First Impressions: Game of Thrones Tarot

Game of Thrones Tarot.
©HBO Inc

It was with much excitement that my copy of the Game of Thrones Tarot arrived after months of eager anticipation.  I know I was definitely not alone in my feelings!

So what are my first impressions?

The box is great, nice and sturdy with a flip up lid revealing two recesses - one containing the cards and the other the book.  Both are easily removed using the ribbon within each recess.

Game of Thrones Tarot.
©HBO Inc

The guidebook is quite adorable, although i'd have preferred it about A5 in size because I absolutely need to wear my glasses when reading it.  It is hard covered and measures 12.2cm x 7cm,  containing 106 pages which are sepia in tone, with the text in black and the titles and numbers in brown ink.  The book by Liz Dean is informative and well written with explanations for each of the cards and how they relate to the story and character presented in the image.

The cards measure 12cm x 7cm and are good quality with a gorgeous smooth linen finish.  The hand-drawn images by Craig Coss are in a muted but rich palette and capture the characters beautifully.  This deck is such a pleasure to look at and to handle.

Game of Thrones Tarot.
©HBO Inc

I've not used the deck in a reading just yet so can't comment further from that point of view. However I can say, for me personally, that without a doubt it is definitely not one that's going to sit unused as a collector's item.  It's been quite chatty already while i've been looking through it.

A disappointment is that I wish some of the characters didn't repeat elsewhere in the deck and there are some characters who I would have loved to see included that aren't.  For example, Gilly who I would have loved to see as The Star.

I'm so pleased to have this set and look forward to getting to know it even more.

Game of Thrones Tarot.
©HBO Inc

Game of Thrones Tarot published by Chronicle Books for HBO.  Design by Michael Morris, text by Liz Dean and illustrations by Craig Coss.