say though that this book contains some of the strongest self-working effects out there and for me this makes this particular book worth it’s weight in gold.

It does not contain hundreds of different effects, although for each effect it does mention, it discusses it in great detail, explaining many variations, principles, and ideas for patter along the way.

Let me tell you about a few of my favourite effects, that IMMEDIATELY became part of my working repertoire.

Dead Reckoning
The cards are cut by a spectator. The top half is then shuffled by the spectator and they note the top card.

I know what you are thinking. If the bottom half of the cards are now plopped on top, and you knew the bottom card, then you now know their card is under the bottom card. Blahdy blahdy blah.

The spectator then cuts another portion of cards from the bottom half of the deck and plops that on top of his shuffled pile.

Oh… Interesting. So now the specs card is buried somewhere in the top half of the deck. And we do not know the card on top of it. Hhhmmmmm

The top half (actually about three quarters by now) is then cut by the spectator a few times and eventually the remaining cards from the bottom are dropped on top.

This is now getting interesting….

The magician explains that the spectator should spell out the name of his card in his head, and THINK stop on the last letter of the card. He demonstrates as if the spectator was thinking of the None Of Diamonds. The magician deals cards off the top of the deck, one for each letter, and on the last S of diamonds, he says and now you would think stop. Remember do not name the letters out loud just think of them as I count down. The spectator acknowledges that they know what to do and the magician starts dealing cards down once again.

Suddenly the magician stops. Funnily enough it is at exactly the same time as the spectator is thinking stop. And if that wasn’t impressive enough – then the next card is turned over – and yes. It is the card that was initially looked at!!!

This is a beauty of a trick. The fact that it is also a magician fooler is just a great bonus, but I have had great fun watching the spectators reactions after doing this one. And you know what the best thing is? It resets automatically. It is ready to go again and again and again.

His is GREAT for table hopping….

Degrees of Freedom

IMO, the two strongest card tricks of all time are “OOTW” and Simon Aronson’s Shuffle Bored.

I now have a third to add to this list. It is John Bannon’s “Degrees of Freedom”

When I first read this, with a deck of cards, I followed the instructions and at the end my jaw just dropped. Oh….My….Goodness…..

It can be performed using a borrowed deck of cards and it contains no sleights. It uses various principles, but like Shuffle board. It just works.

I am not even going to describe the effect here but I think this is now my favourite effect of all time. Probably because it just tickles me every time it works.

Wait until Dark

For anyone that doesn’t know Shuffle-Bored, Pre-Deck ability or any of the numerous variations, then the book is worth it for this effect alone.

If you do already know this classic effect – then the book is worth it for this variation. Especially if you what a more mentalism feel to it.

Rating. Effect/item: 9/10, Quality of goods: 9/10, Value for money: 10/10

Bottom Line
I love this book. I love the effects I mentioned most, but there are other good ones as well. This is now one of my favourite magic books…

I suppose this is your revenge for my tempting you with my "many review"?!

Think it's funny do ya?

Well..I mean...well! "where's my wallet?.....

Admit it Tom. You do kind of deserve it. I mean you have been reviewing some awesome material over the last few weeks. (and have cost me more than a pretty penny I can tell you).

Seriously though. Degrees of Freedom and Dead Reckoning are two of the strongest effects ever. Add to that the shuffle bored variation and where can you go wrong?

the spectator was thinking of the None Of Diamonds

That would be just my luck - a spec thinking of s*d all!

This sounds like a very reasonable price for such strong effects - oh to hell with the bank manager, what does he know of life, the universe and everything? Nothing, that's what and he knows diddly squat about magic either so I'll tell him this is an essential investment. Long term. Worthwhile. Stuff like that. (Back me up here guys !)

Looks like my Ascanio, Wels, Hughes and Harbin books have a new friend coming - just ordered this,

Vic

This is without doubt one of the finest books on card magic you're ever likely to have the enormous pleasure of reading!

Dead Reckoning is worth the price of the book alone.

Top marks again Mr Bannon.

I recieved the book this morning with the new alakazam offer, and Wow, is it amazing!

The book is hardback with white glossy covers, red inside, and is illustrated with photos and diagrams. The entire thing is so elegant, I didnt want to open it.

Eventually I did, and after scanning through some of the tricks with a pack of cards at hand, I was amazed at how many of the tricks just worked.

You follow the instructions with a pack of cards, arrive at the ending a think ' Sweet Jesus!'. Its a very pleasing read.

I have'nt read or watched any of John Bannons work, but I know I will in the future.

10/10 Sheer brilliance.

excellent! now I know what some of my £100 of magic books by post vouchers can go on!

thanks all, very helpful, I am yet to hear a bad word on this book.

Steve Dela

Sounds good.

*adds it to long list of things to get*

ace of kev wrote:*adds it to long list of things to get*

Unfortunately, my long list of things to get grows rather quicker than I purchase items from the top, so I will never, ever have everything I want.

This should go straight to the top of anyone's wish list. In fact skip writing the list and order it now.

If you are a newbie to magic and/or like me been around for a while but nervous about card sleights and your ability to perform a 'Discrepant Fat Block Switch' or an 'Elias Multiple Switch' then have no fear. There are some tricks in this book that do rely on some heavy duty sleights.......

...... and then there are others that rely on no sleights whatsoever (or real easy ones).

Having spent the weekend with this book in one hand and an ordinary pack of bikes in the other, I now have 5 new tricks that I can perform with my own or a borrowed deck, albeit I may need take some notes with me to remind me of one or two things if starting with a borrowed deck.

Dead Reckoning, Degrees of Freedom, Wait until Dark and the Power of Poker are 4 fantastic tricks, require no sleights, and made even more impressive if you can use someone else's deck.

Thanks Bananafish - This was just what I've been waiting for.

Gosh !

Nice review, and this book really does sound SOOOOO tempting !

Piers.

also reviewed Here

I bought the book on the back of the original review.

It's a ...

great book !

I love the routines and descriptions, and the methods and the maths, and ...

Great !

Piers.

How the hell has this review passed me by? Recently I've spent so much time on this forum ignoring threads which look like they are of the type 'I'm a newbie and I've dropped my ID' that I've missed this review entirely - I am buying it. Right now.

I apologise for not giving the whole forum my utmost attention - I promise from now on to read every new thread - even if they are started by some spotty 13 year old who wants to know how to levitate...