Why You'll Love This
The woman who actually drew the Rider-Waite tarot deck has been nearly erased from history — this novel puts her back at the center of her own story.
- Great if you want: historical fiction where occult history and real figures intertwine
- The experience: atmospheric and unhurried — Victorian London built card by card
- The writing: Wands weaves real tarot symbolism into the narrative with clear intention
- Skip if: you prefer tight plot over character-driven atmosphere and mysticism
About This Book
In Victorian London, Pamela Colman Smith is already an outsider — an American-born artist with a gift for second sight, navigating a society that has no place for someone like her. When she begins illustrating what will become one of the most iconic tarot decks in history, she draws the attention of Aleister Crowley, who wants the power those cards carry for himself. Caught between a dangerous occultist and two beloved theatrical mentors who have become her living muses, Pamela must protect her art, her vision, and her very sense of self. The stakes are both intimate and mythic.
What makes Magician and Fool worth reading is its unusual grounding — this is historical fantasy built around a real woman whose contributions to occult history were long overlooked, and Wands restores her to the center of her own story with evident care. The prose moves with theatrical energy, fitting for a novel so steeped in London's stage world, and the tarot itself becomes a genuine structural presence rather than mere decoration. Readers who love art, esoterica, and fiercely original women will find something here that feels genuinely discovered rather than invented.