I recently recieved an ebook of this effect and have been practicing with an old deck. Before I get to the meat and potatoes of the review, let me first get a couple quick thoughts out of the way.
First of all, fire is inherently dramatic. While I certainly don't recommend it for everyone, nor would I try to create an entire show based on fire, it can be used to add an element of danger and the unpredictable to a routine and spice things up a bit. Torched and restored effects provide an interesting variant on the basic T&R plot, and one which I actually prefer.
Also, it has occurred to me that card effects can get a little dull very quickly. Reading through some manuals on card magic is like trying to slog my way through a spreadsheet charting the rate at which a pot of water boils while Ben Stein stands behind me and drones on about economics. Card magic really needs a lot more personality injected into it, and unfortunately teaching that can be a bit of a challenge.
All that said, Cinders provides a clever little method that can be performed impromptu and with a borrowed deck, though generally you'll want to have the time to perform the quick set-up necessary.
Yes, there is a set-up, which tends to defeat the purpose of impromptu, but I count it as such anyway because it can be done on the fly. It just requires some clever scripting and misdirection on your part. Getting it ready might be a little knacky for some people at first, so the set-up situation really is ideal.
Dee says this can be done with a borrowed deck, and technically he is correct. However I wouldn't do this myself as the process of clean-up, no matter how well it slips unnoticed may bring up... certain questions later. If you think you can manage yourself enough that this will never be an issue (and certainly that is very possible), disregard this whole paragraph. It's merely a matter of personal taste.
The only real disadvantage to Cinders is that it's not angle-proof. Angles are going to be a problem, especially if you're feeling paranoid about singing your fingers. Not that I can say I blame you, as burn wounds stick out in my mind as one of the most singularly unpleasant injuries of all. But the fact remains that you probably will have to practice in front of a mirror or camera for a while to learn how to avoid flashing. It's true that angles tend to be a problem with most restoration effects, but this effect presents its own unique challenges.
Mechanics out of the way, the effect does play very smoothly. Unlike many other effects involving flash paper, Cinders doesn't go for the big surprise, but rather a slow build-up and revelation. To do the effect justice you really need to be patient and let the anticipation do its job.
If you just burned the card for a few seconds, waved your hand, and restored it, the whole thing would look cool but it would also be a let-down because people need time to absorb everything.
However if you slowly let the card enough to leave an obvious scorched chunk taken out of it, and very slowly restore it, there's more drama.
In summary, if you're looking for something a little off-beat and even a little dangerous, check it out. It's a nice little conclusion for a small performance and its different enough from what most people expect to leave a big impact.
If on the other hand you want something to just show off, don't talk to me.
