After a brief introduction, it’s straight in to the tricks. There are 12 of them. I’ll comment on them all in turn…

The Tricks

Biddle Print

A lovely shuffled deck impromptu routine sort of combining the Biddle Trick and the Finger print trick. A card is selected and lost in the pack. Some ‘indicator cards’ are cut to which reveal the location of the card. Which seems impossible because one of them is the chosen card. But all’s right in the end as the chosen card appears where it was indicated and vanishes from the indicator packet. A great little impromptu trick with pretty straightforward handling. Don’t miss the Killer tip on the Biddle steal in the footnotes!

In Decision

Liam has combined to 2 John Bannon effects (a good starting point!) to make something really special. To a fun presentation you read one spectator’s mind and a second spectator locates their own thought of card themselves! I love the subtle way that this has been built (including a genius John Gusastafarro idea). There’s a slight knack to making the final revelation work – but worth a little practise for a super practical effect. This is a great example of Liam’s genius for ‘cross-fertilizing’ ideas from different books and effects to build a killer new idea.

Hofferoom

A card is chosen and lost in the pack. Then the four aces are openly displayed. In a flash the one matching the suit of the spectator’s card vanishes and reappears in the centre of the deck right next to the selection. This is another strong effect. I think you need to be a slightly more confident card man to do this well – but it doesn’t require any real finger flinging. A solid effect.

Hand Clap

Liam’s take on the Alex Elmsley classic Between the Palms. Two cards are selected and one signed. Both are lost in the deck. The first card is located by counting down to a number indicated by two cards from the top of the deck. The second is found between the spectator’s hands – where a single card had been isolated before the trick began. I wasn’t so fond of the handling of this one – though I liked the presentational hook.

Selective Touch

This is a very clever take on an old effect and utilises more sleight of mind than hand. The spectator names any card – then you cut to two cards which represent it’s suit and value – and show that the actual card is in your pocket. This is a really interesting effect which has been well structured. You may have to perform a gamblers’ cop – which may put some off – but there is a fair bit of misdirection at that point so it shouldn’t be too intimidating. Unusually for Liam the description is slightly confusing at one point when he switches between the names of two different cards. I’m sure that will be corrected quickly.

Ink Thief

A neat signature transpo effect which is dead easy to do. And best of all – the signed card ends up being a Joker – so you can use up all those spare jokers that are knocking around and not trash a deck! This is based on a Roy Walton effect and is a really efficient handling. Good sstuff.

Baker Street AKA Kings Cross

This is an interesting premise where a spectator deals two hands of poker and then he and the other spectator both choose a card from their hands. Both cards are revealed in completely different ways. There are some nice ideas here – including an interesting take on the venerable PATEO force. I think this is really rather effective.

Ambitious Burier

This is an idea for a phase in your Ambitious Card routine where the card travels in ‘slow motion’ through the deck. Dare I say it, the Ambitious Card bores me. But if you perform it (and most people seem to!) then this could be a nice little extra element.

Ace Ripper

Three cards are lost in the deck and then found amongst a packet of four kings. And in a surprising climax the kings visually turn into aces in a very nice display. This is another interesting plot using some pretty moves. Liam details a number of alternative handlings to cover all abilities and tastes. Nice!

To the Untrained Eye

Four kings are lost in the deck. You instantly find them – but one is actually an ace. In an instant they all change into aces. I really like this (based on a trick I must have overlooked in my old copy of Cy Enfield’s Entertaining Card Magic!). There are a couple of moves to get your hands around – but really nothing too tricky and clever construction makes it very convincing.

The Twin Peeks

Two cards are chosen and returned to the pack. You read the first spectator’s mind. Then their card appears reversed in the deck. An instant later the second selection also appears in the same way. I haven’t had a chance to try this in anger and I suspect it will play better than it reads. Bold and cheeky!

Vacuum

A very visual transposition of a chosen card and indifferent card – with an amusing patter idea to support the mechanics. Pretty simple mechanics for a pleasing effect. Give it a go! And here’s a video – since I couldn’t describe the effect succinctly!

Final Thoughts

This is a solid release. There are some great effects here – and even if they don’t all suit you I would defy you not to find at least 3 that you will use – which makes it pretty good value!

The magic is good and it is a well written ebook. I enjoy Liam’s slightly quirky patter and also the many insightful comments and observations. The magic geek in me also enjoys reading about the development of the tricks – and how Liam’s twisted brain came up with the ideas.

Buy it, read it then read it again.

Mojo is exclusively available from Kaymar Magic for £11.99 at the time of writing (though they often have deals on!).

Many thanks to Liam for supplying the review copy.

Liam Montier – Mojo – review

4.6 / 5 Reviewer

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The post Liam Montier – Mojo – review appeared first on Bicycle Cards.

Contact Colours (Aldo Colombini)

This is apparently one of Iain Moran’s favourites. A pack is shuffled, then a chosen card is found in the fairest way, and is compounded by a 4 ace discovery and a separation of the pack into the colours. Needs a table, some set up and a bit of drawn out dealing, but a nice and impressive looking effect.

Impossible (Mike Austin)

A ridiculously fair looking card location where the spectator seems to do all the work. Quite likely to fool any magicians that haven’t watched this DVD too! A really neat, also genuinely impromptu effect.

Shuffling Lesson (Chad Long)

Unfortunately the explanation button for this one takes you to the explantaion for Shuffleboard! The boys at BBM have been informed and I believe they may re-issue it.[UPDATE 12/07 – BBM tell me these have now been replaced] But you can actually get to it by using ‘play all’ and skipping through the chapters. This is a really cool effect (previously published in the classic Art of Astonishment Vol 3). Under a story of explaining how to handle cards and loads of fair mixing, the spectator manages to locate the 4 aces. And they won’t have a clue how they have done it. A small set up is required (and a table needed) – but the payoff is massive! Love it.

Henry Sugar (Liam Montier)

This is one of the newer tricks on the collection! It has a nice hook/story and an impressive feat of ‘seeing without seeing’ – all looking very fair. Well constructed routine with a big finish – and essentially moveless. A bit of set up required, but again a very strong effect which is worth it.

Pre-prefiguration (Larry Jennings/Mark Elsdon)

Spectator finds 4 of a kind from a borrowed shuffled deck. I particularly love the cheeky (and highly efficient) way the set up is done before their eyes. It does need a table but I just love this. In fact by this point on the DVD I am struggling to decide which is my favourite routine!

Your Aces are Marked (Terry Lagerould)

This is a triumph-esque effect with a 4 ace finish. It is very visual and really convincing. The routine easily lends itself to a patter line and is easy to set-up. A table is needed but this is very strong and ridiculously easy to do.

Shufflebored (Simon Aronson)

Shufflebored is one of the most well known effects on the disk (originally published in a booklet of its own, then re-published in Bound To Please). An amazing effect where in spite of very fair shuffling and mixing you have predicted the final state of a deck of cards. Needs a bit of space to perform, but will leave them floored.

The 716 Club (Alex Elmsley)

This is a clever little prediction effect where the spectator does all the work. For me it is a little ‘procedural’, but it is the sort of trick that you will fool yourself with. Easily set up on the fly. In the right place and with a lively presentation this could be a winner.

Impossible (Larry Jennings)
As Iain Morain says – Larry Jennings is not a name you usually associate with self-workers – but this is a blinder! Like the previous effect, it is slightly procedural. However, for my money the impact is much greater than 716 Club. (You can see this in print in The Classic Magic of Larry Jennings)

4,5,6 (Al Thatcher)

This is a really fair looking card reveal. A spectator freely cuts to a card which is lost in the pack. Cards are dealt into some playing card hands and you can then locate their selection. It uses a borrowed, shuffled deck – with no set up. But there’s a lot of dealing going on, so you will need some good audience management to keep the interest going. You won’t really understand how it works even when you know how it works!

Unbelievable (Bascomb Jones Jr/Michael Shields)

An intution testing effect. A shuffled deck is separated into two sections by suit which are then dealt out and end up in pairs. Takes a lot of space, requires a lot of setup, there is a lot of dealing and a time-consuming separation of the pack.. This is really the only trick on the DVD that doesn’t tick any boxes for me. I may be guilty of not reating like a lay-person here, but this one isn’t for me. Liam and Owen keep telling me it’s a killer but…

Extras
Some false cuts and shuffles are taught so you can add conviction to any routines which require a setup. There is also an interview/tip sections which address some of the concerns folks might have about ‘self-working’ tricks. There is a good emphasis on the need to put in thought and practise on the presentation in order to sell them. Don’t ignore this section – there is some key information here – especially if you are new to performing magic. Lots of valuable tips from a variety of performers.

Anything else to say?…
I really like the titles on the disk, but the nit-picker in me spotted that there are some variations in the way names are spelled etc. [UPDATE – I double checked this and in fact there is only one name which is spelled differently between the menu and titles] It doesn’t really matter, but combined with the wrong link on the menu for Shuffling Lesson this just makes me feel like there wasn’t quite enough attention to detail. But these are really very small niggles, and the quality of the magic more than makes up for it. I also appreciate the way that most of the effects have a brief introduction about their inventor. There is also a tantalising credit at the end about returning (volume 2?) with a Bannon!

For me this is one of the stand-out releases of 2012. Loads of good magic that is within the reach of magicians of all standards. But please take the time to come up with a decent presentation so that you don’t squander the goods…

Available direct from the Merchant of Magic (£19.99) or all your favourite dealers…

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