"Risen" is a Gospel card effect by Michael Paul. It uses the deck of cards like a storybook in much the same way as Sam the Bellhop. The story takes you through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Unlike some Gospel tricks, this doesn't take an existing magic trick and try to "force" a Gospel message onto it. This trick is custom-designed (and customizable).

This routine is taught in a 5-page PDF file, which I think works well. (I'm not going to debate the relative merits of pdf vs. .exe e-book vs. printed & bound here.) The writing style is easy to understand and easy to follow. I even found it somewhat entertaining. There are two small typos, but nothing atrocious. I've mentioned these to the creator and believe he might be fixing them. Overall, well-done. There are no illustrations or graphics, but none are really needed.

The manuscript teaches the basic, no-frills version of this trick. Anyone with a basic knowledge of sleight-of-hand could handle this, assuming he/she put in enough practice. In fact, there is only one very basic sleight you need to know (it's not taught in the notes), and if you don't know it, an alternative solution is offered. (The alternate solution is not described in much detail, however, and it requires another something extra to create it.) There is also a (common) gaffed card needed, but again an alternative is offered, if you would prefer to use a card from a standard deck. Obviously, the deck (well, about half of the deck) will need to be set up prior to the performance, but if you use this as an opener, use a deck switch, or simply pull it out as a "cold deck", you're fine.

The patter is spelled out in detail, along with which card(s) to display at which point in the story. Overall, the story itself is very good. It actually starts with Jesus' death, jumps back to Jesus' birth, and goes through the Resurrection. At first, this "jump" from the middle to the beginning didn't make much sense, but after playing with it, I think it actually works OK. It becomes more of a "flashback" (Jesus dies. Here's what led up to this. And Jesus has risen!) Might also work well as a closer, if you've talked about Jesus prior to this point, you could use this as a recap of what you've discussed so far.

The comments section at the end describes how this trick could be enhanced with false shuffles and false cuts, but none are named or described. This part is left up to the performer. It would've been nice if some specific ideas were given. (He did mention Bill Malone's "Sam the Bellhop" tape as a good reference for the types of false shuffles and cuts you could use in this trick, though.) It also describes an extra effect that can be done if you perform a deck-switch at the end, but I think the routine works fine without it.

The one thing I was a bit disappointed with was the "torn and restored" segment. Don't expect Garcia's "Torn" or Hollingworth's "Reformation". It's more like a Transpo -- One card is ripped in half. Later, that card is shown whole and the ripped card has turned into a different card altogether. It's not a bad effect at all, and it works well with this particular routine, but when I read "torn and restored" in the description, that's not what came to my mind.

All in all, I think it's a good routine and well worth the cost. I intend to add it to my Gospel show, though I will probably re-work it just a bit to fit my style.

In Summary:

Cons:
Deck setup required
The one sleight you need is not explained (though most everyone probably knows it), and the alternative to the sleight isn't described in much detail
One gaffed card is needed (though a standard card can be substituted)
Story might seem a little confusing
"T&R" label is somewhat misleading

Pros:
Good writing style
Full patter given
Story is very thorough (covers the whole life of Jesus) and entertaining
Easy to perform -- no difficult sleights needed
Alternatives offered to both the sleight and the gaffed card used
Tips on how to expand the effect offered
Routine is flexible
Doesn't fit the "take a trick and force a message onto it" style many Gospel tricks fall into

Is there a link to this
Justin Miller

Not yet ... He's planning on putting a link to this on his website, but it's not up yet. I had to e-mail him and get the PayPal link directly from him.

His contact info can be found on his site: http://www.michaelpaulmagic.com/

The link to the paypal screen is:

http://payloadz.com/go/sip?id=190175

You can find a discription in the good news forum, but the review pretty much covers everything.

Soon, the link will be up on my home page as well.

I have to say that I saw Justin Miller perform this trick this past Friday night and I thought it was a great trick. I gave me goose bumps. Its about time that somebody put together a trick that hit it all the way out of the park! Kudos to the creator! And kudos to THE CREATOR!

Performed this (well, I changed it up just a bit) for my family this weekend. It was a BIG hit! I will definitely be adding it to my Gospel magic show.

Thanks again for putting together a trick like this.

Nice review RickyD.
Can't get Michael Pauls website to work.

Thanks. Did you try the PayPal link? (http://payloadz.com/go/sip?id=190175) May have just been a glitch yesterday or something -- the links are working for me this morning.

I've been looking for something like this for ages. Thanks. My church buddies would love this. Finally something I can relate to them using magic.

Daniel, you can read the discription on the good news forum for the effect, and click the paypal link posted by Ricky if you are interested in purchasing. Thank you all for the very nice comments.

Can you accept paypal Michael Paul?
The only option I saw was asking for a credit card.

Sure I do. The link provided above brings you to the pay pal page. Simply log in and continue from there.

I just got word that this effect may be featured in a lecture at the FCM. If anyone there sees it and likes it (or doesn't like it), please e mail me to let me know. I also have been asked to put this up at lybrary.com and I think I will. Anyone that has had problems with my website will be able to find it over there.

Thanks.