The Safwan Papers has been receiving rave reviews on The Magic Cafe. If you’ve visited the site for any length of time, however, you know that’s not always something you can count on. But that’s not the only place this eBook is getting good reviews. Here’s what a few top names in mentalism have to say about Bryn’s offering:

“The Safwan Papers has several very clever ideas for the serious mentalist. The emphasis is on language … not props. Your Lucky Nite could be sold as a separate routine.” – Chuck Hickock

“You know how to take an idea or effect, make it your own and add a wonderful twist to them. Wonderful thinking and inspirational. Keep up the great work; we need more original thinkers like you in our ranks. Well done.” – Banachek

“Bryn Reynolds is one of the most exciting creators I have come across in many years. Whenever he sends me something it is top notch and is usually an item I add to my repertoire. The Safwan Papers is the latest batch of material to peak my interests. Developed in Iraq, for his fellow soldiers, the material is dynamite! (Or C-4 given the situation!) There are great routines, gadgets and gimmicks that will become standard items in your act and just plain, good old straight-thinking behind powerful effects! One is already slated for my next set of DVD’s. I highly – very highly – recommend this book!” – Richard Osterlind

Well, for once, you can trust the hype. The Safwan Papers is a good collection of practical mentalism effects. For $30, I wouldn’t recommend this one for the simply curious. But, if you’re looking for strong mentalism to perform for your friends and family or at your next corporate gig, I am positive you will find something in this eBook to suit you. Here’s a quick rundown of the five effects (and bonus item) described.

Seven- This is a version Kenton Knepper’s famous Kolossal Killer. In effect, the performer writes down a prediction. The spectator pretends to hold an invisible deck of playing cards. He eliminates the cards in a seemingly very fair manner until he is left with a single playing card. This is the card the performer predicted.

While there are no multiple outs employed, it is important to note that this is not a 100% sure-fire effect. There is a chance that it could fail. However, performed in the casual circumstances in which this was intended, this won’t be much of a problem. The verbiage, by the way, will ensure that you are at least close in the cases where you miss. This may help calm the nerves of those who usually don’t like to take risks during a performance.

The techniques used in the trick can be learned rather quickly and do not require any of the “pie in the sky” psychological forces that seem to be so popular these days. Once you learn to carry out the procedure with confidence, you will have a great performance piece for impromptu situations.

Bottle Cap Koran- I like the psychology used in this effect. Again, the performer introduces a prediction. The performer borrows a dime and three bottle caps. A spectator places the coin under one of the caps while the magician’s back is turned. The performer is able to divine which cap is covering the coin a number of times and even allows another spectator to try. To finish, he shows that he predicted the exact results of the game… including the date on the borrowed coin.

This is another great impromptu effect. The methodology is smart and simple. Bryn has taken a couple of old ideas and extended them to make the effect play even bigger.

Your Lucky Nite- This is certainly the highlight of the book. The spectator is handed five envelopes and marks them with the numbers 1-5. The envelopes are mixed face down and a borrowed bill is placed inside one of them. The other envelopes contain Monopoly money. Not even the spectator knows which envelope contains the bill since the numbers are face down. The envelopes are mixed again. One by one the envelopes are held under the performer’s hand. He eliminates four out of the five by burning them or placing them through a shredder. The final envelope is opened to reveal the borrowed bill.

This is really a test conditions Bank Nite-type of effect. It is not exactly the same, since the performer is the one eliminating the envelopes, but I do not think that makes this routine any weaker. In fact, it is the only type of Bank Nite effect that I could actually see myself performing. The methodology is brilliant.

BOHT- This was by far the weakest point of the book for me. According to Bryn, this “is not a complete effect. It is a method, that when performed with complete confidence, enables the performer to appear to be able to divine in which hand a spectator has hidden an object.” If you already perform a version of the “which hand” effect that relies on psychological tells, you may find this to be a useful out. However, this technique can only be used once during a performance. For that reason, I don’t believe this will be useful to most performers who don’t already do a similar type of effect.

******string- The performer offers to play an old carnival game with the audience. A number of colored loops of string (or yarn) are displayed protruding from his fist. He announces that tied onto one of these strings is a prize for the performer. The spectators freely eliminate all but one of the strings. They are each shown to be just tied loops. He opens his hand to reveal that the final string has a solid gold ring attached to it.

If you can guess the asterisks, you’ll know the method. I think this is the only effect in the book that requires a special magic prop.  It’s another Bank Nite-type of effect, but Bryn takes the sting out by announcing that the prize will be for the performer from the beginning. This is a good approach. If you present the ring as being your wedding ring, I imagine you could also milk some nice comedy bits out of the situation. “My wife hates this trick,” “I just can’t seem to get rid of this damned thing,” etc.

The $4 Billet Index- This isn’t an effect in itself; it is a way to create a cheap index to carry around in the money compartment of any wallet on the cheap. You will need to do a little arts and crafts work to get this up and running, but it is fairly simple to make. The index holds eight items, but you could create two of them if you need sixteen slots. There are no suggestions for how to use it, but most mentalists will already be familiar with its applications.

The eBook checks in at 56 pages. The routines are explained exhaustively; no details are left out. Bryn’s writing is very clear and easy to understand. He has a unique, personal style that makes reading through this a pleasure. You really get the sense that he’s just sharing these routines with you casually as friends. He even breaks off into stories about how he came up with certain ideas during the explanations. This could come off as stream of consciousness rambling, but it doesn’t. Each time he ventures off he reveals something interesting, either about the idea or himself.

Recommended.

- Available for $30 from www.Lybrary.com or www.Outlaw-Effects.com

Broken begins with an interesting essay about the use of failure in mentaism. The author has some very interesting points to share that some may not fully agree with. At the very least, however, his thoughts will get you thinking about how most mentalism demonstrations could be improved. It is well worth a read. Another essay titled “Speed Trap” is offered later in the book that is equally worth your time and attention. Don discusses the process of recapping an effect just prior to the denouement. He introduces an idea he calls pre-capping that may be better suited for certain situations.

The other items in the book are routines from the Don’s repertoire. It is evident that each of these demonstrations have been road tested in real world performances. Here are the details:

Svenvelope- The performer introduces a stack of index cards with words written on them. He explains that a spectator will think of one of these words at random in just a moment. He turns his back and the volunteer selects a word. The mentalist turns to face him and attempts to divine the word… and fails (this is intentional on the part of the performer). He feigns frustration and moves on to the next experiment.

Next, a freely chosen card is isolated in an opaque envelope. The performer is able to name the card, breaking the tension that was built up from the earlier failure. Finally, the volunteer reveals the word he was thinking of earlier. Let’s say it’s ‘airplane.’ The envelope is opened to reveal a secret prediction that reads “I predict that I will fail to read your mind when you think of the word Airplane.”

This is definitely an interesting way to go performance-wise. While the method would allow you to get a direct hit on the first phase AND still do the prediction, Don has decided to intentionally miss on the first demonstration. We’re not talking about a near miss as is often seen in mentalism routines. This is a full blown failure. From a theatrical standpoint, I’m not sure how I feel about this.

In some ways showing that it takes effort to read a thought from someone’s mind and then showing that you predicted their thought from the start doesn’t really make sense. It’s discrepant. If you knew what I was going to think of from the start, why did it take so much effort to “read” my thought? On the other hand, doesn’t the same discrepancy exist in this case? At any rate, his approach will definitely get you thinking.

Regarding the method, Don credits Bob Cassidy for the idea. I think you’ll find it to be very clever. Pay particular attention to the additional idea offered about beginning with blank cards and writing words called out by the audience on the cards as you go. While it would certainly take some additional prep, it would make the selection procedure seem that much more fair.

Eudemania- Several spectators enter random numbers into a calculator on a borrowed iPhone and total them. Another person turns the hands of a watch and stops at any point. Suppose they stop at the time 11:21; the total of the selected numbers on the calculator is 1121.

This is a combination of two classic mentalism principles. There are no gimmicks or secret preparations. The routine may be done completely impromptu provided you can borrow the required iPhone and watch. It is easy to do and packs a huge impact for the audience.

Phantom Phone- This uses the same methodology as the Svenvelopes routine for a different effect. The ad states that the spectator “freely thinks of a word.” This isn’t really true. While the volunteer will certainly get the impression that she is selecting a word that the performer couldn’t possibly know, it is not as if she simply thinks of any word in her mind. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but something that you need to be aware of. What you’re really getting here is a revelation using a smart phone that can be applied to other routines as well.

Primo Wishin’- From the ad description, this is “a no gimmick, real deck, amazingly clean approach to the Premonition effect.” While I think the idea utilized here is a good one and could be applied to other circumstances, I don’t like how it is packaged as Premonition effect. It is not sure fire in the least.

Cappricio- This is sort of a “performance only” routine (kind of strange for an e-book, eh?). As it is used as another example of applying a “broken” rhythm to your performances, I think it was worthwhile to include it here. No details of the method are divulged, but Don does give you the overall idea. It is left to the reader to fill in the blanks.

McFly- A spectator selects a card and a number. When the cards are counted, the selection falls at the chosen number. This is similar to the popular Any Card At Any Number plot, but this is certainly not a purist’s version. The card is physically selected and the magician shuffles the cards during the demonstration. Looking at the effect on its own, I think you find it to be a fine effect. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking you are getting the Holy Grail of ACAAN here.

Zoran: Zentalism- Don recounts a story of how he first was introduced to mentalism by his mentor Frank Zoran. In telling the story, he recounts the first trick his mentor ever performed for him and explains its workings. I don’t see a lot of guys actually taking the time and effort to learn it, but it is certainly a strong effect. This final section makes for a nice read despite the author’s hyperbole.

Don’s writing style is clear and insightful. While I like the routines, the real value is the thinking that goes into each one. You really feel like you are on a journey with the author as you read through. The effects are not presented in a disjointed “show and tell” style that is the case with most magic books. There is thread that runs through the writing that gives you a real sense of who Don Theo III is as a performer. While not every routine will suit you, I am confident that everyone will come away with something of value.

Recommended.

- Available for $23 from Lybrary.com