While known as a fantastic magician within the magic community, many may not realise how accomplished Stephen Mulhern actually is as a magician. Although he performed an excellent set as a magician on TV during last years Royal Variety Show, Stephen is more generally known as a TV and quiz host. His turn as a children’s TV presenter performing magic was many years ago, though some will know he also performs magic at Butlins.
I was pleased to acquire the hardback edition of this limited signed book, which will join my other three signed Stephen Mulhern books: the Max Magic volumes 1 to 3. The glossy paper gives the signature a very nice, full appearance. It’s a high-quality book, well presented, and comprises 94 pages. This version also features a moving image of Stephen performing with a lenticular lens/print image, likely exclusive to this limited edition. I couldn’t confirm if the standard edition includes this feature, but I doubt it. The book’s target audience is children, but anyone interested in magic will appreciate this book.
The hardback is well illustrated with artwork and cartoon versions of Stephen demonstrating simple effects to perform and it is very colourful. Ideal for children to learn magic as the explanations to perform effects are well described.
The book’s introduction reveals Stephen’s passion for magic. From watching Paul Daniel’s TV show as a young boy and then seeing his own father learn magic to entertain him. His past experiences inspired Stephen to get into and perform magic.
The early sections of the book delve into the methods of performing routines, handling mistakes, understanding audience reactions, and then cover show business aspects such as props, dealing with patterns, and warming up. Following these, sections on basic techniques like shuffling and palming are presented. This comprehensive overview introduces the terminology and methods required to practise, making it an excellent resource for young magicians. It provides a entry level knowledge on the subject of magic before introducing approximately 30 tricks.
Practising the described techniques can help anyone perform the effects and create a set or show. Household props like forks, rings, coins, rubber bands, paper, eggs, and playing cards are easily available for performing these effects. Some effects may require a bit of preparation, and you might need glue. At most, you might want to have a deck of cards handy.
A QR code opens up about a dozen extra effects, each ranging from 3 to 4 minutes long. The videos including routines that require more explanation and practice, and would have taken up too much room in the book. These routines are particularly strong and more advanced. Great for those who prefer a visual learning style. Just be mindful when scanning the code to play the video on the publisher’s website. The intro that plays links to a playlist of all the available videos that automatically play. If you select “Play On YouTube,” only the intro will play in my experience.
The book concludes with some additional supporting information about Stephen and his thank-you notes. In my opinion, it’s an ideal gift for any young magician. It would have been an excellent Christmas or birthday gift for me as a child. The signed version at WHSmith/TGJones Online is £9.99 and is limited stock. However, the Amazon version is currently just £6.49 for a standard edition. If you’re thinking of buying, please use the link below.
Overall, it’s a good book and worth the money alone, just for the 12 or so extra effects on the QR code video, which are particularly strong.
94 pages
Hardback
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