Item - Magic Master

This is one of my favorite non-science fiction related CYOA titles. Once again Edward Packard writes a really great entertaining story.

You are a fan of the Great Bonza, also known as the Magic Master, as he has performed all over the world. He moves to your hometown and puts on a show, and you and your friend Jeff decide to go to his home and ask him about the secrets of his magic skills. One path has you spy on Bonza and enter his house without his permission, but I decided against that option and went to see Bonza directly. He is very friendly and cordial.

Unfortunatly, to complicate the story, a local organization called the Concerned Citizens Group is upset at The Magic Master and his tricks. They feel that he is a negative influence on the community's youth. Now, to this I thought, there are many other things that are really harmful to society to be worried about, other than just a family-friendly magician. But that's me!

Anyway, you and Jeff are invited into Bonza's home, and he asks to to explain a trick he performs. If you guess correctly, he makes you his assistant! And you then go on to learn many tricks that Bonza has at his disposal.

I really did enjoy this book. There was only one really negative ending (you drown) but other than that, the story is upbeat. I still can't believe that the C.C.G. actually think that the Great Bonza is a bad influence, but I suppose that the main character needed some kind of villain to be at odds with.

Also, if you are a fan of both the legendary late Harry Houdini and the late Harry Blackstone (who also inspired a gamebook series), this story will be even more enjoyable. I recommend it!

More reviews by drereichdude

Magic Master is another respectable entry in the series. The story arcs herein are well-developed (14 endings in the book) and nearly all of them culminate in satisfying conclusions. The gamut of the story arcs will run you across The Great Bonza’s booby-trapped house, burglars, legal proceedings, and becoming Bonza’s apprentice. Notice that Edward Packard’s earlier books in the series frequently had 30+ endings and the stories contained therein often felt rushed. Packard clearly refined his story-development technique for the Choose Your Own Adventure format as the series progressed.

The two main story branches that spawn all other eventualities in this book have to do with you either forthrightly or illicitly gaining entrance into Bonza’s home. My favorite narrative arc involved the litigation scene. You undergo cross-examination by the Concerned Citizens’ Group’s (a group determined to have Bonza leave town) by their lawyer, Wilson Stafford, Esq. The line of questioning was suspenseful and Stafford cleverly implants a psychological device in the Jury’s collective mind. Bonza’s lawyer, Kramer, Esq., then combats Stafford’s rhetoric with logic and calm reason. With this one Packard was clearly leveraging his skills as a former lawyer to write compelling and, unironically, unrealistic teenage fiction.

I also particularly liked on pg. 116 Bonza’s elucidation of the fundamental premise that underpins all magic tricks: sleight of hand. I was going to rate Magic Master 7.5 but then decided to slightly raise the ante after considering Frank Bolle’s lovely illustrations and Packard’s superior writing style.

Rating: 8.0/10.0

More reviews by tonylachief