Your Easy-Going Starter Pack
Getting into magic can feel a bit daunting, but this little set of six books is a nice, low-pressure way to ease in without drowning in technique. Think of it more as hanging out with a deck and some solid ideas than signing up for an exam.
1. The Royal Road to Card Magic
This is the old-school classic that a lot of people start with. It teaches you one move at a time and then gives you a trick that actually uses it, so you're not just learning stuff in isolation. The writing feels vintage and sometimes a bit dry, but the step-by-step approach means you'll start putting together little card routines before you realise how much you've actually picked up.
If you're not in the mood for sleight-of-hand yet—or you just want strong-looking tricks that don't need fancy moves—this is a great place to live for a while. Everything here is "self-working," meaning the method does most of the work, but Giobbi still talks about presentation, misdirection, and pacing. So even as you're learning simple handling, your performances already start to feel a bit more like magic and less like puzzles.
Once you've got a few basics under your belt, this volume steps in with a more complete grounding. It walks you through proper grips, basic controls, and simple sleights like the classic force. The illustrations are clear and the explanations are straightforward, so it's easy to sit down, practice a bit, and actually see progress without getting lost.
Picking up where Volume 1 leaves off, this one adds lifts, false cuts, and a few introductory palms. Instead of treating each move like a standalone trick, it shows you how to combine them into small sequences. Before long you're starting to build little routines that actually have the capacity to fool people, not just entertain yourself in front of a mirror.
Here the book nudges up the challenge a notch with sleights like the classic palm and the top change, plus routines that force you to string moves together smoothly. It still feels friendly, but it does start to assume you're comfortable with the basics. If you've worked through the first two volumes, this one feels like a natural next step rather than a jump into the deep end.
By the time you reach this volume, you're no longer "just learning." It's packed with more advanced routines and deeper dives into technique, so it works well as the place where things start to feel like a proper toolkit. You'll still be learning, obviously, but you'll also start to feel like you actually know what you're doing with a deck.
The easiest way in is to start with something gentle—maybe The Royal Road or Card College Light—and then move through the Card College volumes at whatever pace feels comfortable. You don't need to rush; you just need to keep playing. Given a bit of time and some relaxed practice, you'll find yourself with a handful of card routines you can pull out whenever you feel like quietly wowing someone.
If any of these sound useful, we've got them all at monstermagic.co.uk. No pressure though—just thought I'd mention it.