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"Dominatricks" Book and CD Set
by Tyler Wilson
Suggested Retail USD$40.00
Available from Andi Gladwin Productions
In a Blink: 10 Out of 10

When Tyler Wilson contacted me about his book, "Dominatricks", I warned him that, if I saw yet another sandwich plot I'd be moved to a violent force-feeding of the deck to the author, sans mustard and mayonnaise. Such is my feeling about card magic of late: the same-old-same-old, no new plots, no new ideas, and a level of stagnation seldom seen outside of a government office.

Wilson, it turns out, had nothing to worry about when it came to my feelings; Tyler Wilson has released a collection of unbelievably creative, original routines that often breaks the mold of traditional card work.

Let me give you an idea of what rolls around inside Wilson's head and appears on the pages of "Dominatricks".

The first thing that caught my eye was "Scarred Warp". I have always loved Walton's classic, still do, and any variation will get my attention. Wilson's version, with a change in gaff and handling, is gorgeous as now, aside from the customary turning of the card inside-out, now the card is shown to have no middle whatsoever as it turns inside out. This is incredibly slick and found its way straight into my current version of "Card Warp"; to me, this one's worth the price of the book.

"B52 Shooter" was the next thing I got caught up with. Essentially, it's Wilson's revelation to pretty much any Triumph routine (he includes his own handling for the sake of completeness) that adds a visual component to the classic: all the face-up cards begin shooting out of the deck with the exception of a single card which is, of course, the spectator's card.

"Sven Who?" is another of my favorites. Wilson takes a Svengali-deck routine, does it with a regular deck, and adds little touches like the deck changing and the selected card matching a prediction in a slick, surprising way.

Then there's the very weird "coin in bottle" thingy that's almost impossible to describe just because it is so weird; Wilson also has a neat climax for a coins-across plot involving a spectator's ring (think "Ring Flight" colliding with "Coins Across", but without the machinery); and a great location routine with two chosen cards and an indicator that is clever enough I was playing with it as soon as I read it. There's also a sandwich plot, but it's good enough and new enough to keep Wilson's deck unmasticated.

If that's not enough, Wilson has included a CD with the book with a few "added extras": performance videos of some of the routines, print-ready PDF files of some routines, and even the complete book rewritten for left-handed performers. All of that is exceedingly neat and add to the book's already high value.

And this really is a good value. Wilson's stuff is refreshing in its warped, "turned sideways" approach to things. His sense of humor is just as warped and even makes this a damn fun read.

All of that makes this a book to get, enjoy, and perform from. And anymore that's becoming just as twisted as Tyler Wilson's thinking.

"Dominatricks" Book and CD Set by Tyler Wilson
In A Blink: 10 Out of 10

Material: 10
Most of the book is card work, although there are a couple of coin pieces, and sleights are needed but nothing overly complex and most very routine. The material itself is very creative, very inventive, and worth every penny.

Quality: 10
Wilson's writing style is perfect; it's clear, it's engaging, and it's entertaining. No problems learning anything here, and more than enough groans and chuckles to keep it all interesting.

Illustrations: 10
Lots of black-and-white photos, all very well placed. They go a long way toward aiding with learning these pieces.

Presentation: 10
A homerun for Wilson, the presentations are lively and engaging and entertaining. His work with visuals and spectator involvement move some of these routines off the scale.

Originality: 10
Tyler Wilson is an original, that's for sure. A visual "Triumph"? Added visuals to "Card Warp"? The weirdest "coin-in-bottle" you're likely to see? That's original, and that's refreshing.

Shane