Cardivances

Book by Alejandro Guillier
Cardivances - image 1
Cardivances - image 1
Price: £40.75£40.75
2 reviews
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You may not know Alejandro Guillier Farga's name yet. But after reading Cardivances, you'll understand why he has such a cult following.

Alejandro has developed a distinctive approach to magic that combines technical skill with thinking that feels genuinely fresh. Across cards, coins, mobile phones, and more, he takes familiar plots in unexpected directions, developing new methods and constructions that feel contemporary without sacrificing the impact of the magic.

The material is varied, but the philosophy remains consistent: strong effects, clever solutions, and routines built around genuine astonishment. You'll find interesting approaches to classic plots, original concepts, and deeply considered constructions that reward both study and performance.

One of the highlights is Alejandro's work on card assemblies, where he explores fascinating ideas that offer new possibilities for a classic plot. His coin material takes an equally inventive approach, including effects built around the transfer of heat from one coin to another, introducing a remarkably physical dimension to close-up magic.

Cardivances is a modern collection packed with ideas to explore, routines to perform, and new ways of thinking about the construction of close-up magic.

"Alejandro has a unique vision of how to present not only the classics, but also the newest developments in card magic. He moves effortlessly through fiction, impossibilities, and powerful effects, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who watches him." Miguel Ángel Gea

"The contents of this book are exceptionally rich. Its innovative ideas and fresh solutions to classic plots are truly refreshing. The new generation of magicians will enjoy Alejandro's magic because of his distinctive and contemporary approach to constructing effects and routines-an approach that ultimately delivers what every magician strives for: genuine astonishment from the audience. Cards, coins, and even ideas involving mobile phones... what more could we ask for in a single volume? One of my favorite chapters is the one devoted to card assemblies. There you'll discover fascinating concepts that you'll want to put into practice immediately. Alex has created a modern, magical work full of possibilities. Bravo!"
Alfredo Ruiz (Fenik)

"I don't know Alejandro Diego Guillier Farga very well. I first discovered him through his adaptation of Travelers (Aces to the Pockets), which I absolutely loved! Since then, I have followed with great interest and curiosity every effect he shares on Facebook. He possesses remarkable technical skill and an approach to magic that clearly speaks to magicians. Chile has a national treasure, and I am convinced that, with time, his value will only continue to grow. I'm a fan!" Carlos Vaquera

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Customer reviews for Cardivances

Richard
I bought this book as a pig in a poke. I had no idea what I’d be getting, but I’m a glutton for books on card magic. I had never heard of Alejandro Guillier and was curious to discover just how “innovative” he really is. Because Guillier’s name will be unfamiliar to many readers, I hope someone like Jeff Kowalk will eventually give the book the sort of in-depth treatment he does on his YouTube channel, *Erudite Magic*. It certainly deserves more attention than I’m going to give it here. I’m limiting my comments to the card magic, although Guillier offers many routines employing additional props. Much of the material is derivative. There are variations on Darwin Ortiz’s *Signature Effect*, Armando Lucero’s *Transformation*, and *Dr. Daley’s Last Trick*, as well as effects associated with Allan Ackerman, Bill Malone, Jack Carpenter, George Sands, and several others. The required skill level ranges from intermediate to advanced. Guillier assumes that the reader is familiar with standard card moves and terminology—double lift, top change, second deal, Biddle grip, and so forth—and provides neither explanations nor references for them. More arcane sleights, when not explained, are at least referenced so that the reader can track them down. The explanations are dry but clear, supplemented by photographs where necessary. In fact, I found them clear enough to visualize the procedures without cards in hand. With many of the tricks, I could read the instructions two or three times and come away with a sufficiently good grasp of the method to run through the necessary steps without further reference to the text. That’s a good sign. If this review is far from the last word on the book, it is at least more than a first impression. After working through the material, I came away with a fairly clear sense of Guillier’s style. His handlings reveal consistent preferences and tendencies, some of them quite different from my own. I’m not sure I’ll be adding any of the material, as written, to my repertoire. But perhaps that isn’t the only measure of a worthwhile magic book. Guillier has already prompted me to revisit and reassess ideas and effects that had long since migrated to the fringes of my memory—and that, by itself, makes the book worth having.
Richard
I've jammed with Alejandro on many separate occasions on video calls and he has shown me much of the material from this book. They are wonderful! I'm so blown away by his creative and clever thinking every time! I'm glad he has gotten his material out to a wide audience and for me to re-reference them more easily since there's so many great ideas. From moving the heat from one coin to another under the spectator's hand to removing multiple coins out of a pic you took just seconds before, it's jam packed with so many things you'll want to start doing! Not just coins but many clever card routines...some that are very visual and others that are just so well constructed that you audience is left without a clue. Stop waiting. You'll love this. Richard Hucko
Cardivances | Vanishing Inc. Magic