No pain, no gain by Adrian Vega & Gonzalo Albiñana

NO PAIN NO GAIN
Card magic you feel. Card magic you never forget.
From the incendiary imagination of Gonzalo Albiñana, in collaboration with Adrián Vega, they present a concept of sensorial, emotional, and unforgettable card magic. By taking an old plot, redesigning and reimagining it, they have created an astonishing project.

In its most straightforward version: a deck of cards suddenly catches fire in the magician's hands, and, as if the fire had left its mark, blisters begin to appear on the magician's skin, in the exact shape of a freely chosen card.
Yes. A freely chosen card.

"No Pain, No Gain" isn't just a routine; it's an experience that touches the spectator's heart. Pure excitement, with simple yet powerful tools, just as great card magic should be. It includes all the necessary materials (a new gimmick for hiding in plain sight and various props), a complete tutorial, and additional ideas.

Some of the routines and ideas included are:
- The Blisters: A pair of blisters appear on each thumb, due to heat or any other imaginable cause, predicting the shape and value of the freely named cards.
- Chicago Blister:  In an easy-to-master, yet powerful, multi-phase routine, freely named and selected cards will appear burned into the blisters or on the backs of the cards.
- The Card Trick Without Cards: The magician shows his cell phone and offers to perform a card trick without using cards, because modern times require modern solutions. Through a series of pranks and photos on his phone, he freely selects a card, but everything goes awry and turns into an irresistible surprise at the end.
- The Matchbox: A multiple selection of freely named cards appears in blisters in your hands, then inside a matchbox or in the flames of mystery.
- The Notepad: The magician or mentalist correctly predicts any card or thought, but when the paper catches fire, impossible blisters appear, creating once again, the impossible.

Most don't even require a real deck, but they create all the beauty and impact of the best card magic. Gonzalo and Adrián's tutorial explains many more variations, tricks, and ideas, as well as commentary on the contributions of magicians who have already worked on blistering effects, such as Tim Trono, Callen Morelli, Jason Paltern, Gustavo Sereno, and many more.