reviewed by Steve Drury
Rating: 
[5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 07 February, 2018)
In a Touch of the Ancients, Cara provides succinct research and context for some really well devised mystery performance pieces and other creative nuances, all with a genuinely ‘ancient’ principle. The routines demonstrate how practical and diabolical a tool this is for many performance types, and generically a worthy springboard for your own creativity too.
reviewed by Stuart Bowie
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 07 February, 2018)She has taken an old principle and developed it into a practical and effective way of making a small image appear on a spectator’s hand. The method employed is simple and practical to use in almost any performing situation, uses materials which readily available and is clearly explained.
Using the basic method the remainder of the text is devoted to an explanation of six routines from Cara’s own repertoire. Cara is a working magician and understands that impact and effect is the key to successful performance and theses two elements are central to all six routines. Two things stand out. First, that all the methods are simple, direct and fairly foolproof. Second, unlike many effects you may buy, here there is great attention to presentation, to the words said and unsaid, to the artifacts used, to timing and to the way spectators are used, all developed to create the strongest impact possible.
There is some neat thinking in many of these routines. For example in the Armanen Codex the spectator has a free choice from eighteen different tablets each marked with a different rune. Gazing into a crystal ball a second spectator can divine the shape chosen. Difficult to do? Not at all. A simple method and subtle handling make this miracle almost in the category of ‘self working’.
There is an apparent element of mystery, other worldliness and danger to the routines all created by presentation and style. Well almost all. In the Voodoo Curse the performer invokes the God of Fire. After the appropriate ritual a coconut, held in the spectators outstretched hand bursts into flame! The effect is certainly amazing, but this is one routine where the method is not for the faint hearted!
Overall ‘Touch of the Ancients’ gives you a practical and workable development to the ashes on the palm effect. Even if you don’t want to set coconuts on fire there are other very workable and impressive effects and the general principles of direct methods and dramatic choreographed presentations are adaptable to many other styles.
reviewed by David Burmeister (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Saturday 03 February, 2018)
The more I read and think about this effect the more I like it. It is a very unusual but simple force. I really like the first two effects and even the close up effects that can be used. In my opinion you will definitely get your moneys worth with all these effects and then some. I definitely recommend this!!!
WELL DONE UNKNOWN MENTALIST!
reviewed by David Burmeister (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Saturday 03 February, 2018)
I'm glad to see THE UNKNOWN MENTALIST back again. This is a very good deck stack that you will use or at least you will want this in your card stack library. By saying this I mean that I think those who know the KARMA deck stack and the SLOKA deck stack are spoiled with these particular deck stacks, I know I am. I can only say that those who enjoy deck stacks and THE UNKNOWN MENTALISTS' way of thinking will find this invaluable. I myself, will treasure this and I highly recommend this.
Well done UNKNOWN MENTALIST!
reviewed by Tommillusions
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Tuesday 30 January, 2018)
This is the type of teaching I wished I head even before I started out performing magic professionally. If you follow this lecture course with your heart it will definitely make your magic business into a million dollars!
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 24 January, 2018)
Quiz in the picture cover
Can you spot two famous magicians who I knew as a friend?
A famous meeting place
A not so famous magician
And a well-known children’s song
Just for fun your prize a chance to freely download this booklet
reviewed by Terry Smith
Rating: 
[3 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 24 January, 2018)
I purchased this. I found it doesn't work with Windows 10. I told Lybrary. They immediately refunded me.
Good job on their part.
Just be aware, It does not work with windows 10.
reviewed by Fabio Lombardi (confirmed purchase)
Rating: 
[4 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Thursday 04 January, 2018)
The book is very old, anyway there are good methods to eliminate that sleights, I already knew some of those, but for 5$ is a good book. I had a problem and I texted Lybrary staff, they are kind and fast in answering, so a good feedback also for Lybrary.
reviewed by DIDIER DUPRE
Rating: 
[2 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Friday 29 December, 2017)
Hello,
The routine is simple. It reminds me of an effect of my late friend ALDO COLOMBINI.
I like the idea...
GOOD YEAR 2018.
ALL THE HAPPINESS OF THE WORLD
D.DIDIER
reviewed by Brian Reaves (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [2 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 27 December, 2017)
Not that great of a routine. Each part can be done separately to appear you are an expert in that aspect, but you can't sit down and do this entire routine at once to show all the aspects of your "skill". True, nothing more than a double lift is ever required here, yet there are better full routines out there. If you don't want to put forth a lot of effort or just want to show off one "talent" like second dealing or center dealing, you may find something here to use. Otherwise, keep searching.
reviewed by Marc Rehula (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Saturday 16 December, 2017)
A great, straightforward worker. It's not quite impromptu and you don't end completely clean, but it's a great effect that's easy to do, so you can concentrate on the presentation. An easy recommendation.
reviewed by Marc Rehula (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Thursday 14 December, 2017)
I have mixed feelings about this. My experience with this has been less than 'miraculous'. On the plus side, it can be a great opener to get a conversation going with a borrowed, shuffled deck that you never touch. But it does not work with any consistency, so I've had to do some convincing of the 'miracles'. I do recommend this, though, since the thinking behind this is excellent. It has indeed inspired me to work on personalizing the effects to lead to other things.
reviewed by Michael Lyth (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Wednesday 13 December, 2017)
A great piece of magic history which can be adapted if felt necessary? and used to a large stage audience.Read for the History Part and even better practice to suit own style and perform a classic.Not to be over looked because of its age!!
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [4 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Sunday 10 December, 2017)
Three masters of mentalism each give you a routine using a classic mentalism technique. For me J. Prager's routine of divining the first number of a spectator's credit card and the first number of its PIN is the best, most useful one in the book. I was familiar with the thinking behind this (It's in one of Thompson's Naked Mentalism books), but had never thought to routine it this way. Once you read how it's down, you'll be able to do it immediately with two pieces of paper, a pen, and a spectator with a credit card. It's excellent.
Peter Turner uses the same technique in a prediction effect, where you give someone an envelope a week ahead of time and tell them to bring it along with them later for the demonstration. This one shows Turner's clever thinking, but even he admits, it's really for promotional value or auditioning for a job since it is a one-on-one routine.
Lastly, Luke Jermay gives you his oldest close-up routine, again using the same ancient technique. Little wonder, he's been using it so long: It's just a variation on Cassidy's Name and Place routine, spiffed up a bit. You might find Jermay's subtleties to your liking--or you may not. In any event, there's nothing new here.
In summary, this will probably be worth your while if you use Prager's routine and at least one other. I'm going to add Prager's routine immediately to my wallet repertoire. I already do Name and Place and would like to do Turner's prediction routine if I ever find a situation for it. So for me, it was a good, but not earthshaking, purchase.
reviewed by Ferry Gerats (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Monday 04 December, 2017)
With Scripted #15: cut and restored ribbon Larry Brodahl describes meticulously all the evolving steps he took to ensure a flawless and entertaining performance of the trick.
Within this process it becomes abundantly clear how competent scripting of the handling and presentation of the trick turns steps, which stem from a technical need and which could be perceived as illogical and therefore suspect to an audience into logical steps that do not arouse suspicion as they have been given a plausible reason.
So for anyone, who wants to acquire the skill of scripting there is a valuable lesson to be learned here, as with all other Larry’s publications.
reviewed by Christian Fisanick (confirmed purchase)
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Tuesday 28 November, 2017)
This is a nice version of Bob Cassidy's classic Chronologue routine. I'll admit that I'm a sucker for diary effects and have a few of them. Pablo's version is easy to perform because it only uses one "diary," actually a small notebook, and the set-up basically does the job for you. If you are familiar with diary effects, the method will come as no surprise. (You'll need a little bit of audience management.) If you buy this ebook, it won't take you long to prepare the notebook and the card reveal. (You don't even need a deck of cards.) But you will need one more thing for the reveal. Now Pablo sells a pre-made version of this routine on his website which gives you everything that you need including that "one more thing," but you don't need it. Go to the dollar store, and get a cheap little notebook and a Gel pen that doesn't bleed through the page. You'll figure out what works best for you for the reveal.
Overall, this is nicely simplified version of one of mentalism's greatest routines. And I think that by using a regular notebook, it avoids the obsolescence issue that I have with diary effects: Nobody carries a paper diary anymore. I like this a lot and think that I am going to use it a lot. Recommended.
reviewed by Rick Carruth
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Monday 27 November, 2017)
'Magic of Michael Skinner' MAY be my favorite of all the many ebooks by Paul Lelekis. I'm not ready to make the final call.. yet... but I'm certainly leaning that way. Why? Because I have a profound respect for the magic of Michael Skinner, and an equally profound respect for the writing of Paul Lelekis.
There are nine effects.. and each is very different in method and culmination.
Business Card Prediction, Thought Projection Pack, and James's Miracle are all distinctly mental magic with cards.
Altman's '7' Location, Mona Lisa Card Trick, and Invasion of The Body Snatchers are all Skinner's handling of card effects that are both original and clever.. in a Michael Skinner way. And if you aren't familiar with Michael's magic, Paul has lead this ebook with a very interesting tretise on the life and magic of Mr. Skinner. In addition, Torn & Restored Paper, Giant Coin, and Fechter's Hanky Force are all very interesting effects and a force in and of themselves. Nothing is simple.. aside from the force, and nothing is overly complicated. Just wonderful magic theater from someone considered highly unique and gifted.
reviewed by Christopher Weber
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Sunday 26 November, 2017)The Magic of Michael Skinner by Paul Lelekis is a wealth of great advice and techniques from a true Master of our Times. This is Pauls' finest eBook of the year for sure! Handlings that are straight forward and convincing along with some exceptional presentational tips throughout. The foreword by John Carney and Introduction by Paul are easily worth the price of the book. Here you'll be presented with Michael Skinners philosophy on practice, discipline, creativity, ingenuity and naturalness of performance. This is a fantastic way for you to get acquainted with the presentational style and wonderful magic of Michael Skinner.
The nine effects are all time tested routines that you will enjoy learning and performing. There’s a little something for everyone here. They are all geared to emphasize entertainment, presentation and the art of engaging your audience. Straight forward clean, non-complicated and direct routines. I particularly liked the opening effect "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" (one of my all-time favorite movies), the best patter/presentation, and interpretation for this classic effect I've ever seen. A solid winner for sure!
The "Mona Lisa Card Trick" another favorite of mine is a perfect example of a short routine that has a great kick to it and you'll be having some fun with it in no time. Besides the card effects you’ll get a cool Giant Coin routine and a beautiful, clean, smooth handling of a Torn & Restored Paper routine that goes a step or two further than similar effects. All this plus an ingenious prediction Bonus effect from Stewart James makes Pauls' "The Magic of Michael Skinner" destined to be a top seller.
reviewed by Enrico Varella
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Sunday 26 November, 2017)Michael Skinner is a legendary name among close-up magicians. John Carney in his Foreword to this book respectfully delves into the psyche of this extraordinary professional performer. Skinner exemplified naturalness, deliberateness, neatness and exactness in his routining and moves. Throughout this book, the astute student of magic will be able to appreciate abject lessons in Pauses – that which precedes each revelation or transformation – and shifts the moment of each effect to a heightened level of dramatic and psychological impact.
Paul Lelekis – certainly a fan of Michael Skinner – has written an exclusively, befitting, tribute to one of his major influences. Lelekis’s extensive breadth of performance experience and encyclopaedia of effects, successfully captures the Skinner Spirit – discovering perfection through disciplined practice, dedicated analyses, and a determined appreciation of the audience.
He has compiled nine of Skinner’s effects that include a Wild Card routine, torn & restored paper, demonstration of ESP, busines card prediction, coin transformations, and preferred card force. Every nuance and subtlety is described through Lelekis’s thorough descriptions and video explanations of sleights.
The legend lives on through the pages of this important book. May you carry on the legendary work in the Skinner tradition.
reviewed by Roy Eidem
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!] (Date Added: Sunday 26 November, 2017)Paul’s knowledge of magic is encyclopedic. Such a treat to see this tribute to arguably one of the best close-up magicians of all time. The introduction with stories about Michael are worth the price of this book to magic lovers. In addition, one receives pro-working, Skinner magical miracles. Paul’s writing style is clear & easy to follow plus one receives with the purchase some tutorial videos.