Yes, I got a new deck. Don’t judge me. At least you guys get a Phantomwise review at least.
So far, I’m seriously impressed! For those unfamiliar, this is created by Erin Morgenstern (yes, the Night Circus author), and it’s a fully grayscale deck she hand-painted between 2007-2010. The presentation alone is worth mentioning - it comes in this gorgeous book-style box with a gold skull on the spine that looks amazing on my shelf. Fans of dark Tarot decks might want to take a look at this one.
Opens like a book with a flip-up lid with this cool bright red interior - such a nice contrast to the black and white cards. I don’t normally really care about a deck’s packaging, but it was a nice touch, I had to mention it.
The artwork has this cool, dreamlike quality with definite Alice in Wonderland vibes (there’s even a Lewis Carroll quote in the guidebook), though it’s not exclusively Alice-themed. Perfect vibes, I think, because you get a bit of these surreal bits without it becoming a novelty deck
The imagery mostly follows RWS traditions but with creative twists - like the Knights riding different animals instead of horses. Everything is rendered in black, white, and mixed grays from her original acrylic paintings. The style feels like you’re peering into a shadowy, circus-like dreamscape, which sticks with her Night Circus aesthetic.
The cardstock is seriously thick - probably the heaviest I own - with a nice linen finish. You might love or hate this, I’m pretty neutral to card stock as long as they shuffle and they don’t fall apart, I’m happy. They do need a bit of wearing in before they shuffle smoothly, but I’m used to that with most modern decks now.
The guidebook is thin but efficient. It’s an RWS clone pretty much so you don’t need everything all over again. It does have some unique spreads (Dream Child, Celestial Navigation, and Down the Rabbit Hole) made for the deck and some specific card meanings.
After several readings, I’m finding this deck has a slightly ironic, tongue-in-cheek personality that points out truths with a wry smile. I don’t think I’ve ever had a deck like this before, so it’s been a learning experience.
The intuitive connection feels strong despite the abstract imagery. It reads surprisingly well for a black and white deck - the lack of color actually makes me focus more on the symbols and composition. Would definitely recommend if you’re drawn to artistic decks with a gothic/whimsical edge.
Solid 4.5/5 - would be perfect if it had a bit more uniqueness to some of the cards.