Vampire Tarot by Robert Place
This is the last deck that I ordered. I thought I was buying just a deck of cards with the usual white booklet but didn't realise it was a full set with a nicely printed book. I also didn't realise how large the cards are, but that's a good thing as you can really appreciate the artwork much more. I just shuffle them holding the cards vertically.
I was prepared for the fact that the cards are a solid brick that has to be peeled apart but I did cause a small amount of superficial damage to the edges of some cards. It is really negligible, however. The cards still stick together when shuffling but I understand they lose their stickiness after some use.
In some ways, the artwork reminds me of the Rider Tarot - enough that it seems to have influenced it greatly. The inclusion of Pamela Coleman-Smith on one of the court cards is a nice tribute to her. At the same time, the minor arcana doesn't follow the Rider style completely and is similar to the Vampire Tarot by Nathalie Hertz in some respects.
To get the most out of this deck, you really need to be familiar with Bram Stoker's Dracula novel otherwise certain cards just as 'Jonathan The Fool' and 'Mina' won't make much sense. For example, Mina is Place's version of the High Priestess and it is clear from the artwork that she has been bitten by Dracula at this juncture. Those familiar with the novel will immediately understand why she represents the link with the subconscious mind and the hidden realm but fortunately for those who aren't, the companion book explains the meanings thoroughly and also has a synopsis.
Reading with this deck felt a bit like reading with the Rider Tarot in that the meanings were familiar and clear. Like the Rider Tarot, the artwork is sparse and only includes as much information as you need in order to perform a reading. By contrast, the Gothic Tarot of Vampires has artwork that you can easily get lost in, which I don't mean in a bad way.
I think this deck might be my favourite out of all of the vampire themed tarots I have bought. Ian Daniels' Vampyres tarot is next on my list as soon as it is reprinted but I don't imagine it can hold the appeal that Place's deck has. In fact, it would be nice if a smaller version were available that I could also use as a travel deck to take along with my Mini Rider Waite tarot.
