I have always been a tremendous fan of Arthurian myth and legend and based on that alone this deck was a must-have.  However, the imagery is a delight to behold, the symbolism in the cards rich with meaning, and the artwork is gorgeous.  Still one of my favorite decks even after having reviewed well over 400 decks, that says a lot, doesn't it!

Traditional suits have been replaced as follows: Spears in place of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Shields in place of pentacles.  However, the new suit designations are totally within character for the deck, and remain loyal to the meanings of the cards themselves.  I'd like to say that the cards follow Rider-Waite tradition, but they aren't really obvious clones of this old standard.  Instead, they are fresh and inviting, without losing the structure most people will recognize.  Strength is 8 and Justice 11.

Fans of the Arthurian legend will have absolutely no problem understanding the correlation between the myths and the meanings of the cards, and will gain tremendous insight from use of this deck.  Those who are unfamiliar with the legends will likely gain an interest in them from what they learn by using the deck.

At the time I received it, this was only available as a deck-and-book set, however Llewellyn's has released this deck as an individual sale item recently.  The book that comes with the set is, however, invaluable in gaining the necessary insights into the deck and the legend, so I still only recommend the set.

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Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace