This is a very cute deck.  I was immediately impressed with the soft, gentle colors and the old-world feel to the artwork.  Everything is consistent with medieval English style, and looks rather like people have stepped right out of an old tapestry.  It is obvious this deck has taken its symbolic inspiration from the classic decks such as the Tarot de Marseilles, since aside from the trumps, the Minor Arcana are a series of pips and court cards.

The Major Arcana cards all share the same background, which is this kind of beige flat thing with swirly designs in it.  I think they are meant to look embroidered, but I am reminded more of those old punched-tin lamps and wall plaques when I look at it.  The scenery other than that is nicely done and actually has a bit of perspective, up until it runs smack into the beige backdrop, that is.

In each suit of the Minor Arcana, the same background prevails for all the cards in the suit.  Batons (replacing wands) have this blue tint castle or church window kind of effect.  Cups have a design with vintage grapes.  Swords have an open sky feeling to them, and Coins have a soft blue backdrop.  The numbered cards are definitely pip cards, however these are some of the cutest ones I have seen, with real little scenes going on in and around the numbered items, and the scenes have a true sense of motion and place.

The deck itself is standard sized and shuffles fairly easily, flexes well.  The cards would hold up to a good amount of use.  This would be a good deck for anyone who had learned on a classic deck such as the Marseilles, as well as for the collector.  I can highly recommend it for such use.

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also by Maggie Kneen:
Psycards

Review Copyright 1998 by Gina M. Pace