This deck-and-book set is one of the most attractively packaged tarot sets I have found in a long time.  It clearly makes a thoughtful and lovely gift for someone who is interested in tarot.  It is geared towards readings involving emotional questions, especially regarding those of relationships, romance, and true love.

Packaged in a double-sided slipcased sleeve which ties closed with a ribbon (and it's sturdier than it sounds), the Lovers' Tarot comes with a decently sized hard bound book and 22 Major Arcana cards.  The cards themselves are the largest tarot cards I have ever seen.  I had to scan each card individually and put them together on an html page for viewing, and I have a full-size flatbed scanner.  The card size is about five inches by 9 inches.

The cards' design is that of a collage of paintings of the Masters, with a very Victorian feel to them.  The collage work is perfectly done, and the concepts behind each card show consistency and thoughtfulness in combining the elements in each card.  The size of the cards proves a more than adequate showcase for the quality of the artwork.

All the Major Arcana cards bear traditional titling and order.  The cards are not difficult to shuffle due to the small quantity of them.  Obviously, a different method of shuffling must be used, other than the typical casino shuffle.  Since there are no Minor Arcana, suits and court cards are not applicable here.

The book itself is a lovely work with full-color glosssy images of the cards in each description.  I like the fact that for each card, descriptions of its "gift" and "challenge" are detailed, as they come up to refer to the reader, the lover, the relationship, and the future.  A history of tarot is given, as are a pair of original spreads designed exclusively for use within the given system.  I imagine other tarots used in this fashion could be similarly successful in rendering predictions about relationships and romance.  After all, the spread helps direct the reading as much as anything.

I recommend this tarot set as a gift for tarot lovers, collectors, or for those who concentrate on questions of the heart when doing card readings.  It is designed that the beginner can use it, so no prior experience is necessary.  Overall, a lovely set.

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also by Jane Lyle:
The Fortune-Teller's Deck

Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace