Magic Books To Help You Level Up

Right, so you've mastered the basics. You can do a decent double lift, you've nailed a few forces, maybe you've even got a false shuffle or two under your belt. Good. Now it's time to stop being a beginner and start becoming a proper magician.

Here's the thing about intermediate magic: this is where you stop learning tricks and start learning magic. You're not just collecting moves anymore—you're building a repertoire, developing your own style, and figuring out what kind of magician you actually want to be.

We've got books and resources that'll take you from "pretty decent" to "bloody hell, how did you do that?" And the best part? You're ready for this stuff. You've put in the groundwork. Now let's build something spectacular on top of it.

John Bannon: The Thinking Magician's Magician

If you're not already familiar with John Bannon, prepare to have your mind bent. This man is a master of psychological card magic, streamlined methods, and effects that look impossibly difficult but are often shockingly simple.

Move Zero Series (Volumes 1-4)

Yes, we mentioned some Bannon in the beginners' guide, but here's the thing: Move Zero isn't just for beginners. These four volumes contain self-working material that's so cleverly constructed, it'll fool magicians who've been performing for decades. Nearly ten hours of material across 36 tricks, with 23 essential techniques thrown in.

The entire boxset is available at a massive discount, and it's considered one of the most essential collections of card magic released in decades. You're learning more than tricks here—you're learning how to think like Bannon. How to layer methods. How to construct bulletproof magic that decimates audiences without requiring knuckle-busting sleights.

Individual volumes also available: Vol 1, Vol 2, Vol 3, Vol 4

Bullets After Dark (2 Volume Set)

Bullets After Dark is where Bannon shows you both sides of his genius: devastating self-workers and beautifully constructed sleight-of-hand routines. Featuring brand new material plus the cream of the crop from his best-selling book Dear Mr. Fantasy, this three-hour masterclass will change how you think about card magic.

Effects like "Dead Reckoning" (she mentally spells to her card—impossible), "Dawn Patrol" (stupidly fast and clean), and "Power of Poker" (a self-working poker demo gone mental) will have you rethinking what's possible.

Bullet Party (2 Volume Set)

Bullet Party is an absolute monster of a release. You get two "fractal" packet tricks (high-impact tricks that end completely clean and examinable) plus thirteen more jaw-dropping routines. The title trick, "Bullet Party," is one of the best packet tricks ever created—an Ace and three Jokers that transform multiple times with written messages appearing on the cards. Everything is examinable. Nothing to find. Pure magic.

"Mega 'Wave" is the other headliner—a banded packet coincidence that'll leave people speechless. With just a couple of easy moves, you'll have miracles you perform every single time you do magic.

There's also a Bullet Party Book available at a crazy price if you prefer learning from print.

Fire When Ready

Fire When Ready is the third installment of Bannon's Bullet trilogy and continues the tradition of clever, commercial, and devastatingly effective card magic. Over 120 minutes of incredible material including "Proxy Shock," "Rock The 'Voque," "Mundo," and John's go-to opener "Line of Sight."

If you can get your hands on the complete Bullet Trilogy bundle (all three releases with 38 of his best effects), you're set for life.

Triabolical

Triabolical by John Bannon and Liam Montier is a beautiful softbound book that's recently come back into stock. It includes gaff cards and teaches packet tricks—small, self-contained miracles using just a handful of cards. At £14.99, it's currently on sale and represents fantastic value.

Packet tricks are brilliant for beginners because they're self-contained (you don't need a full deck), they reset quickly, and they pack massive impact. Bannon is the undisputed king of packet tricks, and learning from him is like getting a masterclass from the best.

John Carey: The Practical Innovator

John Carey has become one of the UK's top creators of close-up magic, and his books are renowned for being streamlined, practical, and thoroughly doable. No pipe dreams here—just strong, workable magic.

Carey's Way

Carey's Way is a gorgeous 186-page hardback packed with amazing, doable miracles covering cards, coins, mentalism, and mental magic. John's reputation is built on creating effects that work in the real world, and this book delivers exactly that. You can even download a free sampler to get a taste of what's inside.

Reflections

Reflections is the 196-page follow-up to Carey's Way, featuring even more practical material. Covering cards, coins, mentalism, and sponge balls, it includes over 80 different effects, utility methods, new forces, controls, and shifts. His approach is all about streamlining—taking powerful effects and making them accessible without sacrificing impact.

The book also includes a special 35+ minute video chapter on taming Dai Vernon's notorious "Trick that Can't Be Explained."

Myriad

Myriad is another beautiful hardback collector's tome from Carey, packed to the brim with powerful and practical material you'll love learning and using.

The Very Best of John Carey (eBook)

If you want the ultimate Carey collection, The Very Best of John Carey is it. A massive 356-page eBook gathering together the best material from seven of his books, plus over 12 hours of video instruction (accessed via QR codes). Over 180 routines covering card tricks, coin magic, and mentalism.

It includes material from Crafted With Carey, Minimalistica, The Carey Files, Carey's Way, Me My Cards & I, Reflections, and Myriad. It also features two full Alakazam Academy sessions on equivoque and sandwich tricks, a complete workshop on coins, foundation techniques, and John's "Super Session" lecture. This is a lifetime of learning in one eBook.

John Carey & Friends (Volumes 1 & 2)

John Carey & Friends and Volume 2 are limited-edition hardbacks featuring contributions from John and a selection of top creators. Volume 2 is a massive 500-page behemoth filled with killer magic. Beautiful collector's editions that tend to sell out fast, so if you see them available, don't hesitate.

Other John Carey Gems

• Sweet Simplicity - Ten self-working or super easy card tricks that slay audiences
• Impossible Location Card Tricks - Ten of the strongest impossible location routines imaginable
• Dice, Dice Baby - Ten super clean mysteries with dice
• No Cards, No Problem - Impromptu magic with everyday objects
• Quadro - Fourteen different four-ace production techniques

Liam Montier: The Complete Card Educator

Liam Montier's Essential Learn Card Magic Boxset is the product we're most proud of here at Big Blind Media. Eight DVDs with over 16 hours of material, starting with self-working tricks and building all the way up to advanced sleight of hand.

This isn't just a collection of tricks—it's a structured course that teaches you:

• The False Shuffles & Cuts Project (33 techniques)
• The Double Lift Project (14 variations)
• The Forces Project (24 forcing techniques)
• The Controls Project (26 control techniques)
• The Elmsley Count Project (plus 8 powerful routines)
• Ultimate Impromptu Magic (14 exceptional routines)

Each disc includes world-class routines so you can practice your newly mastered skills and wow audiences as you learn. Liam's teaching is clear, concise, and gives you true insight into the best ways to tackle each sleight. You're not just learning moves—you're learning how to practice, which variations to use in different situations, and how to make your magic look smooth and effortless.

If you're serious about card magic, this boxset is essential. There's also a Learn Sleights BoxSet available if you want to focus specifically on technique.

Advanced Technique: The Big Guns

Explorations by Biz

Explorations is not a beginner book. The subtitle says it all: "The Worst Magic Book for a Beginner." This gorgeous 100-page softcover brings together 30 of Biz's most famous and polished sleights from his years in the underground magic scene.

Biz will show you how automatic palms can make your routines flow better, how learning challenging sleights improves your card handling, and why everyone is wrong about practicing magic. It features over 100 hand-drawn illustrations, QR codes with performances, puzzles, hidden collaborations, and secret rooms. Plus, you get 10-year access to the "explorations folder" with yearly updates.

This is for magicians who want to push their technical abilities and explore out-of-the-box thinking. It's challenging, it's innovative, and it's absolutely brilliant. Only 200 copies available, making it a true collector's item.

George McBride's McMiracles with Cards

George McBride's McMiracles with Cards showcases Scotland's George McBride, widely known in the underground magic community as a card handler of superlative skill. A contemporary of Roy Walton, Gordon Bruce, Jerry Sadowitz, and Peter Duffie, he's a master technician renowned for ingenious trick construction.

Over 2 hours of material featuring 17 routines structured into 4 sets. The material ranges from incredibly easy to do right through to "that's something I want to do when I grow up." The wealth of knowledge here is breathtaking: technique, construction, overlapping method, awe-inspiring sleights.

You'll learn moves like second dealing, the push-off double deal, multiple palming, gamblers cop, the Twist Shift, multiple coin vanishes, and loads more. This isn't just routines—it's a masterclass in sleight of hand, misdirection, and audience management.

The Glasgow File by George McBride

The Glasgow File is a beautiful limited-edition hardback featuring 40 routines and represents the definitive collection of everything George developed and refined over a decade of obsessive work. Avoiding overly complex structures, these tricks are honed into laser-focused, streamlined masterpieces.

Modular Card Magic by Tobias Hudson

Modular Card Magic is Toby Hudson's first book—a veritable brain dump of effects spanning nearly 300 pages with video tutorials for the more technically demanding material. It includes over 30 tricks, ideas, moves, and schemes ranging from commercially viable set pieces to late-night magician foolers.

Some are easy, some are hard, some are self-working, and others are mathematical. If you love strange ideas, intricate sleights, and weird principles, this book has something for everyone. It also includes three essays on card magic performance, full instruction on the Full Cover Dribble Pass and the Automatic Card Shift, plus THE VAULT—over fifteen quick effects and methodological ideas.

The book embraces a modular philosophy: magic should be pieces of a puzzle that slot together depending on your performance style and context.

Cameron Francis: Commercial Magic That Works

Cameron's 7000km Lecture Notes is a 24-page book containing ten of his best routines, originally sold exclusively at Blackpool Magic Convention. Multiple self-working effects sit alongside clever sleight-of-hand material—all about easy-to-do, super commercial magic.

Highlights include "This is the Ace" (a self-working four-Ace production that happens in the spectator's hands) and "Free Spell" (a completely self-working card location that's utterly fooling). His style is off-beat, quirky, and thoroughly modern.

Why Intermediate Magic Matters

Here's what changes at the intermediate level: you stop collecting tricks and start building sets. You develop your character. You figure out your performing style. You learn to adapt material to fit you, not just perform it exactly as written.

The books and resources at this level give you:

• Technical foundation: The moves you need to perform professional-level magic
• Construction knowledge: Understanding why tricks work, not just how
• Repertoire building: Finding material that fits your style and audience
• Creative thinking: Learning to adapt, modify, and create your own effects

Start Building Your Intermediate Library

You don't need to buy everything at once. Here's how to approach it:

If you want to master technique: Grab Liam Montier's Essential Boxset or George McBride's McMiracles.

If you want cleverly constructed material: John Bannon's Bullet series or Move Zero.

If you want practical, doable miracles: John Carey's books.

If you want to push your technical boundaries: Biz's Explorations or Tobias Hudson's Modular Card Magic.

If you want commercial workers: Cameron Francis's 7000km or John Carey's material.

The intermediate stage is where magic gets really exciting. You're no longer learning the alphabet—you're learning to write poetry. These books will give you the vocabulary, the grammar, and the inspiration to create magic that's uniquely yours.

So pick a book, dig in, and get ready to level up. Your audience won't know what hit them.