Confident Deceptions is our latest hardcover release-240 pages, over 150 full-color photographs, with dustjacket. It is the stunning debut effort from Jason Ladanye, one of Darwin Ortiz's star protégés. The material is a mixture of magic and gambling demonstrations, and in each of the eighteen routines, Ladanye demonstrates his ability to maximize the impact of an effect. Some of the effects are quite challenging, but each one looks absolutely impossible.
Ladanye studied under Darwin Ortiz (who provides a praiseworthy introduction to these pages), and Ortiz's impact is evident in the offbeat nature of the plots and the clarity of the magic.
You will learn finesse points on moves you already know, as well as polished material ready to be inserted into your own card programs. In the magic marketplace it no longer makes financial sense to spend two years producing a comprehensive hardcover book. It's a good thing we don't care about that! This is a beautiful book worthy of careful study and the book was written with the same care and precision that goes into all the great works of magic.
To really understand a performer you need to see him perform for a live audience and therefore, we have included a 20-minute performance DVD featuring some of the highlights from the book.
"A master of artifice, ruse, and subterfuge at the card table. Within these pages is offered up some of the finest constructions I've seen, masterfully routined for maximum impact and pure entertainment in the tradition of Darwin Ortiz and beyond." -Jack Carpenter
"A superb technician, the very definition of a professional performer... this material will absolutely delight connoisseurs of strong magic." -Andrew Wimhurst
"A cardician whose passion for the subject is second only to the uninhibited skill he has worked hard to achieve. He brings a refreshing perspective to the subject. His material and virtuosity sparkles with raw power and energy." -Michael Vincent
15 reviews for Confident Deceptions
Tom Duffy5out of 5
I occasionally have a nightmare involving having to sell off magic books for cash. In the dream, there are always the same handful of authors whose books I would hold onto no matter what: Ortiz, Swain, Elmsley, Dingle, Wonder.
Now, I`ve had to add another name to that list: Ladanye.
This books is just an incredible piece of work, a pleasure to read (as well as watch the DVD included), and has effects in it that will literally make your audience scream in amazement.
Jason knows what real card magic should be, down to the smallest details, and doesn`t try to come up with "magician foolers" (although a number of these will fool those in the know). He creates solid, well thought out, and intriguing material that is extremely commercial and will have the audience convinced that you can do the impossible. These effects leave them with no other choice but to come to that conclusion.
So thanks Jason and Vanishing Inc. This is going on the same shelf with the other books that I would risk my life to save in a fire.
TD
Will Dryer5out of 5
I have just completed my first read-through of Jason`s book. It`s pretty much all I`ve been doing since it arrived the other day. This kid (I say kid because I`m twice his age) is absolutely brilliant. He gets it, and the material is staggering. These routines are lengthy, but they are also smart, and keep the audience focused on the magic.
Matthew Pritchard5out of 5
Fantastic! THis book is gorgeous. Beautiful layout, nice descriptions, and terrific material. I had not heard of Mr Ladanye before but I can tell you I am a fan now. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes good magic and gambling material.
Peter Anderson5out of 5
Thank you Vanishing Inc for putting out beautiful, stunning books! The Ladanye book is the best release of the year in my opinion. Keep `em coming!
Neil Woodward5out of 5
LOVED the book. Pick it up right away. Worth every penny. Will you make DVDs of his work?
Terry Morgan5out of 5
I am currently reading this book and it is one of the best written and illustrated books in my (extensive library). The well written explanatory text is accompanied by beautiful color photographs. The effects (Magic and Gambling) are outstanding. Difficulty of the effects ranges from easy to difficult. But there is nothing in the book that cannot be learned with practice and dedication. One of the easier effects in the book "Forging Ahead` is easily worth the price of the entire volume to a working Magician. The book comes with a DVD with performances of many of the effects in the book. There are no pipe dreams in this book only strong entertaining Card Magic.
Samuel Reynolds5out of 5
Jason`s recent release; Confident Deceptions, is one of the best books I have ever read (not just for cards, but magic in general).
My favorite effects from the book are "The Player" and "Forging Ahead" and I cannot wait to add them to my repertoire. Saying that, this is the only magic book I`ve read where I would be willing to perform every effect in its pages.
Like a lot of magical literature, Jason states the scripts he uses for each effect. However, what`s been written is far from the norm – It isn`t the boiler plate patter that no audience is interested in. This is engaging, meaningful and "strong." As far as I am concerned, Jason`s scripts should not to be copied. Instead, like the technical descriptions they are to be used as a reference tool. After you read the wording, you begin to understand how and when convincers, descriptive patter and story based lines should be used. I fear this is something a lot of people will overlook.
I am overly critical of most things in magic, yet I`m struggling to find flaws in Jason`s work. The effects are strong, the descriptions are clear and I enjoyed the content so much that I finished the book in one day.
In conclusion, I believe that any upcoming publications have a lot to live up to.
Thomas Wayne5out of 5
I`ve been studying confident deceptions ever since It first arrived at my doorstep and I`ve just finished my second reading of the book and I thought it would be great to write a review on what I think about the extraordinary card magic of Jason Ladanye.
I`ve been speaking to Jason for quite some time now and we`ve had many great conversations about magic, probably because we are both students of the work of Mr. Darwin Ortiz. So when I found out Jason was about to put out a book I was really excited to finally see his own magic being put into the printed word.
Confident Deceptions is a rarity, every single effect in there (and I really mean every single one of them) is exquisitely designed to maximize audience impact. Jason`s got a kind of sixth sense for strong magic (something that Mr. Ortiz warns us about during the introduction of the book) and It really shines in every single presentation as well as in every method.
The book has a similar structure to any of the Ortiz titles in the sense that each effect is broken into several different subtitles in order to organize all of the information regarding said effect. You first find the title followed by a little quote that relates to the contents being discussed (Being an amateur writer myself, I was surprised to find several Robert Mckee references) then you`ve got the method, followed by a comments section and the credits and inspiration. Jason has been wise to actually include his script for every effect, something that Darwin Ortiz has occasionally done in some of the effects from his book "Scams And Fantasies with Cards" (2002).
The comments section is where the deviousness of Jason`s thinking is fully displayed and therefor appreciated by the connoisseur of strong magic. As a matter of fact, something that happens to me when reading any of the Ortiz books is that sometimes I may come up with an alternative method while reading the effect, only to find out that Darwin had already thought of it and discarded it for something that I had not thought of. I was delighted when the same thing happened with many of Jason`s effects from Confident Deceptions.
If asked to name a few of my favorites I would have to go for Through and Through, which is an excellent solution to a problem that Darwin Ortiz originated in his book Strong magic (1994). The method, once again is extremely clever and well-constructed.
However, my absolute favorite effect from there is Best for Last, an effect in which the magician demonstrates that he can cut to any poker hand called for, In fact he ends up cutting to each one of the hands from lowest to highest.
I could go on and on listing the effects that I like the most because in fact I love them all.. Jason`s magic takes the Ortiz philosophy and breathes new air into them, or better said, it injects it with steroids.
Jason Ladanye is an individual who is talented, creative and clever, but most importantly He`s extremely humble and generous, that combination tells you that He`s is set for greatness.
Vincenzo Spinelli5out of 5
Great book with great effects and gambling demonstrations from a very talented mind in magic. This one is for sure within the 5 books ever written in magic. Thats my honest opinion. Hope there will be more from Jason, the magic community needs more of this stuff!!!!
Claudio Di Caprio5out of 5
Did you know that Magic has the most vast bibliography of all subject?well, you can imagine,in this vast number of tricks,effects, how difficult it`s to find something original.Our biggest limit?Our immagination!! "Confident Deception" the very first book of this "new entry" within the BIG names of card magic,Jason Ladanye,in my modest opinion, is a clear example of pure magic and a succesful attempt to find originality!the different effects and subterfuge explained in the 240 pages of this book ( i particulary loved arcane control for the audience reaction) left me positivly surprised and added some of this to my routines! the explantion of some techniques, the style in wich the book is written , the detailed explanation of the pattern and in the comments, the pics and, as i started earlier,the Originality make this a masterpiece that i from my experience highly recommend!! enjoy!
Jerry Danes5out of 5
I do not like this book….I love it. If you, like me are a fan of Darwin Ortiz`s material you will also become a fan of Jasons book. Please do yourself a favor and study it but make sure you master all of the various sleights that is required for the effects because otherwise you will not make the book justice. If you are a serious cardmagician you should purchase this. But i have to admit that i wish that no one buys it or any of Ortizes books or dvds simply because i want to be the only one except Jason and Darwin who can perform it as good as them.
Jerry Danes Stockholm
Ed Kwon5out of 5
Just finished reading Jason Ladanye`s [Confident Deceptions].
I must say that I am fully satisfied with my investment.
Not only does the book contain many powerful effects that are safe to be regarded as "self working effects", it also offers some technically challenging gambling routines that I am sure to work on.
Although [Confident Deceptions] is Jason`s first officially publicized work, the professionalism and the attention to minute details impressed me.
I was also pleased that Jason replied to my questions regarding on the materials both from the book and elsewhere. He was very sincere and supportive.
If you`re a passionate cardman, I cannot recommend this book enough. Yes, the book is not intended for beginners. It assumes that the reader is an already informed card magician with sufficient amount of prerequisite skill. This, however, doesn`t mean that you shouldn`t read it. The book [Confident Deceptions] will serve very well as an academic reference, if not a paradigm for sophisticated card work.
I am already eager to include some of the effects in my next performance. Quite frankly, it`s been a while since I`ve employed a new material in my professional repertoire since I studied Darwin Ortiz`s effects. (Which was quite some time ago, in case you don`t realize) It is safe to say that I am reluctant to performing anything that is less than excellent. The contents in the book is that good.
-Ed Kwon, Seoul, South Korea 24/Sep/2014
Ken Brown5out of 5
The book was great many great tricks in there some are very difficult but totally worth the practice you should definitely get this book great product
John5out of 5
If you like the material of Darwin Ortiz or Michael Vincent, then you will really like this. Although some of the material is difficult and requires advanced card skills, much of it is of an intermediate skill level. There is some really great thinking behind these effects. I particularly like the clean up that occurs in The Ultimate Exchange. Using the In-Transit theory and an offbeat moment, he manages to end clean. Did I mention that the magic is STRONG? I noticed immediately that his delivery and vocal mannerisms were exactly like Darwin Ortiz. This is not a criticism. We all adopt vocal mannerisms from the people around us, especially our parents, teachers and friends. Darwin Ortiz has been his tutor for 11 years, so this should not be a surprise. I only mention it because it jumped out at me immediately. Besides, Ortiz is one of the greats. His style fits this type of magic. Please don`t ignore this book because you haven`t heard of his name before. If you are a card guy, You should have this. If you enjoy outstanding thinking behind the methods, and strong magic, you will want this. Lastly, a DVD is included with the book containing 5 performances. The looks of absolute amazement on the spectators is testimony to the strength of these effects. There are moments when their reactions reveal the power of the material. The spectators are not only dumbfounded, there is almost a look of fear in their eyes. Reality has just been compromised!"
Paul A. Lelekis5out of 5
"Jason Ladanye is a student of Darwin Ortiz of over 11 years and his skill, patter, and smooth execution are very apparent in this big 239 page hardbound book and accompanying DVD in his debut presentation.
Ladanye`s book presents 18 routines with a DVD providing a sample of five of Jason`s routines, performed for a live audience, mixing some terrific magic with some awesome gambling routines that display his excellent, smooth skills with the paste-boards as well as his entertaining patter. He is quite polished for his age.
There are many effects that require a little bit of set-up, and some with a full deck set-up – but the outcomes are more than substantial! The range of included effects is quite large and can be performed in a number of venues.
I think that the student of card magic, all the way to the performing professional, will all find many nice items to choose from in this book and he or she will learn many nice sleights, misdirections, and subtleties that one can apply to his or her own routines. This book and DVD also provides the reader with "spectator control" that is so important.
Forging Ahead is a very nice effect for close-up performance or even table-hopping. Jason uses a very well-known artifice of magic and applies it in an ingenious way that will leave the spectators` mouths wide open – and it`s easy to do! Best For Last is a masterpiece of gambling entertainment. The revelations keep mounting and mounting to the point where it just doesn`t seem possible! This one will require considerable practice to master…but it is well worth it!
Darwin Ortiz`s influence is apparent in Jason`s patter and presentations, but he has managed to create his own persona and will become a future master in his genre, I am quite sure. He has obviously worked very hard to produce very smoothly flowing patter, excellent "chops" and he includes his spectators nicely within his presentations.
Jason has much to offer students of performance and sets a very nice example in this excellent debut! I have a feeling that you are going to be seeing a lot more of this proficient young man! He is THAT good!
Highly Recommended!" -Paul A. Lelekis Linking Ring Magazine 3/3/2015
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