"Immortality" ebook by Tim Hendry
Suggested Retail USD$9.95
Available from 2DeeMagic
In a Blink: 3 Out of 10

This is a review for Tim Hendry's new trick, Immortality. Or maybe Immortal. I'm not quite sure, the name swaps back and forth throughout the manuscript. What I do know, though, is that it's the latest eBook release from 2DeeMAGiC, and details a pencil-through-card trick that boasts borrowed and examinable props.

The effect is that a card is selected, signed, and folded in half. The tip of a pencil is then inserted into the fold and shoved right through the card. This penetration can be shown from all sides before the pencil is pulled out. With a snap of the fingers, the card is fully restored and can be examined; along with the pencil if desired.

It sounds nice, and in fact it looks nice too. But it also looked nice when Peter Eggink used nearly the identical method (albeit using a bill instead of a card) in his A.E. 2.0. What's surprising is that Mr. Hendry makes note of this in the manuscript. I'm not sure why he would bring this product to the market if he knew of Mr. Eggink's routine. Substituting a card for a bill is hardly worthy of republishing in this case.

Okay, so let's assume you've already bought A.E. 2.0 and are still interested in purchasing this product to see what could happen if a card is used instead of the bill.

Mr. Hendry writes as though he really wants you to learn the trick, however the eBook betrays this in almost every way. It is riddled with spelling and grammatical errors, and is quite frankly laid out as though it was a last-minute Microsoft Word homework assignment. I'm not trying to be harsh and I'm certainly not expecting everyone to be a desktop publishing expert (I, myself, am absolutely atrocious at it), but the appearance of effort would at least be a nice start.

Regarding the manuscript, Mr. Hendry states, "This document has all of your information that is need [sic] for the gimmick construction and presentation." It is true that the gimmick construction is very well detailed, however there is no presentation anywhere in sight. Not a single word. None. This is unfortunate because there are several moments during the trick where Mr. Hendry mentions that misdirection is required. I'm not sure if he believes misdirection is a demon incantation that one can call up anytime they wish, but I have found it's something that needs to be built into the routine's core structure. Without a detailed presentation, there is no way to know how Mr. Hendry procures this misdirection in performance.

This is Mr. Hendry's first entrance into the world of publishing, so I hope he is not discouraged from sharing his magic; I just I wish there was more thought put into this project: more thought into how to teach it, more thought into how to produce it, and most importantly more thought into whether to bring it to the market in the first place. One of the spellings given for the trick is "Immorrality [sic]" which is actually much closer to being the appropriate title.

"Immortality" ebook by Tim Hendry
In a Blink: 3 Out of 10

Material: 7
The trick itself is a fine piece of magic, it's just not Mr. Hendry's. He
even acknowledges that it's Peter Eggink's method.

Quality: 2
The eBook appears to be slapped together with poor spelling and design. Oh
sorry, "It wasn't slapped; it fell down the stairs."

Illustrations: 7
While the photos are uber-homebrew, there are plenty of them that truly do
help the learning experience.

Presentation: 0
There is a complete presentation given for mimes. Everyone else is hooped
though.


Tyler Wilson