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Allegories of the Tarot
22 cards…each an individual splinter of the human psyche.22 writers…honing each splinter into a story of triumph and decay, arrogance and humility.Stories of the brightest lights and the darkest corners of the weirdest minds.22 cross-genre worlds.22 portals into the Universal.Only one way to get there.Come with us. Cross the portals. The Universal awaits.
242 pages, Paperback
First published October 24, 2013
About the author
Annetta Ribken
38 books36 followersAnnetta has been writing since words were carved on stone tablets with chisels. Not only does she write her own words, Annetta is also an accomplished editor. She lives just outside of St. Louis with her evil feline overlord, a rescued shelter cat named Athena.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
October 31, 2013
This is an awesome collection… Really. As usual, I was a little skeptical while picking up a book of short stories because very few short stories can actually satisfy my book-wormish curiosity. Mostly I am left feeling cheated because I always need to no more – it happens with novels too.
I have very little knowledge of Tarot yet these stories practically spoke to me. Based on the cards of Major Arcana, this series of stories embodies the factors that these cards stand for. Sometimes the stories physically feature a card and sometimes they just signify each card. As a result each story is unique – they can be classified into different genres ranging from sci-fi to horror. Each story being written by a different author has a different narrative style too. So while, there’s a theme to tie them together – the stories stand apart from each other. Also the common denominator in all these stories is the fact they are all well written and fascinating on their own.
It is difficult to point out just one story that stood out for me… but my favourites were Phoenix by Laura Eno, The Moon by J.H.Sked, On the Shoulders of Muses by Jessica McHugh and Transformation by Timothy Smith.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2013
"A Quality Collection of Imaginative Tales"
I love short stories that are well written. However, I generally avoid anthologies where the contributions are from a number of writers, since I have found that many are something of a "curate's egg" - in other words, the quality can vary considerably.
Regardless, I volunteered to be an early reader for "Anthologies of the Tarot" since the concept sounded intriguing. I am happy to report, this project was a great read. There was not a single tale I did not enjoy, and that is quite a feat given that there were twenty-two stories in all. The writing styles and narratives were very varied - although several, unsurprisingly, had a mystical theme. The tone segued from comedy to horror and all points in between.
In view of the high standard, it might seem churlish to single out particular contributions, but I did take special pleasure from Eden Baylee's heroine's yearning in "The Lovers", Annetta Ribken's delightfully snarky "Squashfest", Anne Chaconas' hilarious "Reply All" and J.H. Sked's heartbreaking tale, "The Moon". However, these four writers will by no means be the only contributors' works I will be seeking out in the future.
I have a tendency to be a "soft" marker when it comes to ratings of books, but "Anthologies of the Tarot" is the genuine article - a five star read. The only thing I will say is that, for those readers not familiar with the Tarot pack, an appendix giving a brief summary of the individual cards' meanings would have been helpful. That way the uninitiated would have a greater insight into the allegorical nature of each story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I love short stories that are well written. However, I generally avoid anthologies where the contributions are from a number of writers, since I have found that many are something of a "curate's egg" - in other words, the quality can vary considerably.
Regardless, I volunteered to be an early reader for "Anthologies of the Tarot" since the concept sounded intriguing. I am happy to report, this project was a great read. There was not a single tale I did not enjoy, and that is quite a feat given that there were twenty-two stories in all. The writing styles and narratives were very varied - although several, unsurprisingly, had a mystical theme. The tone segued from comedy to horror and all points in between.
In view of the high standard, it might seem churlish to single out particular contributions, but I did take special pleasure from Eden Baylee's heroine's yearning in "The Lovers", Annetta Ribken's delightfully snarky "Squashfest", Anne Chaconas' hilarious "Reply All" and J.H. Sked's heartbreaking tale, "The Moon". However, these four writers will by no means be the only contributors' works I will be seeking out in the future.
I have a tendency to be a "soft" marker when it comes to ratings of books, but "Anthologies of the Tarot" is the genuine article - a five star read. The only thing I will say is that, for those readers not familiar with the Tarot pack, an appendix giving a brief summary of the individual cards' meanings would have been helpful. That way the uninitiated would have a greater insight into the allegorical nature of each story.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 31, 2013
Recently I received a review copy of Allegories of the Tarot, edited by Annetta Ribken, with the agreement I would give an honest review. As a fan of the Tarot (my own personal favorite is my Zombie Tarot deck), and particularly the Major Arcana, I was very intrigued by the title and looked forward to seeing how the stories fit in with the cards of the Major Arcana.
I wasn’t disappointed.
From the first story to the last I was transported into the world of the Major Arcana through a variety of genres and storytelling styles, and I found it to be an enriching and enjoyable experience. I was pleased to find that each story was a great fit for the card with which it was associated even though most were not stories that had anything to do directly with the Tarot.
While I liked all of the stories there were some that I absolutely loved. Flesh in Frame (Empress) by Spike Marlowe blew me away, On the Shoulders of Muses (Hierophant) by Jessica McHugh was beautiful and satisfying, Transformation (Death) by Timothy Bryant Smith touched my heart and brought back memories of my first awareness of the transition of the soul. Anne Chaconas’ Replay All (Temperance) was hysterical (and possible), and Hoarder (Devil) by Patti Larsen was so darned creepy I’m not sure I’ll ever look at mermaids the same way again.
My absolute favorite story of all was The Moon (Moon) by J.H. Sked. It was so sad and beautiful and heartbreaking and joyful, all at the same time that I had to stop reading and go get the tissues.
I think Annetta Ribken did a great job editing this anthology and Jennifer Wingard made sure that the text was so clean and pleasant to read on an e-reader (I love a well edited and formatted ebook). Whether you are a Tarot lover or not it’s a great collection, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I give Allegories of the Tarot ten pentacles! ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪
I wasn’t disappointed.
From the first story to the last I was transported into the world of the Major Arcana through a variety of genres and storytelling styles, and I found it to be an enriching and enjoyable experience. I was pleased to find that each story was a great fit for the card with which it was associated even though most were not stories that had anything to do directly with the Tarot.
While I liked all of the stories there were some that I absolutely loved. Flesh in Frame (Empress) by Spike Marlowe blew me away, On the Shoulders of Muses (Hierophant) by Jessica McHugh was beautiful and satisfying, Transformation (Death) by Timothy Bryant Smith touched my heart and brought back memories of my first awareness of the transition of the soul. Anne Chaconas’ Replay All (Temperance) was hysterical (and possible), and Hoarder (Devil) by Patti Larsen was so darned creepy I’m not sure I’ll ever look at mermaids the same way again.
My absolute favorite story of all was The Moon (Moon) by J.H. Sked. It was so sad and beautiful and heartbreaking and joyful, all at the same time that I had to stop reading and go get the tissues.
I think Annetta Ribken did a great job editing this anthology and Jennifer Wingard made sure that the text was so clean and pleasant to read on an e-reader (I love a well edited and formatted ebook). Whether you are a Tarot lover or not it’s a great collection, and I wholeheartedly recommend it. I give Allegories of the Tarot ten pentacles! ✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪✪
October 30, 2013
I discovered the short story anthology, Allegories of the Tarot through author MeiLin Miranda’s Facebook/Twitter request for bloggers to participate in the blog tour. She contributed a story to the book, and the writers and facilitators for the tour were happy to give me, a relatively new blogger, the opportunity to network with their community and share their work. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Allegories of the Tarot is exactly what it sounds like: a series of short stories based around the meanings of various tarot cards. For simplicity and the most obvious symbolism the book only focuses on the Major Arcana. Some of the stories feature a physical representation of their card while others focus on embodying the meaning behind their tarot inspiration. I am not an expert on the tarot, but I still could appreciate the theme that tied the stories together.
Reviewing an anthology is slightly more difficult than discussing a book or comic because the tone varies from author to author. However, Allegories somehow flowed together as a well-matched whole. The project ended up feeling like several beads strung together to form a beautiful necklace that were more amazing for being paired together. The genres represented vary from speculative fiction to horror to fantasy to light sci-fi to simple human interest/true life, but somehow none of them hit a sour note that jerked me out of my immersion into the work.
The entire review will go live on October 31, 2013 at my blog
Allegories of the Tarot is exactly what it sounds like: a series of short stories based around the meanings of various tarot cards. For simplicity and the most obvious symbolism the book only focuses on the Major Arcana. Some of the stories feature a physical representation of their card while others focus on embodying the meaning behind their tarot inspiration. I am not an expert on the tarot, but I still could appreciate the theme that tied the stories together.
Reviewing an anthology is slightly more difficult than discussing a book or comic because the tone varies from author to author. However, Allegories somehow flowed together as a well-matched whole. The project ended up feeling like several beads strung together to form a beautiful necklace that were more amazing for being paired together. The genres represented vary from speculative fiction to horror to fantasy to light sci-fi to simple human interest/true life, but somehow none of them hit a sour note that jerked me out of my immersion into the work.
The entire review will go live on October 31, 2013 at my blog
October 31, 2013
NOTE: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
As a fan of the Tarot, I have been wanting to read this book since I first saw a mention of it. I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. From a new take on Muses to an embarrassing e-mail blunder to a man's preparation for death, this book kept me engrossed and wanting more. Kudos to all the awesome writers who took part in this anthology.
As a fan of the Tarot, I have been wanting to read this book since I first saw a mention of it. I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint at all. From a new take on Muses to an embarrassing e-mail blunder to a man's preparation for death, this book kept me engrossed and wanting more. Kudos to all the awesome writers who took part in this anthology.
October 30, 2013
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Allegories of the Tarot Anthology is a magical book. Magic that will keep you turning the pages. There are muses, demons, psychics, evil,and more! I shivered, I laughed and I even cried. Magic, I tell you. Magic. Absolutely loved all the stories.
I can't say it enough-I loved it!
December 2, 2014
You can also find this review on my blog.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was amazing! Honestly, I am not a big fan of short stories, I get bored easily but Allegories of the Tarot was an absolute page turner! It was really better than I thought, one of the many reasons it was soo good was that it had a lot of different authors and different genres, it doesn’t let you get distracted for even a minute.
There were so many different elements in it, so many awesome characters, each with his or her own captivating story. Some of my favorite stories in this book were On the Shoulders of Muses by Jessica McHugh, A Modern Affair by Eden Baylee and Justice by Catie Rhodes, even though these stories were my favorite, all the other stories were equally nice.
While reading this book, I felt different emotions with each different story connecting me to the story’s characters, their situations and also their lives. There was all sorts of stories, from happy to sad, hilarious to serious and magical to downright scary, it was twists and turns like these that held me captive and made me turn the pages.
Bottom line: I enjoyed this book very much and I recommend that you read it too.. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the giveaway for this book and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did, Have fun.
To enter the giveaway for the Allegories of the Tarot check this link out- a Rafflecopter giveaway.
And to find out more about this book click here.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book was amazing! Honestly, I am not a big fan of short stories, I get bored easily but Allegories of the Tarot was an absolute page turner! It was really better than I thought, one of the many reasons it was soo good was that it had a lot of different authors and different genres, it doesn’t let you get distracted for even a minute.
There were so many different elements in it, so many awesome characters, each with his or her own captivating story. Some of my favorite stories in this book were On the Shoulders of Muses by Jessica McHugh, A Modern Affair by Eden Baylee and Justice by Catie Rhodes, even though these stories were my favorite, all the other stories were equally nice.
While reading this book, I felt different emotions with each different story connecting me to the story’s characters, their situations and also their lives. There was all sorts of stories, from happy to sad, hilarious to serious and magical to downright scary, it was twists and turns like these that held me captive and made me turn the pages.
Bottom line: I enjoyed this book very much and I recommend that you read it too.. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the giveaway for this book and I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did, Have fun.
To enter the giveaway for the Allegories of the Tarot check this link out- a Rafflecopter giveaway.
And to find out more about this book click here.
April 14, 2014
Like most anthologies I read, this was a mixed bag for me.
A lot of the stories were very poorly edited, which may have skewed my ratings in some places. The anthology really could have used a copy editor to go over the whole thing, but it seems to have been left up to individual authors.
There was more horror than I expected, which is actually a good thing--I love horror almost as much as fantasy, but I was expecting this book to be mainly fantasy. People who don't like horror should probably steer clear, though!
"On the Road to Devil’s Gulch" by Peter Giglio - ***
The story was decent, but I wanted more plot. I felt like the ending to this story was really the middle of some other story. The narrator didn't get a complete arc.
"The Intern’s Story" by Lon Prater - ***
Again, a decent story, and I did like the conceit of faeries only showing up in photographs, but I didn't feel as though the narrator had a complete story arc.
"Deadly Son" by Billie Sue Mosiman - **
In this case I didn't think the narrator got a story arc at all. She is a priestess and seer to King Solomon, and if anyone gets a story arc, it's him, but I'm not sure he did. The story felt very scattered to me--sometimes it was about the priestess, sometimes it was about King Solomon and Queen Sheba, sometimes it was about their son--and I think would have been better served as a much longer story with room for several POVs.
"Flesh in Frame" by Spike Marlowe - ****
Short and sweet and creepy.
"Dmitri and the Mad Monk" by Kris Austen Radcliffe - ***
I found this one pretty hard to get into because the relationships between the characters were not clear, but it did get pretty exciting toward the end. I liked the different magical powers.
"On the Shoulders of Muses" by Jessica McHugh - *****
Unusual concept, in a great story with a perfect ending. I just wish the term "blood muse" had been explained--I'm guessing that meant born to be a muse, but that doesn't explain why it seemed to be so significant or asking about it offensive.
"A Modern Affair" by Eden Baylee - **
I was too frustrated by the character not saying she was married to really like the story, but the ending was good.
"Squashfest" by Annetta Ribken - ***
I liked the characters, but this is another one that ended abruptly--the significance of the card, the Chariot, was never made clear. This one really seemed like a prologue, not a story that stood on its own.
"A Promise In the Dark" by Rochelle Maya Callen - ***
Decent story, not well written but I liked the worldbuilding.
"The Hermit" by Red Tash - ***
I liked the story, but couldn't really get into the characters or make sense of the world. I did really like the way the Hermit's lantern was used in the story.
"Vista Bridge" by MeiLin Miranda - *****
Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of MeiLin's work and 90% of the reason I picked up this anthology is her name. However, I think I would consider this the best story in the anthology even if I weren't already familiar with the author. I literally couldn't put my phone down to stop reading this at any point. The main character was wonderful and had a very unusual power with an intriguing take on luck.
"Justice" by Catie Rhodes - ****
This was a fun story, though I found it unexpectedly violent for the lighthearted tone.
"Path of Sacrifice" by Matthew Bryan - *
I had a very hard time following this one and ended up skimming most of it. This is another one where the story seems more like a prologue than a standalone story and I think it could have been tightened up a lot.
"Transformation" by Timothy Bryant Smith - ****
Sweet and sad. The characters felt very real.
"Reply All" by Anne Chaconas - *****
Hilarious story and the email structure was perfect. Don't skim the email headers even though they get repetitive! They are crucial. However, this story seemed to have the least connection to its Tarot card of all of them.
"Hoarder" by Patti Larsen - ****
Very creepy, very sad, very well done. I'm not sure if the author is a fan of the TV show Warehouse 13, but this story definitely reminded me of it. Too bad Pete and Myka didn't show up to help the main character...
"After the Fall" by Jordan L. Hawk - ****
Sweet little romance. I liked the backstory with the psy soldier getting his powers burned out.
"L'Etoile Flamboyant" by Samantha Henderson - *****
Wow! This is definitely an author I'll be looking for in the future. Excellent post-apocalyptic world building and fascinating characters. Gorgeous and strange and creepy and sad.
"The Moon" by J. H. Sked - ****
Very beautiful and very sad. I liked the literal use of the Tarot card as magical object and the strong friendship between tow old women.
"The Strange Case of Sal and the Solar Elixir" by Tristan J. Tarwater - *****
Cool worldbuilding. Liked the story and the main character. I did get the feeling that it was a prologue--it's definitely the very beginning of this character's adventures--but it formed a complete story on its own and has definitely made me want to see if there are more books about this character.
"A Body for your Birthday" by Jennifer Wingard - ***
I really wanted to like this story; the characters at the beginning were fantastic. But the mystery was unsatisfying, the ending too easy, and it switched POV halfway through so that the characters from the beginning didn't actually get closure.
"Phoenix" by Laura Eno - ***
The character and world were fairly interesting, but most of the story was taken up with backstory rather than present action. And when it did get to present action, I didn't understand what was going on and I definitely didn't understand the ending.
Note: I received this anthology as a free download from Story Cartel in exchange for a review.
A lot of the stories were very poorly edited, which may have skewed my ratings in some places. The anthology really could have used a copy editor to go over the whole thing, but it seems to have been left up to individual authors.
There was more horror than I expected, which is actually a good thing--I love horror almost as much as fantasy, but I was expecting this book to be mainly fantasy. People who don't like horror should probably steer clear, though!
"On the Road to Devil’s Gulch" by Peter Giglio - ***
The story was decent, but I wanted more plot. I felt like the ending to this story was really the middle of some other story. The narrator didn't get a complete arc.
"The Intern’s Story" by Lon Prater - ***
Again, a decent story, and I did like the conceit of faeries only showing up in photographs, but I didn't feel as though the narrator had a complete story arc.
"Deadly Son" by Billie Sue Mosiman - **
In this case I didn't think the narrator got a story arc at all. She is a priestess and seer to King Solomon, and if anyone gets a story arc, it's him, but I'm not sure he did. The story felt very scattered to me--sometimes it was about the priestess, sometimes it was about King Solomon and Queen Sheba, sometimes it was about their son--and I think would have been better served as a much longer story with room for several POVs.
"Flesh in Frame" by Spike Marlowe - ****
Short and sweet and creepy.
"Dmitri and the Mad Monk" by Kris Austen Radcliffe - ***
I found this one pretty hard to get into because the relationships between the characters were not clear, but it did get pretty exciting toward the end. I liked the different magical powers.
"On the Shoulders of Muses" by Jessica McHugh - *****
Unusual concept, in a great story with a perfect ending. I just wish the term "blood muse" had been explained--I'm guessing that meant born to be a muse, but that doesn't explain why it seemed to be so significant or asking about it offensive.
"A Modern Affair" by Eden Baylee - **
I was too frustrated by the character not saying she was married to really like the story, but the ending was good.
"Squashfest" by Annetta Ribken - ***
I liked the characters, but this is another one that ended abruptly--the significance of the card, the Chariot, was never made clear. This one really seemed like a prologue, not a story that stood on its own.
"A Promise In the Dark" by Rochelle Maya Callen - ***
Decent story, not well written but I liked the worldbuilding.
"The Hermit" by Red Tash - ***
I liked the story, but couldn't really get into the characters or make sense of the world. I did really like the way the Hermit's lantern was used in the story.
"Vista Bridge" by MeiLin Miranda - *****
Disclaimer: I'm a huge fan of MeiLin's work and 90% of the reason I picked up this anthology is her name. However, I think I would consider this the best story in the anthology even if I weren't already familiar with the author. I literally couldn't put my phone down to stop reading this at any point. The main character was wonderful and had a very unusual power with an intriguing take on luck.
"Justice" by Catie Rhodes - ****
This was a fun story, though I found it unexpectedly violent for the lighthearted tone.
"Path of Sacrifice" by Matthew Bryan - *
I had a very hard time following this one and ended up skimming most of it. This is another one where the story seems more like a prologue than a standalone story and I think it could have been tightened up a lot.
"Transformation" by Timothy Bryant Smith - ****
Sweet and sad. The characters felt very real.
"Reply All" by Anne Chaconas - *****
Hilarious story and the email structure was perfect. Don't skim the email headers even though they get repetitive! They are crucial. However, this story seemed to have the least connection to its Tarot card of all of them.
"Hoarder" by Patti Larsen - ****
Very creepy, very sad, very well done. I'm not sure if the author is a fan of the TV show Warehouse 13, but this story definitely reminded me of it. Too bad Pete and Myka didn't show up to help the main character...
"After the Fall" by Jordan L. Hawk - ****
Sweet little romance. I liked the backstory with the psy soldier getting his powers burned out.
"L'Etoile Flamboyant" by Samantha Henderson - *****
Wow! This is definitely an author I'll be looking for in the future. Excellent post-apocalyptic world building and fascinating characters. Gorgeous and strange and creepy and sad.
"The Moon" by J. H. Sked - ****
Very beautiful and very sad. I liked the literal use of the Tarot card as magical object and the strong friendship between tow old women.
"The Strange Case of Sal and the Solar Elixir" by Tristan J. Tarwater - *****
Cool worldbuilding. Liked the story and the main character. I did get the feeling that it was a prologue--it's definitely the very beginning of this character's adventures--but it formed a complete story on its own and has definitely made me want to see if there are more books about this character.
"A Body for your Birthday" by Jennifer Wingard - ***
I really wanted to like this story; the characters at the beginning were fantastic. But the mystery was unsatisfying, the ending too easy, and it switched POV halfway through so that the characters from the beginning didn't actually get closure.
"Phoenix" by Laura Eno - ***
The character and world were fairly interesting, but most of the story was taken up with backstory rather than present action. And when it did get to present action, I didn't understand what was going on and I definitely didn't understand the ending.
Note: I received this anthology as a free download from Story Cartel in exchange for a review.
November 24, 2013
This is a really great anthology with a very eclectic mix of authors and subjects. I was really enjoying the stories and I liked how the authors tied their own unique styles to the Tarot deck's major arcana. Some of the stories are centered around a Tarot reading and their Tarot card. I like the ones that interpret the Tarot card without ever actually mentioning the card better. Some of the stories were very short and ended too abruptly. All in all a very enjoyable read. 4 stars.
THE FOOL
On the Road to Devil's Gulch ~ Peter Giglio
In this story a young man is hitch hiking with a dog. Twenty-three-year-old Bill wants experiences that he can write about. The Tarot Card The Fool has a picture of a young man who is about to walk off a cliff, a dog biting at his heels. This story definitely takes that picture and turns it into a very interesting story.
THE MAGICIAN
The Intern's Story ~ Lon Prater
An old man and a young man are at a bingo parlor intent on photographing fairies.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
Deadly Son ~ Billie Sue Mosiman
Katrine tries to warn King Solomon that Sheba will bring catastrophe with her.
THE EMPRESS
Flesh In Frame ~ Spike Marlowe
This is a really interesting story about a female artist and plants. A really short, very eerie little tale. I liked this one a lot.
THE EMPEROR
Dmitri and the Mad Monk ~ Kris Austen Radcliffe
Dmitri poisons, stabs and shoots Rasputin and then throws him in the river. Dmitri and Rasputin are both shifters and hard to kill.
THE HIEROPHANT
On the Shoulders of Muses ~ Jessica McHugh
This is a science fiction story about muses. Delivering inspiration is very scientific in this story. Another very interesting short little tale that I enjoyed a lot.
THE LOVERS
A Modern Affair ~ Eden Baylee
Ellen is getting a Tarot reading, the Lovers card comes up and the psychic says that it could represent her having an affair with a younger man. Ellen's older husband is the Director of Obstetrics & Gynecology and she is an erotica writer. Ellen is struggling with writing a sex scene in her book. J.D. Ellsworth is a poet and in an online writer's group that Ellen is a member of and they quickly start messaging each other sexually charged, innuendo filled messages. Their banter is erotic and very steamy. I was disappointed that this story ended so quickly. I liked the little naughty, online affair.
THE CHARIOT
Squashfest ~ Annetta Ribken
Two Southern girls go to a squashfest, some kind of fair to celebrate squash. They go to the fortune teller's tent. Sally Mae wants to know where her father is. “You’ll have a heap to get over, but in the end you’ll be on the winning side on account you’re ornery and stubborn.” This story seemed like part of a bigger piece. It wasn't really a stand alone story at all.
STRENGTH
A Promise in the Dark ~ Rochelle Maya Callen
In Zorilah the Arcana live. This story reminded me a lot of Kresley Cole's The Arcana Chronicles but this takes the Strength card, a girl holding a lion's mouth closed and crafts a story around a girl taming lions in an arena.
THE HERMIT
The Hermit ~ Red Tash
The Hermit's magical lantern shows him the truth, but not the only truth.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Vista Bridge ~ MeiLin Miranda
Juanita tries to save suicides jumping off a bridge by giving them good luck. But life isn't fair and she isn't supposed to have her finger on the wheel.
JUSTICE
Justice ~ Catie Rhodes
Peri can see dead people.
THE HANGED MAN
Path of Sacrifice ~ Matthew Bryan
A demon story.
DEATH
Transformation ~ Timothy Smith
Rose's grandfather is dying. This is a sad little poignant tale.
TEMPERANCE
Reply All ~ Anne Chaconas
A story told in emails. The boss's wife is having an affair. A group is gossiping about it in email until a comment is accidentally sent “Reply All” and the entire office knows about it. I thought this story was so clever and funny. I could relate to office gossip through email and the dreaded “Reply All” button.
THE DEVIL
Hoarder ~ Patti Larsen
Jane buys more and more things to try to make herself happy. A very scary, creepy little story.
THE TOWER
After the Fall ~ Jordan L. Hawk
A psychic powers, sci fi, sweet, romantic story.
THE STAR
L’Etoile Flamboyant ~ Samantha Henderson
A tale of The Night Circus
THE MOON
The Moon ~ J.H. Sked
Anna has cancer and she goes to her magical friend.
THE SUN
The Strange Case of Sal and the Solar Elixir ~ Tristan J. Tarwater
JUDGMENT
A Body for Your Birthday ~ Jennifer Wingard
THE WORLD
Phoenix ~ Laura Eno
THE FOOL
On the Road to Devil's Gulch ~ Peter Giglio
In this story a young man is hitch hiking with a dog. Twenty-three-year-old Bill wants experiences that he can write about. The Tarot Card The Fool has a picture of a young man who is about to walk off a cliff, a dog biting at his heels. This story definitely takes that picture and turns it into a very interesting story.
THE MAGICIAN
The Intern's Story ~ Lon Prater
An old man and a young man are at a bingo parlor intent on photographing fairies.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS
Deadly Son ~ Billie Sue Mosiman
Katrine tries to warn King Solomon that Sheba will bring catastrophe with her.
THE EMPRESS
Flesh In Frame ~ Spike Marlowe
This is a really interesting story about a female artist and plants. A really short, very eerie little tale. I liked this one a lot.
THE EMPEROR
Dmitri and the Mad Monk ~ Kris Austen Radcliffe
Dmitri poisons, stabs and shoots Rasputin and then throws him in the river. Dmitri and Rasputin are both shifters and hard to kill.
THE HIEROPHANT
On the Shoulders of Muses ~ Jessica McHugh
This is a science fiction story about muses. Delivering inspiration is very scientific in this story. Another very interesting short little tale that I enjoyed a lot.
THE LOVERS
A Modern Affair ~ Eden Baylee
Ellen is getting a Tarot reading, the Lovers card comes up and the psychic says that it could represent her having an affair with a younger man. Ellen's older husband is the Director of Obstetrics & Gynecology and she is an erotica writer. Ellen is struggling with writing a sex scene in her book. J.D. Ellsworth is a poet and in an online writer's group that Ellen is a member of and they quickly start messaging each other sexually charged, innuendo filled messages. Their banter is erotic and very steamy. I was disappointed that this story ended so quickly. I liked the little naughty, online affair.
THE CHARIOT
Squashfest ~ Annetta Ribken
Two Southern girls go to a squashfest, some kind of fair to celebrate squash. They go to the fortune teller's tent. Sally Mae wants to know where her father is. “You’ll have a heap to get over, but in the end you’ll be on the winning side on account you’re ornery and stubborn.” This story seemed like part of a bigger piece. It wasn't really a stand alone story at all.
STRENGTH
A Promise in the Dark ~ Rochelle Maya Callen
In Zorilah the Arcana live. This story reminded me a lot of Kresley Cole's The Arcana Chronicles but this takes the Strength card, a girl holding a lion's mouth closed and crafts a story around a girl taming lions in an arena.
THE HERMIT
The Hermit ~ Red Tash
The Hermit's magical lantern shows him the truth, but not the only truth.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Vista Bridge ~ MeiLin Miranda
Juanita tries to save suicides jumping off a bridge by giving them good luck. But life isn't fair and she isn't supposed to have her finger on the wheel.
JUSTICE
Justice ~ Catie Rhodes
Peri can see dead people.
THE HANGED MAN
Path of Sacrifice ~ Matthew Bryan
A demon story.
DEATH
Transformation ~ Timothy Smith
Rose's grandfather is dying. This is a sad little poignant tale.
TEMPERANCE
Reply All ~ Anne Chaconas
A story told in emails. The boss's wife is having an affair. A group is gossiping about it in email until a comment is accidentally sent “Reply All” and the entire office knows about it. I thought this story was so clever and funny. I could relate to office gossip through email and the dreaded “Reply All” button.
THE DEVIL
Hoarder ~ Patti Larsen
Jane buys more and more things to try to make herself happy. A very scary, creepy little story.
THE TOWER
After the Fall ~ Jordan L. Hawk
A psychic powers, sci fi, sweet, romantic story.
THE STAR
L’Etoile Flamboyant ~ Samantha Henderson
A tale of The Night Circus
THE MOON
The Moon ~ J.H. Sked
Anna has cancer and she goes to her magical friend.
THE SUN
The Strange Case of Sal and the Solar Elixir ~ Tristan J. Tarwater
JUDGMENT
A Body for Your Birthday ~ Jennifer Wingard
THE WORLD
Phoenix ~ Laura Eno
November 16, 2014
In college when I was studying art history, I took a class that was pivotal for me in understanding how we communicate with each other and with our subconscious minds. It was called Symbolism in Art. Along with learning to distinguish between the Catholic saints and Greek pantheon, our professor taught us about the historic role of number symbolism and the Tarot.
I became enamored with the idea that each Tarot card - and especially the powerful cards of the major arcana - could help us to interpret our present path, to "picture" our experiences, giving our subconscious mind, which uses symbols and form over language, a platform for expression.
Later, I became a mental health worker and used the Tarot with certain clients who were open to the idea of symbolism, Jung, and the subconscious, and were not making progress with more mainstream techniques.
When I found out that an anthology was being produced based on the Tarot, I was a little concerned that the task of writing 22 stories would end up like a Halloween caricature and the beauty and historic meanings would be lost. I was very pleased to see a rich tapestry of interpretations and applications of the theme. Certain stories appealed to me more than others, as would be expected. But as a whole, it is a worthwhile and interesting project and perhaps a jumping board for book groups. With which card did you most identify? If you were writing a short story theme, which card would you work with and why? Lots of fodder for discussions!
I became enamored with the idea that each Tarot card - and especially the powerful cards of the major arcana - could help us to interpret our present path, to "picture" our experiences, giving our subconscious mind, which uses symbols and form over language, a platform for expression.
Later, I became a mental health worker and used the Tarot with certain clients who were open to the idea of symbolism, Jung, and the subconscious, and were not making progress with more mainstream techniques.
When I found out that an anthology was being produced based on the Tarot, I was a little concerned that the task of writing 22 stories would end up like a Halloween caricature and the beauty and historic meanings would be lost. I was very pleased to see a rich tapestry of interpretations and applications of the theme. Certain stories appealed to me more than others, as would be expected. But as a whole, it is a worthwhile and interesting project and perhaps a jumping board for book groups. With which card did you most identify? If you were writing a short story theme, which card would you work with and why? Lots of fodder for discussions!
July 5, 2014
I'm one of the authors
February 1, 2015
Wide disparity in writing ability on display in this collection. Really liked the concept of the book and enjoyed it overall.
April 17, 2016
I was hoping to learn more about the Tarot lore from this book, but feel that if I already knew lots about it, this would have been really fun.
January 8, 2018
I was only interested in the short story "Justice"
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews